BROWS.

I've been working with a lot of different people over the last few days and one thing that always remains true is the importance of good brows. I LOVE BROWS. Today, I spent a good 5 minutes shaping this girl's brows. I believe they are a crucial feature because they frame your eyes; and, your eyes are the focal point of your face. If your brows are not done properly, someone will look at them instead of your eyes. On the other hand, good brows frame the eyes and further emphasize them. Therefore, it is key to get your brows shaped right.

In order to shape your brows correctly, make sure that you avoid drawing them on. You want them to look natural. However, if you do nothing to them, they might lack shape. Try taking advantage of a thin eyebrow pencil and use feather-like strokes to fill in and shape the brows. If you have gaps in your brows a powder will work well. Also, if you need to tint the color of your brows, brow gels work well and also help keep the brows in place. Lastly, if you pluck your brows, remember that less is more. Let your natural brow take shape.

Kirby.

This actress is funny and so, so beautiful.

My Wall of Inspiration

I am a visual person. I am constantly working towards something new. It is easy to get frustrated and feel like you are not meeting your goals. And, at the same time there is always the tendency to accomplish something great and forget that you still have a lot to do to meet your long term goals. Although you need to live in the moment, you also have to find the balance between enjoying the progress that you have made and visualizing the future that you are working towards. For me, this is what my wall of inspiration is all about.

The wall holds many items. Some are images I have done personally. Others are ones that I admire and use for personal inspiration. Then there are some images that I dislike and have changed with pencil to better enhance the face shape. I could stare at images for hours. I want to see beauty like no other makeup artist and just get it, so I continue to look through images. Sometimes when I get overwhelmed words help me. I post these on my wall too.

Anyway, I moved today and thought I would capture my wall for you all to see :)

PUURRRRR...

Kitten has been stila's best selling eye shadow for years. Since this is my blog and my opinions I can admit that I am sick of the shadow and I prefer other shades - no offense if its your favorite, you are not alone. Due to the success of kitten, stila decided to expand the franchise (as the call it) and they started developing other kitten products. Now, there are kitten glosses, silk eye shadow bases, and even kitten's older sister black cat. It was not until the recent debut of the KITTEN SMUDGE POT that I finally decided to jump on the kitten bandwagon. I LOVE it...so much. I find so many uses for this product.

Today I was on a photo shoot at Roxy and I used it as a highlighter for the cheekbones. It looked so pretty! I also love using it as an eyeshadow base because it is extremely long wearing. Also, it looks great and wears nicely as your stand alone eye shadow. Lastly, sometimes I use it to bring out the eye shape by applying it on the inner well of the eye or on the middle of the lower lashline. It really just depends on the mood and look you are going for.

Pick your BEST feature and go with it...

I was talking to my friend tonight about makeup and she told me that she has been doing her makeup the same way since she was 14. She asked me if I thought she did her makeup bad, and basically said that she was scared to try new things. Sadly, many people seem to feel this way. I'll admit that somedays I think, "wow I did a great job on my makeup," and other days I just think it looks so-so. For whatever reason I just cannot seem to see myself the way I see others when it comes to doing makeup. However, I still enjoy doing makeup on myself and I have fun experimenting with new products and trying new things.

One idea that might help those who are struggling like my friend, stuck in a makeup rut that has lasted for way too long, is to keep it simple. Try focusing on your best feature and leave the rest understated. If you are unsure what your best feature is, ask someone close to you. Maybe you have great eyes, lips, cheekbones, skin, or even brows. Let that feature stand out.

I love these before and after shots of everyday women on stila's new site. One thing in particular that stood out to me when I met Hillary was that she had a nice face shape. Many women would love to have the proportion that she has in her face. Also, the shape itself is very pleasing to the eye. Unfortunately, without blush, her wonderful face shape is not as noticeable. It is a simple step and an easy one. And, for her, it makes all the difference.

So, pick your best feature and go with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My new favorite product.

Sometimes when I do makeup on others I take a step back admire my work, think to myself, "not bad", and then look in the mirror and wonder why in the world I cannot do the same thing on myself. Believe me I try. And, it is not like I am a horrible at applying makeup on myself, I have just realized that I do a better job on other people. That being said, I do love it when a product comes out that makes my personal makeup routine easier.

During the summer I was all about bronzes and lighter eyeshadow. However, as the seasons shift, so do the makeup trends. Typically, when summer is over, you add the depth back to your wardrobe by adding layers, wearing deeper tones, etc. Consider doing the same with your makeup. Instead of wearing the bronzes on my eyes, I am going for a darker look. To do this I am using stila's new smudge pot in the color "Little Black Dress". It is black with pink shimmer :)

I tend to prefer a smoky eye so I usually apply the LBD with my finger on my lid, shearing it out. Then, I take a brush and add more of the product at the lashline. It is your shadow and liner in one! If you want a cateye look, the product works great as well. Its simple, easy and fun. OH, and it is inspired by BARBIE!

Big Hair. Hippy Style.

I am in LOVE with this picture. Hope you like it :)

A Blog Revamp And A Pic Or Two Of Jeanine Mason.

I thought it was time for a change, so I changed the blog a little. Also, thought you might enjoy these pics of Jeanine Mason who won So You Think You Can Dance. I love them.

What I Learned Backstage.

It's been a little over a week since I got home from New York and it is already seeming like a distant memory. Fortunately, I have pictures to validate the experience! And, more than anything, I can already tell that I am a much better artist because of it. This is probably the most rewarding aspect that comes with fashion week - the opportunity to work with the best and most creative people in the business, learn new tricks and trends, and hone your technique. You seriously cannot put a price on its value. What I can do, however, is sum up for you a few things that I learned while working backstage.

1. Sometimes you just got to go for it. I realized this in almost every show. When you hesitate, you often run into trouble.

2. When it comes to mascara, rarely is there ever a time when there is TOO much of it. For some shows, we applied 5 or 6 coats. Others more. NOTE - I am not advocating clumpy, goopy lashes. EWW. On the contrary, I am simply putting it out there that you may need to coat a lot to make sure every last lash is coated with mascara.

3. Keep the lips looking clean. With the popularity of lipstick it is more difficult to achieve that clean lip look these days, especially because a lot of people do not use lip liner. Concealer is a great way to quickly clean up lipstick that has bled onto the skin.

4. Models have amazing brows. Use a mascara wand/brow brush and comb your brows up to achieve model like brows!

5. When applying eye shadow, try keeping the center of the eye open and lighter. It looks more modern and shapes the eye nicely.

Some Better Pics Compliments of WWD.