Holiday Makeup Favorites - Colored Eye Liner!

Happy December my beauties! It's my favorite time of year again, not only for the decorations, the non-stop Christmas music, the foods, the gift-giving, and the excitement this warm and cozy month brings, but for the glamour (and glitter!) that come along with the holidays.

However, if you're the type of girl who's squeamish around eye shadow, runs from any type of glitter, and would never even attempt a red lip, you might be wondering how to turn your makeup look up a notch when it comes time for those annual holiday get togethers and new years parties this year.

Colored eyeliner is something I love to use all year round, but especially around the holidays. Purples, teals, and deep blues are my favorites and are an easy way to play up your eyes and liven up your look without being overly dramatic. In fact, I love pairing a very natural eye and lip with a pop of color on the lower lash and water line, as Jessica Biel recently did at the Museum of Modern Art 2013 Film Benefit. She looked stunning, and I just loved how the pairing of the turquoise liner and the chunky gold necklace just seemed to make her hazel eyes sparkle.

You can also switch it up and use colored liner on your top lash line or even extend it out into a wing for a more dramatic cat eye, as seen on the runways this fall.

Thinking about trying this look out? One of my favorite colored eyeliners, the NYX Slide On Glide On Definitely A Turn On Waterproof Extreme Shine Eye Liner in Azure, is a perfect match (and stays on all day!). They come in a variety of colors, so have fun experimenting this season!

Stay tuned for more holiday favorites this December! ;)
xxx
JM

MAKEUP NEWS! Fashion meets makeup! Top designers hit the beauty scene

If you've stopped into a Sephora lately or been keeping up with your fashion news, you probably already know about some new designer makeup collections that recently launched this Fall! Fashion heads Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Jason Wu are branching out from the fashion world with their own beauty lines, just as Dior, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent have done before. Now makeup and fashion connoisseurs alike can have access to a "designer label" at a more affordable price point. Whether or not women are buying more clothes in our economy today, they never seem to stray from the beauty scene.

High end makeup just seems to quench that thirst for something luxurious, especially when it has the designer name to back it up. It's true, applying your lipstick with that gorgeous gold YSL tube can make any day feel just a little more special.


Marc Jacobs can be found at Sephora, select Marc Jacobs stores,
Sephora.com and marcjacobsbeauty.com
Products range from $18-$78

So what's so unique about these new collections?

Marc Jacobs created his 122 piece line with Sephora, featuring lipsticks, eye shadow palettes, mascara, foundations, nail polishes, brushes and more. He named many of the shades after film titles and characters, hoping to help make the collection more relatable and personal. I got a sneak peak at some of the palettes in Sephora and they're absolutely gorgeous! It looks like a really fun line.

Michael Kors can be found at Macy's, Michael Kors shops,
macys.com and michaelkors.com
Products range from $18 to $95

Michael Kors, one of my favorite designers, developed products for face, lips and nails with Estee Lauder as well as a fragrance. He emphasizes a bronzed, natural look in his collection with lots of neutrals as well as some pops of color, definitely complementary to his signature "relaxed jet setter" vibe in the clothing line. He divided the line into three categories: Sporty, Sexy, Glam.
Sounds like it has a little something for everyone!

Jason Wu's 15 piece line for Lancôme includes eyeliner, mascara, eye shadows, nail polish and more. "It's always been such an important part of my shows, and I felt like this was a really natural progression for me," Wu says of creating a makeup line. The collection carries some beautiful shades from Wu's recent shows, including the stunning indigo color in the Violet Streak palette used to create the violet cat eye on models in his fall runway show (a popular trend!).



Jason Wu can be found at Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman
and Nordstrom.com
Products range from $18 to $51

I'm definitely looking forward to trying out some goodies from these new lines.
Perfect timing for the holidays! ;)

 

 

Have you tried any items from these new collections yet?

 

xxx

JM

 

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Happy Halloween my beauties! Thought I'd celebrate with a little "throwback" to one of my favorite movies this time of year - Hocus Pocus! Although the Sanderson sisters came back after three hundred years to steal the lives of the children of Salem (spooky!), the insatiable witches still seem to win us over not only by their charming comedic performance, but by their fantastic makeup (why, hello SJP!).

Of the three witches, the most interesting transformation is of Winnie Sanderson, played by Bette Midler. While Sarah Sanderson's (Sarah Jessica Parker) brows are quite strong and bushy, Winnie's brows are virtually non-existent. With her rosy cheeks and buck-toothed smirk, Winnie Sanderson's cartoonish features stand her out as "head witch in charge".

What a great group costume idea!

 

Have a very happy and bewitching Halloween! ;)

 

xxx

JM

HALLOWEEN MAKEUP - A scary/sexy twist!

It's about that time to start getting in the Halloween spirit, which means thinking about some costume ideas! I hate to admit it, but even with my interest in unusual makeup and special effects lately, I generally tend to shy away from very scary looks on myself, being the "girly girl" that I am...not to say I don't love my go-to "vampy witch" or "sultry vampire" (which I do!). However, it's always fun to step out of the box a bit.

I came across this look which gives a creepy twist to the glamour goddess herself, Marilyn Monroe. Half skull and half beauty icon, it's definitely the best of both worlds and a great option if you're looking to be "scary sexy", as I like to call it. Not sure if I'll be doing the full zombie attire any time too soon ;)

Have any interesting Halloween makeup looks you're thinking of trying out?

 

xxx

JM

Celebrity Sunday Spotlight - Selena Gomez!

Going a bit darker in everything, from eye looks and lipsticks to even nail and hair color, is something that I feel just happens naturally once the seasons change and the cooler weather is upon us. Fall and winter makeup steers away from the light, fresh sun kissed looks of summer and delves into the sultry, vampy colors that make this season so fun.

Dark lips are one of my favorite fall trends, as Selena Gomez showed us at Versace's Spring 2014 Fashion show this past Milan Fashion Week. Going for an edgier look, Selena paired her dark berry wine lips with a winged out smoky eye, proving you don't have to choose one or the other! Her "barely there" blush is very subtle, allowing her lips and eyes to be the spotlight.

Want to try out a dark lip for yourself? Some great lipstick colors include MAC's Rebel, Milani's Black Cherry, and Covergirl Lip Perfection Lip Color in Euphoria. Don't forget to line your lips when wearing a deeper color! The NYX lip liner in Plum works well with all three ;)




Have a beautiful week!
xxx
JM

New York Fashion Week Spring 2014 Makeup Trends

It's that time of year again....New York Fashion Week! You know Fall has arrived when the tents are up, the celebs are out, and the runways are in full swing.





Tomato orange lips
left - Rag + Bone with lead artist Gucci Westman for Revlon
right - DKNY with Charlotte Willer for Maybelline

This season's runways brought some great makeup trends for Spring 2014. We saw a lot of bright, bold matte colors on the lips, including tomato oranges and berries (no gloss in sight!) and an emphasis on natural minimalist skin. Many looks had little to no makeup on the eyes. If anything, a bronze colored shadow was used around the eyes for a bit of definition as well as fuller, brushed up brows. However, we did also see some edgier, fun looks using pops of color on the eyes, either as a winged liner or intense shadow.

Some of my favorite looks included Nicole Miller, designed by James Kaliardos for MAC Cosmetics, Rachel Zoe, designed by Charlotte Tilbury for Maybelline, and Pamella Roland, designed by Laura Mercier artist Matin Maulawizada. 





Nicole Miller





Rachel Zoe

For the Nicole Miller show, Kaliardos was inspired by Marie Antoinette, using soft colors of "French confection" in the 1800s such as mauve and gray on the eyes. The deep magenta lip gives a gorgeous pop to the look using MAC lip pencil in Vino and MAC lipstick in Violetta. 
At Rachel Zoe, Charlotte Tilbury, using Maybelline, created a golden, sun-kissed look with a pretty pink lip made by mixing three different colors together and lightly patting it on with her fingers. At Pamella Roland, Matin Maulawizada for Laura Mercier was inspired by French film stars from the sixties when creating the look consisting of sexy, smudgy eyes and light pink lips - very Brigitte Bardot!



Pops of eye color
left - Marc Jacobs with Francois Nars for Nars
right - Marc by Marc Jacobs with Dick Page for Shiseido

Pamella Roland

Natural looks with emphasis on skin and bold brows
left - Vera Wang with Lucia Peroni for Clé de Peau
right - Michael Kors with Dick Page for Michael Kors

As usual, Fashion Week leaves me feeling inspired and ready to start a new season, and some fresh new looks!

What were some of your favorite makeup looks from this week?

xxx
JM




 

Celebrity Sunday Fashion Week Spotlight - Heidi Klum!

Happy Sunday everyone!

This week's Celebrity Sunday makeup look goes to Heidi Klum, who looked absolutely stunning at Friday's Project Runway Spring 2014 show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. I actually was working in the tents on Friday and saw her pass me in her show-stopping gold-metallic Max Azria Atelier gown. I caught a quick glimpse of her makeup, but really was able to appreciate the look when I saw the photos the next day. She looks even more stunning in person.

Makeup artist Linda Hay and
hairstylist Rebekah Forecast prep
Heidi for the show
 

Her makeup was glowing and radiant while still looking really clean and fresh. A bronze-metallic shadow was used on the outer half of the lid, as well as below the lower lash line to accentuate the eyes (a similar type of color would be MAC Woodwinked). A shimmery champagne colored shadow was used in the inner corners going up towards the lid to highlight and open up the eyes, giving a more wide-eyed look. A white liner was also used in her waterline, a great way to brighten the eyes and make them look larger. The look is finished off with rosy peach flush to the cheeks reminiscent of MAC's Melba blush, and a nude glossy lip.

This is not only a great evening look, but works beautifully for daytime as well! Try it out for yourself ;)

Stay tuned this week for some of my favorite designer makeup looks straight from the runway!

xxx
JM

1ST OFFICIAL CELEBRITY SUNDAY!

Hi my beauties and welcome back! Happy September!

Sorry it's been a while, but it's certainly been quite a busy summer! Definitely sad to see it go but very excited for all the things to come this Fall! I just love September. It's that time of year when summer slowly comes to an end, a certain crispness appears in the air, fashion week is upon us, boots and sweaters slowly start to make their way out, and the excitement of a new season is in full swing! It almost feels like a fresh new start (maybe it's that "back to school" mentality permanently etched in my brain). I also love the start of Fall for its amazing bridal season (shout outs to my fellow Autumn brides!).  :)

Being the first of September, I wanted to officially start off my new series of "Celebrity Sundays". Every Sunday I'll be highlighting a different celebrity makeup look, whether it's a celebrity bride or just a fun look in general.

I wanted to start out with a very highly requested makeup look that I get from brides quite often, which is the official "kim kardashion wedding" makeup. Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic created the look for Kim's wedding, inspiring looks for brides all over the world. Soft and sophisticated, yet classic and elegant, it's a stunning wedding day look. Kim's skin is flawless and perfectly contoured as always, yet instead of a heavy smokey eye, she had soft golden/bronze shades on her lids with a winged out liner on the top lid only. The eyes were played up by her gorgeous fluttery lashes (she used Lancôme Hypnose Doll Lashes that day). On my brides doing this look, I would definitely use some individual lash extensions for the same effect. Lips were done in a sheer peachy color, a beautiful choice for all skin tones.

Stay tuned for more celebrity makeup looks every Sunday!
Happy Labor Day Weekend!! ;)

Happily Ever Borrowed Bridal Photo Shoot!

Happy Spring everyone!
With the blooming flowers and beautiful Spring weather also comes wedding season! I've been busy working with my Spring and upcoming Summer brides, but also got a chance to work again last week with the company Happily Ever Borrowed for their bridal photo shoot! I had the pleasure of working with them on a shoot this past December, along with hairstylist Lauren DeCosimo and photographer Casey Fatchett. Happily Ever Borrowed is an e-commerce boutique that rents accessories to brides for their wedding day! They have many stunning pieces, including headpieces, necklaces, earrings, sashes, and veils. It's a fabulous idea as most brides buy these items and only wear them once!

For last week's shoot, I decided to go with soft, pretty makeup looks for Spring on models Courtney and Mary Beth. On Mary Beth, I wanted to focus more on the gold and peach tones. All over her eyelid I used a shadow from MAC called Patina, a light taupe with a gorgeous golden sheen (a bridal favorite!). I also used a bit of MAC's soft brown to define her crease and a bit of Naked Lunch to highlight the inner corners of the eye and the brow bone. On her lips, I used a peachy cremesheen lipstick from MAC called Ravishing.

 On Courtney, I went with more plum colors on the eyes, another color scheme that looks gorgeous on a bride. I used one of my favorite MAC eyeshadows, Shale (a plummy mauve with a bit of silver shimmer), all over the lid and Sketch (a deep plum) to give some depth in the outer corners. I also used a bit of Phloof in the inner corners to highlight and to define the eyes even more, I used MAC's eye kohl pencil in Prunella on the waterline. On her lips, I used Viva Glam II from MAC, a lovely mid-toned nude, with some Deelight lipgloss on top.

Although these are perfect looks for any Spring or Summer bride, they work for any special occasion too! Have fun playing!! ;)

xxx
JM

Choosing a Makeup Artist for Your Wedding!

Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog!

Being a full time freelance makeup artist, I’m constantly reading up, playing with, and testing out new products and makeup looks. I’m so excited to start posting and sharing lots of thoughts, tips, and tricks with you on all things makeup!

With bridal makeup being one of my specialties and wedding season right around the corner, I thought I’d talk a little bit about how to choose your bridal makeup artist and why it’s so important to get your makeup professionally done.

Having been a pretty recent bride myself, I love being able to relate to my brides. I know exactly what they’re going through with all the stresses, planning, and excitement that go along with planning a wedding, including deciding who will be responsible for how you look on the most important day of your life. The truth of the matter is, your wedding is really the only day in your life when ALL eyes will be on YOU (you probably won’t be photographed that much again unless you’re of celebrity status). So it really is so important to make sure you look your absolute best. 

Probably the biggest question I get asked is “did you do your own makeup at your wedding”, and the answer to that is no. Like any other bride, I wanted to be calm, relaxed, and pampered the morning of, without having to worry about doing anything myself, and that included makeup. It really does help to just sit and have time to breathe (you’re nervous enough as it is!). The only problem was I had never really liked my makeup on the few occasions that I had gotten it done in the past. Luckily, I did have another artist do it and was very happy and relieved with how it came out, but I definitely did a trial first, which brings me to an important step in the process, the bridal makeup trial.

Having a trial consultation with your makeup artist beforehand is extremely important as not only will you get to meet them first, but you will get to see how your makeup will look and wear on the day of the wedding. A good time to start thinking about makeup and doing a trial is at least three to four months before your wedding.  A trial is also great to see how you click with the person and make sure that you are comfortable with them. No matter how good the makeup may look, you don’t want to have someone working on you who makes you nervous or uncomfortable. It is also important to make sure you find an artist who can do a wide array of looks. Not every bride will want to look the same. Some may want something more natural and soft, while others may want a smokey “Kim Kardashian” type of look. When looking for an artist, try to find someone with a website showcasing photos of their work so you can see the type of styles they can do. Also be sure to ask if they are able to accommodate both small and large wedding parties, depending on how many girls want to have their makeup done as well. During a trial, I like to talk to the bride about her concerns, her skin type, how she normally wears her makeup, color scheme of the wedding, and the type of makeup style she’d like to do. Pictures are great to have with you to relay the idea you have in your head (“smokey” does not mean the same to everyone!).  

One of the main reasons why it’s important to hire a professional makeup artist is their knowledge of the products. A professional artist will know what looks best in photography, which is crucial on your wedding day. They will also know how to make the makeup more long-wearing so that it can last not only for your initial photos, but for the entire day.  At the same time, they will also know what NOT to use. For example, with all the flash photography going on, it’s not the best idea to use foundations with SPF, as that is what can sometimes give a white cast effect in photos.  

Finding the right makeup artist for you can make the morning of your wedding a whole lot less stressful, and a lot more glamorous! Your pictures will say it all!

xxx

JM