A Hint of Green Makeup Session, 2016

It's after noon on Monday, January 2, and I'm attempting to be productive on my day off. 

It's now nearly noon on January 28, and I just realized I never share this blog post, which has been ready for weeks now. So here goes..

This makeup session was from several weeks back, and it turned out so beautiful that I had to get it up and share it with y'all. 

Of course, I'm still behind on a lot of my summer sessions. I was so busy during wedding season that I got so behind. And now I'm reaping the consequences in trying to play "catch-up." 

I can only hope that I'll be able to get everything up before the 2017 wedding season begins. 

Anyways, let's get the ball rolling with this post. 

Brittany was one of the few clients who didn't have an idea on what she was looking for and gave me free reign. I like getting to use my creative abilities and do things outside the norm. It seems like more times than not clients have an idea on what they'd like, and a lot of the makeup ends up looking very similar. 

I used the Makeup Geek Duochrome Eyeshadow in "Ritzy" ($6) on her lid and blended it out with some smoky taupe browns. 

This was probably one of my favorite fall makeup looks of 2016, because it is different and it really made her natural features shine.

I chose to smoke out her lower lash line and water line to make her eyes glow. And to add some flared wispie lashes for a more dramatic effect.

We pulled the rest of the look together with the Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten in "Pink Grapefruit," which is one of my all time favorite blushes. It is a rich orange-mauve blush with some shimmer. I believe you can get it at Ulta for $28. 

As always, I applied highlighter all over the high points (above her cheekbones, her cupid's bow and even the tip of her nose) for a soft glow. 

And last but not least, a deep burgundy lip shade which is the definition of fall. Personally, I'd just about wear wine lips year round, though.  

I'd love to hear what you think about this look, and what your definition of fall makeup is! 

Until next time.. 

xx- Whitney 

Soft Glam Bridal Makeup, Fall 2016

Today, I am sharing with you one of my more recent appointments with my client, Allison, on her "big day." We had previously done a trial for her makeup, but went with something a little brighter. I will probably post her trial makeup on here as well, but just happened to be working on the bridal makeup today and wanted to go ahead and share it with you. 

She really wanted her eyes to look bright and open, so we didn't focus any color on the bottom lash line. Instead, we used a nude pencil on her waterline and a light coat of mascara on her bottom lashes. With her eyes being such a bright blue, you can see how open doing this has made them. 

With her eyes closed you can see the soft glam of this champagne and brown eye look. The wispie lashes I used complement and really pull the eyes together.  

She also had a thinner brow shape, which we deepened up a bit to frame the face. 

And lastly, we went with the popular Maybelline "Touch of Spice" lipstick ($7.99), which most of you probably know is the dupe for MAC's Satin Lipstick in "Twig" ($17) I really love this shade. it's so universal. And it looks differently on everyone. 

I love how beautiful it looked with her fair complexion, and how wonderful it went with her eyes. 

I used the Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer ($30) for her contour, which you can see from her side profile here. I felt that the lighter color of this bronzer was perfect for her skin tone. And then, I applied a light coating of The Balm's "Frat Boy" Blush ($21), which is a soft peachy-pink shade to bring a little color back to her cheeks. 

What do you all think of her makeup? What are you looking for on your "big day?" 

Leave me comments and let me know. 

Also, if you're looking to book makeup for you an event this spring/summer, I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH how important it is to do so early. Last year I was booked most all summer with weddings every single weekend. Once the dates are gone, there's not much I can do. I do, however, want to service as man of you as I can. 

My Best Friend's Wedding, October 2016

Although Jessica and I have only known one another for a few years now, we became fast friends and have endured a lot of tough stuff together. 

I was so honored when she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. She's one of those few friend soulmates we get in life. 

I first met her when her now husband, Brock, and my boyfriend, Adam, planned a double date for the four of us. 

She's SO funny, very loyal, and has listened to me rant and complain and cry over a million things to Sunday. She's also smart. She's an RN and a lover of travel and basically just a great person. 

So you can imagine, it was not only an honor to be in her wedding, but an honor to also do her makeup for her wedding. 

I'd never done her makeup before her wedding day, surprisingly. 

Here, I've provided a before-and-after to show you what all we did with her face. She had some redness that we concealed, but her skin wasn't hard to work with. 

Also, she has those baby blue eyes that just glow with the right makeup. 

The dominant colors in her wedding were navy and maroon, so I decided to create something that would complement those colors, especially with this being a fall wedding. I used several Makeup Geek shadows to create this look. She's pretty laid back, so she gave me free reign. 

We went with a neutral pink lip, which wouldn't overpower the rest of the makeup. I wanted her eyes to be the main focal point. 

Below, I've shared a few photos from the wedding, including my makeup as a bridesmaid. 

Enjoy!

The Bridal Party: Maid of Honor, Bride, and two Bridesmaids 

                   

My bridesmaid makeup was very natural, but matched the
fall theme with a burnt orange eye and natural lip. 

Fall 2016 Pageant Makeup for the Win

I love this pageant makeup I did for one of my favorite teens a couple months ago. Not only is this girl pretty, she's also got the sweetest personality. 

We've been working together for the past couple of years, and she is one of those clients that reminds me why I do what I do. 

She was competing in her high school beauty pageant, so her makeup had to be nothing short of GLAM. 

I came up with this gorgeous eye look and nude pink lip to balance out the drama. 

Marie said she loved it so much she nearly cried when she had to take it off that night, which melted my heart! 

This gold glitter eye I created with jet black liner really offset her green eyes. 

I also went with a strong contour around her face, which added a lot of dimension. 

It's really important to keep in mind that pageant makeup needs to be bold, be prominent. When girls are standing on stage, you want to be able to see those natural shadows on the face, see the smoky eyes. It really helps a girl's best features to shine through. 

Overall, I was extremely pleased with how her makeup turned out! And I am grateful and happy to share it with y'all. 

Smoky & Sultry Fall Session

 

Kara is a repeat client. Every year we get together so I can do her makeup for Halloween. This year she chose to be a flight attendant, and we decided to give her a "smoky and sultry" look to top it off-- hence the title of this post. 

The deep smoky eye and bold red lips are classic. 

Marilyn Monroe would be proud. 

But while we're on the subject of the overall look, can I please point out how great her skin is?! My only job was to give it the glow it needed to pull everything together, which I did with ample highlighting and a side of bronzing. 

I also gave her brows a slight more dramatic touch than her everyday wear. But it was necessary to help frame her face and make everything look polished. You have to understand, that as an artist, I see everything in terms of balance. 

Overall, I loved this look. I think it's one that would compliment anybody's eyes, face structure, skin tone, etc. 

Would you be bold enough to rock this look? Leave me comments and let me know! 

Warm Fall Makeup Session

So incredibly happy with this fall makeup I did a while back. Greyson is such a beautiful girl, and I really enjoyed working with and talking with her. I used a variety of Makeup Geek shadows to create this look, which is a vibrant gold and cranberry eye with bright fuschia berry lips.

My goal was to bring some color to her face that would accentuate the changing leaves outside, and create a glow that would radiate in her photography session that afternoon. 

This look is one of my favorites that I've created these last few months. And as always, I'm grateful to every client who gives me an opportunity to make them feel beautiful for the special moments in their lives.  

I hope you enjoy these, and I'm planning on getting a few more client posts up tonight! I'm feeling productive, and I'm on a roll now. 

Look out, Gussied Up Fans! 

Natasha Denona Star Palette: Is it Worth the Hype?

Good evening. 

I know it's been a hot minute since my last post, but I finally have a few days off work for the holidays, and now seems like as good a time as any to play catch-up.. I also realize I have still yet to upload the a lot of my work from the summer and fall. I WILL get around to this. 

But first and foremost, let's talk Natasha Denona, and this Star Palette that's been everywhere lately. 

I hugely debated buying it, but decided to because it was a tad cheaper than the $200+ her other larger palettes are. 

I LOVE makeup. You all know I love makeup. But I'm hard-pressed to pay over $200 bucks for a palette. I have tons of money invested in my makeup and brush collections, but that's a bit steep, even for me. 

However, I would like to point out that I did manage to score this for $135 during the VIB 20% off promo a couple months back.  

Upon arrival, I was very impressed with the packaging and size of the palette. While the price may be steep, you are getting a good amount of product. 

Also, a really cool feature in this palette is the clear sleeve with the shadow names on it. It is actually attached to the inside of the palette, so it won't slide around like most of the clear sleeves palettes come with. This also prevents any glittery or powdery fallout from getting the mirror side of the palette all dusty and dirty. 

Now, let's talk finishes. This palette includes four different shadow finishes: 

• Crystal: Spectrum, Cosmo, Galaxia, Polaris
• Creamy Matte: Earth, Flesh, Gemma, Titanium, Diadem, Vega, Phoenix, Electra, Atik
• Metallic: Bellatrix, Atria, Rhea
• Duo Chrome: Orion, Supernova 

Left to Right: Spectrum, Earth, Bellatrix,
                Flesh, Orion, Gemma,
              Atria, Titania, Cosmo

So, you can see that you get quite a variety. 

The crystal shadows, I have found, are VERY crumbly because they are pure pigment. I did my own research, then tested them myself, and found they are best applied with the finger. To prevent major fallout, it's best to tap it into your skin rather than rub over the lid. 

The mattes are creamy, but not as much so as Lorac shadows are (in my opinion. 

The metallic textures are probably my favorite. They aren't crumbly like the crystal shadows, can be wet with some Fix Plus to make them really POP, and are currently a very popular finish. 

The duo-chrome shadows are very standard. Pigment is decent, blendability is good, and the colors are pretty. 

I like the color range in the palette. The warm shades are right up my alley with my hazel eyes. 

However, one thing lacking from this palette is a good brow bone highlight shade. I basically can't live without one, so it's a nuisance to have to pull from another palette for a white shade. 

Left to Right: Diadem, Vega, Galaxia,
                               Phoenix, Supernova, Electra,
            Polaris, Atik, Rhea

Here, I have provided you some swatches. And as you can see, the shades are all decently pigmented. There isn't one that's dull. I think my main complaint is just that the textures themselves could be hard to work with if you didn't know either the right techniques or make an effort to play around with them a bit. 

I've seen multiple mixed reviews because some people just don't want to take the time to learn how to work with the product. 

Personally, I don't mind it. I like to get my fingers messy and play around, whether it be makeup or chalk pastels. It's the artist in me. 

However, I find it a little disconcerting that the price tag on these palettes is so high when the formula isn't absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, the best thing we've ever seen. 

It gives me reservations on ever purchasing the $200+ palettes, because is it possible they'd be any better? Who knows! 

The verdict: Would I buy this again? Do I approve? Am I satisfied? Yada, yada, yada.. 

I won't rule it out. The only things I don't love about this palette are the lack of a highlight shade and that something so expensive isn't "effortless" to use. I'm going to give this product a B-. The grade is still passing, but not over the top. I don't regret buying it, and I look forward to coming up with some pretty looks using it. 

As always, thanks for tuning in for another one of my sporadic posts! 

xx, 

Whitney