Half Moon Nails

Everyone knows how excited I am about Nail Art being a big trend this summer, so imagine my stoked-ness when the reverse half moon trend was introduced on the runways this year. Thanks to Miss Maven for bringing these to my attention!

A photo from Vena Cava's runway show

Mine

YOU WILL NEED:

Black nail polish

Beige/Skin Tone nail polish

A small, thin art brush

I did my nails by painting two coats of beige, then took a nail art brush and hand drew the black half-moons. It's not exactly the easiest way, and since I'm right handed, my right hand nails needed some extra time to not look wobbly. If you want to try this look, an easier way of doing it could be using reenforcement stickers 'a la Good Taste. All in all, I LOVE this look and will probably be incorporating fall colors in September.



OPI Silver Shatter Here I Come!

I had a lot of new experiences over the weekend. First, I got engaged to my superhero/best friend/ fiance, Dylan. Second, I bought a car. And third, I won a contest, for the first time in my life!  

The Gloss Menagerie was having a contest to win a bottle of OPI's Silver Shatter nail polish. I enter dozens of beauty contests a week, and never actually think I'm going to win. Lo and behold, I come home and check my email on Sunday to find out I actually won! I'm SO excited, and feel so blessed to have so many good things happen to me at once. I'm definitely crediting the good Lord for all my good fortune. Check out The Gloss Menagerie's post about me winning here . 

                                                          



How to Contour Your Lips

Happy Tuesday!

Here is a tutorial I did a while back (but completely forgot to post until now) on how to contour your lips using lip liner. This is a great way to prep your lips for lipstick and gloss that will last all day long. Just change up the colors to fit your needs and skin tone :)



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How to Line Your Eyes- VIDEO Tutorial

Hi all! I got a few requests from Youtube for an eyeliner tutorial, so here you go. These steps will work for any kind of eyeliner- gel, cream, liquid, pencil, etc!

Products Used in this Video:

MAC #266 Angle brush

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

Katy Perry-Inspired Nails

Happy Hump Day!  I'm back on Youtube with a nail tutorial. I saw Katy Perry rocking this look during one of her TV performances last year, and it's so easy to do yourself, you won't believe it. Enjoy!

PRODUCTS USED

a bobby pin

OPI- Mermaid's Tears 

China Glaze- White on White

Milani- Pinkest Pink

July- It's Hot Out!- Poll

1. Mood: Frozen (is that a mood?) the AC is cranked up way high over here and I can barely type lol.

A still from Madonna's Frozen video- I figured it was appropriate.

2. Wearing flip-flops to work: yea or nay? Absolutely not. Under any circumstances. Even on Casual Fridays. And let's face it, we have all be guilty of doing it at least once. I LIVE in flip flops at home, but I don't love my feet and certainly don't need to expose each toe at work like it's the freaking beach.

3. Last outdoor concert you went to? Kanye West back in April 2008 in Las Vegas. He killed it at the Red Rock Casino's outdoor venue! We all wore shutter shades and were right up at the very front. Lupe Fiasco opened, one of my favorite artists. The weather was perfect, and I was with all my best friends. Thanks again, Gel and Twone for the tickets!



From Left to Right: Antwone, me, Angelica, Nathan and P.E.


4. I’m secretly terrified of… bodily waste. I guess not "secretly," I make it well known lol. I can't stand boogers, poop, sweat, farts, burps coming from grown adults. Sickening! Knowing that I am breathing in other people's filth disgusts me. My worst nightmare is always when I'm on the treadmill at the gym and the person next to me farts. Kill me now.

Blegh!!

5. One day, I’d really like to _____.  Buy an acre or two of land out in Santa Barbara for a sanctuary and rescue horses and dogs. I would just let them run around and live out the rest of their lives in peace, away from the evils of the world...

This photo cracked me up!

 6. I’d like to sing a duet with ____. Michael Jackson. How jealous was I when he sang "I just can't stop loving you" with Judith Hill in "This Is It"?! That should have been me, darn it.

"I just can't stop loving yooouuuuu"

 7. Have you ever tried to hide a tattoo with makeup? Not my own, but clients, yes. Might I say that full coverage concealer and airbrush foundation are the ways to go.

Look Ma, no tears! Yep...that's me.

8. Things you say/sing to your pet all the time: I make up songs for Capuccino all the time. I guess the "all-time favorite" one is a little medley that goes like this: "Batchig, batchig, batch-eeg, gimme gimme kisses" (Batchig= Armenian for kisses)

He may or may not be a Belly Rub whore

9. Do like the taste of raw cookie batter? Why yes, yes I do. Funny you should say that, I had some delicious Breyer's Mrs.Fields cookie dough ice cream last night.

10. Weekly goals: Buy a car (stressful!), create a video for my boyfriend's work, and take care of my sicky-poo sister.

I'm looking for a used Rav4, preferably red. Sport or Limited. Leather seats and a sunroof are musts. Wish me luck!

Smashbox Makes It Easy to Find Your Primer & Foundation

Have you been confused by the million different primers that Smashbox has, wondering which one is right for you? Well, now they've made it easy by posting a little questionnaire on their website that helps you narrow down exactly which face primer is right for you. Click HERE to try out their Primer Guide.

Also: need help figuring out which foundation is right for you? Now you don't have to go to a counter for assistance. Just click HERE to try the Foundation Guide. 

Hope this helps, XOXO

Rave Makeup

With all this EDC and Nocturnal Wonderland talk, it got me reminiscing about the good ol' high school days when I would go to raves and dance all night long. A few years ago, I attended a few raves here in L.A. to watch over some of my younger cousins, and let's just say, I really can't hang anymore. I was yawning by 2:00am while the music thumped and thumped, and people (clearly under the influence) kept asking me for "light shows" (I was littered in glow sticks). The worst part about raves is that the bathrooms are sickening. I had to hold my pee for fear of using the port-o-potties. I should just rock Depends next time. Anywho, I'm getting off track...

With raves making somewhat of a comeback these days, it made me miss the fun I used to have with my makeup. So here's a look you can all try at your next rave/concert/show.

Products Used to create this look: 

Makeup For Ever's Lavender Camoflouge Cream, with MAC's Beautiful Iris shadow on top for the mask

MAC Glitter, including Reflects Red all over

MAC Kitchmas Pigment

Eyes: Pale green MAC Shadestick, Bitter and Aquadisiac Eyeshadows with Electric Eel and Plumage

Dots: Wet N Wild Waterproof black eye liner

MAC #35 Lashes (Pro only I think)

Lips: MAC Eye Kohl in Ola Viola with Lime Crime's D'Lilac lipstick, MAC Kitchmas pigment in the center

Braided Headband: it's actually just my hair! I braided it from one side, brought it over my forehead and pinned it on the other side of my head. Super easy!

Lime Crime Lipstick- D'Lilac

I have to say my favorite "up and comer" makeup line right now is Lime Crime. I had a chance to meet the creator, Doe Deere, at the IMATS and she is so stinking cute. She looks like a real-life fairy, and her makeup line reflects her style.

I purchased these two lipsticks below at the trade show, and through Lime Crime's 35% Facebook Flash Sale last Friday, I purchased a bunch more. What's great about Doe's line is that because she is an animal lover like myself, none of her products are tested on animals, are PETA-certified cruelty-free and all of her lipsticks are VEGAN! Everything is moderately priced (same price range as MAC, Urban Decay or Makeup For Ever). Let's not even talk about the adorable-ness of the packaging! Light purple? Yes please. Unicorns? Of course.

Pictured here are CosmoPop (a buttery, soft coral) and D'Lilac (a sweet lavender shade)

The other night I got a chance to play around with the D'Lilac shade. SO pretty!

I so wish I could wear this every day.

KollegenX Face Mask

I picked up this awesome 24K Gold Collegen Mask at the International Makeup Trade Show last month from KollegenX's booth. They come four in a pack. Click HERE to find out which salon near you carries their brand.

I don't look as glamorous as the girl in their ad, but I still felt like a rock star.

The mask is a silicone, rubbery texture covered in liquid. The liquid consists of Collegen and 24K Gold to boost your skin's cell renewal process as well as reducing wrinkles and puffyness. I laid down while wearing the mask to keep it from falling (my face is pretty small, apparently, because the mask was sliding all over the place and the holes were way too big). 20 minutes later, I threw away the mask and gently rubbed the remaining liquid into my skin. It dried in about 10 minutes total and man, did my skin look radiant and even-toned! Love this stuff...I'm so glad they were at the IMATS!

A Pretty Doctor

My client Lisa is a dentist in West L.A. and her daily look is pretty toned down for the office. She was looking for a simple -but definitely different- look for the weekends and special events, so we came up with some easy black eyeliner and bold coral-pink lips. Below are the products she has on:

• Dinair Airbrush foundation in Honey Beige and Dark Golden Beige
• MAC Studio Careblend Powder in Lush Light Bronze as her blush.
• All MAC lips: Soar and Magenta lip liners, Lady Danger lipstick, with Neo-Orange pigment in the center of her bottom lip
• MAC Penultimate eye liner in Rapid Black
• Revlon Grow-Luscious Plumping Mascara mascara in Blackest Black

I know what everyone's thinking: airbrush foundation? How is she going to do it by herself? Here's a little makeup artist secret: you don't actually need an airbrush gun to apply the airbrush makeup. Just use your fingers! For these photos, I did use my airbrush machine. However, at home, Lisa can do this with her fingers. Airbrush foundation has alcohol in it, so it dries down fast and stays put all day. The alchohol also kills bacteria and extra oils that gather on your skin, so it will control your shine as well as improve the look of your skin. It's a sheer, but buildable coverage so you can control how much you want. It's great for someone like Lisa, who is a dentist and wears masks and goggles all day. No goggle-marks on her nose, thanks to this strong hold foundation! The eyeliner literally looks like a felt-tip pen, so it's easy to guide on your eyelids. When applying mascara, I had Lisa look down, with her eyes open, as I wiggled the wand up from the base of her lashes to the tips. You can do this on your own while looking down into a swivel or a compact mirror.

Live in the Los Angeles area and need a good dentist? Contact Lisa's office for an appointment here.