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.

IMATS: L.A.

Hello my fellow makeup mavens! This past Saturday, I attended the International Makeup Trade Show when it made its Los Angeles stop. I. Was. Floored. I didn't even have time to attend any of the classes because there was so much going on on the actual floor! Talk about sensory overload...all the makeup giants had booths: MAC, Makeup For Ever, Naimie's, Crown Brush, Dinair, Ben Nye, NYX and more. I was also pleased to see some of the new beauty lines that I was interested in like Lime Crime and Kollagen. Everything was priced at around 40-50% off! I was getting steals left and right. I couldn't even move through the crowds because every person had at least two full-to-the-brim shopping bags in each hand. It was like anything that a female would be interested in-- makeup, hair accessories, wigs, nail stuff, sparkles, glitter and skincare-- had landed in one room and there was nothing left to do but dump your whole paycheck into the place.

IMATS DO's

DO wear a fun outfit, complete with colorful makeup and crazy nails.

DO network with other bloggers, Youtubers, and makeup lovers alike.

DO bring a friend for moral support -- I brought my PR guru, Jenn with me. She does publicity for beauty brands and fashion. You can reach her HERE.

IMATS DONT's

DON'T bring your husband or boyfriend. They will be miserable, and it's crowded enough without having to fight your way through bummed-out dudes. It's $40 a ticket anyway, what a waste!

DON'T bring your baby, or his/her stroller. Please see above. And may I add that every baby I saw there, no matter how cute, was distressed from being in the crowds and crying. Give your kid a break and leave him/her with a grandparent at home.

DON'T bring a jacket, or wear thick, heavy clothes. That place was a sauna! So many people packed into one place.

I ran into Iris from Youtube (LOVE her hair tutorials-- she does a mean fish braid!) and was honored to be a part of her IMATS review video. Watch for me at the 4 minute mark!



Pasadena Convention Center




My publicist (haha) and beauty PR guru Jen




Done with Dinair's Leopard stencils








Get your own airbrush machine here!




Gleam by Melanie Mills -- a body shimmer product




Doing a promo for Style Haul on Youtube!





I adore this new line, Lime Crime




With the creator of Lime Crime, Doe Deere




I just loved her style



Margarita break at Islands-- it was so hot!


I am sad that IMATS- L.A. is over... i wish there was a makeup trade show every weekend! But then I would be broke... and starving lol. See you all next time!





May Monday Beauty Poll

1. Mood: Do you ever feel like your brain processed too much information in too short of time? I'm totally crashing.

I am notorious for staying up on Sunday nights. I am just not sleepy. So I lay awake in the dark, with my mind racing, thinking of all the things that need to be done and oh! That would be a cool video to do, and oh! That would be a great makeup look and oh! I have to buy groceries this week and oh! The list goes on... I had a very busy weekend with family in town and stressful moments so I'm really just exhausted.
 2. Something you’re coveting at the moment? An airbrush machine and a Clarisonic. I've never been a big fan of doing airbrush makeup on brides because that stuff moves so easily. But I'd like to get back into it and have it as an option for my clients. I've narrowed down my options to the Temptu or Dinair. Any suggestions? I would like to be able to use products with different brands with the machine, so that will play a big factor in which one I will choose. The Clarisonic is pretty pricey, however they just came out with the Clarisonic Mia, which is a mini version of it for $149 and I'm in love with the lavender one. There is a cheaper option from Olay called the Pro X Cleansing System for just under $30 if anyone is interested! But I'm going to hold out for the Mia.

3. An overrated beauty product? Dior mascaras. Big price, mediocre effect. Don't waste your money, ladies.


4. An underrated beauty product?
Head & Shoulders shampoos and conditioners. Seriously. They work miracles! People always ask me how I get my hair so shiny, when all I do is use good ol' H&S. Their eucalyptus formula is addicting...it leaves your head feeling minty fresh.

5. Your best birthday party? My 10th birthday party, hands down. We still lived in West LA in a big beautiful home, and my parents got a moon bounce, magician and a kareoke machine. The entire fourth grade was in attendance, and people talked about it for months. It was the party of the year. Well, at least for us 10 year-olds it was lol. I don't have a photo from the party on hand, but here's a photo of me around 10 years old, so you get an idea. Yep, that's little sis I'm reading to. Apparently she's not paying attention!

6. Where do you go when you need to clear your head? It always makes me feel better to go to the gym and just run-run-run. Going for a walk around the neighborhood with the pup is pretty therapeutic too.

 7. Your favorite local eatery? Los Angeles has some amazing mom-and-pop, non-chain type of restaurants. Below I've listed my recent favorites with links.

Hollywood: Prado
Downtown: Yang Chow
West Side: Fritto Misto


8. Guys in jeans shorts — yea or nay? *Sigh. This is a toughy. Do I want my boyfriend wearing jean shorts? Not necessarily. But do his legs need to breath from time to time? Yes. Not the best option, but I guess I don't mind them...


9. Favorite post-hangover meal? Back in my early twenties, nothing settled my stomach after a night of tequila shots like a 4am trip to IHOP (Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity!). Nowadays, a Dr. Pepper in the morning with 2 Advil does the trick. DP really is a God-send!

10. Weekly goals: Try not to be so A.D.D., take one day and one task at a time. I need Jesus! I'd also like to take some time out this week to either draw/paint or do a makeup tutorial. But we will see what this weekend brings...