Patent Leather and Lace

We had a fantastic boudoir shoot this morning (hence the title of this post) with a very sweet client. She is giving her husband-to-be pictures from this sexy shoot as a wedding gift and they are a complete surprise so while I would love to post pics of her makeup and hair right this second I have to wait until she gives us the go ahead. I had such a fun time bringing out her inner Victoria Secret model while also channeling January Jones (Betty Draper from Madmen).  When I first saw our client's picture I instantly was inspired by pictures of January Jones on the cover of Marie Claire Magazine since they have a very similar face structure and eye shape. Our client was absolutely gorgeous and up for trying a different look. I really wanted to play up her crystal blue eyes so I really focused on that while also contouring her cheek bones to make them really pop. We did a couple different outfit changes and I wanted to keep the simple looks more downplayed with makeup but then when we changed to a sexy black outfit I really wanted to play up her makeup. I added a deep matte brown to the crease and a matte black to the outer corner. It gave her a really smokey sexy look but without looking overly made up. Her long eyelashes were enhanced by a few coats of Bare Minerals Volumize Mascara. I really feel like this mascara gives the volume without clumps and I prefer it to other high end brands. I evened out her complexion, even though it was pretty even, with NYX foundation in Natural Beige and then topped it off with Bare Minerals Golden Medium.  For those of you who feel like mineral makeup doesn't photograph well, well I am here to tell you that if you apply this correctly it will photograph like a dream. I like to use a liquid HD foundation for a base to get everything even and covered. If a client would like to use a mineral powder on top of that it transfers to the skin beautifully using the Bare Minerals brush in Full Flawless Face Brush. This will give a very light but natural coverage as well as making your skin look like it is lit from within. My client was not oily so this was a great look for her. I would only recommend using mineral powder for photos if you have normal to dry skin. Oily skin needs to have a matte finish and most mineral powders contain mica for that glow. For her blush and contour I used a matte NYX bronzer with a fan brush to apply that sharp contour but then buffing it out with a fluffy powder brush. The blush was a Loreal True Match color that was a cinnamon tone. It worked so well so her look was less poppy and more sexy. Highlight was done with a golden highlight powder on the top of her cheeks. Lips were a very pretty pink with the centers in a nude color to make her lips appear fuller. I finished the whole look with Bare Minerals, Mineral Veil. This look was so amazing on her and I am so glad we could achieve a neutral look and a bolder look with just adding a little darker eye shadow to the crease and outer corner. We really had the best time and I love that our client was so open to trying new things and letting me fulfill my vision I had for her make up. Boudoir shoots are my favorite type of photo shoot to do since you see your client really transform and "let their hair down" but in a very tasteful way. They seem so nervous at first but then about half way through they feel like they could take pictures all day. I know her soon to be groom is going to absolutely love the pictures she looks fierce and beautiful. What a wonderful Saturday morning :).

I am going to list products I used to create her look as well as some inspiration photos that I used below.  When I am able to post pictures of my client's hair and makeup I will post those in another blog post. Thank you all for reading. Please comment with questions and remarks I really like having an interactive blog.

Product List 

FACE

Foundation: NYX HD, Bare Minerals 

Concealer: NYX yellow corrector, NYX glow

Blush: Loreal True Match (Subtle Sable), Milani (Mai-Tai)

Bronzer: NYX Matte Bronzer 

Finishing Powder: Bare Minerals Mineral Veil 

EYES

Primer: Bare Minerals Eye Primer 

Shadow: (I used the Pop Lid Bronzer Palette so they don't have names) Inner Corner: I used the first shade in the palette it is a white cream color. 

Lid- 2nd and 3rd shade in the Pop Palette

Crease: Bare Minerals Pressed Duo -Wonderlust

2nd Look Crease: NYX Caviar Palette deep matte brown shade and outer corner matte black color in the palette. 

Liner: ELF Liquid Liner Black with the brush tip (not felt tip) 

Mascara: Top: Bare Minerals Volumizing Mascara

Bottom: Urban Decay Sky Scraper

LIPS

Cover Girl: Outlast Fairytale

NYX Everyday Lip Palette

Spring Shopping Guide

Hey Ladies,
I wanted to put together a little shopping guide. This will include both drugstore and high end products. Here in Alabama we have had lots of sun and warm days and it really had me thinking that it is time to change up my makeup collection for Spring and Summer. I love peachy pinks for cheek color and light lips for summer.

1. Foundation, a good foundation is the key to great makeup my top foundation for summer is Bare Minerals Matte. This foundation is excellent if you are oily/combo or if you are outside a lot. I love mineral foundation for everyday wear.  If you tend to be more dry I recommend the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer.  It is very lightweight but gives light to medium coverage with a dewy finish perfect for summer skin. If you are combinational but prefer a tinted moisturizer check out Smashbox BB Cream, this product is moisturizing but dries to a matte finish and you don't have to set it with a powder.

2. Blush, I really love peachy pink colors in the summer or corals. They make any skin tone just look naturally flushed and beautiful. Tarte Amazonian Blushes are gorgeous I like the shades Frisky, Blissful, and Tipsy these shades have shimmer so no need for a highlight. If you are wanting to save a little money check out ELF blush in the contour palette it comes with a pretty bronzer and a great peachy blush. The color pay off is excellent and well worth the $3 price tag.

3. Eyes, I love nude shades all year round but I love them even more in the summer because they are so light and airy. I really like the Urban Decay Naked palette for this but also the Pop Bare Texture Kit. The Naked Palette has a lot of shimmer shades an maybe 1 or 2 matte shades which can be harsh on mature skin so it may not work for everyone. The Pop kit has a good mix of matte and shimmer shades and I feel that it is more universal plus you get a lot for your money. If you are wanting something a little more inexpensive check out the NYX palette in Butt Naked :). Lots of great shades in the Nyx Palette and great color pay off!

4. Lips, I really love the Revlon Lip Butters. They are all really pretty and they are soft and moisturizing with lots of color. I like the shades Pink Parfait, Strawberry Shortcake, Cupcake, and Lollipop.  If you are looking for a great gloss check out NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss, it is a great gloss and not overly sticky. 

5. Powder, I really like the Bare Minerals, Mineral Veil pressed or loose both great. If you want just a hint of color get the Tinted Mineral Veil. It is a really wonderful product that will keep your makeup on and shine free all day!

I also want to mention a skincare product that I think would work well for both skincare and a concealer and that is the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller in Sheer Tint. If your dark circles aren't bad then this product would be great for you. It offers a little coverage but also it is a skincare product to  help prevent dark circles. If you feel that is wouldn't be enough coverage and need an actual concealer try out Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage. I also like Bare Minerals Well Rested for Mineral Makeup wearers. If your under eye circles are blue based try a salmon colored concealer this usually helps conceal them.

Well there you have it for my shopping guide for Spring and Summer. I really hope that you guys try some of these awesome products. I have tried all of them personally and on clients and this is what really works well especially during the warm months. I have a review coming next on the NYX color correctors so please stay tuned for that! :)
Have a BEAUTIFUL day!

First Wedding of the Season

I had my first wedding of the season yesterday! I was a little nervous as I didn't know what to expect with everything but it went fabulous. I was really excited to see the bride looking so radiant and beautiful and all of her bridesmaids looking their absolute best. It was very laid back and really reflected the brides personality. The ceremony was in the town of Moorseville  AL. It is really cute, country town that looks like it is right out of the 1960's.  All of the girls had their makeup done in Lyla's Barn which is like a little club house we did all the girls makeup outside in the fresh air and with all the natural light. I really loved how peaceful and calm it was out there it really set the mood of the entire wedding. As I was applying everyone's makeup I really found that I love the NYX Shine Killer.  It is a primer and oil control in one product which is great for oily skin since I don't like to apply too many face products the ones that multitask are usually favorites. I really felt that this product is a standout among other oil control products as it doesn't leave any white residue on the skin. I would really compare it with the MAC oil control product.  This product is good for combinational skin as well as you can apply it to just where you are oily.  The NYX HD foundations were also very awesome and covered like a dream. I used the yellow color corrector that I have been testing out (I will be posting a blog about this) it really helped conceal under eye circles and gave the bride a beautiful Kim K glow.  Since the bride had really pretty blue eyes I really played up the neutral tones a very nude smokey eye can be so subtle yet sexy.  It was the perfect look and I was about to achieve that using the POP Bronzed palette.  I used an eye primer as well but I was really unimpressed with it it was the Paula Dorf eye primer that really left a sour taste in my mouth. First off the primer creased badly it was too creamy for an eye primer unlike the Bare Minerals one that I usually use. It did not make the colors more vibrant or help them to last any longer. I would not recommend buying the Paula Dorf eye primer additionally this product is $9 more than the Bare Minerals shadow primer.  Also because the Paula Dorf eye primer is so creamy it also makes it heavy and you can really feel it on the eye.  Moving on...the blush was just a really pretty peachy pink I did a peachy cream blush first followed by a powder peach color to really give her that naturally flushed look that would really last. Lips were done in the NYX everyday palette they were just a pretty pink that seemed to give her natural lip color a little extra. I finished with Makeup Forever HD powder.  The bridesmaids all had a really fresh look with HD foundation, neutral eyes to bring out their blue eyes, and a pretty pop of pink lip stick. I felt like they looked completely perfect for a perfect country spring day! This wedding was so much fun and the bride and her mom were so laid back and nice. It was really beautiful!

Congratulations to Megan and Michael on their big day!

Photo Credit: Caught You on Camera (Check them out!!)

Email	caughtyouoncamera@yahoo.com
Website	http://www.caughtyouoncamera.com

Makeup Forever HD Powder

I bought the Makeup Forever HD Powder back in December to try it out and see if it was really as AMAZING as lots of  beauty blogs/magazines claim. Well here are my thoughts after using it for a few months.  The pros: It is HD and great for photography, It is talc-free and won't become chalky on the skin, it doesn't have a color so it will go with any skin tone. The cons: If you have less than perfect skin this will not cover those imperfections, this product is also expensive for what it actually does, this is a loose powder and it can get messy and not travel friendly. Over all, I do like this product. I don't have perfect skin and I am olive complected I don't feel like this powder gets "ashy" on me or that it settles in imperfections nor does it soften them. Before purchasing Makeup Forever HD powder I used Bare Minerals Mineral Veil in Original, I felt that Mineral Veil was very comparable product and $10 cheaper. I probably will not be repurchasing the Makeup Forever HD Powder as it did not do enough for my skin and there are similar more cost effective products available.   

 

If you are looking for a similar products I have some suggestions: 

E.L.F. Studio High Definition Powder- $6 available at www.eyeslipsface.com

Bare Minerals, Mineral Veil- $20-$22 available at www.sephora.com

Mac, Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder $23 available at www.maccosmetics.com

Thanks for reading and I hope you find this useful. If you have questions feel free to comment below!

Introduction

Hey Everyone, 

I wanted to start a blog to coincide with my business Beauty Faces. I think that blogs can be very beneficial in addition to a Facebook page as it can give me the opportunity to share what products I like as well as products I don't like and a place to share tips and tricks. Also, I want to post pictures from events and of clients I have worked on. I am keeping the design very simple for now. If I get a lot of readers then of course I will work on it more but for right now I will blog frequently and the layout will remain simple. 

I hope you find the blog useful! :)