Makeover: Bedazzled Boudoir

Since I've moved to California, I have been in transition, trying to figure out my "place" as a makeup artist here in this new world.

One day, I went to a Sally's Beauty Supply and met another makeup artist named Joe who directed me to an amazing photographer he works with named Xochitl Rodrigue. {visit her gallery here... She is the photographer for this blog post!}

It's been because of this amazing woman that I've found a "place," a home, as a California makeup artist. :)

Recently, we as a team did some incredible things for promotional material. Xochitl just opened her new studio in Santa Maria, CA, and we are all working to spread the word and show off our talents! We have 3 makeup artists, including myself, and all of us have a different style.

I myself love a boudoir look, though I hadn't done anything too avant garde since makeup school. Xochitl encouraged me this day to push the envelope! And what I came up with was something called "Bedazzled Boudoir." Take a look at the lovely Sandra, an absolutely beautiful Mexican makeup model...

Upon first look of this beautiful girl, I realized I was getting to work with someone who a) had flawless skin, not a single blemish to cover, and b) had perfect eyebrows that I didn't even need to touch up. Score!

Admittedly, since this look was somewhat atypical to what I normally accomplish in the makeup chair, I improvised and came up with a vision as I dolled  her up. I didn't really know where I was going with it until I was done! But the more I played, the more she was starting to look Cleopatra-inspired. 

I may have changed her race from Mexican to Egyptian a bit... Just saying. Skills.

I USED:

CG Luxe airbrush makeup foundation

Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze

BH Cosmetics 3rd Edition 120-Color Eyeshadow Palette in Smokey

{deep taupe in crease, olive green in upper inner corner, periwinkle blue right on lids for a color "pop"}

Bare Minerals eyeshadow in Azure {bottom line and inner corners}

Bare Minerals eyeshadow in Celestine {one of my staples! instant VS Sparkle; read here}

MAC Paint Pot in Carbon {blackest matte black for smokiness}

Benefit High Beam Illuminator

Maybelline Dream Lumi in Nude

Bare Minerals Well-Rested

TheBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer

MAN Lip Liner, Lipstick & Lipgloss in pale pinks and hot pinks

Rhinestones {I used eyelash glue to attach all along the bottom of eyes, inner corner, and above eyebrows}

Thick and bold Kiss Falsies

I hope you love it! I couldn't have been more amazed by how she turned out, and of course it's Xochitl who really brought it all to life. :)

Thanks so much for taking a look, and feel free to email me if you ever want to hire me. 

brommkatelyn@aol.com

Dia De Los Muertos

My Secret to Everyday Sparkle

Indeed, I have a love affair with anything Bare Minerals... 

Ever since my friend Courtney introduced me to the magic that is this makeup, I've been a steadfast fan. It's mostly what I use on my own pretty face, but I've also heavily sprinkled many Bare Minerals products into my professional makeup kit that I use on my clients.

I was adding to my collection of BM loose eyeshadow pigments in Courtney's boutique one day when I came across two shades that I now use EVERY SINGLE DAY.

May I introduce...

Celestine & Queen Phyllis. 

Of course you know that by "VS" I mean Victoria's Secret! And everyone knows that the number one eye makeup trick for those lovely angels is that little bit of sparkle in the corner of their eye...

Queen Phyllis is a radiant, sandy stardust color (not really a gold, so the word "stardust" is all I can use to describe it!) I like to use this with a warmer-toned look, and it works for both day-time or night-time.

Celestine is also a radiant (I mean, seriously, they both sparkle like the sun is shining through them) silvery, kind of periwinkle, not quite pewter... We'll call this one "moondust." I like to use this one with a cooler-toned look (it really helps a smokey eye pop!), and it also works for both day-time and night-time.

Just pat a little of your favorite onto the inner corners of your eyes, and...

Stay sparkley. :)

P.S. For all things Housewifey, visit my other blog The Domestic Muse

Beautiful Boys

When I was requesting models for my makeup finals at school, I was floored when I got told by three {THREE!} guys who wanted to get in my turquoise chair and let me doll them up.

And yes, all of them were "guy's guys." But only one was as naturally pretty as Blake. 

So even though I didn't take up any of the guys' offers to be part of my makeup school portfolio final, I've still been dying to do a "Makeup for Men" post!

Now, Blake is not that hard to make look pretty and has Dolce & Gabbana model good looks. I will likely do more posts in a series of "makeup for men" for guys with a more rugged appearance. 

{I'd like to get my gorgeous husband in the chair, but that would take drugging and dragging his 185-lbs, so I will have to come up with some creative ways of persuasion. ;) }

But for Blake, we chose a Jack Sparrow inspiration!

Anyway... This is how you make up a man.

What I Used...

On the face

Bare Minerals Prime Time primer

Covergirl BB Cream 

{FYI, don't use anything Covergirl on men; it just rattles their nerves. Any BB cream will do.}

Almay Smart Shade foundation

Almay concealer stick in nude

Bare Minerals Well-Rested highlighter

Bare Minerals Warmth bronzer

On the eyes

MAC Carbon eyeshadow 

Bare Minerals dark brown brow powder

Benefit High Beam illuminator

Any neutrals quad eyeshadow palette

Bare Minerals Celestine eyeshadow dust

Any black eyeliner

On the lips

Any clear lip gloss

Now... I want to address the white elephant in the room, which is that you're putting makeup on a dude. More importantly, and for whatever reason, that dude has put stereotypes and gender formalities on the back burner and trusted you with your fancy brushes and girl products to simply make him look better, NOT FEMALE.

Makeup for men {and in fact, makeup for anyone} is about bringing out a person's features in the best way possible. And with a man, it's decidedly the most natural way. No dude wants to look like he's wearing the latest Maybelline product. Also, as I voiced above, if your client is someone who's uncomfortable with the whole process or idea, then tread lightly around the Covergirl, maybe. Though any makeup is makeup, I feel like Bare Minerals is a little less out-of-one's-element looking.

On Blake, I started with his eyes. I used a mix of the MAC carbon and the Bare Minerals brown brow powder to fill in his eyebrows with an angled brow brush. 

I put Benefit High Beam illuminator all over his lids and into the inner corners, following down and half-way along the bottom lash line. I used a medium brown eyeshadow from a neutrals palette in Blake's crease with a rounded fluffy brush. I used a light amount of MAC Carbon with an angled brush and followed Blake's lash lines, top and bottom, and then softened the line with a fluffy brush.

My next step was to add that Jack Sparrow razzle dazzle element. :)

I used Bare Minerals Celestine loose eyeshadow dust (looks like a pewter color), just dabbing it right on the middle of the eyelid at the lash line with a dense flat brush, then lightly along the bottom lash line with an angled brush.

With some black eyeliner, I lined just the outer corners of Blake's lashes and smudged. 

Ta da!  Jack Sparrow, y'all.

{Don't forget to clean up under the eyes with a wet cotton ball when you're done.}

On his face, I mixed Bare Minerals Prime Time primer with the BB cream together and covered his whole face {I just used my fingers! Easy and natural.} I covered any blemishes by dotting it with the Almay concealer stick and blending with my finger. After it dried, I used a light coat of Almay Smart Shade foundation, blending into the face, over the lips, and down the neck, also with my fingers. {I like this Almay foundation for a man because it's light coverage, and Blake's own skin still shows through!} 

I used a flat dense brush to pat some Bare Minerals Well-Rested highlighter under his eyes. And then  I finished with some Bare Minerals Warmth bronzer just along his cheekbones and blended into his neck and jawline with a bronzer brush.

Since his lips had already been neutralized with some light foundation, I simply dabbed a bit of clear lip gloss on his top and bottom lips, only in the middle, with my finger.

So now check out my Jack Sparrow male makeup muse...

P.S. For all things Housewifey, visit my other blog The Domestic Muse

MAKEOVER: Pop Star Inspired

Yesterday, I had my first "big gig" as a makeup artist... A marathon boudoir shoot with ten models (TEN models!) to make over. 

This is Ashley, an actual friend of mine through the Air Force and one of our boudoir beauties. In the middle of her makeover, I suddenly realized just how much she looked like a green-eyed Britney Spears and ran with that idea...

She's clearly 'dorable all on her own. My only tasks were to even out her complexion and enhance her already rosy and pink features. So I went with a babe-caked smokey eye with a pop of lavender on her lids and a hot purple-pink lip. 

On her FACE...

I used CG Luxe airbrush makeup in 25 and 35 (for contouring.) I used Dream Lumi in Nude and Bare Minerals Well-Rested for highlighting, and The Balm Bahama Mama and Bare Minerals Warmth for extra contouring and bronzing. And I used Makeup Artist Network blush palette and chose a bright pink blush and used it lightly with a feathered brush.

On her EYES...

I used Bare Minerals Bahamas loose eyeshadow all over her lids. I used BH Cosmetics 3rd Edition eyeshadow palette (it has 120 colors!) with a deep antique purple in the crease, shimmering mustard green mixed with black around her lash lines and smoked it out and upward, then a pop of lavender right on her lid. Finished with a creamy black eyeliner (smudge!) and Bare Minerals mascara in blackest black.

On her LIPS...

I used all Makeup Artist Network products- lip liner in Hot Pink which I colored into her lips for a matte finish, and purple-pink mineral lip gloss in Crush.

And I was more than "Crushing" on this look after I finished! For a boudoir shoot, I just had to bring out her inner "innocent but you know she's a freak in the bedroom" sex kitten. I'd love to use her as a regular model, so don't be surprised if you see her starring in lots of posts to come!

Stay beautiful. :)

P.S. For all things Housewifey, visit my other blog The Domestic Muse

Punchy Bright Pink & Red Colorblock Lips

Color-blocking isn't just for fashion trends anymore. We’re seeing bold statements in this use of color in makeup now, and this bright pink and red combination makes for a punch-y look for summer time.

On the eyes, I used Bare Minerals loose eyeshadow in "Desire" all over lid, "Bare Naked" in the crease, and "Celestine" in the inner corners. I used MAC paint pot "Carbon" for the smokey around the lashes. Any cream-based black eyeliner and any black volumizing mascara will do!

On the face, I used CG Luxe Airbrush foundation in 25 and 35 for contouring. I also used The Balm Bahama Mama bronzer for extra contouring. I used Maybelline Dream Lumi in "Nude" and Bare Minerals "Well-Rested" for highlighting.

For the lips, any bright pink lip liner will do (for top lip!) and any bright red lip liner (for bottom lip!) I used Sephora Bite Lip Layers Luminous Creme Lipsticks in "Vidal" and "Pomegranate." 

P.S. For all things Housewifey, visit my other blog The Domestic Muse