Bronzer the RIGHT way

Many of you are confused with how to apply bronzer. 

You're not alone! 

Bronzer can be tricky. It's really important to use right kind and color for your skin as well as how you apply it. 

Like most makeup products, there are a lot of different kinds of bronzers. 

There are liquid/cream bronzers, pressed bronzers, loose powdered bronzers! They can be matte, or golden toned, or even glittery. 

So here's a quick breakdown on how to do bronzer the right way so it looks like your natural glowy skin.

Liquid/Cream Bronzers

These can be tricky, but once you get the hang of them, they are quite beautiful. They are sheer and often add that dewey luminescence most of us are dying to get! 

Just take a small amount on the back of your hand or onto a palette. 

Take a medium, loose brush or a Duo fiber brush and tap it into the liquid bronzer. 

Here are two great brush options: 

                                                 

Left: Sigma F50, Right: Tarte The Buffer

Gently buff the product onto the skin starting at the high points of the face (where the sun would naturally hit you: forehead, nose, cheekbones) and in small circular motions, carefully blend into the skin. 

*I would suggest placing this over a liquid or cream foundation and then with a lightweight powder, carefully set the makeup where needed (usually around the nose, under the eyes, etc). *

Here are some great Liquid bronzers to try: 

photo c/o nars.com

Nars Laguna Illuminator

$30

I use this on a lot of my clients! Technically it's an illuminator, so it has some more highlight tones in it rather than a matte finish. I love to apply this on the cheeks, forehead and nose for a bronzy, glowy and of course illuminated look. 

photo c/o benefit.com 

Benefit's Dew the Hoola Soft Matte Liquid Bronzer
$28

For a softer, more natural looking bronzer, this does the trick! It's a matte finish and gently blends into the skin for that subtle but mesmerizing sun kissed color.

photo c/o shainabrown.com

Josie Maran Bronzing Argan Oil
$39

This beautiful bronzing oil adds a hydrating, subtle glow to the skin. It can be applied by pressing it into the skin with your hands- making it very easy and foolproof. Something to remember about this product is that it IS an oil! So it's not going to have as much of that bronze-y punch you may be looking for, but it's great for that subtle glow. 

Matte Bronzer

Looking for a little more sun kissed color in your skin? A matte bronzer is a very user friendly product (when applied correctly and using the right color for your skin!). 

Matte bronzer can be used all over the face. Some people take this a little too far and can end up looking like a completely different color from their neck and chest. It's so important to find the right color for you!

A good rule of thumb is to go one to two shades darker than your tone. Try to stay in the same undertone family as well. The cooler you are, go for a cooler toned bronzer and the warmer you are, you can find the warmer toned bronzers. DO NOT go darker than two shades! Once you do, it looks very unnatural and can potentially look more orange than bronze.

Best way to apply powder bronzer: 
Use a Big Fluffy brush- you want the bristles to be loosely packed so you can softly and evenly display the color. The tighter the bristles are packed together, the more packed on your color will be.

A great brush option: 

photo c/o bobbibrowncosmetics.com 

I prefer using Natural hair brushes when it comes to applying bronzer. Here's a great brush from Bobbi Brown-- and it's even labeled "bronzer" on the handle so you don't forget!

*When applying something like bronzer or blush, it's important to work in layers. This will prevent any over distribution of color in one area. *

Swirl your brush into the powder, tap it against the edge of a table to remove excess product. From there you'll want to apply it to the skin-- there are two great ways to do this.

1) The Number 3: Apply the color in the shape of the number 3 starting at the top of the head, round into the cheekbone, and round under the jawline. This creates a soft natural "contour"as well as warming the skin.
2) The Sun: Apply where the sun would naturally hit you. Gently swipe it across your forehead, down your nose, chin and hit the apples of the cheeks and cheekbones. This gives more of a natural sun color glow.

Here are some great Matte Bronzers: 

photo c/o tartecosmetics.com 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer

$30

This is a great color for my fair skinned beauties! This soft tawny bronze is a great color for fair skin to look like it has a natural sun kissed glow. 

photo c/o narscosmetics.com 

Nars Bronzing Powder
$39

Nars carries 3 shades of bronzer that are beautifully crafted. I'm kind of cheating here because they have more of a radiant finish than a matte finish, but I'm still including it here because they look soft and natural without looking too highlighted.

photo c/o Nyxcosmetics.com 

NYX Matte Bronzer
$9

I'm actually pretty impressed with NYX and their bronzers! They come in 5 shades with an option of cool or warmer undertones, which makes it easier to choose one for your skin!

Just because Summer is over doesn't mean bronzer is off the makeup table! Fall and winter is a great time to subtly apply bronzer to keep a healthy glow all year round.

Best of luck to you on your bronzer journey! I hope this helps you out! If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

Fighting Humidity- Pro Tips

A few months back, I took charge and started a Hair artist and Makeup artist group called "Beauty Meet Up." 

We try to meet once a month discussing a different topic each meeting. It's an opportunity to get together with these other artists that I NEVER get to see! It's also a chance for all of us to learn from each other!

Some artists have years upon years of experience, while others are just starting out, or maybe building their careers. 

So last night's meeting was a chance to chat about dealing with hair and makeup for Humidity. 

Here's what our group of gals had to say...

SKIN: 

For less extreme sweating cases, many of the artists agreed upon a good mattifier. One of MY current favorites, is Nurturing Force. 

It works as a moisturizer, mattifier, and primer! I love it! 

If someone is exceptionally oily, some of the artists talked about skipping moisturizer and going straight for a mattifier (against my cardinal rule! I  prefer to always use a moisturizer-- even if you're oily! I like a lightweight, oil free moisturizer), but if you DO decide to skip moisturizer for a shoot, the Nurturing Force works fantastically! 

For more extreme cases, where someone will sweat non stop due to heavy costume makeup, or stage lighting, or even just plain old overheating...

Here are some heavy duty products to do the trick.

First up:

Mehron No Sweat. 

This product is applied to the skin before makeup and is a fragrance free, liquid antiperspirant! 

Secondly-- an old school theater trick... 

Milk of Magnesia!

You can literally walk to Walgreens and pick this up for $8 bucks! I have personally never tried this trick, but many pros swear by it. Apply a thin layer over the face, allow it to dry, apply your foundation, and VOILA! Sweat FREE!

Of course, 

if you're dealing with humid locations and situations.. it's a good idea to use some waterproof or water resistant makeup including these products... 

Brows: 

Makeup Forever Aqua Brow

This product does NOT move. Many of the artists at last night's gathering agreed, it was top notch ;) Simply apply with a thin brush. 

Lips:

Makeup Forever Aqua Rouge

Paint it on, top with the gloss, and it's ON! Coming in a beautiful array of colors, this is beautiful. 

Not ready to spend $24 on a lipstick? Here's the drugstore version..

L'Oreal Infallible Lipstick

I will tell you, I own about 8 of these! I love them and I think the packaging is GENIUS. You can't lose any part of the pieces, and you can use the holder as a mirror for application. 

LOVE. 

For more waterproof and water resistant makeup, be sure to look into Cinema Secrets and Makeup Atelier! 

Hair Tips

Pre style...

Oribe Soft Lacqur Heat Styling Spray

One of our artist's last night mentioned the beauty of this product! Apply before heat styling the hair, and it leaves a smooth finish. 

To protect your style... 

Oribe Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray

After your blow out is complete, give a light spritz over top, flip your head, spray again and you're good to go! 

Another little humidity trick I learned...

 I was told to try styling with a wet hairspray as opposed to an aerosol spray. It allows for you to mold the hair and sweep down fly aways, and then set it all with the aerosol once it dries! Something I'll be trying! 

Wet Hairspray Suggestion: 

Aveda Brilliant Hair Spray

For your kit... 

Here are some things our artists carry along in their set bags and kits for those hot, humid days... 

Battery Operated Fan

Keep your clients cool between takes to avoid over-powdering them!

Deoderant

Always good to have on hand :) 

Maxi Pads

This is another old school trick for camera-- Makeup artists/stylists would make their talent place maxi pads in the armpit of their shirts so they don't sweat through the clothes!

So go ahead, try some of these anti-humidity tricks for your next client, job, or performance! 

Be sure to check out our artist's from last night's get together! 

Kristina Marie Feyerherm

Andrea Samuels

Angela B Hall

Mel Wilson

Cristina Gomez

XOXO JEN

Spring Colors

I've been catching myself wearing a lot of color this winter-- partially as a way to brighten my mood-- but also in excitement for spring!

I know we still have some time before spring actually hits-- but I can't wait! I'm too excited for cute shoes and dresses, warm sunny days, and bright hues on my face!!

Spring might be one of my favorite seasons---colors bloom from the sad cold earth, creating a warm and happy environment. So what can we expect this spring?! Well if I haven't given it away already, it's COLOR! 

New York Fashion Week just ended, leaving us with all sorts of wonderful new beauty trends to try out and make our own. That's the secret to trends-- You don't have to replicate it exactly-- especially since it's so dramatic for the runway/photo-- you can become inspired by it and find a way to make it work for you. 

So here are some colorful looks for inspiration with some tips on how to wear them this spring.

Blues...

Versus 2013 Spring show

                       

Moschino 2013 Spring Show

Monique Lhuillier 2013 Spring Show

I am a HUGE fan of blue makeup. I think it's so beautiful, works on most skin tones/eye colors, and is such a pretty color! I know a lot of women stay away from blue (thanks to the 80's), many think it's a scary color that's tough to pull off. 

First things first, there are so many shades of blue! From bright neons (above) to dark navy's, smokey gray-blues, to cobalt-- there is a shade for you! 

*I think that blues can work on ANY eye or skin color!*

It's just a matter of finding a shade that complements, and use it in a balanced way.

Makeup Forever's Matte Navy Blue #60

This is a gorgeous navy that can be used as a liner (sometimes I'll do a cat eye liner with a navy rather than black for a little change up), or it's also really pretty used as a smokey eye shade. 

This works well on older women! YES! If you want an impact on the eyes, it does just that but it's less harsh than black. The subtle blue is a nice pop to help bring color to the face without dominating or highlighting fine lines. 

 Makeup Forever's Matte Turquoise #72

This beautiful bright turquoise is a great pop for any skin tone! It looks especially gorgeous on bronzed skin (the gold tones look stunning with this!), as well as very dark skin tones. 

It brightens the eye as well as the rest of the face! You can place it as a thick liner, or you can completely cover your lid. Have fun with it! Create a cat eye, or just add it as an accent color on the end of your eye, or maybe underneath the lower lash line. 

 Makeup Forever Matte Blue #159

GORGEOUS blue. It's still bright even though it's a deeper shade. I love it! This looks fab on any skin tone but also works beautifully on my pale skinned beauties. This blue will make any blue in your eyes pop!

What to avoid...

image c/o jounka.com

Frosted Blues

These can look dated and for older women, it can age you! All that reflective pigment is accentuating any fine lines you may have. These only work if placed very specifically on areas of the eye that have no sign of aging. So until you're familiar with your eyes and what works, I'd refrain from this.

Want to make the trend work for you? Start small with just a swipe of navy rather than black for your cat eyes. 

image c/o hudabeauty.com

This photo shows the impact of a blue liner with a subtle line. If you're feeling bold, you can go bright like this photo, otherwise try the deeper navy. 

It get's the point across without overdoing the blue! 

Greens...

Derek Lam 2013 Spring Show

Marimekko 2013 Spring Show

 I love green shadow-- I know I don't use it enough! It's perfect for Hazel, brown and of course, green eyes.

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Pencil in Undercurrent

This is one of my favorite green pencils! It's emerald with flecks of gold, so it compliments any skin tone. You can line your water line for a little peep of color. 

If you wanted to do more drama, rim your eyes with this pencil and gently smudge it up and out for a soft smokey effect. 

Makeup Forever's Peacock Green Shimmer #80

This deep emerald shade is gorgeous for a sultry smokey eye. Softer finish thanks to the shimmer and it's earthy tone. Good for any skin tone.

Makeup Forever's Matte Apple Green #91

Great electric green-- Super bright hues like this are better in smaller doses! Use it as a liner, or accent. Maybe pop some across your lid before you hit the crease for a subtle blast of color. 

What to avoid...

Pale skinned beauties---

Having a wash of deep green may be a bit overwhelming for you. 

Want to make the trend work for you? If you want to use the deep green, start small. Use a little liner on your upper lash line, or line your inner rim for a subdued dramatic effect. Another tip for lighter skin-- use lighter shades of green. 

Try a minty colored green...

Makeup Forever's Celadon #34

You can put this across your lid or even try the look of Derek Lam's models from Fashion week, and do a full wash of this color up to the brow. 

image c/o bellasugar.com

Since it's so soft and delicate, it works. 

Pinks...

Donna Karan 2013 Spring Show

Pinks are great on all eye colors ESPECIALLY Blues and Greens.

Makeup Forever's Neon Pink #75

This bright fuchsia pink is BOLD! IF you're going for a super bright look (photo above), this is pretty much it! To go for something less abrasive than the photo above, use this on Just the top or just the bottom rather than fully rimming the eye. That alone will create a bold look without it overtaking your eyes! 

Makeup Forever's Dusty Pink #112

This matte warm pinky tone is great for light skin colors. It has a peachy undertone that would compliment cooler toned skin. This can be used all over the eye. It's matte complexion is subtle and the color is fresh. 

What to avoid...

Pinks are fun but be careful! If you have a lot of red in your skin, you may want to stray to more violet tinted hues. Using a bright pink may bring out whatever redness you may have in your skin. 

Want to make the trend work for you? Try pinky tones with more violet influence. 

Try this Velvet Eyes palette by Eve Pearl. 

The colors are vibrant and you'll still get that pink runway effect with this palette. 

Best part? This palette will work on ANY eye color/skin tone! 

Yellow.... 

Lela Rose 2013 Spring Show

Yellows look electric against Blue eyes! Aside from that, yellows can look amazing on ALL eye colors. The trick to pulling off this hue? Skin tone and restraint!

Makeup Forever's Yellow #2

This Bright matte yellow shadow is a bold statement. In order to make it work without it taking over your whole face, you can use it as a blending shade with other colors in the family to add a little punch to the look. I also love to use bright tones as liners for a softer hint of color.

Makeup Forever's Lemon #102

This matte butter yellow is a more modest form of the color. It runs a little more neutral making it easier for more skin tones to use and creates a softer look. This color is great on the lid or even used as a highlighter on the brow bone and tear duct. 

What to avoid....

Yellow undertones.

If you have a lot of yellow undertones in your skin, it's probably wise to find a cooler shade. 

*Example*

The bright shade will only make your skin look more yellow than it is which isn't what we're going for. 

Want to make the trend work for you? 

Go for golds. Using yellow/gold tones hint at this trend without being so literal. 

 image c/o glamour.com

I hope this post inspires you to use more color! If you're afraid of looking like Mimi from the Drew Carey Show...

Just remember that RESTRAINT is key! 

Start small with accent colors and once you get a feel for what colors work best for you, you can start playing more with smokey eyes, all over shades, etc. 

xoxo Jen

Runway images c/o

 harpers bazaar, real beauty.com.

Ladies and Lipstick

*Links in Orange*

I've been coming across more and more ladies that are afraid of lipstick! They don't want to be that girl who wears the wrong color, or shade. 

Guess what? Lipstick is FUN! and wearing it feels powerful and bold. It's the easiest way to make a statement in your look without all the added effort. 

Let's clear up a few things...

Picking a shade that works for you:

I know it may seem a bit daunting or confusing when it comes to choosing a lip color, but don't over think it! Makeup is meant to be fun and playful, not frustrating and chore-like! 

That being said, start cheap. Go to the CVS or Walgreens and check out the lipstick section (It's apparent that I'm in love with L'Oreal Lipsticks-ie: photo above). Pick any brand you like or are drawn to (even if it's just the packaging you like ;))

And here we go....

What shade do you like? 

BUY IT. 

Simple right? Don't think about whether or not you can pull it off, or how can you wear this? 

Just buy it. 

Go home, put it on and look at yourself in a mirror with natural light. Be sure to look from a distance as well. 

How does it look? Is it too dark? Too orange? Too blue? This is how you find the shades you like... EXPERIMENTATION!

The best thing about starting cheap? Drugstores have an incredible return policy! YES! Even with cosmetics! 

So you don't have to feel guilty about spending $20 on a lipstick that you don't like! You can spend $6 and if you really hate it, return it-OR give it to a friend cause it was only $6! 

So save your receipt, and if you decide it's not right, take it back and pick a new shade using all the things you learned from the first try. 

Need to get the right shade NOW? 

Go to the makeup counters in department stores, or Sephora. Ask one of the artists for help in choosing a lip color. Express your interest and concerns about the shade, finish and color. 

Have them put it on you, walk out by a window and look in a mirror. See how you feel; again, assess the color on your skin. Don't get pressured into making a decision, or buying a million other products to apply the lipstick JUST like they did. Just have them apply the lip color, bold and bare on your lips to get a true read of the color. 

Once you start to find the colors you like, you can move on to the finish... 

My Personal Lipstick stash, just from my two purses... I'm a bit obsessed. 

Matte.

Pigment rich, with a no-shine finish.

Tends to look drier, so keep your lips exfoliated and moisturized before hand! This is one of my favorites!

Satin.

Color rich with a slightly matte but satiny finish.

Very popular, good for full color, long wear with moisture.

Creme sheen.

Creamy, with a soft shine and full color. 

Very creamy-good for drier lips, with pretty good coverage.

Frost.

Color with a frosted/pearlized finish. 

Frosty finish-usually better for younger lips as the finish can settle into lines. Although, there are varying degrees of frost depending on the brand.

Lustre.

Sheer color with a satiny/gloss finish.

Very sheer color, and very "wet" or glossy looking. Perfect for those first transitioning to the lipstick world!

Glaze. 

Low/sheer color with a satiny finish.

Similar to a gloss, very low color with a glossy finish. Perfect for those who want a quick touch of color!

Amplified Cream.

Creamy color with shine.

Extremely creamy-similar to creme sheen- very gloss-like, high color, shorter wear time. 

It's all about experimenting, and playing until you find colors you are comfortable with. 

So don't be afraid! 

The only way you'll find a lipstick you love is by stepping up and putting it on! 

Find a color you're attracted to, and it'll most likely look fabulous on you. 

It's all about confidence ladies, if you wear that bold red with your head high, no one will think you look bad :) 

xoxo Jen