The day is almost here (although still a week away), yet the stores are already filled up with everything pink and red. So...I figured I'll present my "Valentine's" shoot a little early as well :) Also, I figured it would probably be best to get you ready for the day of, in the meantime (cosmetically). Of course, I do not suggest you draw any black or red hearts on your face (unless you are going to go all out with the queen of hearts costume, ha!). As much as us women LOVE make up...I can't say the same about guys. I have yet to meet a guy that says "I love a girl with too much make-up". So although we love to go all out and be creative, a valentine's date should be a softer, more romantic look. This photoshoot literally took 30 minutes on a random, boring day for me. Worked out pretty nice didn't it? I kept the face pale because I wanted to concentrate on the 2 bold statements on my face. No bronzer, no blush. I kept the face clean with Channel Mat
Lumiere in 40 and Mac pro longwear concealer in NW20. I set it in with Laura Mercier Foundation Powder #3. I have highlighted/contoured my face/cheekbones with the smashbox contour palette. For my eyebrows, I have used Stud brow pencil from MAC and filled them in with Smoke shadow by Bobbi Brown. For my lips, I used my new favorite pro longwear red lipliner from MAC called "Kiss Me Quickly" all over. On my eyes, all I have on is Wheat Eye Basics from Laura Mercier and some custom dramatic lashes I have made. Keep the face and eyes clean, add some fun flirty lashes, bold lips, a little bit of blushes and you are good to go! Soft, romantic, beautiful & sexy. Hope you all have a wonderful time! Whether you are single or in a relationship, make the best of every situation! <3

I can't tell you how many people ask me, "How do you do a cat eye?"  JUST DRAW A STRAIGHT LINE...not! Simple, but not that simple. Not when your line needs to lift your eye and swing up at the right time and right direction...geometry all over again, who woulda thunk it? ;) In this case, lets leave out the ruler and use the shape of your eye as the guidance. I have made a simple flow chart of the easiest way to line a cat eye. I always prefer a gel liner over anything for cat eyes because you have more control over it than a liquid and pencil does not glide on so easily. In the first photo, you will notice I just drew a line up and out away from the eye. How high or low do you go? use the line of the bottom of your eye and continue to go up and away in that same direction. How far out you take it is up to you (they are all considered cat-eye, short or long). I suggest you don't start out too far out, start short and add on if you need to. Drawing this line will be your guidance. From that line, bring in the top of the cat eye look down to where your pupil is and line thinly down to your tear duct. Now, fill in the gap between the two lines. 3rd photo: the perfect cat-eye! UNLESS, you want it to be more dramatic. In this case, it is very easy just to add on by making it longer and bringing it in like you would in picture number 2. You can make it as thin or as thick as you'd like. Simple right? Well, practice makes perfect! Hope this helps :)

"The skin is a window into a person's overall health". Genius quote by Kristen Ma, author of Beauty Pure+Simple. Amazing skin for $18.77? (amazon.com) yes, please! Kristen's holistic guide to beauty is motivation towards a better lifestyle = better health, internally & externally! This inspiring book guides you from your eating habits to an all natural hair, nails and skin care. She has helped many people throughout the world overcome skin issues from breakouts to rosacea to discoloration. Why am I preaching this book? It kills me to see girls with bad skin conditions and I want to be able to help! Because I've been there, and it is NOT fun! I also know how it can play a big role on one's self-esteem. So stop spending so much money on treatments! All we really need is the right amount of nutrients in our body and some discipline in our lives. Her book also includes home made skincare recipes that are effective and will save you tons of money! This book should be your beauty bible...because we all know we forget, get lazy and deviate every now and then. If you do read it and decide to follow her routine...leave us feedback and let us know what you think!

As much I will hate to do it...I will be putting aside my summer make-up for a while. Fall is more about bolder, darker lipsticks with sheer wash eyeshadows or you can do frosty lipsticks with dark eyes. Go less with the shimmer on the face, put away the gloss and definitely lessen the bronzer! A little bit is always okay...but it doesn't make sense to look "sun-kissed" in the winter. Reds and purples are definitely a hit this winter, but as stated on my fanpage...you need to find the color that fits YOU well! Stay softer with the blush; but since you won't be using so much bronzer, you can contour your cheeks a bit. In reverse, you can set aside the contour and apply blush to the apples of your cheeks to give it a more natural winter-pinched look. It really all depends on the type of look you will be going for. Have fun with it!

As winter is rolling along, I am noticing more and more of my clients coming in with really dry skin. Not only is this bad for your skin (dry skin causes wrinkles), but also your foundation will not look right on your skin. The foundation will sit on the surface of your skin without blending into your skin. Once you powder it, it looks even dryer! Some people prefer not to powder their foundation in the winter due to this; this is definitely an option, but naturally, your make-up won't last as long throughout the day. Moisturizing is super essential at this time of year. If you feel your regular moisturizer isn't enough, try using something heavier such as a cream instead. Creams are normally thicker consistency and more potent. A night cream would be IDEAL considering night creams are more "heavier duty" than a day moisturizer. Along with moisturizing your face, make sure you moisturize your lips as well. Chapped lips are also typical in the winter; moisturize lips regularly and exfoliate if you need to. Matte lipsticks are more suitable in the winter (as opposed to high-gloss ones), which in turn are drier lipsticks. If you have an event you're getting ready for, make sure to start the process at least a week before the event! In any case...start now!

This summer, the "no make-up" look is in! Of course were still going to put on make-up, because were girls and that's what we just do :) BUT, there are a few items we can live without for our everyday looks. The best thing to do is make your skin look good for starters! Your foundation: try to go with a lighter coverage, tinted moisturizer or oil-free foundation of some sort, so your face doesn't get cakey throughout the day because of the heat. Always put on a primer! Carry around oil-blotting tissues in your bag! Conceal and brighten your under-eyes and shape your eyebrows nicely (always keep them clean because a no make-up look doesn't like bushy eyebrows...kills the look ;). Load up the wonderful mascara - preferably Loreal Voluminous - my favorite mascara! Pop on a bright blush such as Nars Orgasm or Mac Pinch'o'Peach to add some color to your face. You can and should use a little bit of bronzer as well to give your face a sun-kissed look. Lastly! If you want to play it up a bit - a bright color lipstick! This has been my secret weapon for the summer. Lacquer on a coral, hot pink, orange, or bright red! It really just puts the whole look together. When you have bright lips, it compliments a nude - no eyeshadow or eye liner - look very well! Enjoy!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas/Hanukkah and a Happy New Year! Have you guys thought of a New Years Resolution yet? If not...it is not too late! It's a great start to a new challenge to accomplish something you've always wanted to. We all have things we can work on whether its mentally, physically or spiritually. Afterall, they do say "beauty comes from within." Some may interpret this to be about your personality and attitude (which is just as important); but your beauty really truly shines only when you are happy with yourself! If you've been having trouble with your weight/body, it is never too late to start and make a change. Start eating healthy, keep a low-carb diet and exercise! I know that it is easier said than done, but commit to it and it will become a lifestyle; it will be just as routine as brushing your teeth and sleeping. By exercising and eating healthy, not only will you change physically, but mentally. You will become more active, less tired, feel better and look better! Humans have a mind, body, spirit connection and if you are lacking in one area, it will effect the others as well. Begin 2011 with a positive attitude and make the changes you need to in order to be a Happy individual. The quote below is an example of the connection, which I personally love. Wishing you all a very "Happy" New Year!

Be careful of your thoughts, 
for your thoughts become your words. 
Be careful of your words, 
for your words become your actions. 
Be careful of your actions, 
for your actions become your habits. 
Be careful of your habits, 
for your habits become your character. 
Be careful of your character, 
for your character becomes your destiny.

We all have our own techniques, colors & styles when it comes to eyeshadow. I would like to give my professional advise in helping you create a look that is perfect for your eyes:
1.Blending is Key: When using colors on the eyes, you need make sure you do not see a line between one color and the next. When you think you have blended enough...blend again!
2. Three eye shadows: 1.Base 2.Crease 3.Highlight. In addition, you need 3 different brushes. Do not use the same brush for all because you will deposit unwanted color in unwanted areas. You need to make sure you blend all three colors evenly to give in a natural highlighting and shadowing effect.
3. Colors: Use shadow colors opposing your eye color to make it pop. Read my previous blog about using opposing colors.
4. Big/small eyes: Highlight the inner line of your eye with white to make your eyes bigger and black to make them look smaller. 
5. Shimmer is not for wrinkles: If you have wrinkles on your eyes, try and stay away from shimmer, as it brings out the wrinkles more. Use matter colors which will be more flattering to your eyes.
I hope these 5 basic steps will help you create a look that works better for you. It's great to experiment and do other things, but always make sure to keep it on a flattering level!

Nobody is perfect, as we know. We all have things on our skin that have bothered us at some point or continue to bother us. Surgery is only a last resort! You can easily cover your flaws with make up. Flaws such as blemishes, dark circles, rosacea, etc. Take a look a the color wheel...this is what we are going to use to determine the concealing tone of your problematic area. If you have red skin (acneic or rosecea), you need to use the opposing color - green - in order to neutralize the red. There are many green primers (ex.Make Up Forever) or green mixers (MAC) that you can mix in with your foundation. If you have blue-ish purple dark circles underneath your eyes, you have to use a warmer color such as peach to neutralize it. Most under-eye concealers will have the peachy tone; but you have to make sure you use the right level of shade for you. If you generally have very pink skin, try and use a yellow based foundation to neutralize your skin tone. Vice, versa, if you have too much yellow in your skin, use a pinker foundation (not too much!) to give yourself a healthier glow. Then of course, comes highlighting and shading! Rule of thumb: highlighters pop and shaders recede the area. For example, if you dont have the perfect nose, just highlight straight down the middle and shade down the sides to give it the illusion of a straight nose. Same goes for your cheeks; if you want to pop your cheekbones, you need to highlight the upper cheekbone to make it pop, and shade right underneath it to give your cheeks a more defined look. With practice, you will learn what works best for you. Hope this helps guys!