Uh oh, not another monthly favorites blog!

I’ve been pretty lazy when it comes to doing my make up lately, being busy with school and all.  So here are the products used to create my most basic look for the month!

• Always my basic stuff…. Face Atelier Ultra Foundation, Maybelline Define-A-Brow brow pencil in medium brow (identical to MAC Lingering, in my opinion), Urban Decay Primer Potion on the lids prior to eye make up, and Urban Decay De-Slick mattifying powder to set the face.

• Nixie eyeshadows in Night Falls and Violaceous (MAC duplicates are Satellite Dreams and Violet Trance).  I put Night Falls all over the lid, and then Violaceous in the crease and outer corner of the eye.
• Nixie eyeshadow in Grace (closest MAC duplicate is Seedy Pearl).  I use this as a highlight, and have also been enjoying it as a cheek highlight as well as eye highlight!
• Urban Decay Lip Envy in Envious.  I apply this lightly so as to not get too much color on my lips, but just to add a little pink.  This is my go-to daytime lip color.  For gloss, I’ll throw on Nixie’s Smashing lipgloss, a shimmery pale pink, right over it.
• If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll throw on a red lip with Nixie’s Mila lipstick (close to MAC’s Russian Red) with Nixie’s Rosie lipgloss over it (any opaque red lipgloss will do).  This is more of a night-time look for me, or if I’m looking for something more dramatic.  I don’t do red lips everyday, and touching it up can be tedious when working.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Zero.  This is my favorite black pencil ever to be on the market.  You can even use a brush and wing it out on the top lid!  Otherwise, a gel liner is my favorite on the top lid.  Any will do from MAC, Smashbox, L’Oreal, Urban Decay, and Bobbi Brown.
• Nixie eyeshadow in Gem for a blush.  This is a pretty pale pink similar to MAC’s Well Dressed, which would also work beautifully.  Slight shimmer, but not too noticeable.  For contouring my non-existent cheekbones I’ve been using Nixie bronzer in Montego Bay Glissen (a slightly pinky brozner).  I apply this VERY lightly seeing as I have fair skin, and don’t want to over do it!

For your homework, what are your favorite beauty products for this month?

Every season is changing, both the weather and what trends cosmetic companies are laying down for the season!

I’m going to share some of the trends that are going to be in hot demand this winter along the lines of cosmetics, and hope that we can all try something new that we haven’t done before.  I’ll also post product recommendations for each trend!  (If there are more than one suggestion from a brand for each category, I’ve separated the color names using a forward slash, or /.)

• Red lips.  Red lips are back in full demand this season, offering a bold, classic and sexy look for any woman.  That is, as long as you find the proper shade of red!  Orange-based reds tend to be the brightest, while blue-based reds will help make your teeth look whiter.  My favorite red lipsticks include Kat Von D’s Stiletto/Underage Red/Hellbend (Sephora), Nixie cream lipstick in Mila (Nixie), Urban Decay Gravity/Gash/Revolution (Urban Decay), and NYX round lipstick in Electra (Cherry Culture, NYX)
• Nude lips.  I know you’re thinking, “What?  Nude and red are in this season?”  And yes, it’s true.  Both colors are 100% in to go with the “in” eye look.  Nude lip colors often pale your lips, or are close to your natural lip color but add a bit of zing to your look.  Some excellent ideas to look for are Rimmel London’s Airy Fairy (Rimmel London), MAC’s Creme D’Nude/Myth/Blankety/Honeylove lipsticks (MAC).
• Silver and shimmery gray eyeshadows.  What a wonderful way to deck the halls this season than with some shimmery silver eyeshadow!  Almost all brands have an excellent silver, so here are my favorites!  Ben Nye Grand Lumiere eyeshadow in Silver (Fun-Shop), Nixie eyeshadows in Cosmic/Silver Lining (Nixie), MAC eyeshadow in Electra/Silver Ring (MAC).
• Bronze smokey eyes.  Here are my recommendations for eyeshadows to help you achieve this look!  Urban Decay deluxe eyeshadows in Underground/Shag (Urban Decay), Urban Decay eyeshadows in Baked/Half-Baked/Rush/Smog/YDK (Urban Decay), Nixie eyeshadows in Bronzo/Bronzed/LA/Ritz/Morocco (Nixie), Ben Nye eyeshadow in Bronze (Fun-Shop), MAC eyeshadows in Patina/Era/Honey Lust/Bronze/Antiqued (MAC).
• Purple smokey eyes (Can you tell smoke is in this season?).  Here are some of my favorite violets, plums and purples from different brands that can help you achieve a vibrant smokey eye, or one with subtle and subdued color!  Urban Decay eyeshadows in Flash/Last Call/Purple Haze/Ecstasy/Crash (Urban Decay), Urban Decay Deluxe eyeshadows in Frigid/Freakshow/Ransom/Fishnet (Urban Decay), Nixie eyeshadows in Violaceous/Scorpio/Grape/Zodiac/Night Falls/Jinx/Romance (Nixie), Ben Nye grand lumiere eyeshadow in Royal Purple/Amethyst (Fun-Shop), Ben Nye eyeshadow in Violetta/Deep Violet/Royal Purple (Fun-Shop), MAC eyeshadow in Purple Shower/Violet Trance/Stars N Rockets/Trax/Satellite Dreams/Beautiful Iris/Idol Eyes/Nocturnelle/Shadowy Lady/Parfait Amour/Contrast (MAC).
• Blue and navy eyeshadows (which can also be used to achieve a smokey effect).  Thinking 80′s?  Think of this is the 80′s blue with more class and sass.  Urban Decay eyeshadows in Goddess/Mary Jane/Shattered (Urban Decay), Urban Decay Deluxe eyeshadows in Peace/Adore (Urban Decay), Nixie eyeshadows in Anchored/Starlight/Blue Angel/Electric Blue (Nixie), Ben Nye grand lumiere eyeshadow in Cosmic Blue/Peacock (Fun-Shop), Ben Nye eyeshadow in Celestial Blue/Navy Blue (Fun-Shop), MAC eyeshadows in Electric Eel/Freshwater/Tilt/Deep Truth/Nehru (MAC).
• Gel or liquid eyeliner in black.  Use what works for you, everyone’s eyes are different so I’m careful in recommending for this category.  As a note, I’ve never had problems with any black gel eyeliner I’ve used, from Smashbox, to MAC, to Urban Decay, to L’Oreal.  Pick your favorite in your price range!
• Black eyeliner pencils.  I have one recommendation here, Urban Decay’s 24/7 liner.  There’s nothing better!
• Pink, shimmery cheeks!  Make sure it’s a subtle pink and not overpowering to your skin-tone!  Urban Decay blush in Quickie (Urban Decay), Nixie cream blush in Elegance (Nixie), Nixie powder blush in Elegance/Radiance (Nixie), Maybelline Dream Mousse blush in Pink Frosting/Rose Petal, MAC blush in Well Dressed/Dame/Fleur Power/Dollymix (MAC).
• Fresh, even complexion.  Of course, good skin starts at the root of good skincare.  I recommend visiting an esthetician to assist you in picking out some wonderful skincare items.  Or going to Ulta, or Sephora, and talking to one of the guys and gals there who are trained in their skincare lines.  I’m personally particular to Bioelements (nothing has worked better for me), but there are also a ton of mass consumer products if you are on a budget.  Always read the back of the bottle, it will tell you who the product is formulated for, what type of skin it is formulated for, and what it is supposed to do.  After skincare, of course comes  your foundation.  I cannot recommend more the Face Atelier Ultra Fluid Foundation (Face Atelier), it goes on so smoothly, and really evens the complexion without looking like make up.  Who could ask for anything more?  For a more cost effective alternative, L’Oreal True Match (Ulta) has a wonderful selection of shades, and blends seamlessly onto the skin.  The added SPF is a bonus!  Not to mention it’s readily available at any drug store across the nation.

Wow!  My very first tutorial?  This means that I’ll need your help with making me not only better in my look department, however, with how to take photos!  I don’t have many options at my disposal right now due to where I live, so I will do my best!

This is a simple look that would be easy for any make up user.  I created it for my friend Amber, who was interested in a look consisting of the Geisha Girl eyeshadow!

Anyway, here goes!!  (Remember, click photos to enlarge)

Yep, so, that’s me!

Here are the “ingredients” for this make up look!

• Foundation primer, foundation, concealer, and face powder
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Nixie eyeshadows in Geisha Girl, Frost, Violaceous, Majestic, Night Falls and Grace
• Nixie ultra pearl in Drama
• Nixie cream blush in Sensuous (though most any blush will do)
• Wet ‘N’ Wild Brow kit
• Nixie lipsticks in Posh, Babydoll, and their lipgloss in Stylish
• Cream or liquid eyeliner, and pencil eyeliner, both in black
• Black mascara

First, start with a clean and moisturized face.  Apply your foundation primer all over your face, and allow to set for a minute.  Apply foundation, concealer, and set with powder.

Probably the most important step is to apply your shadow primer.  I recommend Urban Decay Primer Potion — it’s easy to work with, and the colors stick to it extremely well.  Even if I use a NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil, I still apply the UDPP first — it will definitely not crease with it on!  Once applied and dry, I use my Wet ‘N’ Wild brow kit and fill in my brows.  Tip: Begin at your arch and move down to the outer corner, then slowly fill in the main larger areas.

Once finished with that, I begin applying the eyeshadow!

Use a good applicating brush, and begin by pressing Geisha Girl eyeshadow on the outer 3/4 of your lid, and all the way up into the crease.  By pressing the shadow, you get a bolder color, and less fall-out!  Next, I take the same brush, and apply Majestic to the outside, and slightly into the crease.  Not too much, as I don’t want the color to be too dark.  It just adds a little bit of shading.

Now we get to use one of my favorite shadows of all time.  I love purple shadows, and if you want a beautiful bright purple, Violaceous is it!  Using a large blender brush (with slightly stiff bristles), apply Violaceous into your crease.  Over the whole purple area in the crease, you will now want to apply Drama ultra pearl to add some shimmer using an angled contour brush.  This is a fluffier brush, as you don’t want to add more color, just blend and add some shimmer!

Using your angled contour brush, you will now apply Night Falls eyeshadow to the top of the crease very lightly to help blend and make it a seamless transfer between your colored shadow, and your brow bone.  Once blended, use a large shader brush and apply Frost to your brow bone.

Phew!  Now the hardest part of the look is done.

Time for eyeliner!  Using your cream or liquid liner, line your top lash line, sticking as close to the lashes as possible.  It is up to you if you want to wing this out at all, I did slightly for dramatic effect — however it is not necessary.  Taking your pencil liner, line your lower lash line gently.

To finish the eyes, add mascara!  I use 2 or 3 coats to get a more dramatic effect.

Begin the lips by applying Babydoll lipstick all over your lips.  Using a lip brush, gently apply Posh lipstick in the center of your lips to add some contour.  Finish the lips by applying Stylish lipgloss!

And you’re done with the look!  Apply blush as desired I don’t always wear it, so I’m not going to make you either!  Here’s one last picture for you all!

This irks me to no end.  I continuously see websites saying that you need to wear colors that compliment your skintone.

As a previous art major, and cosmetologist (where we have to thoroughly study the color wheel until we want to throw up a little bit), I am well aware that a complimentary color…. Isn’t always flattering.

For example.  I have “cool” undertones to my skin.  Meaning, that if I wanted to compliment my skintone I would wear warm colors as opposed to cool.

Let me tell you, I look awesome in violet, I look awesome in blue, and I look awesome in green.  In fact, I often pair these colors with warm colors like golds and yellows.

Then again, everyone looks awesome in green.  Want a sexy and funky eye?  Go for green eyeshadow — EVERYONE can pull it off and look fab in it! (Here’s a look from Urban Decay that I’m in LOVE with!)

I think that we can wear whatever we want — there are different shades of every color.

Here are some of my tips on what to wear (both clothing wise and make-up)!

• Don’t make your eyeshadow match your outfit.  It tends to look overwhelming and unflattering.
• Do have a purse a different color than your shoes!  If you’re wearing plain black shoes, why not throw in a red or yellow purse for a pop of color?
• Do what makes you feel beautiful.  What works for you may not necessarily work for everyone, same as the internet or magazine tips you read may or may not work for you.  Everyone’s skin and facial structure and hair color is different — no two of us are the same.
• Do tell your sales representative if you don’t like a certain look they’re going for.  Make up is there for individual and personal expression — just because someone expresses themselves in one way, doesn’t mean you have to follow suit!
• Do be comfortable in your dress, as well as with your cosmetics.

To me, it’s very simple.  I mean, make-up is a form of art to me, as well as hair styling.  You have to look at yourself as an individual instead of part of a group — which is unfortunately what many articles will try to tell you to do.  What looks are “in” and what’s “out.”  You can do a smokey eye with more than just a gray or black eyeshadow!  You can do it with color, as well as neutrals!

Have fun with what you do, and make sure you feel beautiful doing it.

Nothing bothers me more than watching a girl putting on foundation with her fingers (bothers me even more than the sponge, bad sponge!).  There’s, of course, a multitude of reasons.  Where does one even start?

• Fingers carry loads of bacteria.  Look at everything we touch with our hands.  Most diseases are spread from our hands touching something (ew), and then usually touching our faces.  Avoid, avoid, avoid!  Break-outs, anyone?
• When you’re rubbing it in, you’re rubbing most of it off.  PRODUCT WASTE!
• Our fingers contain massive amounts of oil.  Ew.

What about the sponge?  Simple:

• It soaks up most of your product. However, I like sponges for professional use when you don’t have time to clean your brush in between models; they’re disposable and simple (just wet it and ring it out first so you don’t waste so much of your product).

Then of course, you’re going to ask me — but Moolllyyyy, what are the pros to buying a foundation brush?  They are EXPENSIVE!

Yes, but well worth the expense.

• A foundation brush will save you on average 2-3 bottles of foundation a year.  Make sure you always buy synthetic (it doesn’t absorb the foundation into the bristles).  This in and of itself will pay for your brush.
• Each bristle is like a tiny finger, you have tons of teeeeeny little fingers applying the foundation to your face, causing a flawless appearance.
• It’s clean!  I clean my foundation brush after every use with either baby shampoo or generic anti-bacterial soap (it’s more gentle than Dial, I get the Wal-Mart – Equate brand).
• There’s a multitude of types of brushes to choose from (I actually use one by Urban Decay that’s intended for blush, more on that later).

I recommend a soft brush, for the obvious reasons…. The bristles will blend better than one that’s tighter!

There are the typical foundation brushes, skunk brushes, and then of course powder/blush brushes — which are newer to being used for foundation (I like them, it makes me look air brushes).  Each gives a different amount of coverage with different application, how does one choose?

Now, I’m a brush fiend.  Texture and the feel of the bristles means everything to me.  I don’t want to use something that’s stiff and is going to feel like I’m poking my face every morning, it just isn’t worth it to me, and I doubt it would be to you!

Those flat brushes (like our dear friend, the MAC 190) offer more coverage for your face.  Yes, it looks similar to a paint brush, but isn’t that the purpose?  You are painting your face.  Short strokes in all different directions will help to evenly apply foundation all over your face.  This brush is pretty ideal for the areas like underneath your eyes (though they do have mini foundation brushes, commonly called “concealer brushes” available to you ), or on the corners of your nose.  I really like this tool for most liquid foundations (especially if you want more coverage), and cream foundations!

• MAC 190
• Lancome Foundation Brush
• Nixie Foundation Brush
• Smashbox Foundation Brush
• Make Up For Ever Finishing Brush

There’s always a duster or “skunk” brush that you can use as well.  These will give you less coverage, and I like it for super creamy foundations (like MAC Studio Fix Fluid).  I suggest STIPPLING with these brushes.

• MAC 187 brush (really, this is the only skunk brush I like, it has the best control and the bristles aren’t too flimsy).

Oh my goodness, and my favorite!  I love using kabuki brushes, blush brushes, or flat-top kabuki brushes!  These are my all time favorite, I think they blend so much better than anything else and give a nice moderate coverage.  Kim Kardashian’s make up artist uses a flat-top MAC kabuki brush, but I can’t find the sucker anywhere.  Total bummer These are ideal for ANY foundation, liquid or cream (and your cream blushes, too)!

• Urban Decay Blush Brush — this is the brush that I personally use, and I love it.  Love, love, love, love it.  The one on the Sephora website does not resemble the one I own, so I’m not sure if the photo is updated.  Will somebody let me know if Sephora does carry this?
• MAC 109 — if you’ve been on YouTube, everybody has been talking about this guy.  He’s soft, fluffy, and perfectly airbrushes your make up on!
• MAC 182 Buffer — this is the rounded top counterpart to the brush I mentioned above that I cannot find.
• Nixie Kabuki
• Nixie Blush Brush — pretty similar to the MAC 109
• Sonia Kashuk Flat Top Kabuki Brush — easily available (Target stores), I use this for my cream foundation which I put around my nose, and under my eyes.  The top is small so it’s easy to get into those small areas, but would also be good for the whole face!  I also really like it for my cream blush
• Too Faced retractable kabuki brush — SO soft!
• Philosophy Super Natural Air Brush — similar to my Sonia Kashuk

Now, these are just my personal favorite brushes that I’ve actually played with and tried.  What do you use to apply your foundation?