Beauty and Fashion, and Style! Oh MY!!

HANDS UP, this is a STICK ON!!!

2011-08-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

The topic of today is not burglary, nope, it's the new trend:

STICK ON NAIL ART

I will admit, at first I immediately discounted it as press on nail quality, which we all know is certifiably C-R-A-P, not an option.

Buuuuut.....

Apparently, I was wrong.

I overheard some women I trust talking about them, and going on, and on... So I knew I should give them a whirl.

I first tried Sally Hansen Salon Effects in "Laced Up"

I loved them.

It took a little bit of skill to apply them, but then again so does painting your own nails. Patience, and following the directions is key when applying stick on nail art. One thing I noticed was that I always thought I needed a smaller strip than I actually did, so I'd have to peel it back off and use the next size up. I wasted a few sizes learning this but it turned out okay because they include between 8 and 10 sizes to fit most finger nails, so I had enough.

Then, I tried a different brand, Nail Couture Los Angeles in Gemstone.

They have a way cooler selection of designs, but they are a little more difficult to put on. They are called "nail foils" by this brand, which confused me because they felt more like paper. And their method of application is a little different as well, clear nail polish is required on top and underneath of the "foil". Sally Hansen was just, stick em' on and you're done basically...

Overall... I like this trend. I feel like my nails look super cool, and they do stay on pretty well!!

Try them!!

Numero Magazine

2011-08-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

Bible.

I just purchased my first of what I KNOW will be a library full.

*all photos Numero magazine

I am a LIPSTICK QUEEN, no wonder I love this product....

2011-05-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I have a new fantastic brand I want you to all run out and try!!!

LIPSTICK QUEEN

I first saw it in another artist kit, and was very curious because the packaging was very discrete...

clear, no blatant label, and cute...but she used it on every single model she did. It HAD to be good....

Either alone, or over any other lip stick or liner, it was UNBELIEVABLY shiny and yummy!

My first addition is the

Shine- Hard Core Gloss in Wine Sinner, but only because they were out of clear...

It is sticky, colorful, and a must have for any Lipstick Queen. Trust me...

Supermodel Irina Shayk

2011-04-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of doing Irina for a signing of her SI issue for The Red Cross Disaster Relief.

then off to Cantamessa Jewels U.S. Launch event

Playing with makeup and culture

2011-04-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

A party called Forbidden Flesh got my attention.

It was in the theme of Middle Eastern Tradition, reworked by us Western freaks.

The BEST self tanner...

2011-04-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Hands down, my favorite:

SUN LABS

I ♥ Apples... Especially BIG Ones.

2011-02-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

OK, it's official. I'm bi-coastal.

First gig in NY

DELLA ROSE

Ad Campaign

2011

AAannnddd...

I helped get the Sports Illustrated 2011 suimsuit models ready to read the iconic Top Ten list of The Late Show with David Letterman!

...pretty excited.

Miss Erica Dee: "Golden" mixtape shoot

2011-02-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

Photos: Piet Suess

Hair, Makeup, Styling: Me

Get "Golden" the mixtape Feb 14th

at MissEricaDee.com

Talk about profesional...!!!

2011-02-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

Touch ups on Bokeem Woodbine

Model Pua Perry | Shooting Miss Be Designs

Actress: Brenda Strong

Salton Sea shooting Kucoon s/s 2010

wedding candid

Sirens© shoot

on set: "Spaceboy"

actress/model: Vanessa Gomez

in the desert

model: Dana P.

I really do LOVE my job...

I get the opportunity to be creative, meet interesting people, and play dress up!!!

Fish Princess & Bootstrap Bill Turner

2010-11-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

HALLOWEEN 2010

BROOKLYN, NY

Oh, how fun it was!

Feet in Love! ♥

2010-09-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

D.I.Y. Salon Pedicure: 10 steps I Follow
Going to the spa is expensive, and the risk of unspeakable nasty foot problems are two good enough reasons why I do not go, I D.I.M(yself). I snagged a magazine page from Lucky Mag in Aug 2004, outlining ten easy steps to give yourself a salon quality pedi...somehow I have held onto it all these years, and moves, and by now it looks like a museum piece! I have decided to preserve and share it with you all here!

Remove old polish...I like non acetone remover, but it takes longer.
Shape your nails...I use clippers on longer nails, but always leave some nail to file so they don't split. If possible, I file only.
Soak your feet for 5-8 minutes...I generally don't have fancy salts lying around, so I just use Epsom Salt and a few drops of lavender essential oil.
Swipe on cuticle oil...I prefer the click-pen type. Sephora makes a good one that is pretty cheap.
Carefully clip dead skin, DO NOT cut cuticle. OWIE... I use one of these to gently push back cuticle, then one of these to sloooowly cut the dead skin around nail bed.
Scrub the bottom of your feet... I use a pumice sponge, it is more effective than the common gray pumice stone.
Exfoliate in circular motions... I throw on some exfoliating gloves, and use a salt scrub. Sometimes I skip this step....I'm not sure why. :)
Remove oil from nail bed... Polish remover or rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab is fine. The polish won't adhere to the nail well if you forget.
Pick your color, and polish! By the looks of my polish collection, one cannot have too many polish colors. Clean and are a cheap, and effective style technique.
Allow ample dry time...if not, repeat steps 1-9. :)

People always ask "What's your Favorite Line?"

2010-04-25T12:15:00.001-07:00

Recently I have purchased the entire face portion of an Australian line called:
BECCA.
I like this line because it has so many different colors choices, so most anyone can find a perfect color match for their skin, it has SPF 30, and the packaging is elegant yet functional. I do not think these products are going to make a mess in my makeup bag or break into a zillion pieces any time soon. We gals don't usually think of stuff like that until after the fact, but it really is important to consider that when picking an item to buy... nobody likes it when a lipgloss oozes out all over everything or broken eyeshadow in your pressed powder, RIGHT?!

If anyone wants to try BECCA for themselves you can find it at NIGEL'S BEAUTY EMPORIUM.

*sorry it has been so long since I have posted...I've been working!!!

And to all my girls who want to play makeup all you need to do is ASK ME and we'll play!!

And the winner is...!!

2010-03-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

Sila & The Afrofunk Experience!! Yayayay!!!

Outstanding World Music Album
41st Annual NAACP Image Awards

...a huge congratulations to Sila on his win!! ...but now back to the glitz & glam stuff...

OK, I admit I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I agreed to get Sila and his beautiful friend Mezilla ready for the show. By that I mean, I agreed to only 1.5 hours and didn't know I was looking at 4 hours worth of work! Goes to show....you never can be too prepared as a makeup artist! Zoiks!!

In this case makeup was not the challenge, it was Mezilla's below-the-booty hair. Healthy, beautiful, and halfway styled from the night before...it is still a WHOLE LOTTA hair!!

Being more confident in makeup than hair is something I am actively and excitedly working toward balancing. I think it is crucial to be strong in both, even if you only want to do one. TRUST ME...it will help get you work.

When I arrived her hair was shedding hairpins and had slept on teasing all over the place. As with most things I do, I just jumped right in and started taming from the front back. I re shaped the top section and smoothed it out using a styling brush similar to this one. The bristles grab only the top hair if you don't press too hard, and the style holds the volume from teasing, but appears smooth. PERFECT! Then we decided to take up some of the length by curling the entire bottom half of her hair and then putting the top 3/4 of the curled section in a ponytail just down from the crown of her head. I then BRAIDED (love braids!!) the pony and wrapped it around to create an interesting looking bun. With the remaining 1/4 curls I swept them up and around the bun. At this point I was totally punting. Haaha! I was getting a good reaction from her so I kept on a'truckin! After all I had NO TIME to be indecisive. And the last decision I made was to tie the curls that were hanging down her back into another ponytail. I used the tails of the corn rows that the stylist from the previous day had added to finish the ponytail by wrapping them around to hide the elastic. She was happy, I was happy, Sila was happy. OK GO!

Out the door they went, a little late, but lookin' good! And then SILA WON!! What a day that was... I love my job. *sigh*smile*

Got beauty questions? I'll answer them.
Need beauty advice? I'll give it to you.
Wondering about a product? I'll fill you in.
All ya gotta do is let me now! :)

❤ Ooh La Lucent L'Amour ❤

2010-02-17T17:21:00.000-08:00

Getting ready with Leila⤴
&
At the party w/ Ashley ⤵
photo: Curious Josh
❤ Wow, what a great night. ❤
Thank you to The Do Lab for another beautiful night of art, music, dance, costume, and
MY FAVORITE: MAKEUP!!!

So, this post is about the look I created to go with this awesome KUCOON matchie matchie Ms. Spratt hooked us up with!! (I ❤ her to death, btw). The whole idea was to make a twin look, with mine accented with gold, and my bff Ashley's with silver. Not a big huge challenge but still fun to nail it, right?!
First, I used the Urban Decay Shadow Primer (...there it is again! ❤Urban Decay!) to make sure my makeup HOLDS ALL NIGHT LONG!! Then on Ash I used a super silver MAC Pigment, and carefully piled it on!! Same story on myself, just with a lemony gold. I used A LOT of pigment to get a totally opaque look, because I used huge top & bottom false lashes, and I wanted to make sure the eyeshadow showed through. Exact steps are as follows:

curl lashes
rim eye in black kohl pencil
prime eyelids
draw in brows (this is key to getting a finished look on a glamorous makeup!)
pile on pigment of choice, or combo of pigments
apply a medium thick line of liquid eyeliner
first coat of mascara
Holy LASHES BATMAN!! (do both top & bottom now)
give them a little love from your mascara brush to stick to your real lashes
RED LIPS

...And voilà! You have an amazing, show stopping, kiss getting, yummy, beautiful Valentine's Day makeup. Yay!!!❤!!!

I am so filled with the love of makeup again, and I am having so much fun sharing with you all!!

❤❤❤

Love Never Dies: Sid & Nancy

2010-02-12T14:38:00.000-08:00

Yay for recreating legendary looks! The amazing and talented former punk rocker, Daniel Jung, who is now a photographer (and a damn good one) wanted to revisit his roots in this look alike photo shoot highlighting Sid Vicious, of The Sex Pistols, and his queen, Nancy Spungen. For those of you who do not know, they were iconic punk rock royalty in the late 70's.
Nancy had a knack for too much makeup that I wanted to update somewhat, but still capture the over dramatic, over done, downright trashy look. I used a black kohl eyeliner pencil to lay the shape down to make sure not to screw it up with shadow...its too hard to fix a mistake when it's shadow! I then went in with my Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box and bumped it WAY up. I also used some copper color glitter to make the lids pop. I used Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in NSFW to get the gooey red lip that Nancy commonly rocked.

Original Sid & Nancy Photos: © Steve Emberton
Tribute Photos: © Daniel Jung Photography
Makeup: Me
Hair: Jaclyn Jean

...as usual, comments, questions, & critiques are always welcome!!

Grecian Piano Keys

2010-02-10T23:23:00.000-08:00

To create this look I used three packages of synthetic hair (two white, one black) braided 2:1. I crowned Amelia's head starting from behind her ear, pinning as I wrapped. I built up a bun behind the same ear which I started, to add an asymmetric element. I then pinned a piece of black fabric over her visible blond hair to intensify the frame the braids created around Amelia's face.
The above three images are shot in Downtown LA at the Kucoon showroom.
Photos: ©Brion Topolski Photography
Hair/Makeup: Me
Styling: Kucoon Designs
Models: Amelia Rose Barlow and Nana

Feel free to comment, contact, or critique at any time!