Airbrush By Crystal

My Alter Ego

2011-07-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Hey friends,

I've finally decided to let the "other" me come out to play. Yep! That's right! Crystal Leilani is now connected to Social Media.

Actually, I decided to get back into modeling and acting which I haven't done since 2006ish. I have been getting a lot of auditions and am working on a movie right now. I thought that I should act like I know what's up and get my other self on Twitter & Facebook.

Now you might wonder why my other me has a different last name? It's because Leilani is my middle name and I chose to drop McKinney when I joined the Screen Actors Guild (they tell you to pick a name). She's the girl that got me started doing makeup after all her years in fashion shows and working on sets. She deserves some Facebook friends right?

Anyway, you can follow her on Twitter:

Follow @CrystalLeilani

Friend her on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/crystal.leilani#!/profile.php?id=100002587377387

And even become a fan of her page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crystal-Leilani/125814034171760

Feel free to do all three, she'll appreciate the love.

Crystal Leilani McKinney

30 days of $30 makeovers starts tomorrow

2011-07-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

In added efforts to raise funds for the Aids Foundation of Chicago I am offering full face makeovers for the ridiculously discounted price of $30.00. The normal price for this service is $75.00 and includes concealer (correction work), foundation, eyeshadow, eyebrow filling in, blush, powder, gloss, lipstick... the works. I am requesting that participants agree to being photographed for my website, blog and continued fund raising efforts on my Facebook page.

Heck! You're gonna look great so why should you mind a photo, right!

Remember that I use MAC makeup so you are getting high-quality products and professional application. I do not plan on cutting any corners during this promotion, only cutting prices.

Why $30.00 you might ask? It has been 30 years since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the first official mention of the appearance of a mysterious illness among a cluster of gay men. We now know this disease to be called HIV/AIDS and it affects men, women & children, whether gay or straight.

If you'd like to donate to the cause without receiving a makeover, please feel free to visit my marathon training website at http://afc.aidschicago.org/netcommunity/CrystalMcKinneyRuns. Any and all donation quantities are greatly needed and appreciated. I have a $3000.00 goal that I'd like to meet and beet prior to the event which will be held on October 9, 2011.

Hey, don't forget to follow me (button over to the right) so you don't miss great deals like this in the future.

Thanks friends,

Crystal

Time Flies

2011-06-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that the last time I blogged it was 2009. I guess I've been a little busy. Yes I'm still airbrushing beautiful women for their big wedding day or special event, but I've also been occupying my time completing my bachelors degree. I graduated on Sunday. Yeah!

I logged in today and read my prior posts and now I realize how much I have grown and accomplished in the past few years. I have a post from October 12th of 2009 where I volunteered for the Bank of Chicago Marathon and mentioned that participating is a goal I would like to accomplish. Well guess what? I am currently in training with a charity organization (Aids Foundation of Chicago) to run the same marathon this October. I'm proud of myself for taking the necessary steps to achieve my goals.

So friends. What is it that you'd like to accomplish? Set your sights high and go out and do it. We only have here and now and life can pass you by if you don't pay attention.

For more details on the marathon, AIDS, my training, or to donate to my fund raising campaign visit http://afc.aidschicsgo.org/netcommunity/crystalmckinneyruns. I appreciate every donation large and small.

I will be in touch again sooner than later.

Crystal

Fall Beauty Trend - The Bright Lip

2009-11-04T17:30:00.000-08:00

Hello Airbrush By Crystal Fans,

It's really chilly today in Chicago... 51 degrees right now. I pulled my winter clothes out from storage a couple of weeks ago and put my summer things away, knowing that the sun would not be coming out any time soon here in Chicago. It's fun to see all of the cute clothes that I put away for the season.

I'm not complaining. I actually like the changing weather. I enjoy the layers, varying textures, sweater dresses, tights, boots and all the accessories. It's fun!

Another thing that I enjoy about the chaning seasons is being able to change my look. I recently died my hair the darkest black that I could find. My natural hair color is just a basic brown, almost leaning toward a reddish. Typically in the summer time, I go a little lighter. So, with my dramatic change, I also decided to change my makeup. No more baby doll pinks, lilacs or summery shades. Now, its time to transition into deeper fall textures and tones.

One of my favorite trends now is the Bright Lip.

This beauty trend is mentioned in the October issue of Glamour magazine. I love this look because anyone can do it. My favorites are reds and purples, but you can really do whatever you want. It's your face, experiment!

Here is a photo of me from Halloween. I was Rihanna, inspired from the Run This Town Video. I chose Russian Red lipstick from MAC Cosmetics. I love this color! It can be used for such a wide range of skin tones and it is perfect for the bride that wants that old-fashioned pop with a soft, natural looking eye.

One very important feature to remember with the dark lip is to pay special attention to your skin. Flawless skin is a must. The bright lip will not go unnoticed as you will definitely stand out in a crowd. Make sure that you have covered blemishes and evened out your skintone.

I used MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish SPF 15 Foundation, Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Deep Dark (on cheeks as highlight and also for a bronzing effect throughout my face & Notable Blush. I also chose natural earth tones for my eyes. I will not mention the colors since you can not see them.

Remember that when choosing your bright lip look for fall you will need to line your lips. If you want your lips to appear larger than they actually are a little trick is line a little outside of your natural lip line with a color that is similar to your chosen lipstick shade. Line your lips, apply lipstick, blot and then apply again. These steps assure you maximum staying power and lipstick that will not bleed outside your chosen shape causing you to look sloppy.

I hope this blog helped you to come up with a new idea for your fall look. Have fun and remember to donate any coats or unwanted clothing items to those in need.

Crystal

Argan Oil

2009-10-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hello Airbrush By Crystal Fans,

I have to tell you about my latest beauty find. It has nothing to do with makeup or airbrushing, but it certainly can perk up your beauty outlook. My latest treasure is Moroccan Argan Oil. I heard of this from an email that I received from Sally Beauty a couple of weeks ago, it was being sold in a tiny bottle for $2.99. I totally forgot about it until I went in to pick up some supplies and spotted it at the checkout. You know how they always sucker you in for more goodies on the way out, well, it worked on me this time. Actually, I asked if they had a larger bottle and bought that instead.

Here is the link to the Sally Beauty site where you can purchase it.

http://www.sallybeauty.com/moroccan-oil/ONEONL16,default,pd.html

I found this website that details even more uses for the oil than Sally's describes such as cooking and skincare:

"http://www.moroccan-arganoil.com/about-moroccan-argan-oil/what-is-moroccan-argan-oil/"

Anyway, I have only used it for my hair & I absolutely love it! My hair is not oily, greasy, weighed down or smelly. There are so many products that I've purchased that claim to condition, soften or smooth away frizzes and they just don't tell the truth. Typically, I do not notice any difference at all or there is immediate shine and conditioning that seems to vanish as soon as I am ready to leave the house. What's the point right?

This product really works. I'm extra excited about having a product that will help to get my hair back in order after walking around the chilly streets of Chicago with a furry hat on that will dry it out this winter. Just a few drops of this "miracle" oil and I believe I will be back into beautiful business.

Check it out!

Bye Beautiful

www.airbrushbycrystal.com

Spa Services

2009-10-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Airbrush By Crystal Fans,

I am so excited to let you in on a great website that I have known about for about two years now. I receive emails for spa services in Illinois that are given at a greatly reduced price. The service is available in other cities too so don't worry.

This month all services advertised are only $31.oo. Now, that's for facials, waxing, acupuncture, etc., if you have ever been to a spa to get a Brazilian you already know that it start at $55 minimum. Most microdermabrasion services have cost me $125 unless I went to a school, so of course I'm excited to let you in on my little secret.

The website is www.prettycity.com/pink. That web address will directly link you to the specials that are available during the month of October for $31.00 in hopes of raising awareness for Breast Cancer. "31 days of $31 beauty treats to raise awareness and funds for bright pink." While you beautify yourself, you will also help a good cause that affects millions of women and men all over the world.

For any readers living in Chicago, I had a wonderful acupuncture experience at Shen Shen with Martina. I had experienced pain in my left side for probably two months that was not going away even though I have had numerous deep tissue massages. One $31 session and I was pain free for two days. She did mention during the service that I could feel worse or better and that most likely I would need a series of treatments to completely resolve the problem. I immediately went to the reception desk and scheduled two more appointments that will be completed before the end of October. Normally a new patient pays $90.00 for a first time appointment. So, I'm getting three appointments for the price of one and they are getting free advertising from me for participating in the program and also alleviating my pain.

See it all works out. We aren't cheating anyone. We are all helping each other.

Goodbye for now, more to come.

Thank you for reading.

Halloween

2009-10-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Airbrush By Crystal Fans,

What are you going to be for Halloween? I know, it's a cheesy question, but one that needs to be asked. If you have been invited to a party or are considering going to some clubs this year, you should consider this now to get something that fits your personality and makes a statement.

I've started searching online and in my closet for some good ideas.

Each year I'm usually a black cat or an angel. These are easy costumes to come up with with things out of my closet, but I want to do something different this year. I am considering being Rihanna in the Umbrella video because it could be truly low cost, but most likely I will have to tell everyone who I am over and over again and that could be a pain.

If you are looking for some cute costumes, check out the following sites:

http://www.halloweenexpress.com/

http://www.costumecraze.com/

http://www.purecostumes.com/

Many of the cutest costumes are selling out already so shop early.

Here is a cute bunny look that I did for a client last year. She really didn't have a costume and just went out at the last minute to purchase the ears. Actually, she said they were donkey ears. We decided she could be a bunny instead.

Always remember to be creative with your face makeup, its Halloween, not a beauty contest. If you mess up, just say you are a dead cat, or a scary cat, it is your interpretation and no one can say you're wrong.

Crystal

Courage

2009-10-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Airbrush By Crystal Readers:

This is my first blog post and one that I am proud of posting. Though my business relates to beauty and special events, I will most likely post about several subjects that are hopefully of as much interest to you as they are to me.

I have always felt that my clients were courageous people since they have trusted me with their most important and special moments. Anyone that has worked with me or that will work with me should know and understand that I take pride in being entrusted to your most special moments. I really appreciate the courage that is shown with all of the ladies that have allowed me to further my business by displaying their before and after photos for my website. Without their assistance, I would not have appropriate means of advertising my work.

I want to thank all of my customers for being beautiful inside and out and for trusting me with their special event preparations.

Above is one of my beautiful & courageous clients. We worked together to do makeup for her niece's Quinceanera.

What I really wanted to write about today is:

I had the most wonderful experience yesterday to volunteer for the 32nd Annual Bank Of America Chicago Marathon. I have loved watching the marathon since I moved to Chicago from Colorado in 2000. Yes, there are marathons run in Colorado, but for some reason I never attended any of these events. I didn't really have any interest until I moved to Chicago and watched my first event at the corner of Addison and Broadway in 2001. My favorite part of the event from that day forward was watching and cheering on the wheelchair athletes. I had no idea that there would be participants with visible handicaps and I remember the determination that I felt from them just absolutely warming my heart.

Typically I gather up a friend or two to camp out with me on some corner that has the conveniences of food and restrooms. I stand up and cheer, many times looking for those that I know are participating. It's truly a good time. But this year, I finally decided to help out.

Yes, I had to wake up quite early since the volunteer check in was at 5:30, but it really didn't matter much to me. And yes, it was cold and there was plenty of heavy lifting and hard work to do, but I was so excited to see those runners again...

Something really surprised me about these runners. Almost every person that came in contact with me on Sunday took the time and energy to thank me for helping out. That was so touching to me. I wondered if I would have the manners to think about thanking someone for Gatorade at mile 11.8? I don't know if I could actually make it that far or if I would be able to speak, but many of them used their head and hearts to thank me. If any of you are reading this, it meant a lot to know you appreciated the service.

What really made me want to write about COURAGE today is that I was very impressed by the people that we never hear about and that in the past I not stick around long enough to see. I witnessed at least 100 participants limping, walking, clinching their sides, attempting to pound out pain in their legs and barely making it to our Aid Station at mile 11.8 and the race had been going for well over 4 hours. The marathon is expected to be run in no more than 6 hours or the participants time is not recorded and they are not considered to have officially finished the race. Knowing these details, I was so amazed at those that kept on going, knowing that there was no one left to cheer for them, no banners waiving, no music playing, no barricades to protect them from traffic, no fluids to keep them going and most importantly no record of their efforts. Some individuals walked alone, others attempted to jog, many were grouped together to push each other on just one more step. I searched my mind to find the word for what must keep these people going and all I could think of was courage. These participants were walking behind the street sweeping vehicles, garbage trucks and mountains and mountains of cups and wasted Gatorade. I had to ask myself if I would keep going under those conditions or if I would have jumped into a taxi and given up and I tell you, I really don't have an honest answer.

I am extremely grateful for my experience yesterday and that all of the athletes shared their moment with me even if they did not directly intended to do so. I feel encouraged about the possibility that perhaps next year I will not be a spectator in the 33rd Annual Bank Of America Chicago Marathon and instead I may be a courageous participant instead. Knowing that hundreds of athletes chose to enter the event knowing that they would most likely not make it to the finish line gives me the courage to try to test myself, no matter who is or is not there to watch me.

For more before and after photos, details on airbrushing or the services that I offer, please visit http://www.airbrushbycrystal.com/.

Always be courageous.

Crystal