Shinehaus

Rihanna & Kabuki & Gold Confetti, Oh My!

2012-05-03T09:51:00.001-07:00

Rihanna. The girl is bad. Bad as in good. Good as in bad. She's a force to be reckoned with in the music industry but she's also a fashion icon that millions all around the globe look up to. I personally adore the talent she bestows on the world even when she disregards her manners to stay true to her fantastically controversial self.

Her new music video for "Where Have You Been" has been released and it's been in heavy rotation on my playlist ever since. What a visually orgasmic experience. I mean she only changes looks a half dozen times during the 4 minutes she seduces the camera. Which brings me to the reason for this post.

Cut to 3:17 of the video...

Did you see all that glorious sparkling gold on her face? I immediately started googling behind the scenes footage to find out anything and everything I could about her makeup and the vision behind it.

A still from Rihanna's "Where Have You Been" music video
and a photo of legendary makeup artist, Kabuki.
Photo: Courtesy of Def Jam Records/Kabuki

Enter Kabuki, Makeup Artist slash Artistic Director of Myface Cosmetics. His resume is something any aspiring celebrity makeup artist would drool over. Interestingly enough for me this wasn't the first time I had heard of him. I actually discovered who he was when I entered the Live Your Fantasy Halloween Makeup Contest on Myface Cosmetics Facebook page last October (2011). He was the judge and chose the winner of that contest. Sidenote: My Corpse Bride was a finalist but did not win. BooHoo. In any case, I was excited to find out that he collaborated with Rihanna on this video.

MTV sat down with Kabuki for a chinwag as they called it and got the proverbial scoop here.

Kabuki behind the scenes touching up Rihanna's makeup.
Photo: Courtesy of Kabuki

A still from Rihanna's "Where Have You Been" music video and a sketch by Kabuki.
Photo: Courtesy of Def Jam Records/Kabuki

I am now unabashedly on a mission to recreate that seductive sparkly gold mask! And perhaps a few of the other looks. First stop. Party supply store to look for silver and gold cross confetti. Wish me luck as I plan to be sequestered in my cakery until the mission is complete. When I resurface I will reveal what I created in a follow up post :)

Stay tuuuuned....

Chic Critique: Summer Cover Contest Entry

2012-05-02T15:00:00.003-07:00

Good Afternoon Lovers!

Today I'm posting an entry for Chic Critique's Summer Cover Contest.

Chic Magazine is geared towards female photographers and prefers to showcase women on their covers.

*Fingers crossed* I've decided to enter this photo of my beautiful friend, Missy, hoping we have a chance to grace the next cover.

There are really so many fab entries and as always I'm just excited to participate. I am new to Chic Critique but I'm enjoying their fresh approach from a female POV :) Join the Chic Critique Forum! if you are female photographer or just want to take a peek at how they operate ;)

"CHIC Magazine is the “IT” magazine for female photographers (yes, we’re biased!) with inspiration + information." ~ Chic Critique

Epiphanie PICTURE IT: APRIL PHOTO CONTEST

2012-04-27T08:53:00.002-07:00

Ok. One more photo contest this month :) Obviously it would be great to win a prize or just have my photos acknowledged right :) But honestly I enjoy participating in these because it not only inspires me to pick up my camera and shoot the wonders of the world but it also challenges me to hone my photography skills.

With that said this photo contest is put on by Epiphanie. They happen to make the dopest camera bags I have ever seen. And they are giving away one of these bags to the winner of this contest. EEEEK! :)

Their April theme is RAIN. After mulling over tons of photos I have taken with Instagram this month I finally decided on this one. I like the vintage feel to it. And despite the murky tone I like the ombre of the pastel colors in the rose and the rain drops that adorn it.

I entered the Epiphanie Camera Bags + Zenfolio Picture It photo contest! http://bit.ly/Ix1mXq

Do you have Instagram? Follow me @sisicakes and say hi :)

RTS April Photo Challenge: Water

2012-04-27T05:20:00.004-07:00

It's another photo challenge! Love these :)

This one is for Rock the Shot and the theme is WATER. This one challenged me a bit just because there are so many different images that the theme of water conjures up. Here in California the weather is quite bipolar in April haha I mean it was literally 93 degrees last week! Hello...it's only Spring! The week before that we had thunder and lightning storms. And this week, well let's say it rained again yesterday. Sheesh ..Can't figure out if I need an umbrella or a bikini this month!

Anyway, I favored the sun over the rain and here is my submission...

Gina was floating around the pool soaking up the sun while I was soaking it up on the diving board. I looked down at her and shouted "Hey! You are so photogenic right now! Don't move!" haha

www.rocktheshotforum.com

Do you enjoy the rain or the sun more in April? Hope you have both your umbrella and beach gear handy in any case ;)

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge | By The Book

2012-01-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

Another week. Another I Heart Faces photo challenge :)

This week the theme required a book. Immediately I thought of Heather. During this shoot she requested I photograph her with a book. While going through the proofs I kept coming back to this shot because it gave me a sense of reverie. Ya know how you can read an epic love story and you picture yourself in the fantasy world you're reading? I feel as though she's lost in her thoughts...daydreaming of her epic love story.

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge | Family Fun

2012-01-17T16:21:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to participate in another I Heart Faces photo challenge. This week's theme is Family Fun. So I chose a family that is dear to my heart. We went to the beach and my goal was just to capture special moments of them enjoying each other. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy :)

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

***UPDATE as of 1.20.2012***
I'm honored to announce that this photo was chosen as 3rd place by this week's Guest Photographer Judge, Shalonda Chaddock, of Chubby Cheek Photography.
EEEEEK :)

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge | Best Face Photo from 2011

2012-01-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

So. I have been meaning to enter an I Heart Faces photo contest for what seems like forever

....but for whatever reasons never got around to doing so. Well, there's no time like the present right :) It's their first photo challenge of the year so I decided to sit my booty down and get busy. It's been so difficult trying to pick just one face out of all that I photographed this year but my heart kept coming back to one particular little face...

My Chloe Cakes ..<3

This little cupcake was my favorite child to photograph in 2011. She never needed any direction and was a doll to work with. She loved the camera and the camera loved her. And I look forward to shooting her with her family again this year.

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – Best Face Photo of 2011

Thank you for taking a peek and I look forward to any and all of your feedback ..<3

Guylashes?!

2011-11-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Um according to the Daily Mail, guylashes are trending! Guylashes! They are exactly what they sound like. False eyelashes for men. Ok so initially I was like, "Whaaaaaat" but after I saw them here I thought... of course! I mean men already have manscara and guyliner so it only makes sense that guylashes are the next thing right.

These are designed discreetly for men's eyes with a clear band. So I guess a guy who doesn't necessarily indulge in guyliner or manscara can still get away with fuller lashes ;) You can get these Eylure natural lashes at feelunique.com for around $8.

I'm a huge fan of faux lashes. They brighten up any ladie's eyeballs... so I think men should absolutely have their own :)

Encouraging the phenoMENa hehe

‎20% OFF EVERYTHING at UrbanDecay.com!!!

2011-11-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

There is nothing I get more amped about more than makeup/product hauls!

Well...except getting them on sale haha

Urban Decay's Friends and Family 20% discount is active until tomorrow, November 5, 2011.

That is 20% of EVERYTHING at UrbanDecay.com!

I mean seriously if you have been wanting to try any of their phenomenally popular palettes *cough cough* like the NAKED palette NOW is the time to make it yours.

If you have been hiding under a rock and haven't heard of it, there are probably twenty thousand five hundred and nine reviews about it online. Give or take ;) This is mine and I can honestly say I use this palette everyDAY whether I'm going for a natural look or a more smokey/dramatic look.

It comes in a long, thin brown velvet case with a generous size mirror with 12 shadows! Twelve!! Oh and nevermind that it comes with a pro quality Urban Decay Good Karma shadow brush and travel size eye primer potion. Hello. You really canNOT go wrong with this!

Since I already have NAKED I thought I would check our their sale items. Because YES, the sale items are included in the 20% off!!! Well, needless to say I couldn't resist ordering from the SALE and I scored. They have shadows and gel liners for under $5. It's just insane! But don't take my word for it... GO CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF :) Well that is all... I just wanted to pass this on because sharing is caring right! I'm going to be impatiently awaiting the mail man now haha

Happy Haulinggg :)

EEEEK! Kinda Creepy...

2011-10-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

Ok. This doesn't have anything to do with Beauty.
Howeverrrrr, I love Halloween and Free stuff. Don't you?

Well I heard about this free ghost radar app for Droid and couldn't pass it up haha
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it's a fun app to entertain you or spook you out ;)

Free Ghost Radar App

Happy Halloweenerssss

Give cancer the kiss-off with e.l.f. lip gloss!

2011-10-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Buy e.l.f.’s Studio Glitter or Glossy Gloss this October and we’ll donate the profits to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Armed with gloss ;)

Follow me on Bloglovin

2011-10-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a big little PSA ( that's Public Service Announcement =] )

*drumroll*....

You can now follow my Shinehaus blog on Bloglovin *insert cheers*

haha

'Follooow meee' :)

Rag Doll Cosmetics Halloween Makeup Contest

2011-10-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

Sooo it's that time of year again...

HALLOWEEEEEEEEEN

yay ..<3

Rag Doll Cosmetics is having a Halloween contest and I entered my halloween inspired makeup look :)

Please visit Rag Doll Cosmetics on Facebook and vote for my look here.

...all you have to do is "like" it. Most "likes" wins a RDC $50 gift card! Like I need more makeup right ;)

Thank you for the support my halloweenies ..<3

Hurry! Save $8 on CoverGirl here!

2011-10-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure nothing excites me more than scoring beauty products at a deal... unless its free haha

Well I found a close-to-free deal over at Amazon ...they have a nice $8 off CoverGirl coupon deal happening right now! I just scooped up two CG Smoothers Tinted Moisturizers for $3.74 shipped (2 day shipping!)

I've become a fan of tinted moisturizers as of late and have yet to try this one. Soo what better time, right!

If you aren't a fan, no worries, they have a nice selection of other face products to choose from ;)

⇩ Click below for the Amazon deal ⇩

SAVE! on TWO CoverGirl Face Products Expires October 29, 2011

Shop + Save = SAVE!

Happy shavingggg :)

Beautylish presents The Beauty Social

2011-10-20T03:19:00.000-07:00

I'm here to confess that all I have been able to think about this week is the upcoming 2 day epic beauty event happening this weekend in Santa Monica, CA. I've been consumed with everything from travel plans to the ever stressful 'what to wear' issues.

Beautylish has organized a jam packed weekend full of 'beautylishousness' <~~~ say that ten times fast. HA. This glam event, as it says above, is called The Beauty Social and is being held at the luxurious Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. I could go on and on about what it is, why it's gonna be amazing and why you shouldn't miss it but instead of subjecting you to my incessant babbling I would encourage you to just click here ~~~> The Beauty Social and take it all in. :)

I have been set on attending since it was announced but I am sitting here 2 days before the event with no tickets. I suppose the fact that I have been a chronic procrastinator my whole life has something to do with this *pause for the shameful wince* however I'm afraid my budget, or lack there of, has made me a tad gun shy.

The cost of the event itself is priced reasonably considering that the experience itself will be priceless... howeverrrr figuring in travel cost, accommodations, incidentals, etc is pushing me over the edge. Nevermind that it's Santa Monica for cake's sake! There's the Santa Monica Pier and all the shopping. Oh man my heart is racing just thinking about it ;) I guess I'm just afraid if I reserve those tickets and drive my happy butt down to SoCal that I won't be eating for a month. If I could only thrive on memories, inspiration and beauty products alone haha

I am no psychic but in 2 days I see myself breathing in the ocean air and rubbing elbows with some of my favorite beauty bloggers and gurus. Oh and did I mention the incomparable Mr Billy Brasfield AND Miss Kandee Johnson are gonna be there!

Kandee Johnson

Billy B

Um. Yea.*dyingggg* Come hell or high water, I will be there :) Can't wait to meet all my other beauty cupcakes!

Beautylishously yours,

OPEN! OPEN! OPEN! Brand New BREAKING DAWN Part 1 Trailer is HERE!

2011-09-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I have a tendency to become unglued over anything Twilight. Ha.

Behold the exclusive BRAND NEW Breaking Dawn Part 1 theatrical trailer! EEEEEEEEEK :)

*Jumping up and down incessantly*

Finish Your School Shopping with THIS :)

2011-08-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I love me some discounts. Who doesn't right? ;)

Old Navy always has some basic closet staples priced just right for summer and back to school shopping. Jeans/capris/shorts, cardigans, tanks, coats, etc. I even got my favorite pair of silver/black zebra flip flops there for $5!

Anyway, I plan to put this Old Navy 30% discount to use so I thought I would share it and spread the love. It's only good until August 28th so print this coupon out and get your discount loving booties down to your nearest store immediately :)

Happy Shopping Cupcakes!

WIN your own SEDONA LACE Kabuki & Luggage

2011-07-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

'What's a kabuki and luggage', you ask?

Well before I get in to the description of this amazing set and the company that is giving it away, lay your eyes on this...

These pretty little brushes and case are the Sedona Lace Kabuki AND Luggage.

They are high quality synthetic Kabuki brushes that are made to not absorb too much product. They are designed to keep powder on the tips of the bristles for a better application to the skin. And as you can see, the handles are stamped with the Sedona Lace logo. The genius case to the left is the Luggage to carry one in! Because who wants to get powder all over the inside of their purse and belongings much less ruin their brushes, right! ;)

Sedona Lace is the cosmetic company that is giving away one of these Kabuki brushes and Luggage! They are only a few years young and already competing with other high quality companies.

So, 'how do you enter', you ask?

Well, all you have to do is post a blog about the Sedona Lace Kabuki Brush and Luggage. They are also offering additional entries which include...

*following @SedonaLace on Twitter

*requesting Sedona Lace on Facebook

*liking Sedona Lace on their Facebook Fan Page

*subscribing to Sedona Lace's YouTube channel

Just head over to the Sedona Lace Blog Post for all the officials rules and how to enter.

and P.S. the Midnight Lace color is my favorite!

Happy blogging and Good Luck Cupcakes :)

Cupcake by LUSH

2011-05-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

For anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of experiencing the deliciousness of a LUSH product do yourself a favor and go check out lushusa.com right now!!

If you are already acquainted with LUSH then I don't need to tell you how amazing their fresh, organic and cruelty free products are right ;)

In any case, if you are near a LUSH store I encourage you to pick up some of the fresh CUPCAKE mask! I don't live near a LUSH store. BOO :( However I had the opportunity to stop at a mall in San Jose when I was out of town last weekend for a photo shoot. My friends and I were on the hunt for a MAC store (because I don't live near one of those either psh) when I spotted a LUSH store 'in the fresh' ;)

I could not contain my excitement as my girlfriends could attest to with the rolling of their eyes {haha} I had just recently purchased a LUSH haul online a few weeks ago but I was determined to get my hands on some of their face masks. Because the masks are made out of fresh ingredients they are required to chill or they will spoil quickly therefore they can not be shipped :(

If you know me then you know I have an affinity for cupcakes so naturally I went immediately for the Cupcake mask which looks and smells like a rich chocolate frosting! It claims to remove excess oil and calm breakouts. I also scooped up some Herbalism which is a cleanser for oily and problem skin.

The LUSH girls were very helpful and gave me tons of samples including another tub of mask called Cosmetic Warrior. Who doesn't love free samples right ;) The only dilemma was my refrigerator was 3 hours away : / Thankfully our stop through Starbucks offered me a cup filled with ice to keep my masks chilled for the trip home ;) All in all I think I made out pretty well.

The next morning the first thing we did was slather on some Cupcake of course :) And I am here to inform you I have no complaints thus far. It's a feel good, smell good kind of clean good mask {haha} Again this stuff is made out fresh, natural ingredients that you can pronounce! LUSH doesn't use any of those yucky chemicals in their products so you don't have to worry that your skin is absorbing anything harmful for your body. LUSHtastical :)

Chocolate faaace~ed :)

Dipped in Champagne.

2011-04-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

Models Own in Champagne NP073

I am so excited about this polish color that I had to share :)

So I'm sure you are all aware of how tricky it can be to shop for makeup or polish online. I don't usually like to order cosmetics online unless I am restocking product I have already owned or sampled. Obviously I prefer to buy in store but I don't always have that luxury especially when it involves product made and sold over seas.

With that said, I discovered a company called Models Own that is based in London. Last year, while on the hunt for the perfect minty/jade green I saw a makeup guru with the perfect shade by Models Own in...what else... Jade Stone. Of course I had to buy it immediately so I wound up buying Jade Stone as well as 4 other colors because if you buy 5 you save something like $10. Although you wind up spending that money on shipping :(

If you are anything like me you dislike shipping fees : / I am usually pretty good at hunting down companies that offer free shipping but I had to get my hands on this polish :)

Anyway, it was worth every penny. This polish is pretty top notch. It goes on effortlessly smooth and ONE coat is sufficient! I always finish with a top coat of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat which helps speed up drying time as well. Seriously, if you are in a hurry you can slap this stuff on and be out the door in 5 minutes without worrying about dents or dings.

Now I usually change my polish every couple of days or so because I like to switch up the colors. So I have never given it a longevity test but I would be willing to bet it will last you a generous amount of time before chipping or peeling.

The sucky part??? They have sooo many colors that it was difficult to choose the right ones {haha}. I decided I wanted to get a few metallic colors. Silver generally looks better on my skin tone than gold but I wanted to try a color that was somewhere in between and Champagne looked to fit the bill.

When it arrived I took one look at the bottle and was immediately disappointed because it did not look like the same color I ordered. Boo. But I tried it anyway... I mean it did travel a long way to get here ;) Wow! I was pleasantly surprised to see how different it looked on my nails. I love it YAY :)

Now this brings me full circle. After many trial and errors with polishes over the past year I have learned that my eye always gravitates towards certain colors as I am sure yours does as well. So do yourself a favor... next time you go polish shopping, I suggest you take a minute to go back and look at colors you may have overlooked before. You might be pleasantly surprised and score a new polish loverrr :)

Dipped in Champagne,

Work in Progress

2011-04-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hello cupcakes. Welcome to the commencement of my official Shinehaus blog. Let's pop this cherry :)

So, first thing's first...

Right now I'm sure those of you who are already acquainted with me are wondering, "Uh ok SiSi, what is this Shinehaus business all about?" Well, it's quite simple actually. As some of you may already know, I have been honing my photography and makeup skills over the past couple of years. There is a story behind my work and the passion that drives it. Someday I'm sure to share it here but for the sake of this particular blog post lets stick to the subject {haha}.

So because my skills and services extend farther than one specific area of profession (eg. Sierra Lynn Photography and Makeup by Sierra), I decided perhaps it was time to brand a name that would encompass all I have to offer. Enter.... drumroll please :).... Shinehaus. I've toyed with the word 'Shine' for quite some time and for a couple of reasons. One of those reasons may be quite obvious. Shine is a term that for me relates to both photography and makeup. My objective when photographing and applying makeup is to make the person or object in front of me Shine. So there ya have it folks. Welcome to my Haus of Shine :)

After months of preparation and many sleepless nights, I finally launched my web site {hooooray}. It's still a work in progress but I'm excited to finally have it up and running. Go peep it if you haven't already {prettyplease and thankyouverymuch :)} ~~~~ > www.sierralynn.com

I will continue to work on the page, price points and edit/re-edit photos for my online portfolio as I see fit ...as I am never satisfied {haha} I'm eternally connecting and updating through my personal Facebook via my Droid or laptop however I decided a blog that corresponds with my website would perhaps be a more appropriate place to elaborate on my adventures.

Shinehaus will clearly be dedicated to my makeup and photography work however I'm certain it will also provide an outlet to other relevant interests in my life. I'm a self proclaimed product whore, so it's safe to assume you will see me post about people, places and things related to all things beauty as well.

Well, I guess this wraps up my first Shinehaus blog. I hope you enjoyed my cherry popping experience :)

Stay tuuuuned!