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Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T11:12:30-08:00

For this Valentines Day, I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes. My hope is that you will always know that true beauty is what shines from within you. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and forms. Never underestimate your glory.

Happy Valentines Day, with all my love. xoxo Christina

"Happy girls are the prettiest"
~ Audrey Hepburn

"Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical."
~ Sophia Loren

"What could be more beautiful than a dear old lady growing wise with age? Every age can be enchanting, provided you live within it."
~ Brigitte Bardot

"Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty."
~ Coco Chanel

"Beauty is as beauty does. We're remembered not by what we looked like but how we behaved and changed the lives of others.
~ Cristina Carlino

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.”
~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

"Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts."
~ Martin Buxbaum

"Beauty... when you look into a woman's eyes and see what is in her heart."
~ Nate Dircks

"The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within-strength, courage, dignity."
~ Ruby Dee

"Beauty is a true expression of who you are. The coolest girls are never the ones that have the prettiest face or the best bodies; they're the ones with their own unique style and look. They are the ones who are true to who they are."
~ Wendy Zomnir

"Beauty can be bold or natural, but it always has to be in harmony with the individual."
~ Danny Sanz

"Beauty equals confidence. You can be the prettiest woman on the planet but if you are not confident its not going to matter what reflection you see in the mirror."
~ Ross Burton

Hillary Scott Grammy 2012 Makeup

2012-02-13T09:23:21-08:00

This next look is one of my favorites from last nights Grammy Awards. Not only am I obsessed with Lady Antebellem, but I am also a tremendous fan of Hillary Scott. She epitomises a confident woman who embraces their curves. And nothing is more beautiful to me than that!

Get the Look: Lady Antebellum singer Hillary Scott

Event: Grammy Awards Makeup Artist: celebrity makeup artist Terri Apanasewicz for tarte

Overall Inspiration: "Her dress faded from black to burgundy, so I took the colors from her dress and incorporated them into a colorful cat eye-it completely lit up her gorgeous green eyes."

FACE:

To begin Terri used tarte's smooth operator™ Amazonian clay waterproof concealer under her eyes, then applied tarte's Amazonian clay 12-hour full coverage foundation with Broad Spectrum SPF 15, with tarte's new airbrush finish bamboo foundation brush.
Then she dusted Amazonian clay bronzer in park ave princess under her cheekbones to contour the hollows of her cheeks. Makeup-cheeks
For the perfect pop of color she brushed on tarte's Amazonian clay 12-hour blush in dollface, a light baby pink, on the apples of her cheeks.
She finished by adding luminosity to her complexion with tarte's Amazonian clay shimmering powder in champagne over her blush.

EYES:

She sculpted her brows with emphasEYES™ Amazonian clay waterproof brow pencil.
She lined the inner rims of the eyes with tarte's smolderEYES Amazonian clay waterproof liner in fig and then went over it with emphasEYES™ high-definition inner rim eyeliner black pencil.
Then she drew smolderEYES Amazonian clay waterproof liner in fig along her lash line toward her temple, creating a glamorous cat eye.
To make her green eyes pop, she dusted matte plum from neutralEYES eye shadow palette over the liner.
She followed by lining her lower lashline with smolderEYES Amazonian clay waterproof liner in fig to complete the winged effect.
For extra volume and dramatic separation on her upper lashes, Terri used two coats of tarte's lights, camera, lashes! clinically-proven mascara.

LIPS:

To complete her look, Terri filled in her lips with tarte's LipSurgence™ lip luster in buff, then added an extra dose of shine with tarte's new maracuja divine shine lip gloss in glisten.

Kim Greene Corrective Beauty Techniques

2012-02-11T15:21:53-08:00

This week, I had the opportunity to interview the sensational makeup artist and makeup bag guru Kim Greene. Kim Greene is the makeup department head behind such movies as Charlies Angels, Superbad, and the upcoming Three Stooges. Not only is she a sought-after makeup artist to the stars, but she has also designed one of the hottest new products to hit the makeup scene. Her Kim Greene line of makeup bags can be found on every movie set, TV show, and makeup trailer in hollywood. I have been devoted to these bags since I discovered them last year. They are stylish, versatile, and made especially with makeup artists needs in mind!

Three weeks ago I was able to meet Kim, and jumped at the chance to ask her to share her knowledge with me. She not only answered my questions, but went above and beyond with her answers. I am so excited to share her newest YouTube vidoe, and my Q&A. Enjoy!

1) Do you have a quick version/everyday version of the triangle?
You can do the Triangle Technique very quickly with your fingers or a
sponge. It’s really about the placement of the lighter and darker tones that
is important not what you apply it with or the product you use. You don’t
have to use products made specifically for highlighting and shading. Just
use a lighter and a darker foundation color.

2. What is a quick tip for beginners learning to utilize sculpting creams/
powders?

If you want to go to the next level of sculpting you can try products like the one in my video RCMA S1.
Makeup Forever has a number of powder contour palettes that I recommend. My best tip is to take baby steps.
Use a light hand when applying. I think it’s easy to overdo it and it won’t look natural.
You want to enhance the areas of the face that you like with a highlight color and diminish the areas less appealing to you with a shading color.

3) Drugstore alternatives to some of the products you mentioned?

I like L’oreal HiP Studio Secret Professional Matte eyeshadow duos. Try “Poppy” for a good natural toned eyeshadow duo you can use to highlight and shadow the eyes.
There are a number of duos from L’oreal that have a dark and a light color. From matte to shimmery.
I also like CoverGirls NatureLuxe Silk Foundation. Comes in 14 shades so you can easily pick 2 tones to use. It’s also made from natural ingredients like cucumber water and rose hip extracts.

4) Is there a recommended alternative to the full coverage foundations?
Ok, so I used full coverage makeup in the video on purpose but I could have
applied them lightly by adding less product to the brush or applying less pressure
when I put them on. There are also products called foundation thinners that can
take a full coverage makeup and turn it into a “normal” coverage makeup. You
don’t have to have a separate “normal” coverage foundation unless you want to.
That said, there are many foundations available in a variety of formulas.
Going back to the Triangle Technique of sculpting the face you can use
something as sheer as a Tinted Moisturizer. Again, it’s about having two tones.
One lighter and one darker. The same technique works with powder or liquid
Mineral makeups as well.

Kim Greene Corrective Beauty Techniques

2012-02-11T15:16:46-08:00

2. What is a quick tip for beginners learning to utilize sculpting creams/
powders?

If you want to go to the next level of sculpting you can try products like the one in my video RCMA S1.
Makeup Forever has a number of powder contour palettes that I recommend. My best tip is to take baby steps.
Use a light hand when applying. I think it’s easy to overdo it and it won’t look natural.
You want to enhance the areas of the face that you like with a highlight color and diminish the areas less appealing to you with a shading color.

3) Drugstore alternatives to some of the products you mentioned?

I like L’oreal HiP Studio Secret Professional Matte eyeshadow duos. Try “Poppy” for a good natural toned eyeshadow duo you can use to highlight and shadow the eyes.
There are a number of duos from L’oreal that have a dark and a light color. From matte to shimmery.
I also like CoverGirls NatureLuxe Silk Foundation. Comes in 14 shades so you can easily pick 2 tones to use. It’s also made from natural ingredients like cucumber water and rose hip extracts.

Essential Touch Ups by Kevin James Bennett

2012-02-08T22:18:58-08:00

Once again, master makeup maven Kevin James Bennett has knocked it out of the park with his tips and tricks. This time he is giving some brilliant advice on how to perk up your makeup when your on the go (or after a long day at work!). I couldn't wait to share his latest post from his newly updated website and blog. Now you have no excuse not to look lovely for your post work happy hour!

Essential Touch-Up Tips

Posted by: Kevin James Bennett

Sometimes a good touch-up is essential and you need the right tips and tricks to pull it off flawlessly.

I’m posting this as NY Fashion Week begins, and the marathon schedule of runway shows, exhibits and events looms ominously on the horizon. Even the most carefully applied, longest lasting makeup will inevitably crumble under a torture test like this. Reviving that “freshly applied” look you began the day with calls for some foolproof touch-up tips. So here are the down and dirty quick fixes to keep you looking your best with minimal stress and lots of style!

FADED TO FAB IN UNDER FIVE -

Completely remove all of your lipstick and lip liner (don’t just blot). You want a fresh application to go with your rejuvinated make up. Apply a light layer of lip conditioner to soften and smooth your lips while you touch up the rest of your face.
If things look messy or dark under the eyes, use a Q-Tip with a little moisturizer to clean the area. Yes, I said moisturizer – it works great for quick clean-ups and won’t break down the makeup we’re going to apply over it.
If your eye-shadow has creased or eyeliner has run, blot the area gently with a tissue, then use a soft eyeshadow brush or sponge to smooth out the remaining color. Apply a little translucent pressed powder over the area to catch any excess oil and then reapply your eyeshadow and liner as needed to make your eye makeup look fresh again.
If you have oily skin, mop up the excess by wrapping a blotting tissue over a make up sponge and press it lightly over the shiny areas on your face. Make sure to do this before you go to the next step or you’ll end up with a caked on mess.
Use a clean makeup sponge (a disposable wedge or one of those pink egg things) to gently buff and smooth out your foundation, concealer and blush, paying close attention to all edges as you go.
Use your favorite foundation to touch up blemishes, worn off areas and around the mouth. Blend with your sponge, a synthetic makeup brush or your fingers.
Apply a little extra foundation or concealer under the eyes to highlight the center of your face.
Lightly dust translucent powder over the face (a kabuki brush is great for this step) to set make up and give you a soft, smooth finish.
Reapply your blush or bronzer and finish with a touch of highlight powder on the tops of your cheekbones.
Finally, blot off any excess lip conditioner and reapply lip liner and lipstick.

Final Fun Tips: To give your touch-up a little extra “After 5″ pizzazz:

Brush some shimmering or metallic eyes-shadow lightly over the lid to bring the sparkle back to your eyes.
Add extra eyeliner (black, dark brown or charcoal) smudged all around the eye with a brush or Q-tip creates a sexy,smoky evening effect.
A dab of high shine lip gloss over your lipstick will give it some luscious evening gleam.

So, go powder that nose and let’s face the fashionistas – Mwah!