Tis the Season .... to be Shopping ;-)

Hello my dears!  

I haven't been updating for the past couple weeks because it has been a crazy month filled with weddings, private makeup workshops, and bridal previews, not to mention lots of shopping.  I'll admit it - I'm one of those people who have awesome self control when it comes to money & I am a self-acclaimed savvy shopper ... - BUT - I tend to go crazy once in a blue moon (insert innocent face here).  In my defense, all the money that I'm saving has to go somewhere, right? (I'm sure my boyfriend would beg to differ .... ). 

Anyway, I've been on a crazy rampage lately buying new products for my makeup kit and organizational items to keep my kit streamlined.  I've been getting a lot of bookings lately that require me to do makeup for 7+ clients in a very tight amount of time, so being organized and having everything in its place is very important to stay on schedule & really, just for my sanity.  I'm excited to share some of the items I've purchased in the past 2 weeks with you guys: 

How adorable are these clear pouches with polka dots on them?! Anyone who knows me, knows that I am obsessed with patterns & especially polka dots - so it was a no-brainer for me when I saw these PERFECT zipped transparent pouches to organize my kit.  The best part? They were only $8 for all three!

Can you say, organized much?  Ever since I got this little magical box, my makeup game has completely changed - I could not believe what a difference this made.  I was always scrambling to find these little essentials in my kit, so having them all in one organized & neat place has made a world of difference.

Okay, okay ... not makeup-related but who can say no to candles, especially for the holidays?! I scored 4 candles from Bath & Body Works for $8.50 each, which originally retail for $22.50 each.  I told you I was a savvy shopper ;)

A huge, huge haul from Naimes & Nigel's Emporium!  I stocked up on lashes, a brand new brush funnel & HD Powder from Make Up For Ever, Skindinavia's Setting Spray, some MAC essentials, a powder foundation palette from Graftobian for my male clients, some sponges, a Kryolan mattifying primer, and some skincare from Peter Thomas Roth.  A hefty dent in my wallet but well worth it!

What have you guys purchased lately? Does the holiday season bring out the shopper in you? 

Ready, Set... Glam!

I was so happy to get a mother-daughter duo glammed up for the mom's 60th birthday party last weekend!  They were such a pleasure to work with and I am so happy that they were pleased with the outcome :) Take a look below:

This beauty was super concerned about her dark circles, but I was able to conceal the darkness with Graftobian's foundation palette.

This hot momma rocked this red lippie - and of course, it is the one and only "Ruby Woo" from MAC.

One major area of concern was their dark eye circles, which is hereditary.  I used Graftobian's cream foundation/concealer palette and lightly dabbed it onto the outer "ring" with my finger & blended with a concealer brush, then used Ben Nye's Banana Powder to set. 

The ladies loved their makeup & they even wrote about their positive experience on my Yelp page! 

Quality vs. Quantity - The Ultimate Eyeshadow Dilemma

I was SO happy to see that someone finally put their two cents in regarding the mass-produced 88-color eyeshadow palettes (and everything else in between).  This article from Kevin James Bennett calls out the differences between the 88-Eyeshadow Palettes from BH Cosmetics, Coastal Scents, etc. and other eyeshadows from L'Oreal, Make Up For Ever, Ben Nye, and the like. 



*Click the link above to read the full article!

To make a long story short - I, too, was once swayed by the promise of 88-100 pigmented eyeshadows for roughly $15.  They are easy to find, cheap to ship, and also mass produced in China.  They are the exact same palettes marketed under different brands.  Is there anything wrong with them? Not necessarily - but if you're looking for quality vs. quantity, you're much better off doing your own research and figuring out which brand offers eyeshadows at a lower price/gram.  If you read Kevin James Bennett's full article, he breaks down the cost/gram of several popular eyeshadow brands and you might be shocked to see the results!





Coastal Scents 88-Color Palette

True, it might seem excessive to be paying $10+ for one or two eyeshadows when you can buy 100 colors, but I've always believed that it's better to pay more for a product that's good quality & long-lasting, versus pay less for more variety/more colors at a cheaper price at the expense of lower performance.



Photoshoot - Daytime Vixen vs. Nicki Minaj-inspired Look

I was so happy to work with Jade last week for a fun pop-up shoot!  *I apologize in advance - we did this pretty late at night so there was no natural lighting - the photos did turn out a bit funky because I took her "before" photo when the sun was still out, and the other photos were all taken after nightfall, with flash. 



We opted for a pretty, smokey yet subtle look for our first set of photos.  I really wanted to highlight her beautiful almond-shaped eyes and create a flawless complexion.

After a while, we decided to amp it up with a Nicki Minaj-inspired look!



Jade's flawless skin, almond shaped eyes and full, luscious lips made my job incredibly easy.  It was really fun to see how different colors showed up on her beautiful caramel-colored skin - I, for one, would never be able to pull off that beautiful Urban Decay lippie!