Sycamore & Amaranth Look Book Fall/Winter 2016

Recently I collaborated on a shoot for Sycamore & Amaranth, an online jewelry boutique that donates 10% of its proceeds to charity.

The line consists of a a lot of bold statement pieces such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.

The lucky gal that got to rock all the fun accessories was none other than Stephanie Mcphillips, who I’ve collaborated with in previous editorials.

 

We ventured out to Duke Farms, and as you can see in the photos above it’s a beautiful location in southern Jersey filled with stunning flowers & nature galore.

If you like any of these jewelry pieces from Sycamore & Amaranth check out their site and browse their current collection, and you can follow them on Instagram: @sycamore.amaranth.

Photos by Gail Job

Hair by Vanessa Almazan

Styling by Deborah Montanez

 

Portfolio Update – Seaside Stroll – Jute Magazine 2016

Another day another published shoot! My last shoot with photographer Gail Job was published as a webitorial on Jute Magazine’s website, and it is called Seaside Stroll.

 

We had a great team for this one.  Photos by Gail Job, styled by Valerie Duardo, hair by Nia Troy, makeup by me of course, and our model for the day was Aline Zanella of the Marilyn Agency.

 

We shot this in Asbury Park which is a really nice area in southern New Jersey with a huge beach and boardwalk.  We explored the whole area and found a variety of places to shoot. You can even ride flamingo boats, which we just had to incorporate into our shoot, as you can see!

 

 

 

 

 

I adore the braided hairstyle by hairstylist Nia Troy in this next look:

 

 

 

These next few shots we got during the sunset are my absolute favorites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portfolio Update – Maura – Spring Test Shoot

Here are some extra shots from a Spring test shoot with some talented people that I have been collaborating with for a while: Photographer Gail Job and Stylist Deborah Montanez. Our model this time around was Maura Darmody from MSA Models, & she did a wonderful job as well.

I made Maura’s skin look nice and glowy by using my RCMA foundation mixed a few drops of the RCMA Foundation Thinner. I highlighted and added a little definition to her face using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Kit in ‘Fair’. For brows I used my trusty Anastasia Beverly Hills Pomade in Blonde. On the eyes, I gave them a wash of color using the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Inked in Pink, & then used the NYX Hot Singles Shadow in ‘Pink Lady’ and Flormar Mono Shadows in the crease. On the center of the lid for some shimmer I used Inglot’s AMC Pure Pigment Eye Shadow in 61. On the lips for a sheer pink & glossy finish I used Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in ‘Pinkissimo’!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CREDITS:

Photographer: Gail Job

Stylist: Deborah Montanez

Model: Maura Darmody of MSA Models

Day to Night

Day to Night is the first shoot I did that was submitted and got published to a magazine! It was published to Elegant Magazine. As you can imagine I was SO excited to finally see my work in print!  It was a long shoot in Manhattan (we literally shot from day to night!), but it was a ton of fun. Let’s take a look!

Credits:

Photographer: Gail Job

Stylist: Jungle Lin

Hair: Nia Troy

Model: Stephanie Mcphillips

Isn’t this sweater the cutest?!

This next look was my absolute fav! The hair! the outfit!

We caught the sunset at the perfect moment for this next shot!

There’s just something magical about New York City at night…

Elyse Jankowski & Danny Rivera Shoot!

Hey everyone! my last shoot was with Danny Rivera, an amazing photographer, and Elyse Jankowski, who I’ve worked with multiple times before!  Here are some of the extra shots from our shoot!  I actually had to create freckles on the center of Elyse’s face and chest, something I’ve never done before but I actually love how they came out!  I tried to make them look as natural as possible.  Here are the pics:

 

Danny’s no joke! these pictures are so beautiful I’m obsessed, and Elyse looks flawless as ever.  Always a pleasure working with these talented people.

COVERGIRL READY SET GORGEOUS FOUNDATION & CONCEALER REVIEW

Hello my fellow makeup lovers!  I’ve got a new product review for you!  It’s a review on the Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous foundation AND the concealer!  There’s also a face powder, but I decided to pass on it.

 

Here’s a closer look at these two!

And here are the swatches!

 

And heres how both the foundation & the concealer looked after about 7 hours with FLASH:

 

And here’s how it looked in NATURAL lighting after 7 hours of wear:

 

MY THOUGHTS:

Overall, I really love this foundation, and one of the more long lasting foundations from the drugstore.  I find it does keep my oily T-zone at bay, and gives me a lovely satin finish.  I did however, have a difficult time finding my shade, considering the fact that I had to buy this product 3 times until I FINALLY found my shade, which was 215.

The CONCEALER, on the other hand, isn’t much of a concealer.  It reminds me more of an illuminating pen, like the mac prep + prime highlighter, or the YSL touch éclat.  It doesn’t do much coverage wise but it BRIGHTENS like nobody’s buisness.  I like to add it on top of my other concealers just to brighten and give that extra glow.  It also works great to lightly highlight on all the high points on the face (cupids bow, bridge of the nose, chin, ect.)

I deem these products worthy of a repurchase!  Good job covergirl!

CHANEL BRUSHES REVIEW

Hello readers! So I have almost all the Chanel brushes, here’s a pic of them!

I just love looking at them! They’re not only luxurious, they also great high quality brushes! They work so well, I took pics of each brush individually so you could get a closer look at them!

THE TOUCH UP BRUSH

This brush has been accompanying me everywhere! It’s been loving touching up with it and its soon soft! Also very dense, and well made! It’s priced at $45.00

FOUNDATION BRUSH #6

This is the best flat foundation brush I’ve come across, ever. Unlike most other flat foundation brushes it blends foundation fabulously, and is easy to use. It’s priced at $45.00

BLENDING FOUNDATION BRUSH #7

Another fantastic face brush by Chanel. This one is priced at $54.00.

POWDER BRUSH #1

This brush feels so amazing on the skin. Helps me set my makeup flawlessly, and I’ve even used it for bronzer. I’m afraid Chanel might be discontinuing this brush because all of a sudden it’s not on their website…but it is on Macys website. It’s priced at $65.00

BLUSH BRUSH #4

Perfectly sized to fit onto the cheek and onto the cheekbones. Priced at $54.00

CONCEALER BRUSH #10

The concealer brush is priced at $32.00.

LARGE TAPERED BLENDING BRUSH #19

Love the density of this brush and the control it gives. Great for packing color into the crease and outer V. Priced at $38.00

LARGE TAPERED BLENDING BLUSH #19

Love how this brush is tapered to a point, blends eyeshadows out fabulously. Priced at $38.00

LARGE EYESHADOW BRUSH #25

This brush is actually splayed out and fluffy on the ends, but I actually really like it. Priced at $38.00

ANGLED LIP BRUSH #33

This brush is quite unlike many others I have seen in that it is angled, which makes filling in the lips with color easy peasy. Priced at $32.00

ANGLE BROW BRUSH #12

The bristles on this brush are quite rough. They kind of feel like the bristles of a spoolie brush…so it’s like a spoolie brush and angled brow brush in one. Priced at $30.00

ULTRA FINE EYELINER BRUSH #13, CONTOUR SHADOW BRUSH #14,

& SMALL CONTOUR AND SHADOW BRUSH #26

I decided to combine these three brushes into one picture, I’ll start from left to right. #13 is my absolute FAVORITE LINER BRUSH OF ALL TIME! It’s priced at $28.00. #14 is so tiny, it’s a great detail shadow brush priced at $28.00. #26 is basically just a bigger version of the #14, priced at $30.00

MY OVERALL OPINION

These are extremely well made, high quality brushes that work very well, and they all get an A+ for blending ability, and the CONTROL they give the user. But they are very expensive, but it is to be expected from Chanel. If your priorities allow it, I’d give these bushes a try without a doubt. If not that’s perfectly fine too. Hope you found this blog post helpful!

xoxo

Clarins Lip Definers! Swatches & Review!

Recently I discovered the perfection that is Clarins lip liners!  Not only are they long lasting, but they are pigmented, and the colors go on so smooth and evenly! I have 7 shades out of 8.

Here are the swatches:

And now I’ll show you how they look on my lips, and I’ll briefly describe each shade:

Azalea is a medium cool pink.

Paprika is a dark coral.  One of my favorites.

Chocolate reminds me of the color of milk chocolate.  Another favorite of mine.

Bay Rose is a rosy pink shade.

Praline is a lovely neutral nude shade.  Not one of those pinky nudes.

Ruby is a traditional cool red shade with blue undertones.

Fig is the only shimmery shade…its a reddish cinnamon shade that I find looks gorgeous when sheered out with a nice gloss or lip balm.

MUA SKINCARE KIT ESSENTIALS

Every makeup artist needs a skincare kit.  A skincare kit consists of products to clean & prep the skin for makeup application.  I mean, when the skin looks good, the makeup is only going to look better!  Personally, I like to keep my skincare kit simple & not too complicated…and so in this post I will go over the ESSENTIAL products I use in my skincare kit, and why they are essentials.  Let’s get into it!

ESSENTIAL #1: A no-rinse cleanser.

My no-rinse cleanser of choice is Garner’s Micellar Cleansing Water.  It’s basically a perfect dupe of the ever-so-popular Bioderma Cleansing Water, except it’s much more affordable and the ingredients are almost IDENTICAL.  It removes face and eye makeup like a dream, all while being non-irritating and soothing to the skin.

ESSENTIAL #2: an astringent.

The astringent I use is Humphrey’s Witch Hazel Astringent.  Astringent is very purifying, healing, and deeply cleanses pores.  This helps to treat blackheads, heal acne, and control excess oil production.  Having said that I do not use this on dry skin…but works amazing for oily skin & acne prone skin.  Normally I’ll use this on a client even if they aren’t wearing any makeup that I have to remove…it preps the skin and makes it nice and smooth for the makeup application.

ESSENTIAL #3: a toner.

My toner of choice is Humphrey’s Lilac Skin Softening Witch Hazel Toner.  Toner is much better suited for sensitive & dry skin.  Toners balance the skin’s PH levels, hydrate the protective layer of the skin, and just feel incredibly soothing.  Makes the face perfectly smooth for makeup application.

ESSENTIAL #4: moisturizer for oily skin

You must have a lightweight moisturizer for oily skin in your kit.  Oily skin needs moisture too.  When hydrated with the right moisturizer, oily skin will not feel the need to produce excess oil.  The moisturizer I use for this is Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, not to be confused with the lotion +.  It sinks into the skin within seconds, which is what I tend to look for in moisturizers.  Nothing is more annoying than a moisturizer that just sits on top of the skin and feels uncomfortable…not fun!

ESSENTIAL #5: moisturizer for dry skin

I use Mac Strobe Cream on clients with dry skin.  This cream is quite moisturizing, without being to heavy & oily on the skin.  It also has an iridescent glow effect to it that is almost undetectable when the is applied all over the skin…but when packed on the cheekbone it leaves an AMAZING iridescent glow!

ESSENTIAL #6: primer for oily skin

Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel is my primer of choice for oily skin.  Although it does work well with most skin types.  This product wasn’t created to be a primer, but it is used as one by many pro makeup artists!  It smooths & mattifies the skin, and controls oil nicely.  It is said to be a perfect dupe for Smashbox’s photo finish primer.

ESSENTIAL #7: primer for dry skin

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch is the perfect primer for pores, fine lines, and wrinkles.  It works well on dry & mature skin, instantly blurs pores; and I think it works best when applied only on the parts of the skin that need it, instead of being applied all over the  face.

ESSENTIAL #8: Blotting sheets

Blotting sheets are perfect for touching up.  People usually get oily & shiny after a while, and when that happens all you have to do is take a sheet, press it onto the shiny area, and it will blot the oil away,  Handy right?

ESSENTIAL # 9: Eye Makeup Remover

Eye makeup remover is so vital in a MUA kit.  Sometimes your client may already have eye makeup on, and you need to remove it.  I use Lancome’s Bi Facil only because I get sample sizes from work all the time, because although it works AMAZING; I personally wouldn’t buy it only because it’s too expensive.  Otherwise it is a great eye makeup remover.

ESSENTIAL #10: Hydrating Refreshing Spray

Moisture spray!  I use Cinema Secrets Moisture Spray.  Hydrating sprays like these are great for refreshing makeup, and can fix makeup that is looking too cake-y.  Or sometimes a clients skin can start to feel dry under the makeup, and thats when refreshing spray comes in handy.  It also may give the skin a dewy effect.

ESSENTIAL #11: Setting Spray

Setting spray is SO important…I use Ben Nye Matte Makeup Sealer…it LOCK makeup on the face like nobody’s business.  I use Ben Nye’s spray because makeup will NOT come off or rub off when this is sprayed on, and it also claims to make makeup waterproof!

So there you have it!  My top essential skincare products!  I try to keep my kit simple, but yet still have everything I need…that way I don’t get overwhelmed.  Hope you found this helpful!

MILANI BAKED BLUSHES!

I have collected almost ALL of Milani’s Baked Blushes (the only one I don’t own is bellissimo bronze)!  There’s a reason I collected so many, and thats because It’s the best drugstore blush I’ve ever come across!  First we’ll look at all the shades individually, and then I’ll summarize my opinion on all of the blushes at the end.  Without further delay, lets get to the review/swatches!

Here’s a view of all the shades in my possession!

Now let’s start with Bella Rosa 11:

Bella Rosa 11 is a matte, raspberry pink.  This is one of the brightest, most pigmented shades in the collection.  Actually, it probably IS the brightest, most pigmented shade.  It’s ONE out of the TWO matte shades…very beautiful, and looks amazing on medium-to-dark skin tones.  Here’s the swatch:

Next, Delizioso 10:

 Delizioso 10 is the only other matte shade in this collection, alongside Bella Rosa 11. It’s a very bright, cool pink, and would look amazing on light-to-medium skin tones.

Here’s the swatch:

Next, Red Vino 9:

Red Vino is a berry red shade, shimmery, with golden accents.  Looks lovely on warm skin tones.  I’m not a huge fan of red blush but I must say I do like how this one looks on me.

Here’s the swatch:

Next, Corallina 8:

Corallina is a shimmery, bright coral shade, with silvery white flecks.  I don’t wear coral much on myself, but it’s still a flattering shade on light-to-medium skin tones.

Here’s the swatch:

Next, Luminoso 5:

Here it is, the ever so famous Luminoso.  This shade is probably the most popular shade of the collection, as it has been talked about by countless beauty gurus & bloggers.  This shade is what I consider to be a peachy-pink nude.  The finish is unique from the other shades in the collection, since it is a luminous finish, not shimmery, like the majority of the collection.

Here’s the swatch:

Next, Berry Amore 03:

OMG.  I ADORE BERRY AMORE.  It’s probably MY personal favorite of the entire collection.  Its a rosy berry color with golden shimmer.  I find it to be SUPER flattering on my medium warm skin tone, and I find I can wear it with almost any look!

Here’s the swatch!  (can you see why I love it so much?  It’s perfect!!)

Next up, here’s Rose D’oro:

Rose D’oro is advertised to be a rosy color…but I think its much more of a golden nude, with a rosy tint to it.  It’s got a golden shimmer to it, and would flatter most skin tones.

Next up, Dolce Pink 01:

Dolce Pink is another cool pink EXCEPT this one has a silver shimmer to it.  Looks best on light skin tones.  Very shimmery.

Here’s the swatch!:

and last but not least, Fantastico Mauve:

Fantastico Mauve!  What a name!  This is a deep mauve color, with silver and gold shimmers.  But I think this color has been discontinued, since I haven’t seen it in stores or on Milani cosmetic’s website.

Discontinued or not, here’s the swatch:

SUMMARY:

Overall I do find these to be amazing quality blushes.  They are all velvety smooth & VERY pigmented, I need to use a light hand when using any of the dark shades.  My top favorites are berry amore, & rose d’oro.  They’re $8.49, maybe a little on the pricey side for a drugstore blush, but still worth it.  The majority of these shades perform better than some high end blushes I’ve used!

Hope you guys enjoyed this review!  stay tuned for more beauty blog posts! xoxo