A new girl everyday: March 4, 2013 Business meeting makeup, Manders style.

Some people might think it's crazy to wear a bold cat-eye and a bright fuchsia lip to a "job interview". Well I'm not some people and I have to be myself no matter what, no matter where and no matter when! To do anything differently than what I feel would be compromising my artistic vision and well that's just not something I do. 

This photo was taken at 7am as I was waiting for the Yahoo! bus to swoop me up and take me to what would possibly be my new gig. 

The Face

My line of work is faces, and I see a lot of them up close and personal. Some people have amazing skin and don't even need makeup! Some people have "problem" skin and struggle with breakouts, scars etc. I wouldn't say I have amazing skin, but I don't have problem skin either. My skin was freckles, sometimes I get breakouts and I have uneven skin tone. So, I prefer to put a little foundation and concealer on my face most days. 

I have been using a combination of Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation and MAC Studio Fix fluid, depending on the level of coverage I need that day. If my skin is more imperfect, I add a little extra Studio Fix Fluid for a flawless finish. 

One pump of this.....

and a half pump of this applied with.....

this! Voila, complexion perfection.

Most days my under eye has a little bit of a blueness near the inner corners. The best concealer I have used thus far has been my Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer. It covers, it lasts and it isn't cakey. Winner! After my foundation combo I dab the concealer under my eyes and press it into my skin with my fingers. I set the concealer with the only powder I will ever use again, NARS translucent setting powder. 

Pat it....

then set it. 

The Eyes

This look is all about the eyeliner. No shadow required! I prepped my lids from lashline to browbone with my old standby, NARS Smudge-proof Primer. Next I painted on a graphic, elaborately sculpted cat eye with my Holy Grail liquid eye liner K-Palette 24 hour tattoo. 

The Brows

I have been using MAC Paint Pot in Quite Natural to define my brows. The color is a little warmer than I would like, but I still think it looks good. The Paint Pot stays intact all day with no smudging. I apply it with my Benefit angled brow brush. 

This...

applied with this!

To finish off the brows I popped just a little MAC Gesso, white matte powder, under the highest peak of my brow arch. 

The Lips

I can't get enough of Lime Crime lipsticks. I love love love them. For this look I used Centrifuchsia, a bold opaque raspberry pink. I didn't even have to line my lips!

The Cheeks

I wanted my cheeks and lips to match for this look and I went with a matte texture. While I love playful colors and risky liner for business, I don't think glitter or shimmer is appropriate. I wore NARS blush in Desire blended onto the apples of my cheeks. 

That's the look and I got the job! 

I am now a beauty and fashion contributor for the Yahoo! Shopping Fashionate Blog.

www.yahoo.shopping/blogs/fashionate

PS....Click photos for links to sites to purchase these items!

A new girl everyday: February 27, 2013 Pin curls

I have had pretty much the same hair style all my life. From birth to age 8 or 9 I had long wavy hair with short bangs. At age 10 I began growing out my bangs and had all one length long hair until I was about 25. Then I cut my bangs short again and still have that hair now. I like my long hair because I can pin it up, braid it, curl it...do almost anything to it. You can fake short hair, but without paying big time for extensions, it's tough to fake long hair. 

Because my hair is so basic, I don't do a lot to it. Only in the last couple years have I started to explore hair products and tools. I think this new found curiosity about hair styling is a direct result of youtube tutorials. I love youtube because I can learn pretty much anything I want and practice the techniques at home. Because of youtube this year I have purchased....

-Infrashine 1 inch ceramic straightening iron. I bought this product mainly because I wanted to master curling my hair with a hair straightening iron. This one had good reviews and doesn't overly damage the hair. I still haven't fully perfected the straightening iron curls, but I really like this straightener!

-Jose Eber Curling Wand and protective glove. Everyone has been using and raving about clipless curling irons, and I needed to see what the hype was all about. I really like this curling wand, but it takes some time getting the hang of it. Truthfully I burned the crap out of myself because I felt so awkward while using it. But I really like the way I can get curls all the way to the scalp and the clipless style leaves no weird crimps in my hair. It heats up and curls super fast. I think the more I practice with this thing the more I will like it.

The Hair

For the hair and makeup look I created in the photo, I didn't use any fancy tools though. I took it way back and tried out old-fashioned pin curling. 

About my hair....

-waist, all one length

-naturally wavy

-curls easily, but frizzed easily too.

How I did my pin curls...

I started with day old hair. Not freshly washed. I brushed it out completely and began sectioning it of with clips. Each section was completely coated with Garnier Fructis Style Curl Sculpting Gel

Next I began wrapping my hair around my fingers, tightly coiling it. After pulling the curl off of my finger I continued the coil up to my scalp and then laid it flat against my head. Then I took two bobby pins and criss-crossed them through the coil to keep it in place. I did this all over my head, in small sections. When my entire head was pinned into place, a I wrapped my head in a silk scarf and went to sleep. 

The next morning I blasted my still pinned curls with my blowdryer, just to set them. After that I took them all out. They were shiny, bouncy and very curly. My waist length hair was now a curly bob! I got so many compliments and my curls held all day!

The Face

My skin is perfected with MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15. I like this foundation because it offers medium coverage, long-wear and a satin finish. I applied it with a real techniques foundation brush. 

I touched up my under-eyes with Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer. I LOVE this stuff. It's creamy, full coverage, stays put and doesn't crease at all. The only down-side is that it isn't sold in the USA and it very hard to find online. 

The Brows

I have been experimenting a lot with brow products. I think my Holy Grail eyebrow product is still out there undiscovered. Here I am wearing MAC Paint Pot in Quite Natural, painted on with a very fine angled brush. 

The Eyes

Every single day of my life I use NARS Smudge-Proof Shadow Primer. I cannot live without it. Over that I put a beautiful matte linen pink shadow by MAC called Orb. Orb is something I use every day as well. 

On the inner water line of my eyes I used a really cool chubby liner pencil by Urban Decay. It's a beautiful royal purple called Delinquent. These pencils are amazingly pigmented and have a nice long wear. 

I finished my eye look with my favorite mascara of the moment, Covergirl Clump Crusher in Very Black. 

The Lips

Lime Crime Retrofuturist is tied with my Kate Moss Lasting Finish 001 for the title of my most worn lipstick. I love it. Neon bright, creamy, longwearing...awesome. I cannot rave about it enough. 

Annnnnnnd..thats the look! If you like it, tell me. If you hate it, so what!

A new girl everyday: February 25, 2013 incognito glam

I have been modeling since I was born. If there is a camera, you bet your ass there is never a moment I am not looking at it. When I have days off from being a Makeup Artist Extraordinaire, I like to do photoshoots. I don't just model in shoots, I also do my own makeup and styling. I also really like dreaming up concepts and then searching for the right photographer to make them come to life. On this particular morning (EARLY morning) I was heading to get my hair done for a Mad Men inspired shoot. I didn't want my makeup to be done yet because I had several hours of hair ahead of me and it just wouldn't be fresh when it was time to shoot. So, I went incognito glam. 

I am wearing one of my favorite red lipsticks. I have blogged about it so many times that I feel a little guilty even bringing it up again. Lime Crime Retrofuturist. It's bright, creamy, long-wearing and awesome. You should buy their entire lipstick collection.

Retrofuturist, my brightest red!

It makes your teeth look as pure ivory as the bosom of Snow White!

I am kinda in love with these sunglasses I got from Crossroads Trading. I buy and sell a lot of stuff and I saw these sunglasses for mega-cheap and had to have them. The shape is an oversized cat-eye and I really needed a pair of black sunglasses. I think I paid about $10. I don't spend a lot on sunglasses because I lose them a lot. Or I sit on them, scratch them or throw them in the bottom of my purse. Plus there are tons of cute ones that are really inexpensive.

Fur, obviously it's controversial, but I love it. I would never buy new fur. But, I inherited a lot of vintage furs from my Grandmothers. I don't see anything wrong with wearing these furs, I actually feel pretty good knowing that at least the animal that died is still going to use after all these years. Sometimes I do get nervous that some crazy activist is going to scream at me or throw paint on me, but what can you do. I just hope that people will understand that these objects hold sentimental value to me, and I love wearing them. This particular piece is a vintage silver fox stole. It's very soft and decadent. I like to wear it with my Forever 21 dark denim jacket, just to make it a little more modern.

One of the photos from my shoot with David Schanes. Hair by Morphic Salon SF

A new girl everyday: February 20, 2013 In love with Saint Germain

Sigh. MAC Saint Germain lipstick. I just freaking love it!!! It may sound like I love every lipstick, which I kinda do, but some colors are true love. I think Saint Germain is one those colors. I resisted buying it for a long time. I have MAC Snob, Pink Plaid, Pink Nouveau and Nicki Minaj Viva Glam 2. I have Lime Crime Great Pink Planet. I have two mystery Dior lipsticks that I smashed into a palette and failed to record the names. Vintage Benefit lipsticks in "You know uhh", "It's like uhhh", Mod Squad and Shy. All of these lipsticks are some variation of blue-toned pinks like Saint Germain. I couldn't rationalize adding another pink that was a half shade different from everything in my current collection. But, Saint Germain finally won. I saw a coworker wearing it recently and I hated it on her, but I was reminded of how awesome it would look on me. I went on my lunch break ( a dangerous journey when you work on a street full of makeup stores) and went right to MAC to get it. I couldn't get Saint Germain out of my mind and I was certain that it would be a valuable addition to the bubblegum pink family. When I saw it in the MAC store I knew it was love. It was just a little bluer than everything I had, but not pale. Vibrant, bold and neon in it's pinkness. My mind was reeling with ideas of makeup looks to wear it with. 

The Skin

This look is all about the way Saint Germain makes my eyes stand-out and I had to have flawless skin to make sure that nothing distracted from that. I prepped with my usual skincare, Dr. Perricone Firming Eye Cream and Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15 PA++. Next I applied MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC15 with a Real Techniques Foundation Brush. I don't really brush my foundation on, I pat it in with my brush. This eliminates streaks and allows me to build coverage where I need to. 

Real Techniques foundation brush, it's only about $8 and it's awesome. 

The Eyes 

I primed my eyelids with NARS Smudge-proof eyeshadow base and left them eyeshadow and eyeliner free. I defined my top and bottom eyelashes with Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara in black. My brows are sketched in with Wonderbrow in Eva. I use a synthetic angled brush to apply my brow products. I am really picky about my angled brushes, they have to have a little texture to them. Not too thin of a brush, but not too thick. I really like the Sephora classic brow brush, it's only $10.

The Cheeks

For this look I didn't want to match my lipstick and blush, I wanted them to contrast to make the lipstick appear even brighter. I chose a beautiful blush by Shu Uemura, M Peach 44. I am not sure if this color is made anymore, but it is beautiful. Like my beloved Benefit Georgia Peach, but a bit more pigmented. I swirled it onto the apples of my cheeks with my Real Techniques blush brush. The Real Techniques blush brush is wonderful. It's super-soft, diffuses the blush nicely and has a bit of a pointed tip that allows for precision application. AND it's very inexspensive AND it's cruelty-free. 

The Lips

I think I have said everything I can say about my love for MAC Saint Germain lipstick. It's just beautiful. I planned my entire day around it. It's long-wearing, pigmented and every time I wear it people compliment me. They always follow-up the compliment with..."but I could never wear it"....but I think people could, if they gave it a chance. 

The Hair

Youtube tutorials have kind of ruined my life. Well, not really but they have put a dent in my bank account. I watch these amazing tutorials and then I want the products they use so that I can achieve the same look! I had been hearing all of this talk about curling hair with straightening irons, so I watched a few tutorials, researched a bit and bought a straightener. The one I really wanted was by GHD, but I couldn't really fathom spending $300 on a hair tool I would only use once in a while. I don't like to use a lot of product or heat in my hair. So, I settled for an Infrashine 1 inch flat iron. Be careful when purchasing a flat iron online, there are a lot of counterfeit's out there and you can very easily get duped. My rule is always if it's too good to be true, it probably is. I really like this flat iron and that's what I used to achieve these curls. They lasted almost all day!

The orange pillowcase blues

When I was in my 20's I had really nice skin, skin that I didn't appreciate. I could have easily woke up, washed my face and ran out the door looking fabulous. But instead I honed in on all my flaws. I had freckles across my nose and under my eyes. Once a month I might get a tiny blemish and on the left side of my temple there was a vein that showed a very faint blue through my skin. I was certain that everyone in the world, and most importantly men could see everything I wanted to hide. How could I ever find the man of my dreams with imperfect skin? It seemed impossible to me.

So I wore Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. This stuff was dense, covered everything, stayed on for 16 hours and was well....orange. I painted it on and it erased all the flaws that existed underneath. Then it made my skin breakout, so I plastered on more to cover the flaws that it created. I would not wash it off at night. I couldn't bear the thought that my boyfriend would see my true skin. I believed he wouldn't be attracted to me and he would cheat on me with a girl more beautiful, more perfect than I could ever be naturally. I would wake up quietly before he would, sneak into the bathroom and put on more makeup. Then I would sneak back into bed and pretend I looked like that all night. I don't know who I think I was fooling. He was probably puzzled and possibly disgusted by the makeup I was smearing all over the pillowcases. But I kept doing it and he never said anything.

Turned out he cheated on me. Realistically it wasn't because of my uneven skin tone, he cheated because I was an insecure young girl. I was afraid that no man would want me because I wasn't a Playboy centerfold. He also cheated because he had cheated on his previous girlfriend with me, a chronic offender. I should have known better. But when you're young and innocent you want to believe that somehow you will be so wonderful that he will have to change. When that relationship ended, so did my relationship with Double Wear. I decided I couldn't live like that anymore, sneaking around, waking up early and lying to myself about who I was and what my skin looked like. And I knew in my heart that the makeup wasn't good for my skin, just like the boyfriend wasn't good for my heart. I decided at the moment to be more transparent in all aspects of my life, including my foundation.

A new girl everyday: February 19, 2013 Apres cheeks

Blush is an absolute must for me. I have fair skin and without blush I kinda look a little corpse-y. I have tried so many times to not wear it, trying just a little bronzer, but I end up looking very flat and always add just a touch to the apples of my cheeks. This is very much a "blush look". That's means that I wanted the cheek color to be the focal point of the entire look. 

The Skin

For a brightly flushed makeup look the skin must be absolutely flawless. Any bits of redness and discoloration can end up looking like a bad rash or rosacea. I prepped my skin with my usual skincare products: Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15 PA++ and Dr. Perricone Firming and Lifting Eye Cream. I mixed a touch of Bourjois Healthy Mix with a half-pump of MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15. I really like the sheer-gel texture of the Healthy Mix, but I needed just a little more of a flawless finish for this look. Rather than use a heavier foundation all over, I added just a bit more coverage by mixing foundations. I mix my foundations to customize coverage a lot. Everyday my skin is different and I adjust my makeup to fit the needs of that day. I buffed the mixture onto my skin with my synthetic foundation brush by Benefit. I have several foundation brushes and they all create different finishes on my skin. The Benefit brush is a little denser and I find it gives a bit more coverage. 

The Eyes

Because this look is all about cheeks, the eyes are very simple. I wanted my eyes to look large and natural. I prepped the eyelids with NARS Smudge-Proof Eyeshadow Base and left them clean of any eye shadow. I used one coat of Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara on both upper and lower eyelashes. Next I lined my lower water line with one of my most favorite products ever, MAC Pro Chromagraphic  Pencil in NC15. Use this pencil in many different ways. I line my lower water line with it to open and up and brighten my eyes. I use it after I apply my lip colors to create a very crisp, clean lip line. I  also use it to conceal small blemishes and freckles. It's awesome.

The Brows

I defined my brows with Wonderbrow pigmented wax in Eva. This product is made by my good friend who has a Makeup Boutique in Brentwood, California. If you are interested in this product you can call her boutique MADE and order it. I highly recommend it. Eva is a dark cool brown, I also have the shade Lauren. Lauren is a very cool taupe color, for days I want my brows very light. 

The Lips

My lip color is another favorite, Lady's Choice by Benefit. Lady's Choice is the most beautiful shade of lipstick, nudish pinkish apricot. It is a full finish lipstick, opaque and very pigmented. It wears all day without drying out my lips or leaving weird residue on the inner corners. I reach for this lipstick all the time because it really is a perfect nude. 

The Cheeks

The bold, bright blush look is a trend that has been all over the runways lately. The look is being called Apres-Ski cheeks. I was unsure what "Apres'" was so I researched a bit. Apres-Ski means after skiing, so it's the bright wintery flush of cold rosy cheeks. That makes total sense!  The look references to groups of rich fancy people skiing the Alps all day, cheeks a-flush, and then returning to a Chalet to drink and party the rest of the night. How luxurious! I have never been skiing in my life, I actually hate the cold, but I sure do love that bright red cheek! So, that was my inspiration here. I used the insanely gorgeous blush, Frankly Scarlet, by MAC. This blush is a matte true red. It is very pigmented and you must use a stippling brush or a fantail brush to apply it properly. It is very easy to go overboard and look like you have Poison Oak, instead of the beautiful freshly-ski-ed look. 

I gently touched my Stippling brush to Frankly Scarlet, we are talking a minute amount of this blush! Start with a little and build it up. It's much easier to add more, then to take it off. So be very strategic. I started at the apples of my cheeks, the chubbiest part when I smile, and blended downward. This is the shape of an Apres-Ski cheek. It isn't how you would apply you regular daily blush. I really like the newness of this cheek, seems young and fresh!

This is a really awesome and affordable Stippling Brush!!

The shape of the Apres-Ski Cheek

The Hair

I have waist-length hair and I struggle with styling it on a daily basis. I need my hair off of my face and pulled back for my job, so I am always searching for interesting braids and up-do's in online tutorials. Braids are my go-to for everyday. I have been so pleased that braid crowns, fishtails and other plaited looks have had a resurgence in popularity because I have been doing this to my hair since childhood. I have had the same hairstyle my entire life. Long and with blunt bangs. I did have all one length hair in my teenage years, but cut the bangs again my twenties. Bangs make me feel like I have a "hairstyle" and I think they also bring attention to my eyes and brows, a feature I like on myself. 

For this braided look I parted my hair down the middle, I never really do a perfect part. I think it can look too "done" so I wing it. Next I started french braiding my hair on one side, from the bottom nape of my head. So basically an upside down french braid started from the bottom and finished at the top of my head. I upside down french braided both sides and then began overlapped the ends of the braids at the crown of my head. I used bobby pins to secure everything. That's it. It was a really easy braided look and my hair stayed out of my way all day! When I wear my hair like this I look like a Fraulein (German Girl) and well, I am a Fraulein, so it works out. 

Photo by Ellen Von Unwerth, one of my favorite photographers

A new girl everyday: February 17, 2013 Red glossy lips and bold brows

Just like any other woman out there, I have "no makeup" days. Except my "no makeup days" don't include eyebrows or lipstick. That's just who I am, and I am unapologetic about it. I don't wear lipstick or brow filler to be noticed by men, or to look more presentable. I wear these products because I love them and I love how I look in them. 

With that said, this is a look I did on a day off from work. I wear makeup daily for my job as a makeup artist, duh. But on my days off I like to give my skin and my sensitive eyes a break. 

My daily/nightly skincare routine

I am dedicated to applying my skincare twice daily, no matter what. There are no excuses in my world. I really see a big difference when I don't properly cleanse and moisturize my skin. I am 32 and I can't afford to be careless about my skin.

1. I moisten organic cotton pads with Bioderma Crealine H20 sensitive skin makeup remover. This is amazing stuff. Non-oily and it doesn't sting my skin or burn my eyes. I sweep the moistened cotton pads over my skin and remove all traces of makeup.

2. I thoroughly cleanse my face with whatever cleanser I am using. Right now it's Olay Total Effects 7 in 1 Revitalizing Foam Cleanser. This is a pretty good cleanser, and it's affordable. I really love the Dermalogica Age Smart Skin Resurfacing Cleanser, but it's a bit pricier. Every few days I will pop a little cleanser onto my Clarisonic Mia for a deep down cleanse. I can't overuse the Clarisonic as I find that it can over-exfoliate my skin and cause excessive dryness and sensitivity. 

3. I use eye cream religiously. I started this a little late, so I am making up for it by being very committed now. Every night and every morning I pat in Dr. Perricone Firming Eye Cream. It retails about $56 but lasts me several months. I have seen a big difference in the quality of the skin around my eyes. It is virtually line-free and very moist and smooth. This time last year I was feeling depressed about my eye area because I was seeing some serious signs of aging. Dryness, fine lines and puffiness. I by no means have the eyes of a teenager, but I think I am doing quite well with my eye cream regime. 

4. My moisturization routine changes day to day based on the condition of my skin. On days that I experience blemishes, I am loving Yes to Tomatoes Acne Repairing Lotion. It is a 97% natural, paraben-free acne treatment. It doesn't irritate my skin or overly dry it out, but it definitely reduces breakouts and treats existing blemishes. 

If my skin is in nice condition and not needing any specialized treatment I reach for my AmLactin 12% Lactic Acid moisturizer. This product is labeled as body moisturizer, I use it on my face, but that doesn't mean everyone should. All of the products I recommend work for me, but I can't guarantee the same results for anyone else. I use this moisturizer more than any others in my skincare collection.

The times I feel more dry, I have been testing out Josie Maran Argan Oil. This multi-use oil can be used on face, hair and nails. It is grown organically in Morocco and is rich in vitamin E and fatty acids. It absorbs quickly and doesn't leave and oily residue on my skin. It just feels smooth and moisturized. I love that there aren't any chemicals in it. I got mine as a sample at Sephora and will most likely purchase a full size bottle. 

I am not wearing any foundation or concealer in this look. Just my eye cream and my day time moisturizer, Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15. 

The Eyes

I love no eye makeup days. My eyes feel so weightless and fresh. But there won't be a day you see me without perfected brows! I have been testing out quite a few brow products lately, this one is MADE Wonderbrow in Eva. Wonderbrow is a highly pigmented wax that I sketch on with a synthetic angled brush. A little goes a long way and it stays all day. I got this product from my friend Patricia, who opened a makeup boutique in Brentwood, Ca. The boutique is called MADE and has makeup and waxing services. 

The Lips

I rarely bust out a glossy red lipstick because frankly there aren't many I actually like. Glossy reds can be tough. If they are too thick they get chunky feeling and can leave a weird residue on the inner corners of your mouth. If they are too thin, they just bleed all over the place. This glossy red lipstick is sadly discontinued. It's by Benefit and it is called Frenched. I am sure there are many others out there that are comparable. 

Well....that's it. A clean face, defined brows and some bright red glossy lips. I can't think of a fresher day off look!