Wednesday, September 30, 2009

In The Mood For A Little Soiree?






So yesterday I posted a video tutorial using Julie Hewett's fabulous Soiree Eyeshadow Palette and Biba lipstick. The pictures here are from that shoot, which was part of a bridal fashion shoot. The model, Mallory, is wearing Soiree eyeshadows and Biba lips. The photographer was the amazing Kelly Cappelli, and this was shot at Studio5

I will be posting a photo makeup tutorial from this shoot as soon as the pictures are sent over, but in the meantime have a look at the products.

The Soiree palette is super versatile - and these days that's pretty much critical when considering which products to purchase.
There are no "throw away" colors in this palette. We've all bought eyeshadow quads before where 2 colors are awesome, one is on the iffy side of OK, and the other is awful, which quite frankly seems to be the standard M.O for many makeup companies.
All four shades in this palette are sensational!

When we shot the video I couldn't find my little cheat sheet with the names of the colors, so I'm going to give them to you now:

Top left is Luca, a matte, all over shade of warm beige that is universally flattering.

Top right is Remy, a pale champagne/ taupe. It gives a soft warm glow.

Bottom left is Terra, a nutmeg shade that is perfect for creating domension while keeping a soft natural look, or for powering it up at night. It is a multi purpose shade that can also be used to contour cheekbones and finish brows. Love it!

Bottom right is Black Chandelier. Deep, sexy anthracite. This one can be used wet or dry, has a little shimmer to keep the eye alive, can be used as shadow, liner, is beautiful for sultry, smokey eye.





I love this palette both for soft daytime looks and also for bigtime sexy bold nighttime looks.
Super versatile!


When I do a bold eye or a really smokey eye I love to do a really soft wash of a mouth. I love this lip in Bibo. Its got enough backbone that you don't lose the mouth, but is so soft and cashmerey that the mouth looks all kids of sexy kissable beautiful.

I wear this one all the time, and can't get enough of it!




The Julie Hewett line is not sold in most department stores. You can go to their website to see where the nearest location is for you, or you can purchase directly online.

If you haven't seen my other posts about Julie Hewett products, I have to tell you that they are amongst my absolute favorites. Julie is a major movie makeup artist in LA, who created this line to both be used by you and me, and also to be used on the biggest actresses in the world on the big screen.

To get an idea of the caliber of makeup artist that Julie is, just check out her bio on her website or Click Here




If you missed yesterday's post, here is the video:


Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Wedding Makeup Tutorial #1

So we decided to do a series of video and photo essays that guide a bride into how to approach her hair and makeup with regard to the style of dress she has chosen, and then have Kelly Cappelli direct her in how to move in her dress to get the best pictures.

All of the info in this series is fabulous for those of us not getting married too! Beautiful makeup, gorgeous hair ideas (afterall - the holiday season is almost here!) and cool ways to move when the cameras are around.....

This one features an eyeshadow palette called Soiree, and a beautiful lip called Bibo from the amazing Julie Hewett line www.JulieHewett.net

Hope you enjoy it!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Lip tar - Ooooh La La!!





So I'm going to let you in on another fabulous little pro makeup secret: its called Lip Tar and is by one of my favorite companies, OCC - (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics)


OCC is a pro makeup line, most well known for its airbrush foundations.
If a company is a pro-makeup line, then you're getting ultra-primo products. More color pigment (which translates to a truer color that lasts longer), superior ingredients, superior formulations.

When a product is designed to look genius up there on the big screen it is going to look killer on those of us who are wearing it in the real world.


So lets check out the amazing Lip Tar. What is super cool about these is that they are insanely highly pigmented colors (so you only use a tiny amount - they last forever) that go on slick and moist like a gloss, but dry like a satin finish lipstick, so the finish is actually very opaque.

I recommend applying with a lip brush (mine, of course!) so you can control the placement of color.




Lip Tar comes in something like 20 shades, and being a pro-product, they can be mixed together to create new colors, or worn alone. So fab!

This is Lip Tar in Hush. (I lifted this pic from a site called www.girly-show.com)

Another cool thing about OCC is that their products are all Vegan. What this means is that not only are these products not tested on animals, but there are no ingredients derived from animals either. And I am all for saving the bunnies...




So check this product out. You will loooove it. Guaranteed!

xo

C

Friday, September 25, 2009

Shakin' That Pom Pom!


Hola amigos!

It's Friday, and I'm not in the Caribbean frolicking and having fun, so I decided it was high time we broke out my favorite drink for the fall.
(Even though it is 105 degrees here today, I'm still calling it fall...)

I love margaritas, and as a rule I never mess with the traditional flavor. But my gorgeous Texan friend introduced me to pomegranate margaritas one fall a couple of years back, and they are just ridiculously good!

I only ever make them from now though Christmas time - either its the color that makes it seasonal for me, or maybe its that this was the time of year that we made our auspicious aquaintance, but I am sure they make a great year rounder if you want a diversion from the regular margi flavor.






Pomegranate Margarita

2 cups of Pomegranate Juice
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons triple sec
2 tablespoons pomegranate liqueur
1/2 cup Cruz tequila
margarita salt
limes to garnish

Pour the pomegranate juice into icecube trays and freeze until solid.

Put the frozen cubes into the blender, leaving out one for each glass.
Add tequila, triple sec, pomegranate liqueur and lime juice.
Blend until slushy.

Slice one of the limes and run it around the rim of the glass, then salt it.

Put a pomegranate cube into each glass, pour the slushy margarita mix over top, and granish with a twist of lime.

Bottoms up baby!!!

xo

C




Wednesday, September 23, 2009

All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On Monday Night!

I haven't yet mentioned my passion for NFL, but I have to tell you, we are in my favorite time of the year. Racing has heated up to play-off status, fall fashion is hitting the stores, makeup starts kicking it back up again after natural-schmatural looks for summer, and oh yeah - its football season too!!!

Monday nights are once again cooler than all get out, and the evening doesn't get going til Hank Williams Jr starts belting it out!
When I've been to Monday Night Football games, the opening notes of Hank's song & the video up on the jumbo-tron give me those heart pounding, God I love America, national anthem at a big event, lights going down at the start of a Kenny stadium show , adrenalin fueled, Olympic Gold moments that money just can't buy.
"Are you ready for some football?" Oh hell yeah! So ready!

But then, what's a girl to wear to a football game, or to a football party, or a sports bar etc, when she wants to fly her team's colors, but isn't into wearing an oversized jersey that says :
MANNING 18 ?
What if she's a little more fashion driven & style inspired?

I took it upon myself to find you divas the answer, and look what I found!
The oh so fabulous Halftime Designs (www.halftimedesigns.com)




Divalicious fashionista, sportsfan and Daytona Beach native Megan Wood found herself in the same predicament, searching for something cool and feminine to wear while supporting her favorite teams. (like me, she runs plural on the faves) Not finding anything overly fantastic she decided to create her own line of killer cool pieces for the fashion crowd.

Think along the lines of Sex In The City meets Football. Edgy, fun, high fashion designs on fabulously sexy, feminine pieces. T-shirts, tanks and hoodies all cut to work the female form - flattering, sleek and beautiful. Trendy illustrations on designer cut and quality T's. Sister - you're singing my song!

The hoodie pictured above is for the Patriot fan who doesn't want to wear her boyfriend's jersey with BRADY plastered across the back.



How cool is this Dolphins tile coaster? The Go Fins on the shopping bag and the gorgeous dresses are so completely my thing!

For the Giants fan....
This bag is for the Jets fan
Dolphins...
Maternity wear for a Cowboys fan





Tampa Bay Pooch wear...

One of my faves is a gator themed shirt that shows two well dressed girls eating rivalry themed sushi. How clever and fun is that???

There are lots of different products and clothing items available, and every week
Halftime Designs is adding more teams. Baseball and Basketball teamwear is on the not so distant horizon too.

Until now it hasn't been easy for a football loving girl to find something cute to wear to support her team. If you want fashion and comfort that's perfect for looking fab while you're tailgating, enjoying the game, or just living life then make sure you check these out.

Follow Halftime Designs on twitter (lots of witty repartie!)
Click Here

Friend them on Facebook Click Here

I love these shirts, and will be wearing them on shoots even in the football off-season, but man, I will be rocking them when all my rowdy friends are here on Monday night.....

xo

C

P.S are you losing your boyfriend or husband to endless sports programming and events that you dont understand? The fabulous StilettoSports.com is a great guide to whats going on. In fact they even have The Complete Girls Guide to the 2009 Football Season.....

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Rocking That Bridal Thing!

So last week I show you some behind the scenes action in the Oh William! post, now I'm going to show you how I did the make up on that shoot.

I used products from the fabulous Smashbox Reign collection. You'll see several tutorials popping up using this collection, because it is so versatile and multi-dimensional, there are just so many incredible looks you can put together.
Quite honestly if you get this set you wont need anything else to get you all the way through the holiday season.



I demand a lot from products. If I'm going to use them they have to hold up to the light and have to wear exceptionally well. These products do, and on top of that the packaging is to die for! Even the boxes are gorgeous, so geeky as it sounds, I actually keep all the products in their original boxes and still get endless pleasure every time I take them out!
I love the leather style compacts with the crest embossed on - sooo fab!

So here's how you get the look:

I've concealed, airbrushed, powdered, blushed etc already, and now we are going to the eyes.

As always, my first step in an eyeshadow primer.

This is the "Majesty" palette. Aren't the colors beautiful? The inner circle is the matte version of the color, the outer circle is a shimmer shadow. You can use them wet or dry.


Starting with the Oval Shadow Brush and the shimmer section of the first shade in the palette, which is a beautiful champagne, apply from lash line to brow line in smooth even strokes. Make sure you get into the inner corner of the eye too.

Now using the Chisel Fluff brush and the middle shade in shimmer fuchsia take the color across the lid and up through the crease. I used a gentle swirling motion, as I want a soft, beautiful eye.

Changing palettes to the "Monarch" palette, and using the flat edge of the angle blender brush I used the shimmering deep brown shade and worked it through the outer corner of the eye to give it depth, added warmth, and dimension.

Using the smudger brush and the matte deep brown (thats the inner circle on the shadow - told you it was versatile!) I smudged this deep lush shade along the upper lash line. This gives the benefit of a liner without seeing an actual line. Keeps it a little more whimsical.

Still using the Smudger Brush and the matte deep brown from the Monarch palette, I smudged color into the lower lash line, giving a very soft effect.

A little Bionic Mascara in black, and we're good to go!
Isn't it pretty?

The look was completed with Smashbox blush in the shade Regal, which is part of the Reign Collection. It gives a lovely glow and a naturally flushed look to the cheeks.
For the lips I used the Doubletake Lip color pencil in Currant. This is really cool, because one end is a lipliner and the other is the actual lipstick, just in pencil form. The color is so bold and majestic!
I actually applied a little of the lipgloss shade Crowned to soften the look for the camera.

Doesn't Miss Emely look regal?


And here is the final shot. You'd never know that Will and I are crouched behind her holding out the dress. Doesn't it look gorgeous???




So here are the credits on this one!
Photographer - the amazing Kelly Cappelli
Hair - Will Zecco
Makeup - me
Model - Emely Soto
Dress - Mariee
Jewelery - Claudia's Custom Jewelry
Makeup products Smashbox Reign Collection
Makeup Brushes CorinnaB.com

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Hows that neckline doing girlfriend???

Today I am re-posting a blog that was written by my friend Keri Chantler from the oh so fabulous Twirl Boutique in Scottsdale. You can check out her blog TwirlTalk for all kinds of great info.

Now Twirl is known as a very high end, high fashion, chic and unique bridesmaids dress boutique. Truth is, they have the most gorgeous dresses that are divine not only for bridesmaids, but also for anyone who has a high end, fabulicious event to go to.

When I have to go to an awards show or some super event I get my dress at Twirl. In fact Will and I just won another award, and my dress for the ceremony will be a piece of Twirl gorgeousness. Not sure what look I'll be going for yet, but I'll let Keri take care of the details, I'll be responsible for the shoes...

It can be tricky choosing the right neckline for your body, and there have been plenty of times that I have died a thousand deaths over some delectable dress in a magazine, then tried it on and found out to my absolute horror that it looks spectacularly ghastly on me.

So when Keri posted this blog I was thrilled! Its a great guide to necklines and body shape, and
I thought was completely and utterly brilliant!

I had a customer with a very small bustline this weekend try on a v-neck dress and say, “I look like a boy”. She was right. Then she tried on a strapless, sweet-heart neckline that had some ruching at the bustline, and we didn’t even notice her bust – we just noticed how amazing she looked in the dress. The bride, who had a bit more of a bust, tried the v-neck on and it looked completely different on her – it was adorable! It really is all in the bust when it comes to what neckline bridesmaids should wear. Good news, though, there isn’t just one neckline for each bust size – it’s about knowing your best options and also knowing what is universally flattering.

STRAPLESS: I hear girls mention all the time that there are so many strapless dresses, and not enough other necklines. The reason? A strapless neckline is often the most universally flattering on every bustline. A bridesmaid with a larger bustline can wear a strapless dress, but she must wear proper undergarments in order to have support. Try a strapless bra like this one – the longer style will offer more support on a larger bust.



These are some of my favorite strapless dresses that look good on a variety of bustlines:












V-NECK: On the hanger, v-neck dresses look more conservative and covering. On the contrary, a v-neck dress is going to show the most cleavage if you are sporting a fuller bust. The great thing about v-necks is that you can often wear a more traditional bra. V-necks are best on girls who have bustline that’s still standing high, or on girls who know how to make a killer bra work. It really depends on your comfortability with sporting cleavage, and it depends on the bride and location (very religious wedding=no boobs on display). If you do go the v-neck route, there are some really modern styles out there right now.






CB looooves this dress!!!

HALTER: I love halter dresses because I feel like they support my bust while slimming the area between my shoulders and neck. Designers don’t tend to offer too many halter styles, though. Halters are best for women who have a bust – they can sometimes make a flat chest look even more flat.


love this yellow one too...






HIGH NECK: These are becoming more and more popular, and are a fun way to be conservative regarding the bustline. With that said, these dresses really do look best on smaller busted ladies – a very large bust tends to overtake the silhouette of the dress.












ONE SHOULDER: My new personal favorite for every bustline. With some of these styles, you could even wear one (clear) bra strap for added support. The one shoulder look flatters every bustline while offering something interesting – and something to look at other than the bust.

How fab is this one??? I wouldn't do the flowers in the hair though...




Wasn't that cool?
Make sure you check in on TwirlTalk - there's so much great information and so many cool ideas to be pilfered...

Thanks Keri!


P.S the blue comments were me talking!

xo

C