Monday Beauty Blog-Kelly Eident, I'm Your Present

This was the second show I have done with Kelly Eident. Kelly’s “I’m Your Present” line has quite a cult following. It also has an undeniable sweetness and sense of whimsy that is really fun to create makeup looks for. Kelly is remarkably easy to work with. So easy that I sometimes find myself second guessing my creations for her.

She will give me a description of what she is looking for, it is always very clear. She will often send a couple inspiration images, and then it is in my hands. I will come up with something. Take a few photos of the look I design and send them to her. And that’s it. It’s that easy. See what I mean? Nothing runs that smoothly. But Kelly’s shows do. She is very quiet. And she always seems to have the sweetest smile on her face. She is young but looks even younger, I would bet people underestimate her often. Perhaps that is why I am always so surprised of the smoothness of her shows. That kind of smoothness typically only comes from decades of experience. Clearly don’t let the whimsy and sweetness fool you, she is a professional.

Photo by Daniel Gagnon
http://www.danielgagnonphoto.com/

The look for this year was one that I was beyond excited to execute. She asked for an icy look. Her clothes had kind of Czarist Russian touch, mixed with a Scandinavian element, and a whole lot of magic. The only specific requests I was given were icy without being blue or silvery (which can be tougher than it sounds I discovered), and there needed to be liner and false eyelashes. A request I am always more than happy to honor.

This look is really super fun to apply and if a full face of shimmer is too much for your real life, try just the eyes or just the cheeks sometime. It is just so pretty, and kind of feels like fingerpaints for grown ups (though how grown up I may be is purely subjective).

Original Trial Look

For much of this look we used Laura Merciers shimmer blocks. We used the original on the eyes and the pink on the rest of the face. 

• Start by applying black cake eyeliner into the top lash line.
• Then using a cream eye shadow brush (it will give you a smoother more sheer finish than a finger) apply a cream colored metallic cream eye shadow. For the show we used Laura Mercier Platinum crème metallic (a must have for every girls kit) lash to brow.
• Take the lightest color in the original shimmer block and with an eye shadow brush dust over the platinum lash to brow.
• Using a Black Gold Pencil line the upper and lower lash line, staying as close to the lashes as possible.
• Then take a black gold eyeshadow and a smudge brush and smudge that into the eyeliner.
• Blend the gold color from the original shimmer block into the crease of the eye.
• Prime the skin with foundation primer. Then even out the complexion with foundation and concealer. Set complexion thoroughly with loose setting powder and a puff.
• Fill in the eye brows and set with brow gel. Perfect time to try everything you learned from last weeks brow blog.
• Curl eye lashes, apply a good thick coat of black mascara, and apply as dramatic of fake eye lashes as you are brave enough to wear.
• Now swirl a finishing brush into your pink mosaic and buff into the cheeks. The more you buff the brush around the more sheen you will get. Don’t be shy.
• For the show we applied lip balm to the models lips and then dusted the darkest pink in the pink mosaic onto their lips with a brush. For real life try either Rose Glace or Pixie Lip Colour. 

I love this look. The models were beautiful. If pink is too sweet for you try a peach mosaic. If your skin is darker toned you can also try the golden mosaic. This look is particularly fun for any evening where you may be going out and wearing a party dress.

Photo by Daniel Gagnon
http://www.danielgagnonphoto.com/

Next week I will tell you about Jennifer Greeke’s Harpy collection and her classic movie star makeup.

Send your questions to Jessica@styleweekprovidence.com

Monday Beauty Blog-*Special Request Blog* Brows

Wednesday of StyleWeek was our American Heart Association Fundraising Show The "Go Red Challenge". It was an inspirational evening where survivors of heart disease modeled gowns designed by StyleWeek’s Designers.  For this special evening, the makeup team’s only directions were to make these amazing women feel beautiful as they walked down the runway. And they did a brilliant job! It was an honor to be part of the evening, and I look forward to being part of future fundraisers.

Courtesy of Daniel Gagnon
http://www.danielgagnonphoto.com/

This however did leave me with a bit of a quandary as to what this week’s blog should be about. So I posted on facebook and twitter asking for requests. The first real request I received was quickly approved by a number of other readers, and that was for a blog about brows. Brows it is!

A wise makeup artist friend of mine said once “If the eyes are the windows to the soul, than our brows are the drapes.”  I have quoted this many times. Anyone who has worked with me has heard me say it often. And everyone knows a room looks unfinished without window dressings, so does a face.

I whole heartedly believe that how one chooses to groom their brows is a personal choice. But just like we know that an “I’m With Stupid” t-shirt is not haute couture, we know a bad brow when we see one.

The over done 90's brow

Personally, I would rather see a completely natural untouched, and perhaps unruly brow, than the over-tweezed pencil thin brows of the nineties, or even worse, the heartbreakingly over done brow that bears more of a resemblance to a sperm than an eyebrow.

One of the scariest brows ever

So what makes a good brow? Thick or thin, round or angled, if you follow a basic formula, everything else is just preference.

The formula is simple; first draw a line up from your nostril straight toward your forehead. This is the starting point for your brow. Then if you draw a line starting at your nostril through your pupil and extending out, that is where your arch begins.  Finally draw a line from your nostril out toward your temple. The end of your brow will meet with this line. Your brow should be fullest at the beginning of the brow and then taper to a point at the end.

As far as which shape is right for you; before you whip out the tweezers and wax, grab an eye liner pencil and a mirror. Yup eye LINER pencil. Brow pencils are perfect for filling in your brows but for this you want the softness and pigment of an eye liner. If you have dark brows grab a beige or white pencil. If you are light haired go for a darker colored pencil. Have some makeup remover close by, and just start playing with shapes using the above formula. Once you have found your chosen brow shape, either start plucking or if it calls for an overhaul you may need to bring in a professional.

Classic Brow Shape

Rounded Brow Shape

*WARNING* If the person about to shape your brows has bad brows themselves, flee!

The likelihood that their bad brows will be contagious is pretty significant.

Of course many of us have already wreaked havoc on our brows and may have to grapple with the unpleasant growing back in period. If your brows are over-plucked and you need to endure regrowth, the easiest way is to artfully fill in what little brow you do have, and just pluck stragglers. Though, for many, this is easier said than done. One of the most important things to do is to stay clear of magnifying mirrors. Tweeze only the most flagrant offenders, and leave the rest alone. The best way to fill in your brows (something I have to do daily, as I have almost no brows at all, and what little I have are quite blonde) is to create and fill in your brow shape with a brow pencil, and yes this time use a BROW pencil (I like Laura Mercier, Kevyn Aucoin, and Nars). Do this with light sketching motions. Short strokes will mimic hair; it is the best way to avoid that “drawn on” look. Pick a color about a shade lighter than your hair if you are light skinned, so your brows don’t appear too heavy. You can stop here and set with a clear brow gel (I REALLY don’t care for tinted brow gel, too much risk for gloopiness). For many of us this is plenty.

If you want to have an even more polished look; after you fill in with pencil, go over the brow with a brow powder. This gives a more dramatic elegant look that works very nicely with a smoky eye. It also adds balance to a nude face with a strong red lip. After filling in with the powder, again set with clear brow gel.

I hope this helps those who feel “brow challenged”. The most important thing to remember is all mistakes are fixable. Nothing is forever. And it is only makeup.

Have fun designing the drapes, for those windows!

Next week, I will tell you all about the frosty beauty behind Kelly Eident and her “I’m Your Present” show.

Send you questions and requests to Jessica@StyleWeekProvidence.com

Monday Beauty Blog- Samuel Vartan

Samuel Vartan is always a blast to work with. He has a specific woman for whom he creates his designs. She is strong and sensual and mysterious. I totally envision a Bond girl wearing his clothes. Some knockout woman who no one can take their eyes off of, who also happens to be an assassin and maybe a nuclear physicist. We originally had talked about doing a very beachy bronzy look for his show. 

Original Bronzy Look

 But his collection evolved into something that required a more urban edge; it is called “Dark City” for heavens sake. Beachy just wasn’t going to be right. He decided that he wanted the models to be very strong and sexy but almost gothic in appearance; maybe a little more vampire Bond girl.

Dark City Look

His shows are always a lot of fun because the models always seem so excited to walk for him, and they are always gorgeous! There is always a great energy back stage, and everyone has so much fun making it all come together.

Samuel’s look definitely is not for the meek, and probably NSFW (unless maybe you ARE a Bond girl), but if ever there is an evening that you want to go out and be the most gorgeous, and intimidating woman in the room, this is probably the look to sport.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Gagnon
www.danielgagnonphoto.com

Start by prepping the eye lid with a lighter eye shadow base applied lash to brow. Using a water activated cake liner apply black liner to the upper and lower lash line in between the eye lashes. Then using a very creamy black pencil line the lower lash line extending the line out into a wing. By following the natural lash line of the lower lashes your winged line will be even and balanced. Then, using the same black pencil and a cream shadow brush, color in the upper lid up to the crease, blending with the brush for an even finish.  Extend the shape out just slightly to create a more almond shaped eye. Then, pack on a shimmering black eye shadow into the liner on the lid and on the lower lash line. Buff the shadow so it has a sheen to it, without appearing too sparkly. Using a soft fluffy shadow brush place a shimmery purple shadow on the lid toward the inner corners. Take a flat black shadow and smoke it along the top and bottom lash line and along the crease. And then highlight the brow bone with a white shadow. At this point clean up any fallout that may have occurred on the cheeks and prime the skin with a foundation primer. Even out the skin with a foundation that matches perfectly, and conceal any spots and dark circles. Then using a foundation about two shades lighter, highlight the tops of the cheekbones, the center of the forehead, the length of the nose, and the cupids bow. Set entire face with a colorless loose setting powder using a fan brush. If additional highlighting is desired, dust some brightening powder (not shimmer) on the high planes of the face. Contour the cheekbones with a cool plummy tone (for the show we actually used an eye shadow color), if that is too intense, try a plum based blush instead. Curl the lashes, apply two coats of mascara to the top and bottom lashes. Apply false lashes; go for a shape that sweeps out to the side some. The lip I created for this show was achieved by lining the lips with black pencil, blending it well with a lip brush and then filling in the center of the lips with a true red lip color. Again, this may be bold for some, if that is the case try just a deep red hue instead.

There really is something so empowering about this look. The models even commented about on how excited they were to wear this, and how sexy they felt in it. True beauty and power come from within, but a smoldering,  smoky eye certainly couldn’t hurt in inspiring that beauty and power to shine a little brighter.

Hope you had fun playing with this look. Please send all your questions to Jessica@StyleWeekProvidence.com

Monday Beauty Blog-Karen Beebe's "Lucille" collection

This was my second show with Karen. She is a really cool woman with great vision. And she had a very specific look in mind for this show. This was one of our more theatrical looks, with really strong eyes and lips. It was really cool to see something so striking against Karen’s soft romantic designs.

Photo By Daniel Gagnon
http://www.danielgagnonphoto.com/

 Something this bold may be a tad intense in real life. But it is very easily softened to wear in the real world. For the show we took the look to extremes; copper shadow solid up to the brow, no blush, strong red lip, dark defined brow. In today’s breakdown I am going to write out how to make this look wearable for every day.

Start by applying Burnished Copper crème metallic shadow lash to crease using a crème shadow brush. While the shadow is still creamy, pack on Copper sequin eye shadow, pushing it into the crème. Using a clean shadow finishing brush, buff the lid and crease to create a softer finish. Curl your lashes and apply two coats of thickening mascara.  Even out the skin with a tinted moisturizer (illuminating tinted moisturizer would be really pretty with this look), and conceal any spots and under eye circles. Instead of no blush like what we did for the show, apply a nude cream blush like Praline onto the apples and along the contours of the cheeks. Give a light dusting of translucent powder to the entire face just to set the makeup, but not too much as to make the skin look matte. Then for the lips, either go with the Truly Red lip color that we used, which I will always love; and wear it, boldly and confidently. Or if you are feeling a little more low key use a sheer lip color that will make your lips look like you just ate cherries. I love Laura’s new Gel lip colors for this, and Sweet Cherry couldn’t be more perfect. You don’t need to be a runway model to make this look work. These colors are super wearable for most skin tones. And the techniques used can easily be adapted to other color families as well.

Photo By Daniel Gagnon
http://www.danielgagnonphoto.com/

The most important thing that we all need to remember about makeup is that it is okay to play. Most of us begged our moms to let us wear it when we were little girls. Then somewhere along the way many of us decided that makeup was obligatory work and we forgot how wonderful it can make us feel. Some evening when you are staying in, pull out the box where you keep all the colors that you never use, pour yourself a cocktail, and play. It washes off. There is no scary commitment. You may discover that you look brilliant in red lipstick, or that you totally can rock a smoky eye. But you never know unless you try. And playing with makeup is a risk any of us can take. And all of us should.

Have fun, play dress up, and send your questions to Jessica@StyleWeekProvidence.com

Next week I will write about the intensely sexy look from Samuel Vartan’s show.