Thrive Causemetics

Like many people cancer has touched me deeply, unfortunately.  I lost my father to cancer and since then I have tried to find ways to raise money for cancer research.  Since fitness has become a big part of my life I participate in the Lung Force Walks.  I love companies that stand for something and want to give back. 
I recently received a waterproof eyeliner from Thrive Causemetics in my Ipsy bag.  I was intrigued by the liner and wanted to learn more about the company.  A personal experience with cancer led to the creation of the company.  For every product purchased they donate one to a woman in need...specifically a woman going through cancer treatment.  How is this not the most amazing concept? And more importantly why aren't more companies adopting this?!?! 
I tried the liner and it is great!!  I will definitely be adding their products to my kit!!  Thrive Causemetics please keep doing what you are doing!!

https://thrivecausemetics.com/

Inspiration

My website is officially up and running ... Yay!!!  There has been a lot going on personally and it has made me think about inspiration and passion.  Let me pose this question....  "What inspires you?"  No matter what your passion is there has to be something that inspires you and keeps the creative juices flowing.  I find that when you are in a rut and that passion doesn't bring the same excitement it once did is when inspiration is needed!!  I like to find inspiration in the city I live in and the people and environment that make it up.  I am also inspired by those around me who are constantly grinding.  My niece does hair and is constantly putting herself out there and that inspires me to have that same grind and passion.  Sometimes you just have stop and literally smell the flowers and remember that enjoying life and what you do is the most important.  Take the time today to think about inspiration and passion and what drives you. 

www.makeupbyness.com

Pilates!!!

It's been a looonnngg time since my last post, but I'm back!!!  This post is about fitness, which has become a huge interest of mine in the last year.  I have been trying to find outlets for my stress and anxiety and the gym has become a wonderful outlet.  In addition to the gym, I really enjoy Pilates.  It can be difficult, but I feel like I got a great workout when I'm done.  It's challenging and really requires you to center yourself and really engage your core. 

I found a great studio in Long Beach about a year ago that is both affordable and welcoming.  The studio is called Pilates X and they offer both group classes and one on one sessions.  The studio not only offers Pilates classes, but cardio classes as well that start as early as 5 am.  What I also like is that classes are offered Saturday and Sundays.  I enjoy taking the Sunday class with Meghan.  I suggest everyone try Pilates at least once...you may be shocked how much you like it.  If you're in the Long Beach area please stop by Pilates X and sign up for a class.  Link is below:

http://www.pilatesxstudios.com/

Matchmaster SPF 15 Foundation

MAC is synonymous with amazing makeup artistry.  They are constantly evolving and changing the makeup game.  I recently started using the Matchmaster SPF 15 Foundation on clients and it's a great product.  It applies smoothly and evenly like a great foundation should.  Also, a little bit of product goes a long way.  It evened out my clients complexion instantly without having to mix colors or use different shades for different parts of the face.  I would highly recommend this product!!!!

Grade:  A++++

 http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/158/17339/Products/Face/Foundation/Matchmaster-SPF-15-Foundation/index.tmpl

Make Up For Ever Master Class

If you don't know by now Make Up For Ever is one of my favorite cosmetic lines.  They offer such great products and the colors are fun and amazing.  On Monday's they offer classes taught by the lead makeup artist at the store on Robertson in Los Angeles.  The classes are 90 minutes and are at 11 a.m and 7 p.m.  It's a great format for those in the industry or for those just wanting to learn about makeup.  The instructor applies each step on herself and then there is time for you to try each step on yourself.  The class is $25 and you receive 20% off of all products in the store.

The class I attended was how to create a flawless face and how to contour for the every day woman.  I learned a lot of tips and had fun trying new techniques on myself.  I usually use a flat foundation brush to apply foundation, but during the class I used a fluffy brush and fell in love with the look it created.  The brush I used and bought is part of their new hand crafted line and the brush # is 152.  I definitely recommend this brush.  They also have an amazing new mascara - Smoky Extravagant Mascara....please go buy this ASAP.  It was a great day and I think everyone should attend at least one of these great classes.

Taylor Stone

Hey all of my fellow beauty enthusiat, it's been a while but Makeup by Vanessa is back!  This time I am reviewing the cutest store in Fullerton, CA.  It's called Taylor Stone and I am in love with the store's concept.  They started out only offering skin care (for both men and women) and hair care products, but have recently introduced their own makeup line.  All of the products are made from natural ingredients and are amazing!

I went to the launch party and had a great time trying out all of the products...I was like a kid in a candy store.  The eye shadows are very saturated and pigmented meaning the colors are intense and go on smoothly.  I purchased a blush and a lip gloss.  The blush is an amazing summer color...I have used it by itself as well using it as a highlighter and building it up with another blush.  The lip gloss is also a great summer color...a light pink with just enough shimmer to pop.  My frined who attended the party also purchased a lip gloss as well as their facial toner.  She loves the toner and says it helps control her oily skin and breakouts.

Taylor Stone is a great store and I hope they continue to thrive.  I urge all of you to check them out if you are in the Fullerton area and treat yourself to some great makeup.

Grade: A+

https://www.facebook.com/#!/taylorstonehandcrafted?fref=ts

Price Friendly Makeup

I've had a few requests to review more price friendly makeup.  I have to say one of my favorites is Avon.  Everyone knows the brand and many people have sold it.  Over the weekend I decided to use Avon for my eyeshadow, highlighter, blush and eye liner.  The makeup stayed on all day and the great thing about their eyeshadow is that it goes on smoothly and is pretty pigmented.  I've found that some of the more price friendly shadows take a lot of product just to show up on the lid.  MAC is one of my favorite brands for shadows because the colors are so vibrant and pigmented.  The Mark eye liner by Avon is my favorite daily liner.  If you haven't tried Avon I would definitely suggest it especially if you want to experiment.  Below are the products I used:

Smooth Minerals Radiant Veil - Luminous Rose
Mark ( No Place to Run eye liner ) - Jet Set
Smooth Minerals Blush - copper glow
True Color  - eyeshadow duo - chocolate creme

If you want to purchase Avon products please visit Suky Rodriguez - Barrera

http://sukybarrera.avonrepresentative.com/

The Amazing Beautyblender!!!

Hey all of my makeup fanatics if you haven't tried the original beautyblender then you are missing out.  This is my new favorite sponge and now I know why this is a staple in most artist's kits. 

When applying foundation I use a brush and then smooth it out with a regular disposable sponge, but this will be a technique of the past.  I've been watching tutorials and most of the artists are using the beautyblender, but I wasn't sure what all of the hype was about.  I decided it would be a good idea to purchase it and find out for myself and share my findings with all of you.  You wet the sponge and and Spackle the foundation on.  It glides on so smoothly and covers amazingly with little effort.  A little foundation goes a long way with this sponge.  One edge is pointed to get into those hard to reach places. 

This sponge is great and recommend everyone try it.

Grade A++++

http://www.beauty.com/beautyblender-makeup-sponge-applicator-and-cleanser-kit-double/qxp166478?catid=23715

Beauty Balm

This week's review is on Urban Decay's Naked Skin Beauty Balm.  I'm sure all of you have seen beauty balms all over the place.  I didn't quite understand the hype and was curious to find out what made them so great.  Well this magic in a bottle made me understand why they are so great. 

I love make up, but my everyday look is very natural and simple.  Urban Decay's BB is great for a natural look.  The coverage is very light, but it really brightens up your face.  It's also great for layering without giving that caked on look.  I love this product and definitely recommend everyone to try it...you won't be dissapointed.

Grade - A

http://www.sephora.com/naked-skin-beauty-balm-broad-spectrum-spf-20-P377703?skuId=1476134 

The Return of Sexy!!

Hey all of my beauty fans it's been a long time but I'm back!!!  This week's review is on on a great palette from Too Faced.  It's called The Return of Sexy!!!  It contains 3 small palettes: The Ingenue, The Icon and The Bombshell; as well as a full size waterproof eyeliner (my favorite) and a travel size eye primer. 

The palette is perfect for a day or night look or to go from the office to happy hour.  If you're anything like me and your purse is big enough to fit a wardrobe this palette will fit perfectly in your purse.  All of the colors are sparkly and can be layered very easily.  I definitely recommend using the primer...my number one rule is to prime.  The sparkles tend to fall and the primer will help them stay in place.  If you want to go for a more intense night look I would use a cream eye shadow as the base and layer on top of it.  Revlon has great cream eye shadows in a variety of colors.  The variety of colors offered in the palette are great for any skin tone, which is great. 

I give this palette a solid A!  Too faced is one of my favorite brands and the cherry on top is the price.  This palette is only $48, such an amazing price for so much.  Go out and buy and let me know what you think :).

 http://www.sephora.com/product/productDetail.jsp?keyword=too%20faced%20return%20of%20sexy&skuId=1442201&productId=P375171&_requestid=156548  

Black Tango Palette

I am officially in love and once again it's with a Make Up Forever product.  The Black Tango Palette is AMAZING!!!  It's a special edition palette that consists of four Aqua Cream cream eye shadows.  They all work great together in creating the perfect smokey eye.  The colors are very dark and saturated....a little goes a long way.  I used it for the first time today at a photo shoot and the colors stayed on all day throughout the very hot California sun.  Everyone needs to run out and buy this palette.  Even if your makeup routine is the natural look...these colors will make you want to spice it up.
http://www.sephora.com/black-tango-palette-P374939

Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color

This week's review is on Urban Decay's Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color.  It's AMAZING!!!!  It looks like a fat lip pencil, but glides on smooth like a lipstick and is super concentrated.  It comes in great, fun colors that are perfect for everyday or a night out on the town.  I bought F-Bomb which is a great red color that stays on all day.  The color is so saturated that you don't need much....i put very little on (work day) and spread it out with my finger.  The color stayed on through 2 cups of tea, chap stick application, and a bottle of water.  I definitely recommend this product to everyone.

 http://www.sephora.com/super-saturated-high-gloss-lip-color-P292016

Lorac's PRO Powder Cheek Stain Review

Hey there all of my fellow beauty fanatics I'm back with another review.  I know it's been a while but I was waiting for that perfect item to review and I've found it.

Blush is amazing and everyone should wear it!  It instantly brightens up your face and makes you look awake and ready to take on the day.  I've tried a lot of different blushes, Nars being my favorite, but this new blush may take its place.  Lorac introduced its PRO Powder Cheek Stain that is supposed to last 12 hours.  Most blushes I've tried are not as vibrant and basically come off by the end of the day, so I was skeptical about this blush.  I'm really into coral right now so I bought the blush in Coral Crush and I've worn it for the past 2 days and I'm in love with it.  It stayed on all day through work and a 3 mile run and looks as good as it did this morning.  The color is vibrant and rich and the great thing about the product is that it's so concentrated that it doesn't take much product to apply.  One swirl of the blush brush is all you need.  I recommend this blush for everyone.  You can find it at Ulta, Sephora and on Lorac's website.

Overall Grade: A+

  http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2247567&productId=xlsImpprod4500049&navAction=push&navCount=1#sku2247571

Weddings! Weddings! Weddings!

My favorite type of makeup to do is wedding makeup.  I always offer a trial before the wedding to make sure the bride gets that perfect look she wants.  This is my favorite part because I get to hear the story of how the bride and her soon to be husband met.  I love love and relationships and I love to see how happy the bride gets to tell their story.  

Today I worked with such a fun bride and she gave me some great advice.  She is soo happy and in love it was great to hear her story.  The typical bridal makeup is very natural, but this bride was a fire cracker and wanted all of the glitz and glam.  I really enjoy working with brides like this because they really work with me and let me know exactly what they want rather than letting me do what I want.  It's important to be you on that day and have the exact look you want....all eyes will be on you.  The makeup should express your personality.

I decided to become a makeup artist because I love makeup of course, but because you meet so many different people and hear great stories.

Pilates!!!

My blogs are usually dedicated to makeup, but I thought I'd switch it up and write about the pilates class I took tonight.  My friend Jessica is a pilates instructor and has her own studio.  The class was amazing...I felt so great after it was done.  It's definitely intense and makes you work muscles you probably didn't know you had.  The sessions are one on one, which I think is way better than a packed class at the local gym.  This girl definitely knows what she is doing.  If you are ready to give pilates a try give Jessica a call:949-533-3473

Avon's Ideal Flawless Foundation

So it has been a minute since I reviewed a product...but I'm back.  This week's review is on  Avon's Ideal Flawless liquid foundation.  If you've read my other posts then you will know I am a fan of Avon products.  I hardly ever wear foundation, but I had a request from a reader to try Avon's and review it.  So here it is:

The coverage is great without being too heavy or cakey feeling.  It lasts literally all day even through my workouts.  It goes on easily and looks very natural...I'm all about natural beauty.  The other great thing about Avon is they offer a wide arrey of shades.  The only downside to the product is that it doesn't combat oilyness very well, so if you have really oily skin (like myself) and you want to use this product I would recommed using a matifying powder throughout the day. 

Overall Grade: A-



http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?pf_id=42448

Makeup Artist Trade Show

It was that time of the year again folks the International Makeup Artist Trade Show....I would consider this my heaven.  The show is 2 days and a single day ticket is $46, but definitely worth every penny.  It's held at the Pasadena Convention Center and vendors from all over the world are there selling amazing products at amazing prices (I'm a bargain shopper ;).  I would reccommend arriving early to avoid the long lines that form at the most popular booths like Make Up Forever and MAC.      

There's music and makeup...a great combo if I do say so myself.  Everywhere you turn there are demos taking place....watching all of the amazing talent really gets the creative juices flowing.  Since I was feeling all creative I decided to splurge and buy some fun products.  Below are a few of the items I picked up: 

Make Up Forever Workshop

Today's entry is going to be short and sweet....kinda like me lol.

On Sunday I took a workshop on Variations of the Smoky Eye.  The class was taught by Make Up Forever Pro Artist Brittany James.  OMG I loved this class....it really got the creative juices flowing.  I learned soooo much and I can't wait to create looks based on all of the info I received.  The workshop reminded me why I love makeup soooo much.

This is the nice palette I bought....you can create literally everything with it.

http://www.sephora.com/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1087972&productId=P219411&keyword=makeup%20forever%20flash%20palette&_requestid=104783

Fun in the Sun!!!

Summer has officially started, which means beaches, pools and parties.  My go to summer style is a simple sun dress, sandals and minimal makeup. 

What is your summer style and what is your go to makeup look for those hot summer days??

Prom 2012

This weekend was full of fun with the fam bam and friends.  My niece Tierra went to her high school prom....this make me feel just a little old :).  Her and all of her friends looked soo beautiful and happy.  I have been waiting about 6 years for this day to do her makeup.  She was going for Hollywood glam/Kim Kardashian....I feel like most of the girls were going for that Kim K side swept hair.  I did Tierra's makeup as well as her friend Ali's.

For Tierra's makeup I used all MAC eye shadows and pigments.  I used a bright/sparkly pigment for the eyelid to make it pop and used maroons and dark burgundies for the crease.  Finished the look with thick eye liner on top and bottom as well as a strip of false lashes.  I filled in her eyebrows to create the thicker 1920s brow. 

For Ali's makeup I used pinks, golds, and browns.  I used a pin/gold shadow on her eyelid to make it pop and used a combo of golds and browns in the crease.  Lined top and bottom with black cream eye liner and played up her already long eye lashes.  Finished by using pink/peach blush and lip gloss as well as Make Up Forever's HD loose powder to set the makeup.

Here a pictures of the girls (Tierra is in black/white and Ali in Coral).