Foolproof Fall Makeup from butter LONDON

bonjour, beauties! it's a pretty busy time in my life currently, and since there are no signs that things will slow down, especially with the holiday season right around the corner, saving time wherever possible is truly helpful…

so when makeup artist and butter LONDON global color ambassador Katie Jane Hughes offered some tips for a foolproof fall makeup look that anyone can achieve in about 10 minutes, i was more than happy to learn more, and of course, share the tips with you!

Katie says: "bold lips are always a fall makeup staple, but you don’t have to spend hours in front of the mirror trying to create a look that’s worthy of the red carpet. for a foolproof fall makeup look, i suggest pairing a bold lip with a soft eye." 

 follow these steps below for the perfect fall look that’s sure to get you out the door faster:

skin:

"always start with a clean base. use one of the new Scrubbers Makeup Remover Wipes to remove excess makeup or oil from the skin. apply moisturizer {like Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream} followed by foundation {Laura Mercier Silk Creme} over the T-zone and concealer {Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage} as needed. dust a bit of pressed powder over the face.

eyes:

take a brown pencil, like WINK Eye Pencil in Twigged, skim the pencil around lash line and blend so it looks lived-in, like a natural smokey shadow. {tip: the striking metallic effect will look great against a matte lip!} finish with a few swipes of mascara {WINK Mascara in Union Jack Black} being sure to separate each lash.

lips:

"for a fall lip, i love matte lipstick. my current favorites are LIPPY Moisture Matte Lipstick in Old Blighty and Ruby Murray. to maximize your matte, press your finger into the lipstick bullet and dab onto a puckered lip, applying until most of the lip is covered. finish by gently pushing your lips together. if you want extra definition, use the highest point on the lipstick bullet to line lips or use a brown liner {WINK Eye Pencil in Brown Sugar ~ this product is genius, i've even used it to contour!} to blend in added color and create an ombre pout."

cheeks:

fall doesn’t require too much color on cheeks, but a barely there pop of color is nice. take a blush brush and lightly dab into CHEEKY Cream Blush in Ruby Murray and gently brush over the apples of your cheeks. Your skin will look fresh and natural.

for the overachievers:

if you have an extra few minutes, a liquid-lined eye is a gorgeous addition to this fall makeup look. take your liner {try WINK Matte Liquid Eyeliner in Brown Sugar} and start with the wing, working out from the edge of your lash line where the top and bottom lid meet. work up and outward and then back toward the lid. stop here if you want an Angelina Jolie inspired cat eye. if you want more of a doe-eyed Zooey Deschanel look, continue to line the length of the eye towards the inner corner.

thanks, Katie! and to you, dear beauties, i hope this info will keep your life easy and allow you to be your fabulous self in minimal time {and if you're interested, take a look at Katie's own bold lip look on Instagram}.

you can find butter LONDON at Ulta, Macy's and online at butterlondon.com

info and images courtesy of butter LONDON

beauty how-to: JINsoon halloween nail art

looking for some halloween nail ideas? Jin Soon Choi, founder of the JINsoon Nail Lacquer line {and Jin Soon Hand & Foot Spas in new york} has created two fabulous designs that are perfectly suited for the occasion! take a look...

Ghoulish Nails {pictured above}:

1. prep nails by applying a coat of JINsoon Power Coat

2. apply JINsoon Nocturne on each nail

3. draw ghostly shapes with JINsoon Kookie White at the tips of the nail {feel free to use your imagination with the shapes!}

4. dot JINsoon Nocturne where you would like the eyes to be with the very tip of the brush

5. finish by applying a coat of JINsoon Top Gloss. 

Bloody Nails:

1. apply a coat of JINsoon Power Coat to prep nails.

2. apply JINsoon Kookie White on each nail

3. with JINsoon Coquette, wipe off all the liquid from the brush on the neck of the bottle and with varying short strokes, apply polish from top to bottom of the nail. tip from Jin: change up how long the strokes are for a more realistic effect and don't be afraid to blot it in a few places.

4. go over the strokes you made with JINsoon Coquette using JINsoon Audacity in the same way, but apply it in fewer places. the goal of this step is to create depth to make the JINsoon Coquette look more realistic.

hope you're inspired to try one of these manicures, beauties! be sure to visit jinsoon.com to see the entire range of nail products and discover more fabulous tutorials.

info and images courtesy of Jin Soon

holiday beauty: Mary Kay Silver Screen Siren Look

each holiday season gives us the opportunity to spend extra time and give gifts to those we love, as well as the chance for us beauty-loving gals to glam it up and even step out of our makeup comfort zone to try new looks!

Condé Nast reached out to offer me, on behalf of Mary Kay, the chance to create a vintage-inspired beauty look to share with you, so you can only imagine my excitement!

though i don't have any fancy soirées to attend this year, of course, this was a no-brainer…

yes, please!

you may have seen blogger Lindsey Calla's ad feature in the pages of your Allure, Glamour or Self mags this month; she's made up in beauty looks {created by makeup artist Mariela Bagnato} and stylish ensembles {put together by Lindsey herself} that are seasonally on-trend and perfect for events and get-togethers you may be attending soon...

 those included Flapper Chic {smokey eye/neutral lip}, White Hot Suit {winged liner/red lip} and the look selected for me to interpret, Silver Screen Siren {plum lip/shimmery eye}.

i was sent all the products i'd need to create this look {with the exception of foundation and concealer}.

the Silver Screen Siren is a look i definitely had fun with. a deep plum lip isn't one i wear often. when i was a teenager, i loved a deep-colored lip and my go-to shades were always in the plum/burgundy family. now, of course, i'm all about the pinks, peaches and nude/neutral lips.

but i digress…

so, before i created my full Silver Screen Siren look, i tried out the shades and created a look for day that would easily transition to night by adding the key element of the deep plum lip...

if you follow me on instagram, you saw this day-friendly look...

 and here's the full look on me, complete with the deep plum lip...


i think if an invitation for a night out comes up, i'll definitely be ready to rock this look...what do you think? :)

every product provided is simply beautiful. i've been using Mary Kay makeup for years, and the products are only getting better. the pigment and application of the eye shadows is gorgeous; i especially love the cheek colors, and Lash Love mascara is fabulous, though i will admit the brand's Ultimate Mascara is still my all-time fave.

products* sent to me to create this look:
Mary Kay® Facial Highlighting Pen, Mary Kay® Eye Primer, Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist, Mary Kay At Play™ Baked Eye Trio in On the Horizon, Mary Kay® Eye Line in Deep Brown; Mary Kay® Lip Primer, Mary Kay® Lip Liner in Plum, Mary Kay® True Dimensions™ Lipstick in Mystic Plum. Mary Kay® Mineral Cheek Color in Sparkling Cider and Shy; Mary Kay® Lash Primer, Mary Kay® Lash Love Mascara in I heart Black; Mary Kay® Translucent Loose Powder, and Mary Kay® Makeup Finishing Spray by Skindinävia; beauty tools, including a full brush set were sent for application.

all of these products are available at marykay.com.

to see other holiday-inspired beauty looks, be sure to follow them on Twitter {@marykay} and look for the hashtags #MKtrend and #MKholidaylook to see how other fabulous holiday beauty looks are being created; visit and follow them on Facebook and Pinterest stay up-to-date on all the latest from this gorgeous brand.

*this post was sponsored by Mary Kay through Conde Nast; all products provided by Mary Kay; opinions are my own and i was not paid to post this. 

video: bareMinerals Ready, Set, Red Carpet

yesterday, bareMinerals creator, Leslie Blodgett and celebrity makeup artist, Fiona Stiles went live on facebook {via Livestream} to share some pretty fierce makeup tips and tricks as well as debut a new product, bareMinerals READY SPF 20 Foundation.

the live event was 30 minutes and featured three amazing looks that were inspired by the gorgeous looks seen on the red carpet at the Emmys. Leslie and Fiona answered some viewer questions, gave away some products, and of course, had fun!

i suggest you grab a comfy seat, an iced latte and enjoy.
 you might just discover some inspiration {and products} to create a red carpet-inspired look of your own to rock this weekend...

style inspiration: Olivia Palermo

where do you find your style inspiration?

true, we as americans find it via celebs, and this post is no exception. in my defense, i don't really think that everyone knows who Olivia Palermo is, but her star is definitely rising and she is {thankfully} making a name for herself aside from her reality show persona {google her if you have no clue what i'm talking about}.

whether she's wearing her hair dark or light, long, cropped, curled or straight, Olivia P has a true sense of personal style that i love. her lady-like ensembles almost always include a statement necklace along with a great bag and shoes. the looks are well put-together, and yet she always looks comfortable and at ease.


in addition, she's not afraid to take risks and plays with many silhouettes and prints. take a look at these random pics, and you'll see why she's definitely a gal to look to for style inspiration...















p.s., i'm happy to report that fashion e-tailer Piperlime.com is expanding its guest editor program to include Ms. Palermo for fall along with Rachel Bilson and Byrdie Bell! :)

all images via tumblr

inspired-style: mixing prints...

when it comes to mixing prints, my daughter is a pro. from a very young age i told her my #1 rule: just make sure to coordinate your colors. she's very good with it now. she loves having fun with her clothes {exhibit a, above}, but manages to stay coordinated, never thinking twice about taking fashion risks! :)

i myself am a huge fan of mixing prints, but to do it right {and in a more, sophisticated, grown-up way}, you should keep these guidelines in mind:

**be sure that at least one color repeats throughout your outfit.
**loose prints work well with structured prints {think swirls with stripes}.
**blending small designs {think plaid} with larger-scale ones {bold flowers} are fun and look great year-round.

for more ideas regarding this inspired trend, check out this article on RealSimple.com

source

Adam Lambert-Inspired Eye Liner Techniques

Adam Lambert may not have been crowned the king of American Idol, but he created quite the fanbase, not to mention has brought the very popular glam, heavy eyeliner look back, and inspired many makeup enthusiasts to don this look. i have the inside scoop from some beauty experts, including how they would translate this new rocker-chic beauty trend for us non-Idol rockstars...



Too Faced Cosmetics' Jerrod Blandino is a big fan Adam Lambert's style. his top tip to help any eye become a rockstar: "go coal black or go home! when wearing black eyeliner it's important to apply with confidence...it's a statement look so don't chicken out. apply a thin line of metallic color on top of a favorite black eyeliner for added shine!" try Too Faced Lava Gloss Eye Liner in Super Matte Black with a topping of Foiled Eye Liner in Black Beauty




Sue Devitt Beauty is known for its Eye Intensifier Pencils. founder, Sue Devitt says, "for a dramatic eye, apply the eye pencil, in Point Noir, along the base of the eyelid and into the lashline. smudge higher above and below the lashline. extend product just slightly further than usual to make eye look larger. definitely curl lashes, and finish your smoky eye with three coats of mascara."



make-up artist Michael Marcus recommends using a cake eyeliner for staying power, especially when the weather turns hot. simply run an eyeliner brush under water, dab it in the cake eyeliner, place it in a line along the upper and/or lower lash line and he promises it will stay on all day long! "cake eyeliner is a great investment because it not only lasts on the eyes longer, but you'll have it for months and months because you only need to use a little at a time," says Marcus.



Achelle Dunaway, resident make-up artist at e.l.f. Cosmetics, loves black eyeliner because "you can change your look so much with it!" exclaims Achelle. "if you’re going for a professional look, i recommend a small, even line on just the top lashes. try making four or five dots on the lash line and connecting them. this is an easy trick for drawing a straight line!" says Achelle. "if you want a really sexy look, draw a little cat eye, where the line extends outside of the lash line a bit and upwards. this makes the eye look bigger!" try e.l.f.'s Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black. for only $1 this liner stays put and offers precision for drawing the finest to boldest of lines.



Laura Geller, founder of Laura Geller Makeup, keeps her makeup to a minimum with eyeliner and mascara and loves the look of a lined eye! to make this dramatic look work for day she suggests using a lighter shade of liner. Laura uses Eye Rimz black powder eyeliners veined with colored pearl pigments that transform eyes from "wow to wowee!" in an instant. to create a perfect cat eye, Laura suggests that you "start from the outside of the eye, making sure the brush is touching the lash line, and line both the top and bottom lashes. if a darker line is desired, simply apply it wet. this will not only deepen the color but cause the formula to become water-resistant." i would say this is perfect for teary Idol-winner moments.


xo