Favorite Products For Summer!

June 10, 2016

Here are some of my favorite beauty products that I absolutely love!

1. Theorie Argan OIl Ultimate Reform Shampoo and Conditioner

This is a great shampoo and conditioner for thin, dry and damaged hair. I received a good sized sample set from Folica.com when I ordered some hair tools. If you're like me and have been processing your hair with chemicals for many many years, your hair is probably in need of some TLC products. Both the Theorie shampoo & conditioner are sulfate free and contain argan oil, a natural conditioner. They leave my hair shiny, smooth, tangle-free and voluminous. The scent smells awesome, and I love the easy to use pump-bottle! I've tried other conditioners but this one is the best one I've ever tried to detangle my balayaged hair. The products are pretty concentrated so one bottle will last me a whole year for my shoulder-length hair.
Shampoo available here. Conditioner available here.

2. Nutiva Coconut Oil

This virgin coconut oil is non-GMO and organic! I normally use Perricone M.D. moisturizer, but seemed like they changed their formula and I was wanting to use something else on the fly. I opened up my kitchen cabinet and decided to use this coconut oil as an all-natural anti-aging moisturizer for the face and body. It could also be used as an ingredient for DIY hair masks and brown sugar scrubs. I also use coconut oil for cooking! So versatile! I love it!
Nutiva Coconut Oil comes in many sizes here.

3. Senna Slipcover Palette

For the professional makeup artist! This palette was originally developed to do Bette Midler's makeup in Gypsy, earning artist Eugenia Weston an Emmy. This oil-free foundation palette provides silky, buildable coverage and can be used wet or dry. You can trust this foundation to not break out your clients!
Purchase here.

4. RCMA Foundation Palette

This is another pro product that has quickly become an essential in my kit. This palette does not contain mineral oil! I love to use this with a damp sponge or beauty blender on clients. Great for makeup on dudes as well for male grooming.
Available here.

5. Marc Jacobs Beauty O!Mega Bronzer Perfect Tan

This over-sized bronzer comes in one universal shade: Tantric 102. The color is mostly matte, but has a slight sheen to it that adds a beautiful healthy glow. It is great for bronzing or contouring the face, and the large pan is also great for bronzing the body. For medium skin tones.
Available here.

6. The Face Shop Oil Control Water Cushion

This is a BB cushion from the Korean brand The Face Shop. A BB Cushion is a compact that holds liquid product, which makes quick applications and on-the-go touch ups possible. This BB cream is SPF 50 medium to full coverage is sweat and water-resistant. It dries down to a semi-matte finish with a natural sheen. Great for summer!
Available here.

7. NARS Taj Mahal Blush

This is my all-time favorite blush for women with deep complexions. It is also a beautiful summery color for medium and tan skin tones!
Available here.

8. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance

This is one of my favorite foundation primers! It is a great base to achieve a dewy skin look. Before foundation, I like to apply it everywhere on the face except for the T-zone. I use a mattifying primer on the T-zone instead. The radiance primer can be found here.

Monsterpalooza FX Convention

May 20, 2016

I had a great time attending Monsterpalooza in LA this year! This was the first FX convention I have ever attended. I have a much deeper appreciation for all character and special effects makeup now after taking a custom prosthetics class at the beginning of this year. Check out these photos I took from the show!

Learning to Life Cast and Create Custom Prosthetics

March 3, 2016

I took a six week long class at the Makeup Designory in Burbank, California to learn advanced special effects. We learned how to make custom prosthetics and other techniques used in character makeup that you see in film and television. Here I am sharing some of the steps involved to complete my first project.

EEK! Getting life-casted with silicone on the first day of class!

The silicone mold is filled with cement to make a positive stone. RIP lashes :( More castor oil should have been applied!

My partner's positive stone mold (left) and the monkey I started sculpting on top of it (right).

Sculpting the details! This was my first time really sculpting something and using proper tools!

After the clay sculpture was finished I casted the monkey sculpture with cement.

After mixing the foam latex ingredients and pouring into the mold, we baked it in the oven. My teacher Karrieann showed us how to break open the mold to reveal the mask!

After carefully removing the mask from the mold, my monkey foam latex prosthetic came out perfectly, phew!

Ready to apply the foam latex prosthetic onto my partner's face!

After gluing the prosthetic to my partner's face, red makeup is applied to emulate the appearance of blood vessels under the skin.