Back to Basics

Rediscovering my love for makeup, and finding the confidence and conviction to pursue it professionally has brought me to a great place. I have felt energized, excited, and hopeful despite the fact that there are so many talented and successful makeup artists out there. I am an open vessel - learning from the endless supply of websites, blogs, tutorials, and youtube videos. Makeup is an art. It is personal, it is subjective, and most of all, it is about finding the beauty in people. This last element is what draws me to it the most. When a woman sits in front of me, it is a vulnerable moment. I look over her face and see what is beautiful, what needs to be highlighted, and shaped in order to make her feel her very best. Makeup is transformative. Yes, beauty is on the inside, but looking in the mirror and loving what we see is imperative to how we can project our inner-beauty.

This blog is a way to share what I have learned and continue to learn ~ there are so many incredible sources out there, so I want to start by sharing the top sites that I have found to be helpful:

Makeup Geek

Temptalia

Musings of a Muse

Elke Von Freudenberg

Makeup for Life

The links above are sites that are helpful for everyone - general reviews about products, tips and ideas for different looks and styles, etc... As I blog more I will focus posts on specific topics. Like makeup ideas for the lovely ladies over 40, makeup for skin with acne, etc... and on those posts I will add helpful links for those topics. So whether you are an aspiring makeup artist, or a woman learning about your own makeup needs, I hope this blog will be helpful and give you confidence!

Ok, now for some pictures (thanks to the incredibly talented Yehoshua from Sigala Photograpy) and a little blurb about a certain birthday girl...
My friend Rebecca went out with her family for a birthday sushi date, so I wanted to give her a light, and casual look for her Jerusalem outing. Look at this gorgeous mama!

Eyes:
Rebecca has beautiful "bedroom eyes" (a term that describes sultry eyes that have a slightly downward slant - think Angelina Jolie or Elizabeth Taylor), so I wanted to make sure to highlight them with a defined outer crease (putting a slightly darker shade along the outer part of her eyelid and slanting it slightly upwards). Since her eye color is a deep brown, purple is an excellent shade for her (truthfully purple is a great shade for all eye colors). For the lid I used a pinkish gold shadow to make her eyes pop a bit. I wanted the liner to be subtle, so we used a mild black pencil on the top lash line and lower waterline, and used the purple shadow from her crease to very lightly line the outer part of the bottom lash line. And of course, topped it off with a thick coat of mascara on her curled eyelashes.
(Products - Benefit eye primer Stay Don't Stray, MAC shadow Retrospeck, MAC shadow fig, Bella Terra mineral shadow Highlighter #3, Almay eyeliner pencil in Kohl Black).

Face:
To even out the skin and give the foundation a smooth surface to adhere to, I used a primer over the entire face. I then applied a very fine layer of foundation (with a stippling brush) making sure to match the makeup color to her neck to avoid an ashy or "mask-like" effect. After applying some concealer to any areas that needed a bit of coverage, and under the eyes, I used a bronzer under the cheek bones and above the brow bone to give her a warm glow. I then applied a soft, rose colored blush on the apples of her cheeks and a mineral bronzer right on the top of her cheek bones to catch the light. Lastly, I misted her face with a makeup finishing spray that melds everything together for a flawless, natural look.
(Products - Smashbox Photo Finish face primer, Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation in Ecru #16, Almay Clear Complexion concealer in Naked, BareMinerals bronzer in Warmth, Bella Terra mineral blush in Ambrosial Crush,  MAC Skinfinish highlighter in Precious Pearl, MAC Fix Plus spray).

Hope that was helpful! Please feel free to leave comments with any questions or ideas. Thanks, and have a wonderful day!

~ Lia