Fringe & a summer glow?

I love the makeup & hair that Stradivarius did for their June 2014 Lookbook!

Now, I know it's autumn & we're all in love with big bold lips, but who says that you can't maintain your healthy summer glow? And no one said you can't wear fringe after labour day, so add it your look. I've got my favourite blue Steve Madden purse with fringe attached to the zippers to add some flare to my look!

Here are a few products that I absolutely LOVE to recreate this look to go along with your fall wardrobe!

FACE: I'm in love with Arboone's Sheer Glow Highlighter limited edition in gold for the holidays! You can either mix in a nickel sized drop into your foundation. And then apply the highlighter over your eyelids. You can also use it to highlight your cheekbones, brow bone and inner corner of your eye.

Brush a touch of M.A.C 's Bronzer pressed powder right under your cheekbones with an angle brush.  A TOUCH of it! You want it to create a LIGHT shadow to define your cheeckbones, we don't want to be creating streaks across your face! 

EYES: Marc Jacob's Highliner Gel Eye Crayon perfect to elegantly smudge out close to your top lashes and bottom. You can use a liner brush or dry Q-Tip.

Arbonne's It's a Long Story Mascara gives perfect lash definition! Apply a couple of coats, wait about 30 seconds between each coat. Because of it's botanical ingredients it actually aids in growing and streghthening your lashes, which is one of my favourite parts. (I will dedicate a blog to this mascara shortly...that's how much I love it!)

LIPS: Finish off the look with your favourite lip balm to keep your lips plump during the dry weather! 

Eyebrows, why are they important? Why have they become so important?

After almost 2 years of being a brow designer at The Brow House in Toronto, I now find it impossible to complete a look without giving a bit of love to the brows. Wether they are the feature of the face or the more subdue brows there to enhance. 

Why you ask? Why are brows so important? 

Eyebrows are what frame the face, they can also either age you or give you a more youthful appearance. They are what frame your eyes and aid in your expressions.

Full brows are not just a trend, they are an asset to your face. Different width & length suit different people because we all have different faces. Going to a trained proffesional (not the lady in the back of your nail salon) on brows is important to do, we are trained to see proportions and know what would best suit you, your lifestyle & your natural brows. Wether we are starting from regrowing your brows or shaping unruly ones.

Kate White (former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine for 14 years & writer) wrote in her book "I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know" on how important in is to professionally shape your brows. 

Want to know more on brows? More on YOUR brows? Check out The Brow House website! And make eyebrows your trademark!

Hope to see you there! 

Nomadic Beauty

Why I've fallen in love with Stradivarius?

From their cheekily worded t-shirts, to their wonderful high heels, Stradivarius is the ultimate store to go too when looking for something that's urban yet sophisticated & my favourite...practical! Being a makeup artist, you need practical items your closet!

Since 1994 "Stradivarius makes dreams a reality for all those girls who are too young to dress like their mothers and too sophisticated to dress like Teenyboppers."

http://www.stradivarius.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ItxStandardCompanyPage?storeId=54009550&langId=-1&catalogId=50109552

What started as a family owned business with an innovative concept in fashion in Barcelona, Spain. It is now international with stores 877 stores in 57 countries! One of them is Poland and every time I go over I always stalk up on some Stradivarius goodies.

As they say they are for women between the ages of 20-35 (young professionals) you can find things to mix & match to dress up or down or go straight to formal. Not only affordable, but also good quality items is something I really appreciate.

I'm pretty sure that I've received compliments on almost every item that I've brought back with me from Stradivarius. Absolutely in love with their clothing, brand & philosophy.

Check out their lovely "Making Of" video!

Nomadic Beauty

How do I get inspired? By watching these type of videos...

I love creating high level clarity for artistic projects! You might not notice the makeup, the fashion & the models, but I do. Those little details are only noticed when you have experience, passion & vision; I love what Stradivarius is doing with their artistic direction. What do you think? (watch video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHN0a40mjfk&list=PLOejj1BNdcfpHo-DgXcl-1UdsAtsD_K_9

"Types" of red?! Find out how to get yourself started on some rouge!

Let's scratch the "or" and replace it with an "&". It's a perfect day for a red lip and everyday is a good day for confidence! 

BEAUTY TIP: Not comfortable in red? Or think it looks awful on you? There are two types of colour undertones, "warm" toned and "cool" toned. Try a "cool" toned red like MAC's "Russian Red" (my fav) & you might just LOVE it! Let me know how it goes!

Why should I cleanse my personal makeup brushes??? + Clean: Organic Brush Shampoo Review

Whether you are a makeup artist or girl that uses makeup, you most likely have makeup brushes that need cleaning.

WHY do you need to clean your brushes??? 

Other than for hygienic reasons when working on person to person as professional, your personal brushes will build up bacteria. Any liquid makeup in your  brushes will build up bacteria and then cause you to break out because you are smearing that built up bacteria all over you face...I know, when I put it that way it can give you the creepy crawlies.

Now, you may say "But I only use powders" Well, your face has oils right? Even if your face is squeaky clean because you just washed it, your brushes will still pick up some of your natural oils. 

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from my clients is "How do I clean my makeup brushes?"

This video below is how I USED to clean my brushes. Shampoo (regular hair shampoo), condition (regular hair conditioner), and rinse with warm water. Which was a process in itself.

http://instagram.com/p/sBUc33pCB5/?modal=true

But last week I stopped by one of my favourite stores, Blur Makeup Room on Queen St. W and picked up a product called Brush Shampoo.

I tried it out today to clean my brushes after a busy week of shooting and bridal, I instantly fell in love with this product! I grabbed two containers of water, dipped my brushes in one to wet them, swirled them in the Brush Shampoo, then rinsed them in the second container. Left my brushes super clean without vigourosly massaging the life out of my foundation brushes. (Makeup artists, you know my predicament)  

All in all, why do I LOVE this product??? It get's all the makeup out of your brushes, it saves you time on your brush cleaning, it's organic & smell organic (smell like you've just walked into a yoga studio) & just makes life a lot easier! 

Where can you find this awesome product? At Blur Makeup Room http://www.blurmakeuproom.com/products/copy-of-clean-organic-olive-oil-brush-shampoo

Comes in many different delicious scents. Check it out!

Nomadic Beauty

Warm up with a bit of gold.

For today's chilly weather I put my hair into a "no fuss bun" & used my usual lipstick Makeup Forever's Rouge Natural Artist with Smashbox's Divine for a touch of gold.

Of course, sporting my combat boots today.