Monday, February 20, 2012

Movie Magic...

Although, I'm always doing Vivica Fox for red carpets and appearances....she sometimes invites me on movie sets with her to glam her up "character" style:) In this particular movie she plays a fabulous music agent, and her look had to be simple but pretty. We kept the make up clean and natural with more focus on the lips and skin. I can't reveal too much, just take a quick look at some shots I took behind the scenes...

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

What's in my kit??...

People are always asking me what's in my kit. I just say a little bit of everything, because it's the truth. Starting out at Prescriptives, working 7 years with MAC, 2 years with YSL, and freelancing in Barneys New York....I have way more products than I actually use. My MUST HAVE staples are Koh Gen Do Foundations, NARS powders, YSL Touche' Eclat concealers, MAC eye shadows, and blush from anybody I like at the time. I am a huge fan of YSL lipsticks as well as Milani lipglosses for that hint of shine! I am obsessed with Mally Roncal's Poreless Face Defender, and Eve Lom Skincare for under my make up. If there are any new products on the market, I'm always willing to try them once on a test shoot first to see how the product responds. I never try new things on clients, especially red carpet clients.....I fear unexpected surprises once the cameras go off:) I like to mix it up, but I'm pretty much a creature of habit when I do make up...so although I have LOTS to choose from, I can get a face camera ready with only 7 items!

Check back to my blog as I compare beauty supply and drugstore brands with higher end brands. The look is just as flawless...just you wait and see!

MOD Mannequin





Hairstylist and good friend of mine Rai Bonner of Anais Coiffure needed my services for a themed shoot she wanted to do. I love to test with new photographers and when there is a great concept created, so I was super excited! Here are some behind the scenes look at what we call the "MOD Mannequin"...
I used NARS foundation in Syracuse which is lighter than the model's natural complexion to create the look of wax-like skin. I applied very natural lashes and shaped the brow with a pencil. I also used white eyeliner, Fascinating by MAC, to create the look of eyes with no life, I didn't use any eyeshadows, just bronzer and other powders to contour a little. I also used Lip Tar by Obsessive Compulsive cosmetics in the color Pretty Boy on the lips.

Dollface K. Briscoe...

Superstar song writer and recording artist K.Briscoe gets all dolled up for Grammy weekend! Check out a few of her looks! Basically she has gorgeous big eyes that we love to play up to the fullest, so we went smokey with dark greys and purples. I must say, aside from my Koh Gen Do foundation that I love so dearly...my new MUST HAVE is the Lip Tar by Obsessive Compulsive cosmetics. The color is a pure pigment stain, and great for long wear, she wore the color Cha Cha! Did I mention their products are 100% vegan??!! This is a behind the scenes peek at her look for the Essence party:)
Here she is on the red carpet. I love her quirky style!

We love you Whitney!


I was able to work with Queen Latifah again over the weekend...and as excited as I was, it was a very bitter sweet moment. Right after I had finished her make up, she got a phone call that Whitney Houston had passed away. We were devastated and in disbelief for the first 15 minutes, then the tears started:( Being the professional that she is, Latifah was able to pull herself together and walk the red carpet and perform at the charity event. Although her heart was heavy, she sounded amazing and it made me feel stronger for even being around her. It is a fabulous life, there is glitz and glamour, but after it's all said and done...we are all human. We have emotions, we feel sad, and we pray...so we all did.

I grew up on Whitney's music, danced around my room singing her songs...the whole nine, so this was hard for me as a fan....but even harder for those that are her friends and family. We love you Whitney. May your angelic voice find it's way back to heaven and your beautiful soul rest in peace.

Superbowl XLVI...

Yes I love my job!! I was lucky enough once again to go on a trip with Vivica Fox. This time it was to her home town, which just happened to be home of the Superbowl this year...Indianapolis! She was a guest of the NFL Alumni, and a presenter for the NFL Alumni Awards ceremony. It was an amazing weekend to say the least!
We were all set for the tailgating festivities. It was pretty cold there, so I wanted to keep her face bright since her clothing consisted of warm tones and layers. We did a pretty natural eye with lashes of course, and MAC's Rebel lipstick on her lips!

Her look for the night events was very warm. We gave her a smokey eye with a plum base for a touch of color (MAC Artjam Paint), a peach cheek (MAC Peaches blush), and a neutral lip (YSL #14 Rouge Volupte with a shimmery gold gloss on top). The look was versatile, as it went right into the evening with a little more black eyeliner added.

Such a fun and exciting weekend! I'm glad I was able to experience Indianapolis like I did. It was a blast! Go GIANTS!!