Adding on to my last post...

Jay McDowell, a high school teacher in Howell, Michigan, was suspended last month for disciplining an anti-gay student for making homophobic and inappropriate remarks towards another student. A 14 year old, openly gay student of Mr. McDowell's appeared on MSNBC to defend his decision and to support his choice to take action against the terrorism of homosexuals. Since his speech, the student has been given nation wide recognition for his courage and well articulated speech which was delivered to the Howell, Michigan school board, as you can see below.
Now, you have to be kidding me. If this 14 year old openly gay boy can make headlines by taking a stand and sticking up for something that he believes in - why isn't any more being done?
Watch the video. It's truly one of the most inspiring thing's I have seen in a long time. It is almost as inspiring as Lady GaGa screaming at President Obama from the Washington D.C. mall about Equal Rights, shown below.



Speech Transcript

"Hello my friends! I have seen so many things over the past two years, and I can say with such certainty that is the single and the most important moment of my career. I am humble to stand before all of you today. I know that some of you have fighting and doing advocacy work, that stems all the way back to the Stonewall riots. And I salute you, and you know I love Judy Garland.

I am also inspired by the masses of all the young people here today. The younger generation, my generation, we are the ones coming up in the world and we must continue to push this movement forward and close the gap. We must demand full equality for all. They say that this country is free, and they say this country is equal, but it is no equal if it’s sometimes.


Obama, I know that you’re listening. ARE YOU LISTENING?!!!


We will continue to push you and your administration to bring your words of promise to a reality. We need change NOW. We demand actions NOW. And to Barney Frank: We are putting more than pressure on this grass and today this grass is ours.


We will come away today, and continue to do the work in our own backyards, with our local politicians. And as fpr my backyard, as a woman in pop music, as a woman with the most beautiful gay fans in the whole world, to do my part, I refuse to accept any misogynistic and homophobic behaviour in music, lyrics or actions in the music industry.


And I’m very honored to hand this platform here today, and I will continue to fight for full equality for all. I love you all so much. Bless God, and bless the gays!"

It Gets Better

                I know this blog is supposed to be focused around makeup and beauty but there has been an issue blasted all over the media (for good reason) which is of particular importance to me. Bullying, specifically, homophobic bullying has become a recent epidemic and as a result of my upbringing I feel compelled to address this disgusting issue.

                Growing up in Washington, D.C., I have been surrounded by gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people my entire life – some of my closest friends are gay. My best friend, Graham, is the absolute love of my life and has been openly gay since his freshman year of high school. I remember him telling me what a horrible experience high school was for him due to his sexuality – it got so unbearable that he decided to drop out of high school at age 16. My senior year I had a half day of classes and he would call me crying and begging me to come and pick him up.  Just to clarify, Graham is no small, scrawny kid; he is 6’7 tall and muscular, he doesn’t act overly “flamboyant” and has always gone out of his way to be nice to everyone – so obviously I was shocked to hear of his hardships at school.

                Kids are killing themselves at record breaking numbers and frequency; I will do anything and everything in my power to speak out and help end this devastating trend.

                To tie this post in with the theme of my blog, I was taught how to do makeup from a drag queen and I worked with many transgendered people during my time as both a retail and freelance makeup artist. These people are some of the most creative, intelligent, and brilliant people I have ever met and I was and continue to be constantly inspired by them. These gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people are children, siblings, grandchildren, artists, police men, congressmen, doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, etc. and they deserve to be treated exactly the same as anybody else – to deny them that basic human right is equivalent to racism and anti-Semitism; it is deliberately and maliciously disregarding the Constitution of the United States which guarantees each and every citizen certain “inalienable rights” which consist of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. When these people are discriminated against, they are being raped of their rights, and being forced to participate in a sexuality holocaust. When kids, teens, or even adults choose suicide over living due to bullying those who have perpetually participated in the bullying of that person are responsible for their murder and should be held accountable accordingly.

                Enough is enough. As the youth of the United States it is our duty and obligation to stand up for what we believe in and to ensure that change occurs. The people who are choosing to commit suicide feel alone and abandoned – as well-educated, informed, and productive citizens we have an obligation to ensure that these people know that they are not alone and that we, as a country, are not going to allow ignorance to pollute the fundamental human rights we all deserve.

                It gets better.

Foundation Primers

I can not stress the importance of a good foundation primer. A foundation primer not only preps your skin for "complexion perfection", giving your foundation a solid canvas that it can hold on to, it also fills in small lines and wrinkles, AND can smooth over rough patches of skin. Some foundation primers can even correct problematic skin, but I'll get to that later.

My ultimate favorite is Prime Time from Bare Escentuals, the makers of Bare Minerals... obviously. This primer is silicon based so it glides on effortlessly. I personally use this primer everyday and can't say anything but positive things about it. Living in south Florida, my skin is sometimes dry, it is sometimes oily, and sometimes it is combination, this primer, although it looks slick really gives a perfect finish to my skin without changing it. 

Now, Benefit makes an interesting primer called "That Gal". I had been on the hunt for a foundation primer, before I found Prime Time, and the lady at the Benefit counter convinced me to try it, I couldn't resist the cute packaging and cute skyline. Anyways, I bought it, brought it home to try it and was a little... disappointed - at first. I am assuming this product is water based because it doesn't glide on as smooth as any silicon based primer I have tried and it also didn't seem to spread as easily. With Prime Time, I use one pump and regardless of how dry my skin might be on that particular day, it is ALWAYS enough; with Benefit's primer, I felt like I was using a ton of the stuff to cover my entire face. The primer claims to brighten your skin and provide a base for foundation. I, personally, didn't see any difference in the coverage of my foundation or a change in how it looked. It didn't fill in any fine lines and it didn't cover any rough spots. With all these things said, I did find a positive use for this primer. I use it as an under eye brightener under and over my under eye concealer. It's pink pearly hue really does seem to give my eyes a well-rested look. While I don't recommend buying this primer if you are hoping for a really good foundation base, but I do recommend trying it out if you seem to have bags or dark circles under your eyes, because it really does make them disappear. 

Lastly, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. This is and has been a cult classic since it came out. It glides on smoothly and is very similar to the Bare Escentuals Prime Time foundation primer. This foundation primer is a little bit different because it comes in a variety of types for different skin types. I have a small, slight, little, embarrassing case of Rosacea, (a reddish dry, bumpy, patchy skin disorder that tends to get worse with age. OY!) and using the Color Correcting line of the Photo Finish primer, (the greenish one diminishes redness in the skin) really did help the redness of my skin and it seemed to take away from the flaky feel that I often have when my Rosacea is bad. 

There you have it, kids. A basic rundown of popular primers. I strongly believe in always finding some sort of use for products, even when they don't do what they say they will do.

Fragrance Review: Gucci by Gucci

I decided that since it is getting a little chilly out, mind you, I do live in South Florida so chilly is anywhere below about 70 degrees, regardless, it is cold. So, I decided to go and purchase a new perfume. I had been wearing a whole bunch of differentt scents, mainly Princess by Vera Wang, Betsey Johnson, and as tacky as it may be, Supermodel from Victoria's Secret - but they all seemed a little bit too summery and fruity/sweet for this weather, so I decided to go with something different.
To your right, my friends, you will find Gucci by Gucci, which I have fallen in love with. Truthfully, I think that Gucci by Gucci smells very sophisticated (and I am FAR FROM sophisticated) and mature, almost too mature for me, but I love it anyways.
From Sephora:
Notes:
Guava, Pear, Tahitian Tiare Flower, Musk, Honey, Patchouli.
Style:
Beautiful. Confident. Influential.

Even though the top notes are Guava and Pear, it doesn't smell overly sweet or fruity in the least. It actually, to me, smells more amber-y and warm rather than fruity and exotic.
I agree with Sephora that it is a confident scent - and it seems to last all day on me, even though it is an Eau de toilette. The prices range from $65 - $85 for the spray, and I think it's worth it, since it seems to last throughout the day.
I know this is a short post, but Im still SO busy with school, but if you are in the market for a more wintery perfume, maybe you should head over to your nearest Sephora and give this one a sniff. I am not a serial perfume purchaser, meaning I rarely buy the same perfume more than once, but this one I can see myself going back for a second bottle.

HIP Gel Liner vs Mac Fluidline

hat attracted me to Fluidline is the intensity of the colors, which by the way are abundant. There are the basics, black, variations of brown, and navy, ofcourse. They also offer a selection of other colors for the more bold, such as a frosted white, bright aqua, platinum, and violet.
A girl can never have enough eyeliner, especially black eyeliner. For the most part, I only wear black eyeliner, I think other colors really don't suit me, but thats just me.
At first glance, the liner looks pretty solid in the container, but once I dipped my brush into it, I was shocked. It is more gel like than cream, a way different consistency then that of Loreal's.
I dipped a flat liner brush into the "gel", and wiped some on the back of my hand to apply it. Not surprisingly, it applied like butter and I was thrilled with my results.

Loreal's HIP Gel Liners are cheaper and also come in a range of colors.
The first thing  noticed about the gel liners is that they "skipped" over my lid and also were not as deep, dark, and creamy as Mac's. However, they do work well as a base, which you cans see below.







So, let's compare:
Loreal's HIP Cream Eyeliner:
Price: $11.99
Amount: 4.5 Grams
Intensity: Nice, Matte Black
Texture: Cream

Mac Fluidline:
Price: $15.00
Amount: 3 Grams
Intensity: Deep, Dark Black
Texture: Gel

So, all in all... I would go with Fluidline, just because I am a Mac addict and I really liked the application, considering that liner can be hard to apply, especially in forms other than a pencil. Mac is only $3 more and you really can tell in the quality.
Obviously, if bang for your buck is more important, go with Loreal, or if you can't get to a Mac counter.

I really enjoyed using Fluidline, and it is a new staple in my makeup routine and collection.

Skincare Basics: Oily/Blemish Prone Skin

One of the most important aspects of beauty or makeup is having an ideal canvas to start out with. No one is perfect, and therefor no on has perfect skin, but there are all things we can do that can improve the overall quality, texture, and anything else that you don't like about your skin.

First, I'm going to start off by sharing my skincare routine. I have recently been using Philosophy On a Clear Day Skin System.

This kit includes:
- 6.0 oz Oil-Free Foaming Acne Cleanser
- 1.0 oz Oil-Free All Over Acne Treatment
- 0.5 oz Oil-Free Acne Spot Treatment 
- 0.75 oz Retinol Clarifying Lotion

After trying this out for over a month now, I can say I have seen a significant difference in my skin. Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily consider myself to have acne, however, I do have oily skin and I do get a couple blemishes here and there. I have noticed that my skin has become less oily, my pores appear smaller, and I haven't had any breakouts since I started using it. Also, the Retinol Clarifying Lotion helps to push the junk that is stuck in your pores to the surface so that they can be scrubbed away. 
If you suffer from oily skin and minor acne, I recommend this kit. The only other suggestions I have as additions to this kit are a good eye cream and night moisturizer, but more on those later. 
Prior to using Philosophy's line, I was using different products from Bliss, and I wasn't unhappy with them, I just needed a change, and it's always good to switch up your skincare every so often. I was using their Fabulous Foaming Face Wash to cleanse, Daily Detoxifying Toner to tone (obviously), and a night cream and a day cream which I believe they have discontinued, since I can't seem to find them anywhere. The overall quality of the line is good, and I had no irritation or bad effects from using any of their products, however, while I don't have anything bad to say about the line, I just feel as though my skin needed a more targeted plan of action, because it is hella oily, and living in South Florida doesn't help at all. 
Everyone's skin is different and requires different kinds of care. The best way to see what works for you is trial and error, but you can always ask a skincare advisor at Sephora for help, they are pretty knowledgeable and can offer great recommendations.
xoxo,
- Samantha

Review: Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Primer Potion

What the website says:
Smooth on a little Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion before foundation (or alone!) to totally minimize the look of pores and fine lines. The velvety, paraben-free formula flashes down to a soft-matte finish, without the greasy, heavy feel sometimes associated with foundation primers. The result? Flawless skin with an airbrushed look and feel. Foundation applies smoothly, evenly, and won’t fade away. Ideal for oilier skin, but dry complexions who want pore perfection will love it, too.
The convenient squeeze tube includes a twist-up dispenser (like school glue!) for easy portion control.


What I say:
Having been a huge fan of Smashbox Photofinish Primer, I was a little apprehensive about trying something new, however, I am glad that I did. This primer honestly does exactly what it says it is going to do: give you a pore-free complexion and makes your foundation last. When I first smoothed this primer onto my face, I immediately noticed a huge difference in the size of my pores, especially on my nose and cheeks, which is where they appear the largest. This primer makes those pores almost invisible. This primer also makes my foundation last much longer. The texture itself is a mix between a lotion and a silicone feel. It is thicker and a different formula than Smashbox, but I have found that although thick, you don't need to use too much to achieve the desired result. I smooth this over my entire face, let it sit for a few seconds, then apply concealer and foundation (either Temptu or Mac Studio Fix Fluid).
I recommend this primer to anyone with large pores. I personally have oily skin, and this primer didn't add to my oily dilemmas. It is rare to find a product that does exactly what it states it will do, and this really does deliver. Try it out and let me know how you like it.

Available at Sephora for $30 USD.

Black Eyeshadow

 I've come to notice that there are different variations of the basic black eyeshadow. 

Eyeshadows: Nehru, Carbon, Typographic, Black Tied

Depending on the look you are going for, the depth of black is important.It is also important to use a base under darker shadows so that they appear more true to color. A good base for black shadows is a black cream or gel eyeliner or a Mac Paint Pot.  

There are also more blue based blacks (Typographic) and more grey based blacks (Black Tied); the same is true for other colors such as grey or silver. 

When going for a more natural look, you may want to consider using a less intense black and when going for a more dramatic look you may want to consider using a more intense black, such as Carbon.

Holiday Series: Red Lips

In addition to my series on different brushes, I also wanted to begin a series on different holiday looks – and what better to start this off with my favorite holiday look: red lips.

My all time favorite red lip combination has always been:

• Mac Russian Red Lipstick
  
• Mac Russian Red Lipglass
  

These reds are both blue based red, and according to the Mac Cosmetics website Russian Red Lipstick and Russian Red Lipglass are both " vivid-intense blueish reds"; meaning they are bright true reds with no orange undertones. They are shown below individually as well as together on a model.



Many people do not understand the difficulty in actually achieving a red lip. Red is a difficult color to work with an requires maintenance throughout the time in which it is being worn.

A fellow beauty blogger, Temptalia, whose blog I read religiously, has an amazing tutorial on how to achieve the red lip (which can be found here) In her tutorial, she uses Mac Viva Glam I Lipstick and Mac 316 lip brush, Mac 194 concealer brush, however you can substitute for whatever you have.



Start with bare lips. (Mine have a touch of foundation from applying it to my face, but this is not an issue, as you'll see in the next step.)

Using the 194, apply a layer of foundation all over your lips. Alternatively, you could use Urban Decay's Primer Potion or MAC's Lip Erase (PRO product). The purpose is to neutralize your lips and reduce pigmentation and undertones.
Your lips should resemble something like this.

Using the 316, pick up a generous amount of Viva Glam I lipstick and begin applying it to the bow of your lip.

Using the 316, you want to line your lips with the lipstick itself, before applying it all over the lips. Alternatively, you could use a matching lip liner (Red Enriched cremestick liner is my recommendation) to get a cleaner line or for added bleed prevention if your lips have a tendency to bleed.
This is how your upper lip should appear.

Now, utilize the same technique to line the bottom of your lower lip.

Since we are using the same lipstick to fill in the lips, perfection is not key! It doesn't have to be an exact line.

It's time to fill in your lips. Keep brushing the 316 against the lipstick itself and then apply the color generously to your bottom and upper lips.

Keep repeating the process until you get to the desired level of redness. It will start off as a light to medium pink and get darker, eventually to the truest red that you see from the lipstick itself.

After several applications, your lips should have a color like this.

Fix any imperfections by slowly going over the edges of your lips. If you find yourself with a few bits that are outside the lines, there are two ways to remove it. One, use a cotton swab with a touch of make remover, and erase the flaws. Two, use foundation or concealer to go over the flaws. Either way will usually accomplish what you need, but if there is a significant stray red mark, makeup remover is the better option.

Here is the final version.

And here is Temptalia, in all her gorgeous glory:

Makeup Basics: Face Brushes

When I was working with clients they would always say, "I wish I could do that", and I would reply, "it's not really me, it's the brushes". It's true, while makeup application does require a bit of skill and artistry, having the right brushes for the right techniques does make a huge difference. In the earlier post, I shared a video on proper brush  cleaning, which is fundamental in general makeup, but proper implementation of your brushes is just as important. Many of my clients were amazed at what a difference using the right brush can make. I am going to set up this series by post.
- Face
- Eyes
- Detailing (optional)

First, just to give you an idea of just how obsessed with makeup I am, I will show you my brush collection.

These are the majority of my brushes. I have a lot of them. Most of them were given to me when I began working at Mac Cosmetics, and the rest I have acquired from working for other cosmetics companies as well as bought myself.

The importance of variety in brushes is important because different brushes will achieve different looks and have a different outcome.

As I mentioned above, I have chosen to divide this post into facial brushes, eye brushes, and detailing or other brushes. These are only the basics and based on my opinion. While I am going to mainly focus on Mac brand brushes, it is only because of my familiarity with the brand and because that is the majority of the brushes that I own.

When applying makeup, it is important that your brushes are clean. As I mentioned in my last post, brush sanitation is incredibly important. Sometimes just washing brushes can aid in clearing blemishes, acne, etc. Cleaning brushes regularly will disinfect them and make it less likely to contract any infections or have any reactions.  

Face Brushes:
- Foundation Brushes
- Concealer Brush
- Powder Brush

 


Mac 190 Foundation Brush
 This is the typical foundation brush which many people think of when they hear foundation brush. This brush is typically a flat, rounded, synthetic brush. This brush offers a range of coverage from sheer to full. It's flat surface fits easily into the contours of the face. As many benefits as this brush has, recently, many artists have veered away from this conventional type of brush for a few reasons. First, this brush can often get streaky, especially when applying foundation over a silicon based primer. This brush also tends to let the makeup sit on top of the skin, leaving a cakey and overdone look. Because of this, artists, such as myself, have opted for other, newer and better methods of applying foundation.

Mac 109 Brush
This brush is not what many think of when they are looking into foundation brushes. This brush is a small, full, natural fiber brush.
The best way to use this brush is to apply foundation directly on top of the bristles and "buff" the foundation into the skin using small circular motions. This brush allows the skin to "melt" with the foundation and gives an airbrushed effect. This brush minimizes streaking and gives an even flawless application.
This is my favorite brush for applying liquid foundation as well as cream foundation. The brush head is small so it fits into tighter areas and the bristles are firm enough to give me just the right amount of flexible coverage.

 

Mac 195 Concealer Brush

Having a concealer brush is so important because it allows the artist or the person applying the makeup the flexibility to control full coverage. By using a synthetic concealer brush, the brush is not absorbing any excess product and it is providing for full coverage in areas where it is needed, such as under the eyes or on areas of discoloration.

This concealer brush is medium sized, which is perfect for under the eye area as well as covering larger areas of redness or discoloration. Concealer brushes are available both larger and smaller, but I find that the size of this brush works nicely.

 

Mac 134 Powder Brush

This brush is a dense, full, and natural fiber brush. It allows for maximum coverage and pick up of powders. This brush works especially well with setting and transparent powders but is also ideal for applying bronzer or any all over washes of color. 

This brush is large and soft but not soft enough that you aren't able to get full coverage. This brush is perfect for setting liquid or cream foundation with a setting powder and manages to reduce shine while remaining natural and not cakey looking.

Now you have your basics on facial brushes - next post I'll discuss eye brushes. Until then, you can watch this youtube video which demonstrates my friend Tiffany's foundation routine.

Introduction & Makeup Brush Cleaning

Being my 1st entry, I would like to accomplish a few things.
First, I would like to introduce myself. I am Samantha and I am a 22 year old student at a University in South Florida. I was a freelance makeup artist for 4 years, but recently I have decided to place my priorities elsewhere and focus on becoming a Doctor. I worked for Mac Cosmetics and have a vast array of knowledge of not only Mac products but of many products, ranging from drug store cosmetics to high end cosmetics.
Secondly, I would like to explain the purpose of this blog. My purpose in writing this is to inform, help, and communicate with others who have the same or similar interest.
And finally, I would like to share a video on the most basic of techniques: brush cleansing.

Brush cleansing is so important because without proper brush care, you are vulnerable to bacteria, which could cause facial blemishes, discoloration, and rarely, disease. Brush cleaning not only minimizes these risks, but it also gives your brushes a clean canvas which makes the colors you choose to apply go on smoother, more true in color, and make them easier to blend. The YouTube clip below is from a fellow Professional Mac Makeup Artist, whom I know very well. He is incredibly talented, and I can assure you I will be posting more of his videos in the future.



- Samantha <3