Monday, December 30, 2013

New Year's Eve Makeup Trends

New Year's 2013 is ALL about metallic and as always; GLITTER!  To get a rockin' New year's look, you really have to go all out - and nothing is more festive than adding a lot of sparkle!  And don't be shy about it - its a time to party!

The disco-ball lip:


Multi-colored glitter really makes a statement on the lips - and its the one time of year you can wear it and not feel ridiculous (not that THAT ever stops me from wearing it!)

The super metallic eye:


Whether you go silver or gold - the ultra shiny metallic look is SO in!  My fav way to achieve it?

Stila's Magnificent Metals Eye Shadow (Ulta & Sephora)

You use the liquid to create a super shine bond that doesn't budget ALL night - yeah, like even the 3am type of New Year's!

(Pro Tip: Use a Primer first!)

White Hot


White eye shadow is taking this winter by storm (no pun intended) - and it looks SO hot with a bold lip (especially red!)

Dab on a white cream shadow with a brush and make sure you cover most of the lid.  Stay minimal on eyeliner (or skip it) but make sure you use a black mascara to define lashes or you'll look albino!




I love this basic step by step - and you probably already have all the tools in your makeup kit!



So there you have it - these three looks are sure to get your noticed on New Year's 2013!

Perfecting Your Skin - Through Body Lotion

It was only a matter of time before SOMEONE caught on to how much women love BB and CC creams for face AND now even HAIR, and finally gave us a product that will make the skin all over our body look incredible!

Jergens BB Body Skin Perfecting Cream, All Light Skin Tones
Introducing Jergens BB Body ($12), which is a treatment and moisturizer for the body that will improve the texture & appearance of your skin!

From Jergens:
5 Beautifying Benefits in One Moisturizer for a Flawless Appearance
  • Hydrates and smoothes
  • Brightens and illuminates
  • Evens skin tone
  • Visibly firms skin
  • Minimizes the appearance of imperfections
Optimized benefits for two skin tone ranges:  Light & Medium-Deep.  Absorbs quickly and won't rub off on clothes.  Provides immediate benefit & transformation to skin as well as long-lasting visual improvements with continued use.
 
It is definitely worth a try - because adding lotion alone to your beauty routine just isn't going to cut it - you need to even the tone and make it look incredible, especially with the drier harsh temperatures of winter and leading into the more skin-baring clothing of Spring!
 
Who's going to try it?  (I know I am!)
 
 

Monday, December 23, 2013

My Farewell to Chris Brandolino

As you may or may not know, Chris Brandolino is leaving WSYR Channel 9 to move to New Zealand with his family!  I've co-hosted with Chris this year and he is just a funny loveable guy, and he really made me feel comfortable on camera and was very patient with me! 

Check out the link below to see my farewell to him!


http://www.9wsyr.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=4840342

Christmas Nail Art Inspiration!

Yeah!  2 more days till Christmas - so its time to get creative and show up to see the family with some adorable nail art!  It always makes a statement!

Here are my favorite nail art inspirations for Christmas 2013!











Thursday, December 12, 2013

Facial Cleansing Brushes, More Harm than Good?

Hey y'all, I was BACK on Movin' Mornings with Joey & Heather today (after a few weeks off) and I came back with an important topic: Cleansing Brushes!

Many of us love our cleansing brushes (and I am sure many of us have them on our wish lists for Christmas this year!)
Clarisonic Cleansing Brush

But using your brushes the wrong way could cause more damage to skin than you think!  So I will break down the signs of misuse AND the do's and don'ts!

Signs you're overusing or misusing your cleansing brush:
- increased breakouts
- redness
- excessively dry skin
- irritation and increased sensitivity

Don'ts
- Don't combine the use of your cleansing brush with a chemical exfoliator, its too much exfoliation for the skin
- Don't use in conjunction with a scrub, it will scrub off too much skin
- NEVER share your cleansing brush with another (just get separate brush heads and change them with each person's use)
- Don't over-use it.  Every other day is typically the use the average person should go for
- Don't 'push' it into your skin.  These brushes were made to work without having to press hard onto the skin, it will just cause irritation
- Don't use on sensitive breakouts, it will only irritate skin and spread the bacteria from the breakouts!
- when using a sonic brush (like the Clarisonic) make sure to cleanse makeup off FIRST then re-lather and use the brush - sonic brushes 'push' cleanser deep into pores, if you have lots of makeup or oil on your face, it will push that in too (this is super important!)



Do's
 - Rinse the brush head off with soap & water after each use, detach and let air dry
- use alcohol to cleanse every so often OR zap the brush head in the microwave for 10 seconds to kill bacteria
- Change the brush head every 3 months
- Get the jawline well (a common place for buildup)

What's the difference in the expensive vs. other brushes?

$30 Oil of Olay Cleansing Brush

This is what is considered to be an exfoliating or 'scrubbing' brush - because the brush head moves back and forth to create friction that scrubs skin.  Yes, it IS better than just using your hands BUT, it can be very irritating!

$120 Clarisonic Mia
This is the only brush that offers true 'sonic' technology, which means it sends a pulse that actually breaks up residue (makeup, oil, dirt, pollutants, dead skin) and wipes it away.  Which is WAY more powerful than just a scrubbing brush!!!  Its totally worth the additional cost!

Check out how much more clean skin surface was with a sonic cleansing brush vs. a scrubbing brush:

Monday, December 9, 2013

This weekend's clients

This weekend I had 6 makeup clients - and a majority of them were adorable 9th graders getting ready for the winter formal dance!  They were so sweet & fun (although, none of them thought my black light activated lipstick was cool enough to actually wear - to my extreme disappointment!)

Check out 2 of the before & afters I captured!

Fun Flashback!

Here's a fun flashback to mid-2013 and Rosa M's first time hosting Bridge Street!  Such a fun memory!

Friday, December 6, 2013

Take a Queue from Blake Lively for Hot Holiday Hair

Blake Lively may have some of the most envious hair of our generation (yes, I track these sort of things) but imitation IS the most sincerest form of flattery, so flatter miss Blake for your Holiday gatherings this year and steal some of her hair looks!

The Sleek Pony:

Blow dry hair straight, use an iron to get out any wave.  Use styling cream to slick back hair (no flyaways allowed - it ruins the look!) and secure the pony tail semi-low.  Use shine serum and a but of hairspray to tame the pony and make it look sleek!

Bonus: find an awesome pony tail holder with some bling OR wrap a small section of hair around the pony to give it a finished and styled look


The triple pony:

This is a style she goes to over and over again, and that's because its fierce!  loosely dried and curled hair works best - I also recommend day old hair - it will hold the style better.  Remember to tease the pony each time to give it volume.  Wrap a small section of hair around each pony to add to the look!


The Teased Crown:
Whether she is rocking an updo or not, she likes to add a lot of volume, and you can too!  Try a teasing powder (I like Big Sexy Hair's Teasing Powder you can find at Ulta)




Take it to the Side:
Blake likes to rock a side pony or just a side swept look.  It can be casual, but suddenly baring that shoulder makes it instantly glam!












The 2014 Color of the Year

Pantone, THE authority on color (creating pigments that define color all over the World for many years) has now announced what the color of 2014 will be - and its fabulous! 

Let's start by doing a flashback of 2013's Color of the Year, Emerald!

 
If you were like me, and you hopped all over the Sephora & Pantone partnership in 2013, you snagged some gorgeous Emerald makeup products - especially the creamy gloss shadows for eyes!

 
So now its time to announce
Pantone's 2014 Color of the Year, and its just as vibrant!
 
Radiant Orchid!
Buxom Cosmetics Already Launched Shades in Dec 2013


How it Looks On

So, what do you think?  Will you be getting in on this trend?  I can't wait to see the Sephora set for THIS color! 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thanksgiving Themed Nail Art

Its time for TURKEY DAY!  Don't you want to celebrate it with adorable Thanksgiving nail art?  (No?  Well whatev, just check out the pics then!)







The Dream Team

I like to call Erika (Photographer, aka: Erika DeSocio Photography) and I the "Dream Team" because when we collab - photos and inner beauty come to life.  So what better than a stunning 14 year old girl named Kaitlyn, who is an aspiring model, for us to 'sink our teeth into'?!  Kaitlyn is the niece of a long time friend, and I work with her at many Bridal events (her mother Heather owns Forever Endeavor Weddings) and this girl is just GORGEOUS.  So many people stop and tell her that, and approach her to model, when she tells them she is 14, people go NUTS "How are you 14?!"  Everyone says it.  Finally her mother calls me and says, "Ok, we need some photos."

I did Kaitlyn's makeup, I started with a very youthful peachy glow and we graduated to a thick winged black shimmer gel liner with a red lip.  Having done a few photo sessions myself, I can understand that its a bit intimidating to let yourself go and pose and 'work that camera' but you HAVE to ot the photos are too bland.  As the afternoon progressed, Kaitlyn started to build her confidence.

One of the most inspiring parts of the day was when she really got into some poses and BAM!  The skies opened up and it started to snow ...... a lot!  We quick transformed her into the more mature red-lip look, and we hit the snow.  It was freezing, but Kaitlyn melted out hearts with her maturity and confidence.

Here are a few previews (how amazing is Erika that she made sure Kaitlyn had these shots to share on FB within HOURS?!)