Thursday, November 17, 2011

Dangers of Counterfeit Cosmetics / Peligros de Cosmeticos Falsos


I feel it's my responsibility to urgently warn my clients and readers about counterfeit cosmetics. It's easy to get lured in by the low price of these items but their true price and origin could be serious damage to you or your loved ones' health. Counterfeit cosmetics are cheap imitations churned out by unlicensed factories that are usually sold far below the cost of the genuine article. But the bargain almost always has a cost of its own: most fakes are missing integral ingredients, which are then replaced by some pretty unpalatable, and often unregulated, substitutes



It's no secret that counterfeit items such as handbags, sunglasses, belts and shoes have been on the rise in Honduras (worldwide actually) and it's becoming harder and harder if you don't have a trained or discerning eye to spot the original from a fake one. But it's a totally different story when it comes to purchasing counterfeit cosmetics or even cheap brand-less cosmetics. 

Monday, October 31, 2011

Hues for you

Eye Shades and Eyeshadows


I've gotten so many questions from girls lately asking me which eyeshadow colors should they wear with their eye color. I've always believed that there are no strict rules to follow in makeup and there is no rule which says that you should coordinate eye color with eyeshadow or even go that far to coordinating your eyeshadow colors with your clothes. 


A general rule of thumb with eyeshadow is to compliment your eye color and get your eyes to pop, here are a few suggestions:


Blue Eyes: 
Earth tones such as browns with a slight purple base, taupe and slate colored grays 
Brown Eyes: 
Chestnuts, burgundies, warm beiges greens and taupes
Green Eyes:
Earth tones with slight hints of gold, taupe, mocha browns and lavender-purple shades.

Friday, October 21, 2011

OMGoddessFriday - Mineral Makeup & Flash Photography ... A Big NO NO

As wonderful as mineral makeup is, it is not suitable for any situation where photographs are an important part of the event. This makeup, while a great choice for daily wear, is simply not meant for flash photography, because of it's natural composition (minerals with reflective properties) whenever the camera flash goes off plus any surrounding light will reflect off those minerals, creating a bright, white cast, leaving you with a distinctly lighter face than any other body part. So now you know, avoid wearing mineral makeup on your next event.

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Aunque el maquillaje mineral sea tan maravilloso, no es adecuado para cualquier situación en donde las fotografías son una parte importante de tu evento. Este maquillaje, mientras que es una gran opción para el uso diariosimplemente no es adecuado para la fotografía con flashdebido a su composición natural (minerales con propiedades reflectivascada vez que el flash de la cámara se active, mas la luz circundante hara que los minerales reflejen esta luz, creando un espectro blanco brillante, dejándote con un rostro visiblemente más claro que cualquier otra parte de tu cuerpoAsí que ya sabesevita el uso de maquillaje mineral en tu próximo evento.


Tuesday, October 18, 2011

What is Airbrush Makeup? Que es el Maquillaje con Airbrush (Aerógrafo)?

Airbrush makeup is the best -kept secret in the beauty industry and it is now available to brides in Honduras!

Airbrush makeup is flawless looking makeup, giving women a beautiful yet natural look where makeup is used with a minimalist approach. It enhances one's natural beauty in a way that is not ostentatious or obvious. 

HOW DOES AIRBRUSH MAKEUP WORK?
In order to achieve a perfect, sheer look, foundation is sprayed on through an airbrush gun and an air compressor as an ultra fine mist of color that gently covers the skin, giving the appearance of a flawless complexion. This ultra-fine mist of water or silicone based foundation offers an absolutely flawless, poreless, immaculate complexion which literally lasts all day and evening too as it is waterproof and indelible, meaning it will not rub off and stain your clothes or anyone else's, making it a bride's best friend! Airbrush makeup is non-transferable, meaning that slight rubbing or brushing against something or someone will not cause the makeup to come off the face, it won’t go anywhere until you wash it off.

HOW IS AIRBRUSH MAKEUP DIFFERENT?
Airbrush makeup leaves a light, seamless veil of color over the skin, creating the illusion of a perfect face because microdots  of makeup are misted on, allowing your true skin tone to show through without masking your face in heavy foundations. The ability to mix Airbrush foundation colors for individual custom blends is unsurpassed, resulting in a more natural look that covers skin imperfections effortlessly.

Bridal Makeup Q/A

Q 1. - How far in advance should I book my make-up trial?
Answer - You need to book your makeup trial at least 2 weeks prior to your wedding date.
Some brides may like to consider having their trial in the same weather conditions that they could reasonably expect to encounter around their wedding day. So, if you want a Summer wedding, think about having your trial done in hot weather. The same idea applies for Spring, Autumn and Winter. Have an idea of the look you would like to achieve for your wedding. Many brides have makeup color preferences and you will need to voice your likes and dislikes before your makeup trial. I suggest that brides look at good quality photographs in Bridal Magazines and have their favorite pictures ready to show me upon my arrival for their makeup trial. This will help us establish an easier communication. Please put on a white colored top so it would be close to the color of your gown.

Q2. - What make up look is best for my Wedding Day?
Answer - Every makeup is individualized to meet your requirements, however makeup for the bride is usually best when it is soft and feminine. Some brides have themed weddings and will need make-up to match with the theme they have chosen.  It is important to be really open and honest about what you like and don't like and this is discussed before the makeup trial and also on the day of the trial. 

Don't wax before your wedding day or special event!

Waxing removes even the tiniest facial hairs hardly visible to the naked human eye. Makeup needs to adhere properly to the skin an waxing causes the makeup to be blotchy and not stick in the areas that were waxed. Not only this but you don't want red bumps or irritated skin to show up in your pictures,right?! 
Be sure to plan this at least a week in advance and tell your bridesmaids as well!!!

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No the depiles con cera ningún area de tu rostra días antes de tu boda o gran evento. La depilación con cera remueve hasta los vellos mas pequeños casi invisibles al ojo humano y el maquillaje necesita adherirse correctamente a la piel, la depilación dificulta la aplicación, ya que se forman parches de maquillaje en las áreas que fueron depiladas. No solamente esto, pero también querrás evitar lucir una piel irritada con un rash de color rojo en tus fotos, cierto? Asegurate de planificar este procedimiento al menos una semana antes de tu boda, comparte este tip con tus damas de honor también.

Don't get a facial days before your big day!

Don't panic right before the wedding and decide to get an aggressive cosmetic procedure, it might irritate your skin and make you break out. Try to start your facials or anything else that u will be doing to your face at least 2 to 3 weeks prior to your big day. And if the worst should happen and u wake up with a huge zit a day or 2 before your big day, swing by your dermatologist's office for a cortisone injection to deflate it in a hurry.

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No the hagas un facial días antes de tu gran día! No entres en pánico días antes de tu boda y decidas someterte a un procedimiento cosmetico agresivo, pueda que este deje tu piel muy irritada y produzca brotes o un rash. Planifica tus faciales o cualquier otro procedimiento que estarás realizando en tu rostro con al menos 2 a 3 semanas previas a tu boda. Y si lo peor ocurre y te despiertas con un grano enorme uno o dos días antes de tu gran día, visita a tu dermatólogo y solicitale que te aplique una inyección de cortisona para desinflamarlo rápidamente.

OMGoddessFriday - Try ... Eyebrow Shaping

Perfectly groomed eyebrows, just like manicured nails can make a huge difference in presenting yourself as sophisticated and on top of your beauty game. A great pair of eyebrows can even have transformative powers. "People will think you look beautiful without knowing why" says celebrity brow shaper Anastasia Soare. On the flip side, neglected brows can do major damage to your look. Brows are an essential part of every trend, when your brows are left ungroomed, it can make your whole appearance look passé, and in beauty, as in fashion, being passé is a serious crime.

Timing is everything

As with food, beauty products can go bad, too. Depending on their ingredients, cosmetics can spoil or simply lose their potency. Thanks to new labeling on some products (an open-jar icon, with the number if months it's good for after opening), it is becoming easier to figure out cosmetic expiration dates. 

It is very important to pay attention to expiration dates, particularly for eye products and skincare items that have antioxidants or natural ingredients. Using expired and spoiled beauty products could potentially harm your skin (e.g. breakouts), cause eye infections, or simply fail to have the same level of efficacy compared to the first time you used them. 

Look for expiration dates on the packaging. It is usually labeled on the box and the product itself with an open-jar icon and a number followed by the letter M. In this picture, the label says 6M, which means this is good for 6 months after opening up the jar. 

OMGoddessFriday - Faking It

The right bronzer can transform you into a St. Tropez goddess, but to successfully snag a golden glow that's both flattering and convincing, you must select a shade that warms your complexion, the goal is to appear gently kissed by the sun not burnished. 

Light Complexions: Stick to sheer, cool bronzers that have a beige undertone. Anything too brown will be obvious and make you look muddy.

Medium Complexions: Lucky ladies! You can pretty much get away with any bronzer, but your best bet will be one that's gold or brown since these hues warm up your skin.

Dark Complexions: Golden and brown-based bronzers look most natural on you. If your skin is very dark, opt for a bronzer with more red or copper in it, which will really pop and give you a gorgeous, sunny color.

The Different Colors of Bronze

Bronzers are more than just a fake tan. Many use the natural tones in your skin to help you look your best. Look for bronzers that have different undertones – such as pink versus yellow – and match to your skin’s natural coloring.

Above all avoid bronzers with chunky glitters in them, look for matte bronzers instead, these look most natural on all skin tones. If you want a pearlescent effect use a highlighter.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Welcome to my lil' makeup world!

Yay!  My very first blog!  


I am an international Makeup Artist currently working in Tegucigalpa and it's surrounding areas. For those of you who don't know where Tegucigalpa is, it located in Honduras, Central America.  


I'm doing this blog to share my work, experiences with new products, techniques and stories that occur along the way!  I'm hoping to post something at least once or twice a week  :) 


Welcome to my lil' makeup world!