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A Look Inside My Makeup Kit – What Products I Use and What’s Most Essential

Posted in EYE MAKEUP, EYELINER, FACE, FACE PRIMER, FALSE EYE LASHES, FOUNDATION, LIPGLOSSES, LIPS, LIPS - LIPSTICKS, MAC MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP BRUSHES, MAKEUP BRUSHES, POWDERS, PRODUCTS I LOVE, SHOPPING, SKIN HIGHLIGHTING, SKINCARE, TINTED MOISTURIZERS on June 17, 2012 by stylebymeli

Here is a photo I took of my kit after setting it up from this past weekend. As you can see, I’m set and ready to go!

So I realize it may seem that I have taken an extended leave of absence from my blog and I’m going to try to make up for it as much as I can from now until the end of the month!  I thought it would be nice to share some information regarding my professional makeup kit and what I stock it with.

Skincare - I always like to emphasize that skincare is a necessity as it will make or break the foundation application.  I keep a handful of moisturizers depending on a person’s skin type (normal, dry, oily) including tinted moisturizers from MAC and Korres.  I also have a full range of foundation primers and not loyal to any brand in particular.  Other good skincare products to have are eye creams to decrease puffiness underneath and for brightening.

Face - In terms of foundations, I currently carry MAC and Face Atelier.  I carry every shade that MAC offers so I’m not left having to mix shades (unless of course I can’t find a true match).

With powders, I carry all of MAC’s mineralize skinfinishes.  I also carry some of MAC’s studio careblend powders which I’m also a huge fan of and in time would like to get every shade.  I also have blot powders, both pressed and loose.

With concealers and color correctors, I have MAC, Bobbi Brown, Cinema Secrets, and Shiseido.

With blushes, I mainly carry MAC blush palettes, but also have some loose ones from NARS and MAC’s mineralize blushes.

With bronzers and highlighters, I’m using MAC and NARS mainly.

Eyes - In terms of eye shadows, I ONLY carry MAC as they offer an extensive color range with different textures and beautiful pigmentation.  I have over 150 colors in my kit!

With eyeliners, I carry liquid, gel, and pencils from MAC and Korres.

With eyeshadow bases, I only carry MAC’s paint pots.  I’ve tried many others including Urban Decay’s primer potient, but still find myself incredibly faithful to MAC.

With brow products, I mainly use eye shadows to fill in the brows but also carry brow powder kits from Urban Decay and Anastasia, which are truly great.

With mascara, I don’t have any brand loyalty.  Currently, I am carrying Clinique, Mabelline, and MAC.

With false eyelashes, I’m actually a fan of Revlon, Kiss, and Salon Perfect’s demi wisps are fabulous!

Lips - I carry a ton of lip liners which I like to use for coloring the lip for staying power along with double-ended long-wearing lip products such as MAC’s Pro Longwear (I’ve been obsessed with these for myself for years), but also finding other brands that carry similiar products such as Lorac and Covergirl.  I also have a handful of MAC lipsticks and lip palettes.

With lipglosses, I carry pretty much any brand.  I’m not loyal to one specific brand because to me, a lipgloss is a lipgloss.  Plus, I just like keeping a variety for my clients to choose from.

Besides makeup, what’s most essential in one’s makeup kit are the tools. It’s really important to find the best brushes and ones you feel most comfortable with. Personally, I absolutely cannot blend eyeshadows without a MAC #217 (seriously!), so it is for this reason that I carry a few of these in my brush belt.  

[Do you have any kit essentials?]

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How Many Brushes Do I Use for My Face Makeup? – Here’s a Look…

Posted in BLUSH, FACE, FACE PRIMER, FOUNDATION, MAC MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP BRUSHES, MAKEUP BRUSHES, POWDERS, SKIN HIGHLIGHTING, SKINCARE with tags , , on April 6, 2012 by stylebymeli

From left to right: MAC #224 brush, Crown Brush IB107 oval foundation brush

I was going over with a friend recently the importance of choosing the right brushes and knowing when to use them for what.  I thought it would be great to share what brushes I use for my face makeup and you will see that no single brush can do it all!  I use a total of seven brushes for just my face makeup alone!

Starting with all liquid and cream products…I use two brushes:

Skincare:  In complete honesty, I do apply my skincare products (serum, moisturizer, eye cream, and primer) with my hands.  I do advise using a basic foundation brush to apply these products but if you apply with your hands, it’s okay.  Also, for cream/liquid highlighting products, I will apply with fingertips (but then go back with a brush to blend).

Foundation: For liquid foundation, I personally like a small and thin foundation brush.  The one that I’m using is by Crown Brushes, specifically the IB107 oval foundation brush.  It doesn’t leave the foundation too streaky and just blends the product beautifully leaving a natural, flawless finish to the skin.

Concealer and small areas of the face: For concealer application such as blemishes and under eye area, I actually like to start off with my finger tips, but then I will use a MAC #224 (which is essentially an eye shadow brush, but many artists including myself like to use it as a face brush) to blend the edges seamlessly.

I want to point out that the MAC #224 is EXCELLENT for the small areas of the face:  under eyes, around the nose, around the lips, around the eye brows.  Basically, when I’m dealing with the perimeters of specific features of the face (nose, eyes, lips), I use the #224 because it’s small enough to get around those areas whereas the regular foundation brush is too big to cover the surface area.  The more delicate features of the face need to also be approached in a delicate manner, hence why I switch to a MAC #224 when I’m applying foundation to those areas.

When I do my clients’ face makeup, I also ALWAYS use a regular foundation brush to cover the majority of the face followed by a MAC #224 (or any fluffy small head brush) for the finishing touches.

Moving onto powder products…I use a total of five brushes:

From left to right: Crown C107 powder dome brush, MAC #138 brush, Crown BK3 chisel brush, MAC #129 brush, MAC #165 brush

Powder:  For all over the face setting powder, I always like to use a large fluffy brush.  I have been using a C107 powder dome brush from Crown Brushes.  I also have a MAC #182 kabuki which is also really nice.

Contour:  Specifically for contouring the cheekbones, I use a large powder brush with a tapered tip.  I personally LOVE the MAC #138 brush for the cheeks.  For someone with smaller and more defined cheeks, I may opt to use a brush with a smaller head (such as the MAC #129).

Bronzer:  I also like to have a separate brush for bronzer.  I add bronzer mainly along the hairline.  I’m using a medium sized dome shaped brush.  Specifically, I’m using the BK3 chisel brush from Crown Brushes.  Their brushes are great value and great quality.

Blush:  I typically like bigger brushes for blush because it gives a much softer application, but currently I have been using the MAC #129 brush which is their standard blush brush.

Highlight:  For cheek highlighting with a powder product, I LOVE the MAC #165 brush.  Unfortunately, this brush is discontinued which is sad because I only own one and do not have one in my professional brush kit.  I’m sure there are many duplicates available, but basically it’s a smaller version of the MAC #168 (which I just shared I used as my contour brush).  It’s a small headed brush that tapers on the end.

As you can see, I use a different brush for every powder product. I personally just like to have a separate brush per makeup application step. If you have a powder brush you are using as a blush and bronzer brush, this is okay. For an all over powder brush, I do suggest this brush be used for this step only.

[Do you have any brushes that you like to use that I did not share here?  If so, please share!]

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A Look at My Makeup Vanity Along with my NEW Lipstick Organizer

Posted in EYE MAKEUP, EYELINER, FACE, LIPGLOSSES, LIPS, LIPS - LIPSTICKS, MAC MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP BRUSHES, MAKEUP VANITY, MASCARA, PRODUCTS I LOVE, SHOPPING, SKINCARE, YSL on January 4, 2012 by stylebymeli

This week I have been spending a lot of time organizing my makeup and sorting out products I no longer use anymore.  Being it’s the beginning of the new year, I really want to start fresh in all aspects of life and cleaning/organizing my makeup stash has been a top priority on my to-do list.  First, I want to focus on the makeup, then eventually move to the closet which is its own separate project!

So let me show you my makeup vanity after I completely re-organized it….

As you can see, I have a little section for everything. All my eye shadows, eyeliners, and mascaras are kept here. You can also find my skincare (moisturizers, primers, etc.), foundation, eye makeup brushes, lip pencils, pro longwear lip products, some lipsticks, and other random things that I use.

Here is a look at my lipgloss station, where I also keep my YSL lipsticks. I have to take full credit for this idea of displaying lip glosses in martini glasses. It's been like this ever since I had my place. I figured, I love lip glosses and I love martinis, why not combine two great things?! ;)

I'm MOST excited to share my new lipstick organizer! (It holds 70 lipsticks)!

I finally figured out a system for organizing my lipsticks.  I used to keep them in drawers and lip bags, but with all my MAC lipsticks looking the same, it was impossible to find the shade I would be looking for at the exact time.

There could be days where I would be like, “MAC ‘Impassioned’ lipstick, where ought thou?!?!”  

(…or whatever shade I may be looking for at the time) and I wouldn’t be able to locate it at all or it would just take me a long time to find the lipstick of choice.

I knew there was a need for change.  I was shopping online in search of a lipstick organizer, where I discovered on Amazon (of all places, then again, what can you NOT find on Amazon these days?!) this amazing lipstick holder storage unit.  The best part is, it fits perfectly on top of this other mini storage unit that I already currently own.

Yesterday, I got a chance to really organize my entire collection where the lipsticks are first organized by the shade/color family and then alphabetically.  With seven rows, I have broken it down into the following categories:  corals, nudes, light nude pinks, shimmery/frosts, natural pinks, bright/hot pinks, browns, and then the front row is mainly limited edition packaging or other random ones (such as my Revlon lipsticks).

[How do you organize your makeup?  What are your thoughts on my makeup organization?]

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My 2011 Beauty/Style Holiday Wishlist…Just a Few Things I Really Want This Year

Posted in HANDBAGS, HOLIDAY, MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP BRUSHES, SHOPPING, YSL on December 15, 2011 by stylebymeli

I cannot believe that Christmas is only 10 days away, while the year is also quickly coming to a close.  Thankfully, I have gotten about 90% of my Christmas shopping complete and almost everything is wrapped and snug under the tree.  

I’ve been spending a lot of time shopping this month for friends and family, which has also allowed me to do some personal shopping for myself where I have come across a few things I would LOVE to have!  There’s honestly nothing I truly NEED right now, but there are definitely a few beauty and style things that are on my radar!

My Beauty/Style Holiday Wishlist:

*  NARS Yachiyo kabuki brush #27 – I heard this is an amazing brush and by the looks of it, it truly looks exquisite!

*  Ole Henrikson Truth Serum Collegen Booster – I have been wanting this for quite sometime now.  I’m just in dire need of a face serum (I currently don’t have one at the moment).

[Based on its reviews and by using ample samples from Sephora, I really like everything about it!  I'm all about the vitamin C complex and its anti-aging effects!  (Gotta keep the skin tight and flawless!)]

*  YSL Rouge Pur #22 “Pink Celebration” lipstick - I love YSL lipsticks and would love to add this one to my collection.

[This is a pretty bubble gum pink with a blue undertone.  I tend to always gravitate towards those shades.  It kind of reminds me of MAC's "Saint Germain" lipstick, which is my all-time favorite shade.]

*  Wallet – Although I’m very in much love with my current wallet that’s from Harrod’s (a popular department store in the UK), I have been rocking it for the past few years and it’s kind of time to retire it.  The wallet is showing some wear and honestly, I need a change!

[I'm currently lusting Kate Spade's "zip travel wallet" in a cream color pebbled leather.  It is an oversized wallet with a very simple design.  I just like the size of it and how organized it is inside!  The only problem is, it's not current so I cannot find it anywhere!]

*  Fur bag –  I have been looking for a fur bag for quite sometime now, they are just hard to come by these days!

This is a mink fur bag by Valentino. I like the shape. The color is also interesting.

[What do you want this holiday season?]

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How to Choose Your Perfect Concealer, When to Apply It, and My Concealer of Choice

Posted in FACE, MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP BRUSHES, MAKE-UP QUESTIONS, PRODUCTS I LOVE, SKINCARE with tags , , , , , , on June 23, 2011 by stylebymeli

I wanted to share with everyone a makeup post “covering” (ok, pun totally intended) extensive information regarding concealers.  Most of you already know what they do:  they cover and mask skin imperfections. However, the information doesn’t stop there!  Read on, pretty dolls! :)

Styling Confession:  I never used to wear concealer all that much.  I simply didn’t need it as I found that basic foundation worked well enough for my skin (I’m a believer of less is more).  Despite the fact my daily diet is the best it’s ever been and that I work out consistently, one would think my skin would be glowing thanks to my super healthy lifestyle.  

Well unfortunately, I guess that’s where stress and hormones take a toll on the skin.  This is something totally beyond my control, meaning daily breakouts are inescapable this point in my life.  That’s where concealer comes into the picture as I need it more than ever!

To choose your perfect concealer, you need to first determine what you are concealing.  From there, you will need to keep in mind two basic things:  color AND coverage.

Okay, so what are we concealing?

1)  Under eye circles:

* COLOR:  I typically recommend going a shade lighter than your natural skin tone.  Always match the skin tone or go LIGHTER (never darker).  Remember, the lighter shades will brighten darkness.

Also, if you have severe under eye darkness, consider investing in a color corrector (or a color correcting concealer) with a yellow or peach base.  The yellow and peach shades will counteract the blue from the dark under eye circles.  Reason being that they are opposite colors on the color wheel and will neutralize by canceling each other out. 

* COVERAGE:  Being that the skin in the under eye area is the thinnest, you will not want to layer anything too heavy.  I normally suggest a liquid with buildable coverage.  If you’re going to use a cream, keep in mind that creams are typically a heavier medium, so A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY and you will need to take the time to blend it evenly to prevent a caking up effect to occur.

2)  Acne/Blemishes:

*  COLOR:  I would recommend matching to your skin tone, or again going a little lighter is okay.  If the area is really red, definitely invest in a green tinted color corrector.  Again with color theory, red and green are opposite colors, meaning they cancel each other out.

*  COVERAGE:  In this situation, it’s okay to go super heavy with the coverage (typically a cream) because blemishes are using textured (not flat) and need a lot more attention.

3)  Dark spots (such as sun spots):  

*  COLOR:  Again, try to match closest to the natural skin tone or go slightly lighter.  A yellow based concealer also works well for counteracting dark spots.

*  COVERAGE:  Even though the area may be dark, typically it is flat.  I’d say in a situation like this, you can use a liquid or cream but I’d tend to lean closer to a cream, just not a large amount.

4)  Minor Skin Imperfections (Redness, blotchiness, random emergency situations, etc.):  

*  COLOR:  I would choose a shade that best matches your natural skin tone.

*  COVERAGE:  You honestly may be able to skip concealer altogether and just layer your foundation (FYI powder DOES not count as foundation) a little heavier in the areas needed.  You will not need anything too heavy in terms of coverage if you don’t have any major skin concerns.  A liquid or cream is fine, depending on your preference.  

APPLICATION TECHNIQUES:  Concealer is one of the FEW things that I actually think is OKAY to apply with bare finger tips.  For myself, I usually use my fingers because I feel I get the best manipulation of the product.  I can blend it with a light touch and warm up the product with my fingers.  A brush is definitely GREAT, but when using a brush, go very light handed (if you apply too much pressure, you end up not really layering the product properly).

I LOVE the MAC #224 brush (which is one of their most popular eye shadow blending brushes) for concealing purposes, especially under eye.  Or you can use any loose tapered brush.

Once you’ve taken care of your skincare regime (I hope you use a moisturizer at the very least)…

When do you apply concealer?  Depends on…

- You only wear concealer:  I never recommend this option.  It just looks unpolished if you wear concealer and don’t even take the time to do anything else.  At least set it with powder to even out the whole face!!!  (If you’re choosing to do this, then you would obviously just apply this and that’s it).

-  You wear concealer and powder (NO foundation):  Concealer will ALWAYS goes under powder.  Any liquid or cream mediums go onto the face before powder.

-  You wear concealer, foundation, and powder:  This is the golden combo right here because all these products will achieve different things for the skin.  (If you haven’t noticed, as a makeup artist, I don’t like the whole idea of wearing a concealer without taking the time to put on a foundation or a powder…I don’t like to cut corners!)

I just want to state there really is NO RIGHT OR WRONG on what order you decide to apply (foundation first or concealer first)..and I have to admit that I do BOTH!  On myself, I tend to ALWAYS apply the concealer first, followed by my foundation all over the skin.  If more concealer is needed, then I’ll go over it again.  I think being that I know my own skin, I know what needs to be concealed, hence why I make it my first step.

When I apply makeup on my clients, I actually apply foundation first.  Then I see if concealer is still needed.  The only times I will apply concealer right away is if I am color correcting.  Like if the skin has excessive redness or there is severe under eye darkness, then I will color correct and apply concealer first to even out the skin, then go ahead with foundation.

My Concealer of Choice (for myself):  MAKE UP FOR EVER Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream

I absolutely love this concealer!  I wear it in the #6 shade and it matches nicely.  It’s a liquid that comes in a squeeze tube which is just convenient.  In terms of the texture, this concealer blends onto the skin beautifully and it’s considered waterproof.  I have tried a good amount of concealers and will remain loyal to this product.

[In my professional makeup kit, I own one Make Up For Ever concealer palette along with a Cinema Secrets concealer palette.  They are creams and work great on my clients!]

[Do you have a favorite concealer?  Please share!!!]

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