October 10, 2011
I’ve been neglectful
Just as I get this thing all set up & rolling, my life had to go & take a turn for the crazy! Isn’t that always the way? Things are calming back down a bit, I am happy to say, so I should be able to start keeping up with this a bit more regularly now.
In the meantime… a preview of things to come…
I spent my day at the Make Up For Ever Pro Road Show today, where I picked up some great inspiration for upcoming photo shoots. James Vincent is an amazing artist & just an all around funny & nice guy.
1 note
See Post
#makeup #james vincent #make up for ever #inspiration
October 17, 2011
Photo shoot on Saturday night had a few minor ”hitches”… photographer forgot his flash! But, we improvised. Who knew the flashlight app on 3 phones, held just so, could come in so handy?
Here’s a shot I took of my model, the lovely Debra Blue, using my phone. Haven’t seen the REAL shots yet, but looking forward to it.
2 notes
See Post
#Photo shoot #model #my work #hair #makeup #sebastian
October 20, 2011
Please, please PLEASE go vote for me! And please share the link with all of your friends! Even though my model’s hair didn’t end up quite as planned, she was still so beautiful that I decided not to re-shoot & just use what we had & submit the entry. So I would greatly appreciate all of your votes!
Much love & gratitude!!!
<3 ~Lori
3 notes
See Post
#competition #model #hair #makeup #my work #sebastian
November 12, 2011
My lash extension experience… just thought I’d share for any of you who are considering it.
Top image - obviously I did not need extensions in the first place, but I’m a beauty junkie, so… sign me up!
Middle image - taken just after they were applied. I went for DRAMA! 14s & 15s. Go big or go home!
Bottom image - it’s been just over 3 weeks since the application. They lasted beautifully, but in the last couple days several started falling out, so today I applied a little eyelash adhesive remover & used a little lash brush on them & gently removed the rest. And NOW… now I could actually use extensions. :-(
This really has nothing to do with who did them or how they were done. She did an excellent job. This is more about me not doing my homework & asking enough questions before having them done. If I had, I would have known that I’d be left with shorter, sparse lashes if I chose to remove them all, rather than fill them. They should grow back… it’ll just take a good month or so.
Also - the process of getting them is completely comfortable & pain-free. Just takes awhile. Anywhere from an hour or more, depending on how many you get (mine were 1.5 hours). MAKE SURE YOU EMPTY YOUR BLADDER FIRST! Seriously… I didn’t. That part sucked!
And I LOVED them. Took a bit of getting used to at first & I couldn’t wear my glasses comfortably (went overboard, they were too long!), but they were great & I didn’t need mascara or even eyeliner, really, the whole time I had them. Not sure if I’ll do it again though. Probably just stick to using tabs when I want extra drama.
See Post
#lash extensions #beauty junkie #lashes #makeup #false lashes #breaking lashes #short lashes #growing lashes
February 13, 2012
Upcoming Topics
I’m working on a few blogs right now about topics that have recently caught my attention & hope to have them up within the next few days. Unfortunately (or, fortunately, really… but kind of a pain) I recently got a new laptop & it’s AWESOME, but trying to transfer files over from my old laptop is a bit of a pain. I sort of stopped keeping things organized on it over the last year & now I wish I had been better. Oh well. :-(
So… upcoming topics to be on the look out for:
- Covering scars & other skin “problems” using makeup - I want to talk about doing this the “right” way & how to make it look natural & not caked on or obvious. I see a lot of women attempting to cover scars, birthmarks, etc (even tattoos) & what they end up with is a mess that is more obvious than whatever it was they were trying to hide. We’ll talk about the dos & don’ts & I’ll try to post some videos to go along with it. This topic will be coming up first!
- Reviews of my latest MUST HAVES for hair & makeup. Those products I don’t leave home without & would want with me if stranded on a deserted island.
- My new website & portfolio updates. www.mirrorsandpaintedsmiles will be up & running soon. I’m working on it as fast as I can in order to get my entry together in time for the 2012 Beacon submissions.
I think that’s about it for now. Stay tuned. That first blog will be up very soon!
February 14, 2012
Cover That Up!
We all have flaws we wish weren’t there. Maybe you have freckles or a birthmark on your face or other prominent area. Maybe you have sun damage, blemishes, or noticeable scarring. Or perhaps you have a tattoo you regret or just need to cover for a job interview or important event. Whatever your “flaw”, rest assured, there’s a cosmetic solution, & it doesn’t have to be permanent or ridiculously expensive.
Let’s start off with a few general rules of thumb to keep in mind when searching for the right concealer products. When you have problem areas that go above & beyond the powers of every day foundation, most women (& men) quickly jump to the heavy, cakey concealers & layer it on, until they can no longer see whatever it is they’re trying to hide. The problem with that is, now you have an obvious layering of makeup, that is likely either darker or lighter than the surrounding skin. This brings us to our first two things to keep in mind:
- Choose a shade that is approximately 2 shades lighter than your natural skin tone, in the area you will be using the product. Most concealing products will dry slightly darker than they go on & with layering, they will darken more. This will allow you to match the surrounding skin more naturally.
- Avoid heavy cake-like concealers, including “sticks”. These tend to build up & look unnatural. Look for cream concealers that boasts words like, “light weight”, “waterproof”, “smudge-proof”, or “oil-free”. These are most likely to blend well, provide the natural coverage you are looking for, & last throughout the day.
Another product you’ll need to have is loose powder. Many of us already have powder in our makeup kits, but you’ll want to be sure the powder you use here is for setting the concealer, not adding to the shade or to provide any additional coverage. A lightweight, translucent powder works best for this.
Other tools to have on hand include a foundation brush, concealer brush, powder brush & setting spray. While all of these things (including some adequate concealers) can be found at your local drug store, if you’re serious about achieving natural looking coverage of your problem areas, I highly recommend visiting a professional makeup store, such as Sephora, & making the investment in professional quality products & tools.
Once you have your products & tools in place, simply use your foundation or concealer brush (depending upon the size of the area to cover) to apply a thin layer of concealer over your problem area, feathering the product out, lightly, around the edges. I like to squeeze a small amount of the product I am working with onto the back of my left hand (I’m a righty) & use that as a “pallet” while I work.
After you’ve applied your first layer, go back through & lightly dab more product in the areas that are still visible. Be sure to always blend & feather out the edges with each additional application. This will help to prevent obvious lines from forming. Always remember, less is more. Add just small amounts at a time, allowing each application to dry a bit before adding more, until you achieve the desired result.
Once you are satisfied with your coverage & your concealer has dried, dab your powder brush into your powder & shake off any excess. Now apply the powder over the concealer & feather out onto the surrounding skin. Wait approximately 30 seconds & lightly brush off any excess powder with a tissue or a clean powder brush.
You can now mist the area with a setting spray, if you choose. This step is not necessary, as the powder will set the concealer, but if you are one who likes a bit of added security, have at it! You’re now ready to go out & conquer the world without worrying about whether or not they notice your “flaw”!
My preferred products:
- Make Up For Ever Full Cover Extreme Caouflage Cream
- Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder
- Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix
- Make Up For Ever Natural Plasto Wax **
**Ok, here is something I didn’t cover above. Plasto Wax is typically used in theatrical makeup application to create scars, bumps, warts, etc. It mimics the texture of skin quite nicely & you can paint or apply makeup over it & blend it in to the natural skin. This stuff is GREAT if you have deeply recessed scars that you wish to hide. Use just a little to fill in the recessed area, then proceed with the concealer application as listed above.
As you can tell, I’m a huge Make Up For Ever fan! Their products are reasonably priced, considering how well they work & how long they last. And you can easily find them at Sephora. They also have an awesome 12-Colour Flash Case that can be used to custom blend colours & comes in quite handy if you have skin discolouration that you need to conceal. Of course, there are other lines out there with great products that will work too. Dermablend, Bare Minerals & Kat Von D’s Tattoo Concealer are a few worth checking out.
Hope this helps some of you out! And if you have any questions (on this or anything else), please feel free to ASK HERE & I will get a response to you just as soon as I can.
4 notes
See Post
#concealer #scar coverage #tattoo coverage #acne coverage #makeup #tutorial #product recommendation #Make Up For Ever
March 18, 2012
Yes, having a great model is good. And an awesome photographer, even better! And, yes, I can do great things with hair & makeup…. but the REAL secret to beautiful images lies completely in my Photoshop skills. Don’t believe me? Give me a crappy picture, complete with wrinkles, no makeup, etc. I’ll give you back something gorgeous. Don’t believe everything you see, boys & girls… It’s all just mirrors & painted smiles.
August 28, 2012
Crowd Fund Me
1 note
See Post
#indiegogo #kickstarter #crowd fund #temptu #hair #makeup #classes #tools #fundraise #education
November 24, 2012
…fetish is coming…
May 9, 2013
And it’s been 11 years since we lost gods gift to makeup. May 7th. My birthday is sandwiched between the death of my heroes. Kevyn Aucoin is it to my makeup work what Vidal Sassoon is to my hair work. #makeup #inspiration #genius
