More Than Your Average Witch...

Yes! It's Halloween time and this is when I get to really show-off! I have never grown out of Halloween-I love any opportunity to dress up and be someone other than myself for a day! But, a little birdie told me that some of you have fears when it comes to applying/removing Halloween makeup. Never fear! It's alot easier than you think and what's so cool is that makeup isn't a tattoo-if you mess up, guess what? It washes off!
Now, please step away from the waxy, crayon-like makeup you see at the local store. That stuff will just come off of your face faster than a burglar running away from a break-in...anywhoooo...you can still achieve a really cool Halloween face with some inexpensive drug store makeup, but for really bright colors, I would recommend using a brand known for their amazing colors (can you guess which brand I'm talking about?) Yes, MAC makes awesome eyeshadows that you can use for Halloween, but that you could probably use all the time-make your makeup last all year!!! Also, think outside the box! Go to a craft store and get inspired. Don't limit your face to just makeup! Think feathers, jewels, fabric, etc. A great glue to use to apply all of these treasures (as long as you're not allergic to latex) is DUO-you can buy it at the MAC counter or at Walgreens.
Okay-time to get this party started!
So first things first, make sure your face is clean, moisturized and ready to go. Put a headband on/ponytail so that you don't get any makeup in your hair-that's just not cute.
As always, I like to start with the eye area-especially if the rest of your face is going to be a lot lighter. Many of us like to use glitter during Halloween and that's great-just be EXTREMELY careful with it around/on your eye. That last thing you want is to be in the ER on Halloween with a scratched cornea. If you DO use glitter, make sure it is a fine grade glitter (really tiny particles) and mix it in with something creamy (cream eyeshadow) so that it will stay in place better. And again, don't limit the glitter just to the face-would it look good on your body? How about your hair? Another trick I like to use for eyes is Scotch tape-yeah, you read it right. Anywhere you would like a crisp, clean line on your face, use your Scotch tape as a stencil! It will give you a perfectly straight edge! If the tape is really sticky, put it on the back of your hand first (this will pick a little bit of dead skin-eew, I know)and the tape won't be quite as sticky. Go to town with it! Give yourself a plaid face using that Scotch tape-it's so much fun!
Now, for your face, don't make the same mistake I did in high school. I "dressed up" as a bored housewife (self-fulfilling prophecy, much?) and thought it would be cute to make a green-colored "mud mask". I mixed some of my mom's foundation with some green food coloring. Sure, it did the trick-I had a green face FOR ABOUT A WEEK! Seriously, I scrubbed like crazy to get it off, but who knew my pores were so thirsty for green food coloring? I managed to get it off, but I still had a weird "I'm about to throw up" hue to my face. Nice. So, a better trick to make ANY color face you want is to buy inexpensive, very lightly-colored foundation (I think a little piece of my heart just died while typing that) and some inexpensive powder eyeshadow (there goes another piece) in your desired color. Crush the eyeshadow and mix it into the foundation, and voila! You have makeup for your face, and it will come off much better than food-coloring. Promise.
Now, I'm not sure what you plan on dressing up as for Halloween, but keep in mind that any place on your face that you are trying to recede (sunken in cheekbones, eyes) you will use a very dark color. Any place that you would like to highlight (brow bone, bridge of nose), you will use very light colors. You can see what I'm talking about in the pictures. Of course, if you are a "slick chick", or you want to make sure your makeup doesn't come off throughout the night, you will need to set it. A great Halloween setting powder is baby powder! The talc in it will help absorb oil and keep your face intact! And of course, don't let me catch you going to bed with all that on your face! I don't care how many Bloody Marys you drank! Suck it up and take that paint off your face! Start off by using makeup remover wipes-this is especially important if you used a lot of glitter. You don't want to go straight to scrubbing your face with a bunch of glitter on it-otherwise, you'll go from being a Sexy Fairy to Freddy Krueger-it will "exfoliate" your skin to the point of burning. I know this because I learned it the hard way after dressing up as the Wicked Witch of the West and having glitter all over my face. My face was on fire (and not in a good way!) Once you've gotten most of your makeup off with the wipes, wash and moisturize your face as usual. Make sure to take extra good care of your skin the next few days-it may be a little sensitive...
So, enjoy all of the pictures and Happy Halloween!
1 Peter 3:3-4

Love,
Mel

For Mature Audiences Only...

OK...get your minds out of the gutter...this is about your makeup routine as your skin ages. There's nothing worse than seeing a 30-something young lady walking through the mall thinking she's 70, well...yeah there is-a 30-something young lady thinking she's 15. So, what do we do at this age-too old for glitter and too young for girdles? I say, BE GLAD! You've seen enough to have learned some things, but not old enough to know it all...
I like to think of my 30s as a time to find my "signature look". Now, that doesn't mean getting stuck in a rut of wearing the same two (or in my case, five) eyeshadows everyday, same gloss, etc. It just means making some decisions on your basic look that can be tweaked every once in a while...
When we were teens, we could throw on any Debbie-Gibson/Mary-Kate-and-Ashley glitter on our faces and call it a day. Well, we could do that because we were probably either coming from or going to a pep rally. That was our schedule.
In our 20s, we could experiment a little more with color and get really bold, keep some of that glitter on the eyes for nights out, and still not look too ridiculous. During the day, we probably still wore some frosted eyeshadows, a foundation that was two shades too dark (because we wanted that "sunkissed" look-FYI...we looked like we forgot to rinse after a mud mask), too much "translucent" (not when WE were done with it!) powder, some pepto-colored lip gloss, a chalk-line of eyeliner, and layer upon layer of Great Lash mascara. Ouch, did I hit a nerve? Don't worry-I was there with ya!
Now, we're in our 30s and it's time to shine-literally. We're just going to do a little less shine on the eyes and a little more on the skin. Yes-you heard me-even my "slick chicks"! First and foremost, I will reiterate, less is more!
FOR YOUR SKIN: Glow for it! Create radiance! Get rid of all the mattifying powder. Now, if you have oily skin, use something UNDER your foundation to help control oil or use a blot powder (only where you need it) or blotting sheets. But, as far as foundation goes, start using foundations that give you a natural, satin, or radiant finish. You can even pump up the radiance in a favorite foundation of yours by adding an illuminating lotion. The reason we want to stay away from so much of the matte ingredients is because they REALLY accentuate fine lines and wrinkles-you know...those pesky little boogers underneath your eyes-yeah, that's where mine first popped up-sneaky devils! And powders do the same thing-they will camp out right into those lines and scream, "Hey look at me! I'm making this chick look old!" Not cool.
FOR YOUR EYES: Don't kill the messenger. I know the really crazy, funky colors are BEAUTIFUL (and you don't necessarily have to put them away just yet...), but they are not appropriate for everyday use! So, if you're channeling your inner Boy George, stop-I must save you from yourself. Bold, funky colors are fun for nights out, holidays, 80s parties, what have you, but for every day, keep it pretty and soft. This doesn't mean you can't switch it up! You can wear neutral browns one day, olives the next, and purples the next! Just don't be too heavy-handed and NIX THE GLITTER. When was your last pep rally? OK-that's what I thought. And with eyeliner...electric blue isn't helping anyone out! Again simplicity is key! You can never go wrong with brown or black-those are always safe bets and again-SOFT, SOFT, SOFT. No Cleopatra, no Tammy Faye (RIP, sister)...Speaking of Tammy Faye! Those LASHES-whew! Keep in mind, you want nice, long, thick lashes, right? Well, coat after coat after coat of mascara will not give you this! More is not better! What happens is you get dry, brittle, spider lashes (yikes!). Just use a primer first and then use a lengthening mascara-this will give you length and volume minus the CRISPY lashes. Ew.
FOR THE CHEEKS: I love cream blush! Again, I have drier skin, so it does well for me, but with the winter time coming, it may work well for you, too! Cream blush just really looks so nice if it is well blended and the color is right. I try to choose a color that is close to the inside of my lip and I look for some with a little bit of a shimmer to it (radiance, remember?). Now the key is placement with this. You don't the Raggedy Ann-two circles on your face, but you also don't want to regress to the 80s and take it to the temples, either. Who started that, anyways? Just smile at yourself (which is good for your self-esteem-I highly recommend it) and your sweet apples will pop right out! That's where the focus of your blush should be. Then gently rub in the cream blush into a "Nike" symbol-the fatter part of the "swoosh" on your apples with the smaller part going away from the nose (I REALLY hope y'all already knew that...) Now make sure to pick a cream blush that's not too sticky-I've been the victim of a gnat fly-by before and dang if it didn't stick to me like needy girl to a new boyfriend! I already have enough beauty marks on my face-I didn't need another! And if you're not comfortable with cream blush...powder is still great-just make sure to find one with a hint of SHIMMER, NOT GLITTER. They look nice, too.
FOR THE LIPS: This is where it gets easy. Unless you smoke (naughty, naughty) your lips should still be in great shape! So, unless you really feel the need to use lipliner, you don't have to! A great gloss in a light color will work great for day and/or night. Nothing ages a woman more than really deep, dark lipstick. Put down the dark burgundy, dark purple, dark red, and most certainly, the dark brown. Do you really wanna look like you just polished off a turd sandwich?! Yeah, I did just go there. And again, you want shine-get rid of the matte lipsticks and the ones that stay on for 12 hours...they just dry out your lips and make you look like you desperately need a drink! Gloss is very pretty and low-maintenance, but some of you still don't like the feel of it-I understand. Some of you just love the look and feel of lipstick-no problem! Just make sure that you don't fall into the trap of a frosty, non-hydrating pink or coral color! Why do we do this? Look at your teeth after you put that on-it makes you look like you could spit butter! Go for a creamy, hydrating, even sheer texture in those colors if you like-it will look much better than the frost! Your lips and smile will thank you.

Lastly, here is a list of some of my favorite MAC products that I was describing if you ever want to check them out for yourself:
FOR THE SKIN:
Strobe Cream or Lotion (to add to your foundation for radiance)
Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 Liquid(sheer coverage)
Studio Tech (medium coverage)
Full Coverage Foundation (full coverage-but can only be found at MAC stores)
FOR THE EYES:
Eyeshadows...
NEUTRALS: Vanilla, Shroom, Blanc Type, Era, Naked Lunch, Haux, Texture, Kid, Cork, Wedge, Grain, Mulch, Bronze, Folie, Embark, Espresso, Sable, Sketch
GREENS: Sumptuous Olive, Humid
PURPLES: Beautiful Iris, Satellite Dreams, Fig. 1, Star Violet
PINKS: Girlie, Expensive Pink
DARKS: Typographic, Signed,Sealed, Carbon, Prussian
FOR THE CHEEKS:
Ladyblush (creme)
Lillicent (creme)
Laid Back (creme)
Plum Foolery (powder)
Peachtwist (powder)
Ambering Rose (powder)
FOR THE LIPS:
Viva Glam V (gloss and lipstick)
Viva Glam VI (gloss and lipstick)

So there you have some of my favorites! I hope this has helped! Please leave me feedback either on this blog or on FB (The Beauty Mark). If you have any other topics you'd like me to write about, please, let me know! And if you like my blog, TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!!

1 Peter 3:3-4

Love,
Mel

Help- My Makeup Is Melting Off Of My Face!!!

Yes, ladies, I hear your call! I love Augusta, GA more than Paula Deen loves butter, but this humidity can wreak havoc on your face! I mean I'm all for looking dewy (seriously-have you seen how hydra luminous I've been taking myself lately?!), but you don't want to go around looking like a disco ball, nor do you want to spend all morning putting on your face only to have it melt off by lunchtime. So here is some advice to get you through the stress of it all!

1. "Before you cosmeticate, cleanse and exfoliate."-Yeah, I totally just made that up. But really, it's super important to get your skin right. Make sure to ALWAYS take your makeup off before bed-this means EVERY night-no excuses. Also, you may not know that a makeup remover and soap are two completely different things-you need both for your whole face. I'll blog more about this at another time. Exfoliation is key! Do it once a week, and DO NOT use that apricot stuff-the "granules" in it (ground up apricot pits) are jagged-they will cause small tears in your skin, allowing bacteria to enter, causing a breakout. Use one that has perfect spheres as their exfoliating beads. My favorites are: Clinique's Exfoliating Scrub (for oily skin) and Clinique's 7 Day Scrub (for normal/dry skin). Basically, exfoliation is going to remove the dead skin cells allowing your skin to absorb your moisturizer better, which will also allow your primer, makeup, concealer, and powder to lay and adhere better to your skin, not to mention it promotes cell turnover. Cell turnover is great because it keeps us looking younger and who doesn't want that?! Speaking of staying young...please tell me y'all are already wearing at least SPF 15 on your face EVERYDAY.

2. For all of my "slick chicks" (oily-skinned girls)-there are many moisturizers out there that are oil-free! Don't skip out on a moisturizer because you think that you're too oily and that you don't need it. You do! Good ones that I've sold/tried: MAC's Oil Control Lotion and Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (neither have SPF, so you'll have to add your own). Now, let me tell you, you may think you have it bad because you're oily, but you have it OH-SO-GOOD. Why? Oily skin wrinkles less easily than dry skin. So you can spend all your money on blotting papers now because you won't be spending it on a face lift later, honey.

3. PRIMER, PRIMER, PRIMER!!!! On. Absolutely. Everything. This is the key once you've gotten your skincare routine down. I am such a huge fan of primers-I use them any time I wear makeup, and any time I apply makeup to a client. And, yes, I have my favorites. First, the eyes (since it's my favorite part of the face, anyways...)-MAC makes paints and paint pots that are truly amazing as primers. Technically, they are cream eye shadows, but I use them to prime my lids before powder shadows and pigments. They come in an array of colors, but I prefer the flesh-toned ones because I can wear them underneath any shadow! For those of you with more pink undertones to your skin, Painterly Paint Pot (abbreviation:PP) is great, yellow undertones (like me)-Soft Ochre PP, For my Women of Color, if you are more light/medium-skinned, Bamboom Paint is terrific, and for my darker skinned ladies Quite Natural PP is stunning. All of these will help your shadow adhere to the lid, it will keep your shadow from creasing, and it will also keep the color of your shadow from fading throughout the day. What's nice about these is that they last FOREVER. I have had one of mine (and I use it everyday) for about a year and it's only about half way used up. Keep in mind, you must make sure to close them tightly so that they don't dry out-really important. They'll run you about $16.50 or so.

You will also need a primer for your face-this is crucial in the Georgia heat and humidity!!! Of course, having worked at MAC, I love theirs (are you seeing a pattern here?) and it's well-priced. It will help with splotchiness, texture, and redness as well as helping your foundation stay on all day.

4. OK, I am about to stress some of y'all out...you probably don't have to wear as much as you're wearing. That even stressed me out a little bit. I'm OK now. Take a really good look at your skin. Do you REALLY need concealer, full-coverage foundation, bronzer and powder? Really? In the hottest of hot months, try using the least amount of products as possible. Chances are you have had a bit of a vacation, so you have some sun, so bronzer-OUT! You've been taking care of your skin as directed in #1, so full coverage foundation-OUT! OK, so let's re-evaluate. Your skin is looking better, so why don't we switch to a lighter foundation that's less likely to melt off? In the summer, it's best to switch to something more lightweight-a powder foundation, a gel foundation, or even a mineral foundation. These offer all different types of coverage from sheer to full (if you still feel like you need full), and they also offer different finishes from natural, satin, matte, and radiant. It all depends on what you want to look like. Basically, what I'm telling you is that you want to stay away from heavy cream and liquid foundations in the summer.

Here's my analogy:

Put a piece of cake with heavy butter cream frosting in the microwave for 30 seconds. What do you have when you get back? A hot mess.

Put a powdered donut in the microwave for 30 seconds. What do you have when you get back? Yummy goodness.

Can I get an amen?!

5. So back to my "slick chicks"...you've done all of this and still find that you tend to get oily. Don't fret! That's what blotting papers are for. Now that you have cleansed, exfoliated, primed, and lessened the load on your face, you won't have to use them as often. You can also use blot powder if you're so inclined, they work well too. Basically they're just a non-pigmented powder designed to absorb oil without adding any makeup to your face-so you won't end up looking cakey at the end of the day. MAC's Blot Powder runs about $21.00...

6. I know, I know, the dreaded, non-intentional smokey eye at the end of the day. Trust me, I've seen it, I've owned it. Listen carefully...

WATERPROOF EYELINER. Now, this is not to be confused with waterproof mascara-I'll get to that in a minute. Choose your medium, but make sure it's waterproof. You can use pencil, creme-gel, liquid, or powder. Personally, I think it's best to forget the lower liner during the day in the summer (gasp!), but if you must, MAC makes great mechanical pencil liners called Technakohls. They come in an array of colors and they are fantastic whether you line under your lashes, on your upper lid, or your water line (which is the inner rim of your eye). They're about $14.00

WATER-RESISTANT MASCARA. I don't recommend waterproof mascara for everyday use unless you are a lifeguard or just in the business of crying (which in that case is really sad, call me). Waterproof mascara is great for special occasions-weddings, the beach, funerals (bless your heart), etc. but if you use it everyday, it can dry out and break your lashes (double-gasp!). So use it sparingly. However, water-resistant mascara is wonderful and some even contain conditioners that will help your lashes. Mascara is like a football team, though, everyone has their favorite and you can't convince people to switch, so you're on your own here.

7. Lastly, there's lips and cheeks. A great way to make your lip color last is to fill in your entire lip with liner and top it off with either lipstick OR gloss. If you do both, it tends to move all over the place, UNLESS you just do a small dot of gloss in the middle of your lower lip (but that takes much restraint...). But please don't line all outside of your lips thinking you're the next Angelina-that just looks like you have two vienna sausages on your face-be happy with what God gave you. Work it, honey! And for your cheeks-again, stick with powder, but make sure your face isn't sweaty (or should I say glistening?) when you apply your blush or else you'll get two lovely stripes and look more feverish than flushed. Once you have finished your beautiful masterpiece, a setting spray is a good way to go-especially in the summer months. MAC's Fix+ is awesome. It will help set your makeup (I use this on models, pageant girls and brides) and it will give you a nice refreshing spritz!

I really hope I answered questions that you may have had, and I know I reference MAC alot! Don't worry, I don't get any kickbacks from them or anything, I just really believe in their products and I am very familiar with them too from having worked there! Please feel free to ask more questions, leave comments, etc.

Again, everything I do is in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ-without Him I am nothing!

1 Peter 3:3-4 "Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."

Love,
Mel

Beauty Tips..not what you're thinking....

So...yeah...just like the rest of you, I am a big fan of reading cool, new beauty tricks and tips in books and magazines. And I ESPECIALLY love it when they actually work! So, trust me, I will pass them on to you when I find great ones. However, sometimes I come across some that just give me the heebie-jeebies, seriously. I would never quote the artist who gave this tip, because that's just unlady-like. If they made makeup artists pass a test like they made lawyers pass the bar exam...let's just say some of these artists would be losing their brushes for good. And some of these, I won't even TRY, so don't ask me if I did-if you know me at all you'll know if I did or if I didn't, ya dig? (Note: Not all of these pertain to makeup-some deal with hair and skincare, but who cares? They're funny.)

THREE OF THE WORST BEAUTY TIPS I HAVE EVER HEARD OF/READ:

1. "Thin out clumpy mascara by adding a drop of Coca-Cola to it-the syrup adds just enough moisture without making it watery."

Seriously, people? Can we say, "Con-junc-tiv-itis"-aka: pink eye? You think your eye is a little sticky when you put your mascara ON that day? Wait about 24 hours...And what about contact lens wearers?!

Also, how much does mascara cost, really? I mean, if you're really hard-up with the economy and all and you MUST have new mascara, they sell it at the dollar store. better than a prescription, right? NEXT!

2. "Add two sugar packets to a 20-ounce bottle of water to create a natural volumizing spray (for hair)"

...and a hive of yellow jackets! Are you kidding me?! This is the type of hair product Marie Antoinette used to use back in the day-no joke. When she passed away guillotine-style (so classy, right?) they found all sorts of dead insects in her hair because of this kind of "hair product"!

3. "Toilet seat covers make perfect blotting papers. The thin tissue absorbs oil like a sponge."

I swear I'm not making this up. Eww. I can't even comment anymore on this. Eww.

I would love to hear about some of the tips you have read or heard of...good, bad, and ugly!

1 Peter 3:3-4

Love,

Melody

BRUSHES!!!

So, I have had many questions about makeup brushes...what are the best ones, what do I use personally, how do I take care of them, is it really better to use brushes, etc? I am here to answer your questions!

FIRST-YES, it is better to use brushes in most instances to apply your makeup. Notice I said MOST. There are certain products that I still apply with my fingers, but for the most part I use a brush. Having said that, I ALWAYS use a brush when working on a client, I use my fingers on my own face.

Brushes are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for applying eye shadow-hands down-none of this sponge-tipped, came-with-the-eyeshadow mess. They don't blend the eyeshadow well, so you end up with these "blocks" of color on your eyes-not natural, especially if you're using more than one eyeshadow. So, I recommend using a soft bristled brush such as MAC's #217 brush (as seen at the top of the page). For those of you who know me well, you know this is probably my favorite brush of all time! This brush will pick up, deposit, and blend your eyeshadow all in one. And the best part about it is that it is soft enough that it won't "flick" the shadow all over your eye area as some of the poor quality brushes out there tend to do. So this is a nice beginner brush once starting your collection. This brush will run you about $23.00 or so. Also, a foundation brush is also going to be your best friend. Not only will it give you a much more even and beautiful application, but it will save you money!!! I cringe when ladies tell me that they use sponge wedges to put their foundation on! Think about it, what does a sponge do? It absorbs. It is absorbing your makeup. You are putting more foundation into that sponge that you're about to throw into the trash than you are on your face! What a waste! So, my advice to you is to spend the $40-$50 on a fantastic foundation brush (my favorite is MAC's #190). With all of the money you'll be saving on the foundation you're not wasting anymore, you can get yourself a fabulous pair of shoes, amen?

Now, if you are an aspiring makeup artist, I really shouldn't have to tell you this, but you never know...ALWAYS CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES BETWEEN EVERY CLIENT. If you are reading this for your own personal use and you are the ONLY person using your brushes, your brushes can be cleaned less often.

Now that you are investing in your brush collection, it is important to maintain your brushes properly. Cleaning them and storing them nicely is key. To clean them, MAC sells brush cleanser that is quick and very efficient. It is about $11.00 for a nice-sized bottle and it is great to use in between clients or for a quick clean. About once every couple of weeks, I like to deep clean my personal brushes with a mild baby shampoo and warm water. Some of your brushes (like the ones you use for cream-based products, like concealer and foundation) you may want to deep-clean more often. When deep-cleaning your brushes, make sure not to get any liquid in the silver part holding the bristles-this could loosen the glue holding the bristles, causing them to fall out. Once your brushes are clean, re-shape them and set them on the edge of a table or counter to that the head of the brush is fully exposed to the air so they will dry completely. (I usually do this before bed so that in the morning they're dry and ready for use!) You also want to make sure that you are storing them somewhere that they will not get damaged, especially the bristles. You don't want the bristles to get bent or broken, and you certainly don't want them to fall out. If you only have a few brushes, a pencil case is great to start out. But, once you get more, you might want to buy a brush roll. A brush roll is similar to one of those jewelry bags that rolls up. Same principle, just for your brushes instead of your baubles...

One other important reminder: DO NOT BUY ANY MAC BRUSHES ON EBAY. MOST OF THEM ARE FRAUDS. If the price is too good to be true, it's because it's not the real thing. Many clients came to me with fraudulent brushes and the brushes were awful! Don't be a sucker!

And lastly, what do I save my fingers for? Undereye concealer. Of course, if you are my client, I am not going to have my fingers all up in your face, but for myself, I use my fingers every morning for my undereye concealer. Not everyone would agree with me, and that's OK-that's why this is my blog! ;) I will tell you, however, that anytime I use my fingers on my face, I use my ring fingers only. They are the weakest fingers in your hand and you ESPECIALLY want to be careful with that delicate eye area. You also want to dab, not rub or pull. Remember, God only gave you one face, take good care of it!

I want to thank each and every one of you for reading my blog, and I want you all to know that all that I do, I do to glorify His name. I love making women feel beautiful about themselves, but no matter what I do, nothing compares to the true beauty God has put inside each and every one of us! 1 Peter 3:3-4

Melody