Holiday is upon us!  The big dilemma becomes what to do for all those holiday parties!  The biggest question I usually receive is what to do with the face to create a unique holiday look- red lips, dramatic eyes, white shadow, what?!  Let me guide you toward Holiday Make up Bliss!!!!

Like a snowflake, no face is alike.  And the trends this Holiday Season truly embrace every face type!  For those with juicy lips, the red lip is a fabulous look.  This season is all about that Bordeaux.  Look for a deep red.  Look to the previous article on how to create the perfect red lip!  To offset this idea, I love to pair it with a light eye shadow and lots and lots of black mascara!  Keep the cheek nice and rosy.

For those with some sparklers, play up your eyes with a contemporary smoky eye.  This is one that will not take a lot of time…take a soft black eye pencil and stripe it across your eyelid lengthwise. Now, take a brush and blend it onto your eyelids.  Take a lighter eye shadow and blend from the inner eye to the middle of the eyelid.  Now, blend the eye shadow with the eyeliner from the inside outward.  Rim the inside of your eye (called the wet line) with your soft eyeliner.  This will create a very seductive look!  I love mascara!  (If you can’t tell!)  Please add lots of mascara for this look!  Adding a half strip of false eyelashes will really enhance this look!  Should you use false eyelashes, however, I suggest adding the mascara after you apply the false eyelashes.  I love M.A.C’s falsies!  They’re fun to work with and stay very well with the “Duo” eyelash adhesive.  This season’s lip gets to have more fun with the smoky eye.  You may pair the Bordeaux red, or create a light nude lip, or even a fun magenta pink.  So long as you have some sparkle in either your outfit or on your eyes (I love the M.A.C pigment or for the super cheap, the N.Y.C. brand from Target has a fun one too!) you will be good to go!!!!  This look is best served with a bronzer and light blush.

Gold, silver, and metallic on the eyes are also very popular right now.  I love the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Silk Shadows for this effect.  There is a silver and gold combination in this version which has a lot of dimension and intrigue.  If you do a metallic eye, try to create a very thin liquid eyeliner or tight line on the lash line- this will make the eyes pop!  Remember, lots of mascara!!!!

There is one more edgy look I’d like to mention.  The gothic-vampiress look!  This one would take a silver eye shadow, a black liner close to the eye lashes, a light purple contour in the crease, lots of mascara, and a fabulous plum lipstick!  I love to pair this look with a plum blush.  Take a highlight to the cheekbone.  SO gorgeous!!!!

Please write me in questions about my advice for your particular look!  In the meantime, enjoy all the cookies, punch, and music of the holidays!

Love and Beauty,

-E-

Mascara.  The one item almost every woman posses from the beauty counter. Take a moment to grab your mascara from your make up case and hold it in front of you.  Open it.  Does it get stuck?  Does a death like smell emerge from it?  Can’t remember the last time you bought this?  Is it so goopey on the top that you have trouble opening it?  THROW IT AWAY.  This week I would like to go over the proper etiquette for mascara.

Once upon a time, people were a heck of a lot more hairy than they are now.  Hair served purposes for survival…and allure.  Over the years, our hair has decreased in certain areas, but one that remains is on our eyelids.  Lashes are the guardians of our eye balls.  They hold the safety of our eyes in their hairs.  We need them to keep fuz, debris, and anything harmful from entering our eye balls.  Luckily for us, we have mascara to help us add volume, length, curvature, and effectiveness to our socketed friends.

Mascara has come a long way since its inception.  Nowadays we have the options for a mascara that lengthens, volumizes,  curls, performs as waterproof, and the list goes on.  The importance of keeping your mascara up to date and sanitary is so important and thus the subject for this week.

Our eyes are very sensitive.  (Remember this the next time you remove your eye make up).  In fact, the skin around the eye area is the thinnest part of skin on your whole body.  A shelf life for mascara should never pass three months.  The reason is because the product will over time break down and can create discomfort for the eye area.  You must be diligent about throwing away old mascara and replacing it (I’ll repeat) every three months.  They say that you will understand what someone is saying to you if you repeat it three times: throw away your mascara after three months.  I cringe when women come to me with mascara that is four, six, eight months to years (plural) old.  Here are the cold hard facts.  There are microscopic bugs that love mascara.  They feast on it.  The older it is, the more attracted to the mascara they become.  They love to live on your eye lashes and have a mascara party.  Ok, do I have your attention?  The better armored you are to these little creatures, the less red and irritated your eyes will be.  Throw it away after three months.  Kick those critters out of your lashes.  I don’t mean to scare you but this is seriously an epidemic.  Mascara is not a product you should stretch out for the sake of saving money. Save your money by enjoying the whole tube of your favorite lip stick before buying a new one, finish your whole bottle of foundation before trying another brand because your best friend recommends you do so!  Throw it out…every three months.

Here are some other tips for mascara health and common sense…if it becomes dry, please do not spit on it or wet it with water.  This is a sure way to encourage styes and infection.  Get a new one if your mascara becomes too dry for you.  Do not share your mascara with your friends…(mascara is a one person product).  If it starts to smell weird, look weird, or feel weird, toss it!

Favorite mascaras on the more affordable end are, Loreal’s, “Voluminous,” “Full ‘N’ Soft” by Cover Girl and “Great Lash” by Mabelline.  My favorite choices from the department store from lowest cost to highest are… Clinique’s “High Definition.”  If you don’t mind fragrance, “Diorshow” by Dior and “Faux Cils” by Yves St Laurent are excellent.  If you are more sensitive and do not want fragrance or wear contact lenses, Giorgio Armani’s “Eyes to Kill,” is exceptional.  For those of you who may have lost your eyelashes over the years, Trish McEvoy makes an amazing lash grower that retails for $125.  For those of you who have darker colored eyes, visit your dermatologist or plastic surgeon and receive a prescription for “Latisse” (the Brooke Shields one) which is clinically proven to grow lashes thicker and longer (just be aware that it is only effective for as long as you use it and some people do have a reaction which darkens the color of their eyes).  This sells for $100.  A mascara primer is another way to add volume to your lashes which is a product you apply before mascara.  It is usually white, and adds great width to the lashes.

When you apply your mascara, make sure to coat the top of the top lash as well as the bottom of the top lash, then apply the mascara to your bottom lashes.  Apply from root to tip and for length, concentrate a good amount of mascara on the top of your eye lashes.  And I always believe in an extra coat.

Really, there are so many options out there.  It completely depends for which effect you are searching.  Please ask me my opinions on which would suit you best in accordance to your preferred price point! !  Remember…three months and when in doubt, throw it out!

Love and Beauty,

-E-

Seasons come and go, yet one thing remains the same…the timeless red lip. This week we will take a look at how to pucker your pout red…and make it last.

Once upon a time, women would take berries and stain their lips for attention. Nowadays, we aren’t so primitive in our method, but the idea remains the same.

In order to master the red lip, there are a couple things to consider, such as the tone of red, the formula and also the way you prep your skin.

Tone is important for choosing a red that is right for you. Reds come in “blue-red,” “orange-red,” or even “pink-red” and “burgundy-red.” Burgundy red is really a beautiful choice for fall. Look at the runway this season and you will see the color everywhere labelled as “Bordeaux.” Burgundy is very seductive. Those with less than perfectly white teeth should avoid this color, however, until a package of Crest White Strips is utilized! “Pink-Red” is a nice option for those girlie girls who don’t want to make the full commitment to “red.” It can sometimes be softer than other reds and is more forgiving in the teeth department. An “Orange Red” is truly meant for a special client and is a more difficult color to pull off. Someone with golden undertones in their skin will look fabulous in an “orange red.” “Blue-Red” is one of my favorite types of red as it is a most universal red. Sometimes mistaken to be a deep berry red, this one can be worn recreationally and for major events. For those with a flexible budget, Giorgio Armani’s “Rouge D’Armani Rouge 400” lipstick is THE red! Its consistency is amazing and it truly stays. For those on a budget, I enjoy any L’Oreal long wear lip stain from the drug store paired with an equally inexpensive lip gloss for shine.

The best secret to making a red lip last is the way you prep your lips. A clear wax-based lip liner will save your red from bleeding all over your face. Shiseido makes an amazing version. I recommend tracing just outside your lip line to create a barrier for the red. Take whichever red you are wearing and begin to apply. Smack your lips together until it becomes a stain. Now go back over your lips with your lipstick. What you are doing is creating a base for your red to last much longer. If you care to, you may apply a lip liner in the same color as your red to the lip lines. This will make the lips look super polished.

Another trick to create that perfect lip is to take a tiny bit of concealer or highlighter and apply to the bow of the lips. This makes the lips look juicy and full. You can trace all the way around and blend outward, however, I prefer just applying the concealer into the bow of the lips and blending.

Next take your powder and set above your lip area so that way if you sweat, you will not entice the red to bleed upward.

The last step when wearing any lip color is the “smile check.” Please smile at yourself so that you can see if you are wearing the color on your teeth as well as lips. Remove excess.

I love pairing a red lip with a neutral eye, however, this season we are seeing more seductive eyes matched with a red lip. Very dramatic. Very beautiful indeed.

Love and Beauty,

-E-

9/11/2001.  Coming into Mr. Kiki’s world history class felt different today.  Everyone was quiet.  The television was on, and no eye missed the screen.  Taking one glance, I saw smoke and flames.

“Where’s the fire?” I asked flippantly.

I looked at the pretty blonde girl in my class.  She was crying.

“Oh, sorry.”  I said.

I realized that there was something going on that was beyond me.  I put my book bag down, got out my school supplies and looked at the screen.  What I saw made me stop what I was doing.  We had been attacked.

New York seemed to me invincible.  Living in a small town in Eastern Washington, the bigger cities were always untouchable.  For rich, powerful people with agendas.  New York is cultural.  People are accepted.  New York has people from all across the world.  I was so naive.

Throughout the day at school, every screen in every classroom was turned on to breaking news.  Everyone was crying.  The “funny boys” tried to crack jokes, but even they realized how affected they were and could not find the punch line.

School was a fog.  Our brains seemed thick, like the smoke which now enveloped New York.  We didn’t stop watching. 

I called my mother from the school office.  She was crying.  No one we personally knew was involved, but as an American people, we all became involved.  I felt our school come together that day.  Tragedy has an odd way of bringing people together.

School ended and my sister and I clung to one another waiting for our bus.  My mom came and picked us up instead.  We came home, and immediately turned on the t.v.  I think we were all drawn to it this day more than ever before and did not stop watching until the late night when our tears wouldn’t come anymore.  We were all dried up.  I can’t remember anything else about that day.  What I do remember is that I took a bath, and tried to go to sleep.  I felt older.  I felt my innocence resign.  And I felt so incredibly sad.

Per recommendation from our loyal readers, this week will be devoted to mastering the art of eyebrows. Eyebrows just don’t get enough credit in this world. They truly are the picture frame to the canvas, the rims to the Ray Bans, the…well, you get the point! Basically, you need them and they need you to be your most beautiful self.

Eyebrow maintenance can be traced back hundreds of thousands of years. Recently, a tomb in Egypt was erected with a pair of the first primitive eyebrow tweezers! How exciting! Groom like an Egyptian! Well, actually don’t. Egyptians tweezed the crazy out of their eyebrows and actually painted thin lines out of a liquid substance to form their permanent expressions and quite frankly, we have moved on.

We see trends come and go regarding the great eyebrow debate. Thin and thick, long and short, existent, non-existent. Nowadays, eyebrows are looking better than ever largely in part to the “natural beauty” notion which is in trend now. So back away from the tweezers and read closely.

Once upon a time, our grandmothers told us not to tweeze our eyebrows and let them grow thick and gorgeous. Why did not a single one of us listen?!?! They had the right idea. Growing in your eyebrows naturally is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. My recommendation is this. When it comes to brows, let someone else do them, and make sure that person knows what they are doing!  Ask for credentials and make sure they are aestheticians.

One of my biggest recommendations is to find an “Anastasia Brow Expert” and book a consultation. I like “Anastasia” because of her company’s philosophy. Not everyone has the same face shape and should not necessarily have the same brows. She uses the “Golden Ratio” and a series of stencil arches to determine what your face shape would look best with- be it a high arch, small arch, high petite arch, etc. You will be consulted the entire time, and shown how your brows would optimally look with your face shape. You are included the whole time which is why I recommend the Anastasia company.

Nordstrom in Downtown Seattle has my favorite brow specialist, Toni Rallis. She is a true magician. She completely transforms brows and the first thing she tells her clients is, “stop plucking!”  Of course, having someone do your eye brows every month is a luxury and not for everyone. Keep in mind that once you have them done, you have the basic shape and can maintain them when the brows start to grow in.  Just make sure not to over do it!  Living in Los Angeles now, I recommend Kelly Douglas from Nordstrom Santa Monica or booking an appointment at the actual Beverly Hills Anastasia Brow Boutique. Check out this link for more information: http://anastasia.net/

For the do it at home types pay attention to your dominant hand’s side of the face- we tend to pluck more off of that side as it is easier to access. If you have already over plucked and need to fill in your eyebrows, take a nice powder or powder pencil (pencils alone can sometimes be too harsh) and trace over your hair that you have for instant gratification.  When you fill them in, concentrate more of the powder at the start and ease it toward the end. If you have specific questions regarding your face shape or products that would work on you feel free to comment. I’d love to point you in the right direction!

Love and Beauty,

-E-

Hello readers! This week we must discuss blush. Blush is something we tend to think about in terms of embarrassment or a make up pre-requisite for an ’80′s dance party. Often they go hand in hand. I would like to clarify the “then and now” ideas of blush or what our grandmothers called “rouge.”

Once upon a time we applied rouge to the apples of our cheeks in a circular motion. Over time less became more in makeup application trends and all of a sudden it was the 80′s and people were begging for color! For some reason this manifested itself as a razor stripe of brash color that enveloped the face. Nowadays, we are looking at face make up and blush in a whole new light- think “J-Lo Glow.” If you do not know who Jennifer Lopez is, this look is characterized by blush being a hint of color radiating almost from within the skin. So how do we achieve this natural and defined glow?

Dry skin is best suited for a cream or liquid blush. Oily skin types should stick with a cheek stain or powder blush. Let’s talk technique! For liquid blush and most cheek stains (if not in stick form) squirt a small amount into the palm of your hand. Buff your brush into the liquid and work it into the brush. For cream and powder blush, buff your brush directly into the blush in its given container. Now begin by thinking about a check mark- the beginning of the check starts at the apple of your cheek and swooshes downward under your apple then straight back onto your cheek bone and continuing outward toward your ear. Repeat on the other side. For cheek stains in a stick, do this motion straight from the stick onto your face in the above direction. You may need to take your fingers and gently blend the product into your cheek so you look more “glow-y” than “show-y.” There should be a larger concentration of color at the front of the check mark than the back.

Onto the glow part of this topic if your blush does not have some form of light reflecting technology (slight shimmer.) We are over sparkles, people, and and we are into dewy and shine. Use a fluid sheer or liquid highlighter to blend on top of your makeup. These work well with all skin types and will give you a radiance and glow so you look perfectly poised and polished.

Yay! We did it! Another crisis avoided! Remember you can always ask for a professional’s opinion regarding colors and formulas that will best suit you. Please tell your beauty advisor if you are allergic to any ingredients you know of before you receive your consultation. And keep in mind these are trained professionals and they will put you into exactly what you need! Enjoy your new “I just ran around the block and am always this glamorously and naturally flushed” look and throw away the old idea that piles of caked makeup! Send any beauty questions you would like answered to the link!

Love and Beauty,

-E-

I would first like to thank the Melon for their faith in my beauty advice and writing abilities.

Now, we have some serious business to discuss, “floating head syndrome”. If you haven’t heard the term before (which is a high possibility), let me paint a picture: A woman steps out into the sunshine or department store and there is something off about her appearance- closer studies reveal that her face is either a couple shades lighter or darker than the rest of her body, hence, floating head syndrome, (which will be referred to as FHS for the purpose of this article.)

Luckily, FHS can be remedied. A little back story- once upon a time the method to match a woman’s foundation was to make sure it was the same tone and color as her neck or even hand. Nowadays we are seeing a lot more skin than before and must adapt! Please, please, please when finding your summer foundation (yes, you are usually a different color during different seasons with the exception of Seattle or Forks, WA) make sure to match the color to your body.  Your head sits on top of your neck (anatomy!) and creates an inverse shadow which is nearly 90% of the time lighter than the rest of your body.

Ask for help at the make-up counter near you and request a perfect match to your whole body. Feel comfortable to check the color outside with a department mirror to see how fabulous your new best friend has matched you! And don’t be shy! Be honest!  However, remember that these men and women are professionals and experts in their field- respect their opinion and artistry.  You don’t tell a brain surgeon how to perform your operation (unless you too are a brain surgeon) do you? Your face may be naturally lighter than your body due to sun protectants and it may be disorienting at first to see you looking so even and monochromatic.

I’m going to leave you with this tip- when using your new foundation apply it to your face using a blender brush for even application. After you are done, take any extra foundation that’s still in your hand and using a powder or kabuki brush buff the foundation in sweeping motions into your neck and jawline to diminish the last traces of FHS! Congrats! You now look flawless and have fought a brave battle against FHS!

Feel free to write beauty questions you would like answered to the melon.

Love and Beauty! -E-