Mrs. United States 2011

I had the great honor of being Shannon Ford's (Mrs Florida) makeup artist for the Mrs United States 2011 pageant in Las Vegas.

I was so happy and excited she won, but I wasn't surprised at all because she is incredibly beautiful, sweet, smart and the most important thing, it was her dream! And when you have a dream and you work hard for it, you get luckier! She deserved it so much.

This great job has been the most exciting experience in my three years as a makeup artist. I would like to share some of those happy moments by showing the makeup process for her glamorous stage makeup. The idea was to bring out her features and focus on her gorgeous eyes so they show up from a distance.

The first step was to make her eyes pop. I did the eyes before the foundation because when you use dark shadows it could soil the under eye creating dark circles. Fake eyelashes help to make the look deeper and give definition in order to look great from a distance.

For stage make up we use two optical illusions in order to highlight features and give dimension to the face. We darken the spots we want to see deeper and lighten those zones we want to bring forward.

Once the foundation is done in the right color of the skin tone, I put a foundation or concealer two tones darker in the zone I want to push down and a two tones lighter to push out. I prefer using cream foundation, this makes it easier to blend with a sponge.

After the blending has been done to look natural, I apply cream blush and translucent powder to seal and kill shine.




Next, some pictures...

Photography © 2011 www.AndresHenao.com

Thank you Shannon!

Summer Tips!

Photographer: Andres Hernandez Model: Nikki DuBose MUA: Susana Betancourt

Summer is a synonym of fun, vacation, friends, parties, sun, beach - but also melting makeup, running mascara, cracked eye shadow, etc...
Here are some tips I’ve learned living in Miami, shooting outdoors, on the beach, wanting to keep my model's makeup in place and most importantly for brides or clients when I cannot be there to do touch ups!

The most important thing to keep in mind is SPF.  There are so many products out there with SPF, from sunblock to primers, tinted moisturizers, powders, lip balms and hair products...if they have SPF that is always a plus!

- First, makeup should be light and natural. Nothing too heavy that can turn cakey during exposure to the sun, heat or sweat.

Using a thin layer of primer, on your clean, dry and moisturized skin, before any makeup, provides a smooth base and helps hold makeup in place during the day. Try Loreal Studio Secrets or Smashbox Photo Finish.

- Foundation should be light. I recommend Tinted Moisturizer or mixing liquid foundation with one or two drops of moisturizer and applying it with your fingers. I always recommend Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer or MAC Face & Body because it’s super light and waterproof, perfect for sweaty summer days and in my case it’s the only MAC Foundation that doesn’t make me break out. 

- I keep my tinted moisturizer, toner, rose water, and daily moisturizer in the fridge.  It gives you a cool feeling when you apply it and helps reduce open pores.

- If you're planning on going to the beach or just for regular day makeup, please keep it natural...nothing too obvious: warm colors for eyes: rose, soft pink, peach, gold, bronze, caramel, or beige, work beautifully!

The same goes for lips, use shades similar to your natural lip color.

- Set your makeup with a Makeup Setting Spray, it really works at keeping makeup in place and makes it last longer without fading or creasing. I’m using MAC Fix Setting Spray on my clients before makeup to refresh their skin and after makeup to set it on and I love it!

You can also try Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Setting Spray  it promises to hold foundation, eyeshadow, blush, and concealer in place up to 16 hours in both hot and cold weather.

Photographer: Andres Hernandez Model: Simona MUA: Susana Betancourt


Enjoy the summer!!

Welcome Summer, Use SPF!

My top 10 Must Haves for summer!

These are 10 items that are going to be with me all summer long.

1. Sunblock

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunblock SPF 70

Water-light texture spreads easily over skin, absorbing instantly for an invisible, weightless feel. It also provides an even non shiny finish that works beautifully alone or under makeup and moisturizers.

2. Tinted Moisturaizer

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moiturizer SPF 20

This is my spring and summer foundation, it is a sheer, lightweight moisturizer with SPF 20 and a hint of color that gives you a healthy glow to your skin.

3. Blush

Cream-to-powder Blush makeup stick

I prefer to use cream blush because it's more natural and gives you a beautiful glow and you can even apply it with your fingers. And works great for lips and eyes as well!

4. Waterproof Mascara

Maybelline Volum' Express One by One Waterproof Mascara

I don't recommend waterproof mascara for daily use, but it is the best for summer time, it's smudge and sweat proof and you can find it in any drugstore for less than $10. Get eyes that pop all summer long!

5. Powder

Physicians Formula SPF 50 Powder Foundation

Perfect for set the makeup and doing touch ups during the day, the  the 50 SPF is great, and it does cover pretty well.

6. Bronzer

Laura Mercier Bronzer

For a skin sun kissed look! It Delivers a soft luminosity and healthy sunny glow.

7. Lip Balm

MAC Suntints Liquid Lip Balm SPF 20

Lip conditioner, defends lips against sun, wind and salt.

8. Body Bronzing

Lorac TANtalizer Body bronzing luminizer

Adds a beautiful glow for your body, I use it mixed with my moisturizer for a more natural glow. It doesn't melt or smear all over my clothes.

9. Water Spray

Evian Mineral Water Spray

Increases your skin hydration, helps to fix makeup and offers you constant freshness and purity.

10. Sunglasses! ;)

THE MAKEUP SHOW NYC

Last weekend, May 15 - 16, 2011,  I was at The Makeup Show in NYC, I love these shows, they are all about learning, shopping, inspiring and enjoying New York!

A weekend full of fun, I definitely LOVE my job and everything about this business, Makeup, Beauty and Fashion! 

Some of the booths I just can't stopping and shopping are MAKE UP FOR EVER, CROWN,  Alcone, and for first time at The Makeup Show, Nars!

I was so happy to meet Tate Steinsiek, a great Special Effects Artist who was one of the top four finalists of Face Off  and he was my favorite! :)

Day Makeup!

Here are some of my tips and recommendations for flawless day makeup:

The most important thing is to achieve a beautiful natural look without looking overdone.
I think less is more when we talk about makeup in day light conditions.
This is a Face Chart I did for you to have an idea of what is more important to highlight!

FACE:

Before you start, make sure your face is clean and hydrated.
For daily makeup I suggest using Tinted Moisturizer with SPF, that way we do moisturizing, sun protection and foundation in just one step!  I love Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

"Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer is a sheer, lightweight, buildable foundation that can be worn by all skin types but especially those with acne prone, sensitive or oily skin"

If it is for a special occasion and you want more coverage I love Make Up For Ever HD Foundation 

"This foundation creates a soft-focus effect, which is designed to meet the coverage concerns of those in the spotlight. It leaves your complexion with such a flawless finish, it can withstand bright or harsh lighting"          

Apply translucent powder to set the foundation. HD Make Up For Ever is one of my favorites. 

"Sets and slightly mattifies skin without changing its natural contours. This 100% mineral silica powder softens the appearance of imperfections. Completely evens out the complexion for a glowing, radiant look. One universal shade for all skin tones"

CHEEKS:

Rosy cheeks for a young and fresh look, I recommend cream blush for a more natural look like MAC So Sweet, So Easy Cream Blush or Nars Multipurpose Makeup Stick on the apples of the cheeks.

For cream blush I use my fingers, I think it's easier to dab a bit of it right onto the apple of my cheeks then blend back towards my hairline. It warms the product which makes it easier to blend.

EYES:

You should use warm colors for day makeup, it gives a natural look but you can also go as dramatic as you want using darker colors. Urban Decay NAKED Palette is one of my favorites!

One or two coats of black mascara on top and bottom lashes.  Believe me, mascara is one of the most important quick pick me ups you can apply to your lashes to really draw attention to your face. I really like Covergirl LashBlast Fusion.  You can find it in a drugstore and it's under $10.

Mascaras must be replaced every 3 months.

EYEBROWS:

Use a brow pencil or brow powder that is one or two shades lighter than your natural eyebrow color to fill in the gaps.

LIPS:

A natural shade, something a little darker than your natural lip color like Lustre Hug Me from MAC with some gloss.

Shooting with Marissa Matluck!

This is my first blog post, I'm not so good writing but I want to share some of my work, tips, behind the scenes, lessons, reviews, products I use, and every thing I like from magazines, other blogs, Makeup shows, makeup artists and celebrities.

You can email me with questions or things you want to see on my blog!

Thank you for following me!

Here some pics of my recent work with the photographer  Marisa Matluck   for the latest  Ramy Brook  Collection!