Everyday ‘Casual Friday’ Makeup

Very rarely, more like never ever, will you catch me in public without some form of makeup on. It might be something very minimal, but unfortunately I was not blessed with flawless skin. I have skin concerns, just like the other 90% of women out there.  I would say most days, when I’m running around doing errands, I’ll just slap some tinted moisturizer on. There’s no reason to get glam to go to the post office. While most errand days only call for tinted moisturizer, there are some days where you want to look a bit more polished. For example, lunch with a friend or Casual Friday at the office.

When you’re meeting your friend for lunch, you don’t want to look like you just rolled out of bed, but maybe you’re in a time crunch and don’t have much time to spend getting ready. The two things that are very important when you want to look finished, but not overdone, are blush and lipstick. These two items pack a lot of punch when it comes to the finishing touches on your look.

My routine lately has been very low-key. The weather here has been sucky (to put it nicely), so things have been pretty easy-going. I’ve been sticking to using my NARS Chelsea Girls as a lip color because it gives you the perfect hint of color. You can read more about that here too. I highly recommend this color to everyone looking for a natural lip. Recently, a company called Charleston Naturally, a wonderful site that carries only organic beauty products, was kind enough to send me a gorgeous blush from 100% Pure. I only write about things I love, and this has quickly became one of my all-time favorite blushes. The blush is called 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Blush in Strawberry. I would describe it as a dusty rose color with a hint of plum. It’s the perfect blush if you’re wanting to achieve the perfectly polished look. It doesn’t give you too much color, just enough to enhance your cheekbones and give you a pretty, subtle wash of color. Here is a picture I snapped the other day when I was wearing this lip and blush combo:

I think I’ll call this look “Lunch in Laguna.” Wishful thinking

.

NARS Chelsea Girls

.

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Blush in Strawberry

.

What are your favorite everyday lip and blush colors?

xo,

My Latest Beauty Obsessions

1. LUSH Ultrabalm

Omg. This product has become my lifesaver during these winter months. It’s an all-purpose balm that you can literally use on everything. My knuckles and lips get extremely dry and will crack. I keep this on my nightstand and apply it before I go to bed. I’ve also heard people with Eczema and Psoriasis swear by this product!

2. Safflower Oil

I’ve always preferred using natural products on my skin. I’m like a kid in a candy store in the health food store beauty aisle. Safflower Oil has amazing benefits for the skin. It’s full of linoleic acid, which is an essential fatty acid that your body uses to make ceramides–a key part of a healthy skin barrier that promotes elasticity and moisture retention. This product is one of the best (and most inexpensive) forms of linoleic acid. It helps to retain moisture, but isn’t harmful like some of it’s competitors (mineral oil and lanolin). This can be used on all skin types and research has shown it can be great on acneic skin. Not only do I use this on my face, I put some on my oatmeal in the morning, or use it for cooking. It can actually help get rid of extra inches because it attacks stubborn belly fat.  This stuff is the whole shebang!

3. L’Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Black Lacquer

This mascara is a sister to my favorite mascara, L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black. It’s not quite as thick as Carbon Black and the brush is quite different. It really lengthens and separates, while Carbon black is great at thickening. I use this mascara and then add a coat of Carbon Black and my lashes are out of this world. It would be a challenge to beat this winning combo.

.

What’s even better about these products?! They’re all under $15!

I’d love to hear what you’re loving at the moment! What are your current beauty obsessions?

xo,

Top 4 Beauty Anywhere Posts on Pinterest in 2012

As we enter a new year, I thought I’d share with you the most popular pins from Beauty Anywhere on Pinterest. They are numbered in order, starting with the most popular. Here are the Top 4 Beauty Anywhere Posts on Pinterest in 2012. If you’re not already following Beauty Anywhere on Pinterest, you can follow all of my boards here.

1. How Often Do You Clean Your Makeup Brushes?

This was by FAR the most popular of the year with over 200,000 views in less than 6 months! This pin was like wildfire on Pinterest! SO exciting! I hope everyone has squeaky clean brushes!

2. How To Wear Makeup Without Looking Like It

3. My Favorite Bridal Looks of Spring & Summer 2012

4. What’s the secret to great makeup? Great Skin.

And in a very, very close 5th place was Emily Maynard’s Beauty Secrets. This was one of my personal fave’s because she’s stunning, and who wouldn’t want to look like her?!

.

Can’t wait to see what you love in 2013!

xo,

Glam NYE Party Looks

If you haven’t yet decided what makeup look you’re going to rock on NYE, I have some stunning looks to share with you. New Years Eve is a night to pull out all the stops and go super glam. I don’t know about you, but I think that sparkles are a must on this night. When choosing your look, I suggest that you pick something to feature on (eyes or lips). You can find out more about that here.

While I will be ringing in the new year with my loves at home (and good chance I’ll be asleep by 11:00 #momlife), I will be living vicariously through you pretty party-goers out on the town. I’ve included looks for everyone from the simplistic novice to the daring diva. Here are my favorite looks to bring in 2013.

The Minimalist

This is a classic, yet subdued look. Anyone can pull this off. This is perfect for those that are still a bit skeptical of their makeup skills, or just want a simple look.

Shimmery shadow used as a liner paired with a nude lip.

The pop of champagne shadow in the inner corner kicks this look up a notch.

.

The Red Lip

We all know that nothing screams ‘party’ like a red lip. These will definitely make a statement.

Matte red lips.

Dramatic lashes & lips.

Minimal eyes with a bold lip. This look is one of my all-time faves.

.

Glimmer & Glam

Sparkle is essential on NYE. It’s the biggest party night of the year, so if you’re going to wear glitter, this is the night to do it.

Gold glitter will make your eyes pop, especially those with green eyes.

This sparkly taupe smokey eye is a twist on the classic smokey.

.

Happy New Years to all of you! A big thank you to each of you that have supported my business and my blog this year. 2012 was such a wonderful year. Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013! Cheers!

What are your NYE plans? What look will you be wearing to ring in the new year?

xo,

How To Coordinate Your Lips With Your Eye Look

I think deciding how to match your lip and eye look is a common struggle among women. I get a lot of questions from my clients about what lip color they should wear to compliment their eye look. Should they go matchy-matchy? Use a plum-toned lipstick with a plum eye? I have broken it down and created these simple illustrations for you. I’ve chosen 3 common looks to help you achieve makeup perfection. These are all great looks that you can also wear at your holiday parties!

1. Sexy Sophisticate

This is a very sultry look that will really draw attention to your eyes. Make sure you keep the focus on your smoked out eyes and pair this look with a nude lip. One of my favorite lipsticks to recreate this look can be found here. You will definitely be turning heads with this glamorous look!

2. Classic Beauty

This retro look is perfect for making a statement. Wing out your liner and pair it with a matte red lip for that old Hollywood glamour look. This lipstick on Lauren Conrad is perfect for emulating this look.

.

.3. Romantic Drama

You typically want to choose one focus point, but with a plum-colored eye, you can definitely incorporate a lip color that has a plum-toned base. Personally, I would choose a bit lighter shade than what is shown in the picture. If you’re going for a more dramatic, or a nighttime look, it would work great. Otherwise, pair this look with a nude, toned-down lip.

.

What’s your favorite go-to look? How do you pair your lips & eyes?

A Huge Thank You

I’m so happy to say that I had my busiest wedding season yet this year! I had the pleasure of working with some of the sweetest, beautiful brides and extremely talented photographers. Thank you so much to everyone who continues to refer me. I’m so grateful for each of you! A huge thanks to Cory + Jackie, the Indianapolis based (and phenomenal) wedding photographers who featured me on their blog this month. I was able to work with them for a wedding at the Indiana Statehouse and can’t wait to work with them again this coming year. Ladies, if you’re still looking for the perfect photographer, do yourself a favor and check them out. They do fab work. You can check out the featured post here.

With this being the month we celebrate thankfulness, I wanted to take a moment to thank each of you and let you know how much I appreciate your support. Thank you to those of you that follow my blog and my Facebook page. It means so much to me that you take the time to read anything that I write. When I first started my blog, I didn’t write anything for a year because I thought no one would care to read anything I wrote. I still have a long way to go, but each of my 1,108 followers is near & dear to my heart. I love getting your comments, emails and questions. Keep them coming. You’re the best!

A super HUGE thank you to my family, friends, clients, photographers, etc. I couldn’t be more thankful for each time one of you mentions my name when someone is looking for a makeup artist. I couldn’t grow without you. Your continued support means the world to me.

I can’t wait to make 2013 the best year ever. Thank you.

xo,

 

Fall Lipcolor Inspiration: Lauren Conrad November Allure Shoot

I just love Lauren Conrad. My love (and slight envy) for her stems all the way back to 2004 when I caught a glimpse of an MTV preview of the upcoming series, Laguna Beach. I remember looking at her and Stephen, and cosmetically speaking, they were the perfect couple– just way too easy on the eyes. Gag! She is stunning and she’s one of my coveted beauty inspirations. I have referred to her makeup in many of my past posts. She always looks polished, classic, yet trendy, but never overdone. She has once again knocked it out of the park with her cover shoot on the most recent issue of Allure Mag. I think this color she’s wearing is a perfect fall lip color. Gucci Westman, Makeup Artist for the shoot, describes the color as a “matte tomato red.” There are two great colors you can use to recreate this look. And the great news? One of them is super affordable!

.

Perfecto.

So, what can you use to recreate this look?

Maybelline “Are You Red-dy?” $4 on Amazon

.

MAC Lady Danger, $15

Both of these colors are beautiful, show-stopping reds. The Maybelline is going to feel a bit creamier and nourishing, while the MAC will be a bit more matte. This is considered a bold lip color. For those of you who aren’t quite as daring, I will be following up with some great subdued options for fall!

What do you think of this look on Lauren? Are you brave enough to try this daring lip?

A Few New Additions To The Portfolio

Two of my wonderful brides have been kind enough to send these my way. These are some of the most recent additions to my portfolio. It’s always greatly appreciated when a bride lets me add a few of her photos to help build my portfolio.  They look stunning. Thank you Hannah and Meredith!

.

.

.

.

.

Calling Out To My Fab Followers

Happy Friday, everyone! This Friday, I’m asking for help from you. I write this blog because I have a passion for beauty and makeup, also in hopes that I can help you out by answering your questions along the way. I hope my articles have helped to further your knowledge about makeup and that you have gained something by reading them. I greatly appreciate each and every single one of you.

Here is where I need your help. Here in Indianapolis, we have something called the Indy A-List. This is where you can vote for the best of the BEST in the city. This year is my first year being nominated in the category for Best Make-up and I’m so excited! I would greatly appreciate your vote in this category. Voting is very simple. It only requires you entering your name and email address. The link to vote for me is located here. This contest ends very soon, so I need your help. I’m currently in 7th place out of 26, which is great, but not good enough! Every vote counts and makes a huge difference. Even if only 5 of you vote, I will be so grateful.

Thanks for listening to my spiel! I hope everyone has a fabulous, fun weekend!

xo,

The Best Self-Tanners On The Block

In my previous post, How To NOT Look Like Tan Mom, I talked about the steps to take to achieve the perfect sunless tan. Now, I’m going to show you my favorite self tanners. There is a perfect mix for every budget. Here they are:

Hawaiian Tropic Island Radiance, $8 at Target

This product is great for being the lowest in price. It is easy to distribute and it gives me a very natural looking tan. It does seem to have a waxy scent to it, but I can live with that for the price.

.

Bare Escentuals Faux Tan, $22 at stores

This one is very tinted, so you can tell where you’ve put it. A lot of self-tanners give you a golden tan, but this seems to gives me a more brownish looking tan. I usually use this one only on my face because I’ve discovered that it doesn’t seem to break me out.

.

St. Tropez Self Tan, $40 at Sephora

I remember using this when I was in high school. I remember liking it, but that was many moons ago. Nonetheless, this is the one Emily Maynard uses as seen in this post. So, you know it has to be good!

.

Victoria’s Secret Beach Sexy Tinted Self-Tan Lotion, $12 at stores

This is my favorite self-tanner by far. It gives me a golden, beachy glow. It’s also tinted so it’s easy to see where you’ve put it. It seems that my faux tan seems to last the longest with this product. You definitely need to wait at least 10-20 min before dressing because this takes a bit to dry. I seriously love this product!

.

Have you used any of these? Are there any sunless tanners you love that aren’t on this list?