I Wanna Look Like Emma

When I saw Emma Stone Sunday at the MTV Movie Awards, her makeup caught my eye immediately. In my eyes, the look she’s wearing is the epitome of what summer makeup should look like. Her makeup looks simple except for the pop of color on her lips. Like I have said in my past post, summer makeup should be simple with one focus point. Choose either the eyes or the lips, make them stand out, and the rest should stay simple. With only 4 easy steps, I’m going to show you the products that you can use to recreate this fun, summery look.

1. Foundation:

First off, her skin isn’t shouting ‘luminous’ to me. Her foundation looks semi-matte. A great foundation to recreate this look would be Laura Mercier Oil Free Suprême Foundation. This foundation gives medium, buildable coverage with a semi-matte finish.

$42 at Sephora.com

2.  Blush:

She is wearing a very subtle, peachy-pink blush. The perfect blush would be NARS Blush in Sex Appeal. It’s the perfect mix of a soft pink and pale peach. Since she is wearing a coral lip, you want to make sure your blush has a tint of coral or peach in it too.

$28 at Sephora

3. Eye Liner

Emma is wearing a black, sleek liner. Keep your eyeshadow very neutral, almost bare, and put the focus on the liner. A great liner to create this look is MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack. This liner is seriously awesome (I swear) and it’s perfect to recreate this look.

$15 at Nordstrom

4. Lips

And the grand finale…the lips! She is wearing a coral lip that looks like it has a tint of pink to it. The actual lip product she is wearing is Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous. Her makeup artist, Rachel Goodwin, actually confirmed that this is the color she is wearing! When you look at the product it looks like a red-orange shade. I’m sure you can work with the color and achieve the color that best suits you depending upon how much you apply. I love to mix colors, so if this looked a little too orange-ish on myself, I will just add a dab of pink! I will definitely be picking this color up on my next drugstore visit because I’m certain it will be selling out soon.

$7.69 at Target

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Voilà! You look like a movie star!

What do you think of this look? Would you wear it?

My Favorite Bridal Looks of Spring & Summer 2012

In your wedding photos you want to look classically beautiful. Following the seasons trend might be for some, but for most brides when it comes to wedding photos you want to look timeless. Looking back in 20 years at bright purple eyeshadow or neon lips might make you wish you had chosen more of a classic look rather than living in the moment.  Whatever look you choose, my goal is to help make you look picture-perfect on your wedding day. Here is a compilation of some of my favorite bridal looks this season:

Kim Kardashian opted for  neutral eyes, luminous skin, muted lip, and wispy lashes.

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For a little more color; this is a romantic, whimsical look that incorporates pastels on the lips & eyes.

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This look on Keira Knightley looks stunning with gold shadow, black liner, and a nude apricot lip.

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This elegant look has  smokey liner on top and bottom, bold lashes, peach cheeks, and a pinky-peach lip.

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This look focuses on luminous skin with a smokey, neutral eye.

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Carrie Underwood’s focus is on the eyes with big bold lashes and a neutral lip.

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Emma Stone has a metallic eye with sleek, black liner and a pink lip.

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.Which bridal look would you choose?

Summer Makeup Essentials Part 2

I have so many favorite summer makeup products that one post just wouldn’t cut it. Here are the rest of my essentials for long-lasting and flawless summer makeup:

1. Tinted Moisturizer:

A tinted moisturizer can completely replace your foundation if you’re comfortable with a sheer coverage. I, on the other hand, still use a light coverage foundation on top of my tinted moisturizer because I have minor skin imperfections. If you are blessed with great skin, a tinted moisturizer is all you will need in the summertime. Tinted moisturizers do exactly what they sound like they do. They tint the skin, covering discolorations slightly, and moisturize. If you decide to strictly use a tinted moisturizer, make sure it has a high SPF of 30+.  A  great money-saving trick I love is to use your daily foundation and your daily moisturizer and mix equal parts together to make your own version of a tinted moisturizer. It works just as well. I have finally found the ultimate tinted moisturizer I’ve been searching for:

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30, $42 at Nordstrom

This moisturizer gives great coverage, while still letting your natural skin show through. I absolutely love the texture and feel of it. It leaves my skin feeling very hydrated and not tacky, like some tinted moisturizers tend to. It has a long list of luxurious ingredients that actually help to improve your pigmentation after 4 weeks of use. I’ve tried a lot of tinted moisturizers and this one exceeded all of my expectations, so it will stand alone on my list of favorites. In fact, this product is so good that it’s what Gwyneth Paltrow wore at the Golden Globes this year.

2. Bronzer:

It wouldn’t be summer without bronzer. Summer is the only time of the year you can get by with looking like a bronzed goddess without being questioned if you just came back from an exotic vacay. With that being said, bronze away! While the sun is one of my favorite things, I prefer not to lay out in it because of its harmful effects, so I definitely put my bronzers and self-tanning creams to good use in the summertime. One of my least favorite things in a bronzer is one with an underlying orange tint. If you’re trying to be cast as the latest Jersey Shore housemate these bronzers are NOT for you:

NARS Bronzer in Laguna, $34 at Department Stores

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder with Real Cocoa, $29 at Sephora 

Bare Escentuals Warmth, $19 at BareEscentuals.com 

3. Bright Pink Lips:

Bright pink and fuchsia lips happen to look amazing with muted down makeup and luminous summer skin. In the summer, keep it easy and choose one focus point or just keep everything simply neutral. My lovely cousin Arantha, author of the blog Gourmet Beauty, recently did a post on fuchsia lips. You can view her favorite colors here. One of the colors she has recently recommended on her blog has become one of my new daily favorites!  These colors are very stylish and fun this season, so give them a try!

Nicki Minaj for MAC Viva Glam, $14.50 at MAC stores

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Candy Pink, $8.99 at drugstores

4. Finishing Mists

I am in love with finishing mists. One of my favorite things about them is they feel refreshing, like you’re giving thirsty skin a drink of water.  They  set your makeup and give it staying power. It’s Indy 500 week here in Indianapolis and for those of you that don’t know, that means a long, 90 something degree day in the direct sunlight. My makeup has to withstand the heat and also last for hours. These products will help it to do just that:

Urban Decay All Nighter, $29 at Sephora

MAC Fix+, $20 at MACCosmetics.com

Are there any essentials you must have for summertime? Everyone have a safe & happy Memorial Day!

Summer Makeup Essentials Part 1

In the summertime I’m all about quick and easy makeup that will last all day without making me look too “made up”. Summer is a time when you want your skin to look fresh and luminous. What I love about summer makeup is my routine is cut almost in half! This leaves me a lot of other time to get stuff done, such as laundry web surfing. In Indiana, we have a lot of humidity and high temps in the summer. I need my makeup to last (and look good) from the time I put it on to when I wash it off at night. This can be hard to achieve but with the right products and routine seen below, you will be on your way to long-lasting, fresh-faced, summer beauty.

1. Primer

Primers are specifically made for either the face or eyes. A primer helps the longevity of your makeup. It creates a smooth surface for applying your foundation or eye makeup.

A facial primer not only helps to reduce the appearance of your pores, it also helps to control oil and smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. When you’re using a face primer, a little goes a long way. You usually only need one pump, if that.

An eye primer keeps your shadow adhered all day long and also keeps it from creasing. It also works to the benefit of the eyeshadow by bringing out the true pigment in the shadow. I would consider an eye primer a staple in anyone’s makeup collection, but if you’re someone with oily eyelids then a primer is an absolute necessity. When wearing foundation or eye makeup in the summer, I definitely recommend trying one of the following:

Bare Escentuals Prime Time Foundation Primer, $23 at BareEscentuals.com

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microperfecting Primer, $34 at Sephora

2. Neutral Eyes

Think beachy and bronzed…and J. Lo. Summertime is when you can get away with minimal eye makeup, so use it to your advantage. The great thing is you don’t have to be makeup savvy to create a look. I usually keep it simple with one light, shimmery color all over the lid. For evening, pop another color into your crease and you’re good to go. Here are some of my favorites.

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette, $50 at Sephora

MAC eyeshadow in Naked Lunch, $15 at Nordstrom

Bare Escentuals Eyeshadow in Vanilla Sugar, $14 at Nordstrom

3. Peachy Cheeks

When I think of light, fresh makeup I think of peachy-pink cheeks. You want a shade that gives you a natural-looking flush of color. The focus point shouldn’t be on your cheeks. You just want a pop of blush that gives you that little pick-me-up, making your finished look polished.

NARS Orgasm Blush, $28

MAC Buff Blush, $24

Kirsten Dunst at Cannes Film Festival 2012. Summer makeup perfection.

What are your summer makeup essentials? Stay tuned for Summer Makeup Essentials Part 2.