Beauty on a Budget: Fall Trends

Atlanta is beautiful in the fall. The air cools and the jokes begin to circulate amongst us “non-southerners” about the “cold weather.” The fun banter brings the fellowship of fall, of upcoming holidays and the spirit of giving. To me, this is the perfect season. It is now officially acceptable for me to wear that very coveted scarf, while walking around with my signature cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte. Fall also welcomes the most beautiful makeup of the year, in my opinion: deep bronzes, smoky purples, warm browns, colors emulating the gorgeous turn of leaves.

Due to my career as a hair stylist, nail polish is a pointless decoration. With my hands immersed in water 90% of the day, polish lasts about 10 minutes. Walking through the aisles of Target, one of my favorite stores, I fell in love with the themes represented in every polish line. Sonia Kashuk’s “Tauped” ($4.99), is beautiful. The deep taupe shade changes color depending on your clothing. It has hints of purple, but can appear grey or brown as well. Brilliant! This color has single-handedly converted a former polish hater.

Blush and pink tones are still very hot this fall and now they have translated into clothing. I love Jennifer Lopez’s line at Kohl’s as many of the clothes are the soft pink/blush color. They are beautifully designed with quality material that isn’t flimsy as you might assume from a discounted clothing store. The ability to purchase an outfit for less than $100 is pretty amazing! I was impressed.

Not all fall trends are soft and sweet, though. Bold purple is appearing frequently even in eyeliner. My favorite is Almay’s Purple Amethyst liquid liner ($7). Pair color liners with a neutral eye, like a gold shimmer for a bit of a retro look, which is always in style. I like to believe there are almost no rules that can’t be broken in fashion, including hair and makeup; therefore, I love to pair bold purple eyes with an outfit that might not match. Once upon a time it was taboo to wear black and brown together, right? Try pairing purple eyes with a coral scarf, or a blush shirt. It’s gorgeous and empowering.

A little preview: my next skin article is going to get you ready for the winter skin blahs! If you have a chance, check out Salma Hayek’s Nuance line. That’s all I’m saying. It can ONLY be purchased at CVS, and this girl, might be a tad obsessed. Enjoy this season! I love it!

Beauty on a Budget: Q & A with Date Night Magazine

I love to read the advice columns in magazines. However, annoyingly, every magazine offers conflicting advice about what to do with your makeup and hair. It’s confusing for anyone except stylists and make-up artists. I am the first one to say that my opinion is exactly that, an opinion based on my experience in the industry. With that said, I asked for your questions, and you sent them! I hope you find this Q & A helpful.

1. Are there makeup products that I should invest more money on?
Yes. I love that less expensive brands give high dollar brands a good run for their money. However, I always spend more money on my foundation. Skin is porous so it will absorb what you put on it. Less expensive foundations contain a lot of fillers: chemicals that your body can’t digest properly, so it is more likely that your skin will break out and age quicker. My favorite is Aveda.

2. How can I figure out my face shape?
Stand in front of a mirror with a dry erase marker, pull your hair back into a pony tail, and trace the shape of your face on the mirror. Google image: face shapes, and compare! A majority of people think they have a round face, when they normally do not. Don’t be misled because you think there is fullness near your cheek bones.

3. I love the look of lip-gloss, but it disappears too quickly! How can I make it last?
First, find a lip pencil that matches your natural lip color. Apply the pencil to your lips, and use your finger to smooth and blend it. Because lips are very porous, this will provide the barrier you need, apply the gloss on top of the liner. My favorite gloss is NYC’s Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss.

4. I’m tired of always wearing black or brown eye liner. Can I wear one with color?
Yes! I love a color liner right now. There are some great choices out there, but stay away from anything metallic. I love colors that complement your eye color. For example, I use a lot of plums, because I have brown eyes, but recently for a photo shoot I used turquoise on a green eye. Please do not pair color mascara with color eye liner, unless you’re attending an 80’s party.

5. My eye shadow always fades half-way through the day! How can I make it last?
One word: primer. I like NYC’s Individual Eyes Custom Compact, which comes with the primer in it. Wash your eyes with a mild soap (I prefer glycerin) or at least use an oil absorbing sheet to remove the oil from your eyelids. This helps the primer adhere to your eye lid. Cover any place you want to apply eye shadow to. I also apply some below my bottom lashes, and pull the color under my lashes too! This helps your eyes appear larger.

6. My lashes are short and stubby! How do I make them look longer?
First, make sure your eye liner isn’t applied too thick. This way your eyelashes can be viewed from the base, which gives the appearance of length. Next, curl your top lashes with an eye lash curler, gently. Do not squeeze too hard, so you don’t break your lashes, or pull them out. My favorite find has been L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara. It has a white primer, which you apply first, and after it dries, apply the mascara. The primer extends your lashes. You can layer it as long as you want, before the mascara is applied.

Want your questions answered? Comment here, e-mail me at cayladoeshair@hotmail.com, OR ask me on facebook or twitter

$.72 for NYC makeup at CVS? Heck YES

Check it out before it's gone! Go to www.coupons.com, and print out your coupon for CVS: Spend $1.72, and get $1.00 off. Thats kind of awesome. Use this as your chance to stock up! Hint: you can print multiple coupons online! http://www.newyorkcolor.com/

New York Color

My mom gave me the makeup bug. When I was in 7th grade, she gave me a Caboodles container full of makeup. After that, I saved my allowance and used every cent to buy any makeup I could get my hands on. Due to where I grew up, I was limited to purchasing at drug stores and the rare trek to Wal-Mart (45 minutes away!). At that time, all the inexpensive makeup came in tacky packaging with poor color choices. Drug store brands have come a long way in the quality of their ingredients, the packaging, color choices, and availability. Their price, however, is still comparable to my 7th grade allowance: thus enters NYC (New York Color).
I tested nearly everything from eye shadows and blushes to lipsticks and lip-glosses, each mascara, false eyelashes and foundations. I used these products in the sweltering heat of Atlanta, the icy cold air conditioning of all those who have had to suffer Atlanta weather, on a movie set, and at photo-shoots.
To start, I disliked all of the foundations because they are synthetic and harsh on skin. The mascaras consistently flaked. Despite the many nail polish color options, I prefer to spend more money on other brands. After four coats and a long drying time, I prefer better quality polish even if it’s more expensive. Last, I recommend forgoing the false eyelashes, unless you want to look like you are gearing up for an early Halloween. They felt like plastic and lasted about 30 seconds. Literally.
In spite of my disappointment with the aforementioned products, I was impressed by NYC’s eye shadows. My favorite – Individual Eyes Custom Compact for brown eyes – comes with a primer, a shimmer highlighter, and four colors. I used the primer, not only with the NYC eye shadow, but with all of my other brands to see if it had the same potency, and it passed the test. I loved it. There are different color combinations for specific eye colors, which simplifies the process of choosing the right color. Blushable Crème Stick is another favorite. It was easy to apply and effortlessly provides that dewy, glowing, summer look, and is a steal at $3.99.
My favorite NYC products are the lip choices: traditional tube lipstick, lip stains and glosses. Lip stains are very in right now, and I prefer them to layering on lipstick that easily rubs off. You get the best of both worlds: color and you can apply Chap Stick right on top! The Smooch Proof 16 hour Lip Stain comes in the shape of a marker, is easy to apply, and travels well. My absolute favorite lip product from NYC is Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss. At $3.99, it’s a bargain. It’s pencil skinny, and easily fits into your pocket. I love it, have made it a staple, and want it in every color.
So, while NYC makeup could improve some of their products, they have hit the mark on eyes and lips. This makeup is very affordable, comes in sleek packaging, and has earned a fondness in my heart for mimicking my caboodle-filled memories as an aspiring makeup artist (read: addict) and hair stylist!
Visit www.newyorkcolor.com for more information.

Look what I found!

Small blog update. I am a self-professed makeup JUNKIE. I am always looking for the next best thing. So, while scouring the aisles at Target (3 month old in tow)  (http://www.target.com/), I came upon a makeup gold mine. As I have previously stated, I am a bit of an E.L.F fan. The makeup is so reasonbly priced that you can stock your supply with LITERALLY spending less than $100 (See Eyes Lips Face Review on this blog) . Seeing E.L.F's newest summer release of makeup completely made my day, and while looking through everything, I decided to purchase this color palette: (http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/sets-and-palettes/palettes/beauty_book_eye_editions).

So, I rationalized my purchase as a much needed gift, from my husband (so.. maybe he didn't know he was purchasing it), to myself as I was about to celebrate my VERY first Mother's Day as a new mama.
 I am beyond pleased with this AMAZING palette. There are 3 choices: Smoky, Bright, and Neutral, I am always a fan of of bronzy warm tones, so I purchased the palette you see in the picture, which is the Neutral. There are twelve colors, an eyeliner, an eyeshadow brush, a small mirror and a tutorial if you aren't eyeshadow savvy. The best part? $5.00. You read that correctly $5.00. (My husband was VERY pleased with the price of his *ahem* purchase for me.)

To give you an idea of a comparable palette? MAC's customizable palette that includes 15 eyeshadow choices is $179.00 (http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/154/4280/Custom-Palette-Eye-Shadow-x-15/index.tmpl).

While I can certainly boast to MAC's pigment and longevity, I am not about to drop $179.00 on eyeshadow. I do, however, feel comfortable dropping $5.00 for a 12 eyeshadow palette. Use a primer, as I always say to do, and this eyeshadow WILL last you all day (tried and tested during a LONG day at the salon in the sweltering climate of Atlanta.... in May!)

 If you want to let me know what you think of the eyeshadows, or if you have any questions... Post a comment!

Beauty on a Budget: A review into Extending Mascaras

Kim Kardashian.  Eva Longoria. Drew Barrymore. Vanessa Hudgens.  These Hollywood Divas have something many of us want: eyelashes to die for! From the time that I was in 4^th grade, sneaking my mom’s makeup, the one product that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on was mascara! It has always been my go-to product! I love it. Desert Island savior?  Chap Stick is for the birds.  I need mascara.

 I realized this necessity at a VERY young age, and my journey began: my first love was, of course, the infamous pink and green tube (Great Lash, anyone?), and as I grew, so did my adoration.  Now, my tastes have thankfully matured from my teenage desire for all things sparkly (thanks for the memories early 90’s), and have grown into a simple desire for longer, fuller, and voluminous eyelashes. We all have a never ceasing thirst for the perfect mascara, so I thought my dreams had come true with the new line of mascaras that contain fiber polymers which attach themselves to your eyelashes to create longer, fuller lashes.

HOW TO: To wear these mascaras, you first apply the fiber polymer, which looks like a white mascara, to your eyelashes. As a mascara junkie, I apply more than one coat of it, from root to end, to build out my lashes.  After the fiber coating has completely dried, taking special care to make sure it has not clumped, apply the mascara to the bottom and top of your lashes, covering the fiber polymer, or the white, completely.

The three most popular “Extending Mascaras” are comparable in appearance, but not in wear, tear and removal! Maybelline XXL Pro: Extension is similar to regular mascara, in the way it smears, flakes, and leaves pretty raccoon circles under your eyes. The brush is efficient at clumping the fiber polymer to your lashes so you do a brilliant job in honoring the late, great Tammy Faye Baker. The mascara itself, when applied without the polymer, leaves a lot to be desired. My opinion? This is a no go ladies. 

The other two most popular mascara choices, I loved equally, for different reasons. Revlon Lash Fantasy: Total Definition has the newly designed rubber brush, so your lashes are separated and coated efficiently.  To remove the product, you simply wash with soap and water. 

The most surprising mascara was the L’Oreal Double Extend: Beauty Tubes Mascara.  The first time I washed my face with this product on, what came off in my hands looked like mini spider legs. (Gross. I know.) After some research, I learned that the fiber polymer in this mascara is mixed with a wax, which softens in warm water. Because the fiber polymer has a more complex bonding system, the bonds stay quite strong, and thus when washing your face, the wax softens and the mascara “slips” off your eyelashes in literal miniature tubes. No soap or eye makeup remover needed.

These mascaras definitely go in my top 10 for amazing makeup finds.  In my quest for Kim Kardashian’s lashes, this product is my new go to mascara for everyday use! With eyelash extensions being $200-$250 an application, the less than $10.00 price tag on these mascaras makes them well worth it.  My lashes have never looked better, but I will still bow down to the queen of PERFECT lashes (Ms. Kardashian), and let her have her throne. As for me, I am now happy with what I have…with a little fiber polymer help.

To see my article in Date Night Magazine, click on the link: http://www.datenightmag.com/story/beauty-budget-mascara

Beauty on a Budget: My Review of E.L.F products

Beauty on a budget: is that laughable in Atlanta?  I know we consistently encounter the images of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” where excess is a necessity, but it could be possible, right?  It appears in Atlanta that we have a dress code, an expectation even!  Designer clothes, shoes, and accessories are a must! As a Midwesterner, raised on the values of hard work, and frugality, I was completely intrigued by this city, excited to search it out and really learn what it meant to be acclimated into Atlanta Society. It took me all of 2 seconds to be immersed in it, as I chose my first home to be “Buckhead.” 

I quickly learned, going out to dinner was how friends say “Hello, how are you?”   In Atlanta, it seemed as if money was of no object. You should have fun while your young and enjoy your life!  I began to believe there was a perfectly logical reason as to why that Marc Jacobs bag needed to be introduced to ‘American Express.’ However, at some point in this fairy tale, reality set in, and American Express didn’t take no for an answer when he came knocking. I found myself enjoying many Ramen Noodle nights, while still wanting to keep up this fabulous appearance.

Lets get real now ladies. That life can’t last long and thus the birth of a new life! Welcome Frugal Midwesterner, once forgotten, now found, and still willing to make it in this very expensive city, but on my terms, in my way. So, back to my original question: is it possible to have beauty on a budget, in Atlanta? As a stylist and makeup artist in this city for the last 6 years, I have had the pleasure of working with an array of high end makeup lines, being a makeup artist for several of them, and working in one of the top salons in Atlanta where I hear the same question over and over: “How much will all of this cost?” Perhaps in the beginning of that journey, I took that question almost offensively. How much will it cost? How valuable is YOUR beauty to you?! I guess American Express was karma’s way of kicking me in the booty. I never got into this industry for money, and I forgot that briefly while being swept up in the whirlwind of a new city. I got into it because I truly wanted people to feel beautiful. I wanted to bring the beauty from the inside out, and make people see how amazing they are.

That is how I started on this adventure of discovering how I can provide beauty on a budget, not only for my clients, but for myself! I have makeup kits full of MAC, Laura Mercier, Nars, Urban Decay, Aveda, Chanel, Bobbi Brown and etc., but I am now on a search for inexpensive beauty products that can at least compete with these, so we can all look like we are wearing high-end beauty products, without people realizing we did it craftily for a low price! 

Thus enters E.L.F, which stands for Eyes Lips Face: a company that gives to charities and does NOT test on animals, which gets a HUGE thumbs up from me. I came across this line while searching for the perfect “berry” colored lipstick that was essential to my new darker hair color. The lip-gloss was only $1.00. Wait, is that right? As I started to look at this brand, I discovered EVERYTHING is only $1.00! I purchased my 2 in 1 Conditioning Gloss in “Plumtastic” and went home to search out more information about E.L.F. It took one search on Google to find discount codes galore for this line! As I clicked the link for their site, www.eyeslipsface.com, my timing couldn’t have been more perfect: 50% off if you purchased 5 or more products. Um…. Yes, please. I immediately started scrolling through the various tabs. Titles popped up such as eyes, lips, face, brushes, bath, etc. They have 3 different makeup lines. The Essential line: everything for $1.00 with fabulous pearlescent white handled brushes. The Studio line ranges from $3.00 to $6.00, with a few items being $8.00, and its matte black packaging resembles Nars. The last line is their mineral line, which ranges from $3.00 to $8.00,also high-end looking, it mimics Bare Escentuals packaging. 

Determined to try everything, I purchased a variety of products from each line, and then eagerly awaited their arrival. I received an e-mail to let me know it had been shipped 2 days later. OK, a little annoying, but I can deal with that. The e-mail gave me a tracking number, which takes up to another 2 days to work. I finally received my product about 2 weeks later. That was disappointing, and upon reading reviews I found that most people have the same problem with the company, but that didn’t stop my excitement as I tore into the package! My eyes glazed over with beautiful makeup, all for my personal use! The more expensive product comes better packaged than the makeup that only costs $1.00, but really, we are all going to rip it open and throw it away, so packaging matters very little when it comes to the usefulness of the makeup!

Over the course of 2 months I used the product without fail, every day. I immediately fell in love with the Therapeutic Conditioning Balm in Blackberry Crème. I am not a huge fan of having to reapply lipstick or gloss throughout my day, and was beyond impressed with how smoothly the product went on, how little it took, and how long it lasted! It looks very similar to Soft Lips in shape, but it cost me all of $1.00. Amazing. I tried a variety of the brushes and compared to the high-end brushes I normally use, they are good. The bristles are a bit stiffer than very expensive brushes, but they did the job well and are a great way to stock up. I became absolutely obsessed with the Smudge Eye Sponge from the Essential line. The small sponge comes on a handle like an eye shadow brush. It perfectly smudges my eyeliner into a smoky eye, and softens the harsh lines of their Waterproof Eyeliner Pen. The Eyeliner Pen looks just like a felt tip marker, and applies effortlessly, but I highly recommend buying the smudge eye sponge so you don’t end up looking like a 13 year old, just learning how to use liquid liner! I used a variety of their eye shadows from the Duo Powder Eye Shadow to the Mineral Eye Shadow. My favorite was the Mineral Eye Shadow. It had the slightest shimmer and lasted for a long time as long as it was applied over an eye shadow primer.  I adore the Natural Radiance Blusher in Glow. It is the most amazing blush I have ever used, giving the slightest glow on top of my every day bronzer.

In the weeks of using this product I found that for the price, it’s great. Does it compare to high end products? I think it sure gives the high-end products some great competition. There are some minor flaws though. The pressed products lift away too easily and I found myself getting way more product than was needed. This was a huge waste. Second, the pressed products don’t travel well. All of mine ended up breaking up, but I just kept the lids tightened, and would carefully open them to use. Some of the packaging was faulty, including my very favorite blush, but I would still buy it, knowing what I do. The foundations and concealers definitely require a primer, which can be purchased directly from the company. With a primer, the concealer named All over Cover Stick works wonderfully. It goes on smooth and doesn’t settle into fine lines. The Eyelid Primer worked efficiently enough, but you have to make sure it dries completely; it definitely wasn’t my favorite primer to use. The lip-glosses are all amazing, they last for hours and there are many color choices. My favorite products over all were the mineral products. Because the pressed eye shadows broke apart anyway, the mineral eye shadows are already in loose powder form, so I preferred them. This line costs a little more ($3.00-6.00), but is well worth the price.

Over all I would say E.L.F is worth it. You can fill your makeup bag with tons of products for a very low price especially after the amazing discounts and deals they offer. Plus, you have a chance to experiment with different shades, colors and brushes, and for so little financially, we all have room for error and can afford to get rid of something if we decide we don’t love it. 

Every article I want to offer a trick I have learned while working as a makeup artist. So, my makeup tip of the month: If you prefer to use the loose mineral eye shadows like I do, take some loose, translucent powder, and heavily lay it under and next to your eye. Mineral shadows tend to dust below the eye, and the last thing you want is to have a beautifully applied face, and discover you now have dark sprinkles under your eye from your eye shadow! When you are finished, use your all over face brush to brush away the powder, leaving no trace of the powder, and a flawless finish!

Now is your time to try it out! Prove we can wear budget friendly makeup and still fulfill Atlanta’s fabulous dress code on our terms- in our own way. Take that extra money and direct it elsewhere! Sorry Marc Jacobs hand bag, but it’s time to break up with American Express. I’m not big on strings and attachments, so it’s time to purchase you with cash.

To view the edited version of this article in Date Night Magazine, please visit: http://www.datenightmag.com/story/beauty-budget-look-elf-cosmetics