EYEBROW 911

Ok so I know I write about eyebrows all the time but it’s because there are girls running around that still haven’t hear my plea! If you have made the mistake once of getting your brows waxed while getting your nails filled don’t keep making the same mistake!!! Invest in a brow powder or soft pencil to fill in the missing hairs until they grow back in (hopefully they will). I totally support the coiffed brow – believe me, but a nice full brow is so in right now and you can achieve that look while still looking maintained.

If you are unsure about how to fill your brows in naturally, make an appointment with me and I will teach you how to do it subtly and flawlessly…

Call me 407.432.0005 or Kara@FabulousFacesStudio.com

Male Brows Before Shaping



Male Brows After Shaping



Brows Before and After (Right side with Shaping & Tinting)

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF A MAKEOVER

As some of you may know, in addition to running my company Fabulous Faces Studios, I also am a Regional Artist for Laura Mercier Cosmetics in which I get the opportunity to travel to department stores all over the state and do makeovers and makeunders on a diverse clientele. I usually have about 30-45 minutes with each face and within that time I need to teach the techniques I’m using, find out what their makeup style is and which products will compliment your lifestyle and most importantly, make my lady look gorgeous!

My advice to you in navigating the department store cosmetic counter is do a little research first to decide which line you would like to go with, then call the counter to find out what the purchase requirements are for the appointment. Then take a look at your brushes and makeup bag and make a list of what items you need, which will keep you from over spending on things you don’t need and from duplicating items that you already have. Oh, on a fun note, it doesn’t hurt to ask if there is a gift with purchase because sometimes there are gifts left over from events and you just might be able to nab a little freebie!

When you meet with the artist, let her know what you’re looking in terms of what prompted you to make the appointment and what your expectations are. Most importantly let your artist know what your budget is because that will cut down on the ‘hard sell’ tactics and let you both focus on your time together.

Most professional makeup lines will offer you a Step-by-Step Face Chart for you to take with you and use as a guide to replicate what you worked on during the appointment. If one is not offered, don't be afraid to ask the artist to demonstrate his/her technique again for the products that you are purchasing.

Follow this tips and you will get the most out of your appointment with your favorite cosmetic brand! Enjoy!

Do-It-Yourself Bridal Makeup

Professional bridal makeup does not fit into every brides’ wedding budget so if you plan to glamourize yourself for your big day, here are a few tips on how to make sure you are photo ready:

Start with an exfoliating treatment in the night before and again in the morning using a product like Laura Mercier Face Polish which has gentle rounded beads to soften your skin, allowing a flawless application of your foundation.
Research and invest on a great primer that fits your skin’s needs. A primer will ensure your foundation will last all night!

Visit a department store to get matched for the perfect shade of foundation and make sure to mention to the makeup artist that the foundation is for your wedding and she will help you choose the formula that photographs best.

Practice applying a natural looking pair of false lashes (tip: falsies work best when applied before mascara).

Look for a pretty long wear lip color unless you don’t mind reapplying your lipstick or lip gloss frequently so that your lips are touched up for every photo opportunity.

Try out your look in it’s entirety before the wedding so you can do two things: see how long the look will really take you to complete so you can plan ahead and ensure you will not be rushed and take photos, even on a point-and-shoot camera to see how your makeup choices and application photograph.

If you are on the fence about hiring a Professional Makeup Artist it might be helpful to take into account the amount of money you will spend on all of the products necessary that it will take to accomplish your wedding day look and then compare that with the cost of hiring an experienced artist… you might be surprised that the latter maybe the most cost effective option.

Urban Decay Primer - BUY IT NOW!!!

As most of you do, I also work really long days and I’m typically only a few inches from my clients’ faces, one after another, after another and as a makeup artist it is super embarrassing when I can feel my face getting greasier and greasier by the moment, especially when you are teaching your client all the tips to a flawless face! I am such an ingredient Nazi that I will usually forfeit products that promise to be long wearing because they generally contain ingredients that clog my pores and over time, cause breakouts (P.S. Breakouts at 31… so uncool this far after puberty!) So I tend to pick the ones with the least offensive ingredients even if it means giving up a little effectiveness. On one of my recent south Florida makeup tours a fellow artist actually said, after several days of working side by side with me, “Kara, I can’t believe how many times you have to touch up in a day!” I had just come to accept being constantly shiny and took solace in the fact that oily skin stays younger longer… blah blah blah.

Since then I have been in search of a solution and I think I have finally found one!!! Urban Decay De-Slick In a Tube Mattifying Gel $28, I did some research and went to my home away from home – also known as Sephora and was pleasantly surprised at the reasonable price of this primer and the short list of ingredients. Today was day one with the new wonder product and let me tell you, I gave it a run for it’s money! We had an 80 degree day with full sunshine and I not only watered my garden, walked my dogs around the neighborhood then to a art festival, then hand washed my car at the heat of the day and cleaned my house (it was my first Sunday off in months!) and I am blown away by how well this primer held up! I DID NOT, I repeat, I DID NOT TOUCH UP ONCE all day! I applied it at 9am and wore my normal foundation over top so the only factor that changed was the Urban Decay product. Now, to be perfectly honest, it is 9pm and if I was going to dinner or something, I would need to blot now and retouch my makeup but nonetheless it lasted 8 hours longer than my usual primers so I’M SOLD! If you have oily, acne prone skin like me, girls it is worth every penny and I strongly recommend it!

PLUS there are No Parabens or Sulfates

Active Ingredients: Water, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Propylene Glycol, Allantoin

CREATING YOUR COLOR WARDROBE

CREATE YOUR COLOR WARDROBE: make your makeup bag easy to navigate. This means pairing colors (eyes, cheeks & lips) that all complement each other.

INVEST IN GOOD SKINCARE: keep it simple but use quality items that are an ideal fit for what your skin needs. All you need is a cleanser, moisturizer and a treatment serum (if your moisturizer doesn’t have SPF then add one in).

KEEP IT PACKAGED SIMPLY AND NEATLY: many cosmetic lines sell palette style compacts ($10) that you can refill yourself OR custom made ones pre-packaged ($50-200) that will make it simple for you to create a polished look in a reasonable amount of time.

Tip: a good time to find amazing deals on prepackaged kits is around the holidays. I suggest cleaning your brushes thoroughly once a month and at the same time, clean out your makeup bag too! You can keep a spray brush cleaner on hand for daily maintenance but remember that doesn’t replace a good shampoo cleaning.

NEW TESTIMONIAL

Kara is a GODDESS! From the start I was anxious about finding someone to do my make up for my wedding day. Being that our wedding was out of town, it was hard finding someone through referrals. Then there was Kara. She was recommended to me by my hair stylist. When I first met with her, I knew instantly that she was very knowledgeable in her field. Not only did she transform my wimpy eyebrows to super model caliber, she gave me exactly what I wanted for my special day. Not only can I vouch for her talent, but I can also say I am happy to call her a friend now. Anyone who has the pleasure of working with Kara, whether its for a special occasion, or an eyebrow fix, I can assure you that you'll be yet another satisfied customer.
This was the best thing I ever did for myself. I strongly suggest that every girl I know check them out, go onto the website, check on the photos, and BOOK!!! You won’t regret it!!!

Amazing job! They were so patient and willing to work with all our crazy demands (it was a bridal party after all) but beyond their amazing amount of professionalism, they were as sweet as can be. On top of all that, I can honestly say we've never looked better. I highly recommend them, you won’t regret it!

- Melissa Zurz Hyams

(due to complications with settings, please visit fb for photos of this bride)

TOP 5 TIPS FOR PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP ARTISTS

After 16 years in the field I have had the opportunity to work with countless other makeup artists and in doing so I have compiled a list of tips that will help you take your profession to the next level:

1. Always KEEP YOUR KIT CLEAN! In our business our brushes touch several faces in a day and there is no excuse to not be sanitizing them in between each client and giving them a complete washing when we finish a job. There are too many disorders that can be spread by a dirty brush - acne and pink eye, just to name a few, so in your clients best interest make it a habit of cleaning your brushes, sanitizing your lipsticks & liners, using disposable mascara wands and using alcohol on all of your containers periodically to make sure that your kit looks neat and is germ free at all times. Not to repeat myself but CLEANLINESS is KEY so keep the following items in your kit for your safety and your client’s. ALCOHOL, HAND SANITIZER, BRUSH CLEANER and DISTILLED WATER.

2. Stay on top of your game and USE THE NEWEST & BEST PRODUCTS on the market. If you are charging clients for applying makeup, you should be giving them the best available products. A few ways to stay on top of what’s new: stop by your local Sephora and ask the cast members what’s new and useful for the type of makeup you do, check the M.A.C website monthly to see what is new and exciting – chances are your clients will ask you about the most recent launch and it would be great if you could give them your insight on the latest products and lastly every year InStyle puts out their Best Of issue and it is safe to say that the majority of the products that win the coveted title should probably find their way into your kit.

3. Make it a point to UPDATE YOUR PICTURES in your portfolio every month. Whether you get prints of magazine work or have point-and-shoot snapshots, either way it will only make you look more professional to your clients for them to see a visual resume of your work.

4. USE MAGAZINES AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION and that doesn’t just mean other artist’s makeup work but also what inspires you? Flowers? Urban sky scapes? Asian artwork? Whatever tickles your fancy can be used for inspiration for your upcoming makeup jobs. Mimic color combinations that really got your attention or the strong/soft lines you love in a photo of the horizon… inspiration is everywhere!

5. BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR CAPABILITIES. This means if someone asks you if you do African American makeup and you have never been exposed to that complexion, say so because if you do a bad job and it is immortalized in a photo, you will have a bad referral and you would have single handedly ruined a very important day for your client. I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t challenge yourself to broaden your horizons but I am saying that you should practice on friends first so you can confidently do an amazing job!

What’s Your Makeup Style?

So you have a fashion style right? And the perfect hair style too? So what’s your makeup style? To help you define your style I suggest booking a makeup application at your local department store (usually complimentary with a $40-75 purchase) or a
Makeup Bag Makeover with FABULOUS FACES STUDIOS $85 SPECIAL (regularly $150).

MAKEUP BAG MAKEOVERS

Is it just me or doesn’t anyone clean out their makeup bags anymore?!?

I have frankly lost count on the Makeup Bag Makeovers I have done for ladies who’s makeup bags are a dirty mess and I spend more than 30 minutes of our scheduled appointment cleaning each item so that we can begin to see what needs to stay and what needs to go. I am really surprised that women don’t periodically clean out the inside of their freakin’ bags! YUCK! So here’s a few tips on keeping your bags a little cleanlier:

If it’s broken = PITCH IT! *the only exception is if the color can be easily removed you can always pop a magnet on the bottom and insert it into a MAC palette (see the blog on DePotting MAC eyeshadows)

If it’s old = PITCH IT! *especially mascara… it gets super dry and flaky and like wearing socks with holes in them… it doesn’t the job but barely.

Don’t take your entire makeup bag with you everyday because it not only puts the contents at risk of getting broken with all the shuffling around but also breeds bacteria if the bag is left in the hot car for more than an hour. Instead, pack a small zipper bag with your lip color, lip liner, touch up powder and possibly a bronzer. These are all the items you may need throughout the day to keep your look in tip-top shape! If you are using the right primers under your foundation and on your eyelids there is no reason that you would need shadow, concealor, etc... for retouching so that stuff should stay at home.

REMEMBER: A messy makeup bag = A messy and unpleasant adventure retrieving what you need!

ARTiST SPOTLiGHT - Darlina Conto

Fabulous Faces Studios was recently asked to participate in an Artist Spotlight for Jaclyn Fraser at At Last Weddings and I thought it was such an amazing idea, I decided to highlight some of the wonderful artists that work with me.

Our first Artist Spotlight is with Darlina Conto, a talented hair and makeup artist and colleague.



Darlina is one of my Lead Artists and over the years of working together, I am honored to call her my friend. Below is a little interview we did and some spectacular images from her portfolio...


FFS: How did you get started in the hair and makeup industry?
DC: I got started in the business of making people beautiful in Los Angeles, California. I loved applying makeup and found that it could make me money!

FFS: What outlet did you gain your experience?
DC: Most of my experience in makeup and hair is from working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. My career was intense and I rose quickly from assisting to being a key artist in film and commercials.



FFS: In your opinion, what sets you apart from your competition?
DC: I think there are many great artists out there, but what sets anyone apart from the next person is their attitude and personality. I love being around people and I have a great deal of passion and respect for the creative process so I am a ball of light whenever I am part of a project. I think that is what people pick up on and keeps me being hired.

FFS: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far?
DC: My greatest achievement so far is just being able to do what I like to do and support myself doing it.



FFS: As a fellow artist I know I've gotten some interesting requests over throughout my career, what is the craziest request that you have been asked?
DC: The craziest requests are usually requests to look like a certain supermodel when the person hasn't any features remotely close to the model they aspire to look like.

FFS: What do you get asked most frequently?
DC: I get this question every single time: "What makeup do you use?" And my answer is that I use all kinds...whatever product gets the job done well.

FFS: What is the biggest trend in makeup right now?
DC: The biggest trend right now, and it will continue indefinitely, is getting skin to look natural and flawless.



FFS: What advice could you offer to brides and others that are looking for an artist for their special day?
DC: If you are looking for a professional makeup artist, please review samples of their work and if you can, have a trial run with them before hiring them for a job.

FFS: What brand(s) can be found in your kit?
DC: My favorite brand is MAC. MAC has a lot of wonderful products and has never really let me down. I use other brands, of course, but MAC is pretty good across the board.

FFS: There is a lot of hype about airbrush makeup right now, what is your take on it?
DC: I like applying airbrush makeup and I find that it is beautiful on camera because I am aiming for heavier coverage while trying to maintain a natural look. As for brides, I find I can create a beautiful look on the bride with or without airbrush, so it becomes a matter of personal preference.

FFS: What are some of your all time favorite products?
DC: Top 5 Darlina picks: Cinema Secrets foundation/YSL Mascara/YSL Touche Eclat/Kinerase Peptide Lotion/MAC eyeshadows.



How can people contact you?

Darlina Conto
Tampa Beauty Group
813.957.7516
www.tampabeautygroup.com
darlina@tampabeautygroup.com

Put the Powder Down!

Now I’m not saying that all powders are bad but I meet women and girls everyday that choose a powder foundation because it’s easy. Well… like most things in life, easy isn’t always the best route.

Young girls tend to choose powders because they can carry it with to reapply it obsessively all day long. This is bad for 2 reasons: Most powders contain high amounts of talc and other ingredients that don’t allow skin to breathe which causes acne and clogged pores. The second reason is that your skin will never look better or be more poreLESS than it does while you’re in your teens and early 20’s so please don’t cake it with powder and cover up the beautiful glow your skin has… that glow doesn’t last forever so show it off and be kind to it!!!

SOLUTION: Try a sheer oil control formula such as NARS oil free foundation or for a little drier skins you can try a tinted moisturizer like Laura Mercier Tinted SPF15 formula.

Now, for my ladies just past their 30’s and beyond, I hear you too that you resort to powder as foundation because you don’t have time and I just going to have to call you out on that because liquid foundation DOES NOT take any longer than a powder application! Not to mention a great liquid foundation will last up to 3 times as long as a powder formula so it is also saving you $60 to $100 every 3 months!
Here’s why aging skin should not use a powder formula: first and foremost because always sets in the fine lines and wrinkles and seriously, who wants that?

SOLUTION: Try a moisturizing formula such as Laura Mercier Moisturizing Foundation applied with an egg shaped anti-microbial sponge OR if you would like a little less coverage, mix a Laura Mercier Illuminating Moisturizer with the Tinted Moisturizer for a sheer, dewy finish.

Professional Makeup Lessons for Professionals!

½ OFF MAKEUP/HAIR LESSONS FOR PROFESSIONALS

I am blessed to have a wonderful team consisting of 9 artists and I hold high standards for the quality of makeup that Bobby Pins & Blush provides. I do work with my artists one-on-one periodically to teach them new tricks and share tips I have learned throughout my career.

Last year I began doing MAKEUP LESSONS FOR PROFESSIONALS which is something that most Makeup Artists would never consider doing since our industry is so competitive but I believe that if you have a talent treat it like a gift and share it! I think that if my peers turned out perfection each and every time than professional makeup artists wouldn’t get so much bad light.

What can you expect to learn? ANYTHING! You tell me what you want to work on. Some of the requests I’ve had in the past are: Bridal Makeup, Bridal Hair, Editorial Makeup, Smoky Eyes, Airbrush, etc… We will customize your lesson for your needs so just tell me what you want!

Regular Price $400 Special Pricing $200 when you book before 3/1/2011

Included: 2 hours of hands on time with me, exposure to countless high end hair and makeup products, List of products to add to your kit and photos to remember the key points of your lesson.

Beauty Timeline for the Newly Engaged

Did you recently get engaged? Congratulations! Here is a super simple guide to follow while planning your wedding. Unfortunately the beauty end of the planning gets left until last and then you most likely WON'T get what you want or get the vendor you prefer, so follow these simple steps to make sure that you look and feel your best during every step of the engagement experience.

• Schedule your engagement shoot 10-12 months before the wedding
• Book your hair and makeup vendors 9 months out
• Boudoir Shoot or Bridal Portraits 2 months before
• Bridal Trial 1-2 months before the big day
• Trash –the-dress Shoot 1 month after the wedding

Recommendations taken from various bridal resources (The Knot Magazine, Donnie Brown, Central Florida Bride)