Vivian – Page 11 – Vivian Makeup Artist Blog

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So far Vivian has created 125 blog entries.

Eyelash Tricks

I admit it, I have an eyelash obsession. Like to the point that when I was thirteen or fourteen I would split up the individual flares from Ardell into even littler sections of one or two lashes and apply them every day before school (kind of like now days version of eyelash extensions, but with temporary glue.) Obviously, that was a little crazy of me, so it’s a good thing I became a makeup artist! At least I can kind of justify the hours spent on that!

After years of doing eyelash extensions and having them myself, I had to part ways with those wonderful little things and start wearing strip eyelashes.

Thank goodness for strip lashes, they make a huge difference on me! The only problem is with my eye shape, most styles of lashes make me feel like the inner corners of my eyes are being tortured. So I came up with a solution (well, maybe someone else has thought of this too but they didn’t share the wealth with me!)

If you position the strip out a little bit further than normal it won’t feel like it’s poking you (if this doesn’t happen to you, then yay!) And then you can add a few flare lashes to the inner or outer corners to give a comfortable and tapered look.

The strip lashes are from House of Lashes and the style is Siren. For the inner flare’s I used these adorable mini’s. I frequently use shorts as well for this, especially if you’re using a longer length strip lash.

For the rest of the products used for this look reference my previous post.

I hope this is useful!

Vivian 2017-07-14T15:43:33+00:00 October 2nd, 2014|Lashes, Makeup, Tips & Tricks, Uncategorized|2 Comments

Soft eyes and bold lips

I love this look so much! Soft eyes and luscious lovely lips.

Complexion: Lancome Teint Miracle foundation, Laura Mercier concealer #2, Shading cream contour, Bobbi Brown bronzer in Elvis Duran, Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush

Eyes: Urban Decay shadow base , MAC eyeshadow in Wedge and Vanilla, Stila liquid eyeliner, Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes mascara , Tarte nude eyeliner, Lashes Siren from House of Lashes and Ardell mini’s.

Lips: Urban Decay lip liner in Venom , Lancome lipstick Rouge in Love #181, Bobbi Brown Crystal gloss

Hair: I worked a nickle size amount of Kerastase Nectar Thermique through all of her hair (I got this as a gift from a client and I love it.) Then I curled her hair with my GHD straightener spraying each section with Oribe Soft Lacquer Heat Styling Spray. *I know some of these products are kind of pricey so for less expensive options try Biosilk and Beyond the Zone Thermal Protect Spray.

She’s beautiful in the before ↓ and in the after! Just more colorful 😀Xoxo

Vivian 2017-07-14T15:43:33+00:00 October 1st, 2014|Hair, Lashes, Makeup, Tips & Tricks|0 Comments

Foundation

I was standing in line at H&M and saw this foundation brush and thought “Wow, that looks a lot like my $30 Shiseido brush. Wonder if it’s any good.” So I got it. It’s a great option if you’re on a budget and it get’s the job done. It’s a little bigger than the Shiseido brush so product goes on more sheer. I do find myself reaching for my Shisedo brush when I need a more precise application, but for most things the H&M BB cream brush does the job. It says BB cream, but you can use it to apply powders and liquids too.

Another brush I am obsessed with is this It Cosmetics Brush. I use it every time I do someones makeup. The little end is used to conceal and highlight. Sometimes I’ll do detailed contour or bronzing with it. And I use the larger side to apply foundation and to blend. I love this brush so much I’m going to buy another one for my personal kit!

One of the questions I get asked the most from people is what kind of foundation should they use and what’s the difference between airbrush foundation and normal foundation. I’ll get more into detail with each one but the one thing that matters most for all foundation is that you’re in the correct color and that your face has dimension. Dimension meaning there are areas with more depth (aka darker or contoured) and areas that are lighter (aka highlighted.) I think they all can look good and there’s a time and place for each of them!

The products I consistently used in all three looks:

Eyes: Urban Decay eyeshadow base, MAC eyeshadows in Vanilla and Bronze, and Chanel liquid liner.

Brows: Anastasia Dipbrow in Blonde.

Below is a fast everyday look ↓

For this everyday look ↑ I used IIID Foundation by Maskcara in Dark. I used Shortcake by Maskcara for her blush and lips but it was such a hit that it’s sold out. However I often use Princess Peach for a more neutral look and I use Jem and just apply less and it comes out pink! These products are fast to apply and have a very natural finish.

Below is a little bit more glam ↓ We’ll call this the “I want to look a little cuter than normal” look. This look will take just a few more minutes to do.I used two shades of Lancome’s liquid foundation to achieve this look. Apply the darker shade to where it looks darker and the lighter shade where her face looks lighter. This is a matte finish long wearing foundation that has medium to full coverage. To figure out what foundation colors to get when using this method I recommend finding your exact shade, the shade you would use if you were going to apply it all over your face, and then go two shades lighter than that shade for your highlight and two shades darker for your contour. Her blush is Tarte Blushing Bride and her lips Urban Decay Naked 2 liner and Buxom gloss in Yes You.

Now this look ↓ is your Va-Va-Voooom extra special makeup look. Now everything with this look is the same as the previous look except I added Tarte eyeliner in Onyx to the bottom lash line and I used Temptu S/B Airbrush foundation with Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick underneath to highlight and conceal first. I would say this airbrush system (you have to have a compressor, airbrush, and the individual foundation colors) is for the makeup obsessed or for the professional with a lot of clients requesting airbrush makeup. I do love it, but it is an investment.

Here is a side by side comparison. Holy moly it’s hard to keep the lighting consistent, but I sure tried! In conclusion, I think they all look good and you can pick which method works best for you!

I hope this is useful!

Photos by Jordan Carli Photography

Vivian 2017-07-14T15:43:33+00:00 September 30th, 2014|Makeup, Tips & Tricks, Uncategorized|4 Comments

How to do a Retro Bob

And What about Bob?! A retro bob! (I had to throw that in here somewhere 😉 I love that movie!) The Retro Bob. It’s timeless AND a spectacular way to test the waters if you’re contemplating cutting your hair. It’s also an excellent option if your hair seems to lose curl easily or if you can’t decide between a down style or an up-do. It’s kind of both!So I did this little step by step for you…in like, January 😯 But at least I can tell you that this curling iron has held up nicely! I still use it all the time and I got mine from Amazon. What in the world did I do before Amazon.com? I don’t get everything from there, but a lot of things cause it’s just so convenient.

Now, How to do a Retro Bob:I used Meta Grip bobby pins , and this hair pik (it’s only .99 cents and I use it all the time) and then I set the style with a favorite of mine Kenra 25 hairspray

Then TA-DA! You have a bob ↓

Thank you for the photos Jess! www.jessicajanaephotography.com

Vivian 2017-07-14T15:43:34+00:00 September 17th, 2014|Hair, Tips & Tricks, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Makeup on Emmy

I always get extra excited when a photographer asks me to get them ready. I’m not sure why specifically, but I sure love it. Probably because they’re always working so hard to make others look and feel good in photos, and I feel like they deserve a turn to feel pretty.

For Emmy’s look I wanted something that would go with her personality, sassy and sweet. She rocked this!

The products I used:

Complexion-Temptu airbrush foundation, Laura Mercier concealer, Temptu airbrush bronzer, and Tarte blush.

Eyes- Urban Decay primer, MAC eyeshadows in Vanilla, Wedge and Bronze. Chanel liquid eyeliner on top, MAC eyeshadow in Carbon on lower lash line and Tarte inner rim liner. Lancome pencil Sable for her brows and her lashes are wispies.

Lips- MAC Russian Red lipstick with Lancome Mauvelle lip liner.

Emmy is darling, isn’t she?

Vivian 2017-07-14T15:43:35+00:00 September 16th, 2014|Makeup, Recent Makeup Jobs, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Makeup for Downeast

I got to do makeup for Downeast for their fall line and everyone was so much fun to work with. www.downeastbasics.com

Models Natalie Morris and Brianna Akahoshi

Photographer Tim Pannell

Vivian 2017-07-14T15:43:35+00:00 September 6th, 2014|About|0 Comments

Makeup for Teens part 2

This is part two of the follow-up post I did after my segment on Studio 5. I talked about makeup for teens and how to transition them into makeup plus a few other tips.

Here are the basics:

•Keep a full, but groomed brow. Most teens will be tempted to start tweezing them, then all of a sudden only a fraction of their brows survive. (I’m totally guilty of this. I plucked and plucked until there was hardly anything left. And what remained resembled little apostrophe’s, or tadpoles, on my face. 😕 Whoops!)

•Take good care your skin. After years of using aggressive cleansers ,I switched to Cerave after my dermatologist told me I was making my skin angry with everything I was using. Sorry skin, my bad! And honestly, for problematic, acne-prone skin, there are plenty of things that probably work, but I say just go to a dermatologist. They know best.

•Parents, when you feel comfortable with your teen wearing makeup, start with letting them wear mascara and lip balm. Then as needed, implement concealer, foundation, bronzer and a little for their brows. Then eyeshadow and eyeliner. These are just guidelines so use your best judgement.

Aren’t these girls just stunning? ↓

Getting the correct foundation is key. For dryer skin types, I like Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. For normal or combination skin, I like Lancome Teint Miracle. For oily skin, I like Bare Minerals Ready. These will all provide a lighter more natural coverage.

In my opinion, before and after photos are useful to give a better idea of where things go and what they look like ↓

The products I used:

Complexion: Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette in Streak for bronzer, blush, and highlighter and Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer. For foundation, reference the previous recommendations in this post.

Eyes: Sephora Collection Retractable Brow Pencil, L’Oreal Infallible Gel liner in Espresso , It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Eye Shadow Trio, and L’Oreal Voluminous mascara .

Lips: Nyx Butter gloss in Creme Brulee (brunette and blonde) and Apple Strudel (red head) and Urban Decay Lip Liner in Naked 2.

I know you’ve already seen this photo ↓ but look at them! They’re just so pretty!

Photos by Jessica Janae Photography . Special thanks to Whitney!

Vivian 2017-07-14T15:43:36+00:00 September 2nd, 2014|Favorite Products, Makeup, Uncategorized|1 Comment

Simply Sadie Jane’s Makeup

I’ve done makeup on Sadie (a lifestyle blogger) a few times and we always have fun together. She told me that when she posted a photo after I did her makeup, she got tons of compliments and questions asking about the makeup. Of course that always makes me feel good 😀 . We decided it would be helpful to post some details about it.

Before photo ↓

After photo ↓

Before and after photos taken by Ty French

Here is a list of the products I used on her:

Complexion: Temptu s/b Foundation, Cinema Secrets to contour in #1, Laura Mercier Secret Concealer,Bobbi Brown Bronzer in dark, Tarte Cheek Stain in Blushing Bride.

Eyes: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer, Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette , Stila Liquid Eyeliner, Tarte Inner Rim Liner, Pixie Luxe House of Lashes Anastasia Brow Pen and Anastasia Brow Set.

Lips: Chanel lip liner in Spice, Chanel gloss in Seashell.

I love this photo of her taken by Travis J Photography ↓

I hope this is useful! Come back and visit for ongoing tips and tricks.

Vivian 2017-07-14T15:43:36+00:00 August 31st, 2014|Makeup, Recent Makeup Jobs, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Under Eye Concealer

This lovely lady is a repeat client of mine and she’s super cool. The before and after was even her idea.

The product that made the biggest difference for this makeover was Laura Mercier Secret Concealer. It’s fantastic for under the eyes and they have excellent color options, ideal for neutralizing under eye discoloration.

If you tend to have issues with concealer creasing, set with Laura Mercier Translucent Powder. I prefer this powder over the Secret Brightening powder because you can also use this to set your face makeup.

Isn’t her eye color SO beautiful!?

Vivian 2017-07-14T15:43:36+00:00 August 20th, 2014|Favorite Products, Makeup|0 Comments

Makeup on Kids

I know, makeup on kids seems ridiculous since they are pretty much perfect naturally. That’s why when my client Emma showed up to have hair and makeup done for her 13 year old photos I looked at her and thought “She doesn’t need any makeup, she looks perfect.” This is about what she looked like when I was looking at her in person ↓

Because I knew her photos were being taken with a digital camera (meaning not shot with film you develop) I knew that details the human eye wouldn’t notice might stand out and possibly some of the good details I was noticing wouldn’t really show up very much. So I thought I’d take a before and after photo just to see if I was right. She is still so so pretty, but in the before photo she just didn’t have quite as much liveliness and color as she had when I was looking at her in person. Here is her before photo ↓

Makeup on kids can be easy and here are a couple of things that you can do in about 5 minutes that will make a big difference on your littles in their photos:

♥Add blush. Something that would be close the color they’d actually be if they were blushing, typically a pinky tone.

♥Add mascara. If they’re really young or have a fair complexion use brown instead of black. For tips on putting mascara on someone else, watch this video

♥Asses the eyebrows. Often, they don’t even need to be touched. But if they’re really light or need to look a little bit more dense, you can add a tiny bit of color to them to bring them out. And I do mean a tiny bit. You don’t want to make your youngin look like Bert from Sesame Street 😕 (a ‘How to’ brow video is coming soon!)

Here’s a photo side by side ↓ Remember you only need a little bit of makeup.

For those of you who’d like to know what I used on gorgeous Emma to get her ready, here’s a list. *Keep in mind, I’m a professional makeup artist so use more expensive products, which is not exactly necessary if you’re just using them every once in a while for your little one. If you want to have some good stuff to use on yourself AND your little, then I’d say it’s worth the investment. Products Used: