Holiday Makeup Tutorial and Interview via Lollysheep

One of my girlfriends Lauren Feist is an amazing make-up artist and I've been asking her for-evah to do some tutorials and she's finally started a YouTube channel! Hip hip hooray! Below is her Holiday Makeup Tutorial, but she's already posted natural looks, and false lashes how-to so be sure to check those gems out too.  I asked if she'd like to also do an interview and give us some inside scoop on how the pros do it and what their favorites are!

Holiday Makeup Tutorial

Follow her YouTube channel, lollysheep  and check out her FB Makeup Portfolio.

1. How did you get started in make-up?

I was interested in makeup at an early age, but looked at it mostly as a hobby. My mom was the biggest influence in my makeup choices, and she is the one who got me hooked first on MAC Cosmetics. Interestingly enough, through high school I would go to the MAC counter and instead of having them do my makeup for dances, I would tell them the color of my dress and have them suggest products for me to use. I worked in Brass Plum at Nordstrom for a couple of years and would spend quite a bit of time down at the MAC counter (of course) and when they had a position open up, they asked me if I would like to interview. The interview process was fun! I had to bring in a model and do a day look, then transform it into a night look. Fortunately, I was hired, and began refining my makeup skills from there. MAC had monthly trainings that all artists would go to, so I was privy to tons of different artists and styles, with some of the most talented working side by side with me at Nordstrom.

2. What is your go-to look?

My go-to look is what I think flatters my face most: Coral cheeks, neutral eyes, lashes. I think most women should find colors that they feel most beautiful in and stick to that palette, but branch out and try different variations within that palette. For example, I have a million different blushes and shadows that fall into the palette I prefer, and I can change it up daily, but still feel beautiful in all of them. It's fun to do your makeup completely different at times, with different colors, etc, but as all of us know, we tend to always go back to what makes us feel most comfortable and beautiful.

3. What is your favorite make-up trend of the moment/season?

I'm loving the vintage meets modern look right now, with light eyes/winged liner and pops of color on the lip that was seen a lot on the runway for Spring 2012. While I don't wear the winged liner on a regular basis, I've found I've really been loving wearing a bright lip. It makes you feel beautiful and powerful! Changing your lip can transform your whole look, too!

4. What is your biggest make-up pet peeve? 

Some might say I'm blush-obsessed, but it really peeves me when women don't wear blush. Our natural face isn't just one color overall, and even adding just a hint gives youthfulness and warmth to the face. So, wear your blush, ladies!

5. What are you holy grail products?

Having a great foundation + concealer and an eye shadow base/primer. Great looking skin will make or break your look, and an eye shadow primer holds your shadow on all day without creasing or fading. My favorites of these are Studio Fix Fluid Foundation by MAC Cosmetics, for an incredibly flawless look. Skin Foundation SPF 15 by Bobbi Brown for an everyday look that makes your skin glow. Creamy Concealer by Bobbi Brown. I've yet to find an eye shadow primer that works as well as the ones from MAC, and and my favorite are their paint pots when used sparingly. My eye shadow literally will not budge when I use it!

6. If you could only have 5 products to use for the rest of your life, what would be your choices?

Hydrating Gel Cream Moisturizer by Bobbi Brown. Keeping your skin hydrated is so key to keep it healthy and helping your makeup looking its best.

Studio Fix Fluid Foundation by MAC Cosmetics, as I mentioned above.

Super Orgasm Blush by NARS. It's the most gorgeous coral pink color with a hint of shimmer, and it looks good on EVERYONE.

Carbon Black Voluminous Mascara by Loreal Paris. Everyone wants thicker, fuller lashes, and this does it incredibly well for around $6 bucks at the drug store.

Lip Crayons by Bobbi Brown. These are amazing. They're super convenient, creamy and colorful.

7. What types of brushes should be in every girls bag?

It's possible to have a brush for every step of your makeup application, but I think there are a few that are worth spending a bit more on to help achieve a flawless look.

Foundation Brush. Whether you wear liquid or powder, it's going to look better and last longer if you apply it with a brush. My favorites: #190 by MAC for liquid or a #150 by MAC for powder foundation.

Blending Eye Shadow Brush. Blending is key to a flawless eye shadow application and an absolute must. My favorites: #217 by MAC or #224 by MAC.

Angled Eye Shadow Brush. This can give you the most precise eyebrow or eyeliner application. My favorite: #266 by MAC. Your brows frame the face, so it's so important to make sure they look defined.

**The thing to remember about brushes is because they are an investment, you have to take care of them like you take care of your own hair. I've had brushes from MAC for well over 5 years, and they are still in great condition, but they have to be properly maintained to achieve their longevity.

8. What are your favorite drug store products? 

There are so many great finds at the drug store! Who doesn't love paying less? I've tried a million different mascaras, but am SO happy with Carbon Black Voluminous Mascara by Loreal Paris. I also get all of my false lashes at the drug store as well. My favorite pair are the #110's from Ardell and they're less than $5 bucks. They can be worn at least a dozen times and still look great! To accompany your false lashes, DUO lash glue is the go-to, and this can also be found at the drug store. A great moisturizer from the drug store is Neutrogena's Oil Free SPF 15 Moisturizer. It works great on all skin types and I love that the SPF is included. Eye makeup remover is a great drug store purchase, and my favorite is Expert Eyes by Maybelline. Also, an incredible liquid eyeliner I am in love with is Carbon Black Lineur Intense by Loreal Paris. Loreal Paris also makes some great lipsticks called Colour Riche and one of my favorites is in Pink Lady.

Thank you so much Lauren!!  I can't say enough how perfect her make-up always is, her work is flawless. I'm so, so, so excited about this interview and her YouTube channel. I've learned so much and now I have a pretty long shopping list and a new look for NYE!

Vlog: How- To Loose Curls

Loose waves are everywhere and so easy to create and wear. One of the best features of this look is that it only gets better as your day goes on because, loose and messy is in and only adds to the glamour. I was inspired by the VS Fashion Show, and wanted to show you my best attempt at re-creating the look.

It's really simple, I curl it the same way as I did in this curling video, but focus on the middle section of my strands, leaving out differing ends from the curling iron. Also, the smaller curling iron you use, the larger section of hair you'll want to curl, and vice versa for a bigger curling iron (use a smaller section of hair).

What did you think? Are you going to try it out? 

Vlog: How-To Donut Bun

Many of you emailed me after my hair donut review on how to use it, so I thought I'd post a video for you ladies. It's seriously so easy!

Wow. I love how Vimeo chooses the most flattering screen shots as the opening.

Like I said in the video, this bun is half-assed so it's not the best outcome. Plus, I didn't even notice the gigantic loose side I have going on until later. Oops.

One thing to note, is that I did this with fresh washed hair that had been straightened and I think it's easier with hair that's at least a day old and curled because your hair is easier to manipulate.

But, as you can see, the bun takes just a few minutes to create and there's a variety of looks and ways to wear it. I hope this video helps!

Any suggestions for future videos?

Vlog: How- To Bronzed Eyes

I've seen bronzed eyes all over in magazines for fall trends. It's a look that is gorgeous on everyone, every skin tone, hair and eye color.  In the video, I used the UD Naked Palette, but also recommend the Maybelline 05 Gold for Me palette as well. If you want a more bronzed look, use the goldest color for your entire lid (I used it in the inner corner out to the middle). The look I created is a softer bronze color, which I think is easier to wear and can go from day to night.

Here's a close-up of the look:

Here's the look with some MAC Glitter layered on top:

Here's a rundown of the shadows used:

The Maybelline Palette 05 Give Me Gold will give you a look similar to the pic below. Also, this is how it would look to use a light gold on your entire lid instead of the inner corner to middle:

There you have it gals! I hope this is useful, and as always, if you have any questions, leave me a comment or send me an email!

Straighten African American Hair 2010 Tips

African Hair Styles brings you Straighten African American Hair 2010 Tips


The most simple thing to be said about straighten African American hair is to use use of flat irons but that is not very simple.No matter what method on how to straighten African American hair you choose to go for but remember to take good care of your hair. While you may be supporting straighter hair now, it does not change the quality and texture of each hair shaft. Frequent use of flat irons and treatments can lead to hair damage in the long run so make sure to schedule regular hair repair treatments to maintain your straight hairstyle. Hope you can get beautiful African American Hairstyle.Other great method used on how to straighten African American hair is through a professional hair treatment called rebonding. Chemicals are applied on the hair shafts, allowing the hair strands to relax and straighten out. Compared to the use of flat irons, this method on how to straighten African American hair is a lot more tedious and is best to be done by a professional, making it considerably more expensive than using flat irons. The advantage of using this technique is that the effects are longer lasting. 

 Straighten African American Hair 2010 Tips

 Straighten African American Hair 2010 Tips