Blue KleanColor Nails of The Week (NOTW)

 Kiss Nail Art, Nail Art, Nail Polish, Nails, Sally Hansen  No Responses »
Jul 312012
 

I’ve been having more and more fun playing with polish and coming up with different designs on my nails.  I’m not a manicurist, however I do enjoy having my nails done or at least polishing them. In this post I’ll show you how I used the above polishes to come up with my nails of the week. 

I began by using a base coat.  I’ve noticed since using this Sally Hansen Insta Grip Base Coat polish, my actual color goes on more smooth and does last a bit longer than when I don’t use it.Next I used the Kiss Nail Art polish in silver and placed it across the middle of my nail.Next I added Kleancolor Polish in Pastel Teal at the tip. I polished the rest of my nails with the Kleancolor Pastel Teal Polish.

Then I added the Sally Hansen HD polish in DVD to the lower part of my nail  I apologize for the blurry pic. The batteries in my camera died and I had to use my cell. :-( I finished my design with the Kleancolor Polish in Aura which is a pretty confetti polish.

IMATS LA 2012 Part 4 Make up Demos

 IMATS, Make-Up techniques, Makeup Application  No Responses »
Jul 292012
 

Because IMATS is geared towards makeup lovers and makeup professionals, there were plenty of demos with industry pros showing different pointers, techniques, and tips on how to apply makeup.

This post will focus on just some of the makeup demos I saw and captured with my camera. Of course there were many many more throughout the two days.

This is International makeup artist Anabel Vargas.  She taught a class on how to apply makeup to Women of Color.This is the closest I got to the finished look before leaving to attend Kabuki’s class.

Above is world renown  make up artist Kabuki. He was the Keynote speaker on Saturday afternoon. He showed us how he applies an applique to the face.  He actually handmade this one by starting off with sketches, then cutting out a pattern and lastly adding the jewels.  That’s an amazing skill. 
There were also several demos being done throughout the exhibit hall.  See below.Above is Sean of MUD doing a demo on Baltimore based make up artist Cynthia.Urban Decay launched their brand new foundation called Naked Skin and provided demos.

YouTube Makeup Tutorial Guru Tiffany D worked with Sigma and did make overs.It was cool to see her in real life do makeup on another person. :-) Eve Pearl also did makeup demos at her booth.  Her client looks happy with the results so far. :-) This is international celebrity makeup artist Rae Morris.  She did a class on “Timeless Makeup”.  She demonstrated great anti-aging techniques and showed us how some of the simplest of changes with filling in brows, contouring, and applying eyeliner/eyeshadow can either add on or take away years on a face.

Alcone Make-Off Wipes Review

 Alcone, make up remover, makeup wipes, skin care, wipes  No Responses »
Jul 292012
 

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’ve been on a never ending search for the perfect make up remover wipes.  So far Pond’s Original wipes have consistently been my favorite. 

I FINALLY got my hands on the Alcone Make-Off Wipes at IMATS LA.  I have heard soooo many great things about them.  I’ve been intrigued for years after 1st learning about them from Erin of Scandalous Beauty.Check out the size of this wipe.  It’s like a face towel.  I LOVE IT!!!

So what are my thoughts? I like them.  The only cons I have are the fragrance (which after using them for a while doesn’t bother me as much), the claim of all makeup being removed with only 1 wipe ( I need 2 which is good…but still needed more than 1) and the accessibility barrier ( I can only get them online or at trade shows).

These are the softest wipes I’ve ever used.  They feel absolutely wonderful on my face. Every single one of these wipes is moist.  Definitely a benefit of them being individually wrapped. My face feels clean without feeling dry.  I recently used them on one of my clients and she was very pleased.  I purchased the 80 pack.  Wish I would’ve bought more.  I didn’t want to get too many though since I had never used them.

Overall I’m pleased with them and I will buy more. Have you tried these wipes?  What are your thoughts?

Houston Image Expo 2012 Part 1.

 Continuing Education, Demo, Houston Image Expo 2012, Kim Kimble, Networking, Series  1 Response »
Jul 292012
 

I attended the Houston Image Expo on Sun 7/15/12.  It’s a trade show that’s geared towards beauty industry professionals.  It’s a two day event with workshops, seminars, certification classes, continuing education classes, fashion shows, and of course a plethora of vendors.  The majority of the expo is geared towards hair however there are still opportunities to learn about skin care and makeup as well as lash extensions, and nails.

The first class I attended was on Adult Acne by Dr. Malik from the Dallas area.  She’s a licensed dermatologist and a wonderful facilitator.  She did a great job of breaking down the information in “simple terms” to where it made since to the audience.  She has a great sense of humor and did well with interacting with us.  She explained the importance of anti-inflammatory products and how useful they are in reducing and treating Adult Acne.  For more info on Dr. Malik checkout her website nailamalikmdskin.com.

One of the best parts of my Image Expo experience was finally getting a chance to meet celebrity hair stylist, Kim Kimble.  She was at IMATS however her class was at the same time as the Keynote Speaker Kabuki so I missed it.  I was determined to sit in her class this time.   Kim gave me a compliment on my hair and said it gave her some ideas.  Woo hoo!! That’s a pretty spectacular compliment. :-D

I totally enjoyed being in her class!  She’s such a professional.  She does a magnificent job of getting the audience to participate. You can really tell that she loves what she does. She was so energetic and patient with the audience when questions were asked. She wanted to make sure we had a clear understanding of what she was teaching. She was very open and honest with us. She gave wonderful pointers/tips on how to work in the entertainment industry. Kim is so full of talent, knowledge, and a great facilitator! Even though I’m not a hair stylist, I was able to benefit from the info she presented to us.  *sidenote* This class really got me thinking about going into hair though.

Kim walked us through a chic non-traditional ponytail look that she’s done on Beyonce’.Instead of wrapping the hair around the natural ponytail, she braids the natural hair and then sews in the added hair because it reduces the bulge at the top and it stays put a lot better. Genius!!!

Here she’s sewing the hair into the braidAfterwards, she bumped the ends with a curling ironNext she worked on the bang. She curled and pinned up the hair. Then she combed it out and shaped it.Finished look 
Not sure who did the model’s makeup but it was pretty as well.

Be sure to stay tuned to Part 2 of my experience at the Houston Image Expo.  I’m really excited to show you some of the other amazing things that happened while I was there. :-)

Lauren Luna Meet and Greet at Qwashae Boutique

 Fashion Show, Makeup Application, Qwashae Boutique  4 Responses »
Jul 232012
 

 

The Tremendously Talented artist/designer Lauren Luna had a Meet and Greet event at Qwashae Boutique in Pearland, Texas 7/21/12. I had the honor of doing Lauren Luna’s make up for this event.  She’s such a beautiful lady.

 Originally from Ohio, Lauren has been in the Houston area for a year now and boy am I glad she relocated.  She’s so much fun to be around.  She’s one of those people that you could literally just sit and talk to for hours and never get bored.  She has a great spirit and aura about her that just exudes both creativity and positivity.  Her work is both breath taking and inspiring.

I’ve been to Qwashae a few times now and I’ve always  been in awe of the artwork there.  It turns out that Lauren Luna is the artist behind those paintings.

In the above picture, we are standing next to her painting of Qwashae Boutique. :-)

There was also a Qwashae Fashion Show exhibiting the gorgeous pieces that the boutique offers.

I was blessed with the opportunity to be the makeup artist for this awesome event.  This is me working with one of the lovely models Flor. :-)

Flor is working the floor. ;-) This is model TiffanyAbove is Tiffany and I standing by another one of Lauren Luna’s paintings.

Below is Micole

Micole, Shakena, and Tiffany

The dress that Micole is so effortlessly pulling off above was my favorite of the night. I’m going to have to go back and get it.  This picture doesn’t do it justice.  The color is somewhere between a bright coral and a hot pink…but it’s really not pink or coral.  I know that sounds confusing but it’s unlike any other color I’ve seen.  I love it!!

                                            This is model Lindsey

This is Model EmilyThis picture was a close up of Emily while she was modeling inside of the display case, hence the glare.  I still felt it was a cool shot. This would’ve been a great shot had the sun not caused a glare. :-( Oh well. Hopefully you can still see what I was trying to capture.  This is the front view of the store.

It took me a while to try to come up with words to describe my thoughts and feelings about Qwashae Boutique.  Honestly, I love EVERYTHING about this store.  You get such a good vibe the minute you walk in.  It’s an experience unlike any I’ve ever had before.  When I asked the owner, Shakena, what Qwashae meant, she told me it was Happy in Greek.  She wants her customers to feel happy when they walk in and happy when they walk out.  I will testify that this has been my experience every time I’ve gone there.  I’m a firm believer that customer service can either make or break your business.  Well at Qwashae Boutique the owner and staff provide nothing but outstanding service.

Houston Fashion Bloggers July Meetup at Qwashae Boutique

 Houston Fashion Bloggers, Meet Up, Qwashae Boutique, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Jul 202012
 

The Houston Fashion Bloggers had a meetup on July 5, 2012 at Qwashae Boutique in Pearland, Texas. The event was a success! We all really enjoyed ourselves.

Founder of Houston Fashion Bloggers group Shasie took this awesome picture of us. :-)

I initially posted about Qwashae Boutique a few months ago when the Houston Fashion Bloggers covered the Spring 2012 Fashion Show.  It was so great I couldn’t cover it all in one post so I broke it down into a series.  I was super excited to be able to return to Qwashae Boutique and  really get a chance to see and try on the clothes. :-)
 When we walked in, we were greeted with this lovely set up and sign-in sheet.The champagne table

The staff at Qwashae Boutique were so welcoming and fun. They had an entire agenda set up for us with games and prizes included. :-)  Vernetta of Women are Game Changers won a prize! One of the activities was to share with the group the message you receive from your Dove chocolate.  Check out what mine said below

We were able to explore the store and try on whatever we liked.

Check out how gorgeous Della Belle K of The BeautyBar924 looks in this dress.  We were all in awe!Melonie of Fashionably Forty and I.

Totally fell in love with this necklace!
This is a Paris Hilton style dress
It looked great on Kelly Ann Ho-Sang of Fault Line Fashion.

Nikki and I of NW Style & Co. *This picture was taken by Shasie *

Amarya of The Eye of Arms and I.  *This picture was taken by Shasie*

*Shasie took this picture*

Here I am playing with this pretty detachable skirt.  It’s such a great accessory that can be added to many different ensembles. :-) The owner Shekeina and I. *Shasie took this picture*
Nikka Shae of Oh Nikka came from Atalnta to hang with us. *Shasie took this picture*

Unfortunately when I pulled up I realized I forgot my camera. *screams* so a lot of these pictures aren’t nice quality.  Luckily, my fellow Houston Fashion Blogger Shasie of Live Life In Style allowed me to use some of her pictures that she took with her cool camera. Thanks Shasie!! :-)

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