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Fashion Week New Orleans 2013

Backstage, Behind The Scenes, Fashion Show, Fashion Week, Glam Squad, Models, New Orleans, Runway No Responses »

Apr 162013

I had the honor of working as one of the makeup artist on the Glam Squad with Key Makeup Artist Niala Howard, of Magnolia Makeup, a couple of weeks ago for Fashion Week New Orleans. The event took place at The Sugar Mill from 3/21-3/24.

Below are behind the scenes pictures. As a disclaimer, I didn’t bring my camera with me to work so I had to use my phone to capture all of my pics for this post.

Above are the runway looks for the designers on Day 2 of Fashion Week New Orleans. One of my favorite looks on this day was the Purple Smokey Eye and neutral lip. Here’s one of the models I created this look on below.

This was the Glam Squad Room Makeup Artist Room.

So yeah, my makeup station began very nice and neat, but by the end of each day it would look more like the picture below.

Sorry for the blurry picture.

Above is the list for the Designers and Models. This line up was very helpful in knowing what order to makeup the models. Many of them walked for multiple designers so we had to make sure we did the right look at the right time.

Here’s a picture of me with one of my fellow Glam Squad Makeup Artists Phoenix.

One of my favorite looks from Day 3 was a Strong Brow with natural glowing skin. See below the look I created on one of my models.

One of the designers requested a natural look with bronzed glowing skin. Here I am with one of the models I created the look on below.

Another look I really enjoyed creating was the classic red lip with winged liner

My fellow makeup artist, Phoenix captured a pic of me working on the model above.

Here’s another one of my models I created a red lip with winged liner on. She posted this cute pic of us on Instagram.

One of the ladies working with Fashion Week New Orleans wanted her makeup done as well. She requested a bold lip and soft eye. This is the look I gave her.

Here are a couple of pictures of Phoenix and Britni creating Geisha looks.

Day 4 was the Bridal Show. This young lady was my 1st model of the day.

This is model Chanda below. I did a neutral eye and soft lip for her Bridal Look.

After the show on Day 3 of Fashion Week New Orleans, I got a chance to take a picture on the Red Carpet. So glad I walked out the front instead of the back. I totally missed the red carpet the day before. Had no idea it was there. LOL! I worked all day and went home.

Above is a picture of me with my fellow makeup artist Britni on Day 4.

I’m so grateful that Niala chose me to be a part of her Glam Squad for Fashion Week New Orleans. It was an incredible experience. I’ve worked with Fashion Shows before and had a wide range of encounters, but I have to say that Niala’s leadership allowed all of us on her team to learn, grow, be creative, and enjoy working together. Each morning, I was excited to wake up and get to work. I’m looking forward to working with her next year.

New Le Labo Counter In Saks Houston Galleria

Demo, expensive products, Fragrances, Houston Galleria, Le Labo, product review, Saks No Responses »

Apr 022013

Oh how I love being a Beauty Blogger!!!

I went to Saks in the Houston Galleria Mall to attend a Beauty event for Ioma Cosmetics but ended up learning about a new fragrance counter named Le Labo.

Le Labo has previously been very exclusive. Saks in the Houston Galleria Mall has the only counter in Texas. They are based on custom made fragrances and is the only counter in Saks with absolutely no boxes of perfume on the shelves. All fragrances are handmade at the counter and freshly made for customers. They also make body moisturizers and candles

They don’t spend a lot of money on advertising. Most of Le Labo’s business is due to repeat customers & word of mouth. They don’t use fancy packaging because the focus is on customized fragrance and their customers having a great experience. They even have a recycling program. If you bring back your container, you get 20% off for recycling. That’s pretty cool!

I was extremely impressed with the way the trainer, Benoit, and the workers took time to educate me on the fragrances, chemistry, ingredients, notes, and a bit of chemistry. Benoit explained how so many of us associate fragrances with memories. This makes an impression & influenced what we tend to like/dislike.
–example: you may hate amber b/c the smell reminds you of a perfume your mean teacher used to wear.

They believe every fragrance has a “recipe”. The workers use a scale to measure the correct amount of ingredients. I was able to have the full experience of the process of making a custom fragrance.

Everything is individualized for customers, even the packaging. They make the labels at the counter for each bottle. This makes the products work great as gifts!

The price range is estimated around $125-$220

There will be a big event at Saks in May in which the creator of Le Labo will be here.

New Ioma Counter

Beauty Blogger, Event Coverage, Face, facial cleanser, HoustonFashionBloggers, Ioma, Saks, skin care No Responses »

Mar 112013

I had the opportunity to visit the brand new Ioma counter inside Saks in the Houston Galleria Mall a few days ago. I’d never heard of the brand, however they’re really big overseas. The company started in 2000 and was soley geared towards dermatology. In 2009, they branched out into cosmetics. This counter is actually the 4th to open in the U.S. Ioma is exclusive to Saks.

The name Ioma is A moi backwards or if you looked at it through a mirror which means it’s mine. We should be able to look at our reflection in the mirror and feel proud to say that’s my beautiful skin.

When I got to the counter, I was expecting a rep to show me a couple of products and maybe a quick demo, give me some general info about the company, and that was all. Boy was I wrong. I received a thorough skin assessment, background information on the company, and a wonderful facial! Ioma is unlike any other cosmetic company I know.

Above is the Ioma Beauty Diag machine

I had the chance to meet with Ioma’s global trainer manager, Audrey, who came from Paris to train the staff here in Saks at the Galleria. She gave me historical info on the brand and explained to me how Ioma identifies 7 different skin concerns that have products assigned to address them.

Dry Skin
Fine Lines
Wrinkles and Lack of Firmness
Diffuse Redness
Bacterial Infections
Oily Skin
Dark Spots

According to Iomaparisusa.com, there are 8748 possible combinations that can be made to the specific skin concerns of their clients. Wow!!!

Kathy, the regional coordinator, described Ioma as “High Technology meets dermatology and cosmetics”. I would absolutely agree with this description.

For my demo, we began with a summary of the company. Then she used the Beauty Diag to accurately determine my skin type. She also asked me about my skin and the concerns I have. Now, if you know me or have followed my blog for a length of time, you already know that my major concern is oiliness. We went through the assessment anyway.

Here is Jessica, Saks Ioma worker, using the Beauty Diag for my “before” assessment.

2013-03-07 17.44.37

Very surprisingly, it turns out that my skin is dehydrated and actually a lot more dry than oily. Under the oily section, the Beauty Diag showed my skin to be normal. Who Knew???

After finding out my skin concerns, I received a list of recommended products to address those concerns. Instead of the workers just giving me the list and sending me home, I got to go to the very posh spa area of Saks and received a facial with Ioma products to help my problem areas.

While Audrey performed my facial, the ladies working at the counter sat in to observe. Afterwards, we all returned to the counter to see the progress.

Here we are together. The fact that I’m standing tall and proud without any makeup in the Galleria says a lot!! There was definitely an immediate change in my skin. As a result of the facial, my skin was smoother and a bit brighter due to getting rid of the excess dead skin cells. For the record, I wear makeup everyday and I especially try to look nice when I’m in the Galleria because you never know who you might run into. I was very comfortable in my skin ( I know that’s such a cliche’ but it was true).

Since Audrey and Jessica used the Beauty Diag to assess my skin, I didn’t experience the Iomasphere. It’s really not necessary to do both. The Beauty Diag provides a microscopic view of your skin and is more detailed. The Iomasphere provides a macroscopic view by using a camera. I was still curious how it worked, so the trainer and Jessica showed me how it’s used.

This is the scanner that is connected to both machines. It prints out your results as well as product recommendations. You can also pick up a product and scan it to find out what it’s used for. Pretty cool. Ioma uses cloud technology to store the database for clients’ info. This is nice because if I go to New York and can’t remember what products were recommended to me, they will have all of my info.

Okay, so if you read this entire post, you should have gathered by now that I’m very impressed with this company and I’d definitely recommend it. I love the fact that you have so many options to address multiple needs of your skin. Prices range from $60-200 which is very reasonable considering the advanced technology used to individualize your skin concerns to the products.

FOTD with Doubled Lashes

Ardell, Bold Lip, Dramatic Eyes, FOTD, Grocery store make-up, H.E.B., Lashes No Responses »

Feb 282013

I tried something a little different this weekend for my makeup. I’ve heard several makeup artists combining more than one lash to create dramatic effects but I’d never done it. I figured I’d give it a try.

I used Ardell #120 Lashes, which are currently my favorite lashes. If in Texas, you can get them from H.E.B. I’ve seen prices range from $2.35-2.60. I also see them at Kroger’s grocery store for $2.67.

Here’s what I used to create this look below:

Face

Maybeline BB Cream in Dark
Loreal Magic Perfection Base
MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder (Before and after makeup)
Black Opal Foundation Stick in Rich Carmel (certain spots)
Cover Girl Queen Collection Lasting Matte Pressed Powder in Golden
MAC Vanilla Pigment as cheek highlight
NARS Exhibit A Blush on Cheek Bones
Cover Girl Queen Collection Bronzer in Ebony Bronze as Cheek Contour
Skindinavia No More Shine Finishing Spray

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion
Black Opal Foundation Stick in Kalahari Sand (used to carve out brow and under eye highlight)
MAC Naked Pigment mixed with white from Coastal Scents 42 Matte Palette as brow highlight
Orange shadow from Coastal Scents 42 Matte Palette in the crease
MAC Grease Paint Stick in Purple on the lid as a base blended to crease
Clinique eyeshadow in Royal Rush on inner lid
Dark Purple shadow from Coastal Scents 42 Matte Palette on outer lid
Elf Cream liner in Black as top liner
Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes pencil 20L on lower lash line
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Perversion in Waterline.
Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black
Ardell #120 Lashes 2 pair on each eye

Lips

Make Up Forever Aqua lip pencil in #11C

Wet n Wild Matte Lipstick in Don’t Blink Pink in the center

Posted by Beauty By LeRenda at 3:06 pm Tagged with: doubledlashes, dramatic, FOTD, Lashes

Loreal Magic Perfecting Base Review

Face, Inexpensive Products, Kroger's, Kroger's Grocery Store, Loreal, make up remover, Makeup Application, Oily Skin, primers, product review 4368No Responses »Loreal+Magic+Perfecting+Base+Review2013-02-27+06%3A48%3A42Beauty+By+LeRenda

Feb 272013

I purchased the Loreal Magic Perfecting Base last month when I saw it on sale at Kroger’s grocery store. I’ve had my eye on this primer since 2011 when I saw my friend and fellow Makeup Artist Jennifer use it for a photoshoot. The reason I hadn’t purchased it sooner is because it was a bit pricey. Before last month, I hadn’t seen it cheaper than about $13. That’s a lot to me, for a drugstore primer that I haven’t used before.

Here’s a picture of it on sale at Kroger’s. I started to get 2 of them, but since I hadn’t used it before, I decided to wait and try it out first. I ended up waiting too long to try it and by the time I went back, the sale was over. I’m not sure why it was a close out sale because the product hasn’t been discontinued. I even checked the packaging and it was the same as the ones that were regular priced.

Here it is opened. I like that it’s a pale pink color. So cute and feminine. ;-p

Here it is on my hand. The consisitency is similiar to a thick gel. When rubbed into the skin, it just melts and provides a barrier between your skin and the product. It feels similar to MAC Matte gel, but a bit thicker.

Overall, it’s not a bad product, especially for less than $7. I wouldn’t say it’s the best primer I’ve ever used in my life, but I can tell the difference between wearing it versus when I don’t wear a primer at all. My makeup blends better and my skin is definitely smoother. I didn’t notice that much of a difference as far as controlling oil, but I don’t think this product is even geared towards absorbing oil so I can’t hold that against it. Again, I’ll say I can notice a difference when I wear it versus nothing, but I do have to blot a few times throughout the day. I’m proud to report it didn’t leave a white film so it’s safe for women of color to wear without appearing ashy. *whew*

Even though I do like the color ( my favorite colors are pink and purple.) I don’t like the jar. I’d rather squeeze or pump out my primer. Yes, I know with jars, you’re able to get all of your money’s worth by scraping everything out, but I prefer tubes and pumps because they’re more sanitary. Unless I find it on sale, I probably wouldn’t buy it again.

Posted by Beauty By LeRenda at 12:48 am Tagged with: Drugstore, inexpensive, Loreal, prep, Primer

Macy’s Black History Month Gordon Parks Event

Black History Month, Event Coverage, Macy's, photographers 4282No Responses »2013-02-23+05%3A52%3A35Beauty+By+LeRenda

Feb 222013

Macy’s has really done well with recognizing cultural events. This is second year in a row that I’ve attended their Black History Month event. Last year they focused on Romare Bearden. This year they focused on Gordon Parks.

This event was held at the Macy’s Galleria on Hidalgo. There was a nice set up displaying Gordon Parks’s pictures as well as a live musician.

I missed the beginning of the event because I was booked to do makeup for an event at Qwashae Boutique. I got to Macy’s towards the end of the panel discussion.

Each member gave info about Gordon Parks and how he made an impact on their lives. In this picture Rebecca Briscoe is speaking on how inspirational he was to have been so successful despite the racial tension that existed during his era.

To the left of her is Ray Carrington, he spoke very highly of Gordon Parks and emphasized how his early mistakes led to him learning lessons that allowed him opportunities to leave a huge legacy. He discussed how important it was for Gordon Parks to get to know people before taking pictures. Then there’s Joy Sewing. Unfortunately, I missed her speak, but I’m sure she gave a lot of good insight. She’s very intellectual and full of knowledge. I look forward to seeing her at events. On the end is David Parks.

Here I am with Rebecca after the panel discussion. I’m so proud of her success. We both grew up in the same home town of Port Arthur, Texas. Nice to see her doing well.

This gentlemen in the above picture was the host for the Gordon Parks event.

Above is David Parks, Gordon’s son. He shared a lot of great background information about his father, including how he and his brother approached their dad for assistance in producing the movie Superfly. He also spoke about how diversity is still an issue in the film industry. He urged film makers to work together and explained why family and the community and are keys to being successful.

There was a great turnout for this event.

I got a chance to sit down and talk with David Parks. He ‘s so personable and approachable. He was very patient and took time to talk with everyone and took pictures. He appeared to be just as happy to meet us as we were to meet him. I’m so honored to have had this opportunity.

There was a reception following the panel discussion in which Macy’s provided light refreshments and drinks. I’m so glad that I was able to attend this wonderful event. Kudos to Macy’s once again for putting on a fantastic showcase for Black History Month.

*I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with compensation for this post about Macy’s Black History Month. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.*

Posted by Beauty By LeRenda at 11:52 pm Tagged with: BlackHistoryMonth, eventcoverage, GordonParks, Macys, MacysBHM13

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