In Character.....

Happy Sunday my lovelies!

It's time for another makeup class wrap up....

This week was all about Character/ Special FX Makeup and we learned about how to make someone age as well as how to do cuts and bruises.

As more of a Beauty Makeup Artist I was intrigued and a little intimidated by this class as its not what I am normally 'comfortable' with doing.

I will fully admit that when our instructor began her demo I was squirming a bit.

You want ME to create a bruise????

umm okay.

She assured me that they would all be different and is open to artistic interpretation.

I liked the way that sounded so I did it.

And it wasnt too bad!

Not perfect but for my first try - not too shabby!!

We had a blast looking around the room and seeing all the 'battered' women.

It always intrigues me to see how different people will interpret the same assignment.

We had everything from bullet holes to bloody noses & black eyes with hand prints on the jaw.

Kind of amazing too see.

Don't I look like an SVU victim??????

my fabulous model Ericka - this is what happens when you get crazy with a makeup artists!

LOL! j/k!

Check back later in the week for more updates on Haute Holiday makeup!!!

Shaving.....ahh the wonderous thing that seperates women from men and apes.

No one wants to have an abundance of un-wanted hair ANYWHERE least of all under there arms

Well Dove (one of my all-time-favorite-brands) has come up with a way to combat that issue.

According to the brand:

" This unique formula contains a Pro-Epil Complex with natural extracts and Dove's 1/4 translucent moisturizers.

From the very first use it smooths and conditions underarm skin. Within weeks you'll start to notice your underarm hair will feel soft, fine and easy to remove. Overtime your underarm hair will look and feel less noticeable. Feel stubble free longer"

I really don't like shaving at all and shaving under my arms is definitely not high on my list of 'fun tasks.

I mean who wants to have to remember to do that???? 

and worse - who wants to be the 'girl who forgot to shave'?????

so when I saw this in the store I thought - why not? what's the worst that can happen?

So I tried it.

And I liked it.

Smelled nice, not too strong and lasted all day.

Which always a plus.

And then a week went by and I 'forgot' to shave.

And then two.

By the time the second week came to a close it occurred to me I hadn't shaved in a while so I went to see how bad it was and to my surprise........all that was there was stubble  and that was minimal.

Success!!!

So I - Amber Dorsey- do hereby give this deodorant my stamp of approval!!

Have you tried it?

What did you think?

Do you believe it when a product claims it will reduce the appearance of something????
(hair, cellulite, dark circles.....etc.)

All about Eyes

It's been a busy week but I don't have class this Sunday so now I can finally catch up on here and re-cap some of what we've gone over.

This past week was All about Eyes - a favorite focal point of mine.

Because eyes are the windows to the soul right?

And we all want to be seen as having  beautiful eyes.

Even if they are normally a mud brown color.
There are 6 general eye shapes and a plethora of combinations which are distinct to each client.
They are:

• Almond Eyes - the most common shape
• Deep Set - no lid shows
• Protruding -lots of lid shows
• Wide set - large space between
• Close set - limited space between
• Droopy -  minimal lid, shape goes lower at outer corners

*************There is an excellent site HERE that details all the shapes with pictures and a great 'how -to' for makeing up*************

I had the pleasure of working on a lovely model whose eyes were almond shaped.

but upon closer inspection it was discovered they were also protruding as there was a lot of lid and a little bit droopy as the corners turned down a bit.

I started by prepping the eye area witht a little custom blended concealer and  a primer from Smashbox.

Then I filled in her brows ever so slightly with a darker grey/brown (Urban Decay) and highlighted the brow brown (Anastasia).

I then covered the entire lid with a light beige-y shade ( Shroom by M.A.C) concentrating on the inner corners.

Then I created a light > shape on the outer corner to give her some definition and followed that along the crease ever so lightly.

I repeated the same shape on the inner corners but much lighter and not as close to the nose.

I then lined her upper lid w/ a dark grey brown (Red Ginger Palette) and repeated the same liner under neath close to the water line, she curled her lashes and I topped with two coats of mascara and wah-la!

she's a superstar!!

What do you think??

What type of eye shape do you have?

Holiday is here!!!!

Hello Lovelies!!

Happy November!!

Guess what came in the mail today??

My new Allure ( finally the subscription kicked back in)

AND

The new SEPHORA holiday look book!!

Whoop Whoop!!!

It's officially "Holiday Season" when I get my Holiday catalog from SEPHORA.

It entices me with new and fun looks and teases me with palettes and gift sets galore!!

A few highlights:

Check out the eyes on this lady.....

 I am SO re-creating this look for my FIDM Alumni Holiday Party!

Some fun new palettes

Attention all Nail Polish junkies!!!

Feast your eyes on THIS!



I can't wait to finish perusing and see what I need to put on my Wish list for Christmas and who I'm going to bless with some of these fabulous goodies!!

It makes me all tingly just thinking about the possibilities!!

Happy Holidays!!!!

What will YOU buy?

Happy Halloween!

I think I mentioned I'm taking a makeup course?

I'm always looking to improve my skills and learn new techniques and am having so much fun doing it!

Today was Fantasy Day in honor of Halloween!

My partner Corina and I took turns tricking out each other's faces.

Check out my Dia De Los Muertos Mask face!!

This girl has wicked talent!!

 I wanted to do more 'mystical & mythical' type fantasy so I kept it simple with some feathers,

gems and plenty of colors!!

What do you guys think????

Dazzling Treats from Smashbox!!!

Hey there Beauties!!

I was perusing the web and the magazines this weekend and came across some TO.DIE.FOR. beauty loot.

check it out!

 As one of the biggest indie-rock sensation to hit the music scene in years Florence + The Machine teamed up with Samshbox to pick her favorites and pack them in a swanky little bag JUST FOR YOU!!!! 

Don’t miss your chance to grab this star-worthy kit with everything you’ll need to create Florence’s go-to look—think jet-black eyes, neutral cheeks and crimson lips for only $45.00!!!

 

 ****ADDED BONUS!***

 You can get a free download of Florence’s hit “Cosmic Love” when you purchase the kit!  

 

 

Also new from Smashbox is their Burlesque Beauty Collection

Straight from the set of the soon to be released smash movie sensation Burlesque- Starring Christina Aguilera, Cher, Stanley Tucci , Kristen Bell and many more...

 Smashbox put together a kit with all the must have items to create the smoky, sultry looks found within the movie!!!

Set Includes:

• Limitless Liquid Liner Pen in Jet Black 

• Shadow & Liner Quad in Risque

• Loose Shimmer in Burlesque 

• Double Ended Lip Gloss in Peep/Show

 

Stay tuned for more info on the Holiday 2010 Collections!!!!!

Get Your Evil On

Among the many advantages of working for an online fashion company is the fact that it is more than acceptable to be on the internet constantly. Little do they know, that for the past couple of weeks, I have been scouring cyber space for the down low on MAC’s Venomous Villains collection and how I can get my sparkly little hands on exactly what I want.
So the scoop is that it launches for all of us in the US on September 30^th,  but what time?
^{(Some rumors state it could begin online as early as today, yes today, September 27th at 6pm EST which is 3pm for me!)}
 That I still can’t figure out.
(Lucky for me, I recently switched to the early shift, so I will be up and at it quite early)
However, my most recent researching has been dedicated to weeding out those pesky permanent items that MAC is notorious for sneaking into these great launches. 
I will admit, as a long time beauty junkie, I have fallen in this trap more than I’d like to admit. We all know it. 
It sneaks up on you in the fury of the launch in the early morning hours, before you’ve had your coffee (or tea… or hot chocolate), when you suddenly realize that those 3 blushes you just paid for, you: a. already have or b. realize that you could have saved yourself the puffy eyes and irritation of fighting the online world and sauntered to pick them up at any MAC store at your convenience. FAIL. However, after logging countless hours, Venomous Villains seems to be mostly limited edition (which does make my heart sing…just a little). Research completed, I then compile a list of “Must, Must, Must Haves (Read: “These products will put me into a makeup coma” and “I will absolutely die without them”) and Wants (Read: “If I grow a money tree, or in the event of an emergency, an item I want sells out one of these will be my immediate back up”).
Let’s face it ladies, I want it all…or at least one from each collection. But after looking through it all and really answering the “Will I really ever use or wear this?” dilemma, I find myself not really wanting one thing from every collection.

My thought process goes something like this…I NEED (yes, I NEED)

Malifecent’s Bad Fairy and Mean Green nail lacquers (perfect for Fall)

Maleficent’s Briar Rose Beauty Powder 

(I have never bought a Beauty Powder from MAC before…so this will be a first..Tips and tricks are more than welcome)

the Evil Queen’s Bite of an Apple Powder Blush

and last, Dr. Facilier’s Magically Cool Liquid Powder

(I’m opting for the Cajun color –sheer bronze that reflects gold…I think Yes!).  

And I WANT….everything else, because let’s face it…I’m an addict.

Trending NOW: the 3 colors you NEED in your bathroom

From lips, to eyes, to nails - this seasons hottest new looks call for old staples to be re-mixed into bold and daring new shades that compliment the cooler weather magnificently.

Plums are rich and powerful. Neutrals are made new with updated barely there but highlin impact thanks to rich textures and colors and greens look fresh with a little shimmer and sheen.  My top ways to wear the trends? Keep it simple.

The Lips : Wines, Plums and maroons make a bold statement and instantly begs for attention. A sophisticated alternative to the classic red, it has refined edge that adds instant glam. To apply - use a lip brush for a more precise finish then blot to avoid bleeding.

The Eyes: Swipe on a bit of mossy eyeliner and all your friends will be "green" with envy as you rock the latest trend and make your eyes POP in the process. For most- green eye shadow is like red lipstick. It's all about finding the shade that's right for you! For lighter or fairer skin tones - try an olive or seafoam, women with medium to darker skin can wear brighter shades such as emerald

Nails: By adding a hint of purple to last season's all-the-rage beige you've got a HOT new hybrid nail color. Suitable for both a night out and working the day away.  A neutral compliment to all the deep autumn colors we'll all be wearing for the next few months.

Run to your nearest Sephora, Ulta or Planet Beauty and pick up these must-have items for this Fall season!!! 
And when you do - send me your pics that showcase how YOU wear the fall trends!!

What's new Pussycat????

Hello Glamazons!

It's been so long since I've written I almost don't know where/how to do it!

But let's just jump right into it shall we?

It's a brand new year and a brand new season which means STUNNING new looks for all beauties out there to try at home!

This fall has an abundance of trends and tricks so I'm going  to start w/ the most basic trends I've been reading about.

1.  sparkly pink cheeks

2. Matte Fuchsia lips

3. Tangerine Lipstick

4. Pink & chocolate

5.Burgundy Lipstick

6.Lavender shadow ( I am a HUGE fan)

7.Forest Green shadow

The same color trends are showing up all over the place in everything from eyeshadows and lipsticks to nail polish, the runways were glowing with the warmth that fall brings and so will you!.

Check back later this week for my tips on the top 3 colors of the moment and how to wear them!!