Guest Posting: In the Fashion Lane

Today I'm guest posing over on my girl Mandy's blog In the Fashion Lane.

I stumbled across her blog over a year ago via another mutual friend and have been following her ever since.

Mandy is a true fashionista but shows it in a real girl way.

She mixes high and low pieces and always manages to make it look so effortless!

I'm still working on that.

Check out  my top five Fall must haves for this season.

These are all pieces I've either recently purchased or plan on buying in the next month to incorporate into my current wardrobe.

What's on you must have list for Fall?

Switching Things Up : Fall Hair

One of the best things about pregnancy was the fact that my hair finally grew out.

And right now it's brushing the tops of my shoulders which for me, is pretty long.

I've had short to medium length hair all my life (with a few episodes of extensions in between) but I've had the same hair since we found out I was pregnant last summer.
The same hair.

As someone who switches hair colors/ styles like she buys shoes that is a long time.

No color or highlights just trims for the last year.

A year people!

With the weather (hopefully) cooling off and my need for change imminent I've decided to switch things up.

I need some hair!

Thankfully my BFF is also my hair dresser.
So she is always up for the random late night text about hair, color, cuts & styles.

I'm thinking of getting a full weave (meaning lots of long extensions)
Upside:  I don't have to worry about my hair so much for a few weeks.

Downside:  Baby Ninja likes to pull hair.

But I'm dying for a change. Like absolutely desperate.

Here's what I'm thinking:

Last time I had it long it looked like this:

A little dark with some reddish highlights.

Just long enough to put up but still fun to play with.

Not sure I still want it to be too dark lest I get frustrated with it come December but I have got to do something.
So I'll be scouring the internet all day for further inspiration and then heading to the salon tomorrow.
Stay tuned.....

Do you switch up your hair for fall?

Trendsday Wednesday : Subtle Smokey Blue

The number one makeup look I get asked about the most is the smokey eye.

Over the years I've found that everyone has their own perception of a smokey eye and what

The beauty of this makeup look is that it can be done in so many different ways with so many different colors!

Today I'm showing you how to play up brown eyes with one of the fall season's hottest colors: Cobalt Blue

I found this image on Pinterest (originally from a French makeup lover) and it spoke to me

The image on the left is the inspiration and the image on the right is someone else's interpretation

I love how the blue has hints of purple in it as well as a distinct cobalt liner and that the rest of the face was kept clean and neutral.

That keeps the look easy enough to wear on a night out or an afternoon play date in the park. 

To vamp it up for evening I would suggest adding a brighter blush and some false eyelashes as seen in the image above.

My interpretation of the 'pinspiration'

1) Begin by lining the upper eyelid with a deep blue pencil or cream eye shadow

To give it the creamy feel I simply wet the brush I used: M.A.C shadow in Contrast and also added Tilt by M.A.C

2) smudge the liner around with a fluffy brush or q-tip

3) Using the same liner/shadow line the lower lash line underneath eyelashes and smudge with q-tip 

4) Apply a shimmering purple/blue color all over the lid and blend into the crease ( M.A.C. Plum & Purple Haze mixed with Red Ginger shimmer purple &shimmery blue)

5) Line water line with dark brown (M.A.C. coffee eyeliner) or black eyeliner (M.A.C Smolder Eye Kohl)

6) Apply eyelashes for added effect (Ardell Natural lash)
Keep the rest of the face clean and fresh by using a hint of blush in the same tone as your skin color ( I used M.A.C in gingerly) and a nude lip gloss or lipstick

All the makeup used:

   

*side note: I first primed my lids with Urban Decay's Primer Potion
**please keep in mind that skin tone changes the overall intensity of this look.

Tell me - is this a trend you would ever try?

Eye Makeup Magic: 2012 Emmy's

The Emmy's were last night and while I don't generally watch award shows anymore I do love me some red carpet action.

Last night did not disappoint.

It seemed everyone brought their "A game" and rocked the carpet in their own way.

I know many blogs will be talking fashion and shoes but can we just talk about the makeup for a minute?

I mean dang!

These ladies killed it.

Here are some of my favorites:

Kerry Washington: Nearly Nude

This photo doesn't do her justice (in my opinion) live on the red carpet she was simply glowing.

She just killed it for me.

I loved her strong simple eye and muted lip.

She amped up the glam factor by adding lashes but kept the rest subtle and stunning.

It was understated elegance at it's best.

Lena Dunham - smokey eye smize

I didn't love the dress but her smoked out smize was A-MAZING. If you looked closely you could see it was a deep blue/black and with her light brown eyes it was just the right touch.

Ginnifer Goodwin: Sultry Stare

The dark eyeliner + thick lashes and totally clean/fresh face was a huge hit for me.

I am a huge fan of this type of look

Claire Danes: Lined to Perfection

Clearly there is a trend here with my love of the dark eye, barely there lip and flushed cheeks.

I thought this mama-to-be looked radiant in the color of the night and again with the dark emphasized eyes.

Kelly Osbourne: Vampy Lip

She got it exactly right. Rocking the season's hottest bordeaux lip color the reality star vamped up the carpet in various shades of purple from her head to her orchid eye liner.

Were there any Emmy looks that rocked your world?

Socialized

I've finally succumbed and joined Twitter last night!

I'm kind of excited (although I have no idea what I'm really doing) and have delusions dreams of some of my favorite fashionistas and cool peeps following and retweeting me!

Be sure to follow me so we can chat and I can let you know what's going on in the world of makeup mmkay?

I'm @SweetPeaAD!!!

See you in the twittersphere!

My Work Elsewhere: Lucky Magazine

Happy Monday Lovelies!

Y'all know that I'm part of the Lucky Magazine Community and often contribute posts on there right?

Well they have published yet another post by yours truly and I'd love it if you'd go over and check it out!

Timeless Transitions

This week's post is all about transition dressing and the pieces I feel are timeless.

With all the crazy weather in all parts of the country I think it's important to have pieces in your closet that will take you through the seasons effortlessly with out sacrificing your personal style (or budget).

Stay tuned - In a few days I'll have a post showing you how to rock that cobalt blue eye makeup on a regular day!

p.s. I actually just ordered the tan wedge booties from Sole Society on Saturday!

Playing Around with Color

Saturday I met up with my friend Monica, a working mother of two, to play around a bit with a look I saw on Pinterest.

Pinterest Inspiration

I wanted to give her something similar that was fun but not so bold that if she went to run errands later it wouldn't be too overpowering.

This is what we came up with

my version

Here's how it worked:

1) Prepped eyes with a primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion)

2)  Eyelid: Used a cream base (M.A.C Flighty)

3) Layer on the color

- M.A.C plum

- Urban Decay Metropolitan

- M.A.C Trax

4) Crease- Too Faced Socialite / M.A.C- Trax, blend to mix with eyelid 

5) Pumped up the eyelid colors with Red Ginger's mulit shadow palette by mixing a deep blue and bright purple shimmer together

6) Inner corner: M.A.C Tilt topped off with more of the turquoise blue from Red Ginger (used the same colors on the bottom of the eye)

7) Line upper lid with M.AC Pencil in Kohl / go over that with M.A.C Carbon shadow

8) Lined lower lash line with M.A.C eye pencil in Coffee

9) smudged M.A.C Trax,Urban Decay's Metropolitan & M.A.C Plum eye shadow under eye

10) Topped off with two coats of Maybelline's Falsies mascara

Eye brows were filled in with M.A.C Stud eye brow crayon

Highlighted face with Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand in Gold

Cheeks: 

M.A.C Gingerly topped with NARS Orgasm

Lips:

 M.A.C Spice Lip Liner

Too Faced Celebrity Meltdown Lipstick

M.A.C Oh Baby Lipglass

LOTD on LUCKY!!

So I'm a contributor over at LUCKY magazine in their community section and my second post is now published and available to vote and comment on!

You can check it out here:

http://contributors.luckymag.com/post/lotd-easy-does-it

Please go and show me some love so I can move up in the contributor ranks and hopefully become a part of their style collective in time for the next LUCKY FABB conference!

Blue eyed Bride

I just love a good wedding don't you?

I honestly think those are some of my favorite makeup looks to create.

There is something quite magical about knowing you are helping a woman look and feel beautiful on one of the most important days of her life.

My latest bride, Jen, was no exception.

She was such a joy to work with. Smart with a wicked sense of humor and excellent style.

She wanted simple, chic and elegant.

Classic bride but with a hint of drama.

 I created a simple look using varying shades of brown & bronzes and accentuated her eye shape with a dark brown liner and a soft fringe of lashes.

A little about her bridal style:
She scored her dress for $99 (holla!) and then splurged on an amazing statement necklace to set off the whole look.

a closeup

the necklace

the beautiful bride

                                               Congratulations Jen and Steve!!

                                   I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

Thanks for letting me be part of your special day!

J-J-Jaded Eyes

A few weeks ago I asked for makeup models to try out a few new looks and my girl Q was happy to oblige.
I was inspired by an image I found on Pinterest

 I instantly fell in love with the jade green smolder and knew that would be the perfect look for her going away party that evening.

Q loved the jade green color and with her brown eyes the end result was a slight departure from the original but definitely suited her.
The teal color is absolutely on trend right now as well so we are ahead of the game!
What do you think?
Any trends you're dying to try for Fall or want see tested out here?

Products:

Lipglass: M.A.C - Sinnamon

Lipstick: Too Faced -Totally Nude

Lipliner: M.A.C - Spice

Blush: NARS -Orgasm

Eyeshadows:

Base: Urban Decay - Buck & Naked

Inner Corner: Urban Decay - Half Baked

Outer Corner: Urban Decay - Smog

Crease: M.A.C -  Antiqued & Mythology

Eyelid: M.A.C - Meadowland & Urban Decay - Shattered

Eyeliner: M.A.C - Smolder Eye Kohl

Mascara: Christian Dior - Dior Show Blackout

Easy....

Few things in life are "easy" but for some certain talents/skills seem to be a little more natural or inherent than for others.

Some people are excellent cooks.
They can take a recipe and re-create it plus add flare with instantaneous perfection. 

Some are great bakers. Never met a cake/pie/tart they couldn't make.

Some people have a wicked sense of style.

They've never had an 'off' fashion day are expertly skilled at throwing pieces together and still looking stylish.

Others still are amazing crafters - they can quite literally make something out of nothing and it's AWESOME. 

I am not one of those people.

What does come "easy" for me though is makeup application.

In it's truest and purest form - it is basically art to me.

Each face is a blank canvas for me to create a new form of beauty the owner never saw.

It gives me life every time I am able to work on someones face and they look in the mirror after and go "wow. I could never do this on my own".

And I usually just shrug it off like, sure you could.

In my mind everyone has the ability to do anything.

But really some people are just not as good at some things as others are.

And that's totally okay.

Makeup has always come easy.

I re-create looks I see online, and in magazines.

No it doesn't automatically look the exact same as the images I see mainly because every skin tone, texture, eye shape and color are different but the gist is pretty much spot on.

For a long time I doubted my skill.

Really questioned if I was good enough because I don't generally look as 'polished' as the artist in department stores do every.single.day.
But then I realized - that's not who I am.

 I am a wife, mother and a makeup artist who is inspired by each freckle and mole on each face.

I am all about showcasing the beauty that you (the client) never saw before.

I want to makeup your face and have you be excited by what you see and hopefully you will utter the words "wow. I look great" afterwards.

It warms my heart when I give women a new way to look at themselves and in my mind that is what makeup is all about.

It's not about covering up any flaws, its about accentuating what you do have and making the most of that.
So yeah, putting on makeup and making up someones face comes pretty easy to me but it's not without having worked at it for years.

What comes easy for you?

Wedding Backlog - Mysheika & Ed

Remember that time I went out of town and did two weddings in two days with a three and a half month old in tow?
Here are a few images from wedding #2 in Ohio

that magical first kiss

the gorgeous wedding party

the bride & groom

**all images via Art of Exposure Photography

Wasn't she beautiful?

Of course I'm totally biased because she's family but it truly was a magnificent ceremony and reception.

In fact, I'm pretty sure her reception might have rivaled mine in terms of music and partying......

Congratulations Mysheika & Ed!!

Date Night Duo - Cat Eyes and a Slicked Center

I was pretty jazzed when my new InStyle came in the mail the other day.

Even though I rarely have time to leisurely read my magazines these days I make it a point to flip through to get ideas for new looks & trends to try.

I had a hot date with my husband last Saturday night so I  decided to keep the makeup simple yet glamorous.

The Cat Eye Liner, Eyelashes and a slicked center did exactly that.

 

Recently I have started pulling my hair back (it's been way too hot to have it down and in my face)

and  have been enjoying how it looks.

I wanted to try something a bit new (for me) and modern so I pulled it back into a low ponytail but added a side part, laid it flat in the center and then got funky by adding a small bump towards the crown.

For details on how I created the Cat Eye Liner see my post here.

The Hair-do:

 As a makeup artist I'm always willing to go out on a limb and try a new trend or re-create some look I saw online but as a mother I try to not go too overboard with my daily look.
But I was so pleased with the outcome that I know I will be trying both of these looks again!

Even my outfit was out of the box for me. Normally I would have paired something like this with some strappy heels or flashy pumps but I decided to go a little bit rock 'n roll and add these black booties I bought a while back but had yet to wear.

I loved the way it all came together. 

My husband even approved!

What trends are you interested in trying?
Is there anything you want to see me showcase here?

Practical Matters - Makeup Tips

photo via: For the Love Of

A few weeks ago I mentioned I went by my friend Andrea's house for a makeup lesson for her.

She was interested in creating a new look in under 15 minutes that would take her from day to night.

She's a lover of all things fashion and beauty but also a busy mom of 2 (#3 is on the way) and wanted to ramp up her usual makeup to something a bit more modern 

(she says she's been wearing the same eyeshadow for years) 

My goal was to give her some fun tips and tricks to apply to her everyday look while showing her a few options to take her makeup up a notch and also go from picking up the kids to date night with her husband.

I compiled a list of my top 5 makeup tips and explained each one to her in detail as well as showed her a few fun things she could add to her repertoire when she felt she needed a pick me up. 

Check out the post HERE for more details.

If you'd like to schedule a makeup lesson or makeover of your own please check out my Facebook Page 

Sweet Emotions Makeup Artistry and contact me for a date!

Traveling Menagerie

The first weekend in June I had two weddings back to back.
Saturday morning and Sunday evening.

In OHIO.

So I had to fly with all of my makeup necessities.
Did I mention I also brought my almost 4 month old baby boy?

It's hard for me to travel within the state with all of my makeup let alone pare down what I really needed for two days of bridal beauty and take it on a plane.

I have an (semi) irrational fear that my luggage will got lost and they will lose my makeup so I generally pack it in my carry-on bag.

But this time was different.

This time I had to bring everything!

What was an artist to do?

Get a new traveling makeup bag that is TSA and airplane friendly of course!

I was gifted this lovely ZUCA bag as an early birthday present and it was such a godsend.

so many pockets!

the pouches have room to label each one!

How have I lived without it?

It has more than enough room for all of my necessities (with five clear pouches, zippered pockets inside and out) AND two brush rolls, comes with a cover, has wheels and a place to sit!

I am in heaven.

Unfortunately I had to pack the bag that carried all my liquid foundations but I created an itemized list of the contents should anything happen to my checked luggage so I would know exactly what I was missing.

all this had to go in my luggage!!

I decided since I know both of brides pretty well (they're my god-sisters) I could skip a few of the miscellaneous eyeshadows and only bring the palettes I needed along with the rest of my essentials.

So thats what I did.

I created face charts prior to arrival so it would make my work easier and faster as there was no trial run since they live on the other side of the country but I didn't want to just 'wing it' either.
I needed to be prepared for any and everything.
And I was.

my main arsenal

The main things I packed were:

Smashbox Photofinish Primer

Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand

NARS Blush in Orgasm

NARS lipgloss in Orgasm

M.A.C lipglass in Sinnamon, Oh Baby & Wonderstruck

M.A.C eyebrow pencil in Stud

Ardell & NYX false eyelashes
DUO eyelash glue

M.A.C lipliner in Spice
M.A.C 24/7 Comfort Creme
M.A.C translucent setting powder
Concealer palette
CARGO Tinted Moisturizer
Benefit Mascara - Yes They're Real
Dior Show Mascara Blackout
Urban Decay NAKED palette
(not pictured -  Red Ginger eyeshadow palette & m.a.c eyeliner in coffee)

With those items I can pretty much do anything to anyone as needed.
When I look at it all together it seems like so little but I know all those products combined with the right brushes can do wonders for a person.

So thats a little bit of my travel style.
Tell me, what products are a must for you when you travel?