Sunday, December 5, 2010

2010 X-mas Gift Certificates

Tis the season to find fantastic gifts for friends and family. If you're looking for something different Enchantment Makeup Artistry is offering gift certificates available in any amount. This is a perfect gift for people who have upcoming special occasions, weddings, or someone who just likes to be pampered. To see the complete list of services offered check out http://www.enchantmentmakeupartistry.com/.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

2010 Makeup and Beauty Gift Giving Guide

For anyone who is a beauty junkie like me, recieving any kind of gift set from a store like Sephora is heaven. Here is a list of holiday must-haves, perfect for gift giving!

Bath and Body

1. Any Philosophy Gift Set. Philosophy has numerous holiday scents packaged into cute little gift sets. This years scents include: Gingerbread, Candy Cane, Peppermint, Cinnamon Icicng, Marshmallow, and Snow Angel.
If you've never experienced a Philosophy scent you''re missing out! They are highly fragranced and smell exactly like what they say they smell like. Philosophy has sets containing an all-in-one shower gel, bubble bath and shampoo, matching lotion and lip gloss. Definetly check out their gift sets to WOW your loved one.

2. Bliss Bubble + Butter Spa Blends in Orange and White Pepper. Sephora says: This perfect skincare duo in Bliss' invigorating Blood Orange and White Pepper scent delivers a rich lather and moisturizing benefits for your softest skin yet. Soapy Suds cleanses while nourishing skin with aloe and vitamin E. Body Butter features a super-absorbent, non-greasy formulation with coconut oil to soften skin and sodium hyaluronate to lock in moisture. I say: Sodium hyaluronate is one of the best things for hydrating your skin and the smell is said to be like The Body Shop's "Satsuma". $35

3. Fresh Brown Sugar Escape Set. "Both of our grandmothers used sugar, a natural antiseptic, to heal our scrapes. Wanting to pass this effective ritual on to the world, we bottled our shared tradition." —Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, Fresh Co-founders. This set includes body polish, body cream and oval soap. $75

Makeup


1. Sephora Endless Color Blockbuster: This is Sephora's biggest holiday set to date, with 13 new products added I bought the set for myself last year and I love it. It's my go to palette for lip colours. This is a must have set for any makeup artist or junkie. This set includes 98 x original, iridescent effect eyeshadows, 70 x shiny lip glosses, 6 x cream eyeliners, 2 x lip liners, 3 x eyeliners, Mascara, 4 x applicators. $48

2. Stila Color Wheel Shadow Shadow Palette: This set is inspired by the colour wheel and has easy to follow instructions included for even beginner makeup junkies. 37 colours are included in this palette. $38

3. Sephora Favourites Glitz and Glam: This is a deluxe sample makeup kit with products that sparkle and shine. This is a perfect kit for holiday makeup. $39

4. Stila Lip Glaze Set: A collection of 8 gorgeous lip colours, in a clickable pen package. This set includes 4 top-selling colours as well as 4 new limited edition colours. This set is a fantastic value and will thrill any lipgloss addicted girl! $25
 
5. Tarte Ring It In Cheek Stain Set: Tarte's products are formulated without parabans, sulfates and basically anything synthetic. This set includes 3 shades and a fashion ring. $25

Skin Care

1.Clarisonic® Plus with Dr. Brandt, Peter Thomas Roth, Ole Henriksen and Perricone MD. This set contains some of Sephora's best skin care products. The Clarisonic is an automatic face cleansing brush designed to superclean your skin. Watch Gilber Soliz talk about this product. $225

2. Philosophy The Joy of Great Skin. A collection of Philosophys award-winning products. The set includes, cleanser, exfoliator, moisturizer and lactic peels. This brand is also formulated without parabans, sulfates and other other preservatives and synthetic materials. $85

3. Bliss At Home Oxygen Kit. A threesome of products that oxygenate the skin while nourishing with vitamin C. Sephora says "Bliss Spas are famous for their triple oxygen treatment. This set of full-sized, spa-at-home essentials provides skin with a blast of oxygen, including the basic products for simulating the skin-reviving results of their number-one selling facial. These all-star glow-getters boost depleted oxygen levels in dull, sallow skin to kick-start a brighter, fresher, more radiant complexion." This set is definetly on my christmas list. $84

Nails

1. Sephora by OPI Mini Nail Colour Set. A collection of 18 mini nail colours. I wasn't going to include nail sset in this post but I had to include this set because of the awesome value. OPI nail polish at Sephora is normally $9 a bottle, this set works out to be $2.60 per bottle. $48

Stocking Stuffers




Friday, November 26, 2010

5 Pieces That Makeup My Life

After thinking carefully about which products I use every single day no matter what I came up with this list...


  1. Concealer: How any woman can live without concealer is beyond me! It's a miracle in a jar, stick, tube, pot- however you use it. Concealer is what covers all imperfections without looking cakey(if applied right). It conceals dark circles, redness, pimples, scars...so again how does anyone live without this??
  2. Foundation: This goes hand in hand with concealer. While some people like to use one or the other, the way to get the most from these products is to use them together! No matter what type of foundation you choose to use it will blend your skin tone to make it look like you have perfectly even skin. Because you have already covered your imperfections with concealer, all that's needed with your foundation is a light application and your set!
  3. Blush: If I had perfect skin this would be number 1 on list! Blush gives your face an instant glow. If you were to apply concealer and foundation with no blush it tends to make you look washed out and as some people would say- dead.
  4. Mascara: I'm sure this is in most womans top 5! A quick swipe of mascara can take you from looking tired to wide awake! Not only does it make your lashes longer, thicker and fuller but it opens up your eyes making you appear less tired.
  5. Lip gloss/stick: Everyone should keep their lips moisturized- why not add shine&colour while doing it! Plus, gloss makes lips look extra luscious...who could resist that!

www.enchantmentmakeupartistry.com

Monday, November 22, 2010

To Prime or Not to Prime

What is a primer? Just like paint, makeup needs a primer. Would you paint a wall or a canvas without first priming it? Probably not. Adhesion, hide, and colour retention are reasons why you use a primer before painting... so doesn't it seem logical that you should use a primer on your face as you are ultimately painting your face? Foundation primers have many benefits which include: creating a perfectly smooth surface to apply your makeup to, filling in fine lines, creating a base for your makeup to adhere to so it doesn't rub off half way through your day, and providing an easier application of concealer and foundation as they glide over your skin instead of building up product resulting in a "cakey" look.

Most prestige brands now have one or more primers in their product line, some of course are better than others. While I would absolutely love to be able to try every primer and write my opinion about it I don't have the time or $40+ per bottle to experiment! I will however write about the primers I have used as well as knowledge I have gained from doing some online research about primers I haven't tried.

The few brands I have tried are Smashbox, Faces, and Laura Mercier.

Smashbox: They are said to be the undisputed leader of the pack with one of the very first primers available. Smashbox now has 5 different primer formulas spanning from the 1st edition to colour correcting. As a makeup artist I started out with a smashbox makeup kit, primer included. So what's my take? I wasn't a huge fan! While Sephora reviewers give this product 4.5 out of 5 stars, I wasn't crazy about it. Yes it did what it was supposed to do by prepping a face for makeup and yes it was smooth and makeup did glide on but if the user doesn't get the exact amount of product needed it rolls off of the face in balls leaving it not so smooth. Perhaps you would disagree, but I was not sold.

Faces: This has to be one of my favourite primers. It feels so nice being spread onto your skin, with a creamy, thick consistancy. This product does contain silica which some people have a problem with but I don't mind. That is what gives it such a rich, smooth feeling. If you take too much product, no problem it blends right into your skin!

Laura Mercier: I bought a Laura Mercier gift set while at Sephora which included their primer. This is not my favourite primer but I do like it and it gets the job done. It creates a smooth base and feels more like a moisturizer than a primer. It is enriched with vitamins and is not greasy. I may or may not purchase this again, I haven't decided. They currently have 5 formulas of primers incuding regular, oil-free, hydrating, mineral liquid and mineral powder.

Below are some brands I haven't yet tried but would like to...

Dior: How can a girl not love anything Dior? I have loved every product I have tried in Dior's makeup line so far so I have high hopes for their primer. Dior's skinflash Primer claims to have an anti-fatigue remedy and is boosted with Photo-smart Pigments which adapts to all types of lighting. Sephora user ratings are 4 out of 5 stars for this product!

MAKE UP FOREVER

I loveeee this brand! They have amazing eye products and ohhhh the lashes! I do own the green colour correcting primer but I only use it in clients with red toned skin and not on myself. I do like the way it goes on and it has a nice smell. Sephora reviewers say this is a very good moisturizing primer. I would liek to try the clear one for myself!

Guerlian

I had to had this to my "to try" list. Why? The fact that it is made with 24-karat gold has won me over. The 24-carat gold-infused cooling gel sinks into the skin, retaining moisture. Applied to bare skin, this skin enhancer and makeup primer smoothes fine lines and tightens facial features. Rated 4 out of 5 star on Sephora.

Sephora

Last but not least, I have added the Sephora brand to my list to try because it is the cheaper alternative to any of the primers mentioned above. This brand was also one of the highest rated at 4.5 out of 5 stars. It is said to be lightweight and non-greasy. You can compare this price of $15 a bottle to the other brands starting at $30 a bottle.



www.enchantmentmakeupartistry.com

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Holiday Makeup Trends 2010


The holidays are all about glaming it up and making sure you shine! The trend this season isn't too far off from that. We're seeing alot of smoky and glittery eyes, lusterous cheeks, and bold red lips.

Eyes

Nothing attracts better attention than a smoky, sultry gaze. To amp up the drama, use shimmery white, silver and black shadows. If your eyes are small, keep the dark shadow close to your lash line and smoke it out. You can add a bit of glitter to the corner of your eyes to open them up and make them appear wider.

Another favourite holiday look of mine is a full lid of glitter! This is a really fun look and not for the faint at heart! It's a fantastic statement look and great for parties or New Years. To achieve this look line your lids with a liquid liner. When its dry apply a primer or a glitter base so the glitter has something to adhere to. Apply the glitter to your lid using as much as you desire. Note: you will have glitter that falls onto your cheek no matter how hard you try to avoid it. My advice... go with it!

Cheeks

If you choose to go with the smoky eye, make sure to add shine to your cheeks. Luminescent skin is a must! Add a shimmer lotion, powder or gel to you face for added shine and glow. If you decide to do glitter on your eyes, don't use a shimmery product with big particles of shimmer- it will be too much.

Lips

What says "come kiss me" more then beautiful, red lips. People are drawn to red lips, and there's a reason...they're hot! To make the most out of this look line your lips with a pencil in the same colour as your lipstick. Make sure to be careful when lining with a red pencil, a slight mistake could cause your lips to look clownish. (If you make a mistake, take a q-tip dipped in makeup remover and carefully wipe away the smudge, then cover with matching concealer.) Fill you lips in with lipstick- voila! sexy red lips! To avoid looking costume-ish use your judgement, but a good rule of thumb is to either wear a dramatic eye with a nude lip, or a dramatic lip with subtle eyes. Being a holiday look, you don't have to down play the 2nd feature as much as you would on a normal day.


Dolce & Gabbana Holiday Makeup Ads 2010


Scarlett Johansson at the Dolce & Gabbana Holiday 2010 ad campaign shoot. Photo: Robert Bellamy for Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana's holiday 2010 advertisement. Photo: Courtesy of Solve Sunsbo


These Dolce & Gabbana photos are a prime example of holiday makeup trends for 2010! In the first photo, Scarlett has bold red lips, with a semi dramatic eye. In the second photo she has very dramatic smoky shadows, making her eyes pop, paired with a nude, glossy lip.

Whatever look you choose to wear for this holiday season, have fun with it. There are no set in stone rules to makeup, just guide lines. And remember, don't forget to sparkle and shine!
Visit my site to view my online portfolio!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Complexion Perfection!


On a mission to find more great books for my collection I have recently picked up Kate Sommerville's Complection Perfection. What a great book! Not only does Sommerville give advice on how to deal with any skin type she adds great detail about the anatomy of the skin, how what you eat benefits or hurts or skin, and what you should look for in products. She teaches WHY you should do these things for your skin to truly help any person understand HOW to do it. In fact she covers the who, what, where, whens and how's of skincare. After reading through the book a few times I have hilighted all of the general information that really stood out to me. For more detail about you own skin type you can pick up a copy of her book at Chapters.


Anatomy of the Skin.

In order to treat our skin we need to first understand what it does and how it functions.

The top layer of your skin is called the Epidermis. There are 5 layers of cells in the epidermis. Each top layer of cells indicates what the cells being born underneath are going to be like and what they will do. For healthy skin we not only have to get rid of the damage cells on top but also manage the cells underneath.



Beneath the Epidermis is the Dermis. There are cells in this layer of skin called fibroblasts which produce elastin and collegen. These cells are bathed in hylorhonic acid-- a lubricant that holds water, giving your skin texture, bounce and a youthful look. As we age collegen and elastin break down faster then the fribroblasts can produce them. The number of fibroblasts decreases and hylorhonic acid decreases which contributes to aging and dry skin.


Subcutaneous Tissue is the next layer of fat and connective tissue. This layer tends to get thinner as we age so our skin looks less plump and smooth. Underneath this tissue is our muscle.


Kate Sommerville's My Skin Health Pyramid


Protect:
We generally associate chronology as why we age but it is more of a free- radical issue. Free radicals are produced by UV rays which become highly reactive and cause damage to our DNA strands. They cause the genetic structure to change. Because the cells are no longer the perfect copies they were before they start to influence the cells underneath to form an unhealthy structure. A lot of this free radical damage could have been avoided by staying out of the sun. We all know by now that we should always be wearing sunscreen to protect our skin. Another way to get some extra SPF is to use mineral makeup. The minerals in these products protect against UV rays. They create a physial barrier from the sun and usually contain an SPF of 15-22. When you are looking for a moisturizers make sure all moisturizers and serums contains free-radical-fighting antioxidents like vitamins C, E, and green tea extracts. There are also certain foods and ingrediants to boost your SPF. Watermelon and promegrante can actually boost your SPF by several factors. Foods or supplements that contain essential fatty acids, such as omega-3, can strengthen your skin's natural barrier function, protecting the skin from within.


Hydrate:
When people think of hydration they often mistaken it with moisturizing. Hydration is the process of getting water into the skin cells; moisturizing is the process of locking it there by applying a cream or lotion on top of the hydrated skin. For example: If you put a drop of water on a dry piece of leather, the wet patch will plump up but will soon dry out again. If you apply an oily perservative over the wet patch it will remain plump. Both of these processes are truly necessary in order to have healthy skin . The more hydrated the cells are, the healthier they are. Without the proper hydration our cells die. The products we choose to hydrate our skin should contain ingrediants that act as Humectants- to attract water to the skin, Occlusives- that keep hydration from evaporating and Emmolients- which add lubrication to the skin. Hylorhonic acid is fantastic as a topical ingredient. It acts as a humectant, occlusive, and emmolient. It binds water into the skin cells and helps them hold 1000 times their weight in water. Because we lose hylorinc acid as we age it is a crucial supplement. We also need to keep our skin from dehydrating. If you overexfoliate or overtreat your skin, you can leave in unprotected . Water will evaporate too quickly leaving your skin dry, dehydrated, and prone to infection. Along with drinking enough water, taking supplements of fish oil, flaxseed oil, or omega-3 fatty acids works to hydrate and lock moisture into the cells. Hylorhonic acid supplements combined with coenzyme Q10 are incredibly effective in attracting more water to the skin cells and locking it in by preventing evaporation. Many beverages dehydrate you skin. Caffiene pulls the moisture content out of skin cells. Simple sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup and refined white sugar take a lot of water to metabolize.


Feed:
Our skin is like a sponge which can absorb 60% of certain nutrients we feed it externally. Topical vitamins, minerals, anitoxidents and essiential oils have been found to be incredibly effficent in feeding the skin. Vitamins C and E are proven antioxidents which fight free radicals. Topical Vitamin A in the form of retinoic acid or retinol helps break up skin cells that are irregularly stacked, which encourages the cells to turn over and create smoother skin with fewer lines. Copper can help aid in strengthening the skin by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin. Zinc, used topically is an anti-inflammatory. Of course you want to eat lot's of nutrious food to help your body absorb the minerals and vitamins internally.


Stimulate:
Vitamin A and peptides are great stimulants when used topically. These ingredients have been shown to stimualte fibroblasts, having the effect of reducing lines, smoothing texture and redness over time; strengthen elasticity; and add plumpness to the skin. Studies have also shown that trace amounts of zinc and magnesium in our diet are key factors in the chemical process to strengthen our tissue.


Detox:
Cleanse daily; Exfoliate two or three times a week; spa or at home facials; and sweat from excersing or steaming. Pure unfiltered cranberry juice diluted with water is a great way to cleanse your kidneys. A squeeze of lemon juice added to a glass of water throughout the day will help neutralize excess acidity. Green tea is excellent for cleansing and immunity. A great way to get an effective cleanse is by cutting out certain food from your diet for just three days. This food includes: caffiene, alcohol, sugar, added salt, meat, and processed food. Drink only water, freshly squeezed juice or herbal tea. Load up on raw, fresh produce. For protein have a handful of nuts, low fat yogurt or cottage cheese. If you smoke – STOP IT. When you puff on a cigarette your're drawing in more than 4000 toxins. Smoking also eats up free-radical-fighting vitamin C in your body.


Beauty and the Buffet

Of course we know that eating healthy is great for our bodies but it is also great for our skin.
Alkaline vs Acidic:
In today's world we eat a lot of acidic food. Food that falls into this category are mostly items we already know are unhealthy such as processed food, saturated fats and oils, and sugary drinks. For a full list of alkaline vs acidic food you can check out this link http://www.energiseforlife.com/list_of_alkaline_foods.php
Sommerville talks about how her father-in-law was diagnosed with stage 5 prostate cancer. Instead of participating in radiation treatments he decided to go with a different approach. His treatment regimen focused on orangic foods, immunity-boosting supplements and drinking nothing but lots of purified water. He maintained an all alkaline enviroment inhis body. By maintaining this he he increased a healthy PH balance and reduced the disease-causing acid waste in his system. The theory (which is not supported by the traditional medical community) is that cancer cells don't grow in an alkaline enviroment. After being completely devoted to the program his cancer disappeared in less that a year's time. Sommerville explains this story to us because not only did she see that big change happen but she also saw incredible changes to his skin. Brown spots and sun damage has completely disappeared from his face in the same way that cancer had. While the restricitions he followed were quite extreme, Sommerville explains that in order for clients to experience extreme skin changes, lifestyle changes have to be made.
Organic Food
50 years ago are food was a lot more nutrious than it is now. Industrialization has impacted the nutritional value of everything we eat. Organically grown fruits and vegetables have been proven time and time again to have higher levels(about 30% more) of anti-oxidents, proteins, and nutrients. Meat is in the same category. Many animals are fed food that arent natural to their diet to fatten them up as soon as possible along with hormones to make them gro bigger. Having unnatural horomones in our food can result in disruptions to our own horomonal balance. This causes all kinds of issues, including skin disorders. Of course we are not expected to eat healhy 100% of the time but we should try and follow the 80/20 rule. Eat your healthiest 80% of the time and allow for other foods you enjoy for the other 20%.


For a detailed list of food you should include in your diet and why check out Sommerville's book.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Summer Makeup


I think it's safe to say summer is finally here! Long days at the beach, parties, ice cold drinks... What else could a girl ask for? I absolutely love summer. I live for the hot, sunny, carefree days. Summer is about taking advantage of everything that comes along and not worrying about a thing- including your makeup. Gone are the days where makeup will melt right off of our faces. There are makeup options for everyone... even for girls who can't live without full coverage.

For me summer means sheer foundation, bronzer, blush and lip gloss. I definitely don't want to walk around on a hot day with a full face of makeup but I do like to have foundation on to even out my skin tone. Some girls can get away with wearing no foundation- I'm not that lucky. If you're like me, follow these tips to help give you a nice summer glow without a ton of makeup. If you have gorgeous skin, leave the concealer/foundation out.

Step 1. WASH your face! Summer is definitely the time when you really want to make sure you are properly cleansing your skin as the heat stirs up more bacteria and sweat on your face than in colder months. Check out my "Importance of Skin Care" post to find the right product for your skin. Follow by toning and moisturizing.

Step 2. SUNSCREEN! If you are going to be outside for the day make sure you apply sunscreen underneath your base coat. Not only will this help to avoid skin cancer but you will also spare your face the wrinkles.

Step 4. PRIME your face with a foundation primer. This will help your concealer glide across your face avoiding the cakey look, protect your skin from environmental factors, and also keep your makeup in place so not only will it stay where you want it to but it won't sink into your pores causing you to break out.

Step 5. CONCEAL any blemishes and red spots to even out your complexion. You do not need a lot just enough to blend your skin tone.

Step 6. APPLY a sheer powder foundation. Look for a loose powder that has a glow to it to keep you looking radiant and ready for summer. I am in love with Sheer Glow by Faces. Smashbox also makes a powder called Halo but it is very pricey at $72 a compact and doesn't have as nice of a glow as Sheer Glow does. Sheer Glow also has an SPF of 25.

Step 7. BRONZE! Apply bronzer to give your face a natural looking tan without the sun damage.

Step 8. APPLY a peachy-pink blush to the apples of your cheeks for a nice summer look.

Step 9. THIS is where I would apply a coat of mascara. I have no eyelashes so I need mascara. If you have full, long lashes you can skip this step as some mascaras are sticky and melt off your face in the heat.

Step 1o. LIPGLOSS! Choose a summery lipgloss shade and apply.

These steps will give you the perfect, carefree look everyone wants during summertime. You can use these steps as a guide to summer time evening makeup as well, just apply shadow to your lid before the mascara and anything else you can think of to glam up your look!