Everyday Me!

 Good Friday Everyone!!!

Friends and family always tell me I have too much makeup and where do I store it all... well... I do have a lot of makeup and it is an on-going project to keep it organized and handy! Last year I bought this fun, light blue, kitchen cart from Ikea... more than my love for Ikea, is my love for this cart! It holds all my personal makeup, in a somewhat tidy way (tidy for me anyway)and is on wheels... I can move it out of the way when our bedroom is picked up (key word: when) and I can always have it in a comfortable spot for doing my makeup, instead of just in the dresser drawer. 

On the top, I keep all my "everyday" stuff... and even that, I use only about 1/4 of it really! lol! The 2nd level, was mostly eyeshadows in palettes and loose pots. The last level was organized originally, but now is just a mess of my eyebrow waxing supplies, fantasy makeup, a huge face powder and whatever else I can't find a place for.  :) 

So, I wanted to do a makeup look, using my everyday, personal makeup, and ending it using my new Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette!

My lovely "before" face... pores and all!

Like I shared last post, I have been using the Makeup Forever products I bought at their Pro Artistry Weekend. There was such an array of students that weekend, they gave us a dark and light color face and body foundation. So, I combine the two colors on my "hand" palette, a 2:1 ratio of light:dark, then I use their 122 Face Brush to swirl it all over my face.

Then, with the Full Cover concealer I add highlight under my eyes, down my nose, and the center of my face... and contours under my cheekbones, on my jawline, temples and forehead.

I set all my liquid makeup with the super matte powder. Then redo my highlights and contour with powders. The highlight is 

 Mac Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish in Gentle. The contour powder is a simple face powder from Drew Barrymore's line in Wal-Mart called Flower.

 

Once, I have my face base done, I add eyeshadow (using my Naked 3 palette), eyeliner, blush, eyebrows, and lips.

The finished product...

 

Wouldn't this be a pretty bridal makeup? That's why every makeup artist should have one of the Naked palettes in their pro kit!

I hope you enjoyed this little peak into my personal makeup kit... I look forward to my next blog post, a peak into my fantasy/facepainting kit! :)

Imagine a great weekend with organized makeup- Alexis

Happy, Merry EVERYTHING! Part 2

Cheers to the 2nd part of the holidays...

I chose to use one of the loves of my life's 7th birthday to introduce you all to my FACE PAINTING business!!! My gorgeous goddaughter turned 7 in December and I promised her I'd be the "hired-help" aka paint faces!!!

I pre-sketched cute birthday theme cheek art for her: cupcakes, hearts, balloons, and other sweet designs any dainty young girl would love... but not my goddaughter! My courageous, girly/tomboy, wild, big-heart girl, wanted the green snake with the party hat! God, I love this girl!!! 

I really enjoy face painting... it is combination of everything I love! Having a teacher's heart with artistic hands, makes face painting something natural for me. I'm only sorry it hadn't occurred to me sooner! I hope this year brings me much more experience in this area!!! 

Then sometime after that... we posed for selfies, for our annual Christmas card, with our furry children... it looked a little something like this!!! 

 Elphaba & Holly

Pixar & Disney

The very next day, was our 4th Wedding Anniversary! How quickly time flies... In a long, crazy, jumbled day, we saw a movie, got matching tattoos, ate lunch, took a nap, and had a romantic dinner at The Rusty Pelican. 

 Don't you love my, "I'm-nervous-this-hurts-smile-it's-a-picture" face???

 Of course, my Boy always, calm, cool, and collective!

I love you my love, here's to 4 x's infinity more!!!

And the rest is the rest... Christmas Eve, or as we Cubans say, Noche Buena was at our house. A small home + a large amount of people = chaos/love We had a great time till the wee hours of the morning and had a slow and peaceful Christmas Day!

This pic makes me laugh... long story short... I asked Santa for the Naked 3 palette for Christmas... those who know, know that this item still can't be found on shelves (even less, last month)... but being the spoiled "little" girl that I am, Santa left one at our place and 2 at my dad's... the men in my life did good, too good! My mom didn't even bother (that's how difficult it is to get your hands on one of these), she got me another cool Urban Decay palette (thank God)! So, last week I returned one of the Naked 3 and the counter lady couldn't believe why someone would return it, since they hadn't had any in stock since they were released last month. She hesitantly placed it on the empty shelf.

New Year's in North Carolina!

Overall, we had a great end to 2013. I only hope that 2014 makes me feel richer and more spoiled than ever... not in money or material but in love, success, health, and above all happiness!

Imagine Being More Spoiled in 2014- Alexis

Merry, Happy EVERYTHING!!!

Like everybody else on the face of the earth... the holidays brought me- BUSY-NESS!!! 

Have you noticed that once a person gets married, there is, literally no time for anyone or anything... which is an oxymoron of sorts, because there's always someone or something to do! Confused??? Me too! My point is, it seems like everyday (including weekends) there's an important event, The Boy and I must attend... and of course that triples during the holiday season! That being said:

I hope everyone had a Happy "Thanksgivukkah" and a Merry Christmas... but most of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  

My holiday craziness started back in October, for Halloween.  As it has become tradition, The Boy and Girl are the hosts! (With pleasure, might I add?) Both sides of our family came to our house and we "tailgated" in the front yard: Candy, pizza, pasta, sweets, and trick-or-treating with the kiddies. We have a great, small, trick-or-treating neighborhood... I can't wait till we have our kids to take-along! I, of course, did some fun makeup on Manny (aka The Boy) and myself! 

Dia de los Muertos or Sugar Skull Makeup!

Mr. & Mrs. of course!

Then somewhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving, I went, with fellow makeup artist and friend Michelle Q., to the Make Up For Ever Pro Artistry Weekend!

 

This was a series of professional classes taught by Make Up Forever artists. We learned so much about the brand and its products. 

           

                                    

If I had to recommend my favorite product from that weekend it would be their Face & Body Liquid Foundation and their 12 Flash Color Case ... I went home with both... of course ALL their products are beautiful!!! The best thing about the brand is how easily they cater to beauty, fashion, film, theater, and everyday makeup, so seamlessly!

                

My model at the event... we were able to get hands on using all the products our hearts desired!!!  

                    

                                          

My friend Michelle and me!

So, this sums up the first half of my holiday season... I am very thankful for all these wonderful events and opportunities presenting themselves in my life! I hope that 2014 finds in it all up to my ears!!!

Imagine Happiness Up To Your Ears- Alexis