Cincinnati makeup artist/Jen; teasers!

These teasers come from the wonderful Geri Ciulla
Just look at those gigantic eyes! She loves a very defined (yet not necessarily smokey) look to them.Tons of lashes and black gel liner. We did a neutral gloss since she is not a fan of lip colour; MAC dazzleglass in "bare necessity".

And I love the slinky bombshell gown she chose.

Jen had a suite at the top of the Millennium hotel that was so cool; the second floor of the room opens onto a hallway that leads to their revolving restaurant where the wedding and reception were held. It could not have been more convenient!

Cincinnati makeup artist/Megan, married!

images from Steve Lyons

hair by Sam Hills 513 502 5293

videographer Studio +Z

planner Brigid Horne-Nestor, i do weddings

venue Hilton Netherland

florist Kevin Ford

What a stunning bride. I took special satisfaction in making her happy because Megan is very discerning and knows what she wants. I love that, being a perfectionist myself. There is a certain pride you feel when you please one of our breed. She kept apologizing that she was being "picky" but I swear that doesn't bother me. She was a delight.

I did Megan's makeup for her rehearsal dinner the night before as well , and hung around to do final touchups after her ceremony.

Cincinnati Magazine Weddings

We have four brides featured in the current issue; Allison Amrine, Anne Knueven, Allison Langenbahn, and Sarah DuPuy.
In the same issue our Carrie Karibo two page ad (featuring Riana), and a beauty article, "face value", features advice and tips from yours truly.

Cincinnati wedding makeup/Natalie, married!!

hair by Sam Hills

check out that custom made gown-! Natalie is so kind, so radiant. It was such a pleasure working with her!

recent portfolio shoot; Riana

I am a frequent "Facebook stalker" and was checking in with Riana from the Carrie Karibo shoot. She had some new images that looked fantastic, so I sent a message to the photographer she had tagged. Right away the photographer, Robin McKerrell, got back to me and asked me to work with her and Riana in two days. I jumped on it because-well, I mean, look at her. Plus Riana was going to be moving to Miami in a few days and it was the last ashot to get a few new images for her portfolio. Here are some highlights from that shoot. Isn't she amazing?

New weekly feature; Makeup Bag Mondays!

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of lunch with Alison Wenstrup, wedding planner extraordinaire.


On a whim, I asked her to bring her core products that she uses so I could take a peek. She and Tine Hofmann and I had so much fun with this that I am making it a new feature. I root through your stuff and tell you what to keep and what to chuck.
Overall, I was very impressed with Alison's stuff; however, she doesn't actually use most of it.


First off, the Caudalie moisturizer. Alie and Tine are both so flippin' passionate about this product, it made me want to dash over to Sephora right then and there. I have not personally tried their products but have heard only good things. This is Alie's splurge because she has very dry skin. But with what she invests in skincare, she saves in foundation. She rarely ever wears any makeup on her face. She owns the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, at my urging, but rarely ever wears it. I say that's okay, because she has a very pretty complexion. She uses it only for when she really needs to look perfect. She also hardly uses the Mercier concealer (cool product; has the loose powder underneath) but she doesn't have particularly dark circles either. (why do I like her so much, anyway?)

She has the Benefit dandelion powder-(more fun than functional, but that's okay.) It has a pink tint to it, so it's nice for those sallow days. She owns NARS Orgasm blush, but again, rarely uses it. I do want her to wear blush. It would really wake up her face, pop her cheekbones, and warm her up a bit.

She has two mascaras; Fiberwig (a "tubing" style mascara with a cult following) and Voluminous by l'oreal. She finds the L'oreal smudges under her eyes, even though it's waterproof. The tubing one should not give her that issue, but I think when she's done with it she should buy L'oreal's beauty tubes instead and pocket the difference.

There's a Hard Candy shadow quad, rarely used. Pretty neutral in shade but too sparkly IMHO. Save it for evening.

Then a NARS duo that is very pretty and she should use daily. (but doesn't)

MAC dazzleglass in "baby sparks", chosen by me on a shopping trip, so of course I deem it perfect. Mercier lipstick in "courtisane"-a perfect shimmery sheer rose.

The only thing Alie is sorely lacking is eyeliner. She needs to get Laura Mercier cakeliner in Mahogany and a flat liner brush and use it to tight liner her top lashes, everyday. STAT. That is my diagnosis of her makeup routine.

Would you like to be featured on Makeup Bag Mondays? I am in my studio every Wednesday from 12-5; show me whatcha got.

Using bronzer in the winter

This request comes from Sherri via our Facebook fan page and is very timely for me. we all get in our little ruts, even makeup artists. I will go for months embracing my pasty pallor, then one day I'll clean out my bathroom and rediscover a forgotten gem.

I starting wearing a touch of bronzer last week and I have had a couple people ask me what I am doing differently; that my face looks "fresher". Bronzer can be a challenge, particularly for a fairer complexion. and there are definitely a lot of Bronzer Abusers out there. The goal is not to look swarthy or unwashed, or like you spent a couple weeks in Key West. The goal is to give the skin just a little warmth. Here are a few of my favorites.

No surprise; Laura Mercier. She has a very pale shade that you don't often find in other lines, and it is not the slightest bit orange. It has an extremely subtle shimmer as well. Cargo is very similar but perhaps has a bit more sheen; too much for me but if you like the J Lo glow it's perfect. Benefit Hoola is great too; just don't use the Barbie doll-sized brush that comes inside.

Now; application.

Bronzer requires a nice fluffy brush. Most brushes that are specifically for bronzer are squat and domed, but honestly a fluffy powder brush gives a more subtle application.

Apply to the highest points of the face that would normally be touched by the sun; the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, the chin, and a touch to the forehead. Do this is natural light and blend like crazy; less is more!

Don't stop there! If you skip blush, bronzer alone can look flat and unnatural. Pop a somewhat bright blush (maybe a blue based orchidy pink or a clear coral) on the very apple of the cheek-just a touch. Brightens up your whole face. You can even add a luminizer (I love High Beam by Benefit) to the tops of your cheekbones. I promise your girlfriends will be thinking you've been naughty with that kinda glow going on.

All products available at Sephora.

battling undereye circles

I put a shoutout on our facebook fan page asking for blog topic suggestions and had three people beg for advice with dark circles.

(Joan, Melissa, and Julie; this one's for you!)

I am a longtime insomniac, so this is a topic I know a little about. As you can see, no one is immune to this issue, even Courtenay Cox. (Sorry to do that to ya girl, but you were my first match in the google search)

-First off, sleep of course is a factor. Your skin around your eyes is so delicate that lack of sleep, illness, vitamin deficiency, and dehydration show up here first.

But there are people who heredity has "blessed" with chronic darkness under the eye. My daughter, for example, had had blue circles since she was a baby. And no, I don't put concealer on her. Yet.

-Be sure you are properly hydrating your eyes. So many people are lax about eye cream. I myself am guilty of this but I will say that when I am super vigilant about applying it morning and night I see a gigantic difference. People start asking what I am doing, why I look so "rested". So yes, it does make a difference.

I love mass market brands and I love luxury brands.

Anything from Olay to La Prairie. The main thing is just to DO IT.

-Here is the third thing-using the correct shade is perhaps the biggest hurdle!

Most people choose something too pink-why they even make concelaer in pink undertones, I shall never understand. The trick is to counteract the shade of discoloration. Most people have a blueness to their undereyes that can only be corrected with orange or salmon shades. These are not easy to find!

I recently began using Eve Pearl's concealers (pictured above) and the difference is pretty unbelievable. Rather than "masking" the circle, it cancels it out, in a much more natural way. Now it is not cheap at $35-42, but if you are someone who is sometimes mistaken as a domestic violence case, it is well worth it. Please use a brush; it truly does make a difference because too much concealer is just as bad as not enough. Conceal only the area that is dark; resist the urge to do an entire half moon under the eye. Just as cortenay above has that line of ble extending from her tear duct, that is pretty typical for most of us. Stipple on directly over the darkness, carrying into the inner corner. Blend!

Here is the extra secret weapon; the setting powder.

Laura Mercier's Secret brightening powder seems like an uneccessary indulgence, but once you try you will wonder where it's been all your life. That teensy bit of iridescence bounces away shadows and gives you a very youthful look. Apply very sparingly-again, with a brush. You will be amazed.

other tricks-

-using a subtle shimmer at the inner corners of the eyes

-using an extremely pale, sheer light blue shadow (almost invisible)on the ball of your lid

-skipping mascara on the bottom lashes (I do generally love mascara on the bottom but if you are looking extra ragged, skip it. It creates shadow and drags you down if you already look tired)

Golden Globes 2010/teal rimmed eye

Marion Cotillard had this teal asymmetrical getup; (love the color; not sure about the style) and I loved how her makeup echoed the shade. Normally I do not feel you need to "match" your eye shadow to your outfit, but in the case, her makeup artist nailed it. I could just as easily see this much color to the eye on a bride though; I love when a bride adds that pop to that white or ivory gown.

The eyebrow is perfection, first of all.

Use Tarte brow kit in medium-it has a teeny brow gel, an itsy pencil, a powder, and a wax. It's like having a makeup kit for your Barbie doll, but it is very handy. (Except the tweezers. They're useless.)

The foundation is fairly matte (think Mercier oil-free) and the cheek fairly neutral. Mercier's "wild bouquet" is a must-have staple for nearly anyone. Use a highlighting liquid such as Benefit high beam on the browbones, tops of cheekbones, and inner corner of the eye. It really reflects the light but doesn't look glittery.

The eye is completely rimmed in black again, all the way to inner corner and inside the waterline. Use Smashbox jetset in black; it is very waterproof. smudge outward (gotta work fast; jetset has very little play time) with the teal from Nars "misfit" duo. You can use the second shade all over. Lots of black mascara and individual lashes complete the drama of the look.

On the lip, use MAC "spice" and MAC "bare necessity" dazzleglass.

Golden Globes 2010/understated eyes

Many people commented on the somewhat stoic tone of this year's Globes; perhaps people were afraid to appear too exuberant with what is happening in Haiti.

But as a makeup junkie, I noticed a trend toward lighter eyes, less reliance on smoked out blacks and charcoals, and more light shimmers and neutrals. I personally felt that Drew's incredible gown deserved a lot more drama-the hair seemed pretty unimaginative, the brows looked unkempt; she needed either a strong eye or a strong lip and she looked too "safe" for me.

Jennifer Aniston is just always spot on with her easy, sun-kissed look. Heidi was much more tame than usual with her makeup but I really liked the fresher, younger look it gave her.

Juliana went with bronzy neutrals and a super contoured brow; flwless with her show-stopper of a gown.

Lastly, Kate went with sparkly white on her eyes and a beigy lip. I would have wanted some kind of statement in there, because her hair was quite mature and staid with such a architechtural, modern dress. But strangely enough, I wasn't consulted...

Golden Globes 2010

Chanelling Julia:

I thought she was absolutely perfect this time out-the sexy "hippie" waves, the big heavy jewels, the more casual dress.

A very hot momma.

Here's my take on Julia's look:

Laura Mercier oil free foundation

Nars blush in "orgasm"

Laura Mercier "bare lips" lipstick

Nenefit "skinny jeans" cream shadow on entire lid

Laura Mercier black caviar smuged into lashline

Laura Mercier "pearl" on browbone, "cashmere" in crease

Mac brow pencil in "lingering"

By the way, I am probably not too far off on these guesses; Julia's personal makeup artist, Genevieve, worked for Laura for years and still is very loyal to her products (like moi!)

Golden Globes 2010/Red Lips

You know I love a big red lip and none of these ladies were shy about the shades they chose. But which ones were a win, and why?

I would have preferred a somewhat rosier red on Meryl, this particular shade washed her complexion out, as far as I was concerned. It could also have to do with the fact that she is wearing black; not her most flattering color. But I love the minimal makeup elsewhere on her face; very Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

Christina Hendricks' makeup was perfectly balanced; the flushed cheeks complimented her orangey-red lip perfectly, and the drama to the eye was just enough without pulling focus from the lip.

On January Jones,I like the shade, but her eyes look a little squinty here-I think maybe a lighter shade on her lid would have created a more open look. And while I adore her pale skin, she could have benefited from a teensy bit of very light bronzer and a peachy blush.Love the new fuller brow on her!

Cameron looks very unpolished to me; that dress is so smokin' hot, but from the neck up, she looks a bit like she just rolled out of bed and tossed on red lipstick in the limo. I know that's kinds her thing but As she gets a bit older I would love to see a little less of a messy look. The lip color needs to be a bit warmer; it is too blue for her and for the dress. The overly bronzy look to her skin clashes with the vibrancy of the lip.

What did you guys think?

Golden Globes 2010; Sandra Bullock

Hands down, my favorite makeup look of the night!

(Honestly she looked prettier on my HD tv last night than she does in the accompanying pic, but anyway...)

Here is how I would achieve Sandra's glowing skin and defined eye:

Use Laura Mercier's illuminating tinted moisturizer all over. If you need additional coverage, spot apply Laura Mercier's moisturizing foundation and/or secret camouflage)

Use Tarte's stick blush in "blushing bride" on the cheekbones. (Apply translucent powder ONLY on the nose, chin and forhead, and only if you tend towards excessive shine)

Lightly define brows with MAC lingering pencil and sweep into place with MAC's brow set.

Rim entire eye with Smashbox jet set in black, giving a slight cat eye effect. Smudge the liner slightly upwards at the outer corner with Laura Mercier "Chambord" shadow. Use a light shimmery cream shadow all over the eye, such as Benefit "tattletale"; carry this into the inner corner of the eye. Continue to bulid the Chambord, alternating with Laura Mercier Primrose, for a soft but smoky halo effect. (The definition is mainly at the lash line and fading out towards the crease.) apply short and medium individual lash clusters for more pop and open-ness to the eye.

The lips are very soft; try Laura Mercier Chestnut pencil along with Mercier "opal" glace.

Cincinnati makeup/Kristen, by Mollie

Hair by Sam Hills

photography by Todd Pellowe