Randomosity: TJMaxx Treasure

If I'm ever in search of a good deal on clothes or housewares, I can  usually count on one of these three  Ross, Marshalls and TJMaxx.  But never did I think one of them would be a great place to find make-up.

I was surely wrong.

A couple weeks back I took a trip to TJMaxx and found this little gem.

 I'm holding it upside down. My lighting makes the far two right one look similar but 

they're so different. One has a gold undertone, while the other has a purple undertone.

It's a NARS eyeshadow palette. Regularly it's priced at $50.00 but I only paid $29.99 (excluding tax)

Truly a Steal!

So for my monies (lol) I'm getting six shadows for about $5 each, which is a steal when it comes to NARS.
It was hidden amonst a bunch of riff-raff. But I was persistent in my search. The colors are amazingly pigmented and beautiful.

So, along with CVS and Walgreens, TJMaxx might have made it to my weekly visit hit list.

And I also cam across some CHI hair products, along with other high-end hair products. So that might save me a couple bucks when I need to restock on my CHI Keratin Mist or ever decide to try their Silk Infusion.

Happy hunting!

XOXO & Many Blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. Follow me on Twitter @KissyFaceMUA. You'll get a chance to know more about me and my ramblings on make-up and more.

P.S.S. And my face isn't the only place where I like to add color. This morning I painted an accent wall in my bedroom Kingfisher Teal and updated my bed with a new bed set and a suede-ish headboard. I'm in love. :-)

Randomosity: Schools Out!

As of this past Friday, I've finished my last fall semester at UF. The semester had really been trying but with God I pulled through.

And with this much needed break, I've been opportuned to dedicate some much needed energy to KF and my beloved blog.

For the next few weeks I'll be working on finally getting my business cards out, a few gigs and some much needed updates. I've made some recent discoveries and made a few essential purchases for my kit (and myself. lol) that I'd like to share. So be on the look out for an onslaught of posts. lol

More to come. :-)

XOXO & Many Blessings,
B. Pierre

Clientele Highlight: Ruche Hour

On Friday I was in Orlando doing make at UCF Faces Modeling Troupe Ruche Hour event. I was set do makeup for one designer which included four girls but ended up doing  only got to do three of them because of time and I did another young lady that walked in one of the last scenes. She was  apart of the FACES family from USF. She's so sweet. I only got to take pictures of three of the girls that I did though.

I did a smokey eye on her using Cinderfella from the Style Black collection. 

I might have to go back and pick up Guilded by Association. 

 

I used golds, pinks and a raspberry group of eyeshadows. Either I need a new

camera or need to really learn the settings on the one I

own right now :-/ It looked really darling in person.

 

 

I used a combination of Young Punk by M.A.C.,  Fishnet and Ransom from 

my Urban Decay shadow palette. Sorry for the undone brows. 

I was pressed for time. But I loved how this purple smokey turned out. 

The camera didn't capture the glitter as well as I wanted it too.

All, in all it was amazing experience. When I first got there I saw other make-up artists from Paul Mitchell and I must admit it really made me nervous because i never went to school. And that really took a toll on my confidence. But after a while, my nerves eased up, my confidence came back and I was bangin' out the faces of the lovely young ladies. :-)

And as always, with each experience new knowledge is gained.

LESSONS LEARNED
1. Have Confidence
When I did my first girl (she's not pictured) I was just a ball of nerves.  I was constantly second guessing myself and what I was choosing to do with her. I knew what I was capable of but with each girl my nerves eased up and I was able to work and really create some awesome looks.
2. Write Down What I Use.
Sometimes I don't know what look I'm going to do and I create them spur of them and I instantly fall in love with them ::pat on the back::  I'm thinking that will be important to write it down for future reference just in case I may want to recreate it or change it up for future work oppportunities.
3.  I Need a BIGGER Traincase
The one that i bought from Yazmo is entirely too small. Yes, it is awesome and really sturdy but plain and simply said, carrying extra tools and neccessities in a ziplock bag in my Barneny bag is not going to cut it. I'll probably use that for small shoots or shoots where I'm specifically packing the items that I know I need.
4. Organization is Key
My old roommate helped me pack my make-up kit appropriately and I thank her for that. I'm looking to invest in a set of drawers from the container store so I can house all my make-up necessities. That way when I have to pack up my items they're all in one location instead of all over my room. Remember I still am I college student. But I also need to aknowledge that it's not an excuse for poor organization on my part. Precious moments I waste looking for sponges, or brushes or whatever it may be could be better utilized on something more productive.

And I had to get a shot of me too. Lol. I felt so important when I had a seat reserved for me... Ah, the little details. :-)

I just had to rock the necklace!

Till next post!

XOXO & many blessings,

B. Pierre

Portfolio Building: KissyFace Artistry Teaser Pic

Just a quick post from a recent photo shoot.
Nov. 13 marked the first official day of working towards creating an active  portfolio. I'll forever remember that night. :-)

I must say, that I'm in love with this pic.

Special thanks to Edson Andre Photography  and the model. Just seeing this pic inspires me to keep going with my endeavors. I have it posted as my laptop's wallpaper. lol

Till next time!

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. Next post will be a few things learned from this shoot. Each makeup endeavor is another lesson learned.

P.S.S. And the items from my last purchases have become everyday staples.  Drugstore brands are not ones to be skipped. :-)

Randomosity: Walgreens-In My Stash

As promised, I'm sharing the goodies I got from Walgreens last night.

I'm really hooked on lips at the moment so those were the things I was drawn to while browsing the make-up aisle. For the most part, I've always been a clear and/or pinky lip gloss kind of girl. So, in a desire to expand my skill set and have fun with some lip color, I was really interested in the lipsticks and the highly pigmented lipglosses.

So on with the stash!

From L'oreal, I picked up two lipglosses and and two lipsticks. The lipsticks I chose were more fall-color oriented and somewhat safer colors. As for the lipglosses I went for highly pigmented options.

For the lipsticks, I chose:

and Mulberry ( I forgot to take a pic of the name. :-/)

Here's a quick swatch of them.

It may have been a better idea to do them on my lips. There's always next time. As you can see, Milla's Plum has a more pink nature, while Mulberry leans to more of a purple hue.

As for the lipglosses, I picked up two of Loreal's Infallible lipglosses in:

 

(Undeniable Mauve)

and

(Barely Nude)

I wore Undeniable Mauve today. Got some compliments on it too.

 And it really lived up to its infallible name. If I hadn't eatten, I knew it would last as long it said it would, which highly impressed me. I'll give a more in-depth review later.

Even though it wasn't on sale, I picked up a clear lip liner. This is so ingenious!

As you can see, it's not exactly clear but I'll see how it works. I'm just excited to not have to match up lipliners with lipsticks and what not.

And for the eyes, I picked up two Maybelline Stiletto Lash mascara's.

I wore it today and it simply was amazing! After I applied my eyeshadow, I loved the length it gave to my lashes. And with the trick I learned from a recent MAC class, they curled up pretty nicely too.

I'm pretty satisfied with my purchases. I may be a Wal-mart girl, but they sure don't have deals such as these. I may make it a habit to check out CVS and Walgreens on a weekly basis and share my finds. Who knows.

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. Tonight I made a stop at CVS. They had a BUY 1, get 1 FREE deal on Revlon eye and lip products. And....... I bought more lipsticks..... :-/ Maybe, I'll post on it later. lol

Randomosity: Walgreens Sale

Image via Wikipedia

I stopped into Walgreens tonight just doing some make-up browsing and I came across a great sale that I had to share.

ALL L'oreal lip products are BUY 1, get 1 FREE!
 and

ALL Maybelline eye products are also BUY 1, get 1 FREE!

Great sale, indeed!

I'll be sure to share what I purchased tommorow.

XOXO & many blessings,

B. Pierre

P.S. I noticed more followers. Thanks for the support. Hope you enjoy what I have to share!

Clientele Highlight: Pageant Pretty II

The pics from Friday's Hispanic Heritage Month Pageant came sooner than I expected.

All the contestants in their gorgeous gowns

So, as promised here are some pics of the women I got to work with on Friday. I tried to choose some photos that really captured their face best.

 Hope you like. :-)

showin some dance moves

singing her heart out

the excessive blush was on purpose ;-)

modeling their lovely ensembles and she looked amazing.

I loved her gown...

smiling bright....

just one more flick... lol 

Also, I forgot to mention my other life saver for the night from a previous post, which was the Notoriety quad from the Make-up Art Collection.

the colors are a little washed out

The colors worked beautifully on each of their varying skintones.
I'll definitely keep it in my "simple and go-to" stash.

Oh, and thanks so much to Rakesh Behara for snapping the photo's. His contact info are on the pics.

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

KissyFace Randomosity: Blinged Out Beauty!

While shopping for cami's at Forever 21 yesterday this caught my eye.


Isn't it adorable?!?!? I didn't expect to find a pair of rhinestone-encrusted lips!

I just had to have it! And for only $5.80 i sure did.

Typically, I'm not one for bling but at first sight it screamed KissyFace Artistry.

Can you say blurry?!?! lol  

It's even giving me ideas for a photoshoot. Hmmmmm...... I need to contact my photographer friend and see what I can make happen....... :-)

Happy Tuesday!

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

Clientele Highlight: Pageant Pretty

Yay for the clientele highlights :-)

I haven't been able to post one of these in a while. And I'm all the more thankful I get to today. Any opportunity for work is a blessing... :-)

I mentioned Thursday about the pageant I was doing Friday. All in all, it went A-Ma-Zing! From the hours of 2 p.m. - 9 p.m. I got to do about eight girls in total. Six of them contestants, one host and the pageant director.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get any pictures because I was working straight through the whole time and during the show when girls wanted subtle changes for their looks. But there was a photographer on hand who was able to snap some pictures of the show. And as soon as I get my hands on them, I'll be sure to post, with his permission, of course.

But more importantly I learned a lot of things from this experience that'll carry onto other appointments, shows and make-up opportunities.

So here goes:

LESSONS LEARNED
1. Always have make-up remover on hand
-It sounds like a no-brainer, but that night it completely slipped my mind. And that's something I'll never forget. Gotta have it!
2. Have a game plan
-I was a little flustered at first so to calm my nerves I'm creating, what I'll call my "facial checklist" just to make sure I'm doing things orderly and timely. I found myself skipping certain skincare prep steps by mistake. Not cool :-/
3. Have back-ups of essential brushes
-Like my Sonia Kashuk blending brush and my duo-fibre brush. Love em!
4. Sponges make foundation streaky!
- For doing a lot of faces they are the go-to measure for applying foundation. Thankfully I had my duo-fibre brush to smooth things out
5. Carry baby powder.
-The girls were asking for it a lot.
6. Learn some basic make-up skills for men.
-Even though I was there to do make-up on the female contestants, the males wanted a little enhancement as well, which frankly I don't know about. I only know to blot excess oil off of their skin. That's about it
7. Purchase a metal spatula/scooper thingy
I bought a bag of disposal ones but after a while of constant repurchasing it'll be more cost effective to get the real deal
8. Get a stainless steel plate to mix all make-up concoctions
Sure the tip to use CD's are fine but I gotta be a bit more professional so this one should be making into my mailbox pretty soon. They're pretty inexpensive. I've seen them for about $8
9. Find an online resource for disposable necessities.
Working with so many girls, I go through a lot of disposable mascara wands, lip brushes and etc so I need to look into finding places that offer them in bulk at a great deal.


And my lifesaver of the day?

My RCMA palette!

It was worth every penny. Mixing a few colors here and there created the perfect foundation for these lovely ladies.

Overall I loved the experience and would love to work with them again.

And shout out to TJ for giving me a chance! ;-)

I truly appreciate you all for reading!

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

Skill Building: Class is in Session!

Yep.

I did it again.

I went ghost.

But skip the reasonings cuz I don't want to bore you with the details.

So, without further adieu, a post. :-)

This past weekend having a Saturday off, which I haven't had in a long while, I was invited to attend a local M.A.C. class on fall trends.

a few of the things we got to play with

And the instructor?

An artist who's had the pleasure of working with....

::drumroll, please::

Kim Kardashian

::gasp::

Lol. But seriously she was so down to earth and I must say I picked up a few tricks and scribbled down lots of notes.

See?

I love the notepad that they gave us. Really cute!

And of course, I couldn't just go to the class. I had to make a few purchases.

Welcome to what I like to call my Style Black Triplets.

sorry for the blurry image but you get the point. :-)

Yes, they are gorgeous. You've all seen the YouTube videos, countless swatches and rave reviews.

They'll make an awesome addition to my kit for smokey eyes. I can't wait to play in them.

That's it. ::crickets:: lol

Have a safe weekend!

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. I'm doing make-up at my school's Hispanic Student Association Pageant, which is part of it's month long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at UF. So of course expect a post featuring the lovely ladies.

A Little History on My Dear KissyFace Artistry

I planned on doing this post just to share a little bit of background on what KissyFace Artistry is and how it came to be but it's going to be more than that.

One of my old girlfriends gave me a call this afternoon and after catching up for a little bit on what's going on in each others lives the conversation quickly diverted to a comment she made to another mutual friend regarding me.

"I want to be just like her."

"She wants to be just like me?," I thought.

I was a bit shocked. She had been referring to me pursuing KissyFace Artistry.

Quickly, I said,"Don't be like me. Be like you."

Only because of the shame and guilt I felt for not pursuing to make KissyFace all that I wanted it to be as I planned and spoke about. I know she's still a baby and moving too fast isn't the best course of action but with all the talking and so-called planning I'd been doing KissyFace should be miles ahead from where it is now. I may have spoken with too much angst but nevertheless progress isn't where it should be, which bothers me.

With my stats of being only 22, working part-time, going to school full-time and a woman yearning for spiritual growth in God, along with a slew of other interests, I'm being pulled in all kinds of directions but shouldn't let it stop me from pursuing what is to be for me. I can't let these reasons, or what other say are excuses, deter my course of action.

I'm not to sure about others or what others believe in, but I say with complete faith that KissyFace wasn't something thought up on my own but placed in me to be brought to life.

Back in 2007 KissyFace Artistry started off as a passing idea which over the years has grown to it's present reality. It's funny but the idea for my business was before I even knew what a make-up brush was or even dare put one to my face. But that all changed in 2008.

After picking up Iman's book, " The Beauty of Color: The Ultimate Beauty Guide for Skin of Color," I was hooked. School was put on the back burner along with everything else. Never in my life had I delved into something with such zeal and passion. And after taking that year growing in knowledge and in practice, in April 2009 KissyFace Artistry was officially launched.

Never was I so sure about something. It felt so right to me. Couldn't anybody tell me anything about me or my passion and what direction it was headed in.

I say this to share, to maybe give inspiration and to let others know, that each of us are capable of being great people and doing great things. In whatever area that may be in choose to excel and pursue it wholeheartedly. Dare to be bold and attempt what is in your heart. Who knows what the results will be.

I speak about KissyFace Artistry with pride. I have no children so it's like my baby. And I need to treat is as such. Unfortunately, as of late, I've been a bad mother. Hearing my friend praise me for having the courage to start a business today really made me think in my pursuit and actions in making KissyFace Artistry the greatest realization it can be.

On a daily basis new ideas are coming to mind on how to push forward with KissyFace. I just need to take the time to plan it out and take action.

I created this blog to chronicle my daily steps to building KissyFace Artistry. It was put here to hold me accountable for my actions towards this ultimate goal.

I don't want to be just another blog. I want it to mean something. And if I have anything to do with it, it will!!!! [ Gotta speak things into existence. :-)]

Sorry for being long winded but I was just in a sharing mood. :-)

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. No more of my sob stories, starting tomorrow. I promise. lol All things make-up and beauty is in full effect. I'm backlogged on too many posts but I'll get a move on it. Hope you don't mind seeing or reading more from me.

Neglecting No More!

"Excuses are for the weak."

But I'm far from that.

"If you truly love something, you'll devote your attention to its needs."

Yes, that is true. But I've been neglecting KissyFace Artistry for everything else. It's so sad but is no lie.

All I can say is, "no more!" B. Pierre is in full effect with pushing towards making KissyFace Artistry all that it can be. Being in school full-time and work and other reasons are no longer excuses.

Thanks so much to those who are still diligently following. All the plans I had started are still going to happen and more. Don't worry I'll make you and myself proud. ;)

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. Tomorrow's posting is gonna take a walk in the past, just some background on what brought about KissyFace Artistry. From there, it'll be nothing but great details on building my skills, and overall KissyFace Artistry. Hope you enjoy and are as excited as I am! :-)

Handling My Biz: Domain Name

When it comes to business, its important to have appropriate ownership so I registered my name KissyFace Artistry for a Web site. I'm loving the journey so much that I just had to grab it up.

So, without further adieu:: DRUMROLL PLEASE:: I present:

KISSYFACEARTISTRY.COM

lol. It's still links back to my blog but, hey, it's a start.

I purchased the Web site back in June but with the ongoings of this past weekend, it gave me the gusto to actually put it to use.

Doing make-up at this event truly gave me the drive to take the right steps and making KissyFace Artistry as official and legitimate as possible. There's no room for game playing 'round these parts.

So either using kissyfaceartistry.com or with the addition of blogspot you'll still get the necessary tidbits about the growings of KissyFace Artistry.

XOXO and many blessings,

B. Pierre

P.S. Summer term was officially over as of last Friday and business finance has made it's way out of my life. :-) Now only 16 more credits to graduation. :-)

P.S.S. Welcome to the new followers. It's highly appreciated. There's more to witness, experience and see in the future.

Neglecting Nelly

That's what you can call me. For the past two weeks a lot has been going on in my life. Not bad but great time-consuming things. But I just wanted to do a quick little post to say, I'm still here. And I should be back in full-effect by mid next week. I have one more exam to knock out before I'm home free.

Also in the past two weeks I got a car, moved out of my apartment and have had assignments out the yin-yang. ::woo-sah::

Hope everyone has a safe weekend all.

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. Next week I'm heading to Orlando to do make-up for a fashion show. I definitely need to add some stuff to my kit this weekend to be ready in time for the big show on Saturday. :-)

Skill Building: An Introductory Post

Image by sunshinecity via Flickr

Just had to share really quickly an idea that I'm planning on doing on the blog. As an aspiring makeup artist, I feel criticism is what's necessary for me to enhance my craft overall. So to keep myself motivated and practicing on a consistent basis, I'm going to start a Skill Building Series.

This is where once a week I'll focus on executing a look or focus on certain skills of interest. For the next few weeks I'm going to focus exclusively on the face.

But before we get into the make-up, what's most important to have is great skin.

Aside from a balanced diet (still a work in progress), I turn to vitamins, drinking lots of water and skincare products to keep my skin in tip-top shape. My greatest advertisement for my fledgling business is my very own skin so it always has to be in great condition.

So next week I'll be sharing my skin care regime.

I'm looking for open and honest feedback. There won't be any hurt feelings, seriously because I'm really here to learn, so share your thoughts.


XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S I look forward to seeing what you have to say and it's been confirmed, the photoshoot is set for Monday. :-)

Portfolio Building: Manic Monday to Come!

I just made it home from my business finance exam not to long ago. And all I can say is that, it was interesting. lol But enough about academics.

Let's get to the make-up. One thing that I need to make sure to have in my portfolio is variety. My roommate has already confirmed to help out along with a previous client. I'm shooting for Monday as the big day but it's yet to be confirmed.

So here are the two looks that I have in mind for them.

Classic Smokey Eye- it's self-explanatory
Chiseled to Perfection- a look that focuses on contouring the cheekbones and other assets.

And here are some other looks that I"m wanting to do as well.

Green Gem- its a look that I did in this first post. I loved how it looked and would love to see how it would look when done with a professional photographer
Egyptian Goddess- I couldn't think of an appropriate title description but think blue and gold. I It was initially inspired by the make-up did on a friend for her graduation. I wasn't able to snap good pictures though
Natural Beauty- A look that focuses on the no make-up look, just minimizing flaws and keeping things simple
Bold Lips- I really want to do a look where the focus is on the lips. Naturally the go-to color is red but that may change for when I go to create it.
Orange & Purple- It means what it says. Literally the idea for this look came to mind earlier this week and i can't wait to put it on face ( Get it? Instead of putting it on paper? Yes, lame. lol)

Let me know what you think or any suggestions you have in mind for looks that I should create in my future portfolio projects.

But in the mean time I'll be spending my free time planning the looks and elements that I want to include because I create better through trial and error.

Talk to you lovelies tomorrow!

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

Look of the Week: Blue-Eyed Soul

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Micheal Jackson was laid to rest today and I witnessed it all on TV. Even though I'm in the younger age bracket I was still a great fan so I'm dedicating this look of the week to him.

He inspires me to be the best in my craft. I may not reach the greatness he has achieved but I'll sure do my best.

R.I.P. MJ





I usually get inspired by colors, flowers, and other artist's work when creating a look. The look I created below was initially it was inspired by a look that Rihanna wore to the Met Costume Gala back in May.








I made mine more vibrant and used a greater variety of blues.

I really have a bad habit of pursing my lips
when I take pictures. lol

And here are the products used:
FACE
Foundation- Cover Girl Queen Collection: Rich Mink
Finishing Powder: Deep Dark MSF Natural by M.A.C.
CHEEKS
Blush- Be Chic: Coral
EYES
Base- UDPP followed by Wet n'Wild Blue Peniil
Inner Lid- Velvet Blue by NYX
Main Lid- Navy by NYX and Sapphire Sparkle by Covergirl
Outer Corner and Crease- Blue Color from NYX Lake Moss Trio
Highlight- Champagne by Covergirl
Lower Lashline- Indigo Impact by Covergirl
Upper Lashline- Navy by J.A.N.E.
Waterline- Zero by Urban Decay
Lashes- L’oreal Clean Definition Telescopic: Blackest Black
Brows-Wet ‘n Wild Dark Brown Brow Kit
LIPS
Lip Liner- Obsession by Rimmel London
Lipstick- Sellout by Urban Decay
Lipgloss- Sheer pink in a KISS palette

That's it for today! And like I said last week I'm getting a move on my portfolio. Tomorrow I'll be sharing the looks that I'm wishing to create next week Monday at my first photoshoot with an up and coming photographer. So this weekend is going to be really nerve racking. I'm really excited. :-)

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. Follow me on Twitter if you like. I'm a fan of all things social @KissyFaceMUA.

KissyFace Approved: E.L.F. Shader Brush

Yesterday, I mentioned the three eye shadow brushes that I purchased from E.L.F. and they are amazing. I'll definitely be adding more to my kit.

They pick up color really well and only cost $1.

KissyFace Approved? No doubt about it. For such an economical price and great ability to pack on color, there's no reason for it not to.

And after cleaning my brushes. I added them to the brush belt.


Aren't they purrty? :-) lol

It looks a little empty at the moment, which means I definitely need more brushes or is that another excuse to go shopping? lol.

Have a safe weekend and Happy Fourth of July!

XOXO and many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. I've got some great details to share next week so stay tuned. I'm uber excited.

Kit Building 101: Eyes, Lips, Face

This mini-haul took place at the end of May. It took almost two weeks to get to my house, which was a bit long but after having had them for a few weeks they were definitely a purchase well made.

I only purchased three items. And everything was reasonably priced.


It seems someone else was excited about my package too because when it arrived it had some tears before I got to it. All I can say is hmmmmmmm. But ally my items were intact.


All I received were three eyeshadow brushes for myself,


a professional brush set for my roommate's birthday

and a brush belt to house my brushes whenever I'm working on clients.


XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. Tomorrow will be a quick review on the brushes that I purchased for myself .