Look of the Week: Interview Ready

This weekend I had interview for a retail position, so of course I had to get the face appropriately ready. Staying away from the bright colors and dramatic looks, I went back to my tried and true. This was the second eyeshadow purchase I ever when I first got into make-up and I've gone back to it time an time again.Image Source: Jane Cosmetics

Everything was really simple but this time around I opted to try a new concealer for my under eye area. Usually I don't wear anything but, anything to build my skill level is worth attempting.
I got the color latte (dark), which was the darkest color available. It seemed a little to light at first glance but I didn't let it stop me from trying it. I applied it with my ring finger in a light dabbing motion then smoothed it out. I was a bit worried that my foundation wouldn't be able to mask it well enough but i was proven wrong. After applying my foundation on top I noticed that the lightness that I was initially worried about was a bonus. It had brightened up my under eye area really nicely.

Check it out for yourself!

My hair in its infamous wrap.
I always do it after my make-up.

a simple & fresh look

Products Used:
EYES
base-UDPP followed by French Fries Jumbo Pencil by NYX
main lid-Hazelnut by Jane
crease-Brownie Points by Jane
highlight-the forementioned concelear by Maybelline followed by Champagne by Covergirl
eyeliner-Dark Brown by Jane
waterline-Zero by Urban Decay
mascara- Natural Defined Telescopic by L'oreal
brows-Wet 'n Wild Dark Brown Brow Set
FACE
moisturizer- Ponds Dry Skin Cream
primer- Monistat 7 Chafing Relief Powder Gel ( Smashbox Primer dupe)
concealer-Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Concealer in Latte
foundation-Rich Mink by Covergirl Queen Collection
setting powder- Mineralized Skin Finish Natural by M.A.C in Deep Dark
CHEEKS
blush-Taj Mahal by NARS
LIPS
condititioner- good ol' vaseline
lipstick-Sellout by Urban Decay
lipgloss- a no-name clear gloss

And that completes the look.

As for the interview, it went well. I have a second round interview tomorrow. :-)

Well, have a great Memorial Day and enjoy all the cookouts! As for me, I'll use it for ultimate relaxation.

XOXO & many blessings,
B. Pierre

P.S. Quick Question: Is it a good idea to place a watermark over your photos? I just don't want my pics plastered elsewhere without my knowledge or proper attribution.

Kit Building 101: New Sephora's In Town

Living in Gainesville has both its ups and downs. It's truly a college town that caters to the UF population but what it doesn't cater to is the beauty population, i.e. ME! :-). We only have only a M.A.C. counter, a quaint make-up boutique and a costume shop to feed my fix.

But that definitely changed last week. Sephora finally opened a full-fledged store. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the official grand opening but I had the pleasure of visiting and playing around in what they had to offer. And pick up a few items too.

It was so pretty and inviting. The window display
was unique with the mermaids--very aquatic.
I have read that Sephora's are usually unkempt but
being that this was freshly opened.
I had the pleasure of being the first to
swatch some of the colors. It was just so......CLEAN and.....NEWAnd what took my breathe away was the Make Up Forever area. At the former Sephora, located within JcPenny, they didn't have their products available. So I was absolutely delighted to see them there. And proving how green I am, outside of the Web site, this was my first face-to-face encounter with the line. I could have played in the products all day but ultimately decided against it because I did have a long day ahead of me.

Pure delight!

For the time that I was there, I felt like a kid in a candy store. And it was delightful indeed. So, I can proudly say I have a go-to spot when wanting to build my kit with the necessities. Although I'm not opposed to shopping online, nothing beats testing out products and playing in make-up in real time.

And one of the things I swatched was one of the latest Smashbox products.

Smashbox Mother Earth Palette

I was delightfully surprised by the color payoff. The most raved about items are their primers, which I've yet to try. So swatching the shadows and liking them was highly unexpected.

I really loved the blue one.

So I'll definitely be making regular visits. A girl can never experience and try too much, or in my case, purchase too much either. I left with a few items that I'm all too elated about.

I've been looking for an eyeshadow color
like this & there it was ready to be
purchased. It was meant to be!

As for my gel liner, the one I currently own was drying out. I wanted to try a higher quality one to see how much better it is. And its waterproof. Oh, la, la!

And this little lip liner was just something
to try. I'm getting into lips and trying to
perfect certain techniques at the moment.

Sure, I still have to travel to Orlando or Jacksonville for a M.A.C store and other treasures but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Make the best of your Wednesday!

XOXO and many blessings,
B. Pierre

Clientele Highlight: Sk8r Gurl

This past week a friend of mine wanted her make-up done for a photoshoot and of course she reached out to me for her make-up, which I glady did. She wanted a bright look to match the aqua tank she was rockin that day. Below are a few pics from the shoot. I really wanted her eyes to pop in the session and I think it was achieved.

I really think they came out lovely. And my friend Edson Andre was the photographer. Checkout his Web site to see more of his great work at edsonandre.com I've known him for close to five years and his skills with a camera are A-Ma-Zing.

Products used:
Eyeshadow Bases: UDPP, followed by NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

Eyeshadows: Turquoise Tempest and Raisin by CoverGirl
Eyeliner: Black Gel Liner by Jane
Foundation: MAC- I forgot but it's TBU ( To Be Updated)

Powder: MAC Mineralized SkinFinish Natural in Deep Dark
Bronzer: Fiji by Jane
Blush:Ambering Rose by M.A.C.
Lips: a no-name red-tinted gloss from a KISS lipgloss palette

Lessons Learned:

*Be ready for quick changes.
-Since I didn't do a consultation with her, I hadn't had enough time to prepare. But I took it all in stride and I think I handled it really well.

*Have a better understanding of bases.

-Initially, I had her main lid color under a blue base. I wasn't too pleased with it so I changed it to white and it worked perfectly.

*Always ask questions
-I really want the client to be happy with the work. So I'm sure to ask for their opinion and any specific elements they want added or subtracted. Because in they end I want them to be happy with the look I gave them.

*Better options and back-ups are a must.
-My collection is still in the growing stage. So I had to use her own foundation to give her the look. I'm still researching foundation options. Even though I hear great things about M.A.C and MUFE, it's not so pocket-friendly to add a whole set of foundation options to my kit.

But overall, it was a pleasure to work with her. And at the same time have work to add to my portfolio, which I'm still deciding how best to put it together. But I'll be posting on that on a later date.

XOXO & many blessings,

B. Pierre

Look of the Week: Purple Passion

To get in the habit of daily blogging & create a little structure to my blog every Monday I'll be uploading a look of the week, both to showcase some of my looks and to keep track of how my skill level is progressing.


And I thought it'd be appropriate to kick things off with the look in my profile picture.




My face looks better in the second picture because it was taken at the beginning of my night while the first picture was taken at the end.


The look was really simple and easy to create.

Products Used

Face: Moisturizer, followed by M.A.C. MSF in Deep Dark

Bases for the Lid: UDPP, followed by a Purple NYX Jumbo Pencil

Main Lid: Urban Decay-Ransom

Crease: Urban Decay-Zero

Highlight: M.A.C.- Nanogold

Lips: Good ol' PJ (petroleum jelly)

And note to self: STOP taking make-up pics w/ the date stamp. It just ruins the whole effect. lol

Happy Monday all!

XOXO & many blessings,

B. Pierre

Chairs Galore!

Simply said,I need a new make-up chair. What I've been using so far doesn't cut it. My little rinka-dink chair has my back hurting whenever I'm doing make-up with all the bending and awkward angles I find myself configuring to in order to apply my clients make-up. And it's not so comfortable for my clients which is not cool. As its intended purpose as a desk chair its fine. And its use stops there. So now I'm deciding on investing on a make-up chair. I'm trying to find something portable and easy to travel with. Also, as unimportant it maybe, I want something cute.

Ikea- Bar Stool $19.99
Wal-Mart- Set of 2 Bar Stools $70.00
Amazon.com-Set of 2 Bar Stools $142.49

Initially I wanted just to pick up something like the options above for all use whether I'm doing make-up at home or on-location. I'm gravitating to the IKEA option, initially because of price. I can purchase two and still come out cheaper than buying the other sets. Also the higher back that it provides for the comfort of the client gives it a thumbs up in my book.

But below are examples that I'm also looking to purchase later as a permanent in-home option. Financially, I'll make do with collapsible bar stool and then upgrade to purchasing one of the air lift stools.

Bed Bath & Beyond- Air Lift Stool $99.99

Wal-Mart- Air Lift Stool $79.99

Most likely the purchase for the initial bar stool will be made by the end of the month.

Look out for my next post I'll fill you in my woes and joys of graduation weekend. Business really has been picking up and I'm creating a buzz in my circle. So I'm highly optimistic that this summer for KissyFace Artistry will be on the up and up. I even plan to head to over to my local Small Business Development Center Office to make things a bit more official, get some information on being an entrepreneur and to be on the up and up on what my options are. I'll keep you posted on that too.