• ABH shadows in: Red Earth, Bengal, Fresh Peach, Smoke
• Coastal Scents: Light Tangerine and Dark Mango (lower lash line under Red Earth)
• ABH Prussian Blue is in the center but what really makes it teal and bright is Sugar Pill Lumi pigment. Lumi is on it's own in the inner corner.
• Lena Lashes Bianca lashes

• Urban Decay Vice 4 palette: Bitter, Delete, 1985, and Fast-Ball. Flame (lower lash line)
• Makeup For Ever Star Powder in 944 (center)
• House of Lashes Smokey Muse lashes

• ABH Shadows: Party Dress, Henna (titanium finish orange, basically a foiled orange.), Smoke, and Noir. Bengal is in the crease I'm sure but I don't have it listed.
• Violet Voss Lashes in Dolls Just Wanna Have Fun

• Don't use glitter unless you have an adhesive, if you want a sparkly look then choose eyeshadow that has sparkle in it. I recommend Colour Pop Super Shock pressed pigment shadows completely for this. No fallout whatsoever. If you're pressed for time and can't order then Loreal Pressed Pigments are great. Also apply your eyeshadow first before foundation that way if you have fall out then the foundation will take care of it and also clean up any mistakes.
• Use brushes and not sponges. Applying pigment or pops of color with your finger is fine and works well but for blending you definitely need brushes. Coastal Scents( Link is on this site ) has some good options, or ECO Tools has little sets you can buy and actually Walgreen and Walmart both have good options with brushes now. 
• Use shadows that blend. Makeup Geek and Anastasia is my favorite but if you don't have the time or money then Wet n Wild palettes are so great. Very very good pigmentation and blendable.
• Avoid black shadow unless you are comfortable with using it. If you need definition in the outer V area or lid then use a dark brown or dark violet. It's best if they are matte. (Meaning no shimmer, glitter, or sheen to the shadow at all just flat color) Start with a small amount and build from there going back and forth using one brush to apply and one blush to blend the crease.
• If you want to do color but aren't sure how to execute it my advice is do pops of color in the center of the lid (like a halo) and surround that color with something more neutral. Like coral pops of color looks good with dark violet around it. Purples looks great with browns, violets and corals etc.
• If you aren't sure about glitter but still want something shiny or foiled then go for foiled type shadows. Like Amber Rush from Loreal or Makeup Geek Foiled shadows and Anastastia Titanium shadows. Theses are applied best with your finger. Or even a cheek highlighter.
• To give a more intense look try wetting your brush with contact solution (saline) or a setting spray. Not soaking wet just damp so it will show more vibrant. Also damp brushes are the best way to use loose pigments.
• If you get mascara on your lid don't mess with it cause it will smudge and get worse, let it dry and then take a brush and it will brush right off. 
• Try to use foundations and primers without spf
• Try to use foundations that have a matte finish that way if you're oily it obviously helps but even if you're not you can add highlights to your cheeks or use a blush with a sheen and you'll look very healthy. I like Makeup Forever Mat Velvet, a drug store alternative is Revlon Colorstay for Oily to Combination skin and Maybelline Matte and Poreless.
• Use a face primer. You can use anything from Benefit to Laura Mercier, or Neutrogena has a shine control primer out that is supposed to be really good.
• If you want to use lashes then try Ardell Wispies or if you aren't comfortable with that then try half strip lashes that only go on the outer half of the lid. It's subtle but definitely helps.
• Don't use eyeliner in the water line because it seeps to the corners and isn't cute.
• Winged Liner is a great timeless look if you can do that but if not smudged liner can make a beautiful smokey eye.
• Fill your brows in. You don't have to sculpt but fill in the sparse areas or "gaps". Tweeze the sparse hairs if you have any. You don't have to re shape them but tweeze the really unruly ones.
• Don't use shimmer on the brow bone but try a subtle shimmer on the inner corner or the eye. Subtle not intense.
• Use blush that is a healthy look. Nothing crazy bright. Depending on skin tone choose a blush that is noticeable and not pale nor crazy bright in person because pictures really wash out color.
• If you've never contoured, DON'T! Use a bronzer that's more cool toned and matte. Use a fluffy brush and dust it over your cheeks, neck, forehead, and collar bone. I like MAC Careblend Pressed Powder in Dark or Rimmel bronzer in Sun Love which is shade #2.
• Pick a lipstick that isn't too pale or too dark. A good mauve, neutral pink, or a softer coral are good options. Unless you want to be completely timeless you can always do lashes and red lips/burgundy lips or winged liner and those lip options. Pale lipsticks don't define or show up in pictures. Too dark of a lipstick with a lot going on on the lids can be overwhelming and clownish. I recommend: ABH Lovely liquid lipstick, MAC Faux lipstick, Loreal gloss stains, Colour Pop Brink or Fetch. Take it with you so that you can touch it up. 
• Set your makeup with a setting spray if possible, if you don't have one then set your makeup with powder using a buffing brush and technique which makes the makeup look more airbrushed. As far as sprays go I like UD All Nighter Spray, DE Slick (if you're oily), and Ben Nye Final Seal. The Ben Nye is not expensive I think it's like $6 or something. Loreal has put one out too but I've not tried it so I'm not sure how it works.
• Last but not least. Do a test run. A week, or even a day before. Try it and see what looks the best and what WEARS the best and lasts the longest. That's the best advice.

Prom season is upon us and instead of doing a bunch of looks for prom I figured I'd go through some I've already done. Which then led me to group them into categories of what color you might be wearing to prom. First off, I never feel like your eyeshadow has to match your outfit but if you're more comfortable doing that or prefer it that way then this post is for you. You can add or take away to tweak this to your liking as well. It's just makeup, it washes right off.

First up is blue and green dresses. These 4 looks I chose would look great with a blue or green dress no matter the intensity of the color whether it's dark or pale i believe one of these may work for you.

A popular color around prom is purple. So I chose these to go with your purple dress. The last would could also work for a green dress too. Do be afraid to add a pop of color or glitter to the eye in a color that your not wearing. It can be very eye catching and flattering at times.

Next we have your Reds, Pale Pink, Hot Pink, and Burgundys. You know how much I love cranberry and burgundy shades so there was a ton of looks for that. Pink on the other hand can be intimidating but I find that most of the time it can be very flattering and pretty.

Moving onto orange and coral tones. Which I don't remember seeing a lot of at my prom, and I don't know why cause it can be so pretty. I realized I actually use a lot of orange and coral shadows. They're very flattering I think. The last two pictures would go well with a purple dress too. Also, rose gold shadows and glitters look amazing with these looks if you want to add a little more sparkle.

This last set is for those timeless dresses like gold, black, white, silver and so on. It's also completely neutral incase what you're looking for is glamorous but neutral. Which when in doubt is what I would do. I'd do false lashes and a neutral eye with a mauve lip and call it a day. If it were me that is. You do whatever you're comfortable with. These looks are all on my Instagram with details of what specific shadows I used. My IG is @lovemascara so go follow me and if you're going to prom BE SAFE and have a fun time!

Greetings everyone! Since we're getting into warmer months, it's the season for proms and weddings. Now, my wedding was a fall wedding in October but my best friend's was in June that same year and most weddings are typically in the warmer months. As a matter of fact I have once coming up at the end of this month actually. So I wanted to go over some things that I've found were necessary and helpful for special things. So lets get into it:

• Drink lots of water. Water makes your skin more plump and clears up imperfections
• Moisturize. I don't care if you have oily skin you still need to moisturize daily. It helps with aging and actually levels out oil in the skin and can help your oily issues.Just find one that works for you
• Sunscreen. Wear sunscreen everyday for aging benefits but on the big day of your occasion you'll probably want to use something that doesn't have sunscreen in it for that event. Sunscreen can cause flash back, which is that white cast on you skin when the camera flashes.
• Whiten your teeth. Whitening Lightning has teeth whitening pens for actual teeth and even for vaneers. They run sales all the time and you'll need to start about 2 weeks before you're event cause that's how long it takes to get maximum benefits from them. They also have Dial A Smile kits that have whitening gel and LED lights with other things as well.
• Stick with subtle colors. Prom is a little easier to do color because dresses are usually colorful and bright even so you can do glitter and fun stuff. I always feel it's better safe than sorry though especially if you're doing things on your own. So stick with neutrals or soft colors. Plum and cranberry/burgundy are great colors to use if you want a color but not sure what to use. 
• Use a setting spray. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I like Ben Nye Final Seal and Urban Decay All Nighter Spray. Setting sprays set the makeup so it's less likely to move or break up during your even. MAC Fix + is really popular and smells great but I don't like it to hold my makeup in place I actually prefer it before makeup to prep the skin because it's rich with vitamins and hydrates the skin really well too.
• Use a primer. There are tons of primers that you can use to fit your needs, Makeup Forever just released a whole line of primers that do everything from smooth, hydrate, illuminate all the way to color correcting. There are calming primers, pore minimizing, so on and so forth. What you need it for is to hold on to your makeup. So I recommend Benefit 15 hour Primer. It's like a gigantic glue stick. It's more like a balm but I use it for every client that I work on. I used it in my own wedding and it did a great job. If you're incredibly oily I might would use a mattifying primer either by itself or under a stronger primer like the Benefit one I mentioned.
• Use an eye lid primer. This keeps your eye shadow from creasing and helps it go on evenly as well. It also keeps the eye shadow more vibrant through out the day. I really like Too Faced Shadow Insurance and NARS Pro Prime those are my favorite and I feel they hold up better than other. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer can also be used as a primer and it covers the veins and discoloration on the eyelid too so you have a clean canvas to work on so to speak.
• Use your perfect shade of foundation. This is obvious but the reason I want to stress it is because there's nothing wrong with mixing two foundations to get your perfect color. Blend all the way down under the jawline and onto the neck. Not adding extra product just blending what you have left down to make it even. Work with a small amount and build from there because you'd be surprised how little it can actually take to get the coverage you need and using to much makes you look a little cakey. Also try to use a foundation without spf if you can to avoid flash back. I really like NARS All Day Luminous Foundation if you aren't super oily, Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation if you are oily, and Makeup Forever Mat Velvet + if you're combination. If you feel like your foundation is too thick you can add a drop of Almond Oil or Jojoba Oil to one pumps and it thins it out without losing its coverage. True story.
• If you want to contour I recommend powder contouring instead of cream contouring because cream contouring has to be set with powder contour and it makes the makeup really heavy. So if possible powder contour.
• Use subtle highlighter but definitely use some on the cheek bones unless you have a lot of texture issues.Highlighter mimics sunkissed skin and gives you a "healthy" look so I always use it. I again prefer powder over cream so I recommend Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light, Becca Opal highlighter used lightly, and Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01. Those are my favorite and the most universal in my opinion.
• Do not use an over powering blush you want to look healthy and not like you have pink cheeks. Makeup Geek Spell Bound is a fantastic neutral pale pink if you're fair to light. Becca Songbird has a healthy sheen to it and is a darker coral that is stunning on tan skin. The NARS Dual Intensity bush in Fervor is lovely for light or dark skin because it can be used dry for a subtle effect or wet for a more luminous and darker look.
• Go for lip color instead of nude lips. When I say nude lips I mean like Kim K nude. MAC Myth and Creme d Nude colors. If you want to be more nude than go for something that is your lip color but better or maybe a shade darker or lighter. They always say the perfect nude color for you is the color of the inside of your bottom lip. Also you'll want a lipstick that won't wear off so I prefer liquid lipsticks. I love Lovely from Anastasia Beverly Hills is a neutral pink that suits almost all skin tones, I love Bellisima from Stila is a pale peachy pink nude great for fair to light skin, and I love Vamp from Anastasia as well for darker skin tones. If you want something a bit darker but still neutral then mixing Vamp and Lovely makes a beautiful muted burgundy that's not incredibly dark. Also Color Pop Brink which isn't a liquid lipstick is a beautiful everyday slightly more mauve color. I also use MAC Faux lipstick and YSL Ultimate Beige #3 on my clients as well.
• Bring oil absorbing sheets with you especially if it's going to be hot or if you're prone to oily skin.
• Always fill in your brows, you don't have to sculpt them if you don't want but fill in any gaps because the brows frame the face. If you're getting them waxed or tweezed do so a few days before your event so any redness has time to go away.
• Use waterproof mascara my favorite is Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black.
• If you want to wear lashes wear more natural ones that won't be too heavy or irritate your eye. I prefer shorter band lengths as well. My favorites are Red Cherry 213, Kiss Lashes in Chic, and Luxy Lash in Woke Up Like This or Hollyhood. Also I prefer to use DUO waterproof lash glue.