Finishing out 2017 with this resort inspired bronzed and glossed look!
Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year!
MODEL // Christina Nadin
MAKEUP // Robin Black
Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spice
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb
Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate in Intensity Two
The best shoots are definitely the ones where I get to eat the props afterward… especially when the props are delicious, all natural donuts baked by model/foodie Grace Cheng! When Grace isn’t posing for glossy magazines or major fashion campaigns, she is busy whipping up recipes for her new health food company Mylk Labs. Lucky for us, Grace took time out of her busy schedule to drop by the studio and spread some holiday cheer!
Note: Pair simple, glowing makeup with polished waves or a chic updo and you have an instant holiday party look. Check out Sheridan’s Instagram for more hair inspiration.
Note: Visit the Mylk Labs website for amazing healthy recipes and be sure to order a sample pack of the Oatmeal Cups!
MODEL // Grace Cheng
MAKEUP // Robin Black
HAIR // Sheridan Ward
Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Lipstick in Bitch Perfect
Ardell Lash Accents #318
Chanel Powder Blush in Rose Tourbillion
NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Give It Up
Josephine Lee (that’s Princess Gollum for the Insta crowd) is a brilliant DJ and model who brings her unique personal style to everything she does. I am crazy about Josephine’s black choppy hair and shaved brows… so of course I inexplicably went in a totally different direction. With help from Sheridan Ward and a leftover wig from Halloween, we created a modern version of an Old Hollywood starlet.
Note: This was the first time I used Fenty’s Stunna Lip Paint and it did not disappoint! It’s extremely pigmented, smooth and easy to apply. Marilyn and Marlene would have been thrilled!
Note: I did consider drawing in some skinny arches ah la Carole Lombard but it’s so rare to have shaved brows to play with that I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
MODEL // Josephine Lee
MAKEUP // Robin Black
HAIR // Sheridan Ward
J.One Jelly Pack
Fenty Stunna Lip Paint
Marc Jacobs Glow Glistening Illuminator
Sisley Paris So Intense Eyeliner in Carbon Black
Tom Ford Cheek Color in Savage
Blue is not a color that most folks associate with the winter holidays but this stunning Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder eye shadow is so good that it’s practically seasonless. The weather outside might be snowy but this electric matte blue makes me think of tropical beaches and warm evenings spent in a hammock with the sound of the waves nearby.
Note: When I want a precise edge but am working with powder eyeshadow, I use a business card pressed against the skin as a stencil. It’s easier than trying to clean up the loose powder with a q-tip and more gentle on the skin than tape.
MODEL // Christina Nadin
MAKEUP // Robin Black
Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Eye Matte Duo in Bleu Electrique / Nude
Ardell Demi Wispies Black
Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Matte Bronzer in Saffron Sun
Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Morning Aura Illuminating Creme
Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Lip Gloss in Fired Crystal
Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Eye Ink Mascara
Red lipstick can be dangerous, innocent, provocative, severe, romantic, elegant or just pure sex. It’s the exact shade of red and what you pair it with that gives the most passionate of colors it’s context. The look above has a touch of fairy tale romantic heroine (Grimm, not Disney) but still feels modern thanks to the tousled updo and dramatic groomed brows. This particular red lipstick is Outrage by The Lipstick Lobby. Proceeds from it’s sale benefit the ACLU so you can do good while looking great and isn’t that really what a romantic heroine should be about in this time.
MODEL // Malie
MAKEUP // Robin Black
HAIR // Sheridan Ward
The Lipstick Lobby in Outrage
Tom Ford Cheek Color in Ravish
Sisley Paris Mascara So Intense
Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Chestnut
Tom Ford Fiber Brow Gel in Chestnut
Tis the season for non-stop events that range from office gatherings and family dinners to neighborhood bar hops and late night parties. Luckily the Bobbi Brown Holiday Collection has everything you need to navigate your nightlife with panache. While red lips are classic for the holidays, I wanted to do something a bit different so I created a glamorous party look featuring shimmering amethyst eyes. Simply switching up the lip transforms the look and makes it perfect for a wide variety of this season’s events!
STEP 1 – SKIN
To create Shae’s glowing skin, I began by smoothing out her complexion using the Skin Foundation Stick in Espresso. I blended Pot Rouge in Chocolate Cherry onto the apples of her cheeks to add a subtle flush (I added more in the look with the dramatic lip color for balance), then dusted her face very lightly with Sheer Finish Pressed Powder in Warm Chestnut. As a finishing touch, I applied Highlighting Powder in Moon Glow to the high points of her face, neck and collarbones.
STEP 2 – EYES
Although the eyes look dramatic, this is actually a very simple style to create. I started by blending the deep burgundy shade from the Caviar & Rubies Eye Shadow Palette from Shae’s lashline to just above her crease. I continued it around the outer corners and under her eyes, stopping short of the inner corners. Once I had the shape correct, I applied a coat of the Luxe Eye Shadow Rich Metal in High Octane (a gorgeous deep metallic amethyst) directly on top and blended it over the edges to just under the brow. To create a shimmering ombre effect, I added another layer to the inner half of the eyes. For some extra va va voom, I used Gel Eyeliner in Pitch Black in Shae’s waterline (all the way around the eye) and finished with two coats of Lash Drama Mascara.
STEP 3 – BROWS
With so much excitement happening around the eyes, it’s best to balance with groomed but natural looking brows. I filled in lightly with the Perfectly Defined Long-Wear Brow Pencil and then swept on the Waterproof Brow Shaper to define the hairs.
STEP 4 – LIPS
In the first look, I wanted Shae’s gorgeous natural lip color to shine through so I applied a light coat of Crystal Lip Gloss. This is a great option for parties and events where you will be eating since it’s super easy to touch up!
For the second look, I wanted to bring the drama so I applied several coats of Luxe Lip Color in Your Majesty. For longer lasting color, I paint on the first coat, blot until it’s matte, then paint on a second coat. And while it’s fine to apply directly out of the tube, I prefer to use a brush for super precise lines.
Note: The holiday palettes make such cute gifts, I have already snapped up a few!
MODEL // Shae Butters
HAIR // Sheridan Ward
MAKEUP // Robin Black
Bobbi Brown Caviar Rubies Eye Shadow Palette
Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip in Your Majesty
Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder in Moon Glow
Bobbi Brown Luxe Eye Shadow in High Octane
Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge Chocolate Cherry
Bobbi Brown Crystal Lip Gloss
Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner in Pitch Black
Bobbi Brown Waterproof Brow Shaper
Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder in Warm Chestnut
Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Long-Wear Brow Pencil in Espresso
If you are passionate about makeup or fragrance, then the name Serge Lutens should be familiar to you. Serge is a legendary makeup artist, perfumer, photographer, creative director, designer and all around creative genius. Starting at French Vogue in the early 60’s as a makeup artist, he went on to develop Dior’s makeup line as well as their branding and images. In 1980, he moved to Shiseido where he designed makeup, packaging, and photographed award winning advertisements. While at Shisedo, Serge was commissioned to create two fragrances, Nombre Noir and the iconic Féminité du Bois. He then launched one of the most beautiful boutiques in all of Paris, Les Salons du Palais Royal, as a luxury perfume house for his own scents.
His exclusive makeup line is very much a companion to his fragrances. The formulas are unique, the pigment is incredible and the colors are exquisite. For the above look, I took cues from his precise graphic shapes but softened it up to create “wearable drama”.
Note: To read about Serge Lutens in more detail, click here. Also worth a Google, his amazing makeup books!
Note: Click here to read about my visit to the gorgeous Palais Royal boutique with lovely illustrations by Regina Yazdi, part of our beauty shopping in Paris guide!
MODEL // Malie
MAKEUP // Robin Black
HAIR // Sheridan Ward
Serge Lutens Eye Shadow 5
Serge Lutens Lip Color 3
Serge Lutens Mascara Cils Cellophane
One of my favorite about the Fall/Winter season is all the gorgeous color collections that arrive at the studio and of course, the lovely models that spend their afternoons testing them with me!
This was my first time working with Christina Nadin but she may have the best skin I have ever seen, it looks retouched in real life! Christina’s coloring makes her a perfect canvas for a wide variety of colors but first up, the Chanel Libre Limited Edition Collection. The heart of the collection is four red lipsticks, each in a completely irresistible red-lacquered click case! The covetable packaging inspired me to create a red lacquered lip but to keep it feeling modern, I added a smudge of red lip liner around her eyes and two coats of the Le Volume de Chanel Mascara in Character (a desaturated plummy red shade, rather difficult to describe).
MODEL // Christina Nadin
MAKEUP // Robin Black
Chanel Rouge Allure in No 4
Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Romance
Le Volume De Chanel Mascara in Character
Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Rouge Profond
It’s almost that time… the un-official holiday of makeup artists everywhere, Halloween! To create this year’s look, I teamed up with brilliant hairstylist Sheridan Ward and super talented fashion designer Oscar Olima. We were inspired by the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. Elsa Lanchester’s “bride” is an iconic look and we wanted to pay tribute to that. Of course, we couldn’t resist adding a few of our own touches – I kept the classic angled brows but changed up the eyes and lip shape. Sheridan gave the updo a more editorial vibe and added an extra stripe of white to the front. Oscar created the dress and satin ribbon gloves based on the original shapes but added a lovely panel and a more modern drape.
Note: Bride of Frankenstein was actually a sequel to the 1931 hit Frankenstein and the story was based on the subplot from the original novel by Mary Shelley. She wrote Frankenstein in 1818,at a time when female gothic novelists were probably quite rare.
MODEL // Jade Isobel May-Lou
HAIR // Sheridan Ward
MAKEUP // Robin Black
COSTUME // Oscar Olima
So excited for another Bobbi Brown collaboration! This time I got to play with their iconic Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner (a staple in the Beauty Is Boring studio) and the brand’s new Crushed Lip Color.
Black liner and berry lipstick are a classic look for Fall but classic doesn’t have to mean basic. A thick, graphic cat eye with pointed inner corners looks modern and fresh when paired with a juicy, deep lip color. The Crushed Lip Color has a really cool texture, it feels exactly like a lip balm but has a surprisingly intense color payoff – perfect for keeping your lips moisturized as the seasons change.
Note: I applied the Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink using the Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush. I find it much easier to create dramatic shapes using gel and a brush than with a liquid liner. For those of you who are a bit intimidated by gel liner, try it and I think you will be surprised by how easy it is!
MODEL // Shae Butters
HAIR // Sheridan Ward
MAKEUP // Robin Black
Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink
Crushed Lip Color in Blackberry
Skin Foundation Stick in Espresso (10)
Pot Rouge in Chocolate Cherry
