Friday, October 12, 2012

Winter skin


The weather is definitely cooling off. This means, sweaters are coming out, so is the hot cocoa and the dry skin. Wait, what? No! Chilled winds and heaters being used regularly can wreak havoc on on our skin, especially our hands and faces as they are generally more exposed. Here are some tips to combat dry skin before it starts.

Water intake is VERY important. Even though you aren't sweating with the summer sun anymore, you still need to drink a good amount of water to hydrate your skin from the inside. Carry a water bottle with you. I find that if I don't have mine, I don't remember to drink any water. I recently picked up this glass water bottle with rubber around it to protect it from a grocery store and I love it. You can buy them here: http://www.lifefactory.com/adults/22-oz-flip-1/glass-beverage-bottle-with-flip-cap-and-silicone-sleeve-olive-hex.html
 I try to not buy plastic, and hate the way the metal ones make everything taste so glass is a good option for me. It saves a TON of money when you aren't buying a new disposable one all the time and is much more eco-friendly.  We also picked up this little gem recently. Its glass inside and that's bamboo on the outside, we got the combo with all these lids, so I can put water in it, or fill it with tea or coffee (non-caffeinated teas count for water intake!) It comes apart, and the glass is dishwasher safe. Its not huge, it holds an average sized cup of coffee and I drink a lot of water, so I tend to use it for hot drinks mostly.

You can purchase here: http://www.bamboobottleco.com/store/

Using a good moisturizer is also essential. I recently added Origins A Perfect World Moisturizer to my routine and I love it. It doesn't irritate my hyper-sensitive skin and was created to prevent aging. I just turned 31 and am getting a hint of eye wrinkles (Yikes!) so this is the perfect formula for me to keep them at bay. They also have several others for different needs and I really like their skin line overall. They focus on natural, skin-healthy ingredients.
Check out their other options on their website to find the right one for your skin needs: http://www.origins.co.uk/products/mpp/index.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT3858&cm_sp=Gnav-_-Skincare-_-Moisturisers
 For the rest of my body, I use several different things. Straight out of the shower, I often apply coconut oil. (Give it 5 minutes to soak in, and you won't be oily or greasy at all and your skin will be so soft).  In my desk, I keep a travel sized bottle of Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, and in the past, I have used Burt's Bees, and I loved it. There are so many options, most not very expensive. Just pick something to have on hand to use when needed and your skin will thank you.

You skin STILL needs protection from the sun in the winter. BB Creams are the new trend in skincare and most have SPF, so I recently tried a few out. The one I like the most is Smashbox's BB Cream, and it has SPF 35. They have a range of 5 colors, which is better than the other ones I looked at, and the colors look good ON the skin, where several other brands looks chalky or grey. I've heard BB creams compared to a tinted moisturizer, but while it is moisturizing, it definitely doesn't replace a separate moisturizer. I apply it after, like a foundation with a brush, and usually just wear that. It provides light coverage and evens out my skintone, and at the end of a long day, its still there, looking great. When I need more coverage, it acts as a primer when worn under foundation.
Available at Sephora

I don't wear makeup daily anymore (seems to go with the territory of doing it for a living). So the other day, I applied my BB Cream and my foundation (Makeup Forever Matte Velvet+ this time) and **gasp** Whats that I see?! Demarcation lines. My summer tan is fading, and my makeup was too dark. Time to switch to my winter shade! Going to pick my BB Cream in 'Medium-Light' this week (I wear Medium over the summer). Don't try and cling to a summer tan that's not there anymore. Make sure your foundation changes with your skin color, and if you feel like you need a bit of extra color, add some bronzer. Matte or sparkly, it can give you that sun-kissed look without making you look clueless about color matching your foundation. For matte, Benefit's Hoola is Gorgeous, If you like some sparkle, check out FACE ateliers Brazilian Blaze.

Face Atelier Ultra Bronzer, available at www.faceatelier.com in 3 colors

Benefit - Hoola. I recommend using your own brush, while Benefit's real brushes are nice ,the one that comes with Hoola is pretty awful..


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Bride - Nancy

A friend of mine won a bridal photoshoot in a contest she entered while planning her wedding. She asked me to do her hair and makeup and I was more than happy to do it! I was already booked that day, so I had to do her hair and makeup and send her off instead of attend the shoot with her, so when I got the pictures, I was thrilled with how they came out as I had no idea what to expect. She looks stunning and the photographer did an amazing job!

Nancy. Those eyes!! LOVE.

I love the bouquet.

I love this wall as a backdrop! Nancy looks stunning!

Survived a whole day in the SF wind!



Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Chaos Mag Webitorial!

I just found out that a male grooming gig I did a while back got published! Its a bit NSFW, just as a heads up. Check it out!

http://www.chaos-mag.com/night-swim-featuring-ryan-guzman/
Makeup and Hair by Treja

Makeup and Hair by Treja
Makeup and Hair by Treja

Makeup and Hair by Treja



Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Nail Polish - 4 Things I learned yesterday

1. Revlon makes GREAT nail polish.
2. Leopard nails are really hard to do on yourself.
3. I am not ambidextrous with doing my own nails artistically like I am with makeup
4. I could never be a hand model, I have little kid hands.

Ok, to elaborate on that all...

I've been on the hunt for a while for awesome drug store polish that comes in colors that I can do a good leopard print nail. I finally found them!! The other day I tried Revlon Colorstay Polish, and did an awesome teal and black french tip that stayed beautifully, and this time, I found great colors with Revlon's Top Speed nail polish. Golden took 2 coats for good opacity, and it a gorgeous rich metallic gold.  Espresso is a deep warm satin brown.


Clear base coat, then 2
coats of Golden
Dots of Espresso after
Golden had dried.

After the little brown dots, I used a decorating polish (not sure what kind, I stole it from my kid!!) in black to do the outlines. Any drug store has them though in the nail section. Easy to find and since it's just lines, I imagine any of them would work.

And the end result...

Leopard nails attempt 1!

That's my right hand, the 'better' hand. A coat of clear polish is on top, and that definitely helped the end result. This hand looks better than the other hand, but I've concluded they are still acceptable enough to wear though and I am! For attempt number 1, I'll call this pretty good. And now I have the polish to keep trying and getting better. I am pretty sure I took about 15 pictures of my hand to get this one. They won't be hiring me anytime soon to be a hand model!!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Behind the Scenes

I recently has the pleasure of doing an alt fashion photoshoot for local latex clothing designer Penny, owner of Lust Designs. She has a gorgeous ready-wear line of latex clothing and also does fantastic custom work. No sneakpeeks of the actual shoot, for that, you will have to wait for the next issue of Von Gutenberg Magazine, an alt fashion magazine. This shoot was a TON of fun! How often do you get to shoot awesome fashion in the stunning trees of Mt Tam and kill your model? Thats right! I got to play with FX for this themed photoshoot. I created a custom chest wound. Something her 'heart' could be pulled out of. Heres some behind the scenes shots of the fun!

First I needed a heart. I called a few butchers to see if any had an intact, whole cow heart I could purchase. Despite the fact that SEVERAL said yes, I showed up to each of them only to find them sliced, cubed, out of stock, or disappointing in one way or another. Finally, I found one that was just flayed open. One single cut. I gave in and bought that one and spent the night before the shoot sewing it back together. (See, I'm so good I can mend a broken heart!)  Those things are big!! That's a standard dinner plate.  It was awesome being able to do FX on something that would be published. I'd played around with it before, and done bruises and tattoos and things like THAT on shoots, but this was my first published prosthetic appliance. So stoked!

On to the shoot!

Here's a few shots of me getting everyone ready! I can't wait to share when the actual spread comes out.
Fixing the hair around a very cool custom crown made for the shoot


Looks so surgical! Covering the clothing so
I can apply the prosthetic.

Done attaching, now on to blending and the blood!





Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Keeping brushes clean


As a makeup artist, I clean my brushes after every use in order to not transfer any germs between clients, but the brushes I use on my OWN face need washing too on a regular basis to keep them nice, and to keep my skin healthy. Any mild shampoo can be used to wash your brushes. A lot of people use baby shampoo, I personally use Suave shampoo. its cheap, works well, and smell great. I've been asked what the proper way is to wash your brushes, so I put together this post.

I'm out of Suave, but was given a bottle of Trader Joes shampoo, so I tried that out this time. I LOVED it. It cleaned really well and had a nice mild smell that didn't stick to the brushes.


The Shampoo
My dirty brushes

When washing your brushes, keep them angled down. This keeps water from dripping up into the ferule (part that holds your bristles together on the handle) and can loosen the glue and eventually make it fall off.

Wet your bristles and gently swirl your brush in a bit of shampoo in the palm of your hand. Be careful to not smash the brush, just lightly swirl, rinse well. Cream products, gel liners, and black products can sometimes need a second washing. Rinse well. Roll up a hand towel halfway and rest your brush with the handle on the roll to dry (so that the handle is higher than the brush head).

Rolled hand towel.
Lay flat to dry.
Gently swirl in palm.

For large brushes like powder or blush brushes, after rinsing, gently squeeze to remove excess water, the twirl the brush (head down) quickly between your palms. Excess water will spray out and refluff your brush so that it dries in the proper shape, then lay on towel to dry.


I had to get a second towel, I ran
out of space! Here they are, all
laid out to dry.

Dry, packed up, and ready to shoot!


I recommend washing your brushes at least twice a month. I try to do my personal brushes once a week as I use a lot of gel and cream products.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

I'm getting married!!

He proposed, I said yes, we've set the date!! I'm so excited and have a million ideas! So many conflicting thoughts as far as what we want for a wedding. Part of me wants this big huge extravagant formal affair (and someone else to foot the bill) and another part of me just wants to run off to Vegas with some close friends and family and save the money for the good stuff... like a house, honeymoon, and sailboat.

My ring!! It's perfect and even more stunning in person. :D


Right now, our plans are falling somewhere in the middle. We've picked an awesome venue and have a ceremony planned in the sand on the beach. His 'best man' is a designer/seamstress and will be making my dress for me. I feel so special! We've tried to get started a few times, but the only conclusions I've come to on my dress are that I have NO idea what I actually want it to look like.

I want to share this planning adventure with you all and will do my best to keep it also beauty related. I'm joining the ranks of my bride-to-be clients and am THRILLED about it!

We're not a terribly traditional couple, and out wedding day looks definitely won't be too traditional. I've got a dreadlocked mohawk with (when I find the time to keep it properly dyed) leopard print sides. I'm definitely  keeping the hair. I'm thinking about adding some pearls to the strands to fancy it up. My makeup I'm (surprisingly) struggling with. I'm flip-flopping between hiring a friend, and doing it myself. I'll let you know what I decide, and for now, I'm starting a new skin care regimen. I don't want eye wrinkles or pimples in my wedding photos, and NOW is definitely the time to start something new. This way, my skin will have time to adjust, and I can play around with different products until I find something I really like.

Skincare for me is a tricky one. I have the most sensitive skin I have ever come across. Most things burn, or break me out so I've always just used a castile cleanser and coconut oil to add moisture. Now that I've hit 31 though, something to prevent wrinkles is enticing! I've started my new skincare routine with Origins: A Perfect World moisturizer. So far, its FANTASTIC! No burning, no irritation, and my skin actually feel more moisturized than it was with the coconut oil. I went with this line first because its very natural and uses great ingredients. This specifically is intended to be anti-aging which is what I wanted for most of my face.

I purchased mine at Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/a-perfect-world-antioxidant-moisturizer-with-white-tea-P297512 
I'm going to give it another week or two and then add an eye serum (I have little wrinkles at the end of the day that need to go!) and then a new face wash after that. I'll keep you posted on what I use for both, and hopefully will have stunningly bright, clear skin for my wedding day.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

VIP Brush Party!

Going to an invite only brush party tonight hosted at The Specialists Salon with ADesigns brushes. There will be demos, new products not yet released, and its cocktail attire! I'm ridiculously in love with their brushes (I have quite a few I swear by) and I love getting dressed up. It's going to be amazing! I'll post pictures and details after the event!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Fall/Winter Beauty Trends for 2012

Summers here. The weather is warm, the beaches are full, and shorts and tank tops are all over the place! This, of course, means its time to start thinking about Fall and Winter makeup looks.

EYES. Colored smoky eyes are all over the place and summers trend of orange is sticking around for the cooler weather. Try it with a deeper burnt orange or sunset hues; or branch out and change it all up. The standard browns and golds are, of course, back and always a good fit for fall, but smoky eyes in blues and lavenders were also popping up all over the runways. Sharp winged liner contrasts the smokey for a different look, my favorite being the bright blue ones I keep seeing over and over.




This teal smokey eye at Jason 
Wu is so pretty and feminine! 


Versace's dark eye eye makes a
statement with pale lips and cheeks. 


This smokey cat eye at is absolutely
stunning and makes eyes look huge. 
Anna Sui's bright blue cat eye can
be everyday makeup, I'd do it without
the accent dot on the lower lid.






























LIPS. If smoky eyes aren't your thing, keep 'em clean and go for some sexy vampy lips instead. Perfect skin is they key here with softly colored cheeks setting the perfect background for your sultry pout. Again, we can't let go of orange, so rock your mango mouth from summer. For a more classic look, reach for that red in your makeup bag never goes out of style,or add some drama in a plum, wine, or brick tone. The key to keeping your vampy lip stunning? Concealer! Apply concealer at the outside edge of your lipline is a shade SLIGHTLY lighter than your skin tone and blend it into your foundation well, so there is no defined line. Apply lipliner all over your lips, filling them in, then your lipstick. The concealer will keep your edge sharp and defined. Clean up any mistakes on the edges with a pointed q-tip.



Gucci's mullberry lip is the perfect
example of the deep vampy lip.
SKIN. For perfect looking skin, you can't plan on your makeup doing all the work, proper prep is just as - if not more - important. Fall and winter can suck the moisture out of your skin, leaving you looking flaky and dull. Hydrate with a good moisturizer before you apply your makeup, and after you wash your face at night.  If your regular face lotion doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore, look into something a bit heavier and creamier for the cooler weather. Be sure to drink your water. Skin needs to be hydrated from the inside as well as the outside. Its easy leave your water bottle behind when the sun is no longer beating down on you, but your body still needs your 6-8 glasses a day, and all those cups of coffee don't count. Keep skin smooth and soft by exfoliating any dead skin regularly.

Use concealer sparingly, only where needed, and wear a good quality foundation. A higher quality foundation has better ingredients, so your skin will be happier, and is also more highly pigmented. More pigment means that you can use less product to get the coverage you need to create the look of flawless skin, instead of looking like you have a pound of makeup on your face. 

Monday, July 23, 2012

Product Review: Face atelier's Facade


FACE atelier is a Canadian brand that isn't very well known here in the states, due to its limited retail availability. This fantastic line has made a huge splash in the international makeup community, though, and with good reason.

Every. single. product. is. amazing.

FACE atelier doesn't carry one single item that isn’t impressive.. The Ultra Foundation is what got them a reputation because of its stunning dewey finish and amazing coverage, but I'm going to review one of their newer products Facade.
www.faceatelier.com to order

I love multi-use products and Facade definitely fits the bill. Facade is FACE ateliers new silicone-based, liquid-to-powder blush. It’s highly pigmented, so start with a light hand and build as needed. It delivers beautiful, silky-soft color, that stays put all day.


Now a side note about myself. I hate blush. I really, really do. I avoided it like the plague in my teenage years when I started playing with makeup and as I got older, and started doing makeup for a living, blush was the hardest thing for me to get used to using. I eventually learned how to use it properly for my work and now definitely have an appreciation for it, but really, i still don't like it the same way that I like other cosmetics. I tend to stick to the tried-and-true blushes that I know I like, and only try new ones out of a resolve to be a well rounded and knowledgeable artist. So the fact that a blush is my first review says a lot about how impressed I am with FACE atelier’s Facade.


I've had the opportunity to work with FACE atelier at several of the industry trade shows in Los Angeles, so I had the opportunity to check out Facade while it was still in the testing phase. I loved the pigmentation and feel of it.When the company released the line a short while after, I quickly ordered samples in each color. I first tested Arabesque on myself, which is a soft peachy shade. It felt like I was rubbing my cheeks against silk and made me want to rub it all over my face. So I did, and was happily surprised. On the lip, Facade created a very soft color base for a lip gloss, and also looked great all by itself. On the eye, Facade creates a soft, subtle wash of color that feels amazing and photographs beautifully.


Facade has become a staple in my kit. Like all FACE atelier products, it has proven itself durable and long-lasting and is now the blush I reach for in my work almost exclusively.. I've since ordered full size tubes for my kit, and Arabesque, Livid, and Cha-Cha for my own makeup bag.

FACE atelier’s products are only available online in the states, for now. Buying makeup before you can try it is always iffy, so FACE atelier offers samples of most of their products for just $1. Because all their products are highly-pigmented, a sample will give plenty of opportunity to try it several times. For only a buck, I recommend you try out all the colors of facade, and sample a few other items (I’d suggest the Ultra Foundation, and an Ultra Sheer which is a shimmering highligher, or Lip Glaze, a long-wearing gloss.)


Leave a comment and let me know how you like the products if you try them, or if you have already, let me know what your favorite is!