Healthy, Wealthy & Wise...

One of the best things about traveling with a celebrity client is being exposed to many different things, meeting different people, and really being involved in more than just the make up. I was fortunate to go with Vivica Fox on a trip to Detroit, MI for a FAB event for black women. It was for the Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise Tour. Since Ms. Fox is all of the above, she was a special guest at the Black Women's Empowerment Luncheon. She spoke about her career as an actress, her business endeavors, and even her hair line for some beauty tips! Women who owned businesses, as well as women who worked in politics, and fitness were in attendance. I was at the table sitting by a former Congress woman who loved Vivica's make up:) I look up to women in positions of power, and it makes me want to work harder to achieve the level of success I seek in this beauty industry.

It was a great lunch, great people, and the room was filled with such positive energy. Of course everyone was asking about her make up, so I will share what I used on her!
She wanted to go for a more warm fall look since it was cold and rainy while we were there, I used Eve Lom Serum to prep the skin. I then used my mix of Koh Gen Do foundation, NARS stick concealer in Toffee, NARS Tahoe powder to highlight, and NARS New Orleans powder to contour, Sue Devitt Pointe-Noire eye pencil, MAC Raisin blush, with Orgasm blush from NARS, and YSL #12 Lip Pencil with #33 Rouge Pur Shine Lip stick also from YSL. She looked amazing!

Holiday lip time is here....

It's time to break out those bright red, berry, and burgundy lip colors ladies.....the holidays are fast approaching! I'm sure many of you have holiday parties to attend, well that's the perfect time to add color to your makeup without feeling over the top.

When choosing the right color for your skin tone, make sure you always lightly line the lips with a warmer pencil before going in with the color. It eases some of the shock value when you look in the mirror:) My favs are YSL Lip Pencil #18, and MAC's Cork....or if you're feeling bold, just do MAC's Cherry lip pencil all over your lips like the beautiful Eboni did (pictured)! Always keep the eyes and cheeks pretty neutral when wearing bolder lips! Have fun:)

Make Up on the go....

My client K. Briscoe always has me do her make up before she goes to do any type of press. I never know where she's going, but I found some footage of her with the make up look on:) She wanted a natural girl next door look, and we did just that! She is talking about her new single "Dishes" featuring Busta Rhymes and the reason she wrote the song. Check it out!



If you haven't heard the song, here is a look at some behind the scenes footage of the actual video. You'll see the make up isn't so girl next door anymore:) Enjoy!

Voice over debut...

We know him as hip hop artist, actor, and poet...but now Common can add voice over animation to his long resume. I love him as an artist, and as a person. He is so humble and down to earth, and he's that way with everybody! I had to groom him for his Happy Feet 2 press junkets, and it's always a good time with his camp!

My new favorite thing to use on men and women to reduce shine is the Mally Roncal, Evercolor Poreless Face Defender. It's silicone based, so it's no powdery residue left on the skin when you touch up. I only touched his face 3 times in 3 hours of shooting.

Be sure to check out Happy Feet 2 where he plays Seymour, a musically cool, swagged out Penguin dad! Congrats! :)

My...My...Mai

That's all I can say after spending the day working with the fabulous Jeannie Mai, host of Style Network's hit show, "How Do I Look? I met Jeannie in Brazil while we were both there for the Miss Universe pageant, and after our flight was delayed, we bonded instantly:)
She is a beautiful person, and God is doing so much in her life, so I was honored when she asked me to do her make up for her show's holiday special. Her regular make up artist, Uzmee Krakovszki, was booked and I was happy to be her stand in for the day. Norma Blaque, her hairstylist, sweetly kept me on my toes! The production team was phenomenal, and Jeannie was as well. She is a hard worker, and she looks great while doing it. Her wardrobe stylist Bory Tan, whom I also met in Brazil, is a fashion force to be reckoned with. The looks she creates for Jeannie are ridiculous!! I love them all, and I felt so welcomed on set. Jeannie's husband Freddy is a lucky guy, but so is she, because he is also a gem!

The look I did on her for the day was transitional, from natural to heavier make up as the evening scene approached. She is gorgeous and her skin is flawless, so it wasn't hard to do. Jeannie LOVES contour, so I kept my #4 YSL Touche' Eclat close by! We also used Koh Gen Do's OC. 2 White Illuminator for highlighting, Carmel Bronze bronzer, BE02 Lipstick, and Shell Pink Gloss with a dab of MAC's Crystalled Orange glitter for added sparkle!

This day with the "How Do I Look?" crew was one to remember! Be sure to tune in to her show this season, and check her style tips & updates on her personal blog http://www.iheartjeanniemai.com/ Thanks Jeannie! xoxo

Oh so stunning...

I've been doing Vivica Fox's make up for quite some time now, but this particular look on the red carpet made me the happiest thus far. I dolled her up for this year's Stunt Woman Awards. Whenever you have a client that you do over and over again, you become familiar with their face, their bone structure, and you understand what works and what doesn't. I'm very honest with myself as an artist, and I am constantly learning new techniques, and using products that will make my work look better and better.

She looked stunning and her skin had this radiant glow. Everything about this look worked on so many levels, and I love it when she wears her hair back to show off her face. We used the same products we always used, but this particular time I mixed a little Koh Gen Do OC2 White Illuminator with their #301 foundation to highlight her entire face. I then used #302 and NARS New Orleans pressed powder to contour the face. I kept her blush very soft using Peaches from MAC, and her lip color was Caliope Lip Pencil from NARS lined with #7 lip liner from YSL. I absolutely loved this make up, so you will see me try this look again with minor tweaks!! Gorgeous Viv! xo

First of many...

It wasn't the first time Vivica Fox attended a premiere, but it was the first time she took my 4 year old son, Emanuel Christopher as one of her guests:) It was the "Puss In Boots" premiere in Los Angeles, and Viv wanted to share the experience with some kids she knew. My son, and her manager's son Landon, were the lucky ones to go!! The red carpet was a blast for them with all of the fun characters in the movie. Vivica looked great, and the boys had so much fun!



Since this movie was a family movie, we decided to keep her make up light and fresh. The tones were warm and natural. As usual I used Koh Gen Do foundations, which Vivica loves, in #301 and #302 mixed. I also used MAC Antiqued Eyeshadow, Smolder pencil, and our favorite Demi Pixie lashes. Her lip color was YSL #14 Rouge Volupte Lipstick and Chanel #41 Gloss. Simply gorgeous:)

"Bitchin Brows"...

What a name, huh? Well, if you saw what this brow kit did to many untamed, unplucked, unruly brows....you would call it "bitchin" as well. When I first stumbled upon this product, the creator, Tammy Carraway, did MY brows with it. I was in between appointments and I had an event to go to, so I was in a rut....so I thought. I sat down and let her work her magic with a brow pencil and two concealers...minutes later, my brows looked freshly done! I was sold, and I picked up every color for my kit! Take a look at how it shapes the brow before I blend and add foundation to my client. AH-MAZING, and the price is right!! Have people asking you who does your brows everywhere you go!

*Apologies to those who don't do profanity, but please do your brows:)*

A Face I Love....

I have some clients who just love to let me do whatever to their face, and Eboni is one of them! We play when it's time to get her ready....from glitter to triple lashes....there is no boundaries:) Any new techniques I learn, I practice them on her to master it.

This time we wanted smoky glamour, and we created it using Chanel's #85 cream shadow, YSL #1 Black Waterproof Eye Pencil, NARS Goddess Eye Pencil in the water line, MAC Texture Eyeshadow, and double lashes. (Demi Wispies)

She loves the nude matte lipstick pencil from NARS called Caliope to finish the look. It's the best neutral lip with any gloss on top!

How Sweet The Sound...

I love Gospel music, so I was more than happy to lend my talents to the beautiful Michelle Williams while she hosted segments for reality show, "How Sweet The Sound." Choirs from various cities battled for the chance to be named the BEST!! I worked on the LA and Oakland shows, and we had a blast!

Michelle is a natural beauty, so my job wasn't that hard. I used my favorite mix of Koh Gen Do foundations #301 & #302, very matte eye shadows, and neutral lip shades for a fresh faced look. We changed her look so many times, and she looked fantastic! Special shout out to China Upshaw on the hair quick changes! :) Check out the behind the scenes shots and let me know what you think!

In The Hive...

Vivica had to go to DC to promote her new movie, "In The Hive", directed by Robert Townsend. The movie has not been released yet, but it has such an amazing message. A few members from the cast were asked to come speak at Duke Ellington School of The Arts about the movie, after all the students had a private screening.

I was also able to see the movie, and meet the woman who inspired the movie to be made. This screening took place at the US Navy Memorial building during Congressional Black Caucus week, so many greats were in attendance. Loretta Divine was also one of the cast members there, and she was as sweet as the characters' she plays. We had an awesome time, and afterwards our dinner plans were at a restaurant right across from The White House:) What a fabulous trip!!!

We chose a classic fall look for her wardrobe of beige and browns, so the make up was natural with a red lip to brighten and contrast.

MAC Bronze eyeshadow on the lid, Orgasm blush from NARS, YSL Touche' Eclat #3 to highlight, Koh Gen Do Foundations #301 & #302 blended for her perfect match, and YSL #7 Lip Liner with #1 Rouge Pur Couture lipstick. I love this look on her, and the hair is jammin!! I guess her fans thought so too, she could barely walk without someone stopping her for an autograph or picture. We did good:)

All dolled up...

Working with new artist K. Briscoe is always a great time! She is always open to trying new looks, and with her pretty face, it's not too much you can't do with her. We like changing her brows up, and contouring lightly for a soft face.

She had a performance, so I wanted to make sure I played up her features. I like bright colors on the lip when I keep the eyes neutral. YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick in # 27 is what we chose for this night! Love this color!

Singing her new single "Dishes", she definitely brought the house down!

And the winner is...

Yes, I was in Brazil sitting in the third row when Miss Angola was crowned Miss Universe, and it was the most unbelievable experience ever!!! Vivica Fox was asked to be one of the judges for the pageant, which took place in Sao Paulo. This event was televised worldwide. So she took me with her to make sure she was camera ready.

I must say that this trip was over in a blink, we were in and out so fast. We spent most of the day at the venue getting her ready to work, so there wasn't a lot of sight seeing. The good times didn't stop though because we had a great time! We ate at this fabulous Italian restaurant, and I was able to try Brazil's most popular drink, the Caipirinha. It was delicious!

The pageant was a beautiful representation of many countries, and it was a great live show to watch! I had to get Vivica dolled up for a few quick changes each day. It's always easy to just change the lip color for a new look once proper foundation is in place. YSL's Rouge Pur lipsticks and YSL lip pencil were best for pops of color throughout the trip. I also used a lot more burgundy's and berry colors since it was already feeling like fall while we were there. Her look was much warmer in Jamaica:)

It was a blast....I will be back!