Bronzed Beauty

Vivica always wants to try new things with her make up and I love that about her! She was eager to have a silver smokey eye with a hint of teal. so I made that happen for her. I will let you know how I achieved that look step by step.

1.I prep her skin with moisturizer and Murad's Acne/Shine Control Primer. 2.I took NARS stick concealer in Ginger and highlighted under her brows, down the center of her nose and slightly under her eye. I filled her brows in with Lingering Eyebrow pencil from MAC, and set them with a clear brow gel.

3.I used MAC Bamboo paint all over her lid, and used the Lorac eyeshadow pallet to create the silver smoke look she wanted. I blended the colors together thru her crease using MAC eyeshadow in Texture to warm the cool tones up. I then took the teal cream eyeliner from L'oreal HIP Color Truth line and lined above her lashes and under her lash line for a pop of color. 4.I lined her water line with Stila Kajal liner in Onyx and used #47 lashes to give her lashes a full but natural look.

On her face I used Kevin Aucoin in SX13 to contour her face while blending Kohgendo's Moisture Foundation in 301 and 302 to give her the perfect skin tone. I then set her foundation with NARS pressed powders in Tahoe and Banares. I took MAC Golden Bronze loose powder and accented her highlighted areas. I used YSL Rouge Pur Couture in #14 with Purr Lip Gloss from MAC for a nude shine.

Sizzling at the Soul Train Awards

This year the Soul Train Awards took place in Las Vegas and I was thankful to be able to provide the beauty for three amazing actresses as they shined in their red carpet moments. Each of them have their own make up styles so I was able to be versatile in the way I did the make up. Here are a few pictures I pulled from the internet to show the final look once they hit the carpet.

Vanessa Williams

Malinda Williams

Vivica Fox They all looked absolutely stunning!! I will post how to get each look one by one!! My apologies for the long break, I have been crazy busy but I am thrilled to get back to blogging and sharing make up tips and tricks!! xo

Vivica Fox...Sweet As Candy

I recently dolled up the beautiful Vivica Fox for the Fire & Ice Gala hosted by one of her best friends, jewelry designer, Lucy Kilislian. The event was to showcase Lucy's fabulous Candy Ice collection and the proceeds benefited Fresh2O.

Vivica Fox & Lucy Kilislian

Vivica and Lucy both wanted a smokey eye look, and I did them both differently.  Here's a breakdown of Vivica's smokey eye. First I prep her skin with Murad Skin Perfecting Primer. I then fill her eye brows in with MAC Spiked Eyebrow Pencil and I highlight her brow with MAC Concealer in NC45. I use MAC Bamboo Paint on her lid for an eye shadow base, then I apply colors from the Smashbox Smokebox II Palette....blending the darkest color in the crease. I add #523 lashes for a more dramatic effect, black liquid liner on the lid and Stila's Black Kajal liner in her waterline.

Her skin is then highlighted with Koh Gen Do foundation in #301 and contoured in Koh Gen Do foundation #302. I then set her foundation with NARS pressed powder in Tahoe and New Orleans. Her blush is MAC Peaches, and her lip is YSL #4 Rouge Volupte and Milani "Puttin on the Ritz" lipgloss for a nude shine. Good luck! xo

RX For Brown Skin...

This amazing skin care line for women with more melanin in their skin has asked Vivica Fox to be the new face of their product line. The line was developed by Dr. Susan C. Taylor, a determined dermatologist that studied at Harvard. She is first woman of color to have a skin care line for women of color.

Here is a snippet from an article I found online. I also have a few behind the scenes shots from Vivica's shoot with RX For Brown Skin as well as the other women who have benefited from this amazing skin care line. I wouldn't have believed it until I actually met the women , and saw their skin with my own eyes. I am a skeptic until I see results...and this line definitely improves many types of skin concerns. Vivica's skin was beautiful when I met her, but since she began using RX for Brown Skin, her skin has become more vibrant and more even toned. I am about to start using a few of the products myself.

The First Skincare Line by A Woman of Color, for Women of Color 

Safe for everyday use

• Bleach-Free
• Oil-Free
• Alcohol-Free
• Paraben-Free
• Propylene glycol-Free
• Dye-Free
• Lanolin-Free
• No Hydroquinone

Masha and I, she is a user of the line.

Dr. Boogie and I prepping Masha for her next scene.

Shalese is a user of the line, visit the website to see her skin BEFORE.

To learn more about this skin care line, the creator or to see and hear testimonials from the women who use the products, please visit www.rxforbrownskin.com. If you have any skin concerns, you should give it a try..the only thing it could do is NOT work for you:) Good luck! xo

A day in the life...

I have been truly blessed to work in the field that I love with such amazing clients. I love what I do, so it's never really like work to me. Here is quick look at my week with Vivica Fox. We start out working on her new TV show "Mr. Box Office" where she plays a hot and spicy teacher. I like to keep her make up look conservative for the show. Not too much shimmer or trendy make up because it wouldn't read well on camera anyway. We always pop up her lip, because that brightens her face when the rest of her look is more calm in color.

 Here is a look we did for the episode about school uniforms. The red lip added just enough to finish pretty!

 If I'm not shooting and working on the show, Vivica has me travel with her when she's promoting that show and any other projects she may be working on. Here she is backstage at KTLA getting ready to talk about "Prank My Mom" her new show on Lifetime, as well as "Mr. Box Office". As you can see, the look I gave her here is more fresh faced and clean.

Thankfully, I have a full plate...and my schedule changes week to week. I never know who I'll be working with or for what until the day of sometimes. There is not much down time, but when there is I can blog, and write, and shop for the newest products that make my clients look and feel their best! 

Rich Texas Beauty...

Vivica Fox was asked to host the Big Rich Texas reunion show....I can't give too many details, but here is a peek at her behind the scene Southern style glam!

If she looks the same on the monitor as she does in person, then I've done my job well. Stay tuned for the show to air soon. Check your local listings! 

On the set of MBO....

Every week I am excited to do make up for a new TV show called Mr. Box Office. I work with Vivica Fox, but the show's cast is full of big names and it's always a good time on set. Check out some behind the scenes shots as they get ready to prep for camera.

Vivica as teacher Cassandra Washington 

Tim Meadows, Alex Thomas, Vivica Fox, and John Lovitz on the set of Mr. Box Office

Mr. Box Office comes on every Saturday and Sunday in LA on KTLA, but check your local listings for times and dates! If you need a good laugh and that old sitcom charm, be sure to tune in:)

Vivica in New Orleans

Simply stunning she is... all dolled up to give a speech to some high school scholarship recipients near New Orleans. 

When wearing a bold color, keep make up natural.

The students were very deserving and very honored that Vivica Fox was there to share her words of wisdom along with sponsors such as Olive Garden and Outback Steakhouse.

Vivica sparkles at "Sparkle"...

Everyone was talking about the premiere of the much anticipated film "Sparkle". Not only was this the great Whitney Houston's last film, this was a way for people to celebrate who she was and how fabulous she was, one more time. The movie had an amazing all-star cast, so you know the Hollywood red carpet was nothing short of stars shining and sparkling for the occassion. Vivica Fox was one of the celebs who showed up and showed out!

She wanted her look to be natural and bronzy, so that's what I gave her! Her dress was a gorgeous creme and gold sparkle number by Naeem Khan. She looked fabulous in it!! The look was classic simple beauty, and I loved it! Check out a few behind the scenes shots before she arrived at the premiere, and how she rocked the carpet! xo

Viv's Killer Look...

After checking several blogs...Vivica Fox wow'd the masses with her look on the red carpet for Byron Allen's Entertainment Studio's Daytime Emmy Launch event in Beverly Hills. Vivica was in attendance for the new show she landed on one of Byron's networks called "Mr. Box Office". Check out some behind the scenes shots of how we got the look that killed!

 We wanted to go with something edgy to match her new short hair, and we did! I talked her into a bright orange lipstick from MAC called Morange, to make the statement. I used Mahogany lip pencil from MAC to line her lips, then I went with a YSL Golden Gloss in a bright red in the pout. The makeup look was actually pretty natural, as not to take away from the lip, but we did intensify the eyes with my favorite Stila eyeliner in Kajal. I added slight contour and color to her cheeks using MAC Raisin blush and NARS New Orleans pressed powder. Her eyeshadow was a shimmery gold from a YSL summer palette they no longer make. This look definitely was a winner!

Candid shot before she left

Vivica Fox meets Obama!!

Yes, that's right! Vivica Fox among other celebrity guests and Obama supporters had breakfast with the President in Los Angeles last week. Her look for this encounter was definitely important to her, so she enlisted the assistance of myself and her hairstylist, Dr. Boogie to get her glammed up for the big moment!

Her dress was pretty conservative, so we wanted to keep the make up and hair clean and classic...dolling her up First Lady style.  Also, since she's rocking the short cut, her face had to make a statement all it's own.  I just kept the make up natural, while playing up the eyes with Stila Black Liner in Kajal, and my favorite lash, the Demi Wispies.  The blush a mixture of MAC Raisin and NARS Deep Throat. The lip color is MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in 'Love Forever' with a little gold gloss in the pout! We loved this look, and hopefully Obama did too!

Loving my new MURAD!!

I was invited along with other industry makeup artists to an event for Murad Skincare held at the W Hotel in Hollywood. I just have to say first that I appreciate a brand that takes the time to educate people on their products so they can be used effectively. I am a firm believer in less is more when it comes to make up, so good skin is a must. The event focused on different skin concerns from acne prone to wrinkles and fine lines. There were round table discussions and very detailed information given about each one of their products. Generous gift bags were given, and I've been using the products ever since. I am in love with them!! I use the the Intensive-C Radiance Peel on myself, and my skin is brighter than ever.

The Skin Perfecting Primer (shine control) helps keeps the skin matte for 8 hours, and it's amazing. I used it on Vivica Fox our first day of shooting her new show, and I barely had to touch her up! I have yet to use everything in the bag, but I will soon. Thanks again MURAD!! xo

Black Women Rock in St.Louis...

Beverly Bond's, Black Girls Rock, has gained much attention in the urban communities. It is a movement that brings recognition to black women doing what they do, and being amazing at it. From business owners to entertainers to phenomenal mothers...there is much respect for those women who make it happen daily! I was very excited to be back in St. Louis. I was born there, but moved to Houston when I was 5, so I still have family there that came out to support the event as well. I've actually done Beverly Bond's makeup before, and it's amazing to see how her movement is growing!

Young girls rock too!

Vivica Fox was asked to present a few awards at an event built around the black women who rock in St. Louis. This event was held at Lights On Broadway, and it wouldn't have been an STL party if Chingy didn't perform! We had such a good time, and there was so much love in the place. It's nice to see women put an event on, come together, dress nice, compliment each other, and work hard to keep that momentum going. A tornado hit this same night, but that didn't stop anyone from coming out. Chingy did his thing, new songs and old songs...we had a blast to say the least. Check out Vivica with Chingy and some of the young women from the event. Black "Women" certainly Rocked....STL style:)

It's not cool to be a BULLY!

PSA's are a great way to get an important message out to the world, and an even better way is to have celebrities help with that message. Vivica Fox was asked to do an Anti-Bullying campaign with Erik Estrada for the Cool Cat series. Cool Cat's character comes from an interactive family series created by Derek Savage to teach important lessons to children. The lesson for this video was that it's not cool to be a bully. It was super cute, and the video got right to the point. I can't wait to see the finished product! Vivica is pictured here with the cast.

Blessed Beauty...

This past weekend I attended Gospelfest 2012 with Vivica Fox, who was hosting the event in Memphis, TN. When doing make up for an event that will be televised, I had to keep the make up HD friendly, which means matte using a light application. She had three wardrobe changes, so we wanted the hair and make up to change a little as well. Hairstylist Charlie Ponder was heaven sent because I didn't know how I was going to do both in so little time! Here are a few of her looks for the show (below). The look above was for her ABC appearance that morning.

Since this was held at Temple of Deliverance church, we made sure we kept her look conservative and fun. The performances were amazing, and the presence of the Lord was definitely in the building. I even ran into another client of mine, gospel singer Brian Courtney Wislon. It was a great experience to say the least! The hospitality in Memphis was like no other...I will be back!

Movie Magic...

Although, I'm always doing Vivica Fox for red carpets and appearances....she sometimes invites me on movie sets with her to glam her up "character" style:) In this particular movie she plays a fabulous music agent, and her look had to be simple but pretty. We kept the make up clean and natural with more focus on the lips and skin. I can't reveal too much, just take a quick look at some shots I took behind the scenes...

Superbowl XLVI...

Yes I love my job!! I was lucky enough once again to go on a trip with Vivica Fox. This time it was to her home town, which just happened to be home of the Superbowl this year...Indianapolis! She was a guest of the NFL Alumni, and a presenter for the NFL Alumni Awards ceremony. It was an amazing weekend to say the least!
We were all set for the tailgating festivities. It was pretty cold there, so I wanted to keep her face bright since her clothing consisted of warm tones and layers. We did a pretty natural eye with lashes of course, and MAC's Rebel lipstick on her lips!

Her look for the night events was very warm. We gave her a smokey eye with a plum base for a touch of color (MAC Artjam Paint), a peach cheek (MAC Peaches blush), and a neutral lip (YSL #14 Rouge Volupte with a shimmery gold gloss on top). The look was versatile, as it went right into the evening with a little more black eyeliner added.

Such a fun and exciting weekend! I'm glad I was able to experience Indianapolis like I did. It was a blast! Go GIANTS!!