Classic show stopper...

Malinda Williams is a classic beauty. Her sleek hair cut allows her to have fun with her makeup, but I love how she keeps it simple. She knows how to accentuate her features and let her beauty shine through the make up. For the Soul Train Awards she was wearing black and white so she wanted to focus on the eyes and wear a bold lip for her pop of color.

1. To start I always do the brows. I use MAC Lingering eyebrow pencil to give the brow the shape I want. Then I use the Anastasia Brow Kit brow powder in brown to fill in the brow. I highlight under the brow with NARS Toffee Concealer.

2. I used MAC paint in Artjam as a base then I use Cover Girl Eye Enhancer shadows to blend the look to perfection. I always use a warm color like MAC Texture or Saddle to blend through the crease when I use frosty or shimmer shadows.

3. I used Loreal HIP color truth in black to line the top of the lid, and I wet MAC Eyeshadow in Sketch to smudge and smoke out the eye under her bottom lashes. I lined the water line with MAC Smolder pencil, and we double stacked lashes for a more dramatic look.

4. Her skin was highlighted with Milani Tan Tastic, and her lip was a Love and War hot pink gloss stain by REVEL.

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

The Woman In Red...

Loved this look on Vivica Fox's character Cassandra for her date with Marcus, actor Bill Bellamy, on their show Mr. Box Office.

Remember ladies, less is more, especially with a red lip! Keeping the eyes neutral, I lined her lip with YSL pencil #13 and used YSL Rouge Pur Couture #1:)

xo

Koh Gen Do at Sephora...

Most of you know that gorgeous skin is my thing, and Koh Gen Do has amazing foundations and powders. If you're in LA, join me this Sunday as I share my celeb beauty tips using Koh Gen Do.

The Smith's step out..

Dolled up the beautiful Simone Smith for a night out with her husband LL Cool J. I love catching them on the red carpet...they rock!

Snapshot Sundays...

I am starting a new beauty day for my friends and followers. It's going to be called "Snapshot Sundays"....for those moments when I get someone glammed up and photo ready with different make up looks. I  will show you the before and after pictures of the model, and explain to you what I did in detail in hopes that you can create the look at home. I am super excited about this "Less Is More" natural beauty movement...please let me know what make up looks you'd like to see.

Here's a snapshot of super fab host and DJ, DJay DaQueen, on her way to an MTV Movie Awards event.

BEFORE...

AFTER....

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

Bridal Beauty....

Spring is here and LOVE is in the air!!! Many women are overwhelmed with the planning of their wedding day....quite possibly the biggest event of their lives. The search for the perfect dress, the perfect venue, the perfect food, the perfect invitations, and more. The last thing a bride is thinking about is how to make sure her face is perfect too. This is where I come in! It is my job to make sure the bride doesn't have to think about her face, and that she feels absolutely beautiful on her special day. Once the make up is on, she shouldn't feel it and it shouldn't come off easily. The goal is to be simple and pretty, but have a look with staying power since the same make up is worn for an entire day, sometimes into the night. Here are a few examples of simple wedding day beauty. These looks can be worn on the bride as well as her bridesmaids.

If you're thinking of having your make up done for your wedding day, you definitely should. Make sure you choose someone you trust, and you do a trial run with them so you can see what works for you and what doesn't way before the big day. This is NOT a time to be experimenting with your face. Get a facial four days before to clear your skin of any imperfections, and make sure you get your eyebrows done. Choose the type of make up look that is natural so regardless of your wedding colors, your face will glow. Also, make sure to still look like you when you come down the aisle so your man can recognize you...especially if you're not a make up wearer normally. Lol! 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

HTC Commercial Sneak Peek...

Over the holidays I was blessed to be the make up artist on a series of hilarious HTC Commercials for their new phone and it's gadgets. I had the pleasure of working with Drake Bell, Tatyana Ali, Audrina Patridge, and Irene Keng. Here's a sneak peek behind the scenes.

Audrina getting her hair curled by hairstylist Nina Potts

Irene waiting patiently on set.

Drake Bell just hanging out on set

Tatyana is ready for her close up:)

Amazing talent and team of people to work with. When I say I love my job, I am not kidding. Working in the industry is one thing, but when the celebrities you work with are humble, sincere, and down to earth...it makes the job even better!

NAACP Awards 2013

Simone Smith and her husband LL Cool J attended the NAACP Image Awards, make up and grooming done by me. Let me just say that they are like the Cosby's of hip hop. Their values, their work ethic and the way they raise their kids give me the utmost respect for them. It's an honor for me to call them clients and friends. Her husband also won an NAACP Award that night for his role on NCIS. Congrats LL!! Check them out on the red carpet.

Simone here, no face make up on...she just gets her eyes done. Such a natural beauty

Grammy Weekend Glam...

I'm very thankful for my clients Simone Smith and Queen Latifah for keeping me busy over Grammy weekend. They both had a lot of events to attend, and they both looked amazing on the red carpet. 

Glam on a budget...

I use so many products because I love to try them all and give every one of them a chance to make it to my kit. I always test things on myself before I even attempt to apply new items to my existing clients. One thing I noticed while picking up some hair supplies at a local beauty supply was that KISS had a great collection of color choices. The product even had great coverage, lasting power and it was blendable. I bought a few of the colors and have definitely started using them in my kit. They even have testers so you can be sure to take home the right color. Good luck!

Here's their cream coverage which can be used to cover blemishes by spot treating, or used as a way to shape your brows as a concealer. It seemed a little too heavy for an under eye make up, but if you blend it with an eye cream or gel, it would be fine. The price is $8.99

Here's their pressed powder which can be used to set the cream make up with a powder brush. If you are very oily, then you can use the powder as your coverage all over. The price is $7.99

I found this display set up at Ebony Wig Mart on Crenshaw and Rodeo in Los Angeles. I'm sure they offer these products at most beauty supplies if not online, but online you can't try the color out before you purchase it. I will do a full face with the entire line and post the pics and exactly what I used very soon!