Excellent beauty finds on Etsy

 I am pretty sure that all of you know already about Etsy. I personally really love that site and can't get enough of it. My favorite way to use it is to find organic and natural skin care and beauty products. I have tried few so far and I loved them all.
 My all time favorite is Spa Goddess based out of California and owned by Jessica. I have use several of her products and they were all great.  Everything she makes is natural, organic and very gentle on your skin. I love this Chamomile Exquisite Antioxidant Creme which is so delicious on my sensitive skin, it calms it and moisturizes without being greasy or leaving oily residue. There is nothing better that I have tried and I have tried everything all the way up to some very expensive and luxurious brands. If you have a sensitive and delicate skin you will love it!!

 If you are a lover of the aroma of roses you will love the next product! The Rose Garden Shea Butter is so luxurious and rich that you will get addicted to it! It is a little pricey but so worth it if you want to treat yourself to something really special and it can make a wonderful gift!

I have also tried this yummy Cucumber Calming Face Mist which is great if you work long hour in an office or just have a long and tiring day; the refreshing smell of cucumbers will wake you up without the need for coffee and sweets.

Also if you have a problem with puffy under-eyes in the morning another cucumber based product from this line the Cucumber Depuffer Eye Serum will solve this problem for you. It is very very light and refreshing

 There are so many more products I want to try from this line and as soon I will do so I will definitely let you know how it goes!

Do you have any awesome Etsy beauty finds? If so let me know! I would love to hear about it!

Shoot with Danielle Sheller and Amie Schroeder

Couple of months ago Danielle asked me if I would like to be part of a photo shoot she will be styling. I immediately said yes! She already had Amie Schroeder on her team as a photographer and Hana & Posy who created all the amazing floral designs. 

Danielle wanted a delicate, soft pink makeup; her inspiration were cherry blossoms. We did her eyes in delicate  pastels, applied natural looking false eyelashes and finished with soft eyeliner. We wanted her to look very natural and fresh so we skipped heavy lipstick and used a soft shimmery pink gloss. Her hair was in soft natural waves, very effortless...

Danielle found this amazing retro dress at...guess what!?! H&M!!

I love how it all turned out!

Bride: Kim

Last summer I did Kim's wedding makeup and just came across the photos. The wedding was featured in the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Philadelphia Wedding magazine. Photos by Alison Conklin Photography

Kim was such a stunning bride!!

Makeup dos and don'ts: important or not?

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   Many of my clients seem to be so afraid of makeup and the possible rules they might break. Are makeup rules really that important to follow?
I will say yes and no! But to make it easier for you I will tell you which rules you should follow and which you should be free to break.
The important rules to follow are:

• Choosing the right foundation shade is a must. You want the foundation to match your chest area. I know we are usually taught to match our neck but I don't follow this rule since the neck is usually much lighter then our face and chest. 
• Paying attention to the amount of foundation, concealer and powder we apply to the skin. We want a nice smooth coverage, not a cakey surface.
• To make your eyes pop choose eyeshadow that is opposite of your eye color. For blue eyes browns are great, for brown eyes grays, and for green eyes purples.
• Less is more when it comes to eyeshadow and blush. You don't want to look like a clown.

And here is where the rules end. It can be really fun to experiment with makeup, try different shades and textures. If you are into a nude lipstick pickup something totally opposite like a bright pink- it can be very empowering!

Once you know the basic rules you can play with them. Choose a blue eyeshadow or eyeliner for your blue eyes...

 or how about yellow liner?

Here is a great example of a successful makeup rule braking! A fuchsia pink is usually a no no for redheads but I think it looks really great!

Have fun with your makeup!

My upcoming Makeup Class!

        As most of you know I am starting to host makeup classes! The first one will be on February 25th at the Soiree Studio in Old City Philadelphia. I am very excited to share my knowledge with some of you.

     

      I believe that makeup can really transform and empower a woman. We all see the images of perfectly looking actresses and models and we feel bad about our appearance. However, we need to remember that they had a team of professionals working on them: Makeup Artists, Hair Stylist, Fashion Stylist etc. Not the mention the professional lighting, camera and of course TONS and TONS of RETOUCHING!!! We often forget that, we look in the mirror and we think we look tired, worn out, our complexion lacks that glow... 

     There are few very simple makeup steps that you can do every day to really boost your confidence and I will teach them during my makeup classes. I don't want to keep my knowledge to my self! I want to share it with women everywhere so they can feel beautiful, powerful and confident. I am not going to teach you how to transform into someone else. I will teach you how to bring out the beauty that you already have! 

      It is going to be a fun and "girly" day of beauty, mimosas and yummy food. I want for us to have fun together and for YOU to realize the beauty you already HAVE!!!

      Here is some info about the upcoming class! There are only 2 spots left for this day so if you would like to attend please book as soon as you can! 

You can book online at  http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2828713759/efbnen 

If you would like to stay informed about future classes please send me an email to aleksmakeup@gmail.com.

Loving Red Lips

      Over the last year or so we have been seeing red lips everywhere, all of the major celebrities wear red now, even Kim Kardashian who's signature looks is smokey eye and pale lip. The popularity of the vintage look is probably due to the success of shows like Mad Man, Boardwalk Empire, Pan Am and the recent release of the "My week with Marilyn" film (which I haven't seen yet but dying to see it!!!).

  Most women love red lipstick and think it looks great on other women but they don't think they can pull it off personally. They often tell me that red looks too overpowering, especially if they have fuller lip; and they don't feel like themselves with bright lips. 

I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT EVERY WOMAN CAN WEAR RED LIPSTICK!!!

  You only have to find the right shade, coverage and texture. There are many kids of red out there; some have cooler tones to them, some warmer. Some are super shiny and some mat. 

  From my experience the best finish for red lipstick is one that is light,  mat and on a sheer side. To make the look more approachable there are two rules to follow when applying red lips: 

1. Use a lipstick brush. I find that when using a lip brush the application is more precise and you have more control with how much product you apply. Experiment with it and you will see for yourself!

2. Skip the lipliner. Using a lipliner when applying red color might make the lips look too dramatic, too strong. I like to skip the liner for a softer and more modern look.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SHADE:

• There is no way going around this... you will just have to be patient and keep trying!
• I would advise that you go to such retailers as Sephora or Bluemercury. This way you can just keep trying different shades without being "a pain in the butt" for the sales person.
• Bring your own lipstick brush, you might also want to bring some alcohol pads (Spehora has alcohol on their makeover stations), which you can use to sanitize product and your brush.
• Look at the colors you are drawn to and simply apply them. Look at the result in at least two different mirrors.
• If you don't like it, take it off and try another one. (Sephora has cotton rounds and makeup remover but if you like you can bring your own makeup wipes) It might be helpful to bring your own foundation since sometimes the red lipstick are hard to remove. Make sure you touch up the area around the lips between applications, if the skin around the lips is red the lipstick will not look good!

There are so many brands out there that it is hard for me to tell you which one is the best. You will have to see which suites you best. Through my explorations I found Dior Addict in Smoke and I really love it for my personal use.

On last note: Try different shades even if you think they might not work. You never know! Also usually the more toned down versions of red look best for ever day look!

GOOD LUCK!

xoxoxoxo!

Aleksandra

Solution for dark circles

    One of the most common questions I get from my clients is how to cover up the dark circles under the eyes. We all have been through this: trying out million different products only to have them fail us once again. The most common problems are creasing of the concealer and the fact that the under-eye wrinkles seem to be more prominent after we apply some makeup in that area.
    After many years in the industry I was finally able to find few products that make covering up circles a breeze! Here is what you do:

•    Begin by applying a good eye cream, make sure it is not too greasy. One of my favorites is Ultra Correction Lift: Total Eye Lift by Chanel This is the only eye cream that has actually worked for me. Pat the eye cream gently; be careful not to apply too much of the product.

•    Follow my applying some kind of light diffusing product. Many people swear by Touche Eclat by Yves Saint Laurent; it comes in many different colors which can be good for ladies with darker skin tones. My favorite however is Photo Op Under Eve Brightener by Smashbox. It comes in one color, which suites most skin tones and it is half the price! Once again use enough product to cover the area and fan it out a bit towards your cheekbones, however be careful not to overdo it!

•    The next step will be applying the actual concealer. My new favorite is High Definition Liquid Concealer by Smashox. It is super light and very pigmented so you don't have to use a lot of it. Pat is down gently all over the under eye area. Make sure you fan it out a bit towards your cheeks and the cheekbones. It is also nice to use a tone or two lighter then the rest of your foundation: it will give nice brightness to your face.

•    The last step it totally optional, but like to use it especially on my younger clients. You finish by lightly dusting a Secret Brightening Powder by Laura Mercier. I like to use soft blending eyeshadow brush for this. You might want to skip this step if your under eye wrinkles are more pronounced. 

   I hope this helps you conquer those stubborn circles! If you need more in depth instruction I have a great news! I will start conducting half-a-day makes classes! Stay tuned!!