Diary of an MUA: July 1st photo shoot

I had the pleasure of working a photoshoot yesterday with a wonderful pair of ladies who are starting a new business venture. Four models and the two owners and I did all the makeup. I snapped a few pics of the work, trying to get better at remembering. Enjoy!

Update: forgot a couple of pictures! I added them now :)

The Makeup Show NYC 2012 Blogger Preview

I live for the time of year when TMSNYC rolls around.  Not only for the show itself but for the mini reunion that takes place with my fellow bloggers and mua's!  I had such a great time and the weather was amazing.

A proper recap complete with products is coming but wanted to share this quickie.

Diary of an MUA: BTS 'Doctor Bello'

I have been blessed to meet some awesome people during my time as an MUA.  One such person that I am happy to call a friend is LillyBeth.  She and I met during the taping of Rip the Runway and have kept in touch ever since. 

Well I was asked by LB to come work with her on a film and I jumped at the chance.  Turns out there were some pretty big names on set (check the pics) and I had a great time.  We were working that day for almost 20 hours and while we were all delirious we had a great time. 

Thanks again LB, love ya mama!

For more info on the film check out www.doctorbello.com

Diary of an MUA: Men's Grooming Kit

Had a commercial shoot last week with three best selling male authors and this was what I used on set.

I didnt even use all those brushes, basically a 235 brush to apply a base/concealer, the fan brush to powder and a lip brush for lip balm.

Gotta love male grooming!

Oh and lunch was provided c/o The Brown Bag, cobb salad yum!

Sidebar: mobile blogging is giving me the blues as I nurse myself back to health.  Please be patient with me.

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Diary of an MUA: Bridal Couture and Ballerinas

One of my dear hairstylist buddies asked me to shoot with her at the end of January.  Details of the shoot were given of course, you know the usual, how many models, the look, location, but I was not expecting the magic that I saw on set that day.

Only one image has been released to the public thus far (see above), including to those of us who worked on it...we were told by the photographers that something big is in the works for the release of the images.

There is also a behind the scenes video I got to see that hasn't been released either.  However, I wanted to share some of it with you all because I was very proud to have been a part of this shoot.  As SOON as I hear back on the images I will be sure to update.

one of the photogs took this one with her phone and yes thats my hand :)

February Photo-A-Day Challenge-2/1

Kenya, my beauty blogging buddy from Brown Girlz Rock, shared this challenge with a few of us today. 

Seeing as though I have been pretty lax in the blogging department I figured this would be a good spark to ignite the passion to blog again.

Day 1 - your view today

Mine is all about preparation, tunnel vision if you will.  For what you ask?  Stay tuned!  :)

Diary of an MUA: Player 1, Level Up

We are rolling steady in 2012, kicking our shoes off and getting comfy.  Now I pretty much suck at resolutions so I tend to stay away from them.  I did however fully intend to step out from my comfort zone this year as far as my career in makeup artistry and I am pleased to say that "so far, so good".  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook then you are already aware of the goings on, but for those who aren't, keep reading and watch the video.  :)

Since recording this video I am happy to report that I have already completed my first gig with my agency!  This past Monday I was working on about 2 hours of sleep but I got it done and the client was pleased with my work, so much so that I was offered more work in the coming months.  So hopefully that pans out because it was a great team to work with.

I have been hustling extra hard this month and it is paying off big time.  I am so very thankful for my fiance aka "the sig", he is my biggest support right now, and none of this would be possible without him.  :)  Leaving my job back in September was one of the best things that could have happened to me, as crazy as that sounds; my health is 100% better and I am living my dream.

I will be continuing to share my experiences and there is a big one/ones to report coming soon so stay tuned for that and as always thank you for visiting my little part of cyberspace.

Diary of an MUA: 'Makeup & Moscato' w/Dell Johnson!

So one of my goals this year is to attend more industry based networking events, "partying with a purpose" if you will.  To set that wheel in motion I had the pleasure of attending “Makeup and Moscato” about two weeks ago.  For those who are unfamiliar with the event it is geared towards industry professionals but also welcomes those who have a love for the industry to come together and get to know each other in a relaxed environment. 

As an added bonus, of course as the name suggests, there are adult beverages involved along with a nice spread of food and yall know I am all about a beverage and a bite!  Even better, our gracious host Dell Johnson of Rondell Johnson Beauty closes out the evening with a makeup demo and answers any questions that attendees may have.  The event was held at Union 206, a studio space in Old Town Virginia that I have had the pleasure of shooting in, and being in a creative space with other creatives added to the welcoming atmosphere. 

Dell’s assistant was also there, Agnes, she made everyone feel welcome and she was so awesome at anticipating Dell’s needs, especially during the demo portion.  She needs to do an assisting 101 course or something, like seriously because a lot of artists have questions about that.

I have known Dell via Twitter and Facebook for about a year now or at least I thought I did…let me explain… one thing I can say about Dell is he is very passionate about his craft.  He takes it very seriously and when he has something to say, he definitely speaks his mind, no holds barred, and for those who have skin that may not be that thick it may rub them the wrong way or his approach can become misconstrued but definitely take the time to get to know him, he’s real, he knows his ish and I respect that.   

When you meet him in person OMG you just want to sit and talk with him for hours.  He is so personable and loveable; his enthusiasm about beauty is infectious in the best way possible and as an added bonus he throws down in the kitchen on some deviled eggs ok?  I blame him for throwing me off my health kick game as I inhaled a half dozen eggs at the event!  LOL

Enough of my rambling – peep the vid to get a taste of ‘Makeup & Moscato’.

So as you can see we were able to ask many questions; contouring the face being the most popular - I mean that IS one of Dell’s many areas of expertise, see some makeup demos, learn and just fellowship with each other. 

If you are in the DC area be sure to attend the next ‘Makeup & Moscato’, you will definitely come away with something whether it be a larger network (Dell is SERIOUS about making you meet people other than who you came with so be prepared!  J) increased knowledge about makeup, tips on how to perfect your artistry or if nothing else a chance to unwind with other like-minded individuals.  

For those who are NOT in the DC area, don’t fret because have transportation, Dell WILL travel!  He also tours with his beauty workshops as well as the networking event.  Visit his site at www.rjohnbeauty.com for his travel schedule and if you don’t see your city listed, reach out to him.  He would be more than happy to add it!

Thank you all for reading/watching and I will see you next time – bye!

Shana vs. Sephora

Word on the beauty streets was that Sephora had sent out gift cards to Beauty Insiders for the holidays.  I heard varying amounts, some said $10, some said $15.  There was also a bit of confusion on the fine print of the offer; it was either a gift card void of a required purchase or you had to spend a certain amount for the card to be valid.  Another issue that arose was some people were saying they received an email while others received an actual card in the mail...

When I was first asked if I had received a gift card via email I went through my gmail with a fine-toothed comb and still came up empty-handed.  Anyone with gmail knows that its pretty darn close to impossible to lose an email for good.  It seems they keep everything forever, for better or worse...but again I looked, did a search, checked the trash - no git card email.  I then said OK well whatever because it seems that every time Sephora runs a promotion there is confusion.  Some people get it and others don't.  I was able to move on from the situation...

Earlier this week I checked the mail and had received some love mail from a fellow YouTube buddy so I decided to record a video while I opened the package.  Well in looking through the mail, while on camera, I noticed a card from Sephora...yes THE card.  Although I had moved on from it I have to admit I was excited that my card had finally arrived!  Again I was on camera as I read through the card because as it turns out I was actually on my way to the mall for some holiday shopping so I wanted to see if I could use it while running errands; thats when I noticed the dates: Valid December 1 - December 12...the problem was that it wasnt delivered until December 13!  

I was so irritated and shared my frustration with my fellow beauty blogging buddies.  Turns out a number of them were in the same predicament.  Either they never received the gift card even though they are faithful Sephora shoppers or they received it late like me.  I had in my mind and the point was further driven home by Kerris of Pumps and Gloss, that I needed to call Sephora and voice my concern.  So that's what I did!  To find out what happened check out the video below:

Haute & Healthy: New Snacks

One of my issues in maintaining healthy eating habits is that I love to snack.  Its funny because I actually hate the word snack, my kids use it often, after they eat they want a snack, like immediately after any meal they are asking for a snack as if its a reward for finishing their food. 

I guess that idea of a reward is why snacking is my vice.  I mean think about it, snacks are marketed in the most fun ways, the brightest, most lively, most entertaining situations we see when it comes to food marketing involve snacks.

I had to keep my snack options but make more healthy choices with variety.  I cant snack on veggies and fruit only, wheres the crunch?  I now make it a point to look for snacks geared towards vegans as much as I can.  Here are a few things ive picked up (the oatmeal is not really a snack but was a great find because steel cut oatmeal takes a while to cook), which I am happy to report that although the taste profile may take some getting used to, they are rather tasty.

Miami Revisited!

I forgot about some of the pics I snapped with my phone while in Miami. Trying to clean out my gallery so here they are for your viewing pleasure.

Went to the Skins vs Dolphins game and was surprised to see so many Skins fans. The bbq nachos were muy delicioso...yeah that was pretty much the highlight of that outing. Blah lol

Had amazing authentic cuisine from Puerto Sagua and even had a minor celeb spotting...Solange's son was a table away from us. There was no way I was gonna snap a pic of someone's child though. "The sig" ran into "the situation" while we were there also. Funny.

As I mentioned in a previous post we hit up Mangos and had a ball...and some beverages as you can see. That's my girl Kipp also known as MsMickey1908 on youtube.

Until next time! :)

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Haute & Healthy: Spaghetti Squash

Last night I decided to try a dish that I've had in my head for a few weeks.

I visited Whole Foods one day and had the "garlicky pasta" from the hot bar.  Bad breath be damned it was so good.  Just plain spaghetti noodles with roasted garlic tossed in olive oil.  Simply delicious.

I wanted to recreate it at home but figured it would be interesting to try it with spaghetti squash instead.  I also wanted more of a tomato sauce so I added a bit more veggies to the mix: roma tomatoes, white onion, white mushrooms and tomatillos.

For those that are unfamiliar, spaghetti squash looks just like your garden variety (pun intended) squash.  The difference is when you cook it up the flesh scoops out in strands that look just like spaghetti noodles.

As for tomatillo its a vegetable of the nightshade variety that is often used in mexican cuisine.  It has a light citrus taste.

It was fairly easy to prepare the ingredients, I simply roasted the squash and garlic in the oven after brushing with Wegmans basting oil. I sauteed the other veggies in a pan with olive oil.  I seasoned with Trader Joes lemon pepper seasoning.

I actually liked how it turned out.  I also gave some to Sam the girl (my daughter) and she ate it with no problem, she actually loves vegetables though.

I sampled the leftovers this morning and it actually tastes even better so I think this recipe is a keeper.  I would say total prep and cooking time is an hour, cause it took me a while to get the dern squash open.  I think I need to ask "Santa" for some ginsu knives or something.  I went through a good five knives!  It takes 30-45 minutes to roast the veggies in the oven.

Here are pics of the adventure!