Oh What A Night!: Illamasqua launch at Kryolan City Chicago

      
               I had the pleasure of attending the Kryolan City Chicago "Evening with Illamasqua" event last night. There were lots of fab artist in attendance.......as well as...you got it....MAKEUP! Of course I had a great time!

 The event was held at the Kryolan store (north Chicago) on Halsted. This was surprisingly my first time making it out to the Kryolan store as it's a little far from me. I do plan to make a return visit or 2 or 3 very soon! They were gracious enough to give gift swag bags away to each guest. I received a full sized pure pigment in Incite, a $30 gift cert and a makeup corrector stick. Can you say AWESOME? lol

Here are a few pics from the event Enjoy!

Pure Pigment (Incite was included in gift bag)

Skin Base is a wonderful water based foundation almost undetectable in HD. Great coverage, fully buildable and blended perfectly into my skin. I'll be picking up a few for my kit when I reach baller status which should be very soon. lol

Skin Base color chart 

Artist Networking

The food was great too! (Don't ask me what this is just know that it is not cooked O_O lol) Yum!

A few makeup artist I met at the event (Left to right Angela Hall, Nicole Rogers (me),  Eun Jee Jen, Melinda Jones  and Yvonne Wallace center) Hey ladies! Lovely meeting you! 

Sharon O'brian educating on products 

Wonderful selection of books at Kryolan. I have quite a few of these!  

Aren't these the cutest lashes? I think I'll be wearing them for  NYE this year.

    If you haven't given the store a visit, I would highly recommend doing so! The staff is informative and the owners are sooooo nice! I love spending money in establishments where they truly appreciate it! By the way I did buy a makeup brush while at the event. I couldn't help myself! I needed a new flat shader! lol

Have you ever tried any Kryolan or Illamasqua products? What are some of your favorites?

Holiday Makeup Looks: It's a party!!!

It's that time of year again! Holiday party time!!! This is not as simple for some, as their makeup choice could prove to be a problem. Don't worry! I'm here to help!

Here are a few tips to help select your makeup for the holiday season! 

DO keep it simple. (Less is definitely more)

DO pick your best feature to enhance (eyes,lips, cheeks)

DO enhance your look with False Lashes (every diva needs lashes) 

DON'T be afraid to try something different (remember you can always wash it off)  

DO get your brows groomed ( by a professional or someone you trust)

makeup by Nicole Rogers

                 For the first look I decided to keep her skin simple with an emphasis on her eyes and brows. I used colors from the Urban decay palette on her eyes. The gold really puts an emphasis on her  lid and with the use of the darker brown in the crease added a deeper dimension to her eye shape. This is a look that can be worn just about anywhere!  

                  For the second look I simply added Makeup forever's eyeshadow #92 Purple in the corners of her eyes to spice things up for the chic chica on the go. I also used the same shadow to add a hint of color to the cheeks.

Both lips were created using OCC cosmetics primary colors. There's so much versatility in their line of cosmetics! Check them out!


Have you been to any holiday parties this year? How did you wear your makeup? 

Curly Hair and Don't Care

           I decided to try a new hairstyle which always strikes fear into my husbands heart! lol He never knows exactly where my head is for the week ie: afro, straight weave, blow out, curly weave or braids. The list could go on and on. He says it's like waking up to a different women everyday. *raises eyebrow* lol

  I decided to try out a Bantu twist out. (Pictured left) I chose to double strand twist each section before twisting into knots but I think I made the sections too small because I was concerned about frizz control. As it turns out the smaller knots made for more smaller curls that lasted until I realized.....I don't like small curls or frizz. lol

       I fixed my dislikes by curling each section with a small 13mm barrel round Enzo wand. I was careful not to include my ends because I'm always conscious of and trying to avoid split ends.

This was the result after using the iron. I loved the volume the bantu twist out created but not the frizz. This gave me more of a controlled curl and lots of shine!

Products used: Mixed chicks leave in conditioner  and Dudley's Setting lotion.

What hair styles have you tried lately? Did you like it?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

This is always a wonderful time of year for me as I love family and I loooooove to eat! I cooked quite a bit this year and everything tasted great! (that's my story and I'm sticking to it! lol)

Me and my lovely family would like to wish all my readers a very lovely Happy Thanksgiving!

Memphis the Musical

                I had the pleasure of viewing the Musical Memphis last night and I was blown away by the amount of talent exhibited on stage! This Musical won the Tony award last year for best musical. Let me first start off by saying my husband surprised me with this lovely event and I was quite shocked when he mentioned that he really enjoyed it as well! (That's saying something as he usually doesn't like musicals.lol) Back to the musical!

The musical was a love story set in the 1950's era between two unlikely characters for the time. A local white Dj (Huey) Bryan Fenkart and a black night club singer (Felicia) Felicia Boswell trying to make something of themselves. The soundtrack reminds you of a time where "musical was real" full of rhythm and blues. Felicia Boswell has one of those voices you won't forget!  It's a must see!

Of course this post would not be complete without commenting on the hair, makeup and wardrobe!
The costumes were a fantastic capture of the 1950's. Felicia's stage costumes showed the elegance of the 50's with tailored dresses and beading. The teens had poodle skirts, and men sported patterned sweaters, polo's and slacks.


(Below Felecia Boswell from the musical Memphis.)

I really get the fifties vibe from her hair and makeup which was executed fabulously! Her brows are highly arched to a point with winged/doe liner and a heavily lined matte red lip.  I'd actually wear this look and adapt it to fit my own style by blending the lip liner a bit and adding a little gold shimmer to highlight my cheeks for extra added glow.

Have you ever been to a musical? What's your favorite one?

You can check out the cast and chicago show dates via there website.

Old Looks Anew! : Period makeup

It's been said, if you don't know your past you are doomed to repeat it. Well in the case of beauty, being doomed isn't so bad! Over the years many artist (music and makeup) pull inspiration from old Hollywood starlets. These references often go lost on those who aren't familiar with looks from the past but are directly effected by the trends they create. In order to help you guys out with a few references, I've decided to use Beyonce.Beyonce is one of this generations iconic musical artist. She's been known for her chameleon like changes between albums but I know her best for her constant references to classic period makeup looks.......it's a personal hobby of mine. I'll share a few of my favorites with you (I have dozens)!

Up top you'll see a head nod to the 1920's. I used Clara bow (actress) to show the similarities between looks. Notice the down turned over extended brow along with the dark lip and cupids bow. This is a classic look with an updated twist executed to perfection!

The 1950's were used for inspiration in the photo next to Dorothy Dandridge. Notice the sharp arch of the brow defined to a point. In the photo, Dorothy Dandridge has a soft winged liner and defined brow where Beyonce is sporting an exaggerated winged/Doe tip liner for the eye. An updated trick to an old trend.

The 1960's were an explosion of creativity and color! Elizabeth Taylor's performance as Cleopatra in 1963 was an updated look from the Egyptian era and was used as inspiration in 2007 for Alexander Mcqueen's collection for MAC. Beyonce took inspiration in 2008 and used it as a catalyst for her "I am Sasha fierce" album. It's a very beautiful strong eye with a pop of color and light lip.

The sixties also spawned a wave of spider lashes and rounded cut creases to give the eye more of a rounded effect. Beyonce looks fab in this Twiggy inspired look and also has my favorite brow look for her to date. Kim Kardashian is bringing this look back with her use of spider lashes for her red carpet appearances.

I love finding inspiration in all things but digging into the past can prove to be quite inspirational. My next stop shall be to raid my mothers closet. She has clothes in there that are well over 30 years old. (Don't judge) lol

What are some of your favorite updates from past looks?

Fun Funky Summer Colors: OCC Lip tars

Even though the trend has moved to a soft orange lip, I suspect this year will go down as "the year of the super pink lip"! I've seen all tones, vibrancy and color combo's. I began to find it quite difficult to keep up...... until I started using OCC lip tars!

These little gem's are packaged like gloss but are opaque lipstick with a satin finish. By usi

ng the primary colors (Pictured left) you can create any color under the sun. For those of you challenged in the mixing area they have a total of 39 colors ranging for the wildest vixen to the timid chica.

From OCC website: A stunning innovation in lip color, OCC Lip Tar combines the longevity of a lipstick with the ease of application of a gloss and delivers unprecedented pigmentation and longevity! Lip Tar goes on slick and moist and dries down to a satin finish, and barely a drop is needed for complete, opaque coverage. A little goes a very, very long way! An intense yet featherweight layer of color that stands up to all profession mediums and everyday wear, without ever looking (or feeling!) heavy. Mix Lip Tar shades to create a limitless selection of custom colors!

I created a few colors (pictured right) I didn't use any lip liners or lip primers to create these looks only lip tar. I wanted you guys to see how pigmented they were and easily blendable on the lip. Imagine the possibilities!

I've

found you can also use these like lip stains as they are suuuuper pigmented. (not pictured)

Suggestions for application: A little goes a loooong way. Use a pin drop amount and pat the lip with fingers for use as a stain. For more opaque application use a lip brush and apply in layers.

You can check out there website at www.occmakeup.com Right now they have a 6 lip tars set for $50. What an awesome deal!

If you could choose any lip tar which would you get?

Rapunzel....who does your hair?

As a young girl I had mixed feelings about my hair but one thing was certain...I hated how my mother styled it! lol Being a natural problem solver, I took on the responsibility of my hair care at 9.

Fast forward many years and 2 kids (girls) later, I've found products and methods that have aided in both me and my daughters hair growth. Check out this video showcasing the below products and methods to achieve these looks HERE

Important things to note:

*Heredity

* Hair reduction

*Curl pattern

*Density

*Hair texture

Important things to consider:

*Protective styles

*Hair breakage due to brushing/combing straightening

*Hair damage by over blow drying

*Product usage damaging hair

Things to help:

*Saturate hair with generic conditioner and detangle

*Shampoo in sections

*Braid hair and let air dry

*Be patient

*Be consistent

Some Great Products

*Dudley's The Shampoo, moisturizing shampoo and conditioner

*Dudley's creme press

*Dudley's setting lotion

*Generic conditioner

*Redkin Anti snap

*Design Essentials natural care line

When straightening my hair and my girls I only pass once with the flat iron. This helped to avoid scorching of the hair and split ends. One slow controlled pass should get most hair types pretty straight.

Do you have any hair tricks or products you'd like to share? We'd love to hear them!

An Experience to Remember!!! Petra Alexandra Inc.

Brows Brows Brows!!! That was the focus for my 2011 visit to New York City. And what better place to go than Petra Alexandra Inc? I'm sure many of you are just as curious as I was to see "what is going on over there exactly?" I must admit I had been on a bit of a hiatus from taking makeup classes. I didn't feel that I was getting the results in information that would reward me with what I truly wanted.....being a great artist. There are plenty of ok or simply good artist getting all kinds of work but what I want most is to be great at what I do, doing it where I can. When I came across Petra Alexandra Inc, I immediately thought "I've found a gem" and had to see for myself.

This post will be very long and detailed as I want you to get a feel of my Experience. You may skip to the end after the astrics *** for photos.

I arrived at her home studio feeling anxious, nervous and relived as I had one of the most bizarre cab rides ever which resulted in the cabby getting a ticket. (Long story short won't go there) Many questions raced

through my mind as I pressed the bell. How would I be received?, Is she as stern as her facebook

page would suggest?, and would we get along?

After the door opened, I was greeted by a smiling face not that of Ms. Evelyn but of the model for the day Cassie. She would show me up the stairs through the narrow hallway adorned with the most amazing photos. It was full of magazine clippings and personal photos of Ms. Evelyn's work. I was quite impressed with the arrangement.

I changed my shoes to socks and

could hear a voice coming from the rear of the space saying "My dear I have slippers for you should you need them and be sure to wash your hands." I placed my bags in the back room and

complied. I was soon after greeted with a hug and a smile from Ms. Evelyn. She was wearing a lovely black floor length tunic that looked quite fashionable and comfortable with bangles for days. We then entered the front room that has the most interesting decoration. Everything looks as if it has been hand picked around the world to be placed in it's particular spot. The walls had scripture hand written in different areas and it was difficult not to get some knowledge any way you turned.

************ON TO MY ACTUAL CLASS**************

You will have to excuse me as I become a little less descriptive.

You see while attending Petra Alexandra you must come with an open mind, wide eyes and

sealed lips.

I honestly don't recall how long we sat and reviewed great brows and not so great brows but after the session I felt confident identifying problem areas and where to correct. This was

BEFORE I even touched the model. We would next get hands on with the first model of the day. She used very interesting tools to sculpt the brows and execute brow replacement. (that's all I'll say about that) Under the instruction of Ms. Evelyn check out one of the finished looks.-------->Brows are no longer simple as 1-2-3. Precision and detail are a must! I learned how to tweeze, thread, bleach and replace a brow properly and how could I

forget.......execute a wet brow!

We finished up on individual eyelash placement. Ms. Evelyn had to remind me to "Just do it". Sometimes I get lost in thought and over think things but hey it's a character flaw I'm working on. lol The entire day was breezing by (and some of the evening) when I realized the stern Ms. Evelyn from facebook was no where to be found all day. She was quite entertaining and a pleasure to be around!

During my Lesson I had 2 special vistors, Hadiiyah Barbel and Janell Hickman. They both gave wonderful inside information on how the industry works and how you should be presenting yourself while on set.

After my class was all over she invited me back to meet another one of her students Shalonda Wooten. Here is a collage of photos I took while she completed one of her classes.

I had the best time while at her school and plan to finish the rest of her course. I learned so much and can't wait to get back!

Was this post helpful for those of you who have never been to Petra Alexandra for classes? Did you get a good sneak peak in? What did you think?

You can visit her website at www.petraalexandra.com or her style seat to check her availability and updates on additional classes.

The Makeup Show NYC and Chicago

If you know me you've already heard how excited I am to be going to the Makeup show this year! And guess what...They will be breezing through Chicago! I will be attending both shows this year in NYC and Chicago and can't wait to meet all of the talented artist who will be in attendance.

If you've never been to The Makeup Show here is a quick video of what you can expect. Here is a little footage from last year's makeup show in NYC.

About The Makeup Show

The Makeup Show travels around the world from LA, NYC, Chicago and Europe. Bringing each destination a unique convergence of artists and community, where beauty professionals are sure to find an artistic energy that will inspire any beauty buff, from the passionate beginner to the seasoned professional. Each show offers an unparalleled lineup of education and appearances from top beauty professionals and focuses on career building and networking within the makeup community. The show provides a unique experience for the makeup professional to network directly from the best in the business.

Via press release- NEW YORK, NY (April 2011) - The Makeup Show NYC is excited to deliver the LARGEST pro-only beauty event for the sixth consecutive year! The highly anticipated show will be the first to bring NYC top prestigious brands and personal appearances from some of today’s most notable artists. Brands not to be missed at The Makeup Show NYC include Yves Saint Laurent, Kevyn Aucoin, Make Up For Ever andMAC. In addition, there will be over 60 pro-makeup brands ready to launch their newest products and colors around nearly every corner.

The Makeup Show NYC is also excited to feature a rare lineup of keynote speakers, some who are bringing their expertise to the show for the first time! Be in the midst of Sam Fine and Jeanine Lobell as they share their secrets and discuss how they have transcended the world of beauty. Sam Fine’s work can be seen on Patti Labelle, Vanessa L. Williams, and Jennifer Hudson (only to name a few!) And we all know and love Stila Cosmetics, the groundbreaking brand launched by Jeanine Lobell. No other event offers the beauty industry a truly intimate opportunity to network directly from the best in the business.

After being captivated by these top artists, beauty professionals can participate in hands-on workshops and hear more inspiring seminars from artists who have worked in all areas of makeup artistry…from film, television, fashion and editorial. But the excitement doesn’t end there…professionals will receive exclusive offers, discover new beautyproducts, and have the opportunity to wander through aisles of inspiration, while networking directly with those that make the industry tick.

The Makeup Show NYC is held on Sunday, May 15, 2011 from 9am to 6pm and on Monday, May 16, 2011 from 9am to 5pm at Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18^th Street, New York, NY. For a complete list of participating brands, educational speakers, schedule of events and prices.

The Makeup Show Chicago will take place on June 12 and 13 at a 12,000 square feet space, Venue One located at 1044 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60607. please visit www.themakeupshow.com.

Splish Splash "How does your hair take a bath?"

As a hairstylist it's important for me to have a host of products for a myriad hair textures and hair issues. This post I will be reviewing a couple SHIELO hair products, while discussing what you should be looking for while shopping for shampoo and conditioning hair products.

First things first, give your hair what it needs! If you have dry hair you should be looking for products that are going to add moisture to the hair. Now this may prove to be a bit of a problem if you don't know what to look for. Here are some tips!

1. If you have hair dry hair look for products that advertise moisture. This does sound simple enough but you don't' always get what's advertised. I would tell you to flip your bottles around and read the ingredients but that would make this post a little longer than it needs to be. So you'll just have to trust me.

I used Shielo's Hydrate moisturizing shampoo and Vibrancy Conditioner on my hair last week to test the quality of the product. If any of you know me personally, you already know I had to run a few test before it made it onto my head but here is what they advertise.

From the website:

Key Ingredients for SHIELO Moisturizing shampoo

• UV protectants and antioxidants from White Tea enhance color protection.

• Shea Butter adds a protective moisture barrier to seal the hair shaft.

• Hibiscus and Vanilla Cactus help soothe the scalp, which can become dry and irritated from color treatments.

Key Ingredients Hydrate Conditioner

• Rich mineral compounds soften hair and enhance color vibrancy.

• Plant Proteins, Sea Silk and Peptides replenish the strength, resilience and shine of youthful hair.

• Certified Organic Extracts condition hair and increase shine.

• Paraben-free preservative system.

Wonderful ingredients to look for while shopping for shampoos and conditioners!

First The Fragrance Test:

The fragrance was wonderful in both products! It left my hair smelling fresh and fruity!

5 stars

The Suds Test:

It did lather but not as much as much as I've seen. This is actually a good thing. This means that there is not a heavy detergent present in the product.

4 stars

PH Test:

A good shampoo has a ph range of 4.5 - 8. Any higher for me strips the hair of it's natural oils. This product had a PH of 7. This means it is a great gentle cleanser and safe or color treated hair. The conditioner had a ph of 4.5 which is exactly where it should be.

4 stars

I shampooed both my natural hair (which is a natural 4a fine texture) and my hair weave with this product then followed with the hydrate conditioner. They left my hair soft and very manageable.

Botom line: I loved both the shampoo and conditioner! I would purchase again!

You can find these lovely products at www.SHIELO.com

What are some of your concerns when shopping for hair products?

Bombshell Tip: Shampoo is for your scalp and Conditioner is for your hair. When shampooing you should concentrate your efforts on the scalp area. When conditioning try to keep the conditioner concentrated on the hair and do not massage into the scalp;-) Happy Hair!