A Makeup Artists' go-to product to get makeup to stay put!

Makeup artist have their own tricks that they use to keep makeup from not going anywhere. While I have tried so many various primers, powders, and other makeup sealers - I came across this gem of a product...


Model in A Bottle!

Albite the cheesy name, this stuff truly works! It has a nice mint scent to it and all you need is two spritz and your makeup will be sweatproof. Another makeup artist told me about this product and I'm so happy that she did. Even OPRAH has boasted about how great this stuff is! If you have trouble with makeup that tends to smudge or just wear off during the day, give this stuff a try and I promise you will be happy that you did. Also, if you do order it, use the code "FF20" for 20% off - that takes care of your shipping costs ;-)

It's a snowy day where I am at so expect some tutorials to be in the next post ;-)

Love and snow angels,
Nikki

The brush winner hasn't stepped forward, so there's a new winner!

Oh no! The most recent winner of the brush contact didn't contact me back in time which can only mean....time for me to randomly select a new winner! And this time the winner is....

jazzy!

Horray! Jazzy - please contact me in 24 hours so that I can send these brushes on over to you =) Congrats!!!

oxox,
Nikki

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

Wow!! I am shocked to see that so many people commented to win these brushes!! You are going to love them and use them everyday because they are the most perfect brushes, not to mention super cute!!

AND THE WINNER OF THE ULTIMATE BEAUTY TOOLS BRUSHES IS....

LACEY!

To Lacey: Please e-mail me back at the e-mail that I messaged to you over to you if you received it. If not, please friend me on facebook (Click here!) so I can get an address to send the brushes too =)

Congrats Lacey! I know that you will do amazing things with them!

Please stay posted on my website for more fun giveaways and if you have any suggestions, please let me know =)

Love and free fun,
Nikki

Snowy day/night makeup

I love waking up to a smooth blanket of snow on the ground =) It inspired me to make a video using the colors of winter. Here is a fun and easy look that you can wearing during the day and into the night. Can anyone guess where the song in my video is from?



Happy Flurries!
Love,
Nikki

Brush Giveaway Contest!

Here's my winter gift from me to you!!!
You'll be blending and contouring in no time!

Having good, quality brushes is the key to great makeup. So here's a contest I'm doing for anyone who wants to enter! If you read my blog, please subscribe and comment below =)

Ultimate Beauty Tools makes a brush set that will knock your socks off! It comes with a powder brush, contouring blush and bronzer brush, shadow duo brush, and a liner duo brush complete with ruby red handles and a little diamond on each of them!

THIS IS MY FIRST CONTEST SINCE I STARTED THIS BLOG AND I PLAN TO DO MANY MORE! If you like winning free stuff, then tell me so and subscribe and comment! haha

And now, ze' rules:

1) You must comment a different reason why you enjoy reading my blog or watching my videos (so I know it's not a random computer generating comments over and over)

2) I will announce the winner sometime after 12:00am EST on Saturday, January 22nd. When I post up the winner's name, the winner must contact me within 24 hours through a message or e-mail or comment. If the winner doesn't contact me after 24 hours, I'll select another winner!

The contest ends Friday, January 21st @ 11:59 (EST). Good luck and have fun!! Please post any giveaway ideas for the next contest!


Love,
Nikki

Pro makeup brushes for under $5!

Nope, that is NOT a typo! There really are good brushes that you can get for under $5! E.L.F Cosmetics IS a drugstore brand that you can find almost anywhere now (Christmas Tree Shops carries almost all of the E.L.F line). I decided one day to buy a couple of their studio brushes to try and oh boy, I am so happy I did! These brushes are aMAZING! My personal favorites are:



Powder brush: I use this brush for everything! It's sturdy and perfect for cheek color and applying mineral foundation. It's like a buffer for your face!



Eyeshadow "C" Brush: Applies an even, all over color to the lid. It packs a lot of shadow onto its bristles. I'll use this when I want to do a quick, solid color on the lids.

Give them a try, you'll be so happy that you did! If you decide to order them off of the website, try the code "HAPPY" to get $5 off, that's paying for one brush right there! An even better deal - the code "Carolina" gives customers 50% off on orders up to $25! For as affordable these brushes are, I definitely suggest giving them a try because they are excellent quality and made with synthetic haired Taklon, making them very soft.

Click here to go to the studio brush section for ELF Cosmetics!

Happy Brush Buying!

Nikki

Quick and Easy, Day into Night Makeup Video

Last night, I went out to see one of my good friends sing in his great band, Pulling Punches (feel free to add them on FB, they are very nice!). Since it was a local show, I dressed pretty relaxed and upped the ante a little bit on my makeup, using the same colors I used during the day. I always used to get so worked up on how to do night time makeup until I figured out this little trick that has saved me so much time!

One of the hardest things about getting ready before you go out at night is putting together the right look that feels comfortable for you. You don't want to look too over the top if you're staying local, but you also don't want to look like you are just getting out of work! Here's a quicky video I made before I went out last night. I hope you enjoy it!

oxox from a new Pulling Punches fan,
Nikki

The big question I get asked all the time….

"Have you ever gone to makeup school?"

And the answer is….

NO!

I am self taught when it comes to all kinds of makeup - glamour, bridal, horror, etc. I've had people ask me if it's worth taking makeup classes and here is my theory on makeup school and classes…

If you want to develop a basic understanding about makeup and you want someone to show you how to apply it step by step, makeup schools are a great option. Though they don't teach creativity, they will teach you proper technique and how to be sanitary with your makeup. If you already have a basic technique and a hint of creativity, you don't need to spend a lot of money on classes. I taught myself by looking at photos that I admired from artist like Kevyn Aucoin and Alexis Vogel. I would just look at one of their photos and try to recreate it on my own face. When I first started doing makeup, it would take me OVER AN HOUR to do a SMOKEY EYE! But that's ok because I was still learning and I WASN'T GOING TO GIVE UP on myself! And now, youtube has so many makeup gurus such as Kandee Johnson, Michele Phan, and EnKore…. who show you step by step how to apply makeup. Kandee Johnson is one of my favorites because not only is she beautiful and talented, she's such a loving person and breaks down all the steps for you. Her work is amazing, just check out her Edward Scissorhands tutorial and you'll see what I'm taking about :)

If you are thinking more towards doing makeup for films, Special FX schools are wonderful to attend. There's a great one not too far from where I grew up called Tom Savini's Special Effects School in Monessen, PA. Tom Savini is the makeup artist most known for his "Living Dead" films. At his school, they teach prosthetics, mold making, blood, old age, and every other kind of effect used in horror films. I actually learned all my goriness from none other than my dear ol' Mom! Every year since the first grade, I was always something scary for Halloween. Most girls wanted to be can can dancers or angels. Not little Nikki! In the first grade I was a bloody ballerina! Except for in Kindergarten when I wanted to be a princess. Exhibit X!:


Me and my ninja boyfriend crush!

And each year, she and I would go shopping for the latest in scary makeup - fake noses, scars, the works. So as the years progressed, she and I learned the basics of fake gore. Then when I was 17, I got hired to do makeup at a local haunted house and learned a lot from the other makeup artists there that helped me so much. I took a chance and applied and was SO HAPPY that I was getting the chance to do what I love and learn at the same time!

Finding a mentor is a great way to learn makeup and you won't have to pay a dime! Find a makeup artist that you really like and ask them if you can come with them on a shoot or "assist" them with a wedding. This way you can find out if makeup is something you really want to do or not and you can learn some really great tricks ;-)

So if you are contemplating on whether or not makeup school is right for you, I hope this helped your thought process a bit. Do your research, ask former alumni, read reviews, find out everything you can about a school that you wish to attend. I'm not knocking makeup schools, but I feel that you shouldn't have to pay a reDONKulous amount of money if you already have a brain filled with creativity (which I know you do!). Whatever you choose, I hope it's a happy choice and it is a step in the right direction for your heart and dreams. I'm a huge advocator in that you can do anything that you want to do. The only person that can stop you is yourself. People will try, but if you keep at your dreams you will get them no matter what happens. Don't ever let anyone tell you the "right" way or the "only" way to do things...you're the only one who knows what right way is for you. Just always listen to your heart because it will never steer you in the wrong direction!

Love,
Nikki

Going Green Tutorial for E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!

Today is game day between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. Both are excellent teams, but my roots are with the Eagles. I made a tutorial a long time ago about "Going Green" with eyeshadow and today is the perfect day to give it a go! Here are a couple of my FAVORITE Green eye products:

MAC's Moss Scape Paint Pot

Put this on as a base for your shadow and it will make whatever other green you put on top of it stay all day

NYX Single Shadow in Kiwi

It's so bright and fun and if you went your applicator brush before applying ti to your lids, the color comes out to be such a true and vibrant shade.


Here's my "Go Green" for Eagles look!



GO TEAM!
Nikki

My secret to soft, kissable lips

If you've ever read any of my articles, you'll find out that I like to incorporate kitchen items into my beauty regimine. I'm all for using fruits and other natural products over artificial things because organic is way better for your skin and overall health. So for a quick and cheap way to naturally exfoliate your lips, I whip up some of my BROWN SUGAR LIP SOFTENER and it gets the job done.

With a pinch of olive oil and the same amount of brown sugar, I mix the two together and lightly rub it all over my lips. I then wipe it off with a warm, damp wash cloth. Not only does it taste yummy, but it leaves your lips super soft. I usually go over it with a lip balm of choice and then go about my day. After the past couple of days on the snow slopes, my lips should have been chapped to bits. But my trusty brown sugar lip soften scrub kept them soft and made me a very happy snow bunny. Chapped lips are no fun, so don't let the winter get the best of your pucker!

Kiss kisses!,
Nikki

Got that Glitter on my Eyes

This past New Years Eve, I made my eyes really dramatic with gold glitter and let me tell ya…. I got a million and one compliments! This is a really fun look and is fun all year 'round, especially for parties, club events, wherever!





Please check out my article (with slide show!) with step by step instructions on how to recreate this exact look by clicking the link below. Have fun and please send me photos of the finished product =)

How To: Gold, Glitter Eyes!

A New Year, a new look!

Due to the complaints of many a client, I changed my entire website so that it is easier for you to view =) All of the links are right underneath my awesomely designed banner and all of them are working perfectly smooth. I couldn't have done this without the most talented James Walker. Not only did he help me set up all of the links, contact page, etc., but he created this entire layout - banners and all! So if you ever need any website, blog, graphic help - send it on over to James because the guy truly knows his stuff. He's a sweetheart and has his own blog as well: http://art-of-noise-online.blogspot.com =) Thanks again James!!

I have so many things I need to update on, stay tuned for a how-to and some snow madness!

Love,
Nikki