Charlize Theron Inspired Makeup

Charlize Theron is a natural beauty. She has amazing features and she needs very little makeup to make them stand out. She has a staple makeup look that she wears quite often. It's all about the gold eyes. She loves to wear gold shadows on her lids and her lower lashline and she defines her eyes with a dark liner. Her skin is always very bronzy with golden glow. And lips are usually kept to a minimum with either a pale pink or peach lip.


This is one of my favorite looks because it's so simple and understated but accentuates her features in all the right ways.


Check out the video tutorial below to see my version of a Charlize Inspired makeup look.

Let's Talk Oscars!

The Oscars were last Sunday and I have to say almost everyone looked AMAZING. It was mostly all hits with just a few misses.

Some of my favorite looks were Natalie Portman. I loved her pink jewel tone dress and her smokey eyes using pinks and purples. She looked perfect.

Sarah Jessica Parker was another favorite. She was perfection with her princess dress, classic hair and she always makes her eyes pop. Loved it!

Penelope Cruz was very elegant and pretty. She was classic Penelope using browns and golds on her eyes and just defining it with liner and lashes. And her hair and dress made her look like a fairytale.Vanessa Hudgens I thought looked beautiful and sexy. She knows how to dress for her age keeping it young and sexy but still classy. Her smokey eye and red lip were perfectly suited for her black and white hour glass dress.
And then there was Angelina Jolie....what can I say....FLAWLESS. She kept it so simple but yet on her it looks incredible. Her makeup was very simple, a cat eye liner and lashes. Very minimal eyeshadow and she kept her skin very dewy. To complete the look, the green jewel tone jewellery was the ultimate finishing touch. "sigh" She's amazing.

Now for some misses....

Reese Witherspoon. I don't know what was going on with her. I didn't love her dress. Her hair was a little messy and her makeup.....let's just say it looked like she did it herself. You can match your eyeshadow to the color of your dress IF you do it right. In her case, it was all wrong.

Beyonce. I love Beyonce but I was not a fan of her Oscar look. The dress was too over the top, even for her. She didn't wear any jewellery and her makeup was left bare except for a cat eye liner on her top lid. I think she left all the focus on her dress but unfortunately her dress was more tacky than classy. Sorry Beyonce...I still love you!

Anne Hathaway. Anne Hathaway is beautiful but I wasn't a fan of her pale nude dress. I feel it washed her out especially since her skin is already quite pale.

Some other great looks:

Kim Kardashian Inspired Makeup Tutorial

Kim Kardashian is another one of those celebrities that looks Fabulous all the time! Fake Lashes are a staple in her makeup look and she always plays up her eyes. This tutorial is inspired by Kim Kardashian's makeup style, smokey and sexy. Try it out and let me know how it looks!

Hippie Chic Fashion Photo shoot

I was on set the other day for a photo shoot with one of my favorite photographers Kyla Hemmelgarn http://www.kylahemmelgarn.com/

The photo shoot was for a new up & coming model from Japan. The model, Mayu, was the sweetest girl ever. The shoot was done at MacDonald park and it was freeeeeezing. But Mayu didn't once show in the pictures that she was cold. She was a trooper!

The theme of the shoot was a very simple casual hippie chic. The overall look was very natural & beautiful. I used browns and greys on her eyes and I just smoked it out with very little definition. Lips and and cheeks were kept really soft. Below are some final pics from the shoot and some befind the scenes.

Behind the Scenes

Me & Kyla

Me & Mayu.....she's so tall!

Penelope Cruz Inspired Makeup Look

Penelope Cruz is absolutely beautiful. She's got gorgeous round eyes, full lips, and perfectly defined eyebrows. This tutorial is an inspired look from Penelope Cruz. She uses a lot of browns and golds in her makeup. For evening, she vamps it up by using black instead of brown especially all along her lashline.

Easy Smokey Eye

1 Year Countdown to 2010 Olympics

The other day I got the awesome opportunity to do makeup for a dance act opening for Sarah McLachlan at the 2010 Olympics One Year Countdown Concert at the Queen Elizabeth Theater in Vancouver. The world will be watching the city of Vancouver one year from now during the Olympic Winter games. It's going to be the most exciting 2 weeks the city has seen in a long time.

The dance act I had the pleasure of doing makeup for was a mix of traditional Chinese and Aboriginal dancers. They performed traditional dances representing their cultures. The Chinese and Aboriginal communities are a big part of Vancouver's culture so it's appropriate that they represent us in the 2010 Olympic games.

The makeup for the Chinese dancers was a strong red lip and really defined black eye liner, winged out.
The makeup for the Aboriginal dancers was a mix between warm golden tones on the eyes, cheeks and lips.
For both groups, I did a lot of contouring to really emphasize their features while they're on stage under the bright lights.

The dancers put on an amazing show!

I can't wait for the games!!!

Day Time Smokey Eye Video Tutorial

Check out my Video Tutorials on Youtube

Hey Lovely People!!

So I've started a Youtube Channel and have set up several video tutorials for different makeup looks. Check out the videos and if you have any requests, please send them to me.

xo

Eman

How to Prep and Prime your lips

How do you get gorgeous pouty lips?
Well before applying any lipstick or lip liner or anything else they first thing you want to do is Prep and Prime your lips. This will ensure that your lips are in great condition for your lipstick application.

3 Steps to Prepping your lips
1. Exfoliate - Get rid of dry chapped lips and ead skin cells. Use a toothbrush to gently scrub off dry skin from your lips. Or use a lip exfoliator like The Body Shop's Lip Scuff.

The Body Shop Lip Scuff

2. Condition - Hydrate and repair dry, damaged lips with a lip conditioner. They are full of nutrients that moisturize and soften lips.

Rosebud Salve

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1

The Body Shop Coconut Lip Butter

3. Water - Drink lots of water! This will hydrate your entire body, including your lips which help prevent them from cracking flaking.

Lip Primers

Lip primers are very similar to face & eye primers. They help maintain your lipstick to last longer. They also prevent feathering and they make your lips appear smoother. Most lip primer having nutrients that also codition and soften your lips. They are worn as a base underneath lipcolor.

1. Clear Lip Primer - Does all the above. Is usually semi-matte and has no color to it. Goes on clear.

Mac Prep + Prime lip

2. Colored Lip Primer - These primers have a pale, neutral color. This is great for really dark pigmented lips or if your lips tend to be very red. When applied onto your lips, it wipes out all the color from your lips and leaves your lips looking nude. It will help your lipstick or gloss show up at it's truest color.

Laura Geller Lip Spackle

Smashbox Lid & Lip Primer

3. Lip Primer & Plumper - Lip plumpers are all over the market so why not have a product that primes and plumps in one? Lip plumpers use ingredients that increase circulation in your lips to make them plump up. An all in one Lip primer & plumper will plump, condition, smoothe and prep for lasting lipstick hold.

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Liplift

DuWop Prime Venom

Benefit Lip Plump

Try out these steps to get gorgeous puckers !!

Product Review - Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

There are lots of eye makeup removers on the market. Some good, some bad and their prices range from high to low. One of the better makeup removers that I've tested happens to also be one of the cheapest. Rimmel's Gentle Eye makeup remover is an affordable product and it works great. I used it to remove everything from basic eye shadows to thick mascaras and even waterproof liners. It removed all traces of makeup and I didn't feel that it was harsh on my skin at all and it didn't irratate my eyes (which has been a problem for me in the past).

After reviewing this product, I give Rimmel's Gentle Eye Makeup Remover a thumbs up. If your looking for an affordable makeup remover, try it and let me know how you like it.

Before & After

I love Before & Afters


This is my best friend Lisa. She is a beautiful girl and I couldn't wait to get my hands on her to do her makeup. She has gorgeous blue/green eyes and fair skin. Oh and I did I mention, she hardly wears any makeup! For that reason, I decided to do something very dramatic on her so it can be a look she's never tried before.

Check out her Before & Afters below:



Lisa Before



Lisa After

2009 Makeup Trends

2009 is all about looking fresh and gorgeous. Whether it’s a radiant complexion, natural blush or lips…the key is natural beauty.

Rimmed Eyes
The Cat eye is still around this season but with a twist. Instead of the lined wing effect, the look this seasn is more concentrated on rimming the eyes with a dark liner or shadow to define them and make them pop.

Peach Blush
One of the main colors for blush this season is Peach. It gives you the appearance of being a bit made-up without looking too girly or bronzy.

Red Lips
Whether matte or gloss, tomato or crimson, red lips make a statement. The color instantly illuminates your complexion. Pair a red lip with light eyes or cat eye for some extra drama.

A Softer Smokey Eye
After several seasons of dark, heavy shadows, eyes are lightening up. The eye is still dramatic but the colors are softer. Try pairing golds browns for a softer look rather than the usual grays and blacks of the traditional smokey eye.
Combine any of these looks with flawless-looking skin and you’ll be totally up to date with this season’s makeup trends!


Cheers!
Eman

To Prime or not to Prime - Do face Primers really work?

A common question that I get asked a lot is ‘Does Primer really work?’
Well I tell you this: before I discovered Primer, I don’t know what I did to keep my face fresh and my makeup intact throughout the day.

So what is face Primer and what does it do exactly?

Primer works much like a moisturizer: It’s applied before foundation all over the face. It eases the application of foundation and is meant to create a barrier between foundation and your skin.

It helps prevent skin from absorbing talc and pigment from your foundation as well as preventing talc from drawing oil from the skin.

Primers contain botanicals such as lavender, orange, jasmine, rose, geranium, grape, kiwi and aloe extracts which soothe and refresh the skin.

Other major benefits of Primers are:

• They even out skin tone


• They help makeup stay on longer


• They keep makeup from melting in the heat


• They absorb oil


• They make skin soft


• They fill in any wrinkles, minor cracks or holes in the face


• They keep the chemicals in makeup from directly touching your skin.


• And they allow foundation to “stay put” in hot weather.
  

So that’s the run down on Primers. They have many benefits that help take care of your skin and make your makeup application look better.

So ‘Do Face Primers Really Work?’ YES! If applying primer isn’t part of your daily makeup routine, I suggest starting ASAP!

Some of the top rated Primers on the market:

• Laura Mercier’s Foundation Primer


• Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer


• Paula Dorf Perfect Primer


• Lorac Aquaprime oil-free Makeup Primer


• CoverGirl Outlast Liquid Makeup


• Benefit That Gal


• MAC Prep+Prime Face Protect

If you have any other questions about Primers, send them to me and I’ll answer them.

Cheers!

Eman

Fashion Photo shoot

Last weekend I got the chance to do makeup for a fashion photoshoot. I worked with a team made up of a photographer, a model, a hair stylist and a wardrobe stylist. We shot at Granville Island. The model was such a trooper because it was freezing cold and raining and we shot outside. Makeup was based on Makeup Forever’s 2008 Fall look - I used metalic golds on her lid and silvers and grays to define. I added lashes and used golds and greens on her lower lashline. The wardrobe had a lot of vintage pieces but the stylist still made it look high fashion. The outdoor shots had the vancouver waterline in the background. We also shot indoors right in the center of the public market amongst all the people. So many people were stopping and watching. It was fun.

Next shoot I will take some behind the scenes pics so you can see what it’s like on set of a fashion shoot.

Cheers!
Eman

Check out my Website

Check out my website to see some of my work http://www.emanmakeup.com/

I’ve done makeup for fashion shoots, weddings, and music videos. The ‘Before & After’ section is one of my favorites. It really shows the power of makeup. Take a glimpse at the ‘Behind the Scenes’ section to see some pics of my at work.

Cheers!
Eman

Hello World

Hi everyone!

This is my first official blog. I’m so excited. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now so I’m happy that I finally have my blog up and running. The purpose of this blog is to express my passion for makeup and give as much information as I can to my readers about all things makeup. This will be a great place for readers to learn how to apply makeup, different makeup products / reviews and makeup techniques. Plus I’ll keep you posted on my adventures as a professioal makeup artist.
Please leave me your comments or any makeup questions you may have. I’ll try my best to answer them all.

Cheers everyone!

Eman (ma)