Product Review: Hard Candy Stroke of Gorgeous Marker

I am a makeup artist. But before that I was a makeup junkie. I was the kid who played in her mom's makeup drawer and begged for hot pink lipstick in the makeup aisle because it matched my Barbie purse. I believe that Chanel and Covergirl can coexist. Dior and Wet n Wild live quite happily next to each other in my personal makeup drawer. I love a good drugstore find!

Unfortunately, this is not one of those. Hard Candy has some great products! I love their corrector and concealer palette. It works great for us pale girls and our under eye circles. I wanted to love this product, especially because of the color. I picked up Hard Candy's Stroke of Gorgeous felt tip marker in Anchor. It looked to be a pretty grey color for Fall.

And it was...once it got started. It took a while for the color to come all the way out, and it didn't build on itself very well, even when letting it dry between layers. Check it out:

Not the best picture, for sure. However, the shadow from the glasses is adding to the color of the product. It wasn't nearly as pigmented as I'd hoped, and I'm not sure what circumstances would allow you to keep this product on for 12 hours, but it sure as heck isn't sitting at home and then falling asleep on the couch.

Recommendation:
Save your money. Even though it's a cheapie product, it's not worth it. Rimmel is the best drugstore brand marker I've found, and the best one period is Limelight by Alcone. Now if you guys could just start branching out into other colors beyond black!

Pretty Pretty Pin Ups!

A few weeks ago we had a Pin Up Party at my lovely friend Kristene's downtown Fort Worth apartment. Red lips and high heels all over the place!! I can't wait to post. But here's a sneak peek of the hostess with the mostest herself:

Photography by the wonderful Angela Duncan of Angela Duncan Photography. Go look at more of her stuff at http://angeladuncanphotography.zenfolio.com/

2014. The Best Year Ever?

So excited for the New Year! Last year was so crazy and awesome, I can't wait to see what this year has in store. Just a quick wrap up of 2013: Worked on over 50 weddings either solo or assisting the lovely Erin Blair Gobin over at Erin Blair Makeup & Hair Design. Lost count of how many senior portraits and proms, special occasion, and bridal portraits I did. Worked on ten productions in stitching, costume design, and hair and makeup.

Like I said. Crazy!

Okay, 2014. The bar got set pretty high, let's see how you do.

Now, here's a pretty from one of the last weddings I worked with Erin last year. My Rainbow Brite bridesmaid!

Joining the Rest of the World

Oh, hey there, Technology and Progress! How you doin'? I have finally run out of excuses for why I don't accept credit cards and joined the 21st century. It seems everyone these days is putting their wedding on their credit cards (I know my cousin and brothers have!), so it seems a little silly of me not to accept them. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, you're all invited to the party now.

Oh, and here's a pretty picture for you:

Photography by Brian Holm at http://www.photopersuasion.net/

Stuff I'm Diggin...

Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner (don't blame me if your significant other doesn't make those reservation because you haven't already been dropping hints), I thought I would pay a little homage to some Valentine's-esque cosmetics that I love.

First up, Physicians Formula.

I am a huge fan of their products, especially their blushes and highlighting pearl powders. The whole multi-colored smart palettes blows my mind. They have line right now called Happy Booster which runs from lipstick to blush to bronzers, and all of the makeup has little hearts in the product. Check it out:

http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/face/blush/07322.html

How adorable is that!? It also gives the perfect blend of shimmery, dewy blush.


PF also has Sexy Booster products with some boudoir flare in the product.

http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/face/bronzers/07861.html

That is some sassy bronzer. It's got some fun pheromone stuff going on, too. And the blush has a pink high heel on it!

Okay, Physicians Formula. You win the marketing battle this time!

Another line I'm loving right now is Too Faced. They have a great new collection out right now with a super cutesy blush and a fantastic eye palette that's about all I've been wearing for the last three weeks. Here's their Sweethearts Blush:

https://www.toofaced.com/p-1328-sweethearts-perfect-flush-blush.aspx

It's kind of so cute I can't stand it. And it blends together perfectly!

The other product I'm in love with is their Boudoir Eyes palette. The colors blend like a dream, look amazing, and have verrrrrry inappropriate names. From a Sheena Easton song to a few alternative bedroom toys, this is definitely at least a PG-13 palette. Lookie:

https://www.toofaced.com/p-1326-boudoir-eyes-shadow-collection.aspx

Yummy. I love me some dramatic eyes, and purple is a great way to do it!

Here's hoping you have a wonderful Valentine's Day, or Singles Awareness Day, or February 14th!

Yevgenya

Sometimes people are so pretty it's not even fair. That would be Yevgenya. She is a gorgeous Russian bride I had the privilege of dolling up in June.

She was my first bride who wanted her hair down and straight for her wedding. However, her hair is naturally very curly!

Yevgenya has perfect skin. Like magazine, post-photoshop perfection. Add that to the light airbrush foundation I used on her, she looks flawless!

I met her back at her reception site to put her hair up into a quick updo which you can see in this adorable shot of their first dance.

Photography: Visions in White

http://www.visionsinwhite.com/blog/?page/37543/home

About That Resolution...

     So every year we all start out to do things better. Lose weight. Get organized. Stay on top of blog postings... And they last about a week before normal life comes back, right?

Well, I have a theory. I started my personal resolution a week early to get a running start at it. Down ten pounds, and the habits seem to be sticking. So I'm going to start on my business resolutions a few weeks late. What can I say? I like to avoid crowds.

Today I met with the two amazing ladies that I work with: Amy Doty and Erin Blair Gobin. We had a great kickoff pep talk, and we are all super excited about this new year! (If you haven't checked out our website, here you go: http://www.erinblair.com/)

I seriously compiled all my makeup into one giant pile this week and had enough to split up into almost four separate, complete kits. And I still threw a ton away!

And speaking of purging, I don't know about the rest of you, but my personal makeup drawer could be its own episode of hoarders. Here is a good guideline from Allure magazine on the shelf life of your cosmetics and when it's time to pitch that mascara. It may hurt, but it's only for a little while.

http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/2010/how_to_know_when_your_beauty_products_expire#slide=1
 

Here's to a new year!