Creating Perfect Brows!

Great eyebrows beautifully frame the eyes and, when it comes to beauty, nothing catches one’s attention more than a woman’s eyes! The current trend for brows are are fuller, more natural brows, with soft arches. If your eyebrows are not quite up to par there are so many products that can help you attain the “perfect brow”!

I will guide you step by step to achieve a great eyebrow shape and you will see the difference it will make in your overall appearance! There are so many great products out there to make your eyebrows look fuller in a natural or bold way, and everything in between!

Let’s begin by talking about shape. Your eyebrow shape is so important, as it it will enhance your eyes and face shape. You can achieve this yourself, but I do feel that it’s worth the time and money to go to a brow specialist, at least for the initial shaping. 

There are different options when it comes to finding a professional who is experienced with great brow shaping. Makeup artists are your best bet when it comes to creating the right eyebrow shape for you facial features.   Brow bars in the cosmetics section of department stores, or cosmetic stores have become a growing trend! 

Salons, and spas usually have brow specialists on site, and can help you maintain proper brow grooming. You can choose to get your brows waxed, tweezed, or threaded. Personally speaking, I get my own brows threaded. There is no risk of burning your skin, as there is with waxing, and the hair follicle takes longer to grow in than tweezing. This makes maintenance much less frequent!

The method for achieving the best brow shape, if you choose to do it yourself, is done in three easy steps.To begin you will need a mirror and an eyebrow pencil. 

Looking straight into a mirror A) Place the pencil along the side of your nose and up past the inner portion of your brow. This is where your eyebrow should start. You can mark this point with an eyebrow pencil. B) Angle your pencil diagonally against your cheek, with the pencil going from the outer lower portion of your nose, lining up with the outer corner of your eye. Where the pencil intersects with the brow is where your eyebrow should end. Mark this point with an eyebrow pencil. C) Look straight into the mirror and angle the brow pencil with the outer rim of your iris ( the colored portion of your eye). This is where your arch should peak. Mark it with your eyebrow pencil.

Once you create the perfect eyebrow shape for your face there are many products out there to fill in your brows beautifully! You can choose a pencil, brow powder, pomade, marker, or gel. 

When choosing a color for your brow makeup try to match your natural brow or go one shade lighter. For the most natural looking brows I recommend using multiple products together. This will give you more depth, creating the effect of hair. I like starting with an eyebrow pencil. Once you set your markings of where your brow begins, ends, and arches you can then fill it in with the pencil. Fill in your brow using small feather like strokes that go in the same direction of your hair growth (This holds true with any eyebrow product you decide to use). Never attempt to draw one straight line! This will look very unnatural and harsh!

My favorite eyebrow pencils are retractable ones! You never have to sharpen them, they have a fine point which gives you more precision, and they tend to be less creamy so they will last longer. Just be sure not to retract the point too much, they are delicate and can easily break. Just roll it up a little at a time with each use!

Once you lay out the brow with your pencil you can add depth with one of my favorite products, tinted brow gels! My favorite products to build the perfect brow are Limelife By Alcone’s Claim To Frame Ultra-Fine Brow pencil and Strike Rich Clear & Tinted Brow gels! These two products combined can really build a beautiful, natural looking brow, especially for those with sparse brows!

Eyebrow powder and gels give a stronger, more defined look to the brow. Many younger women opt for this look, as they can carry it well, without looking too heavily made up. To apply brow powder use a stiff angled brush, applying in the same direction as hair growth.

Another product that I absolutely love is Dip Brow Pomade Waterproof Brow Color by Anastasia Of Beverly Hills! It has a texture that’s like a gel and pencil combined, so it is really easy to work with! It’s smudge proof, waterproof, and comes in a wide variety of colors! It’s the perfect texture for those who like a more bold brow! It’s a really great product to use if you are in more humid climates, as it won’t fade away!

Brow markers are a recent add to brow makeup. They take a little more experience to master than other options, but they are great if you just have a few areas that need to be filled in! With the right touch they can look really natural! Some eyebrow markers can last several days after application!

As we age eyebrows thin out, especially the outer section. Filling the outer portion of your eyebrows will take YEARS off your face and will give you a  youthful appearance! Eyebrows can also get unruly with age, so it’s important to trim them with a small scissors to keep them neat and well groomed. Brush your eyebrows with an eyebrow brush or “spoilie” and add a little clear brow gel to keep them looking polished!

Eyebrow tinting is a good option with aging brows, but will need to be done frequently. Microblading or permanent makeup (tattoo) are also good options BUT be sure to go to a highly recommended artist! You want to be sure that they are using high quality pigment that won’t change color as it fades and these techniques can cause scarring if done improperly. Do your research if you decide to go this route!

Eyebrow serums can help with growth. With a little research you can find the one that is right for you!

When it comes to brows don’t be afraid to play around with different types of brow makeup and remember that it takes practice! Once you get the hang of it you will see how the perfect brows can complete your flawless makeup look!

To book an appointment for a brow consultation go to my contact page!

To order Limelife By Alcone Eyebrow products go to https://www.limelifebyalcone.com/mbfacedesign/party/449597

Attaining True Beauty!

As a former beauty queen ( Mrs. Dupont Circle DC America 2014 and Ms. Virginia America 2016 ), as well as a makeup artist/beauty expert, people look to me for tips and advice on beauty. I love helping women of all ages and ethnicities look and feel their very best. A big part of that goes way beyond makeup application.  I remind my clients that ALL women are beautiful. My approach to beauty is holistic. True beauty radiates through a woman’s eyes, her smile, what she has to say, and her actions. It may sound cliche, but true beauty comes from within!

When a woman is self confident there is nothing more beautiful! As women we can be our own worst critics, so how does one gain this confidence in our youth/beauty oriented society? I’ve learned to achieve this by not comparing myself to others and making the effort to be the best version of me! Reflecting on your own positive attributes, as a whole person, by taking inventory of your personal achievements and accomplishments is a good place to start! Thinking about your life experiences, both good and bad, and what lessons you’ve learned as a result can help you put things in perspective. How much growth have you achieved? What is your role and value in society? within your own community? in your business, workplace, or family? These are important questions to ask ourselves. These are important things to think about. This will help give you the right perspective when TRULY learning to value yourself! This insight will help build your self confidence!

It’s important to be honest with ourselves and know where our weaknesses lie, so that we can improve upon them and accept that we are NOT perfect! Self acceptance and learning to love yourself, flaws and all, is the best feeling in the world! This doesn’t mean to let yourself go, on the contrary, it’s important to understand your self worth and take the time to pamper yourself and take pride in your appearance! A good and healthy balance of self care, physical fitness, and a good beauty routine is a great start!  

Makeup is a wonderful way to enhance one’s beauty, but I am not going to focus on that in this message of beauty. Instead I want you to think about yourself as a whole, not just the sum of your parts. Think about all the things that you can do to look and feel more beautiful. Exuding self confidence is about finding balance in your life by taking care of yourself physically, mentally,emotionally, and spiritually. Seeing yourself in a positive light, finding purpose and fulfillment in your life, being kind to yourself and to others is rewarding and feels great! Letting your own light shine through your eyes, and in your smile, is what makes YOU truly beautiful! 

Behind The Scenes Of The Museum Of The Bible Fashion Show!

When Linda Koldenhoven, Chair of the Women’s Advisory Board at the Museum Of The Bible, contacted me to be the Lead Makeup Artist for the Biblically inspired fashion show it was a no brainer, so of course I said YES! Everything about this show was appealing to me and I was honored to be asked to take on this role! As a native New Yorker, of Italian and Cuban descent, fashion is second nature to me! My career as a makeup artist began in the fashion industry in New York City decades ago! As a Christian, who reads Scripture daily, my life is personally impacted by the Bible. To be involved with a runway show that tied faith and couture fashion together was honestly a dream come true!

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed touring the Museum Of the Bible several times and one of my favorite permanent exhibits is the “Impact Of The Bible” on the second floor. It showcases ways in which religion and the Bible impact our daily lives through music, theater, art, culture, and FASHION!

What is “biblically inspired” couture? It’s high end clothing and accessories that have themes of bible stories and religious figures in the design. Some of the world’s leading clothing and accessory designers such as Gianni Versace, Dolce and Gabanna, Chanel, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, and Jean Paul Gauthier have used these themes in their clothing and accessory lines! Some of the designer’s vintage pieces that have walked on runways around the globe are on display in the “Impact Of the Bible” exhibit! Many of these pieces were in the runway show!

The fashion show held on Tuesday September 17, 2019, in the grand ballroom, was a ladies luncheon/ fundraiser for the museum. The runway show was a vision that Linda Koldenhoven had before the museum even opened its doors on November 17, 2017! Ms. Koldenhoven produced the show and collaborated with Lauren Rothman, celebrity fashion stylist and author of “Style Bible: What To wear To Work”, to coordinate all the looks for the runway show! My role was to help execute the makeup and hair styles that would pull it all together, with the clothing and accessories, for the event! I met with Linda and Lauren weeks before the show to take a look at the fashions and accessories, including crowns and headpieces, so that we could create the coordinating runway makeup and hair looks!

As lead makeup artist I pulled together a team of makeup artists and hair stylists that could execute our looks. I carefully hand selected like minded, talented artists that had experience with fashion shows, and had a great appreciation for the magnitude of this particular show! Each artist brought their unique set of gifts and talents to the table. Their professionalism and ability to handle the pressure that comes with a runway show helped make my job easier, as it can get very hectic backstage! What makes runway makeup and hairstyling so unique is that it must be creative, applied with precision and speed, and it must be consistent with the vision and theme of the show!

As lead artist, my role is to design the looks that execute the fashion show coordinator’s vision, manage the artists backstage, while also working on the models. A lot happens backstage preparing the models with makeup, hair, clothing, and accessory changes, and there isn’t a lot of time in between scene changes! In order to have things run smoothly, and in a timely manner, I had to be extremely organized! I created face charts, with the looks that Linda, Lauren, and I decided on, and I assigned models to specific artists with very thorough instruction guides for the artists to follow. My team members were as follows; makeup and hair stylists Meredith Ehler and Toni Wallace, hair stylists Michael Henderson ( Ferro Salon DC ), Dayna Fields, Angela French, and makeup by yours truly! I couldn't have hand picked a better team! We all worked efficiently, helping each other when needed, and created beautiful looks on all the models! The first time ever ‘Biblically inspired” runway show was spectacular!

The finale of the show featured a one of a kind, exclusive couture gown by Italian designer Chiara Boni. The beautiful creation was inspired by Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and was truly breathtaking on the runway! Chiara Boni La Petite Robe is owned by Anthony Vecchione. The couture gown was designed for, and will be donated to, The Museum Of the Bible! It will be added to the “Impact Of the Bible” exhibit in the fashion section. This event was definitely one of my favorites, in my career as a makeup artist! It was a collaborative effort and a job well done by all who participated! The Museum Of The Bible is a MUST SEE if you are in the Washington, DC Metro area!

Runway Show Photo Credit: Karen Saunders Photography

Here are some photos and a video with highlights from the spectacular event…

THE ART OF BEAUTY!

I love being a makeup artist! Plain and simple. I get to meet so many fascinating people! Whether I’m working on a fashion shoot, a television production, or a monumental occasion in a someone’s life, I find it so gratifying! I love collaborating, coming up with creative ideas, new and fresh looks, and making each client look their very best!

Makeup artistry is a beautiful form of expression. Truly an art! Like a painter, I use my brushes and the face is my canvas. As a child I loved to express myself artistically. I drew, painted, and wrote poetry as my creative outlet. When my brother and I were kids we took lessons with an artist who taught us how to sketch and draw and, most importantly, how to understand how light and shadows affect the look of objects. We gave depth to our still life drawings and sketches by observing and recreating what we saw.

Learning these fundamental principles as a child has made me a better artist today. I use techniques similar to that in my makeup artistry as I highlight and contour my client’s faces. My contouring is subtle because I understand placement and this helps me enhance facial features with balance and symmetry! Using color correctors I can create a flawless complexion! With different textures of concealers and foundations I can make my client’s skin appear very soft, smooth, and flawless!

Fashion trends also play a role in beauty. As seasons and fashion trends change, the style of makeup goes right along with it! It is critical, as a makeup artist, to keep up with the latest fashion trends and makeup styles so that you can better serve your clients! I pay close attention to what is coming right off the runway at fashion weeks across the globe each season!

Beauty is art as I transform my clients with my brushes and makeup palettes! Understanding undertones, texture, skin type, and what pigments will compliment hair and eye color are all part of this masterpiece that is “aka” the “makeover”! It’s fun and creative and has been a wonderful part of my life for many years! Let me transform you!