Brows!

I am brow obsessed. The right shape and shade of brow highlights the bone structure,
transforming the overall look of the face. I would personally rather go without mascara in
public than without my brows, and I have been plucking them for the last 17 years. But
I wanted to try out a wax job from the pro’s at Benefit Cosmetic’s Brow Bar, feeling the
need to reevaluate my look after so many years of DIY.

To give them enough to work with I had to resist the urge to groom for a whole 2
weeks – not an easy task, as any serial plucker can attest. I knew I was in good hands with
the team downtown, as all Benefit Brow experts are not only licensed estheticians, but
have gone through Benefit’s Brow Academy, which adheres a tried and true methodology
for brow shaping:

1. Using an angled brush, create a line from the outside of the nostril to the tear duct
– where this intersects with your brow bone is where your brow should begin.
(Tip: put a little brow powder on the brush to mark the points)
2. Measure from the nostril to the outer corner of eye – where this meets the brow
bone is where your brow should stop.
3. Measure from the nostril through the pupil – this is where the highest point of the
arch belongs.
4. Connect the dots using your fave powder, wax or pencil. (Try: Benefit Brow Zing
Palette, Shu Umeura Hard 9 Pencil or MAC Eye Brows)

No matter what your face shape, this technique will create the most flattering brow.
How thick or thin the brow is, however, still varies depending on your natural hair
growth and personal style. I like a strong Marilyn-style brow, and let my pro Jeni Hall
know my preferences before we began. Now, being a makeup artist I like to think I have
an eye for these things, so I was impressed when Jeni showed me how shifting my line
ever so slightly and laying off the trimmers gave me a shape that acted as an instant eye
lift!

Jeni walked me through the process, explaining that I should expect redness after we
wax, especially as a newbie, and could possibly get some red bumps the next day. The
actual waxing process was a bit more painful than plucking, but faster, and not nearly
as bad as a bikini wax. With over 7 years of experience, Jeni was a skilled practitioner,
and gave me a brow that was definitely more symmetrical and flattering than my own
creation. She also left me with some grooming advice so they will continue to improve
over time. It’ll be hard to resist the tweezers between appointments, but at $20 it was so
worth it, that I vow to do my best, and be a little less brow obsessed.

Bellevue Fall Fashion Show!

On Friday, September 28th, I had the pleasure of doing makeup for models walking
the runway for the Posh Party Beauty & Trend Show at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.
Working with Benefit Cosmetics I had created the look for the show a month prior, and
was delighted to see how well it suited all the luxurious oxblood reds, deep teals, rich
blacks, and frothy creams of this fall’s fashion haul.

The look was created with Benefits Wanna? lipstick in mind - a gorgeous shade
of plum-pink that is universally flattering and makes teeth look whiter. I refreshed the
complexion in a flash with a mix of “That Gal” Primer and Porefessional Balm. Paired
with Dallas blush contouring the cheekbones, and either Dandelion or Bella Bamba on
the apples, and the look was already sexy, yet still wearable in the daytime.

Eyes for this season were made foolproof with the recent launch of Benefit’s
Peek-A-Bright Eyes palette. For the show I used it along with my fave waterproof cream
shadow in Strut for a bit of sensual drama on the eyes. I packed the deep gunmetal cream
on the lid close the lash line with a synthetic concealer brush, and used a blending brush
to diffuse it through the crease while pulling a little underneath the lower lashes. I then
used the soft ivory shadow in the Peek-A-Bright palette to highlight the brow bone and
a spot of the pink shimmer on the inner corners of the eye. With a splash of the lush
aubergine shadow from inner corner to the outside edge of the iris, a heavy coat of
They’re Real mascara, and flawless brows created with the Brow Zings kit the sultry,
sophisticated look was complete.

It was such a wonderful treat to be backstage seeing my creation come to life with
help of my friends at Benefit. At Sweet P Beauty, we love to help folks take a look at
their makeup wardrobe and create updated looks that are manageable for their real lives.
Invite us over and we can discuss what products you already own that are useful this
season, what needs to be stashed away (or chucked altogether), and what you may need
to add to make getting ready a cinch this fall.

Cheers!
Lindsey

Traditional Indian Wedding Makeup

Traditional Indian Wedding Makeup

#TraditionalIndianWeddingMakeup

Rupali had a 3 day traditional Indian wedding ceremony with multiple colorful outfits.  She wanted makeup that would complement what she was wearing as well as her skin tone.  I did two different looks.  The first one was rich golds and the second was a beautiful sunset eye look.  

Look 1- I used goldmine on her lid and gradually gave her depth with sketch and print on the outer corner and crease.  I didn’t touch her lashes because she had lash extensions.  This was a big time saver and ensured her lashes would look the same all day without any smudges.  I lined her waterline with a dark black to frame her eyes.  I love this version of a gold smokey eye which complimented what she was wearing beautifully.  I wanted her eyes to be the focus and her lips and cheeks to play the supporting role so I used red/plum tones for both which did exactly what I wanted.  

Look 2- We did a version of sunset eyes for this look.  I used a pale yellow tone for her highlight under her brows to help frame her face, yellow blended to orange on her lid with dark purples in her crease and outer corner.  The orange color popped on Rupali’s skin tone.  I framed her eyes with black in her waterlines and gave her a winged liner to extend her almond shaped eyes.  I contoured her cheeks and nose after adding a light foundation and topped it off with a highlighting powder to give her that beautiful bridal glow.  We decided to stay with the same plum tones for her lips to tie in her crease color of her eye.  Rupali’s eyes were glowing with all of the rich, bright tones! 

Bride: Rupali
Photographer: Alex Studio's  

Makeup: Sweet P Beauty

Eyes that Pop!

Eyes that Pop!

#eyesthatpop

Hope’s wedding was such a fun day for me.  She got married on one of the warmest days of the year so she had me with her the entire time she was taking her “first look” pictures.  This is a great idea for anyone who is worried that their makeup may move around from heat or tears!  I am always happy to stay through the end of the ceremony so you can have one more touch up before you are ready to boogie down for the ceremony!  Hope’s makeup was simple and elegant.  She wanted her green eyes to be the main focus so #7 lashes were a must.  She had a gorgeous combination of Vanilla pigment as a highlight, Blackberry shadow in the crease, and Shroom shadow on her lid to pull the green out of her eyes.  It was a perfect combination of satin and matte textures for her.  I added black liner on the top and bottom of her eyes to really frame them.  She had an amazing berry lip tint for a slight unexpected color that complimented her Blackberry eye shadow.  I gave her lots of bronzer to give that healthy summer glow and added Prep and Prime translucent powder on top to keep her matte all day long.  All MAC products were used for this look.  Hope’s makeup is the perfect look for the bride who wants her eyes to be the main focus!

Bride: Hope
Photographer: Studio 6
Makeup: Sweet P Beauty

Fresh Face Goddess

Fresh Face Goddess Ashley

#freshfacemakeup

Ashley’s wedding in Santa Ynez, CA was an amazing experience for me.  She was such a laid back bride and wanted a natural look so she still felt like herself.  She has amazing skin and I HAD to play that up.   Her makeup reflected her wedding colors which were natural, rich browns, and golden yellows.  I swept MAC Woodwinked shadow across her eye lids with a dab of MAC Gorgeous Gold dabbed in the middle of her eye lid for a pop of brightness.  I gave her lots of lashes, and kept the neutral lip color with Viva Glam V lipstick (my favorite lip color for brides).  To keep up her natural glow, I used a mineral coral blush with a satin finish and contoured with Hush Cream Color Base.  I finished everything off with Fix Plus finishing spray to keep things in place in the warm sun.  Ashley’s fresh face look is perfect for the bride who does not wear a lot of makeup normally but wants a step above the norm for her big day.  

Bride: Ashley
Photographer: Linda Chaja
Makeup: Sweet P Beauty

Purple smokey eye

#purplesmokeyeyes

Inna was such a beautiful bride!  We had worked together quite a few times before her wedding so she had full trust in me.  Inna wanted purple, but not over the top so I went lighter on the lid with Beautiful Iris. Sketch and Satellite Dreams were added to the crease to deepen the look but still keep everything bright.  #3  lashes completed the look and really stand out in all of her pictures.  I complimented the bold eye color with a pink nude lip since there is not a ton of time to touch up during the day, and added a coral cheek to keep her looking bright.  Inna was glowing from morning to night and it shows in her photos!

Bride: Inna

Photographer: Yana Kirkov

Makeup: Sweet P Beauty

Sweet P Beauty's Biography

Beautiful things can happen at Sweet P Beauty with the right inspiration, tools, and connection.  Tiffany has been a professional makeup artist in this industry for half a decade.  She started working with Brides after her clients at the makeup counter were asking her over and over to do their makeup for events outside of the department store. 

Tiffany has worked up and down the West Coast from Washington to Southern California to Las Vegas and is a certified Makeup Artist.  Her experience has given her the opportunity to work with every face shape, color tone, and skin type out there. She works extremely well with colors, and pigments that compliment her client’s skin, style, and personality.  Tiffany understands the elements of “photo ready makeup”, and recognizes how makeup will be affected according to camera techniques, lighting, film stocks and exposure.

"I am committed to creating a timeless look that will photograph beautifully and will leave you looking and feeling like yourself, that’s my promise”.
Tiffany