Well the warm weather is kicking in!!! A new year is a quarter in and things are a changin! The new trends for spring are "Barely there" and what I like to call "Fresh Color"... Barely there is all about texture with subtle high lights and contours! No real color to the face...just simple tones to enhance the right points on the face and the perfect textures to make skin look touchable and Flawless! Let go of Studio Fix and try Studio Stick or the Mineralize Cream Foundation!
Well groomed brows, natural blush and unlined nude lips that are matte or have subtle shine will get you the look! Cremesheen Glass and Lip Pencils are awesome for this look!


Color has evolved! Gone are the days of blending 3 or 4 colors so each one is distinctively seen in one eye make up application! Now if you do see color on the eyes...its a sheer wash of one color with browns to blend it out. Bold mattes are hot too! Everything is not glittery is glistening on the eyes anymore. The color in the 80's is back but in a much more subtle way! Bold lips are also a great way to wear color with drama! (Like Miss Meagan Goode here and Nicki Minaj) Matte textures are coming back with a bange although shimmer is still standing strong. So get rid of Oh Baby and try out a Ruby Woo or So Chaud Lipstick or Up the Amp or even Vegas Volt!


A few artist tips for these looks!
* Use a kabuki brush for super blended foundation! Small circles all over the face for sheer and even coverage!
* For pastel and nude lips...lip liners are fab! Fill in the whole lip with a natural shade close to the skin tone for that Barely there look. Or use the pastel liners in the middle of the lip as a high light
*Cheek Stains are great for these looks! They add a hint of color to the cheeks with a dewyy look! A little goes a long way!

The Dark Side of the Biz...the One you don't hear about

I've been debating whether to share this with the world...and my sense of "keeping it real" just won't let it go! I get so many request from other MUA's or those wanting to break into the industry...and I often wonder if they can deal with this point of the business cycle. Working for yourself isn't always fun, and in this business in particular...it isn't always "pretty". Especially if you value it as an art form. Of course I always look like I have it together, and all things are Grand! But there is a dark side to entreprenuership...a lonely place that even those closest to you can't understand( but will hopefully respect). I am craving something to inspire me...evolution into the next phase of my artistry. I feel stifled, bonded, restricted. Something like an extreme asmha attack...like I jumped up in the air and was going at light speed and hit an air bubble that I am now suspended in. Im waiting for this bubble to break! So I can proceed at light speed again...

There are so many peaks and valleys to entreprenuership...adding the hi's and lows of being an artist to that are like little heavens and hells! Yeah! That's a good way to describe it...little heavens and hells! When creativity is flowing and your imagination is coming to life, that is heaven for the artist! You see the beauty in everything, and you want to share it with the world! You have something to offer the world, and you can't wait to bless them with it!
The flip side to that (this moment I'm experiencing) is when you don't feel challenged. When you can see the beauty in everyone else's stuff but your own. When you simply don't want to talk to people you know have absolutely no idea how you feel, and introversion settles in. When you are looking for any medium of inspiration, buying random magazines that catch your eye, listening to the same cd's and songs over and over again trying to get the answer, browsing the internet for that person who's story will give you life again. When every suggestion from those not like you sound stupid and redundant. This is the darker side...and when art is how you make your money, this is not good. But it simply...is.

I've learned to get comfortable with this phase of business and artistry. It's not the first time I've been here, and it definitely won't be the last. Its part of growth, as a person, an artist and business woman. I used to get depressed, but I now know it is only a moment...one that I can use as fuel to my fire. Its my inner self's way of saying "It's time for what's next". No one can tell me what I need to do...only I have the answers to the questions I have. Its all about learning what my soul is trying to teach me...and I am forever learning to listen intently. I don't know what's next...I just want to be ready!

A few things are inspiring me right now
* Long walks with my dog
* Hot Ginger Tea
* Laughing with friends...(about the most random things)
Erykah came out with the album just in time...I soooo needed this!

This ladies show and book are giving me astronomical insight into the future!


Oh yeah! And sushi makes me happy too! lol ;)