The makeup for Gucci Fall/ Winter 2008 is hot! The look is really not for the average woman on a daily basis, but great for a makeup artist to use for a Runway or Fashion Show look. This look toned down a little for a night time would be great for any woman.

To tone down this look I would use very minimal eyeliner on the bottom lash line and defininetly less black through the crease. Enjoy this video just for fun and some great eye candy for fashion too!

Gwen Stefani is known for her perfectly amazing red lips! Every woman occasionally flirts with the idea of wearing a red lipstick and maybe it is not on a daily basis like Gwen, but it is necessary to have the perfect red in your makeup kit. The trick to the perfect red is to not choose a red with a strong “blue” or “orange” base. Instead look for a red with a neutral base, like MAC Viva Glam 1. That is my all time favorite red, paired with MAC Cheery Cream Blush and I am in Heaven! So, I put together this tutorial for every woman of every skin tone out there to show how to prep for that red lip and how to apply it. Here are a couple of good tips when wearing a red lipstick:

- Don’t wear too much lipgloss, if any! If you choose to wear lipgloss then apply it toward the middle of the lip only in a small amount.

- Do wear a lip primer to prevent from bleeding.

- Choose a matte texture instead of a high shine or moisturizing formula so your lipstick will last longer.

-Do blot your lips!

- Wear concealer around your lips for a more precise lip line and clean look.

- For deeper skin tones, try either MAC Mahogany Lip Pencil or Chestnut Lip Pencil instead of MAC Brick.

- Do carry a compact with you because when wearing a red lipstick you will be touching up throughout the night!

- Speaking of night time, red lipstick is great for a night time look!

- Wear a softer eye that is not so dramatic since a red lip should be the main focus of your look.

So true! It is never too soon to pamper your eyes! I believe that at the age of 15, girls should be given an eye cream to begin to moisturize the delicate eye area. “Sweetie, here I want you to apply this Shiseido eye cream on your eyes day and night.” This is a conversation that I wish my mom would have had with me at an earlier age!

Many women that I talk to don’t even use an eye cream! Living in Colorado, women have extremely dry skin here, especially in the winter time. It is more than crucial for women in high altitudes to take extra precautions with their skin, such as moisturizing and protecting their faces from the sun. As a makeup artist I have to spend some time before I begin doing makeup just to try and slough off dead skin and moisturize the skin again. When applying makeup over dry or flaky skin, the makeup is not going to look so hot! No matter who your makeup artist is.  I can always tell a women’s age by two things…. her hands and her eyes! Your eyes truly are the window to your soul. Ever wonder how everyone in the office can tell when you haven’t slept a wink the night before? Plenty of sleep, water, a healthy diet and great skincare can take you far!

Let’s face it! We are all going to age and there is nothing wrong with that, but hey let’s at least age gracefully. Here are a couple of things to do and not do to keep that eye area looking soft and supple:

- Always wear your eye cream, day and night! No matter what! My best friend once told me “If we loved together I would be waking you up and make you putting on your eye cream!”

- The bigger your sunglasses are, the better! Protect that sensitive eye area and never expose it to the sun. Dad, I know you that you have always made fun of my “Jackie O” glasses, but hey my eye area is looking good!

- Avoid using hot water when washing your face, instead use lukewarm.

- Try using almond oil or jojoba oil from your local health grocer to remove your eye makeup from the day. This will not strip away your natural oils and actually add moisture to the eye area.

- Don’t tug and pull at the delicate skin around the eye! Treat it like a gem.

- Use a moisturizing concealer. I know that I preach this from time to time again, but it really does look more natural and in the long run will benefit the eye area.

- Carry re-wetting eye drops in your cosmetic bag, rather than the “get the red out” type. It is always good to have a refresher!

- Use a light-weight silicone based eye cream for the daytime and a heavy eye cream for the night. This will insure that your eye shadow will not be running down your face by 1 o’clock!

- Apply your eye cream  on the orbital bone of the eye rather than all over the skin, which believe me can get into your eyes and cause irritation. Product warms up and travels, so there is no need to apply the cream all over.

- Do apply your eye cream on the top of the eye as well as on the bottom.

Enjoy this info and remember, Don’t forget to wear your eye cream!

So I am a busy bee normally runnning from one place to the next, enjoying my day and going from one makeup lesson to having a bride to my home for their Bridal Consultation. I am normally too absorbed in what I am doing to take a quick peak in the mirror and always find the same mess! Oily skin. I know I am always speaking of my oily skin, but it is truly out of control! Normally before I begin an appointment with a client I will blot and powder and try to degrease in any way that I can, but it is during the middle to end of the consultation when I have turned into a complete oil spill! I will be speaking to a client with such confidence and I am sure they are thinking "I hope she doesn’t make my skin look like hers!", or "I wonder if she knows her skin is so shiny?". I don’t know? I have decided to really try to combat this oily skin and try a couple different products. It is one thing to try a product on one of my clients, but I do like to be a guinea pig so I know what I recommending.

 I recently did a photo shoot because I need more pictures of myself for my websites (www.make-upenvy.com and www.askamakeupguru.com). The weather in Denver, CO USA was almost 100 degrees and I am pregnant so it felt more like 120 degrees!  We choose an alley believe it or not behind some houses and found so many unique backgrounds. I was changing from one long sleeved tunic to the next and sometimes wearing a hijab (scarf). I tried a new product before I left the house to see how it would work in such heat, Chanel T-Mat Shine Control. I used it after an oil free moisturzer and hoped for the best! I ended up loving this product! My skin was not excessively oily even hours into the shoot and I didn’t even use my MAC Blot Powder.

So here are a couple tips to keep your skin shine free!

1. Try a cleanser with either Salicylic Acid or Glycolic Acid to really combat the oil. Use day and night.

2. Do use a toner, but not one that will strip your skin using a lot of alcohol.

3. Eventhough your skin is oily you still need to moisturize, so use a lightweight oil free moisturizer during the day and something a little more moisturizing at night. Sometimes your skin will over compensate for lack of oil by producing more oil!

4. Use an oil free foundation. I use a powder foundation, but there are plently of great matte liquid formulas out there.

5. During the day before you powder make sure to use a blotting sheet to remove the excess oil from the skin and not add a "cakey" look by placing powder over the oil on the skin. I love Palladio Rice Paper Blotting Sheets!

6. Use an ultra sheer powder that is meant for touching up throughout the day. A foundation powder is much too heavy, so I like MAC Blot Powder, Chanel Shine Control Powder SPF 15 and Cargo Liquid Powder.

Now every woman may not need all of this maintenance throughout the day, but for those who have extremely oily skin or live in humid climates then oily or shiny skin can be a big concern! For a woman who experiences oiliness just in her t-zone area then a simple blotting paper or a sheer powder might work for you. Stay cool this summer and shine free!

 I love to chat! Click on comments below and chat with me while you’re here . I would love to hear your feedback and input. I’m listening. Have a makeup or bridal question go ahead an email me at danica@askamakeupguru.com .

Cosmetics during pregnancy, what is safe and unsafe?  

Becoming pregnant is such an amazing gift from god, there are so many changes our bodies go through as women. Our maternal instincts can kick in almost immediately and we become aware of so many things than can help and also harm our babies. Who would have thought that your favorite face wash amongst other cosmetics can be potentially harmful to your unborn baby? It is very important to enjoy your pregnancy and to not worry about the things in life that you now can’t have, but focus on what is the best and most nourishing choice for you and your soon to be baby! Below are some safe and unsafe cosmetics during prenancy.

Safe Products During Pregnancy:

• Tanning Cream –  Most stain the skin and don’t enter the bloodstream. They can also help boost your self esteem and help you feel glowy throughout your pregnancy. Some women find however that the smell of a tanning lotion is too overpowering during pregnancy, but I know that I am not willing to give up my Chanel Self Tanner for anything!
• Bikini Wax – Ok so I thought that my Chanel Self Tanner was so important, but really I could never skip out on my bikini wax. Doctors say that a bikini wax can be safe, but is more painful during pregnancy. Many women say that they experience more broken blood vesselswhen getting waxed during this time.
• Facial – It is usually safe to get a facial during pregnancy. Just be sure you let your technician know you are pregnant, especially if you are not showing. Your skin may be more sensitive while pregnant. Salicylic acid is an ingredient that you should not be using on your skin during your routine facial.
• Cosmetics – Most cosmetics are safe during pregancy except for those which claim to be anti-aging or acne fighters! So beware! But let’s face it, you may have had a rough morning being hunched over your toilet, but the world does not have to know about it! This is a very important time to look your best. Your friends and family will be taking plenty of pictures!

Unknown Safety During Pregnancy

• Bleach– if you regularly bleach hair on your body, you may want to stop during pregnancy. While there isn’t any hard evidence suggesting use of bleach  may cause birth defects, there are also no studies confirming its safety.
• Hair depilatories – The jury is still out on use of hair depilatories while pregnant. Some doctors feel it is fine because they don’t believe it is absorbed into your body. Others worry that too little testing has been done on depilatories to categorize them as safe.
• Chemical Hair Coloring – Many say that Chemical hair dyes are perfectly fine, but many doctors tell women to wait until after their first trimester to dye their hair. Vegetable dye works just fine and I have been using it for years now! Try Naturtint which is available at Whole Foods or your local natural grocer.
• Botox treatments – Sorry ladies no botox while you’re pregnant! It is not proven to enter into your blood stream, but it is still a toxin! Your skin may look more plump due to water retention anyway. 

Unsafe during Pregnancy: 

• Accutane or retinoic acid – This is a medication doctors prescribe to treat acne. It contains substances that will cause birth defects, including retardation and heart defects.
• Anti-aging products containing high doses of vitamin A – Too much vitamin A can cause birth defects in babies. Many anti-aging products contain high doses of vitamin A. If you use any wrinkle creams, be sure to check the label and read the ingredients. If you are not sure about any of the ingredients contact your doctor to find out whether the product is safe or not.
• Body wraps – Any type of body wrap that heats your body up and includes covering your stomach probably isn’t safe during pregnancy. A body wrap may also result in dehydration, which can increase your risk of preterm labor. Overheating can also increase your baby’s risk of developing neural tube defects.
• Hot tubs – Using hot tubs during pregnancy when the water temperature is too hot may not be safe.. The water temperature in a hot tub is usually too warm and can overheat you and your baby.

So there you have it, all of the safe and unsafe products to use and not use during pregnancy! I hope this helps all of you pregnant women out there and may god bless you with a healthy pregnancy and baby!

Unfortunently like so many other women, I suffer from occasional breakouts and am a maniac about prevention to avoid the embarrassing blemish in the first place. You have all heard me go on and on about my love glycolic acid, but in a close second I am flirting with salicylic acid. I found this amazing mask recipe and have been recommending it to all of my clients of Make-up Envy and have been whipping up some batches of my own! Anything that will exfoliate my skin and make it look more refined and rid of these large pores of mine, I am a huge fan! So to any of you ladies or gentlemen who want to fight off the blemish before it begins and are thinking long term about your skin, try this really easy mask!

1. Take 3 - 4 uncoated aspirin pills and place on a small plate.

2. Sprinkle several drops of water on them, just enough to make them start to dissolve. They should dissolve right before your eyes. Use your fingers to help break down the aspirin more. It should be grainy & slightly wet.

3. Squirt about 2 drops of honey on the water & aspirin. Use your fingers to mix them all together into a grainy paste.

4. Apply the mixture all over your face, avoiding the eye area.

5. Leave on for 10 - 15 minutes.

6. Add some warm water to your face with your hands & scrub gently for a few minutes.

7. Finally, rinse off completely & use your favorite toner & moisturizer.

Your skin has been left more smooth and soft!

But how does this work, you might ask?

Aspirin contains salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid that helps to slough off dead cells and clear clogged pores and reduce production of skin oil. This mask makes great use of aspirin’s skin-clearing abilities as well as honey’s moisturizing effect.

Since aspirin is an acid, it shouldn’t be used too often because it can irritate skin. Every other day should be fine, but it really depends on your own skin. You should not use it if you’re allergic to aspirin or are currently pregnant.