Many women don’t even bother putting on eye shadow in the morning because they know that in just a few short hours their shadow, time and effort will all be bunched in the middle of the eyelid. This is not a good look for anyone! I can’t tell you how many women I know apply their eye shadow straight to a bare eyelid or me on top of a sheer coat of foundation. This is crazy to me, why even bother!

Think of your eyelid as a bare canvas that needs to be prepared with gesso before you begin your masterpiece with paint, or in your case…..eye shadow! So, what is a girl to do? I really do have the oiliest eyelids in town and have to work to keep my shadow on, so I have used many many products out there so you don’t have to!

Here are some steps on how to prepare for eye shadow:

1. Don’t use a heavy eye cream! Use a light-weight silicone based eye cream during the day to absorb excess oil on the eyelid.

2. Don’t put foundation or concealer on your eye lid so you can really get the full effect out of your eye shadow base.

3. Do use an eye shadow base, such as Urban Decay Primer Potion (normal to oily skin), MAC Paints (normal to oily skin) or Laura Mercier Eye Basics (normal to dry skin).

4. Do apply your eye shadow base using a brush if you have a really have a hard time keeping your eye shadow on so the oils in your finger tips do not "breakdown" your eye shadow base. A synthetic fiber brush flat brush will work the best!

5. Do use your fingers to apply your eye shadow base if your eyelids are not excessively oily.

6. Do warm up the eye shadow base on the back of your hand or on a spatula to warm the product so it moves better on the skin.

7. Do apply a thin layer of any eye shadow base.

8. Do know that your eye shadow is only as good as your eye shadow base! Blend that base and blend it some more! If your base is clumpy then your shadow will be too.

9. Do not use a sponge tip applicator to apply your eye shadow, use natural hair brushes when using a powder eye shadow. This will apply less pressure and blend the eye shadow with more precision and in return will look much better!

These are a couple of tips tht really do help your eye shadow to stay in place for the day! Enjoy your crease-less eye shadow!

 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 .

Is your frost eyeshadow getting more attention than you? Too much of a frosted texture can overwhelm the eye and truthfully does not help to accentuate the eye if it placed from brow to lash (all over!). To be honest as a makeup artist I cringe when someone asks me to place all of these pretty little frosted eyeshadows on her entire eye area. Texture plays a huge role in accentuating or down playing a certain feature of the eye area. For instance, think of the function of a frost texture?! It has been made to reflect and draw attention to make an area seem more than large than it is. When you use a matte texture the opposite effect happens, the area in which the texture is placed has receded and is not such a focus. When trying to create depth to the eye and really play up your eye shape, here are some great tips:

Small Eye and more prominent crease:Just like the beautiful Miss Rachel Bilson a lot of woman have a small eyelid and a larger crease, so my advice is to add a light colored frost eye shadow to the eyelid (not all over the eye), a matte shadow in the crease and a slight amount of a light to medium frost under the brown bone. This tip will open up the eye tremendously! A lot of women with this eye shape benefit from using a white eye pencil right above the lash line blended out and then placing their light frosted eyeshadow over it. When wearing an eyeliner try a liquid or rubbing an angle brush on your eye pencil to get a really thin line so your eyeliner does not hide your eyelid. I just wish that Rachel would have lightened her lid more, I need to have a chat with her makeup artist!

More prominent eyelid: Believe me there is nothing wrong with Aishwarya Rai’s eyelids! In fact there is nothing wrong with her at all. She has a great eye shape, but fortunately for her she has more space on her eyelid to play around with than most women. This eye shape is not normally when you want to place a light frosted eyeshadow on the eyelid. Just like Aishwarya’s eye, her eyeliner is the main focus of her eye makeup to play down her more prominent eyelid. This much eyeliner is not good for every woman or definitely not good for the daytime while you’re running around to the grocery store and to pick up your dry cleaning! She has placed her frost texture eyeshadow just above her eyelid into the crease which is nice to highlight the rest of the eye since she has such a dramatic lash line.

Mature Eyes:For more mature women who have a loss of elasticity or simply have noticed that your eyelids are not what they used to be, frost may not be a good choice for you! Frost can draw attention to fine lines and any texture that you may have:( Frost is also known to create a heavy look on the skin, so matte and velvet textures are great for anytime! Raquel Welch and MAC had a great line a couple of years ago which had great eyeshadow choices in all matte and a couple of light frosts to be used directly under the brow not on the entire brow bone. I am 27 and I choose to not wear a lot of frosts, so this is personal preference for women.

Frost can be fun and definitely a trend to have frost everywhere! This is just food for thought and may not be for everyone, but great for a true artist or woman who is interested in bringing out her eye shape and not over doing things.

  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 .

Are your cosmetics not flying high these days? Most likely you have experienced what many have while waiting in the security check at the airport…. Your favorite Chanel Glossimer has just been thrown out! Do you know that color was a limited edition or even how much it cost?? Well you never have to see all that money go down the drain again! Here are a couple of tips for airline travel:

1. Know the airport guidelines! Nothing bigger than 3 oz. in a 1 quart clear bag will be allowed past security.

2. I would not recommend bringing your full size creme de la mer on vacation with you. Instead ask the la mer counter for a sample or two and put in that fancy 1 quart clear baggie!

3. Try Cargo Cosmetics travel friendly products which are packaged in neat little one time use containers! Daily Gloss is a 30 day supply Cargos top selling lip gloss $12; Oil-Free Foundation in an easy and hygienic squeeze pouch; Color Cards which are a single use eyeshadow that can even fit neatly in your pocket!

4. Don’t walk off that plane looking like you had a rough landing! With all that extra time you can primp, you never know who you will see:) A couple things to bring with you on the plane: moisturizing eye drops, spray moisturizer (put your Shu Uemera deep sea water in a travel spray bottle. Airplane air is known to be less humid than even a desert, so your skin is in need of any moisture!), an eyelash curler which can instantly open the eye, a powder bush, a powder foundation (I love NARS!), try a moisturizing lip gloss so you can get a two in one product and drink plenty of water!

Have fun with your summer travels! I hope this little bit helps and for all of you going on your honeymoon.. Have a great time!

 Go ahead 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 .

As a makeup artist, Indian weddings are my favorite! This is when I am able to bust out all of my most colorful eye shadows and put my artistry skills to the test. The bride is so embellished from her adorned soirée to her new collection of dowry jewelry and don’t forget about the most intense and flawless wedding makeup that you have ever seen! Luckily I live near many international markets and a wonderful Indian jewelry store so I have found wedding supplies galore. I bought my wedding tunic there

Below is one of my favorite pictures of an Indian bride, here is how to get her look…

Start off your morning with a sensual rose water (rose essential oil and fresh rose petals) bath and then moisturize with pure coconut oil. Before being adorned from head to toe with your 22 karat gold try (Zardosi Henna) mixing glitter along with hair gel(add 1 part glitter to 8 parts hair gel) and placed in a henna cone to accentuate the henna done the night before at your henna party.

For the Indian bridal makeup Start off by using a lumizing serum to give your skin a natural glow. An Indian ceremony followed by the celebration can take all day, so prepare yourself by using a long lasting natural finish foundation finished with a loose powder. Typically Indian brides have dramatic eyes, but their lips and cheeks are just as much of a focus. Choose either dark smokey eye shadow colors accentuated with golds or a colorful eyeshadow palette and don’t forget your eye khol! The eye khol should rim the inner part of your eye, the water cil. You can find this at the International Markets as well. Anyone who reads my blog knows that I am a sucker for false lashes, so just as any other wedding tip that I give…Don’t forget your false lashes! Define your crease area on your eye heavily and don’t be afraid of eyeliner! Lips depending on skin tone and preference should be more colorful than you would typically wear your lipstick. Try a true red or a sheer fuschia! Make sure that your cheeks match your lipstick and find a cream blush finished by a powder blush to insure a long lasting effect. Have fun planning your Indian inspired wedding! Watch one of my favorite movies, Monsoon Wedding to become more inspired!

Go ahead ChatBack (Click on comments below) to 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 .

Have you ever wondered when wearing a bright and vibrant lipstick what the rest of your makeup should look like? It is all about creating a focus for your face! The last thing a woman wants is drama on all features of her face (Well, I guess you never know!). The first step is to determine the feature of your face that you want to focus on. Maybe you always have a more dramatic eye and you want to play up your lips for once, so you decide to wear MAC Prep & Prime Lip (to keep this dramatic look on a lot longer), MAC lipstick in Viva Glam I (my most favorite neutral red lipstick that looks amazing on everyone!), MAC Red Enriched Cremestick (Water resistant, need I say more?). Now that you have determined that lips are your focus it is time for the second step which is to create a more dramatic cheek look and you choose to use Shu Uemera Glow On Blush in Red 14 and don’t be scared to add a little highlight to the cheekbone. When using the lips as a focus it is a good idea to put a little drama on the cheeks as well. Third Step is to create a subtle eye look, this means go easy on the frost texture and the bright colors! I am a huge fan of using matte textures on the eyes anyway while accentuating with a little frost. Try MAC Kid eyeshadow in the crease for a softly defined crease and NARS allegoria on the eyelid. Your eyeliner should remain soft as well, so either use a dark brown or black liner with a very soft application and a thin line. So to break it down, when your lips are a main focus then you want to to accentuate the cheeks and play down the eyes. When your eyes (smokey eye, colorful eye, etc.) are a main focus then you want a more subtle cheek and lips, so create that hot nude lip with a soft pink or peach on the cheeks.

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 .

Anyone who knows me knows that I think Kim Kardashian is so amazingly beautiful! Her makeup is always flawless and she loves my favorite cosmetic lines; MAC, Shu Uemera and NARS. Her constant dark smokey eye and nude lip are to die for! Girlicious, who I have to say look like beautiful girls, but who the heck put that concealer on those girls? Doesn’t their makeup artist know to never ever use a high SPF if you will be taking pictures? A great celebrity makeup tip is avoid the high SPF at night because they never know when they will snapped by the paparazzi! This look is the anti-raccoon eye! My clients of Make-up Envy hear me preach time after time about not using an SPF for one of my wedding makeup tips.

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Do you have lash envy? I bet you are admiring your best friend who has amazing lashes because of her favorite mascara she has used for years, but when you tried it you had tarantula lashes! There is not just one perfect mascara for every woman. The truth is that finding the best mascara takes time and patience… kinda like dating! You are introduced to the mascara and you seem a little excited thinking about what might be, but then you find out that this mascara does not want the same lash look as you and then it is time to move on once again in search of that one perfect mascara. Keep your chin up ladies there are plenty of mascaras out there! Now it time to figure out what you really want and don’t be afraid to do your research. Here are a couple of tips:

1. Determine what you want your lashes to look like (full and thick or long and defined)

2. Determine what your type of lashes you have (full, skimpy, long, short, etc.)

3. Choose your mascara based on the brush not the formula.

-Full and Thick lashes: Choose the bristles that are not so close together, there will typically be a lot of space between the bristles just like the first brush in the picture above.

-Long and defined: Choose the brush that looks like small needles that taper at the end. This brush will not allow a lot of mascara on your lash for that clumpy look.

Whatever mascara you end up choosing just remember that your lashes should never be really hard or clumpy, lashes should be lush and soft. Use a makeup remover at the end of the night to remove all mascara and eye makeup to ensure that your lashes stay soft. I love using jojoba oil with a cotton ball which moisturizes your lashes and delicate eye area. I would love to hear about your favorite mascaras! Write to me I love to chat! Salaam, Danica!

 I’m listening. Have a makeup or bridal question go ahead an email me at danica@askamakeupguru.com .

 Thanks for staying tuned to my blog! This is Part 2 of my makeup summer tips, I hope you enjoy!

Step 6(Eyes): Summer is all about no fussing and being outside to enjoy yourself, but this doesn’t mean that you have to look blah to do so. Here are a couple of eye makeup tips to kick off your summer look. Waterproof everything this summer will be your best friend! Try a liquid eyeshadow such as MAC paint pots in rubenesque which is a peachy golden tone with a beautiful iridescence. Clarins make great new waterproof eye khols, try turquoise for a bright pop of color that will stay. No need to buy expensive mascara that doesn’t work, try Maybelline makes a great waterproof mascara in the blackest black, but don’t forget to use your shu uemera eye lash curler to curl your lashes first to open your eyes.

Step 7 (Lips): When I think of summer lips I picture full juicy lips that taste as sweet as they look! Try the new Chanel Aqualumiere lipgloss in Vanilla or Candy Glow for a smooth as butter feel and a shine that won’t stop. I also like the plushglass lipgloss by MAC in fullfilled or Posh It Up which actually subtly plumps your lips with a regular use of the product. Laura Mercier makes a great Lip Exfoliant that is paired with a lip balm to keep you lips kiss-ably soft that can be used a couple of times a week. 

Step 8 (Nails): Girls don’t forget to get a pedicure! This is one of my biggest pet peeves when women don’t take care of their feet. I am queen of the home pedicure! Take time out once a week to remove your polish and soak your feet in warm water filled with peppermint oil (2 tsp.), Epsom salt (1/4 cup), and to sanitize I use hydrogen peroxide in the water (equal part to the amount of water). After soaking for 15-20 minutes scrub your nails and toes with a nail brush designated for just your toe nails using soap and rinse. Now it is pumice stone time! Scrub away those calluses girls! Apply a nice moisturizing foot lotion to your feet and ankles, I love Aveda Foot Lotion. Now it is time to polish those toes…. Try the India line by OPI which is rich in color, I have never had trouble with OPI staying on my nails or being true to color.  

Step 9 (Foundation and concealer): Never leave your house without concealer ladies! As women we naturally have thin skin around our eye area which shows darkness and discoloration more so than men, so concealer is one of those products that you should not walk out of your door without. In the summer all of your products should be more sheer so the same goes with your foundation. I like to mix my liquid foundation with one of my favorite moisturizers to acheive that natural look with a glow and apply in circular motions using a MAC brush #187. Use one half pump of your moisturizer or half of a pearl size and half of the amount of foundation that you would typically use and mix them in the palm of your hand to make your own tinted moisturizer. One of my makeup tips that I always give to women is to use a loose powder versus a pressed because the loose powder is so fine that it sets your foundation so much better. Try a water resistant concealer so you don’t find yourself touching up constantly, I like MAC studio finish concealer or Shu Uemeras pro concealer and then set your concealer with Laura Mercier secret powder for a soft luminous look around the eye that lasts all day!

Now I think you should be ready for summer! I hope you find these tips useful for your new makeup look, but don’t hesitate to email me with any questions or concerns! Also, if you are striving to be a bronzed beauty, but you are on a budget I can help to recommend some home remedies and more affordable products to help you acheive your desired look.

Until next time,

 Go ahead ChatBack (Click on comments below) to 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 .

Here are a couple makeup tips for makeup and more from your makeup guru to help you step into summer looking bronzed and beautiful! 

Step 1 (Self Tanner): Luckily I have found the most amazing self tanner that does not make me look fake and yellow, and most importantly has no bad odor and will last over a week or so…. Chanel body self tanner Soleil Identite in intense bronze. I don’t stop at using this body tanning lotion just on my body, I also use this product on my face which caused less irritation than the facial self tanner by Chanel. This product retails at $45… If this is a little pricey my second fav is Victoria’s Secret bare bronze gleaming self tan body tint which has an instant bronze effect and less of a self tanner scent than most. Not into self tanners? I have used the very sheer water resistant MAC Face and Body Foundation in C7 anywhere that I need to look tan that would wash off in the shower at the end of the day.

Step 2 (Bronzer): Anyone who knows me is aware that love MAC and Nars, and yes once again I say that these two lines have two of the best daily powder bronzers. Try MAC Refined Golden powder bronzer for a gorgeous golden glow or Nars in Laguna. Use MAC brush #129 which is a middle sized powder brush to lightly dust the bronzer under your cheek bones, around the your line, in your temples, on the sides and under your nose, under your chin, and my personal favorite under your chin onto your neck. For a deeper skin-tone use Refined Golden in your t-zone and MAC Powder Blush in Blunt which is great for a matte contour and bronzer effect.

Step 3 (Blush): Put away your berry and plum blushes and step into a sweet pink or soft coral blush with maybe a little sheen. Smile! Let me see those apples.. Place Nars powder blush in Orgasm on the apples of your cheeks right above where you have placed your bronzer, so the two products don’t layer on top of each other and look “muddy”. MAC makes a great blush by the name of Dollymix which would work beautifully too if you prefer more a pink tone or have a deeper skin tone.

Step 4 (Highlighting Sheen): By far one of my favorite products that I use on almost everyone is Nars The Multiple. For summer I recommend The Multiple in South Beach and the MAC #191 Brush to apply on the cheek bones, tip of the nose, above the bow of the lip and the bones above your eyebrows. This product stays really well and looks gorgeous on the skin and not too frosty while helping powder products to stay in place when placed beneath.

Step 5(Sunscreen): Most importantly wear your sunscreen and don’t tan! Having tan skin is beautiful and exotic, but tan smart with self tanners. Preserve your beauty and skins health by using Shiseido Face and Body Sunscreen SPF 55 which is recommended by the skin cancer foundation. This products is great for anyone and is non comedogenic so it will not clog your pores. Shiseido is known for great sunscreens and amazing skincare!

To Be Continued…..

 Go ahead ChatBack (Click on comments below) to 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 .

  Ok so maybe I am a little biased, but I am in love with false lashes! I dare you to catch me without my lashes on. You may not even realize that I am wearing falsies on a daily basis, but I like it like that. A girl can’t give away all of her secrets now, can she? This is a great eye makeup tip! When wearing lashes make sure that you buy a natural hair lash with a clear band and then you will cut the lash in the middle or less and apply a thin layer of glue (DUO dark waterproof).     

Let the glue dry for 30 seconds or less, then tilt the lash downwards into the eye and apply just on the outer edge of the eye for that feminine flair!

I will go into further detail about false lash application in my upcoming EBook!

 Go ahead ChatBack (Click on comments below) to 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 .