As most everyone knows, the D.N.C. (Democratic National Convention) was held in Denver, Colorado this week. I was fortunate enough to have done makeup for Sony BMG Records who had two of their major stars, Big Boi from Outkast and Tatyana Ali talking passionately about their support for Barack Obama. The online tv show featured Big Boi who interviewed many celebrities who also support Barack, such as Johnny Legend, Ed Gordan and Wendell Pierce. I can’t say enough good things about Big and Tatyana, they were really nice and down to earth people! Word is that Big was going back home the very next day to literally finish one more verse to complete his album!

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!

Avocadoes are not just for eating! Your refrigerator may hold much more than your families meals, yes your best kept best beauty secrets are sitting right there in your crisper drawer!

If split ends are a problem , then use a ripe avocado and mash it in a bowl  and apply straight to the hair starting at about mid-shaft and concentrating down towards the ends. Let this buttery and sweet treat sit on you hair for about thirty minutes and rinse! Your hair will be softer, shiner, and most importantly the ends of the hair have been sealed and hydrated to rid of those nasty split ends. A nice trim before your treatment is always recommended:)

According to The Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, the avocado has the highest amount of sunscreen effectiveness when compared withother naturally derived oils. Try this vitamin-A rich fruit mashed on your face as a great mask to brighten the skin. Your skin will be left silky smooth and nourished!

Avocadoes are also used as:

1. Avocado has been used traditionally to help people with sexual problems.

2. Great antioxidant and can be used for skin disorders

3. Avocado will aid healing for people suffering from digestive and circulatory problems

4. Another benefit of avocado for the skin where avocado paste can be applied to rashes and rough skin to make it smoother.

5. The brighter the fruit, the more beta-carotene (the substance that helps to prevent cancer) your avocado contains.

If possible always buy organic avocadoes to avoid any pesticides or harsh chemicals:)

 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 .

There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who owns her makeup look like Madonna does! She rocks her signature pale skin, flawless black liquid liner, and a natural but not too natural pink lipstick. Known for glamorous look, but never over done, Madonna has been known to have custom lashes made of pure mink fur or even diamonds on her lashes. Sounds dramatic right? Not Madonna! Here is how to get that classic Madonna look:

Step 1: Skin is everything! Treat your skin like the “gold” that it is. Start by wearing sunscreen even to snatch your newspaper from the drive way first thing in the morning. Madonna is known for using a rose water spray on her face daily to calm, soothe and increase circulation. Matte foundation is so early 90’s! The new foundation look is natural dewy, so use a cream or liquid foundation finished with a loose powder to set the foundation, but never to give a matte finish. Brighten the face with a soft blue based pink cream blush versus a powder blush to continue with the natural sheen on the skin. Concealer should always keep your eye area soft and supple and never be described as a matte finish. Mix your eye cream with your concealer and then set with a loose powder to have crease-less yet moisturizing concealer.

Step 2: Madonna’s eye makeup is nothing less than classy and sophisticated. Start by prepping your eye with an eye primer and use matte texture eyeshadows only. By using a nude colored eyeshadow all over the eyelid and the crease your focus is now on her famous liquid eyeliner which creates a thick lash line. Next choose a liquid liner that is easiest to use for you, may it be a felt tip applicator or a gel eyeliner applied with an angle brush. Don’t forget your false lashes! Use 100% human hair lashes with a couple coats of mascara over them and your natural lashes so they blend just like Madonna’s.

Step 3: That perfect pinkie lip, how does she do it? She is not a gloss girl, she is more of a sheer lipstick with moisture kinda gal. Madge cannot be seen touching up in public, so she needs a great lip primer followed by a cream waterproof lip liner and blended with the sheer just bit into a berry lipstick.

There it is, the how to achieve Madonna’s look! If you have want examples of specific products or have any questions please feel free to email me!

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 .

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 .

This was a recent photo shoot that I did with local Colorado photographers Andy and Angie Wood at www.a-a-photography.com. Our theme was fire and I had MAC pigment true red burning a hole in my kit! I haven’t been able to use this pigment since I have had it for over a year because it is not everyday that one of my clients asks for bright red eyeshadow. I hope you enjoy the pics and check out the Andy and Angie’s website, they are very innovative and creative photographers that just happened to be the nicest people! Danica Jardien Professional Colorado Makeup Artist, Danica@make-upenvy.com, (720)939-3650.

 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 .

On Sunday April 20th my company Make-up Envy participated as a vendor and we  had a blast! I met so many great vendors, such as DV Fresh  (videographers) and Laurene from Bridal Yellow Pages and Places with Spaces (great bridal resource guide). I would like to thank everyone who stopped by my booth to  inquire about having a professional makeup artist take part in their special day or to just chat! I will definitely do this again in September! There are so many great ideas out there and a lot of creative vendors, so I highly recommend this show to any bride to be.

Here are a couple pictures