Just going on a date is nerve racking enough, thinking about “Do I have something in my teeth?”, “Do I look fat in this dress?”, “Can he see that giant zit in the middle of my forehead?” Let alone thinking about the perfect makeup for a date night! Relax and put on some music while you get ready to put yourself in a good and playful mood. Most importantly you must be yourself and not be accused of “false advertising” later on! I should have taken my own advice, when I was dating my husband I would spend so much time primping; Busting out my highest stilletos to make myself a little taller, false lashes to bat at him so he would have something to remember and doing squats for about 15 minutes before I left to give my legs that extra tone look followed by enough self tanner to win a body building contest! Yes, I am too guilty of false advertising. In reality men just want you to be you! So be yourself, but yourself amped up a bit so you look your best. My favorite makeup is “flirty makeup” which has a daytime version and then a nightime version. I believe that when going on a date your makeup should not get more attention than you! Make your eyes the main focus of your makeup and your lips a little softer in color, but with a shine to die for! The hottie above has the perfect Date Makeup for a nightime date; Her eyes are smokey and sultry while her lips looks good enough to kiss! But ladies don’t go there on the first date, he must wait for that sweet kiss. Ok, so I always say that wearing false lashes is ok, but for a date falsies are a must! Don’t scare him with a full set of long tarantula lashes, instead cut the strip of lashes in half and wear them just on the outer edge of the eye for a flirty flair. If applied correctly you will be the only one to notice them. If you have a fun and spontaneous man (Like me!) he may some surprises hidden for you, like going to an amusement park or who knows where! So my pont is to be prepared and always wear during and non fussy makeup that will last you all night. Waterproof eye makeup is always a good idea along with a simle lip look to not spend your whole night touching up, he may want some attention too:) Your large Hobo bag may be cute for daytime, but ditch that bag for something small and trendy for a nightime date. remember to be prepared, but not over prepared and bring the makeup in shich you will need to touch up with. these are my suggestions for your cosmetic bag: Pressed Powder Compact for t-zone touch ups, Black Eye Khol for the inner rim of the eye to add a little more drama, concealer for any redness or emergency, eye drops to take the red out, mints for fresh breath:), a natural lip liner (waterproof if possible) and of course your non-sticky lip gloss.

I forgot to mention to always carry a small perfume (sample sizes are perfect!) because a little freshen up will never hurt anyone! Have fun on your date and remember to just be yourself and to have a lot of fun! Oh and please don’t wear denim or flats on a first date, wear your heels and a fun dress or skirt!

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 .

 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 .

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