~ SEXY PHOTO SHOOT ~

Want a unique gift for your special man in uniform? Well, look no further! BOUDOIR photography is the hottest new trend and there is nothing as special to him as a beautiful you captured in a sensual atmosphere.

So go ahead girls – Grab his hat, his shirt, or any other part of his uniform and don’t forget the high heels! While you are at it, bring along a few of your things too. You know –  silky things, satiny things, lacy things and shiny things. Bring your sexiest things! After all, variety is the best part of playing dress up! Professional Makeup application is offered in your photo package and you will also receive a package of your best retouched photos.

Contact today as January spots are filling fast.  Yes, that’s right!  Just in time for your favorite Valentine.

Click Below For More Information:

ANDI GRANT BOUDOIR

~Makeup for this photo session done by KristineMarie Makeup Artistry~

For more information on private or group makeup lessons, makeup application services or makeup artist marketing information and kit building, please inquire via the comments for more information.

~ Lashes and Lipgloss Winner ~

And the winner for the first makeup giveaway is….

 

Nicole !!!

(who has 24 hours to claim her prize)

For everyone – please subscribe for updates on future giveaways and winner announcements. Up for grabs in January will be some Lovely Lancome goodies and some more Fun Lashes and in February? Well….check back and see!

KristineMarie

~ FREE Product Giveaway Ends 12/27/09 at 10pm EST ~

Please note that the Giveaway for FREE Fantasy Lashes and Fresh Gloss from Sephora ENDS tomorrow at 10pm EST. Entries must be in by that time to qualify.

Winner will be announced HERE on this blog only at 1030pm EST tomorrow night.

Winner will have 24 hours to claim the prize or a second draw will be done to establish a winner.

Prizes will be shipped within 24 hours of the winning claim being made.

Please see the initial announcement (Click Below) for more information, or to ENTER.

Click HERE

Future contests will be held monthly for various FREE products. Please subscribe for updates on the lower right of the page and best of luck!

KristineMarie

~ Seya TS-100 Traincase from YAZMO.COM, First Impression ~

I have been researching soft traincases for quite some time. I checked out ZUCA Pro Artist collection and decided that for as lovely as it seemed, a $300 investment just wasn’t necessary when I could get a basic case offering the same basic level of function for half the price. So, I decided to go with the SEYA TS-100 from Yazmo.com. Well, it arrived on Christmas Eve Day, and there were several things I took note of upon taking it out of the shipping box and seeing my purchase.

One – Two of the “pulls” were broken. Not “repairable” broken, but broken OFF. No way to glue, No way to configure and thus creating a huge pain in the arse when the purpose is to actually get the bag open. Now, a quick zip is a strange, time consuming effort to line up what’s left of the pull and manually push it along hoping the skin on my fingertips doesn’t get pinched trying to get the case open, or shut.

Two- No information on the bag. No warranty, no booklet, no accessory list, no nothing. Odd. Just odd. Heck, even my kids came home from the hospital with an owners manual ( ok, not exactly, but sort of…) so no paperwork at all just seemed strange. Not a big deal, but noted….

Three – No return label, so hoping that YAZMO.com doesn’t expect me to compensate for shipping back a damaged item. 

Four – The free brush set that was supposed to be included (on purchases over $99) , was not included. Maybe they were too busy to put it in, maybe they ran out and hoped I wouldn’t notice;)  Either way, something went wrong…

Five – Upon complete inspection, it seems some of the velcro attachable bags are missing. I assume the bags with velcro are supposed to come with the case, no?  I only received one but I have spoken with others who bought the case and they did receive several bags without making an additional purchase. They have also confirmed that the pulls can be weak and unreliable and break easily.

So, needless to say, it was a letdown on one of the things I looked forward to the most this Holiday. (Thank Goodness the Ham turned out great!) Maybe Yazmo.com thought I was on the naughty list and that’s why I got a deficient traincase? I always thought it was Santas final choice but you know, everyone is downsizing and outsourcing these days so you just never know –  but…I have sent a note to YAZMO.com and hope they are diligent about coming up with a reasonable solution to fix this situation, and soon. After all, I thought I was pretty good this year;) 

I am sure this is all one big isolated incident and that YAZMO.com will be happy to get it taken care of so I can give this case the proper review it deserves.

I will update, so stay tuned.

KristineMarie

UPDATE:

12/28/09

I just received an email reponse to my December 24th note to YAZMO explaining the defects and deficiencies. They told me to return the product for a refund. That’s it. No word of who is to pay for shipping this item, no apology for the defects or missing items…no nothing. One big headache and much time wasted for me. I sent a note back inquiring about who was to cover shipping costs and how I felt about their lack of courtesy and quality customer service, so we shall see what happens….

~ Sweet Santa Baby Look ~

An adorable shot from a recent Modern Cheesecake styled photo shoot. Image has been cropped to display the makeup only portion. This was a traditional makeup application ( no airbrushing) and we used a variety of quality brands to create a soft and gentle enhancement to the already beautiful skin and amazing features of the model.

Some info about the makeup:

The skin was done with a Cream Matte foundation, first blended by hand, then buffed with a dense kabuki styled brush to a beautiful finish. The overall color scheme was mostly neutral using warm pinks (cheeks and lips) and browns (eyes)  while also defining eyes with a deep black liner and gently smudging it to soften the look, while false lashes were added to create a bit of volume to her existing lashline.  Eyebrows will very lightly filled in with a powder for a more natural effect.  Gentle highlighting was done on the top of the cheekbones and overall, the result is a clean beauty look  suitable for a multitude of occasions to include an Classic Bridal or Special Occasion look.

Product lines used included Ben Nye, Makeup Forever, Coastal Scents, Ardell Lashes and MAC cosmetics. SIGMA brushes were also used to create this look. 

*If you want to learn how to do this look, or have this look applied for a special occasion, please comment below for more info on my affordable services and convenient scheduling. Group discounts are available.

KristineMarie

** Model – Spritz, Photographer – Beach Photo

~ Model Shoot, Modern Cheesecake ~

This  model really wanted some nice shots for her personal portfolio, and even while given creative control over her makeup design, I couldn’t help but think of a soft look to compliment her youthful, “Girl Next Door” appearance. I really wanted to preserve that innocence in the photos, even if they did get a little racy;) The makeup is a traditional application ( not airbrushed) and the result? Well … as you can see, our model is absolutely radiant and beautiful! 

The overall result certainly brings about a sense of the Cheescake/Pinup style…a little naughty and a lot of nice! 

This is what I would define as clean and classic beauty makeup. This look would also be perfect for a Bridal Look.

To create this look, I used a variety of products including Ben Nye, Makeup Forever, MAC, Coastal Scents and Ardell. 

If you need makeup applied for photos or any special occasion , or want to achieve this look yourself, please comment below for more information. I offer application services at your location and custom makeup lessons. Rates are affordable, scheduling is flexible and group discounts are available. 

If you want to stay updated on my latest work, Photo Updates, Beauty Tips, Product reviews and Contests for FREE beauty related items, please subscribe by clicking the link on the lower right of the page—–>

KristineMarie

~ Sleek Pallet, STORM ~

Just a quick update to show off the Sleek Pallet in STORM. 

The colors are what you would expect of a pallet named STORM..mostly dark with a few lighter shades and surprisingly, 3 of the shades are matte.

The 3rd color from the left on the top row is a nice soft matte brown. The black on the lower right corner is matte, and the dark brown next to the black is also a matte. The rest of the colors are have a LOT of sheen. As with the Sleek shadows I have talked about previously, these are incredibly pigmented and soft shadows, so be sure be gentle when picking up color and tap off excess.

For more info on the basics of the SLEEK brand and these shadow pallets ( and my review on the CURIOUS pallet) , please click the SLEEK link in the sidebar to the right—–>   

Swatches on the Original and Acid coming soon , so stay updated by Subscribing in the lower right corner of this page;)

KristineMarie

~ Lashes and Lipgloss Giveaway ~

CONTEST CLOSED

 

I am offering a FREE pair of fun SEPHORA lashes ( Fantasy) and a mini SEPHORA lipgloss (Fresh Gloss)!

There are a few requirements to enter the drawing, so please take note:

1. You must post a link to this site on any of your sites. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Website or Blog will qualify. Post on as many of your sites as you like to be entered again. Sites cannot be private since verification of post and link will be necessary.

2. You must comment below with the words ENTER ME, along with a link to your site and post. If you posted to multiple sites, enter for EACH site and leave a link to the post. Again, protected posts or sites I cannot see will not qualify as they cannot be verified.

3. If you are under 18, you must have a parents permission please. ( I am a Mommy myself and this IS important)

And that’s it!

*You can subscribe to this blog on the lower right of this page for updates, including notification of the winner (which will only be announced here).

*Drawing will be held on Sunday, December 27th at 10pm. Announcement will be made by 1030pm EST.

*Contest is US based only.

*I will ship prize within 24 hours of the winner contacting me with shipping information. 

 

GOOD LUCK!

 

 

~ BEN NYE MATTE Foundation, A Review ~

WHAT: BEN NYE matte foundation. Endless array of shades to choose from. 

(As a reference, I am a CE-3 Light Beige in Ben Nye Matte, An NC25 in MAC, Medium Beige in Revlon Colorstay for combo/oily skin, and a MUFE Mat Velvet+ in 35)

PACKAGING:  .5 ounces in a screw-top jar with see through lid

CONSISTENCY: Cream

WHERE:  http://www.theatricalmakeupsupplies.com or wherever BEN NYE products are sold

HOW MUCH: $9.00

PURPOSE: To provide a full range of coverage ( depending on application method) for evening skin tone

APPLICATION: Easy. Apply with fingers, sponge, beauty blender, kabuki or foundation brush. Any application method can be used and coverage will vary depending on which you choose.

MY THOUGHTS: I haven’t found a BEN NYE product to disappoint me yet, and this was no different. Amazing pigmentation, goes on evenly and covers flawlessly. Perfect for photo shoots!  A versatile  and amazingly affordable “must have”  for everyday, special days and makeup artist kits. 

RESULT: I have used almost every method of application and find this to be amazing every time.  My preferred method is blending in with fingers first and buffing with a dense synthetic brush for the flawless finish. A little goes a long way and over a face primer, it goes even further.

ADVICE: This is a true matte foundation and sets that way. Wait for a few minutes after application to determine if you still need to set with powder. For sheerer coverage, blend with damp sponge. Medium coverage is best when using a standard foundation brush and for full coverage, blend in with fingers and buff with kabuki. Layer if needed.

*For makeup artists, I do highly suggest this range. Because the multiple containers can be a pain, I suggest depotting the cream foundation into a foundation pallet or craft box with small individual compartments for easy access and kit storage. The lightest and darkest of each range should be sufficient to mix for all skin tones. For photo shoots, I find the BEN NYE set powders are a perfect match for this. Neutral Set and Banana Visage will offer a perfect set from the lightest to the darkest of skintones with no adverse reaction to flash photos.

**For MAX Factor Pan Stick lovers , this is an affordable cream option with amazing coverage, but different packaging. 

~ Carrie Underwood Inspired Makeup ~

Sometimes, I get a model that has a certain “look” in mind. In one of my recent shoots, this was the case. My model was inspired by the beauty and makeup of Carrie Underwood, and though they have very different features, I gave it my best effort to recreate the look to a standard fitting of my model and her features. Here is Carrie’s Look:

The model (below) was a true beach beauty. Well, that was my first impression anyway.  Tall, tan, fit and adorable freckles. Carrie is certainly more pale and porcelain, but that wasn’t going to stop us! The signature Carrie look is often known for it’s well defined eyes and soft subtle lips and cheeks. And so, with a little inspiration and a few products, we were off to recreate Carrie and still preserve the fine qualities of the models natural beauty…

The model still wanted to look like herself ( the photos were for her husband and we wanted him to recognize her..haha.) so I kept her skin natural looking and freckles showing ( freckles really are cool!) By adding definition in the eyes and a soft smokey shadow to lend a sultry look to the otherwise -girl next door- inspiration, I believe we were effectively able to achieve a bit of Carries overall essence. A hint of pink on the cheek and lips and well…

The result was simply stunning. Fresh yet sexy. Soft and yet defined. 

This look was created using traditional makeup application ( no airbrushing) and utilized products from several lines to include MAC cosmetics, BEN NYE and Coastal Scents. False lashes were also added for  length and depth.

This  Girl Next Door turned Bombshell/Carrie Underwood inspired look was photographed by Andi Grant.

For makeup application or lessons/recommendations on how you can achieve a certain “look” , please leave a comment below for more information! I offer affordable rates, convenient on-site service and flexible scheduling.

Thanks for stopping in and as always, stay updated by subscribing. ( Lower right corner of this page–>)

KristineMarie