Desert Contrast Photo Shoot

It's June in Arizona - which means it's hot. This is my first full summer in Arizona and I was shocked at how stinkin' hot it was at 5 AM when I left the house yesterday! Thankfully, everyone was prepared for the heat with lots of water!

This shoot was the first time I met my client, LaShelle, and the photographer, Scott, in person. I love meetings like this though - the excitement of the day's photoshoot makes for a great atmosphere and high energy introductions.

LaShelle was so much fun and the Scott and his wife were absolutely fantastic! It was hot, we were in the sun - but we got some very wonderful photos. Major kudos to all involved for sticking with the hot summer sun and working so hard in it!

Bride: Danica

Danica was absolutely stunning - her joy radiated from inside. She's fun and calm and her joy radiates from within her. She was a blast to be around and her bridesmaids were beautiful divas who wanted to make sure everyone was having a good time! I was so thrilled that I was able to be a part of such a fun day - it was a party and it was great!

 

Congratulations to you and your husband Danica! 

 

Photo Shoot: Kae

I absolutely love this girl! Kae is a dear and sweet friend and I had so much fun on this shoot with her! She is a ball of energy, sweetness & silliness!

Here are a few photos from our fun outing together!

Music Video Launch!

Hello lovelies! Here's the music video I had the privilege of doing the hair and makeup for! Enjoy!

Tip-full Tuesday: Faux Bob

I'm currently trying to grow my hair out - I've been trying since before we got married in 2010, but I keep asking to chop it off then decide within a week that I should have continued to let it grow it out. Now that temperatures are pretty consistently in the 3 digits (I may not be fully ok with that), the thought of chopping everything off again is sounding attractive - but so is having long hair.

Enter the Faux-Bob. You've seen celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kristen Stewart, Demi Lovato, Taylor Swift and Amy Adams rock the faux-bob on the red carpet countless times. You may have even been fooled thinking that they had chopped off their gorgeous locks (I know I was a few times)! The faux-bob is a great way to get your hair off your next without having to resort to a pony tail, or a bun and it's pretty simple to do too!

 All you will need is:

• A brush
• A rat-tail comb
• Bobby pins
• Clips
• Shine spray (optional)
• Hair spray (optional)

Step One:
Brush your hair and make sure you have any and all tangles out.

 


Step Two:
Using the rat-tail comb, separate your hair into two sections - one upper and one lower. I suggest starting at one ear and drawing a line with the comb up and over to your other ear.

Clip it out of the way using an alligator Clip.

Step Three:
Section out the hair you did not clip out of the way into 2 sections, making sure that the section you will not be working on first is slightly larger. (it doesn't have to be perfect)

Step Four:
Taking the first section (I used the section near my left ear), roll your hair under about 2 inches (More of less depending on your hair length and how short of a bob you are going for. Secure at the nape of your neck with a bobby pin. For added security, add 1-2 more pins to make sure it stays in place.

Tuck

 & Pin

 Step Five:
With the remaining hair, separate it out, this time make sure the next section you will be working with (I used the section near my right ear) is slightly larger, leaving about a 2 inch section in the between the two sections. Repeat Step Four.




Step Six:Now take the last section (the middle section) and smooth out gently with the rat-tail comb. Tuck and pin. This will ensure that your hair looks uniform and not separated out.



Step Seven:

Before releasing the top section

Release the hair you clipped up. If your hair is layered and shorter on top you may not need to do anything except finish up the style.


 

I just teased the hair at the crown of my head and let it fall onto the back.

    However, the hair that frames my face is significantly longer and needed to be tucked and pinned. Again, depending on the length, you may not need to do this - you may be able to pull of the A-line bob. I felt like my hair was a little too long in the front to make it look like a good A-line, so I tucked and pinned.










Step Eight:This is entirely optional:
Finish off with a slight misting of shine spray (I use Unite Eurotherapy's Shina Mist) or hair spray (I use Unite Eurotheraphy's MaxControl).


Enjoy!

                                     After

                            


     Before

Tip-full Tuesday: Swimming Hair

It's summer time and temperatures are rising and vacations are in full swing!  If you're like most of my friends, that means you are spending lots of time in the water.
   To prevent damage to your hair while swimming this summer, be sure to wet your hair down with fresh water before jumping into the pool or ocean. The fresh water will fill in any porosity in your hair helping to prevent chlorine or salt from penetrating your hair and strippibng color from your hair.

**I love Sephora and think that they give awesome advice. However, Sephora recently posted on their Facebook page  that you should coat your hair in Vaseline before going into the pool, PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS. It is the humble and professional opinion of many professional hairstylists that this will do more damage than good.

June 19 - June 22 Special

Hello my Lovelies,
Head on over to www.lipstickandloves.com and check out the special on ALL sessions this week!

Lipstick & loves, 

Wax Society Music Video

It's summer time and things are getting crazy - which is absolutely FANTASTIC!
Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting Red & Summer, the Kid of Wax Society and working on the set of their newest music video.

It was a blast, they're pretty awesome people and musicians.
I can't wait to see the end result.
Go check 'em out!


And I will keep you posted on the video release.

Sara

Tip-full Tuesday: Makeup for Dark Complexions

Hello Lovelies,
I cannot tell you how many times I have worked with women with dark complexions and have them tell me horror stories of makeup artists who have turned their skin ashy/grey looking because they don't use the proper products.
I have also had many girls and young women just entering into the makeup world ask me for tips because they just don't know - most recently from Denika, who sent this note:

 "Hi SaRa, 
     I m 13 and a mocha diva as mu friends say. I hav tried some makeups but they dont work for me ~~make me loook sik or just weird. hhow do i pik guud makeup for mee? Thnx."

*Choose foundation that has undertones of yellow and red. Dark complexions on the lighter end generally have more yellow where as on the darker end of the spectrum they tend to have more red. Always be sure to see how the color looks in natural daylight - store lights distort colors.

*Since dark skin has more pigment than fair skin, choose blushes on the darker end of the spectrum of berries, peaches and pinks. To apply, start with less - it's always easier to add more color than take it away. This is true for all skin tones.

*Lip colors that will work well are plums, pinks and purples that have a hint of gold, deep berries, and browns that have a hint of red to them.

*When looking for eyeshadow colors, the options are pretty much endless. You can use browns, blues, red, deep purples... If you don't know where to start, below you will find a list of MAC suggestions. (Anything starred is a personal favorite)

Neutrals
Bisque
Bronze
Brown Down
Brown Script*
Embark
Espresso
Handwritten*
Naked Lunch*
Satin Taupe*
Vanilla*

Blacks, Greys and Silvers
Black Tied
Carbon*
Electra
Print
Silvering*
Smut*


Reds and Pinks
Hepcat
Paradisco
Sushi flower*

Oranges
Antique
Coppering*
Kid
Mythology*

Golds
Amber Lights*
Dreammaker
Gorgeous Gold
Woodwinked*

Greens
Club*
Green Smoke
Lucky Green*
Velvet Moss

Blues
Aquavert
Deep Truth*
Electric Eel*
Freshwater
Moon's Reflection
Plumage*

Purples
Beautiful Iris
Beauty Marked*
Contrast
Vibrant Grape*
Sketch*

Thanks again for your wonderful question Denika - have fun & stay beautiful.

                                        Sara

Tip-full Tuesday: What to Bring on a Summer Trip?

Christine sent me the following question:

"Hi Sara! I have a family trip scheduled this summer and I have been told by my mother that I can't bring ALL of my makeup....so what beauty products would you bring or suggest I bring on a Summer trip when space is limited? Thanxx for your helpp! - xo Christine C."

     Can I just say that today's question is awesome? I used to struggle with this very thing when I would travel. It can definitely be difficult to pick and choose what to bring, especially on a longer trip when you don't know what kind of a makeup mood you will be in. But I have finally gotten the selection down to a reasonable amount of products!

First, ask yourself this question: What kind of a trip is this? If you are going to be at the beach the entire time - your choices will be different than if you're planning on traveling around New York or London. Is this a leisure vacation or an active business trip?

If you're going on a summer vacation and plan on taking it easy most of the time, it's easy to pair down your beauty products to the bare essentials. For "take-it-easy" trips or trips involving camping or hiking, I pack:

Day Products:

• Facial Cleanser
• Makeup Remover
• Sun Screen (current favorite: Neutrogena Age Shield with Helioplex)
• Tinted - Moisturizer
• Water-Proof Mascara
• Tinted Lip Conditioner/Chap Stick

Evening Products:

• Eyeliner Pencil (twist up) OR liquid liner
• Pressed Powder Compact with powder puff
• Medium Pink Lipstick (can be used as a cream blush and a lip color)
• 2-4 NEUTRAL shadows (2 if they are in separate containers, 4 if they are in a quad):
• Highlight Color
• Medium Color - can be applied lighter to the lid and heavier to the crease to create depth and drama.  
• MAC's 252 Large Shader Brush (for small eyes, bring a smaller shader brush, like MAC's 242 or 239)

 All of this can be packed easily into a small makeup bag AND allows you the ability to get playful with your makeup for going out at night while not clashing with any of your wardrobe.

For bigger city travels, I pack:
 Day Products:

• Facial Cleanser
• Makeup Remover
• Sunscreen
• Moisturizer/Tinted Moisturizer
• Full Coverage Foundation ([High end] Face Atelier or [low end] Revlon Color-Stay)
• Pressed Powder Compact with powder puff
• Blush (Nars: Amour)
• Blush Brush
• Waterproof Mascara
• Tinted Lip Conditioner/Chap stick

Additional Evening Products:

•  Lipstick
• Eyeliner Pencil (twist up so you don't need to worry about a sharpener) OR Liquid Eyeliner
• MAC's 252 Large Shader Brush (for small eyes, bring a smaller shader brush, like MAC's 242 or 239)
• 1 highlighter shadow, 2 medium shadow, 2 dark shadow
• one set in brown neutrals
• one set in grey/black neutrals

Again, all of this can be packed easily into a small makeup bag and still allows for diversity in your looks.

If, for whatever reason, you can only pack a couple things - and it happens - I pack:

• Facial Cleanser
• Sunscreen
• Tinted Moisturizer OR Foundation
• Powder
• Eyeliner
• Mascara
• Lip conditioner, chapstick OR lip gloss. 

No additional brushes, most of it can fit in a ziplock baggie.


     As far as other beauty products, if you have the room - remember lotion and pack your own shampoo and conditioner. Chances are what you use is better for your hair than what is given at most hotels/motels.I use Unite Eurotherapy's Volumizing Shampoo, Volumizing Condition, and their Moisturizing Repair Treatment.
     I highly recommend Unite Eurotherapy's products. For many reasons: Quality products, Cruelty-Free, 100% Vegan, Color Safe and Free of: Sulfates, Parabens, Gluten, Sodium Chloride, DEA, and Mea,
You can get them online or in salon's that carry the product.


Hope that helps your packing!

Lipstick and Loves,
                Sara

New Website!

Hello Gorgeous!
   I am SO excited to announce the launch of my re-glammed & new website!

www.lipstickandloves.com

I am still working on a few little thing - but there are updates on everything - new photos, new updates on the news & specials tab, and easier navigation and social media connections on the contacts page as well as a way to sign up for the monthly newsletter that features upcoming product launch information, makeup tips and special offers you can only get through the newsletter! 

So go check it out and send me a note with any questions, comments or suggestions!
Thanks for all the support!


Lipstick & Loves, 
          Sara

Bride: Alanna

     I met Alanna last week and immediately felt like we were just old friends meeting up again and I was very excited to be able to share in the most important day of her life. She has such a bubbly, kind, sweet spirit that shines through, even through the stresses of her wedding day. As I entered her friend's gorgeous house, I was immediately greeted by smiles, mimosas and some of the most cheerful and encouraging women I have met. Her bridesmaids were just as sweet as she is and you could tell that today was about more than a wedding, it was about a celebration of true love. Congratulations Alanna & Jeff!