Everlasting Liner.

One of the questions I am frequently asked as a makeup artist is how to make eyeliner last all day without it smearing, smudging, and melting. There are so many tips & tricks that work towards helping your liner last all day...there are even companies that vouch that their liner alone is all you need for a lasting look (closest I've found to this is Urban Decay's 24-7 Glide-on pencil). Well, today I'm going to share my tried and true 3-step process to guarantee you fabulous lasting liner, which is going to be especially beneficial with these summer months upon us! While reading over this you may think it seems like a lot of work, but once you start applying the techniques to your everyday routine it will be a piece of cake (and speaking of cake...just took some carrot cake cupcakes out of the oven...going to decorate them with a Royal Wedding vibe!). These steps can be used to achieve an eyeliner look with any color, but I will be referring to "black" since that is the shade I predominantly use. If you try these steps let me know how it works for you!

1. Create a Guide Line.
Using a black eye pencil (sharpened, but not to a fine point that will be rough on your eye), or retractable liner pencil, you will create a guide line for your liquid liner. To get a nice and even liner line (for any of these steps) gently pull the outer corner of your outwards, just a little bit, to create a nice smooth surface on your lid. Taking your eye pencil (my fave would be MAC's Smolder), I like to start on the outer corner of my eye and move inwards making small dashes, staying as close to my upper lash line as possible. (You can then go back and fill in any gaps in the dashes once you've made your line). You'll be left with a nice even line. If you like to wing your liner, I would personally wait until the next step to do so.

MAC's pencil liner in "Smolder"

2. Liquid Line

Using your favorite liquid liner (I like L'Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black) or even a gel liner (ie-MAC's fluid-line) go over your pencil guide line. keeping close to the lash line. If you need to add more definition to your line, or wing it out, do that now with your liquid liner.

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner in "Carbon Black"

3. Lock it in.

Now we want to lock in that liquid line--Using a small angled eyeshadow brush, dip into some matte black shadow and gently dab the shadow over your liquid line, making sure you are blending everything into your upper lash line. Anytime you put a dry application over a liquid one you are adding extra staying power (just like setting liquid foundation with a translucent powder, etc).  There you have it...lasting liner!



MAC 266 angled brush

Note: There are some other bonus jonas steps that can be done to not only add staying power to your liner but to your whole makeup look. Using an eyeshadow primer before applying eye makeup and using a setting spray after all your makeup is done can really give your makeup that stay-put edge in the summer heat.

Also: If you like to wear liner on your lower lash line (or waterline, like me) it's typically just a 1-step process as far as I'm concerned. I would just apply a creamy pencil liner to that area since your bottom lash line is more prone to watering. I really like Stila's kajal liner in onyx...it's creamy, goes on smooth and typically stays put! Questions, Comments?? Let me know....I have some cupcakes to attend to! <3

XOXO,

Jacqueline

Stila's kajal liner in "Onyx"

What's in Your Purse?

Hey guys! Hope everyone had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend. A big thank you to all those who have served us (and are serving us) in the military. Especially remembering my dad today, and I really can't believe that Wednesday will mark 5 months since he passed away; he was a Vietnam Veteran and a proud Papa! Hearing Taps played on tv throughout the day was more moving than usual too, but I don't want to get into all of that. The weather was hot today, and I was hoping for like beach hot...you know the warm sunshine with a steady breeze, but no, it was just hot. The husband and I layed low...family cookout, game of cards, and we have the rest of the evening ahead of us....but to today's post..."What's in Your Purse?"...I'm sure all of you have either seen this or done it yourself, but I thought it would be fun to do! I did however just change purses (right now I'm using my new cute purse from Forever 21...couldn't find the pic online, but it's cute!) so it's actually clean! Therefore, my contents may not be as interesting as others, haha. So, here it is:

• My wallet (super cute from Target)
• My BlackBerry (which is actually now out of my purse)
• Checkbook
• Ibuprofen
• Car keys
• Cute sunglasses
• Bath and Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena hand sanitizer
• Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Candy, Baby hand cream
• A clear Modella zipper bag with random stuff...
• Ulta gift card holder (no gift card, haha)
• Business card from Sorry Mom Tattoo
• Info for our AMC Stubs card
• My & Lover's Busch Gardens season passes
• A lottery scratch ticket
• A guardian angel token
• A service menu to Animare Aveda salon
• Brochure for some teeth whitening kit
• Misc. receipts, etc, etc.
• Australian Gold Going GaGa bronzing lotion
• AG Bronze Minerals bronzer
• Tanning Bed peeper eye-wear things
• Revlon lip gloss in peach petals (I think that's the name)
• Too Faced Lash Injection mascara

There you have it...it's not the usually suitcase of all things random since I'm using a new purse, but I kind of found it amusing to see just what I carry on any given day. Give it a few weeks, I'm sure it will become more interesting, haha. So, that leads to the question...What's in your purse??
XOXO,
Jacqueline

Royal Wedding.

Hey guys!! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend thus far...it's perfect beach weather, but we all know the beaches are mad crowded so I'm laying low on that front. I do, however, wonder if the tanning bed will be open tomorrow. Yesterday was pretty eventful in that I did makeup for a wedding party of 8!! No assistant, and finished just in time, but all the girls looked beautiful and I'm super proud of myself, which I never am (weird to say right, I don't know). Anyway, it's no secret, or perhaps it is to some, that I was (and possibly still am) Royal Wedding obsessed, I watched the coverage from like 2am-9am....Kate Middleton is pretty much my hero. It's been a month today since the big event, so since I didn't have a blog then, we can consider this my Royal Wedding commemorative post. I have my opinions (pretty much in a chronological order) as well as some fun facts I picked up along the way! So, if you could absolutely care less read no further...but really, you should just keep reading anyway....there might be a little bonus jonas fun at the end....so let the royal fun begin!!

My Thoughts on the Royal Wedding:

• My official first tweet of any RW significance was at 1:38am (7:38am London time--I went back and checked the time on my twitter, haha) to note that the red carpets were being rolled out at Westminster Abbey, and that the balcony at Buckingham Palace was being decked out for the much anticipated first kiss--if a red carpet is your "aisle runner", so to speak, that's glamtastic right there!!
• I love that like most everyday non-Royal brides Kate was very hands on in the wedding planning, so lots of personal touches were to be expected.
• First of the titles granted to William & Kate by the Queen--the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge...okay,so now I totally want a title, it would make my return address labels a lot more interesting.
• Everyone (well, commentators anyway) joked whether Will would whisper "Kiss me Kate" on the balcony before the kiss...how cute would that have been?! Totally totally cheesy, but cute...especially with that British accent.
• The HATS...OMG...I could write a whole blog about the hats themselves. There were your regular, run-of-the-mill hats and then the ultra over-the-top crazy ones known as "fascinators"...SN: If Lady Gaga were to have attended the Royal Wedding, what kind of hat do you think she would've worn?!
• The aisle in the Abbey (I mean, the place is already gorgeous as is) was lined with maple trees. At the base of each tree was planted a Lily of the Valley and a strawberry plant...imagine the sweet smell that flowed through that place.
• SPOTTED: David & Victoria Beckham looked dapper and gorgeous. I wanted to see David out on that top hat, but never did. I guess he just carried it around the whole time. BTW, Victoria's fabulous dress was from her own line.
• Okay, if you couldn't take your eyes off the tv during the coverage, please tell me if you saw this too: When cameras were showing all the guests in the Abbey before the ceremony there was this lady on her cell phone texting or something...and her man "nudged" her to get off of it. Note that "nudge" is in quotations. I thought this to be hilarious.
• When the first glimpse of Will leaving for the Abbey came up, all I could think of was how much he looked like a prince pulled straight from the screen of a Disney film....the hat, eh, not so much...but he looked princely for sure.
• I think at this point in the RW coverage I was already crying, because I am that much of a nerd...it was announced that the night before, Will gave Kate a signet ring with his crest on it...I wonder if we'll spot her wearing it, 'cause I'm interested to see what it looks like.
• @realbeauties tweeted this and I thought it was funny: "You can't tell us someone in that church is NOT playing Angry Birds, you just can't"...well, maybe the lady that was "nudged" off her cell phone was.
• There were lots of nods to Diana throughout the day which I thought was not only appropriate, but endearing; she certainly hasn't been forgotten. When she passed, Will and Henry got to choose something of hers to hold onto...Will chose a watch and it was actually Harry that picked that fabulous sapphire ring. However, when Will met Kate he asked Harry for it, and obviously Harry forked it over, and I love that Will gave it to Kate. Diana had always told her kids to marry for love, and not to let royal status be a determining factor...I think she would love Kate.
• I hate the word "pomp", ugh. But, I must say that Britain puts it out there fabulously.

• HOW GORGEOUS DID KATE LOOK IN THAT DRESS?!!! (designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen...I totally called that one!). She was absolutely stunning in every possible way. As she and her father were riding in the Rolls Royce to the Abbey I knew they were having a very special father-daughter moment--it really made me miss my dad. (I love you Dad) <3
  I also have to say that I love the fact that Kate did her own makeup. I mean, she could've had her pick of any renowned makeup artist (wouldn't you love that job!), but she did it herself which I think is rad, and it looked beautiful.

• Of course I have to mention Pippa. She looked a-mazing in her white McQueen dress. Some say her gown even rivaled Kate's. but I think that Kate's definitely was the spotlight as far as fashion goes. SN: has anyone else noticed that lately Pippa is being talked about and photographed lots more than Kate....some say this is being done purposely to take attention of the newly married couple...hmmm...
• Seeing Kate is her dress definitely had me in tears...I guess it was making me think back to my own wedding...and then when Prince Harry glanced back at Kate coming down the aisle I totally balled, ngl. I wonder if he said anything to Will...but Harry's smile at her certainly was sweet.

• Now, speaking of smiles...seeing the smile on Will's face when he first saw Kate was certainly an "awwww" moment...I melted. Then when we all saw him whisper "You look beautiful", I totally melted again.
• @CosmoOnline tweets: "Do not, we repeat do not, play the drinking game in which you take a sip everytime you see a hat"...haha, now that would be volatile, wouldn't it. And speaking of HATS...Princess Beatrice's hat made me so oddly uncomfortable! And apparently it sold on eBay for $131 thousand, or something like that...crazy.
• "Every wedding is a Royal Wedding" and "You will set the world on fire"...everything that came out of the Archbishop's mouth was just fantastic.
• Did everyone else catch all the little smirks and winks between Wills and Kate...cute!
• Another great archbishop quote: "This is as every wedding day should be: a day of hope".

• Will is such a gentleman and I love it--when they had to kneel to pray, Will grabbed Kate's hand to help her down. C'mon guys, chivalry is not dead (at least not in Britain)...hold the door open every now and then, haha!
• Will & Kate had their own prayer written for the ceremony...a little personal touch that anyone can add to their big day...and one that Will & Kate will surely always treasure.
• SPOTTED: someone in the Abbey was reapplying lip gloss during the ceremony. The things you see people do, haha. I wouldn't want to be known as the girl who was putting on lipgloss instead of paying attention to the Royal Wedding right in front of their face!
• The way some of the choir boys are "mean-mugging" (in the most polite way, naturally) at the page boys, I think they wish they were in the page boy garb and not their choir robes...just saying.

• Seeing Will & Kate hand-in-hand is so sweet and regal at the same time (why can't I just be a royal, haha)...although there were moments I totally thought he was going to step on her gorgeous dress...and they rode back to Buckingham Palace in that carriage...can we say fairy tale sweet!
• I swear I saw Kate ask Will "Are you happy?" as they were riding in the carriage. Whatever she asked, he nodded yes, so awwww. I also think I saw Kate wipe a tear...just a little one...but I'm saying...

• How adorable was Prince Harry riding in the kiddie carriage. Apparently it's tradition, but adorable none the less.
• Will planted that first kiss smack dab on Kate's lips...and wait...2 kisses!! Totally breaks with tradition apparently, but with a love like theirs, who cares.

• I was thinking it would be way too hilarious, and certainly tradition-breaking//all-kinds-of-rules-breaking, if Prince Harry just leaned over and planted one on Pippa.

• Kate & Will change into their reception clothes, and of course, just as stunning. Will looked dapper in that tux and Kates dress, gorgeous...Gorgeous. I love all the glamour.

Royal Wedding Fun Facts:

• 19 Weddings have taken place at the Abbey in the last 100 years.
• Music from the Abbey was so loud it was drowning out all of that insane street noise.
• 1900 Wedding guests...rumors had previously swirled about that Kanye West was supposedly invited...I never saw him, so...no invite or no show?!
• Only the bride, Kate, can arrive after the Queen, and only her father can arrive with her.
• The fanfare played when Will & Kate signed their register was composed especially for the RW.
• Kate's vows to Will contained "love and honor" but the "obey" was not included.
• The Queen lent Kate the halo tiara she was wearing...it was made by Cartier in 1936.

That was A LOT, I know! But I can't get enough of it! My husband even surprised me by buying me the Time Commemorative Royal Wedding issue and People's collector's issue too (which I saw that People has another one out now too). There are still a few more magazines I need to pick up, but those suckers can be pricey. If you ar just as Will & Kate/Royal Wedding obsessed as I am, and after reading this you think I've missed something...well, chances are I didn't, haha. It was probably me editing myself as I went along. I could probably have an entirely separate blog about the Royals (but I promise, I won't, haha). I have total Kate Middleton envy! I've always wanted to go to London, and after watching the Royal Wedding I want to go even more! My husband says we'll make it happen. <3.

Bonus Jonas:
Royal Wedding Nails
(click link above to see video).


I am yet to find a really good YouTube Kate Middleton RW makeup look (there are lots on there, but not one I absolutely love) so if you know of a really good, high quality one, let me know in the comment section...but Julie (JulieG713) always has amazing hair and makeup tutorials, so that's why I included the RW nails video!
XOXO,
Jacqueline

Cleaning & Maintaining Your Brushes

Whether they're for personal or professional use, make sure you always keep your makeup brushes clean! It's not only sanitary but also can extend the life of your brushes. Makeup brushes are on thing, in my opinion, that are worth spending a little extra money on if you can. Most everyone knows of MAC brushes, but another rad brand is Sigma (see pic and link below). I have also found an awesome, affordable set--Sonia Kashuk's line for Target. Regardless of what brushes you use, keep them clean, healthy, and ready to go when you need them!

Spot Cleaning:
For everyday/spot cleaning I use a makeup brush cleaner by ColorScience (my sister gets this from the dermatologist office she works for). I hold my brush at a downward angle (brush tip down) and spray the brush cleaner on the bristles. I then take the brush and gently rub it in circles on a clean towel (or paper towel folded in 4's into a square)...you can even spray another spray of cleaner onto the towel if you want, depending on how dirty your brush is. Keep swirling the brush into the towel until you see the makeup/product coming off of the brush.

Deep Cleaning & Conditioning:
There are lots of ways to deep clean/condition your brushes, and you can certainly Google or YouTube the various methods, this is just the one I use. (condition your brushes maybe once a week, every 10 days).
Spread a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plain, nothing with garlic in it or anything) on a clean towel or squared off paper towel. The extra virgin olive oil breaks down any built up product on your brush and helps to condition the bristles. With your olive oil-ed towel in one hand and brush-to-be-cleaned in the other, gently swirl the brush into the olive oil and you will see all of that built up product began to show up on the towel. Using lukewarm water rinse the brush, avoiding getting water above the bristles, so you don't cause water damage, or rusting to occur. Lay brushes flat to dry on a towel.
Bonus Jonas: This is an extra little step I just learned about, but it can be helpful if you need it...Apply a little bit of baby shampoo to a towel/paper towel/sponge and rub the brush into the lathered shampoo. Again, rinse in lukewarm water, making sure you only rinse the bristles (rinse well!) and then lay flat on a towel to dry.

Sigma Brushes

(http://www.sigmabeauty.com/)

Hope you guys find this helpful!!

XOXO,

Jacqueline

Love your Lashes.

Happy Tuesday! How was everyone's Monday? As cliche as mine (as far as "Monday's Suck")...Although we did have that thunderstorm, I seemed to hit a wall around every corner I turned, not literally, haha. I blanked on how to say "Thank you" in Italian (still am, grrr), didn't make it out tanning or to Target, and just a whole hot mess of things...my hair didn't even leave the safety of its ponytail. But today we've had another wickedly delightful thunderstorm, I had portobellos for dinner and the husband brought me home an A&W root beer...and tonight is a new episode of "The Voice", which if you're not going to watch for the sheer premise of the show, at least watch for the hottness that is Adam Levine, awww. ANYWAY, today's post is about loving your lashes...tips and tricks on eyelash curling and applying mascara for the novice, which I see as only fitting since yesterday I did a mascara review!

Everyone has their own way to curl lashes and apply mascara. You may not even curl your lashes or wear mascara (let's face it, it can be scary having crazy metal and/or pointy contraptions coming right at your eye!). This is just my method for curling lashes and wearing mascara for an everyday look--just thought I'd share for anyone interested.

Curling:
1. Use a metal eyelash curler! I like the ones by Revlon and tarte.
2. Starting at the base of your lashes, clamp the curler down for approx. 3-5 seconds. Release, and move to the middle of your lashes & then the tips, pressing down for the 3-5 seconds each time.
3. For a little bonus jonas, go back to the base of your lashes and press the curler together again for an additional 3-5 seconds. (Repeat on the other eye).

Mascara:
1. Take whatever mascara you like (making sure there aren't any extra clumps or excess product hanging around on your wand). I like to first just coat the very tips of my lashes--which will ass a little bit of extra length when you're done.
2. To apply your first coat of mascara, start at the base of your lashes and gently wiggle the wand upwards, slowly rotating the wand slightly as you do so. Make sure your eyelashes are evenly coated before you move on to any additional full-coats. (Repeat on the other eye).
3. Apply about 2 full coats for an everyday look (or however many you personally like!), just make sure you don't overwhelm your lashes with mascara--you might then notice clumping.
4. Another little trick I do is to take the tip of my mascara wand and gently coat my outer lashes, gently pulling them out at an outward angle--to make my lashes look even fuller.

et voila!

Note: I typically don't wear mascara on my bottom lashes for an everyday look, but if you do don't go heavy--I would usually apply a light coat to the outer lashes, gently pulling them outward (like with the top lashes) to add just a little bit of definition.

**Don't forget to take your mascara off at night (with the rest of your makeup)! Otherwise you won't have a nice clean base for fresh mascara the next time you put on your makeup, and you can notice some breakage in your lashes.

Bonus Jonas: I put the question out on twitter asking what celebs you thought had the best lashes, so here's a top 5 (although I can think of so many fabulous lashes out there is Hollywood!).

1. Katy Perry

2. Carrie Underwood

3. Nicole Richie

4. Hilary Duff

5. Holly Madison

Have a beautiful evening everyone!!

XOXO,

Jacqueline

Review: Voluminous Millions

It's bright and early Monday morning (to be honest, I haven't gone to sleep yet!), so what better time than any for a product review...Yay! haha. There are sooooo many new products hitting the shelves week after week, so it's always good to know a little bit about the product before you consider buying. The product I'm reviewing today isn't necessary new to shelves, but rather new to me, and I love it so why not offer my review. (The fact I already said I heart this little gem should tell you this is a rave, not a rant). The product I'm offering my opinion/review on: L'Oreal Voluminous Millions Mascara.

If you go through a lot of mascara like I do, or if you like to throw mascara out often to replace then right away this is a rad choice for you. Economically speaking, Voluminous Millions is considered a drugstore brand so it's quite affordable at about $8. If you like high end mascaras, which don't get me wrong I do, but it's always nice to find an affordable alternative that works just as well, if not better, then VM is comparable to Benefit's Bad Gal Lash.

Some sweet points about the VM mascara:
* Doesn't flake or leave fall-out on your face...so at the end of the day, no little black flakes will be speckled underneath your eyes.
* Lenghtens & Volumizes...the word "voluminous" is in the name of the mascara, so volume is of course expected, but this mascara also adds length to your lashes, which is always a plus when selecting a mascara, even if you have longer lashes naturally like I do. (I can't help it, sometimes I do love the false lash look without having to actually apply false lashes).
* Flexible wands...a lot of mascara wands are stiff and have no bend to them, which usually isn't that big of a deal, but I like that the VM wand is made of rubber (as are the bristles) because that little extra bend really lets me get the wand into my lashes, which helps to define and separate them. Believe it or not, the shape of a mascara wand and it's bristles help to determine what the mascara will do for your lashes, not just the actual mascara itself.
* Wipe-off...when you pull the wand out of the tube you will hear a little pucker noise, a little mascara kiss if you will. That is the sound of the wand leaving the small upper portion of the tube, which serves to wipe off any clumps or excess product. This way, you don't have to wipe your wand against the tube and make a mess like with some other mascaras.

See! Lot's of good points as to why you should try this product. It comes in a shiny gold tube so you can't miss it on the shelf! Give it about a week and I bet you'll love it too. Ooh, sidenote: a lot of people worry about clumping with mascara. I haven't had any problems with clumping when using the Voluminous Millions mascara, except for once when I applied waaaay too many coats while playing with it. So if you notice any clumping, don't automatically assume it's your mascara, it may just be that you need to adjust your mascara application process. I find that on average, 2 full coats works beautifully for an everyday look. Is there a product out there you want to see a review on?, let me know!
Have a spectacular Monday...I hear we are having a thunderstorm here later today, and I do love a good thunderstorm ;)

XOXO,
Jacqueline

MAC vs Revlon Colorstay

Happy Sunday!!
I thought I'd make one of my first official posts a product comparison...I often find these helpful when other makeup artists blog or vlog about different products, so this is my contribution on that similar note. Many a makeup artist/beauty blogger has offered their opinion on these 2 popular products: MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundation and Revlon's Colorstay. You can even go on YouTube and actually see some pretty rad gurus show you the differences and similarities in a practical application, while at the same time offering their opinion, whether it be a professional or personal one. So in battle MAC vs. Revlon here's what I have to say.

I am familiar with both the MAC brand and Revlon brand, and these 2 foundations are actually highly comparable to one another, even though MAC is a higher end brand and Revlon is what you would dub a "drugstore" brand. Does spending more money guarantee you a better product? The answer to that in my book is: no. (and that goes for more than just foundation!).
Let's take a little look at both products:

MAC: The studio fluid foundation is a full-coverage foundation, so if you don't often wear foundation, or find that you only need a light coverage, this is not the foundation for you anyway. Otherwise, this is a really good foundation for full coverage because it blends easily, whether you're using your fingers, a sponge, or foundation brush. Now, I do love MAC, but a lot of people tend to have skin issues when it comes to their products, especially the foundations. Check the ingredients if you have skin issues with makeup and do some comparison...MAC's SFFF runs about $28, so you don't want to waste your money if you can help it! The one issue I have with this particular foundation is that it can come across a little yellow or orange when applied, especially if you're fair skinned. I know some people with really fair skin that just can't wear MAC foundation because the lightest shade is still too dark for their skin! It comes in a 1 fl. oz bottle, but only has one formula, which brings me to Revlon...

REVLON: Revlon Colorstay also comes in a 1 fl. oz bottle, but comes in 2 formulas: for normal to dry skin and for oily to combination skin. That's especially helpful if you know your skin type! (which everyone that wears makeup should!). Like MAC, Colorstay offers a really nice full-coverage and blends just as easily. It is also available in a much wider range of shades, which really helps with matching to your skin or if you're a makeup artist and want to stock your kit (like I do, haha!). Economically speaking, Colorstay runs anywhere from like $8-$12 so it's much more affordable than MAC, and that's a bonus jonas right there in itself!

So who wins??...

My pick is the Revlon Colorstay! I use it in my kit (tip for makeup artists: pick up a bottle in every other or every 2 shades and you will have the right color for everyone and lots of room to blend and match) and find that the coverage is just as well as MAC's. Now, I know there are some loyal-as-can-be MAC fans out there, but my advice is not to fall in love with a brand because of it's name/popularity. Do your research, and look not just at pricing, but for what is the best product in any particular makeup category. Seem like a lot of work just for makeup? Well, it's your skin! Keep it healthy! Healthy skin is the perfect foundation for your makeup in general! That's my opinion on MAC vs Revlon. Have 2 products you want compared? Let me know!
Hope everyone has a beautiful evening!

XOXO,
Jacqueline

Hellooo Gorgeous...

So, I've started a blog...something I've been meaning to do for sometime now, I just couldn't decide what kind of blog I wanted. I gave it a great deal of thought, and decided I was not quite brave enough to create a personal-everyday life based blog, so I decided to take a different route, one which I think will be fun. If you follow me on twitter (@JalinMarieC) then you know I often post fashion, hair, and makeup tips, but limited to 140 characters can be a daunting task when talking about certain things. So I thought, a beauty blog! I know there are tons out there, and there certainly isn't a shortage of youtube gurus that can certainly offer the same sorts of information, but I thought, I'm a makeup artist, I'm passionate about creativity, fashion, and art, and I like to think my sense of whimsy can be respected by others out there.

More about me: I'm a wife (married almost 4 years)...married young at the age of 22, but it's turned out to be quite a wonderland of adventure. I'm pro-animal rights/cruelty free beauty, I'm a vegetarian, I love the beach, star gazing, and making cupcakes. I graduated with my B.A. in English and worked PR for a non-profit for a little bit when it dawned on me that I am not the kind of person to sit behind a desk all day...I need a career that is also essentially an outlet for my creativity. Halfway through my formal college education I really got into makeup artistry and low-and-behold, picking up that hobby has transitioned into something much more rad. I have also been accepted into a prestigious beauty institute and begin classes this summer. I have has some nay-sayers question my decision to do this, saying it would be a waste of my college education. Um, when is education ever a waste. Sure, I have student loans, ugh, don't we all hate that...but if you have a dream, a passion, it is your responsibility to follow it. I started with a lot of bridal work and have expanded to work with local photographers on various photo shoots, etc. I have worked with some amazing, talented people who have only reinforced my love for what I'm doing.

My dad passed away unexpectedly on New Years Day (1-1-2011) and my goal is to only make him proud. A lot of people lo0ok down on people who work in this industry and honestly, I don't see the point on looking down on anyone, regardless of the station they hold in life. Live. Laugh. Love...that's everyone's favorite go-to motto, or what have you, so why don't we all embrace that?! I might post some personal entries every now and then, but I want to simply share my opinions and advice on different products, techniques, tips, and trends. Others may have the same opinion, some may have their own way of doing things, and well, some people may not even care about this stuff and that's ok too. Let's just have fun with it! And of course I will entertain any ideas, suggestions for posts, or questions anyone reading may have. For business inquiries, I can be contacted at xoartistry@hotmail.com.

XOXO,
Jacqueline