Big Lash Lovin'

By Heather Hanna

For so long, I've avoided any lash enhancing serums. Sure, I dream of longer, more voluminous lashes, but the risk of my eye color being affected or the skin on my eyes darkening is not worth it to me. To me, it's like putting chemicals right on your eye. And I really enjoy my healthy eyes, like a lot.

So, I was researching the Enormous Lash line by Beauty Society. It said paraben and prostaglandin free. Now, I'm familiar with parabens, but prostaglandin? Say that one five times fast. What in the world is that?!

Well, my fellow big lash lovers, it is the ingredient in popular lash serums that darkens the skin around your eyes or affects the color of your eyes. Um, sign me up!  

There is a serum, mascara, brow gel, and liner that all have the active ingredients to grow and add volume to your lashes. If you want to learn more or order your very own Enormous Lash, visit www.mybeautysociety.com/heatherkuester

Pop Art Inspired Makeup!

By Heather Hanna

The weather is getting cooler, leaves are changing colors, and my favorite part, Bath & Body Works fall candles are burning in my house!! All of this means that Halloween is quickly approaching! And that means costumes...and to me, it means "How can I do my makeup so I look completely different?"

Well, I looked around Pinterest and "googled" some things.  I decided to try a Roy Lichtenstein inspired look.  I wanted to put my own twist on it, so I changed a couple of things. Lichtenstein's dots and lips were red, but I figured "hey, this is art so I'm going to do white dots and pink lips!" In the following paragraphs, I will teach you exactly how to recreate this look.

The key to creating the perfect canvas for this look is having the appearance of perfect skin. Priming and concealing help create the "airbrushed" look.

Prime your whole face. I used a pore refiner (Benefit Porefessional) and some anti-shine spray (Urban Decay De-Slick).

Apply foundation. I used a MAC 187 brush and Revlon Colorstay foundation in Ivory.

I concealed with MAC Pro Longwear concealer in NC 20. I set my whole face with MAC Set powder in Invisible* using a MAC 150 brush. Any translucent powder will work. Colored powders can look too cakey.

Next, I applied a little bronzer to my cheeks (Wet N' Wild Ticket to Brazil).  I contoured using Shadester* by MAC, but any matte bronzer you have will work. I used Rhubarb* by MAC blush. I love Rhubarb but your favorite bright pinkish blush will work perfectly.

Here's everything I used!! 

Next I defined and filled in my brows with a black liner pencil.  I used a twist up pencil by Cover Girl but I would recommend using a true pencil for ease of application. The important part here is to have to swoop shape at the end of your brows above your nose. I drew this on with pencil but defined the edges and exact shape with a MAC 210 and 209 brushes and my MAC Fluid Line eyeliner in Blacktrack (everyone should own this eyeliner, I love it!).

I outlined other features with the black liner pencil. Make sure the lines don't have jagged edges. Mine are far from perfect, but more perfect lines make this look appear more real. You can perfect the lines with concealer and small concealer brush. You can use the the areas I outlined on my face in the picture as a guide for your own.

For eyes, I drew a dramatic winged liner with the MAC Fluidline liner with the MAC 210 brush. I used my NYX jumbo pencil in Milk to line my water line and lower lash lines. I lined below that with black liner. I drew dramatic lashes on the top and bottom of my eye. Apply your most dramatic false lashes on the top. I used Ardell Demi Whispies. Demi Whispies aren't crazy dramatic, but they're the best I had on hand before making my next makeup run!

I prepped my lips with MAC Prep & Prime. I filled in my lips with NYX lip liner in Dolly Pink and covered my lips with MAC's Saint Germain lipstick. I used Ben Nye white body paint to draw a small rectangular on one side of my lower lip.

Finally, I took the NYX jumbo pencil in Milk and drew white dots all over my face and neck.

As you're working, don't worry if everything doesn't look perfect. Sometimes everything just comes together at the end.  And don't forget, practice makes perfect!


Lots of makeup, beauty and love,
Heather

Learn how to apply false lashes

*Indicates a MAC Pro shade. Pro shades aren't available at MAC counters or regular stores.  Pro shades can be purchased online, in MAC Pro stores, or by calling MAC to place your order.

Ooh la la lashes!!

By Heather Hanna

I'm wearing some awesome Ardell Demi Wispies here!

Ooh la la I love me some falsies!!

And just to be clear, by falsies, I mean fake eyelashes. In recent years, they have made a major comeback. They have become more natural in appearance and lighter in weight on your natural lashes. They can take your already beautiful eye over the top, and in a good way. There's only one problem.  For a beginning lash lover, they can be incredibly difficult to apply. But don't you worry, I have some lash-changing tips for you!

First, let's talk supplies. You can choose whichever lashes you prefer. Some are thick and dramatic while others are simple and just add a little volume or length. For beginners, I recommend choosing a fake lash with clear lash line (like the one pictured). Revlon has many great fake lashes to choose from. I love their demi wispies (Lash #91246). Ardell is another favorite of mine. I love their demi wispies and the 110 lash. My must have for lash glue is DUO. You can find this in the lash section at places like Wal-Mart and Sally's Beauty. My favorite DUO glue come in pink packaging. The pink stuff dries black. I love this glue for that reason and also because it seriously stands the test of time... And humidity... And heat.

Before you actually apply your lashes, measure them against your natural lash line to determine whether or not you need to trim the lashes down. If your lashes are stick straight, curl them to help them blend with the falsies. After you've done any necessary trimming and curling, take the lashes and roll them in between your index finger and thumb. This will look like you are playing the world's smallest violin with a set of lashes. This action makes them more like your eye shape and easier to apply.  

Next, while holding the lashes (in the center) with tweezers, line the lash line with your glue of choice (like pictured below). Now, I know you are dying to stick that on your eye right away, but let it sit for 20-30 seconds. After those extra long 20-30 seconds, hold the lashes vertically above your natural lash line (like pictured below). The key is to get the lashes as close as possible to your natural lash line without getting them on your natural lashes. Once the lashes are resting on the center of your lash line, start pressing the rest of the false lashes on your lash line starting in the outer corner of your eye working your way in. The glue will dry relatively quickly so once the edges are placed where you want them, hold them in place with tweezers to help insure they don't budge.  

Finally, apply some mascara to help blend your natural lashes with the fake ones. When I apply lashes, I have applied all eye makeup, including eyeliner. If the glue is visible, I go over it with a liner or dark shadow.   

Don't get discouraged if it doesn't go smoothly the first or second (or sixth) time you try. It takes practice, but you can master the art of false lashes!!!

Lots of makeup, beauty and love,
Heather

Learn about warm and cool skintones

Looking for good makeup shades? Look to your wrists!

See those blue blood pumpers?!  I have cool undertones.

By Heather Hanna

When I do someone's makeup, the first thing I ask to see is their wrists. I know people think, 'Oh no, she is crazy.  What do my wrists have to do with my face?' 

Well, let me tell you. The veins in your wrists usually have some sort of color (and if they don't we've got a whole different problem on our hands).  The exact color of your wrists can help make makeup shopping so much easier.  So, flip your arm over and check out those arteries!!  (And if can't see any veins in your wrists, look on the underside of your upper arm.)

Blue veins mean you have cool undertones in your skin.  This means your skin has a bit of pink.  It also means you should choose makeup with cool undertones.  You should purchase foundations with a more pink base.  Now, I'm not talking straight up pink foundation.  I'm saying it looks a little more pink than yellow.  Blue-based pink and red lipsticks look amazing on cool undertones!  People with cool undertones also look better in silver versus gold jewelry, and bright colored clothing like teal, purple, cobalt blue, pink or a vibrant green.  Black also tends to look better on cool-toned people.  Cameron Diaz, Liv Tyler, Oprah, or Christina Hendricks have cool undertones.

Best cool colors/Best warm colors

Green veins mean you have warm undertones in your skin.  This means your skin has a yellow base, and makeup for warm undertones is more yellow based.  So in this case you will want to purchase foundations with (you guessed it) a more yellow base.  More earthy-toned colors for lips and eyes.  Lucky for you, deep, brownish-red lipsticks look stunning on warm tones and that is going to be the color to wear this fall!  Keep in mind that gold looks better on warm undertones than silver does.  Brown, orange, yellow, olive green, or barn red are colors that look great on warm undertones.  Black can tend to make you look washed out. Lindsey Lohan, Beyonce, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, or Heidi Klum have warm undertones.  

If you are looking at your wrists and still think I'm crazy because your veins look both green AND blue, well then it's your lucky day gorgeous!!!  You have neutral undertones and you look great in any color under the sun!  Okay, maybe not neon yellow or some other crazy color that no one wants to wear anyway.  

Lots of makeup, beauty and love,

Heather