Norah Loves Makeup

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No Makeup But I am Wearing Makeup LOTD

May 28, 2015 // 30 Comments

IMG_0276No Makeup Look Inside TrainMakeup artistry is my job and as such, it doesn’t mean I am dolled up to the max every single day. Quite the contrary, I am a total minimalist when it comes to me and the jobs I do. If you follow my artist work, you may have noticed I get booked for a lot of clean and soft makeup looks, it is where the real money is at. And of course, there are times when I do creative colorful gigs or I have red carpets and go all out for my clients.

The most crucial aspect of a no-makeup look for me, personally is the skin prep. When the skin is in good shape, layered accordingly to the weather, time of day and lighting, it looks amazing on a no makeup LOTD. This was my goal as I created my look. Less is more. I am giving you two photos, one is outside with glorious 4pm lights and the other one not so wow, inside a train because as you can probably tell, I was on my way to New York City, fluorescent lights not so cute but you get the idea, the makeup still looks soft.

1) I used two different moisturizers before I applied makeup. Today was a humid day but this doesn’t mean I don’t hydrate. My skin is dry so it needs a strong base of hydration for most foundations to look dewy/ sheer on me. My go-to moisturizer is Embryolisse Lait Concentrate, it’s so perfect I just love it. Shortly after, I used Intraceuticals Daily Serum, I focus on my dry spots across my frown line and around the eyes area. This serum feels very light and it adds radiance. Luminosity is my second most favorite finish when it comes to my skin (or my clients).

2) This was a day LOTD and I grabbed my Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation SPF 15 HD in OC 2. Koh Gen Do makes fabulous foundations, I have this and the moisturizing one as my daytime darlings, for me formula is everything and this particular brand is all about Jojoba Seed Oil, Olive Squalane & Shea Butter, no parabens or petroleum. The finish is sheer and gives enough coverage for a real no-makeup look. I don’t even use a brush with Koh Gen Do, I literally will use my hands to blend this on myself, like a moisturizer, it feels like one.

3) I have a little darkness under my eyes and used NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Medium Custard. Notice a trend? The word radiant is repeated on another product. I love this concealer because it is creamy and never feels heavy, covers well and blends perfectly into Koh Gen Do foundation.

4) After these two steps, I curled my lashes and used L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga in black, two coats. I like this mascara because the wand allows for very quick application and zero clumsiness. I don’t want to spend more than two minutes on mascara so I move on to my brows.

5) Brows are important. I’ve started using the Senna Cosmetics Precision Brow Pencil in mink. I purchased this to try using pencils after years of being mostly Senna Brow Powders and I gotta tell you, I love this pencil. It comes with a brush that’s so detailed, it makes the application process easy, 3 minutes of filling in and brushing out to get that soft look I like.

6) Last is applying a little blush. I actually went for NARS Contour Blush in Paloma color but if you notice my face, I do not contour. I hate seeing lines and obvious severeness in my own makeup especially daytime, so with this particular product I just glided and blended a little bit, mostly to give myself some glow/ dimension. This duo is matte and I love that it is subtle and it works well on creams.

Hope you liked my LOTD no makeup but I am wearing makeup, feel free to ask me any questions.

**Koh Gen Do, NARS concealer, Senna Brow Pencil and Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentrate were my own purchases and NARS Contour, L’Oreal Manga and Intraceuticals Serum were given to me as press samples, ALL opinions and review are my own.

**This was a collaborative effort, check out what my other beautiful blogger friends created 🙂

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Filed Under: Anti-Ageing, Concealer, Eyebrows, Eyelashes, Foundation, Hydration, Makeup, Makeup Artist, mascara, Moisturiser, Serum, Skincare, SPF

Wink Brow Bar New York

December 29, 2014 // 17 Comments

Wink Brow Bar NYC Before And After PhotoWink Brow Bar After Threading PhotoBrows are my most favorite thing to discuss, aside from skin. Groomed brows are a big deal, it is the outline to our expressions, and even without makeup, brows make everything just right. Last Monday, I went to Wink Brow Bar in New York city to try brow threading and tinting, a first for me and suffice to say, I loved my experience at this salon. The treatment took less than half an hour and results were fabulous.

I need to start by stating that I am not a fan of wax in the face especially in the brow area. From previous experience, I feel that wax burns, irritates sensitive skin like mine and can create more harm than good, if you take too much hair for example (the horror). Threading is much more precise and on contact less painful because it removes hair at once using a cotton thread. I am purposely posting makeup-less photos to show you the power of a good groomed brow, hope you don’t mind? Some days I love going out without any makeup on, it feels good to let my skin breathe.

Wink Brow Bar is a well-run salon, it is pristine, professional and everything is done to the highest standards. As soon as I sat down on my chair, I noticed the brow tech using anti-bacterial in her hands, perfect table manners. When she started threading my brows, it went by fast and strategically – it wasn’t a huge removal of hair namely because, I admit it, my brows have good natural shape. Upon finishing my threading, it was suggested I’d get some tinting to even out some sparse growth at the end of my brows, to which I agreed to, much needed. The process of threading at Wink Brow Bar did not hurt. Soon after I noticed some very mild redness (which is normal as my skin is pretty sensitive but I wasn’t in pain or worried, it went away fast, and without pain).

The tinting part of my brow treatment took literally minutes. I had a tiny amount placed all along my brow, heavier around the ends. The before/ after pictures will show the difference this treatment made. Results of the brow tint should last up to six weeks, maybe less depends on the hair. Also for threading, I grow hair between four to six weeks, plucking in between. Overall, I LOVED my brows after having them done at Wink Brow Bar in NYC. One more thing, you get a super relaxing head massage with your brow service, who doesn’t love a little extra TLC?

**Service was complimentary at Wink Brow Bar, all opinions and views are my own.
***Thanks to the Beauty Council for this opportunity

Filed Under: Eyebrows, Makeup

Makeup Breakdown

September 22, 2014 // 16 Comments

Makeup BreakdownHere is a new makeup breakdown of products. The model on this image is a beauty from Kazakhstan, we worked on some new photos for her portfolio. For the first batch of images, I created a clean face because the truth is, in New York city models go on castings with no makeup on. Clients and modeling agents want to see a clean face, this where one spots how a face can be transformed and also, if there is problems with the skin (acne, moles, scars, etc). The modeling and fashion business is a fiercely competitive market, presentation is everything and less is more.

Skin prep:
– Cetaphil Cleansing Wipes
– Stila One Step Correct Cream (To cancel out redness in the cheeks)
– Embryolisse Hydrat Mat

Makeup:
– Face Atelier Pro Ultra #2
– Makeup Forever Camouflage Concealer mixed with FA #2 under the eyes
– Inglot AMC Blush #64

Eyes:
– Michael Marcus Eye Primer
– Viseart Neutrals Basic 01 Palette
– Mascara Loreal Volume Lash Black
– On the brows I used a brown from the Viseart Neutrals
– Alcone Perfect Eyeliner Black

Lips:
–

You may see a pattern in a lot of my breakdowns. There are staples in my professional kit and products that look good on camera, stuff I always use. Do I use drugstore products? Yes! Lately, the CoverGirl Queen collection has been rocking lips on many of my print work and even videos. This photo has no Photoshop. Remember that you can correct imperfections but skin texture does not change, no matter how much makeup you apply. This what makes beauty real, a perfectly imperfect face.
Any questions, feel free ask in the comments section.

Filed Under: Eyebrows, Eyeliner, Makeup, Makeup Artist, mascara, Moisturiser

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I am Norah - a makeup artist in SOMA, NJ. I blog about
lifestyle, beauty, fashion and healthy living.

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