SUMMER TIME............
is almost here! Let me give away some of my secrets on how to look tan without sacrificing your complexion. First is protection. I have found this wonderful SPF product, Science Pro "Sunforgettable". It's a mineral face powder with color that has spf 30. It's hypoallergenic and the best part....dry! I have enough stickiness with my moisturizer, foundation, and our Florida 98% humidity factor. I bought a shade that was a little darker than my skin tone and use it as a bronzer. I brush it all over my face, neck, and decollete. It comes in a variety of shades. Now for my favorite self tanner, "Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning". It's really good on us fair skinned girls. When applied correctly, it gives you that nice glow without making you look orange. And for you ladies out there with darker skin tones, it enhances what mother nature has already blessed you with. This product should only be used on the face, neck and chest areas. Next is makeup! One of my favorite shades of lipstick is "Hot VooDoo", by Nars. It gives your lips that sun kissed glow, and just add a little of that "Orgasm" lipgloss I suggested in my other blog and you will have one sizzling set of summer lips. For eyes, Covergirl has some wonderful bronze shadows. It's inexpensive and has great pigment. Please keep the shimmer to a minimum, concentrate on just three features, such as eyes, cheeks, and lips or face, lips, and cheekbones. Too much shine either makes your complexion look puffy, oily or flat...three horrible words in the female dictionary!

RED LIPS!!!

There is nothing sexier and more classic than beautiful red lips. Ladies, don't be afraid of it. The trick to keeping it looking sophisticated, is to make sure your eye makeup stays light and simple. I like to use "All About Eve" from Nars for the lid and brow bone area, and "Omega" from M.A.C., for the crease. A beautiful espresso or black color liquid eyeliner right along your upper lash line, will give your eyes that pop they need. There is no need to line the bottom lids! Follow it with your favorite thickening mascara, or have some fun and add false eyelashes. My favorite false eyelashes that aren't so over the top, but give you that extra oomph, is "Babies" by Ardell. Now back to those blazing lips! Red lipstick come in all kinds of different shades. The important ingredient is a matte lip color. Make sure you use a lipliner that matches your color, to keep it looking polished. For those of you with lips that are too big, line your lip just inside your lip line. And for those who have thin lips, line them just outside your lip line, but be careful not to make it too over drawn. Once you have mastered this look, it can be worn in any setting, from the office to the dance floor!

Dear Bloggers,

I've recently been getting more and more request for makeup tips, especially when it comes to lip gloss. So here are some of mine. We all love the way lipgloss looks, but hate the way it feels. My favorites happen to be, "Nymphette", by M.A.C. and "Orgasm", by NARS. These glosses add the shimmer and not so much stickiness. The trick is not to use too much, just a dab on the center of your pout is enough. For some reason, young women nowadays refuse to use lipstick. Ladies.... lipstick is fabulous as a moisturizer for your lips, not to mention it gives you a fuller, more polished look. For those ladies who love the look of glosses but can't use them anymore because of fine lines, I like to use on my clients Rimmel "1000 Kisses" Stay On Lipliner Pencil. They offer an array of colors and it does last a long time, without the runny mess. I use it on my clients as a lipstick and then add a dab of lipgloss on top. Now go and have some fun!!!!

Third sister is a charm!

This past Saturday I did the makeup of the third and last sister of this wonderful family, the Fagundos. In 2007 I did the makeup of the older sisters Jenny and Laura, which their weddings were only 3 months apart. Mom and dad can finally exhale! All three weddings were such a pleasure to do. I feel so fortunate to be a part of all of these ladies' special day. Working side by side with photographer/ family member Alex Fagundo of Candidly Elegant Photography was also a pleasure like always! It is so important to have a good team around you on such a special yet hectic day. Ladies, when choosing a photographer, keep in mind these people will be around you all day long, so make sure you like not just the pictures they take, but their personalities as well. All of the photographers I mention in my website are exceptional!

Hello Everyone,

It's been a really busy season for me, hardly no down time. I decided I do need to dedicate some time to my blog, so here it goes!

So far it's been an incredible wedding year! I've been so fortunate to have been a part of so many of my brides wedding day. This weekend I had the pleasure of doing the makeup on a Persian bride. I was the 4th makeup artist she tried. Her decision in choosing me came from her desire to have a particular style of makeup, that is used in her native country of Iran . I listened carefully to her request, and delivered exactly what she wanted. She was also ecstatic with the results of the hair stylist Emelia, I recommended.

Listening, plus my overwhelming desire to make my clients happy, is a big part of my success. Pictures of this bride will soon be posted.

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to share a great wedding experience. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing makeup on a bride who had a location wedding here in South Florida. She's originally from Weston, Florida, but moved to London England a few years ago because she wanted more excitement in her life. That is where she met the love of her life, and only two days into being in a new country. The attraction they had for each other was instant, and from that moment on, were inseparable! They had their ceremony on a yacht leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The day was beautiful and the water was smooth. If you're from Florida, you know how crazy and unpredictable the weather can be. So this couple really lucked out. I also did the makeup for the rest of the bridal party, a combination of family and good friends. The energy in the room was wonderful and everyone was so excited. This particular bride had friends and family from around the world, from England to Egypt, to Italy and France. Everything went according to plan and there was plenty of time to get ready. Thank you Christina for letting me be part of your special day!

Beautiful Bride

I just did a beautiful bride this past weekend. She was an expert at organization and because of this, everything went according to plan. I love it when a bride has a room selected just for me to do my work, separated from the craziness of incoming relatives and friends. She also had some food for me to snack on throughout the afternoon. A note to future brides....feed your makeup artists and hairstylist, especially when they are there for a few hours. Nothing too fancy, a simple little sandwich will do.

This bride, like many others, was paying special attention to the needs of her bridesmaids. Making sure they also look beautiful. The dresses and accessories which are being chosen lately are stunning, add a great hairstyle and makeup, and you have an impressive bridal court. Happy bridesmaids, happy bride.

One other key to this bride's successful day was that she hired a wedding coordinator. If you can't afford one to organize the whole event, then hire one at least for the day of the wedding, which is what this bride did.