"Springing" for the Glitter

So Spring in fast approaching, and I am more than excited! Everything about it from the flowers to the smell in the air, to the fashion, and most importantly the makeup.

Spring makeup is fun in the sense that it allows for a a multitude of techniques to be used. It is cool enough too wear a shimmery tinted moisturizer on the skin, yet warm enough to do a full coverage matte application as well.

As for eyeshadows, we are capable of using literally ANYTHING! Glitter is typically a faux pas in the summer, due to the escalating heat, and sweat strands that are destined to ruin that remarkable work of art you just spent a half an hour on.. but luckily for us, summer isn't here yet, and we have full rein on whatever masterpieces we set out to create!

With that said, I spent the last couple of days creating looks that can be rocked allllll Spring long, and that are sure to be a conversation piece! So get ahold of some glitter and lets get started!

Our first look can be labeled "Glitter-Mania" if we feel that the shoe fits ;) This look was created using a variety of products beginning with MAC 3D gold glitter, Cranberry eyeshadow, and sculpted with Carbon in the side corner. White eyeliner was used beneath the eye in the waterline to make the eye pop, and Ardell false lashes were added to create a lush and whispy lash line.

This look can be worn at anytime of the day, but it is especially recommended for the evenings out on the town with your girls!

This next look was created with th sunset as my main inspiration. One f my favorite things about Spring is basking in the sun with flowery dresses and big beautiful bowl hats. This eyeshadow look is destined to work with at least a few of those outfits you have stored for the season!

We begin with using a cream base on the lid to help with adhesion, then add Ricepaper (MAC) as highlight. Drop Ricepaper down to the lashline, and with a blending brush add Chrome yellow (MAC), Orange (MAC) and Embark to the crease area. Finish the look off by adding white eyeliner to the waterline, and balck eyeliner to the top of the lid!

One of my favorite looks I created this week was very simplistic, but held its own in contrast to the other makeups. I chose to down play the eyes a bit and focus more on accentuating the lips. If you don't own it yet, get to your nearest MAC Counter and purchase So Chaud. It is one of my all time favorite reds, because of its striking appearance and almost mistakingly orange undertones.

This look would be great alongside a burnt orange tote, or with a pair of wicked wedges!

The last Spring look I created for the week was a nod to the Easter Holiday, so take a peek and follow these tips to create your own!

To give your eyes a pop of Easter fun, place an iridescent highlight on beneath the brow bone, then add a pop of plum to the lid. I used a Coastal Scents palette to achieve this look. Don't be afraid of using burn oranges, and mauve browns either! They are just light an airy as the soft purples and baby blues if used correctly!

Lastly, I want to share something super cool that took place this morning!

As I scrolled through the Facebook feed, I checked the Illamasqua Cosmetics blog, and there again was one of my makeup looks! I cannot tell you how amazing it feels to have appreciation of art come from such a great and influential cosmetics company! If that wasn't cool enough, I received a personal email from their Social Media Manager congratulating me on the triad of makeups that have made it to the blog! So amazing!

To check out the blog go to the Alter Ego Gallery!

Hope you all feel inspired to try some of these looks on your own! Find me on Instagram where I post many of these looks daily @makeupbybrittanym

Have a blessed weekend!

Day to Night.. A collaboration with the best in the Cosmetics Industry

Yesterday my boyfriend and I took a day trip to San Francisco to catch a glimpse of the salty sea, get a taste of the infamous Fishermans wharf clam chowder, and of course.. Shop our little hearts away ;)

First stop was the MAC Pro Store on Union Street. This store has always been one of my favorites, mostly due to the openness and friendly atmosphere. I was greeted by Carwin who may as well be the owner of the shop, with his unparalleled product knowledge, and great hosting skills. Carwin helped me find an array of products I needed for my kit, including a multitude of eyeshadows from the Pro collection, Full Coverage Foundations, Eyeliners, Lipglosses, Brush Cleansers, and more! It was an extraordinary experience to say the least and I will most definitely return! 

During this day trip I could not help but think about how badly I wanted to meet my new Fundamentalism palette from Illamasqua, sooner than later.. and I came home this morning to just that :) The mailman definitely made my day by dropping by my quad eyeshadow palette, which included two creme shadows! So refreshing to see something new! It is not common in the Cosmetic Industry to find pre-selected eyeshadow palettes in a variety of textures and consistency, but Illamasqua nailed it! Along with my palette, I also received my sealant gel, and my new teal lipstick Apocalips !

With all my new goodies I could not help but to create a couple of new looks! I thought to myself, wouldn't it be fun to abandon "brand loyalty" for a second and indulge? So with that, I created two looks, one for the day, and one bumped up for the night, using not only MAC or ONLY Illamasqua but instead using BOTH.. because who knows... we may be able to create a fabulous look with products from more than one brand..hmm.. what a concept ;) 

Here is the first look I came up with. This eyeshadow combination is meant to be worn in the daytime, preferably with a sundress and cowboy boots, or maybe a pair of your deepest denims and a mustard yellow top!

This look was created using eyeshadows from the MAC Pro line, as well as the Silver and the Mint toned cream shadows in the Illamasqua palette. 

To take this look from day to night, I added a second set of false eyelashes (also known as "double-stacking") I also added a MAC shadow (Carbon) and used my new Copper Pigment alongside the Illamasqua sealant to create a shimmery contrast to our sunset inspired day look! 

I absolutely LOVE taking the same look from earlier in the day and making it something completely new and different with just a couple of key products! It is a great way to try out new looks without having to start over from scratch! 

Lastly, I tried my new teal lipstick from Illamsqua to create an enticing option to the sometimes overused red lip :) 

Now for most of you, the concept of rocking a teal lip is going to seem a bit quirky.. if not outright terrifying.. but don't worry, I plan on blogging a few tricks of the trade in the future on how to make this teal a little less distracting ( if thats what you want, anyway). All of the cosmetic industry has been turned upside down by the creation of this lipstick that has been gracing runways worldwide. The idea is supposed to be that because green and red are complementary colors, the teal will actually deceive the eye into thinking it is red. Now... I don't necessarily agree with that. 

The lipstick is pretty teal if you ask me... but I don't really see a problem with that. Red has been over abused by too many for too long. It is no longer as "Daring" as we would like to think it is. More often than not you can walk into a room and see at least 3-5 woman in your surrounding area wearing the same shade of Red you are! 

So lets break free from Red for just a moment, embrace that inner rebel that we have been suppressing and start rocking the teals baby! 

Week of appointments

This week has been filled with a ton of amazing ladies coming through the studio, and a ton of beautiful makeup exiting it. I wanted to show a couple of my favorites of the week and give insight into how to accomplish these looks on yourself! 

 This post we will breakdown the makeup application I did on Tara, an amazing gal from Southern California who wanted a defined and contoured look incorporated into her makeup application. To achieve this we used a pressed powder on top of a sheer liquid foundation. This creates a flawless look without all the bulk of full coverage foundations. Use a P80 Precision Brush from Sigma Cosmetics. It is great when applying concealer as well! 

For Taras' eyeshadow we used Vanilla, Folie, All that Glitters, and Carbon from MAC Cosmetics. 

I adore MAC Brushes just as much as the rest, but for the same application and half the price I recommend Sigma Makeup Brushes. Most cosmetic companies bulk order products from China, Japan, or other miscellaneous companies, slap a label on, and call it a day. So in essence you are paying for the label.. not so much the quality. Done get me wrong.. there is a difference between animal fibers versus synthetic, etc. However when speaking of MAC and Sigma exclusively, there isn't very much of a difference. 

In order to create that contoured smokey eye, I recommend using any flat panel brush and swiping the highlight (Vanilla) beneath the brow. Next use the same flat panel to pack All that Glitters onto the base of the lid. Using a blending brush, dust Folie through the crease lightly while staying precise in your application. Finally, use a pencil brush to pack Carbon onto the side corner. 

Lightly apply a blush or bronzer such as Warm Soul by MAC from the base of the eardrum to the apples of the cheek. This will help to create a contoured and slender bone structure.

I love Maybelline Great Lash more than words can say! Maybe its because my childhood nickname was "Maybelle" or maybe it's because thats the only mascara my Mother has ever worn.. whatever the reason, it is an amazing product that works extremely well! 

I hope this post helps all of you gals out there get inspired and try out your own looks! Feel free to post them on my makeup page for me to check out, I love seeing what you all come up with! Makeup By Brittany

2012.. The Beginning

This year has taken off so quickly! So many great things have taken place in home life and career and I could not be happier!

I have fallen off the blog train for awhile now, but I will do my best to stay on track! So here is an update of the beginning of my year!

Photographer Heather Armstrong took these amazing shots of Sean and Nikki, a gorgeous couple living in Northern California. I love the photography, and especially love how well it showcases the makeup!

Even more recently, myself as Makeup by Brittany Martin and Photographer Tricia Davidge did a photoshoot inspired by the Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism Collection. We were extremely excited when we found out that they showcased our images on their blog! You can check it out at Illamasqua Alter-Ego Blog : Here are a few of the photos!

I really enjoy working with a variety of photographers, but I can honestly say, Tricia has a knack for bright colors and creating a fun, elaborate atmosphere for each photo. It's very inspiring!

Speaking of the Human Fundamentalism, I am OBSESSED with the new lipstick Apocalips! It is so gorgeous, and with all the debate of whether or not red looks better than teal... I may have come to a conclusion! They are both EQUALLY flattering, however we have become accustomed to seeing red lips so they have almost become less dangerous. I say lets be bold again, stand apart from the trend, and wear those teal lips like its nobody's business!

I am waiting for my swatch of teal magic to arrive in the mail alongside the new Fundamental Palette !! I am going to create so many amazingly festive looks with these products.. you just wait and see :)

So for all of you gals (and gents) that haven't heard of Illamasqua yet... Click on that link and get with the party! This company is amazing and is definitely giving MAC a run for their money ;)