No one can deny that she’s a lovely girl, but DAMN that eyeliner!  It gives me conniptions.  I have a strong urge to reach through the tv/computer screen and rip the darn thing out of her perfectly manicured and bauble-adorned hand. She clearly needs an intervention.

But as I am neither important nor wealthy enough to gain audience with the darling Duchess, I’ll just have to hope for the best for her and set my sights on helping all of you spot the gaps (::snicker:: more on this later) in the eyeliner education in America.

So here we go – Top Mistakes Women Make With Eyeliner:

• Too much.  Unless you’re going out on the town at night, heavy black eyeliner from corner to corner and top to bottom is way more definition than necessary.

• Wrong color.  Eyeliner is meant to bring out your eyes. Choose a color that enhances your eye color.  Green eyes look great with purple/violet liner, Blue eyes look amazing with bronze or deep brown/gold toned liner, and brown eyes can pretty much look great with any color.  Taupe colored liner is a great way to add definition while still looking very natural. When in doubt, warm tones that aren’t too dark look fantastic on anyone of any age.

• Lining bottom but not top.  This is a HUGE makeup faux pas!  If you are going to line the bottom lid, you must also line the top.  The top can be lined without the bottom, but not vice versa.  Lining only your lower lid makes you look haggard and old.  Nobody wants that!

• Neglecting to “set” your liner.  If you are not a foundation wearer, it is likely that the oils produced naturally in your skin may disintegrate your eyeliner throughout the day, causing it to smear,bleed, crease, and build up in fine lines around your eye.  Wearing a long-wear oil free liquid foundation that is set with finishing powder is the best way to keep your eyeliner in place.  Failing that, use an eyeliner that is high in wax content (these tend to be the mechanical pencil type and are fairly firm in consistency), and use a primer all over the lid and lash line before applying. (My personal fave is Benefit’s Stay Don’t Stray eyeshadow primer.)

• Tattooing permanent eyeliner.  NOT OKAY.  At all.  Over the years I have seen dozens of clients with tattooed eyeliner, and not only is it usually the wrong color (see item #2), but it almost always is done much too far outside the actual lash line.  This leaves a stark, flesh colored gap of tissue between the eyeliner and the lash line, which actually defeats the purpose of eyeliner altogether.

Which brings me to…

• Applying too far from natural lash line.  The gap that’s created when eyeliner is applied outside or too far from the lash line makes women look older, and instead of defining and enhancing the eye, it actually “closes” the eye up. Most women want to “open” their eyes up – make them appear larger, brighter, more awake, and more youthful.  Placing your eyeliner carefully and with special attention to your true lash line (where your eyelashes actually emerge from the follicle) brightens up the whites of your eye, makes your lashes appear fuller, and helps achieve that gorgeous glance we all want!

So in light of all this, let me introduce you to a technique called “Tightlining.”  Not to be confused with waterlining, which is actually not so great for your eye tissues.  In tightlining, you actually apply the liner directly into the lash line, where the lashes emerge from your eyelid.  The easiest way to do this:

Make sure your eyeliner is a really high quality, water resistant, but still creamy, cake or gel formula (I adore Xtreme Lashes Glide Liner!)

With your left index finger, gently push back against the lashes of your right eye so that you hold them close to your eyelid, moving them out of the way of the lash line.  This exposes the exact base of the lashes.

Holding your eyeliner pencil or brush with your right hand at about a 15 degree angle from your face, rest the heel of your hand on your face and touch the tip of your pencil or brush directly where you see the base of your lashes, as if you were about to draw in some lashes.

Starting at the outer corner of your eye and working your way in, apply eyeliner in tiny back and forth wiggling motions, literally wiggling your eyelashes as you apply.

General rule of thumb is to start and stop where your lashes start and stop.  you do not have to line all the way to the inner or outer corner, unless you want to create a more dramatic look or close up the appearance of your eyes. If you choose to line all the way to the inner corner, taper the line a bit so that you actually use a lighter, thinner application at the inner corner.

PRACTICE!!  This takes a lot of practice, especially if you are not used to applying eyeliner at all.  Remember, makeup is washable! If you hate it, wash it off and start over!

Happy Lining, everyone!

1. Clarisonic Plus Skincare System: I got the full enchilada, complete with the body brush and all the skin care stuff.  LOVE!  My skin hasn’t been this awesome since my early 20s.

2. Thigh high boots.  I MUST have a pair for fall.  It’s all I can think about.  I’ll take these pictured here.  Oh, what’s that you say? They’re $2300? Psschhh…small price to pay for high fashion.

3. OPI “No Spain No Gain” is an awesome plum-pink and utterly perfect for that transition from summer to fall.  Beautiful!

4. GlideLiner by Xtreme Lashes: Goes on like a liquid liner, but in the form of an easy to use pencil.  If you’re quick, you can smudge it to get a perfectly easy smokey look, or let it set for 30 seconds for that sleek, strong, defined retro-cat-eye look.  Lash extension compatible!

5. MAC eyeshadows in Hepcat, Beautiful Iris, and Scene:  A very modern mix of slate grey and purples.  Fantastic on green or brown/hazel eyes!

6. Kerastase Elixir Ultime: Pretty much the only thing this stuff doesn’t do is your dishes.  I’m a latecomer to the Kerastase revolution, and never in a million did I think that rubbing an oily substance on my hair was going to make it look *better*…but I was wrong. My hair feels SOOO healthy and shiny. It is like liquid gold in a bottle.

These are a few of my favorite things (this month, anyway….)   Clarisonic Products, OPI color, and a full line of Kerastase products including Elixir Ultime are available at Mirror Mirror Salon! 512-420-8868

I don’t even know WHAT to say about this one.  And you don’t even want to know what I googled to find this.

W. T. F.?

Um, WTF?

I can’t even begin to comprehend under what circumstances this is a good idea.  Aside from Halloween.  In which case, okay maybe I kinda get it, but isn’t the whole effect lost when you open your eyes?  Which, presumably, you’d probably need to do about 98% of the time…right?  Well, except I guess if you’re Lady Gaga…

Oh, the internets…you can find some pretty interesting things when you’re not even looking.  I think I’m going to try to do a weekly WTF Wednesday just so I can catalogue all of the freakish things I find.

http://francisjosephphotos.com/engagement/donna-matt-austin-engagement-photographer/

I know I haven’t blogged a portrait session in a looooooong time, but I HAD to blog this because for some cosmic reason, this couple really touched me with the way they are together.  Donna is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and Matt (though I only talked to him for a little while) struck me as such a humorous and fun-loving guy that I couldn’t help but like him immediately.  I love they way these two joked with (and about!) each other and interacted together in the hour and a half I spent doing Donna’s hair and makeup for their engagement photos.  I think their personalities and their love come shining through in these photos.

Francis Joseph Photography, whom I have not yet met, did a great job capturing D &M.  Thank you so much Francis! I look forward to meeting you this Friday at the wedding!

Or, Part 1 of a two-part series lecture affectionately referred to by my family and friends as “Katie’s Sunscreen Soapbox.”

In case the melted lipstick in your car console or the sweat trickling down your perfectly penciled browline didn’t clue you in… it’s summertime.  I know what you’re thinking – time to break out the bikini, strut in your fave sandals, twist up your tresses, and slather on your SPF 15…

Uhhhh, no. You were doing great until you got to the SPF 15 part.

Yes ladies, it’s time for my annual lecture on sunscreen. Go ahead and groan now, be my guest. Because while what I have to tell you may not thrill you, it might just save your life.  And for added fun, this season (this week, actually) our friends over at the FDA have changed some of the regulations and designations for sunscreen, leaving many people even more confused than ever about what type of sun protection they should purchase.  But never fear, my glowing sun worshipers!  I’m here to help break it down for you, and to dispel some of the less-than-scientific scare tactics information that you may be hearing and reading about this sunscreen business.

First of all, let’s talk some sun basics.

• UVA Rays – Penetrate deeply, cause wrinkles and premature aging.  Also responsible for tanning.
• UVB Rays – Penetrate somewhat more superficially, and are responsible for sunburns.

BOTH types of rays cause the type of damage to the skin that can lead to skin cancer!  Here’s where things get tricky:

SPF is a measure of how long it will take for UVB rays to burn you WITH the product on, compared to how long it would take without the product.  It is not necessarily a measure of how long you can be in the sun, how much of which rays are being blocked, and it does NOT mean that if you put on two different products (or twice as much product), that you’re doubling your protection factor.  You need to consider your skin type, how easily you burn, and your activity while wearing sunscreen.

Luckily the FDA is changing the SPF regulations so that any sunscreen labeled “Broad Spectrum” will mean that it protects against both types of damanging rays, and ONLY sunscreens with Broad Spectrum designation and an SPF of 15 or above can claim that they protect against the risk of skin cancer. The other change that is important to note is that sunscreen manufacturers can no longer claim that their products are “waterproof” or “sweatproof.”  They can however label the products “sweat-resistant” or “water-resistant” and note the estimated time that resistance is effective.

For your reading pleasure, the FDA’s recap of sunscreen changes can be found here, along with links to some Q and A about what consumers need to know.  Great information.  But basically, here’s what it all means for you:

You need to buy Broad Spectrum SPF 15 or above, considering your skin type, activity level and environment, and, yes, your outfit.

• If you’re fair-skinned, burn easily in less than 15 min without sunscreen, and you’re sweating your toochas off playing beach volleyball in your bikini, go for the Broad Spectrum SPF 50.  Our olive-skinned BFFs who are sipping margs and mingling on the covered patio at a backyard BBQ, wearing cute straw hats, gauzy tunics and those oh so chic white shorts…they’re probably safe with BS SPF 20-30 or so. Use your judgement on what you think will protect you best.  I personally never bother with anything under SPF 25.  Not worth the hassle of reapplying as often as you would need to get proper protection.

You need to use a lot of sunscreen, and use it often.

• A shot-glass is not just for Patron anymore.  That’s how much sunscreen you need to apply over the exposed parts of your body and face in order to adequately provide any protection whatsoever. If you’re barely using a quarter-sized dollop of SPF 50, you might as well have just put on SPF 15, and then you’re not even trying.
• Neglect not your neck, the tops AND surfaces of your ears, your lips, and your feet/hands. Nobody likes a girl with flip flop tan lines!
• FDA recommends reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours MINIMUM.  If swimming, sweating, or doing body shots (which don’t taste good with a sunscreen chaser anyway), reapply more often.  Again, common sense is key. So maybe skip the Mind Erasers.
• With that much application and re-application, yes, you’re going to be greasy. Yes, you’re going to look a little streaky-white until it soaks in.  Yes, you’ll be shiny.  But I promise, a little bit of a sheen to your skin and the slight stickiness you’ll feel if you’re doing it right are a SMALL price to pay to avoid skin cancer.  Just rock the “glowing” look and tell everyone it’s part of your style.  You’re more fashionable alive than dead.

You need to apply sunscreen at least 20 min before sun exposure.

• Apply in the morning before you leave the house, and of course reapply at least 20 min before any significant sun exposure like your afternoon jog or happy hour on the patio.  The ingredients in sunscreen take time to soak into the skin to achieve maximum effectiveness.

You need to stray from the sun, not seek it.

• Avoid being in the sun between the hours of 10am and 2pm, when the sun’s rays are strongest and most penetrating. (Or if you live in Texas, 9am-4pm!)
• Wear as much protective clothing and accessories as you can tolerate to shield your skin from the sun. Now is the time to convince your significant other that you really needed to buy that hot new Trina Turk tunic and Anne Moore broad brim hat…

So there you have it.  Please do your skin a favor and wear your broad spectrum sunscreen every day, all day!  I know it’s one extra thing to add to your daily routine in a world where we all are feeling pressed for time.  I know it’s not the most fun thing you can put on in the morning.  But if you do it right after your morning shower, then it is easy to turn this into a morning ritual.  A ritual that will, in the long run, give you more time to enjoy life…and look great doing it.

-xoxo, Modern Muse Katie

Remember, Ladies: The only safe way to tan is not to tan at all!  But if you can’t bear to bare your lily white legs in public, contact me for a custom Airbrush Tan!  30 minutes in the privacy of your home, and you can look like you just got back from St. Barts – without the UV damage!

Lipstick.

Okay, breathe slowly… slowly now…  There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?

Yes, Spring 2011 will be the year of the lipstick.  And not just any lipstick.  Bright lipstick. Orange. Coral. Pepto Pink. Brick. Tangerine. Even a little Magenta thrown in for good measure.  And it’s a color trend that is not just appearing on lips; it’s carrying over to eyeshadow and cheek color.

All over the NY runways were the brightest, boldest hues since Hypercolor.  Hues of citrus-y goodness appeared in clothing AND makeup this spring, but luckily not together in the same look!  I know that the idea of wearing a bold, bright lipstick or blush makes you want to run and hide.  Believe me, I know.  But I promise that anyone can wear this trend!  And it looks good, really!  Do you trust me?  Look here, we’ll start with something subtle:

Isn’t that gorgeous?  She’s got a lovely bright look to her cheeks, possibly an orange-y peach blush and the rest of the makeup palate is subtle and natural. And proof positive that even fair gals can wear bright orange lipstick:

This is Harper’s Bazaar beauty writer Joyann King.  I think the key to why this works for her is the fact that she’s kept every other aspect of her makeup minimal, and paired it with hues of blue and grey in her clothing.  A good rule of thumb if you’re going to wear a bright lipstick and you’re afraid to take it too far…just stick with white, black, neutrals, or cool tones in your clothing.  In fact, the Spring runways were sprinkled with this pool blue-toned clothing palate paired with bright, warm cheeks and lips.  And don’t forget to add a little bronzer!  Brunettes can wear just about any cool pink or berry shade.  If it looks like you painted your lips with a popsicle, you’re on the right track!

So speaking of blue, the new eyeshadow looks are some that I’m not sure I can get behind:

I’ll admit to loving me some blue eyeshadow (when used appropriately and modestly!), but the whole blue from lash to brow thing just has me wrinkling my nose.  I think this is a much better way to do it:

Armani

I feel like this works because first of all, the blue is much deeper (none of that trailer park shimmer blue), and second because it’s blended with a warmer shadow in the crease and just above it.  A good way to make any blue or sliver eyeshadow more approachable is to use it as an accent color only, with a neutral or earth tone next to it in the crease of the eye.  Even just a VERY soft wash of silvery blue can work:

I also love this compilation of photos that really display some of the great Runway 2011 makeup trends:

You definitely don’t have to go overboard and smear colors all over your eyes to wear the trends (these are runway photos, after all), but take a cue from this and be a little more adventurous with the eye colors this spring, especially all those lovely citrus colors.  If you’ve got blue eyes, the oranges and tangerines will really make your eyes pop.  Brown and green eyes look great with all the plum and bright berry colors, and even electric pink!

And ladies, please – bronzer is your friend this season!  That, and a subtle airbrush tan, you’ll be all set for spring!

As always, I’m here to help you navigate your way through makeup mayhem.  Take me shopping with you!  I’ll be glad to help you select the right combination of colors that won’t break the bank so you get the most bang for your buck.  Send me an email!  katie@modernmusemakeupartistry.com.

So I’m a little late in posting all about AFW, but I had a certain someone’s First Birthday Party to organize, defensive driving to sleep through, and a few hundred loads of laundry, so I’ve been a little busy.  But at long last, here it is, my AFW Recap Post!  I went into AFW totally blind, having NO idea what to expect.  I’ve never really done much fashion work, since most of my clientele consists of brides, wedding parties, and private clients.  I didn’t think there was a really big market for fashion in Austin, plus I was terrified of the whole idea of the fashion world.  I’ve always considered myself fairly fashion-forward, but to actually work in the fashion industry was just so intimidating an idea.  Nevertheless, I plunged headlong into Fashion Week with the gentle encouragement of my husband and friends, who convinced me that I can do this!

We kicked off AFW with a mixer at the Driscoll Hotel for our Model Call.  We got together with our team (or in my case, teams), eyed the gals coming down the catwalk, and picked our girls.  My teams, Knotty Youth and Style and Substance, both got incredible models!  Once we chatted with our gals, we all came up with a general concept for each team’s required photo shoot, and we hit the ground running.

Makeup trials were done, clothing was designed and fitted, test shots were taken…and in the end both my teams produced AMAZING final results:

Knotty Youth

Style and Substance

Once the photo shoots were done, we submitted the photos to Fashion Week, and so began the rounds of critics and people’s choice voting.  It was stressful waiting what seemed like forever to find out the winners, but at least we had parties to occupy us until then!  And oh, the fetes… glorious.  I have never before seen so many fashionable, hip, talented people gathering in one place at one time. I didn’t drink nearly enough. I worked my tuchas off.  I was TIRED.  But, it all paid off in the end. I’ll blog a bit more about the details of each of these looks later, but let me just say I was SO PROUD to announce that my Knotty Youth team won the People’s Choice Award  – the coveted Golden Boot at the Austin Fashion Awards!  It was amazing.  And I loved every minute of it!

Check out the backstage interview blip of me and two of my Knotty Youth team members, Model Latanya Wade and Designer Rachelle Briton, on the CW Austin: http://www.thecwaustin.com/dpp/cw_star/golden-boots-galore!-the-austin-fashion-week-awards

There are a dozen other parties, fashion shows, and photos I could share, but I will spare you the rest of it since it mostly consists of me being a complete camera hog and jumping into every photo op at every event possible.  (And those of you who know me well know that I LOVE to pose for the camera…)  But let’s just say it was a fantastic week, I had an amazing time, I officially got my foot in the door of the fashion world, and I made a bunch of wonderfully talented new friends!  And I have this little gem to show for it all…

So here they are – my top five skin-destroyers.  Read at your own risk.

1. SUN DAMAGE.  This is the worst of all skin annihilators.  And I’m not talking about the type of sun damage that occurs from years of sun worshiping on the beach.  I’m talking about incidental sun damage.  The kind that occurs by just exposure while you’re driving in your car, walking to your mailbox, sitting by the window, or sipping a mojito on the patio of ZTejas. (Mmmmm….mojitos….mmmmhmmm…)  That’s the worst kind of sun exposure, because it adds up to a lot of hours and occurs every single day.  Your best bet against all sun damage, is of course, sunscreen.  You need to choose a sunscreen that provides broad spectrum protection (UVA/UVB rays), and is at least SPF 25 or above.  And don’t skimp on it.  You need to use at least a shot-glass amount of sunscreen for your whole body, or about a quarter sized dollop for your face, neck, and decollete.  Reapply every hour when exposed to constant, direct sunshine or you are sweating/swimming.

2. SMOKING.  No, I’m not going to lecture you about how bad smoking is for you.  But I can’t ignore the fact that smoking is TERRIBLE for your skin.  It’s one of the top causes of wrinkles.  I won’t bore you with the science behind it all, but rest assured – each time you light up, you’re robbing yourself of your youthful good looks.  Just say no!

3. DEHYDRATION.  Not the kind that occurs after a night out with the girls, a few too many cosmos, and not enough H2O.  I mean skin hydration.  People are afraid of moisturizers because they don’t want to feel oily or slimy.  It doesn’t have to be like that to have properly hydrated skin.  Find a good moisturizer that soaks in nicely after a minute or two and leaves your skin soft, but not oily.  You should feel a little tackyness, and you shouldn’t feel tight at all.  The idea here is that you are locking in your skin’s natural moisture and preventing moisture loss.  And make sure the product you use contains…what?  That’s right.  Sunscreen!

4. LACK OF SLEEP.  Again, there’s a science behind it all.  Something about how the body’s hormones work to restore collagen while you sleep. Collagen, for you scientific types, is the component of the skin that makes you look smooth and youthful.   Lack of sleep robs the body of time to rebuild all those good hormones (the kind we like, anyway), and not only that, you just feel poopy in the morning.  And let’s face it.  Those of us who are, shall we say, no longer 25 – well we just can’t hang that late anyway.  So go to sleep!  Which brings me to…

5. LACK OF CLEANSING.  Look, I don’t care how tired you are.  I don’t care how drunk you are.  I don’t care if you went for your nightly dip in the pool and most of your makeup came off  anyway (I won’t lecture about wearing makeup that isn’t able to withstand a good lap swim).  WASH YOUR FACE before you go to bed.  Period.  Do you have any idea the kind of gunge that builds up on your skin during the average day?  People, we live in a nasty, polluted world.  If you don’t cleanse before hitting the sheets, your face is getting reeeeaaal cozy with all that disgustingness.  And as a result, you’re liable to wake up to everyone’s favorite little annoyance – Mr. Pimple.  #1 cause of breakouts = bacteria.  And I’m sorry, but the whole “last-night’s-mascara-smeared-below-your-eyes” thing really only works for Avril Lavigne.  And last time I checked, she’s not considered a pillar of fashion.

I challenge you to make some simple changes in your routine (or even some big changes!) to improve your skin!  Even I could use a dose of my own medicine (i.e. I need SLEEP).  For two weeks, do your best to treat your skin like it’s the only one you’ll ever get, and take care of it.  Wash every night.  Treat yourself to a high-quality moisturizer.  Vow to wear sunscreen every single day.  You can do anything for two weeks.   And then report back and tell me if you’ve noticed some change for the better!

::SWOON::