Beach Beauty on a Budget!

Beach Beauty on a Budget!!

These fab five are all under $10 bucks!!

 Love this highlighter pen! Perfect to throw in your purse or pool bag for touch ups on the go! It reminds me of another best selling (and much more expensive) product!

Perfect nudes, no brush required!

 Love love these gel to powder blushes! Amazing colors and fabulous staying power!!

 Want mega watt lashes for under $10 bucks...than ZaZaZu is all for you!

I am a huge fan of Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers in every color (my currently fav is Cherry), but this gorgeous Champagne has just a hint of pink and all the shimmer needed to look smokin' hot this summer!

Although I am already on the hunt for fall inspriation, the reality is....it is still summer,still 100 degrees outside, and still beach weather! People have been asking me all summer what are some of my favorite hot products that stand up to summer. I have more than 5 picks, but usually in the summer I narrow my own make up routine down to around 5 steps (after skin prep...latest obsession is Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage SPF 28).

Summer is a great time to go lighter, sheerer,

and LESS!!

These are a few of my favorite picks for running around town or hitting the beach.

 Perfect for any gal on the go!

Alesya Bag Shoot=Pure Love, Pure Lux

Wowza!! Work, travel, work, travel...where has the summer gone?!

I have been so blessed with being able to balance my workload, finishing up a book, and precious (okay, often crazy) time with the kids!

I have been working on location a week, traveling a week and will continue to do so throughout August. I love it and am grateful, and fortunately I have a nice 3 day pit stop in between. I am working on hiring someone to help with social media becuse my schedule keeps me too busy to write as much as I would like to...favorite products, favorite Brides, favorite locations.

Also, August-we usually try and update the site-whew!!

Anyway, before I head out this morning for work I wanted to give a shout out to Alesya Bags and the team that worked this shoot! Alesya (who had just had a baby-superGIRL) Ayoka Lucas, Gals at Canvas Hair, and of course Charlotte Elizabeth Photography (that is a fabulous story in and of itself!).

If you have not heard of an Alesya Bag, you MUST hop on her site, check them out, and by all means pre-order yours now!!

We were shooting her fall edition and all I can say is Holy Cowza and HURRY UP FALL!

The real deal is still under wraps, but here is a glimpse of some of the behind the scenes.

Go onto her link to find out more...

Thank you for letting me be a part of such a fabulous team. I had a wonderful time and am always learning something. When you work with great people, you learn great things! Nuff said!

Happy July Peeps....stay safe, stay cool~see you soon! xo

 These pants were uber HOT!! I mean smoking, they were thread woven with gold!! Drool city!

 Models getting their hair done, they looked like a young Naiomi and Catherine Zeta Jones!

 Char is such a rock star, my I mention it was also 100 degrees in the shade!!

100% LUX

http://blog.alesyabags.com/alesya-llc/fall-2012-photo-shoot-peek/

Easy Elegance...

We are in the heat of wedding season down South, a wonderful blessing-but it has left us with little time to post about the amazing people we have met and worked with.

I knew when I met Jocelyn, I would want to eventually write about her.

At first glance- she is super poised, amazingly tall, uber elegant, and to call her "pretty" is an understatement.

What struck me about Jocelyn was her style, her grace, her easy sophistication.

She was a relaxed, happy and in love Bride.

Her day at Middleton Place was captured by www.whitneyannphotography.com and the spirit of that day was caught in each image. It was a quiet, intimate, sweet, and truly stunning day.

Here is a little sneak peek of Jocelyn on her special day.

 If this is not a good looking couple, than I don't know what is!!

 Pretty Profile Shot...Perfection

You can see just how at ease and relaxed she was, the energy that day was spectacular!
Hair by Tanesha DuPree

I will post more on our actual site once we do our update in August. Thank you Whitney for sharing these images and thank you Jocelyn for being a truly amazing Bride!

xo 

Lash Love

I LOVE false eye lashes! They can look as natural or as glam as you want them to...

it depends on what look you are going for and your comfort level.

Most Bride's have some sort of strip applied whether it's a corner lash, 3/4 strip, or full lash. I love the effect it gives in photos and think it is a must have when doing portraits. Remember, you are usually shooting larger scale that day, so you can carry a more dramatic lash. The day of the wedding can be more subtle. Either way, I promise you will not be able to tell you have "lashes" in, they blend right into your own lash. I apply the same concept to lashes as I do make up in general..."you"-just better!

In a sea of lashes, here are some of my favorites...

My favorite 3/4 strip...perfectly tapered towards the inner eye. Easy to wear, giving your lashes an extra bump.

 These are my favorite (and the top selling) full strip. Once applied, these can look super natural or curled into your own lash with a touch of mascara-they can look like easy glamour.

 These are my favorite and affordable at $36.00 100% MINK lashes. Lux, lux, lux!!

 These accent pieces ROCK! They give just enough pop to bring eyes out and really light up a face. They are the fastest to put on and easiest to use...perfect if you have never tried lashes and just want a little extra. Favorite corner strip...hands down.

These 2 adhesives are my favorite. I like the darker color....it dries faster and clearer than any other glue.

I think it is easier to apply lashes on someone else versus on yourself...but pratice makes perfect.

I think step 1 is to select the proper lash...what is your eye shape and what look are you going for?

Step 2-apply a thin coat of glue to the lash band allowing the glue to be tacky before placing them on the lash line.

Step 3-wiggle the strip as far into your lashline as possible (note, take a look in between setting lashes to get the placement of both exactly in the same spot)...eyes can be different shapes, so placement might be different for each eye.

Step 4-After they dry completely, gently curl lashes together and comb as much or little mascara to marry your lashes to the false lashes together.

When you are done with your lashes, gently pull them off and replace them in their case-they can be used several times.The adhesive will also release with professional eye make up remover.

Good luck and go glam!!

Next post, summer must haves!! xo

Sweet Home Alabama!

Well, Sweet wedding Alabama! We are up to our eye lashes in wedding season, consulting, and a surprise wave of print work-but I had to take a few minutes out to write about this wedding!

I am one blessed gal-I get to work with the most amazing, talented people.

I have always said, "Working with the best of the best, is well...the best!".

This wedding was certainly NO exception. I have been working with the fabulous Soiree team for many years now and I continue to be blown away by their incredible vision and production process. Tara has revolutionized the entire wedding industry, especially here in the Southern Region (mind you, we are the # 1 wedding destination location in the country). Kate must have eyes in the back of her head, because her immaculate attention for detail could leave Colin Cowie jaw dropped. I go back to the "best of the best" whenever I know Liz is shooting. Her images speak for themselves, she can tell a complete story in one single frame (how does she do that?).

Sooo, when asked to join the team for a destination wedding in Alabama-I said YES!

I was excited, but I also knew it wasn't going to logistically be the easiest trip. My adventure goes a little something like this.. book my flight, map out the 2 hour drive from Huntsville to Gorham's Bluff (which if you throw a stick from there, it will land in Tennessee-honestly), had to flight pack 2 huge kits of make up, fed ex my wardrobe, find a local assistant, and oh yeah-I had just finished up 8 months of chemo and radiation.

I knew the wedding and working with Soiree was going to be great, I wanted to travel to this mountain side slice of heaven, and the best part...my sweet Grandparents live in Huntsville, so I got to spend the most amazing quality time with them. I did more healing in that 4 days, than I did in the following 4 months.

The wedding was stunning to say the least. Beth, the bride was as sweet as she could be and gorgeous in all 3 dresses! Yes, I said 3! She had 1 for the ceremony and 2 for the reception-the last (my favorite) was her Mother's very own wedding dress-Divine!! It was a fabulous event, one of my absolute, all time favorites.

 I was grateful to be part of the team that weekend, it is a trip I will not forget.

Here is a link to the spread featured in Southern Living Weddings. Soiree also has several fantastic posts on their blog Bon Bon.Check them out when you can!

I love being in the Bridal Biz...the best of the best!   

Until next time...xo

http://www.southernliving.com/general/southern-weddings-ideas-beth-graham-00417000070938/

http://www.taraguerardsoiree.com/2011/01/24/a-wedding-in-alabama/

Spring has Sprung!

We hope everyone has had a fabulous week so far...over here in the land of make up, we have been so busy filming and shooting, we didn't realize we stumbled right into one of our busiest wedding seasons.

We are so fortunate to be surrounded by the best of the best, it keeps us inspired to continue to raise the bar in our industry. Make Up in Charleston is pretty diverse...you can go from shooting a fitness video one day, to filming a documentary, then off to one of the most gorgeous weddings you have ever seen (where you might have 14 girls in 4 hours!). That is a typical week around here and we LOVE it! We write and post about some of our adventures, but I still prefer to write about the people we love and the products we find.

This week, my favorite project was being a part of a documentary on an Affordable Housing Initiative. If it sounds ho-hum, let me tell you...I learned more on this shoot, than on any other shoot. I got to work with the most amazing Jack Alterman, Mark McKinney, and Cindy Tew and along the way got to shoot with some of the most well respected power players in our community and political world.

Between the talent of these pros and the passion of these advocates...I was blown away and soaking it all in.

It was a lesson in humility for me and I was honored to be traveling in this pack!

In the meantime, I FINALLY got my new kit-whahooooo!! I LOVE it and it will make life so much easier. The other served me well, but bye bye bye!

I also ordered a boat ton of newbie products and I thought I would share some of my favorite less expensive drug store finds!! They are great, stand up to the test, and are all under $10.00 dollars...holla!!!

Love this entire sensitive skin line...crazy good product and a crazy good price point.

LOVE LOVE all these mascaras! I love the dual ended Provocateur for upper and lower lashes...oh la la!

 This gel-powder packs a real punch and I am obsessed! I can't get enough of Pink Frosting, it is perfect from gym, to beach, to running around...it is light weight and doesn't budge-even in the heat and water (perfect for fitness videos as well!).

 Adore this entire line, so when they came out with lotion and I was thrilled. Feels like a $50.00 body lotion for less than $10.00-wowza!!

Never fails me, we use these all the time for lip conditioning and a hint of pop-fav=GUAVA!!

B B Babies!!

 All the rage...Beauty Balms or Blemish Balms aka BB Cremes have finally hit our market and in FULL force. Although they have been in the Asian market for some time, we finally have these wonder creams right in our own back yard. Many are asking what are these creams and how are they different..the short answer, think-ALL in ONE. Most are skin brightening, tone balancing, and treatment. The perfect hybrid of coverage and skin care. I think of it as a tinted moisturizer on steriods!

These are some of our favorites from Sephora, all ranging from $30.00 to about $40.00. Our favorite budget friendly BB Cream is from Garnier for under $20.00! These are light weight and have an airy feel...treating the skin and perfecting your skin tone.

Less products, less work, better results....who doesn't like that?

Spring is in the air...well, at least in my kit it is!

 With our weather here in the South, we are swinging temps ranging from 45 degrees to 75 degrees. Between the teasing of Spring and my vacation just off a cruise-I am craving everything SPRING!

 Make Up along with fashion is created several seasons ahead and typically rolls out in stores a few months before the actual "season" begins. I was thrilled to see a few lines debute some of their spring goodies...a few things are out now (like this gorgeous Chanel 2012 Spring line) and a few (lux new perfume by Jimmy Choo), we will have to wait until late March.

Love this new Lingerie Palette by Laura Mercier. The best bang for your buck- $60.00 for a spring wardrobe? Sign me up! (Notice the warmer colors on one side, cooler on the other-oh, and the 2 gorgeous blushes in the middle-this is foolproof!)

This mini bottle set of polishes has the perfect brights to jazz up toes and the greatest neutrals to keep fingers polished and on point.

Is there anything Jimmy Choo that is NOT fabulous? We don't think so! They can't launch this product fast enough (late March). It will be worth the wait!

This is the first season in a while where I feel color inspired. I have been mixing and using multiple products to get the exact color I want, especially for cheek and lip. If this is what is in store this season, I am excited for us all!!

Ciao~ take care and stay warm!

Golden Globe Goddesses!

 I love a good Award Ceremony and with Award Season in full swing-I am thrilled to seeing not who, but what goes down the Red Carpet. I love watching the machine at work and studying the looks that tooks months to prepare. From the hair to the make up, to the dress to the jewels, to the handbags to the shoes...I enjoy looking at seperate details, but am always surprised that few people (in my eyes)...seem to get it ALL right. I love when stylists take a risk with color or blur the lines with dresses that show skin with a surprise cut out...however, it is the more glamorous, put together total package that catches my eye. Like a perfect symphony-everything gets orchestrated right on key.

Here, I love Debra Messings total look. Her make up balanced out her hair that played beautifully with this brown (yes, I said brown) Monique Lhuillier gown!

 Love Emma Stone in this drapy, flowing feminine, yet risky,edgy Lanvin gown-wowza!

 Salma Hayek in Gucci...need we say more??

Even though I thought the make up took a little bit of a back seat compared to the rest of the elements this year-it was all so well put together, that it looked intentionally understated. Here is where it worked...Charlize Theron looked like a dream when she stepped out in this Dior gown. VISION!

All in all, I love the elegant look and casual vibe of the Golden Globes...I think it is a perfect dress rehearsal for the Oscars-can't wait!!

Winter WOW!

 We hope you are staying snug as a bug this winter! As the season changes, so does our skin, and it's needs. We need to be more gentle with our cleansers, more emollient with our moistuizers, brighter under our eyes, and creamier with our blushes and lips.

 We have included a few of our winter favorites, that will take your skin from whoa to GLOW! Philosophy's Purity has been a best selling product for a reason. It is gentle on all skin types and it WORKS-removing any trace of  make up. It cleanses without stripping the skin. We also love love Josie Maran's Argan Oil! This is an amazing multi-purpose produt that can be used on the face, hair,  and even nails. Don't let the word "oil" fool you-this is light weight and soaks directly into the skin. You won't even know how dehydrated you were until you use this. A little goes a long way and your skin and hair will thank you!

 We also love a simple, clean, healthy look-even in the dead of winter. This Bobbi Brown Rouge Pot has been a staple in my kit for years because, it's FABULOUS! Dab a bit on the apples of your cheek and use the rest on your lips. It will give you just the right amount of color and that lit within glow.

Last, but certainly not least- a jam up, jelly tight concealer! You want something that has some density to it (since we tend to be lighter in skin tone this time of year) and something that will cover the circles but not get cakey. I love this product from LORAC because the stick concealer is creamy (which I usually pat gently underneath the eye area) and the highlighter gives just the right amount of "glow"-feel free to be more liberal for evening. The rollerball applicator ROCKS, pushing the product seamlessly into the skin.

All in all, taking just a few simple steps-adding just a few changes into your routine will take you from Winter to WOW!

Stay warm...until next time-xo

RED HOTT!

Tis the season to be red, hot, and fabulous!

Nothing dresses up or polishes up a look faster than a red lip. Go classic or sultry with this easy go to...

The main tip to know is whether you should wear a "cool" (blue red) or "warm" (more orange or yellow based) red. There are a million gorgeous reds from chocolate cherry to maple, but as promised- here are a few of our favorite true red hot reds.

MAC Red

Nars in Jungle Red

L'Oreal Infallible Lip Gloss in Rebel Red

*PS- Check out a newbie fav...Revlon's Color Burst Lip Butter. In select drugstores, so stash up! 2 we grabbed-Cherry Tart and Red Velvet-yummy!

Next week, smokey eye favorites!! xo

Best of the Brush Sets!

We love love a great brush set. It can make or break your make up application and as professionals-using the "right" brush can save us time, while still getting the perfect look.

My pro brush collection looks like my personal one...it is a mix of very expensive high end brushes and also many I bought and hand cut from our local craft store. Just like the make up in our kit, we use whatever it takes.

Often we get brush collections and bust them up, using what we love and giving away the ones that don't often get used. We were on the hunt (especially around Holiday time) for fabulous brush sets that rocked our world a bit. All at different price points. We posted pics of our top 3 favs, with a nod to 2 other goodie sets (on opposite ends of the price point). You can't go wrong with any of these sets. My advice is to invest in a top of the line set for your vanity at home and buy a more budget friendly set for travel (that way, you won't go into a panic if something happens to them).

The 1st is a fabulous 6 piece brush set from Bobbi Brown @$175.00-luxury worth every penny.

The 2nd is a sweet double sided brush set from Laura Mercier @ $85.00...this is my travel set and I love it-talk about bang for your buck!

The 3rd is a fantastic value brush set from Sonia Kashuk (found online and at Target)...@ $19.99, you can't find better brushes and the case is too cute (all about the wrap and the case it comes in-usually you have to pay extra for that!).

A nod and shout out to 2 other favs we have...the luxury set from Trish McEvoy $245.00. We love love love (did we say love?) these...take good care of them and you will have them forever!

Eco Tools Brush sets by Alicia Silverstone...get the green nod and are adorable while actually "working" as fabu tools. Check online or at Ulta, Walgreens, and CVS for the latest with Eco brushes-they rock and the price point rocks right along with the product.

Next week...our favorite holiday reds!! xo

Pretty Palettes!

Tis the season to be trollin'...trollin' for the best Holiday Deals!

This is a wonderful time to pick up holiday collections, deals, and specials on all of your favorite brands. Amazing palette collections and kits at bargain prices.

This week, we were on the hunt for favorite COLOR collections and these are our favorite palettes...all at 3 different price point, perfect for any of Santa's "helpers"...

Stila-$39.00

Tarte-$52.00

Laura Mercier-$98.00 (includes travel brushes)

Next week, on the hunt for the best holiday brush sets...xo

10 Year Anniversary

Is it really OCTOBER? Mid-October at that??Wowza, time is flying...

First of all, we have been so blessed to be so busy (which is the reason for the delay in blog and site update)...but all in all- a wonderful "problem" to have. We have had a wonderful season with amazing projects and weddings and the last quarter of the year, only gets better.

So much to catch up on, but for this post I wanted to show off my beautiful family and the surprise vow renewal my sweet hubs and I had to celebrate our first 10 years together!(This October also marks our 10 year anniversary for Moore Make Up!). We have been through a lot together-infertility, miscarriages, and my own breast cancer battle. We have become so much stronger... and even more in love than the first day we got married. I thought about how it was to be a "bride" again-this time with even more meaning behind those vows. I was nervous, excited, and flat out giddy. It allowed me perspective on how my girls must feel every time I do a wedding. I love my "job" and never get tired of sharing in the excitement of a heart felt wedding, especially when it's my own! I would highly recommend renewing your vows, we are still talking about it and the kids think we are ALL married. Here's to love, weddings, and of course my beautiful Bride's!

Until next time...xo