Monday, February 28, 2011

Judging is okay when it's aimed at celebrities

Last night I tried really hard to stay interested in the Oscars...  I'm admittedly, slightly celebrity obsessed, and I love me some movies, but if I'm honest with myself, all I really want to do is see the pretty dresses, jewelry, hair and amazeballs makeup.  Obviously I can't handle myself and aggressively make fun of these people as they feign modesty, and blab self-importantly about their workout routine (celery sticks, diuretics and saunas?)...  But well, that's about it...  I was originally disappointed that I had a soccer game in the middle of the Oscars, and would only arrive home in time for the last 20 minutes of the show.  However, when I started watching the pre-Oscar red carpet show, eye rolling and ADHD quickly took over, and I found it a relief to head to the game; I didn't even bother recording the show.  Does this mean I'm not as celebrity obsessed as I, and many of those that know me, assumed?  Nope, because I spent the whole morning drooling over people.com at the gowns, jewelry, hair and makeup...  Soooo what this DOES mean is I like to look at/judge the celebrities, in pretty outfits, and in their movie characters; but when they start to speak in their real selves about the things that they do, it makes me completely disinterested, and feel a little dirty.  Glad we got that figured out.

Shall we look at some of my favourite makeup of the big night???  I think so.

Jennifer Lawrence: Smokey Eyes + Polished skin = LOVE
Michelle Williams:  Soft and perfectly blended
Natalie Portman:  The perfect Rosy cheek
Anne Hathaway:  Perfect Matte Red Lips
Reese Witherspoon:  60's Glam done Perfectly!
And then there's my not-so-much liking looks:

Mandy Moore:  Washed out brownish-orange lipstick?  No!
Scarlett Johansson:  I get what they were trying to do,
but florescent orange eyeshadow + plum dress
 = hurts my brain
One thing that most of the celebrities walking the carpet last night DID do right was their eyebrows...  I'm obsessed with the perfect brow (among other things), and it kills me when they are either not plucked, too thin, or joined in the middle.
Stop that
While living in Dubai, I would often recoil in horror (I have a really hard time suppressing my reactions) as it is in style for the local women to have a groomed unibrow...  Like they obviously have it shaped into a widows-peak eyebrow.  It killed me (I understand and respect cultural tolerance, but a unibrow is a unibrow, no matter where you're from:  It wasn't okay when Frida Kahlo did it, and that status remains IMHO).  By the end of our stint there, my husbo and I, for various reasons, were over living there (my husbo said "I think your soul may be dyeing"...  I'm a lil' dramatic), and it got to the point where my Husbo would say to a unibrow offender, "there's supposed to be two".  They didn't know what he was talking about, but it made me giggle.

As I was searching for makeup looks, I randomly got a pic of Ginnifer Goodwin, and while I was not so freakin' impressed with the UNDERCUT (??!!), I was in LOVE with her brows:


They are filled in perfectly (as they are actually quiet sparse sans makeup...  I searched it), and frame her eyes beautifully.  I am one of the unfortunate overpluckers who have massacred my brows to never-coming-back status.  I.e.  I will never have gorgeous, full, shapely brows, a la Kim Kardashian;

Oh big Butts and shapely Brows, genetics say "NO CHANCE!"

but I know how to at least fake a Ginnifer Goodwin brow.  I will actually be doing a video on it soon, but in the meantime, my favourite products to do the brow fill-in include:

  1. MAC eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown (the ashy-neutral brown colour matches most blonde and brunette hair colours/skin tones) applied with an angled brow brush.
  2. Bobbi Brown eyebrow pencil - The formulation of these pencils are perfect for precise and natural eyebrow defining and filling in.  I tend to first shape with the pencil, and then blend a bit with an angled brow brush.
Celebrity judging, dress and jewelry ogling, and unibrow finger pointing complete. 

xo T 

Sunday, February 27, 2011

5 minutes in heaven

I've been LOVING the nurdy-glam look for a while now...  I think it's super cute to have full makeup on, with a pair of slammin' fat frames.  I had to convince my husband that I was endangering my life while driving if I didn't have these glasses (they're like the smallest prescription ever) as a [additional] birthday present, but I think the minor white lie was worth it, no??

Said Fat Frames


What's also great about glasses?  It can camouflage tired eyes and/or minimal makeup; which brings me to answering a request I've received from frazzled mums, and busy working ladies...  What would be the best way to do a FAST makeup look?  I.e. The 5 Minute Face.

It's not hard...  If you're running late, you can still put your face together in a way that allows a polished impression!  It takes a few minutes, and you will be glad you did it when you encounter an inevitable  mirror.  Here she is, stripped down to the essentials with some estimated times by moi:

  1. Moisturize your skin (30 seconds):  DO IT.  As we know, I'm an obsessor of The Youth by Bliss, sometimes with a couple of drops of Jojoba Oil mixed in 
  2. Apply a base to even out your skin (1 minute):  It really is important to apply a foundation; even if it's just a tinted moisturizer, it will take you from sloppy to polished.  Some of my favourite options, depending on the amount of coverage that you prefer are as follows:
    1. Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer or You Rebel by Benefit (for minimal - medium coverage) applied with your fingers or a Makeup forever 55N brush
    2. Laura Mercier Pressed Mineral Powder or Bare Escentuals Original Foundation (sheer to full coverage...  It's buildable) applied with a Kabuki Brush
    3. Makeup Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation applied with a Makeup Forever 55N brush
  3. Conceal under your eyes, and in areas that need a lil' extra coverage (45 seconds):  This is such an important step for us tired ladies!!!  Use the concealer technique I've described to ensure you are highlighting and camouflaging the right areas.  A couple of my top picks include:
    1. Revlon Age Defying Moisturizing Concealer applied with your finger
    2. Makeup forever Camouflage Cream Palette applied with your finger  ** with this concealer, you have to ensure your under eye area is well moisturized - it will last forever and gives great coverage
  4. Bronze it up - in a non-dirt bag way (45 seconds):  This step adds dimension, warmth, and a healthy glow to your face.  Don't skip it! I like a matte bronzer usually, but if I'm feeling tired and sallow, sometimes the right amount of shimmer (NOT SPARKLE) in a bronzer can be a good thing.  My products of choice include:
    1. Matte Bronzers:  Scott Barnes Pressed Bronzing Powder in St. Tropez and Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzer applied with a fluffy brush
    2. For a slight shimmer:  Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in bronze or Beige applied with a fluffy brush
  5. Mascara your lashes (2 minutes)!!  So I've allocated the most time for this step because I want you to get in the habit of putting on more than one coat on the top and bottom lashes!!  Whatever mascara you want, or have, DO IT!  Mascara opens your eyes, makes you look more awake, and adds a flirtyness to the eyes.  Don't EVER skip mascara!!!
So there's your 5 minutes face!  In the car, at a red light (admittedly I have been guilty of makeup-ing while driving, but moving to Houston, being surrounded by these crazy angry drivers has changed that bad habit) , slam on some gloss or lipstick, and you are ready to wow anyone that's lucky enough to cross your path!

Ooooooh!  News flash!  Gary Miller from Red photo Photography has posted a couple of photos from Friday's Crown Plaza shoot here!  Woohoo!!  More to come soon!

xo T

Friday, February 25, 2011

A bride again?

Quick one... a couple of photos from today's fun shoot!

I got to be a bride again... It was super fun..  weird to be a model and the makeup artist, but it all worked out!  Happy Friday!  I'm off to Date night with the Husbo.

A Bride Again!!  Weird
Other bride at the shoot...  I wanted to give her a Parisian look
Gina - Coordinator of today's shoot - so cute!

xo T

Squealing like a lil' piglet!

Today started out in a great way - My surprise can be revealed, as the details were sorted this morning!!  I will be opening my very own studio in Houston in a couple of weeks!!!! Oh man oh man oh man!!!  I'm so ridiculously excited to be where I'm going to be...  It's in the Just Wax It Salon (if you remember, they are the greatest, high end waxing specialists in Houston, as well as facials, chemical peels, skin care etc etc...), and in the PERFECT location!!  The studio is perfect, and I'm obviously going to Théa-fye it up.  This is such a new and exciting adventure for both my company, and Mendy (the Just Wax It Guru)...  I sense global makeup, skin care, and hairlessness domination in the very near future.

Speaking of skin care, Mendy is just as obsessed with skin care (and MacGyver!!!!) as I am (that's saying a lot!).  She carries Image Skin Care in her salon, and I can't wait to try it out (Their tag line is "Age Later"...  Ummm, sign me up!)!!!  She gave me some samples of the Vital C and the Ageless lines... I shall keep y'all informed of the goodness that happens to my skin.

Also, the wedding coordinator from the Crown Plaza River Oaks (the Beverly Hills of Houston) called this morning (she got my name from Angie?!  Who the eff is Angie??!  Thanks doll!) asking me if I could model for her, very last minute, for a bridal photoshoot at the Crown Plaza...  Ummmmmm, does this mean I get to wear a wedding dress another time in my life without having to go through a divorce, dating, falling in love and getting married again????   YES PLEASE!!!!  I am in love with love, and obviously I love weddings (weddings and teaching women how to apply makeup are my main services), so this is MOST excellent!  Not to mention the fact that meeting this woman is the key to so many future brides!  Squeeeeeee!!!  I'll also be doing the makeup for another bridal model at the shoot, so this is all fun and exciting news...  The photoshoot and my makeup will be featured on theknot.com, which is actually the site I used when I needed help planning my wedding! I'll take a couple of snap shots and post them later!  I'm off to get fitted (double squeee!!)

xo T

Thursday, February 24, 2011

If you are what you eat, I wanna be friends with the candy eaters; they don't rot like the steaks

Remember that time you ate a muffin every day for a month and the old saying "you are what you eat" came to life as your upper body turned into the top of a muffin?  I do.

I couldn't sleep this morning:  my dog was a snoring machine, and I had finished my latest book (Sarah's Key - So so so good), so it was off to restless baking for this kitten.  Since I've started to add in my other obsession of healthy baking into this blog, I thought I would show you the results of a Nespresso Coffee induced baking good time at 5 am!

I love eating muffin tops, but want to cry if I have one in any particular outfit (I also want to pull the muffin top/tight belly shirt offenders aside and say "that doesn't need to happen - buy two sizes up").  And so my quest for healthy muffins began.  This is one of my favourite staples that I have around the house pretty much at all times (I freeze 'em)...  You can add chocolate chips, or walnuts, or blueberries, or whatever, but this is the basic recipe.  It's under 200 calories/muffin, which, compared to most store bought muffin delights (450-1200 calories!!!) is pretty coolio.

The Théa-fyed banana, sugar free, non-muffin-top muffin!




Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup Splenda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 egg (or two egg whites)
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil ...  or you can try using half of this oil, and replacing the other half with apple sauce or plain yoghurt for extra low-cal muffins
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)

Directions:
  1. Combine flour, oats, splenda, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the egg (or egg whites) lightly. Stir in the milk, oil (or oil + applesauce/yoghurt combo), and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups, and divide the batter among them.
  3. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes.

I'm Rick James B*tch!

I'm You Tube gun-shy.  I just finished my most recent video on how to take your day makeup to a nighttime look, and I have a tickling urge to post it, and all my future videos, for the world to see on the Tube.  It's like the ego-business savvy part of me is saying "post it!  Who cares about the pervs and the mean opinions that may get thrown at you"; but the girl that grew up afraid of strangers is saying "that's a whole world of windowless-vans-at-the-playground you're getting yourself into!"  I'm gonna do it...  It's time to expand my reach and Théa-fye by the masses.  How else do I expect to get on Oprah?

The said Video is here...


The colours I used to darken the eye from a Day to Night look, were a sparkly black, a matte brown, some smudgy black eyeliner, and an off-white highlighter.  However, there are so many other colour combinations you can use!  A couple of my favourite colour combinations, using the same technique as the video include:

  • A Smokey Bronzed eye
    • Dark bronze smudged into the crease of the eye, and under the lower lashes
      • I like a deep bronze with some Copper undertones
    • Blend with a matte dark brown over the crease and under the lash line 
      • By mixing matte and frosted shadows, you can build a sophisticated smokey eye, instead of a drag-ish smokey eye (not that there's anything wrong with that - DAMN those Drag queens do some amazing makeup - just not good for "drinks on a Friday night"...  A bit much)
    • Add some Gold to the centre of the eye to add some further dimension
      • When you look down and there's a pop of Gold, it draws attention to your pretty peepers
    • Smudge a Dark Brown eyeliner along the top of the upper lash line
    • Line the inner rim of the eye with the same dark brown eyeliner
    • Highlight under the brow and into the corner of your eye with a light Champagne colour
      • Highlighting can help with blending in a major way.  If you've gone a little crazy and are looking slightly Racoonish, get out your highlighter, or just a lighter coloured eyeshadow and start to blend/tone things down.
  • An Intense Carbon Grey Smokey eye
    • Matte Black eyeshadow smudged into the crease of the eye and under the lash line
      • I like the pigment of MAC Black eyeshadow, as well as Makeup Forever eyeshadow
    • Further blend the crease and under the lower lash line with a dark carbon grey eyeshadow
      • I like a little bit of a frost in the carbon grey colour to add some dimension to the eye
    • Smudge some intense black eyeliner along the top of the lash line, extending the liner out past the outer corner of your eye.  Blend the eyeliner with some of the matte black eyeshadow and smudge it up into the outer crease
      • Make sure the eyeliner you use can be smudged easily, and has a rich black pigment
    • Line the inner rims of the eyes with black eye liner
    • Add a highlight of silver to the inner third of the eye
    • Add a champagne highlighter under the brow bone, and blend it into the silver shadow at the inner corner of the eye.

** All the colour combos that I mention above can be used with any brand of makeup you have on hand...  Just remember that the key to a successful smokey eye is BLENDING!!!


Hmmmm, perhaps some additional smokey eye video tutorials are in order...  There are just SO MANY awesome smokey eyes that you can do...  Once you learn the essential parts of the eye and eyelid that need to be accentuated, deepened, and highlighted, you can use the smokey eye principles to create a pretty neutral eye as well.  Y'all are well on your way to becoming makeup and beauty experts!

Let me know of any particular looks you need help with, and I would be happy to create a video tutorial on it!  In the meantime, I'm gearing up to expand the reach of my already long-ass arms, and you tubing it starting NOW.

xo T

PS.  I have a surprise in the works...  But I'm not sharing yet tehe

PPS.  I've decided I have the coolest readership, and because I'm not a huge high-five fan I give y'all a low or side-five.  "What did five fingers say to the face??!! SLAP!!!" --Rick James

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Cookies and Milk edition

I'm making an executive decision and expanding on my posts...  What has been written thus far has included beauty tips and tricks, and is obviously a huge part if who I am, but to be true to the Théa-fication process, I think I have to bring in other elements as well.  This "other element" will be like the sprinkles on the cupcake, or the soy sauce on the rice to this blog driven by beauty - really just a random entry or two to add a lil' dimension, and to give my readers a sneak peak into one of my other obsessions:  Baking.

Not just baking, baking, but recipe manipulation to make everything healthy.  This obsession started a looooooong time ago (at least in reference to my lifetime) and has grown, and morphed as my priorities in life have changed.  Growing up as a serious Ballet dancer, and getting into modelling in my teens, I have always been quite "body conscious".  There was a time in my life, where this body awareness grew unhealthy, and lead me down a really dangerous path health-wise; but ultimately taught me a lot about myself, the world around me, human resilience, and confidence.

My experiences and challenges in dealing with health/weight/confidence, lead me to get a degree in Health Sciences to better understand the SCIENCE behind why we needed the nutrients that we did.  I also turned into someone that people came to for weight loss advice, health tips, and general questions about healthful eating; I was even asked to be a feature author in an international text book on Human Wellness and Potential (not to toot my own horn, but, "TOOT-effing-TOOT")...  That being said, I do NOT BELIEVE IN DIETS!!!  They suck.  Bottom line.  What I AM into is enjoying all the foods I like, some in higher rotation than others, and in the meantime, turning my favourite foods into healthier versions of themselves.  

This is a blog about Beauty:  Beauty is nothing without confidence.  When you feel good in your own skin, you will feel beautiful.  For me, fitting into my jeans plays a big part in feeling good about myself; however I will get rage if I can't eat the foods I want to eat to do so.  I am a cookie and muffin monster.  It's not normal.  I actually love the grainy ones, that say stuff like "mountain goat cookie" or "7 grain muffin" - unfortunately if you buy these in a store or coffee shop, they are pretty much all oil, with a touch of the good stuff in there.  So begins my quest to make these delicious concoctions, without worrying about the expansion of my ass, and the ticking of my heart.

Get ready for my Théa-fyed Monster cookies!!!  They are my favourite thing to eat pre and post workout, post meal, and at snack time (I love snack time).  I consume a lot of these high protein, flourless, low sugar cookies:  they fuel me up and sort out my need for chocolate in a hurry.

And here She is!!

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs + 2 eggs whites
  • 1 1/2 Cups Splenda
  • 1 Tblsp Vanilla
  • 1 Tblsp Honey
  • 2 tspn Baking Soda
  • 1 tspn Salt
  • 1/3 Cup Melted Butter
  • 1.5 Cups Peanut Butter (or other Nut Butter - I've used Almond Butter and Cashew Butter, and mixed a couple together as well)
  • 4 1/2 Cups oats
  • 1 1/2 Cups Dark Chocolate Chips (or Carob Chips, or a mix of whatever chocolate you like)
Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.  Beat the eggs and egg whites.  Add the Splenda, Vanilla, Honey, Baking Soda and Salt and stir everything together vigorously.  Stir in the Peanut Butter and the melted Butter.  Add the Oats and stir everything until it's combined.  Add the Chocolate chips and stir again until combined.  Scoop rounded Tablespoons, and bake on a lined cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes.  Eat and enjoy!!!

mmmmmmm, Dugg wants some

MMMMM, cookies in my Mouth.



PS.  I will be posting a video re Day-Night makeup tomorrow.  I'm just doing a lil' editing, but the final product looked like this:

Day - Night Smokey eye that will be featured in video tomorrow... 

Rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time.  Do it.

Xo T

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

My Nails are prettier than Ike Turner's

I know, I know...  It's been two days since my last info session, but with the sister here, and so much makeover goodness happening, time got lost on me.  Good news is, I have much to say today!!  There are a few topics that I haven't yet touched on, and should be addressed so that we may hope for a more beautiful world.


** P.S.  Here are a couple of photos of Kate's post makeover hair, as I was told by a couple of birds that the previous blog-entry didn't show this portion of the makeover adequately... Enjoy!


Before we get started, I would like to confess about my most recent "Théa blunder":  It happened on Sunday night, when we were playing in a pretty tightly matched Co-ed soccer game.  I recognize that I turn into a bad person when I play sports as I tend to get very competitive, but the team we were playing (let's call them "The Douches") took it to a whole new level.  Grown men were knocking the women down ON THEIR ASSES, shoving elbows, and overall turning a lil' country on us...  I decided that since my husbo is 6 foot 6", and plays on my team, I was protected, and shoved a little back, and I may have been a tad mouthy...  However, The Douches' goalie absolutely LOST it on me when I got too close to him, and used several profanities while yelling in my face, and generally having an aneurism.  It was actually pretty scary because he was a big dude (not to mention his eye-watering halitosis, and dirty mustachio), but I just blew him a kiss and scattered away.  The girl defending me was standing right by me post runaway, and I, for some unknown reason, said to her "Ike Turner the goalie has some mega rage issues, I just got a taste of one of the domestics filed against him".  Eff My Life, OBVIOUSLY the woman I said this to was his WIFE.  She defended me the whole game, which means we were literally beside each other for the next 40 minutes; it was so awkward as she kept making excuses for him - I didn't know what to say except "just kidding"...  Uff, not good times.  Oh and one more blunder:  A girlfriend of mine was coincidentally driving ahead of me, and pulled over to say hi.  I didn't realize it was her, and thought she was just being a terrible driver and flipped her an AGGRESSIVE bird (like forearm pumping, body leaning style...  I have terrible road rage PS).  As we made eye contact, with my middle finger shaking and my underbite grinding, I realized it was her and tried to immediately scratch my head with said finger.  Good recovery?  Nope - I kept driving, called her, and said "Just kidding!!"  Why does that seem like an appropriate response to every "woops" situation?
 ...

Let's talk Nails.  I feel like most women I know have had a stage of wearing acrylic, or gel nails, with the huge square white tips, that make you look like you have talons...  You can't pick up loose change, or really scratch your skin, not to mention typing on a keyboard (the click-clack-click-click-tappity-tapping is grounds for firing IMHO)...  I'll admit that when they are done "correctly", they are BREATHTAKING, and make anyone's hands, even the sausage fingered ladies out there, look long, lean, and elegant.  However, I'm not here to promote the false nail; just the opposite in fact.  As much as a love a well manicured nail (false or natural), I'm actually a mega-fan of the super short, squoval (square with rounded edges) nail.  As a makeup artist, I have to be able to use my digits - when I'm pokin' around someone's eye, it's not good for business to scratch their cornea.  This being said, I still want to fancy up my hands and ensure they have a polished look as they are always in full view, and I'm of the belief that you can tell a lot about a woman's hygiene, and general care by looking at her nails (this applies to men as well).

Now for the good stuff:  (1) My favourite new polish colours include purple-greys, and soft/modern pinks; and (2) the well guarded secret to keeping your polish in tact lies in one product... Nail Tek.  This stuff is life changing for your nails.  It will transform weak, brittle, peeling nails into the stuff nail-dreams are made of.  Follow their guide to figure out what treatment you need, and then take my advice on the technique:

  • For very weak nails, that need some mega help:  Apply one coat on clean nails, then reapply one additional coat every night for 1 week (without removing the previous coats).  At the end of the week, remove all the polish, and start again....  My nails were so paper thin at one point due to a severe nail-butchering in Dubai, that warm running water would leave me wincing in pain.  Doing the aforementioned technique helped me GREATLY in getting my nails back in shape, and making them better than they ever had been.
  • For those of us with weak nails, or just want to make our manicure last longer:  Apply the base coat of your choice, two coats of your favourite polish, wait a few minutes before applying your top coat, and then apply a coat of nail tek:  Five layers people.  Every evening, apply a coat of nail tek to the existing manicure, and your polish will last DAYS LONGER than what you dreamed possible.  It's good stuff.
Now that our phalanges are picture perfect, flipping off people won't be so disgusting.

Stay tuned for tips on taking your makeup from day to night:  That's right, another video is in the making...

xo T  

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Makeover Madness!!

Sooo, the sister is in town from Calgary, so OBVIOUSLY I've forced her into a day of girly makeover fun...  It was a pretty perfect day, starting with a delicious coffee and breakfast, and then going to visit the "Guru of all things Hair", aka Leigh, who graces her presence at Shyn Salon here in Houston.

Leigh doing some major Consulting A La Hair...

And it's hilarious!
Post hair doing, Kate and I hit up Yogurtland for my favorite daily fix, and the next logical stop was clearly Sephora - which happens to be beside MAC (squee!).  To the dismay of the overly-eager (and perfumed??) employees, I refused all their help and got right to the goods for Kate.  We had previously gone through all her makeup bag to determine where the holes in her supplies were, so it was a straight forward trip (for her stuff that is...  For me, I like to smell, test, wipe, lacquer, and paint pretty much every product in there...  I've actually gotten to the point where I hide the boxes and bags from my makeup purchases before the Husbo gets home - he doesn't understand that "this mascara will make all the difference between a sexy eye and a **ck me eye").
Sephora was out of Kate's colour in Makeup Forever's HD Invisible Cover Foundation (harumph).  But instead of giving up, we hit up MAC to see if they would have a good match for her skin, and turns out the Studio Fix Fluid foundation was the winner!!  She also bought the best makeup brush ever for fluid foundation application, and some delicious new concealer from MUFE's HD line as well.

Necessary, Delicious Purchases
After getting home, the makeover REALLY began!!!  I gave her the full Kayo By Théa Full Monty treatment, as well as a makeup lesson, and DAMN did she look Gorgeous!!  Some step-by-step pics and the transformation follow...

Kate pre-hair and makeup makeover extravaganza
Then I made her wash her face and we started from scratch...  First step, The Youth by Bliss moisturizer mixed in with a couple drops of Jojoba Oil; that Calgary weather has sucked the moisture out of her skin!  And then the Double Layer Magic began!

Layer 1:  MAC Studio Fix liquid foundation
Applied with MUFE 55N Brush

Layer 2:  Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder Foundation
Applied with a Kabuky brush
MUFE HD Concealer applied with my finger
Scott Barnes St. Tropez Bronzing powder applied with MAC 129 brush
Nars Copacabana
applied with my finger
Eyes - Bobby Brown Gel Liner in Black Ink,
smudged into a subtle smokey eye
Another view of Kate's fab profile
accentuated by some bronzer contouring


Hollah!!!!!
Oh man I love makeovers so so much!!!!  Perhaps on Day 2 of her visit I will force her to buy a horse and carriage because that seems like it would be stinky fun - Horse poops are gross.

Happy weekend!

xo T


Friday, February 18, 2011

It's a Cheertatorship and I'm the Cheertator

I love answering beauty questions (and Cinnamon Toast Crunch - seriously the milk at the end of the bowl??  Nothing more delicious)...  And what has surprised me during this whole Blogger process (can you believe it hasn't even been 2 weeks??  It's like a major part of me now!!) is how many women share the same queries.  There also seems to be an emphasis on followers wanting me to do more video demoes.  I can definitely do that!  Basically this blog will bend and morph as the followers want it.  I like that.  If you have a certain look you want to try out, a specific skin issue, or any other beauty-related question, email me, and I'm on it!

So let's get to it!  Some questions and answers:

  1. I have freckles - I want to show them off, but still even out my skin tone with foundation;  how do I do this?
    • Freckles are GORGEOUS.  A major beauty blunder is when women try to cover them up with tons of foundation, but it ends up looking murky or ashen.  Luckily, modern beauty products include buildable foundations that give a translucent finish - perfect for the freckled beauties, or anyone else that has relatively clear skin, but just needs to even out the skin tone.  My favourite products for this translucent finish look include:
      • Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer:  I apply it over my moisturizer as I tend to get dry skin.  Apply it with your fingers or a kabuki brush.  It has better coverage than most tinted moisturizers, lasts all day, has an SPF, and gives a bit of a "glow".  
      • Mineral Foundations:  Specifically Bare Escentuals and Laura Mercier.  Apply the foundation with a kabuki brush in THIN LAYERS - Really BUFF IT IN!! -  That is the key to even, flawless, natural-looking coverage.  Depending on how much coverage you need, you can continue to add layers, but for a translucent finish, and when you want your freckles to shine through, one layer is enough.
      • Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener:  This is a concealer specifically for the under eye area, and intended for people that don't have a lot of discolouration.  It's NOT a full coverage concealer, but brightens the area with light-reflecting pigments, and a little bit of colour.  I like to use it on women with freckles under their eyes, or to add a bit of dimension to a matte concealer by applying it overtop of a heavier concealer.
  2. Best way to remove facial hair, and is lasering really worth it?
    • Oh dear.  Hairy face Syndrome.  I don't even like the fuzz on a peach skin, let alone peach fuzz on the face!!  And those seemingly-grow-over-night witch hairs?  Ugh.  There are solutions though!  As an obsessor about everything hair related (including hairlessness - see my previous lives connection) I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
      1. Threading:  It's not just for brows, but for the upper lip and face as well!  When I was living in Dubai, I would be getting my brows done, and there would be women sitting across from me getting their cheeks, chins, side burns.... the whole works threaded...  It was kinda funny at first, but then I gained a deep respect for these women who keep their sh*t tight, and maintained!  What's beneficial about threading vs waxing the face, is it's safe for Accutane users, and doesn't pull on the skin, which when done repeatedly can cause pre-mature wrinkles.
      2. Epilator:  This little machine is essentially like having a million pluckers rolling around on your face at once; it pulls from the roots, and unlike waxing, doesn't pull on your skin.  I use this for my upper lip area, and for any unsightly peach fuzz. 
    • As for the Laser Hair Removal:   Clearly I've considered this option due to my constant quest for hairlessness, however, it's not as straight forward as it seems.  In order for the laser to do it's trick, you have to have a contrast between the colour of the hair you are trying to remove and your skin colour - the deeper the contrast, the better the results.  I.e., if you're trying to remove blonde hair on pale skin - good luck.  However, if you have dark hair and pale skin, the laser will work wonders on you!  I think laser hair removal is especially beneficial for the ladies that have quite dark leg hair and pale skin, and get the "plucked chicken" look on their legs 5 hours post shave.  Lasering the lower leg can be especially life changing for these ladies.
      • Talk with a laser hair removal specialist if you really are going bat sh*t crazy over a hairy situation, but make sure you ask the questions about hair and skin colour contrast + permanent results, so you know what results to expect for the mega $$ involved with this procedure!
  3. How do I keep my concealer from settling into my fine lines under my eyes?
    • Tricky but doable - Moisturize under your eyes before applying your concealer!!  This beauty tip is so important to do anyways for the preservation of the fragile skin under the eyes, as well as ensuring your concealer stays in place, and doesn't settle into and end up amplifying the fine lines around your eyes.  I use Nars eye cream, or jojoba oil, depending on my mood, or what's handy.
    • Use a creamy concealer over top of your STILL WET eye cream/moisturizer; this will help with the spread of the concealer, which will minimize any pulling on the skin.  At the moment, my concealers of choice are the Makeup Forever Palette concealers because you can customize the colours so easily and they have great staying power, as well as Revlon Age Defying Concealer.  
      • Bare Escentuals Bisque concealer  is a fabulous mineral concealer that I've used for years; for the mineral/powder concealers I would recommend letting the under eye moisturizer dry a little bit before you apply the product, otherwise it can cake.  Remember the key to mineral product application is THIN layers.
I'm feeling very bossy - It comes naturally - Maybe another pre-Théa life involved Dictator?

Keep those queries comin' hot ladies!!

xo T

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Brigitte Bardot boobs... I mean Eyes

If we were a young lady in the 40's - 60's, I would not be one of the girls the boys go crazy over:  I would be taller than all of them, swear too much, and missing the breast endowment to fill in those cute sweaters (and ugly bras).  That being said, my makeup would have been awesome; specifically the liquid eyeliner.  For years now I have been wearing the black liquid eyeliner a la Brigitte Bardot, and have taught many-a-woman how to do it on themselves.  It's one of the easiest ways to glam up your eyes, and draw attentions to your pretty peepers.  I also like how versatile the liquid eyeliner look can be:  clean and classic when worn with just mascara; or sexy and seductive when incorporated onto a smokey eye.  Once the application of the liquid liner is mastered, the opportunities are endless as to how you can change up your eye looks.

After trying pretty much every liquid liner out there, I have finally found the one that I think is the best:  Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel eyeliner.  It's pigment is the richest, it lasts the longest, and it doesn't dry up like other gel liners in a pot.   It comes in a bunch of fun colours as well, although I would stick to black, dark brown, and dark blue/purple for the liquid liners.

Brigitte has some damn good eyeliner - and boobs

Théa - Liquid liner, eyeshadow + false lashes

A lot of women are intimidated by the application of liquid eyeliner, but there are a few tricks that can help you become a liner expert!  It start's with the right tool:  A small angled brush with stiff bristles.  If you don't already have one, get one.  It doesn't have to be expensive; any brand will do, just make sure that the bristles are pointed and small enough to get detailed in your application.

I've put together a lil' video below that shows how to do a subtle smokey eye, with some seriously Brigitte inspired Liner...  Give it a try and pop them peepers!


That's a lot of eyeball!!

xo T

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Peaches the hairless cat: A bio

There are many roles I played in my previous lives.  Some dominant pre-Théa identities include:  A Jewish Princess who ate with a diamond studded fork, but gave the garnets to the poor; A Gay Robin Hood, who always had clean fingernails; and a Hairless cat named Peaches, with a penchant for wigs.

Let's talk about Peaches.  She loved to be petted, required a velvet pillow (with no tassels because those are tacky), lots of attention, and ate a diet of Greek yogurt and Swedish Fish (the red ones only).  Peaches was a bit of a bitch, with a false sense of entitlement, but she never forgot to be thankful for her hairlessness.  Most of the other cats she knew had a lot of hair/fur; they would gag up hairballs, drag up dust, shed, and constantly be licking themselves - All of which horrified Peaches.  Peaches would bathe in the sink (with lavender scented bubbles), and had a collection of wigs that she would wear for various occasions.  She liked the weight of the hair on her back, and would sometimes chew on strands while sitting on her pillow-perch...

With Peaches' influence running through my blood it's no wonder I'm such an attention whore, am utterly obsessed with red candy, and have a deep-seeded HATE for body hair.  I can remember asking my girlfriend, while we were sitting on the dock at my cabin at the age of 10, if my blonde arm hair made me look like a monkey - Since I was cold it was standing on end - and she replied "yes" ???!!!!!  The Horror!  So it started then.  I was waxing the aforementioned blonde arm hair by grade 9, and over-plucking the eyebrows by grade 8.  The hair dyeing, cutting, re-dying, crying over too much cutting, frying process began by about 13, and I had started the leg shaving WAY BEFORE my mum said it was ok (actually, I was young enough to still be having baths with my younger sister when the leg shaving began:  I tried shaving hers and ended up slicing a strip of skin off of her shin, but that's neither here nor there).

For most of my life I stuck with the regular methods of obsessive hair removal, adapted to the seasons, perfected my plucking, and became a whiz with hot wax:  However, a whole new world of hair removal opened up to me when I moved to Dubai.  The women from India and the Middle East have a couple of tricks up their sleeves to teach us white ladies:  Threading and Sugar waxing.  I know that these methods of hair removal are present in North America, but they are not as prevalent, and being from a small town in Canada, they definitely weren't around for me to experiment with.  If you know someone with perfectly groomed eyebrows, chances are they have a "threader".  Sell your left lung to this friend to get the name of the "threader", and treat her right:  Buy her a Christmas gift, remember her birthday, and tip 20%.  Once threaded, expect stares of envy from those that pass you by, and a look of confused wonder from your significant other as he/she worships your immaculately symmetrical and beautifully groomed face (much of beauty is symmetry, which is why well-shapped eyebrows play such a key roll in looking your best - they act as a frame for your eyes, and can balance your features).

Now sugar waxing, is just a gentler form of waxing, with no strips...  It gets the baby hairs, and washed off easily:  I.e. no sticky skin-spots for a day, which is kinda awesome.  If you are a nether region waxer (unless you are lasered, strongly consider this category), sugar waxing can be a bit much - meaning intimate - or maybe it was just the way my waxer worked, but she definitely got right in there.  I tried not to make eye contact and talked a lot about my husband during those awkward moments.  Still, it was worth coming back to her as the waxing was that thorough (ummmm) and lasted at least 3 weeks.  Since we're on the topic of nether region waxing, in my 28th year of life, I have officially found my favourite type of wax, and wax-artist (because it truly is an art).  I randomly discovered Just Wax It - home of the Brazilian wax and more - and am forever grateful to my Hairless cat instincts to have done so.  Dina -the arteest - uses this amazing, Blue, Brazilian wax, that hurts WAY LESS than the average strip wax.  They also have trained cosmetologists, in the area of nether region waxing, and never make you feel like you may have stepped into the wrong type of "salon".  Don't live in Houston?  No problem, just find a salon that uses the Blue Brazilian Wax, with no strips...  Your couche will thank you.

RIP Peaches.  You were a good gal.

xo T

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Double double your refreshment

It's Double Layer Magic demo time!!!  Oh yeeeeaaaah...  This technique is the key to better coverage without feeling like you're wearing a mask because it's THIN LAYERS, and the different textures of the makeup used helps to make everything soft, blended, and not pancakey...  Pancakes are for eating, not as a descriptor for your face.


Hope this video helps as a supplement to my blog's description!

Eat it up and spread it on.

xo T