Easy, breezy, beautiful rebelgirl

The holiday season is approaching and that means that the party invites are on their way. Whether it is a black tie affair, a friendly get together or family fun, the time has come to discuss the best makeup tips, tricks and products that can take your face from everyday pretty to camera ready.

The days of barely-there makeup are gone. Whether you are going for a rich smoky eye or a classic 1950s pin-up look, there are five basic elements to makeup mastery: a basic foundation, creamy rich lipstick, gem hued eye shadows, a touch of blush and classic mascara. With the addition of some of the hottest products on the market, the transformation from sham to glam can be easier than you think, especially with some tips from a master.

When prepping to head out to a holiday shindig, the key is lathering your face with a good lightweight moisturizer. Ulta cosmetics makeup artist and licensed cosmetologist Adrian Lerma suggests applying a full coverage foundation. “The Smashbox line makes a great full coverage foundation. It is lightweight and gives wonderful balance. It evens out the skin tone and comes in a compact. It is brushed on like a liquid and sets with a smooth powder finish”.

If your face is a canvas, the foundation is the primer. It goes on before anything else to create the look of flawless, smooth skin. It’s not easy to get the “sun-kissed glow” that mother nature gives us during the summer, so Lerma suggests adding one of the most popular items flying off the Ulta store shelves right now, bronzer. ” Clients are always coming in here to get bronzers during the winter months to add pigment to their skin.”

After your foundation sets, sweeping your face with a light-toned bronzer can enhance your skin’s luminosity and make it radiant. Some of the more popular lines of bronzer include Physicians Formula and Stila. According to Lerma, one of the hottest new products on the market is Napoleon Perdis at Ulta. ” We just got the new line in based out of Australia and it is fabulous.”

After applying lotion and foundation, the real magic begins in the creation of the “look,” the point to all of the prep, the overall picture, the eyes. Our eyes say everything. This season your eyes should say, “Yes, I am beautiful!”

One of the most popular looks for the winter months is the seductive and mysterious smoky eye. This look smolders but be warned, it does take a little work to master. For those who are not accustomed to this trend take a tip from a pro. “For those smoky eye virgins, an absolute must is to apply your foundation first.  Clients come in here telling me all the time that they attempt this look and get frustrated, it falls onto their face and then creates a big mess. Applying foundation after wipes away all the excess aftermath and gives you a chance to move on to the rest of your face,” Lerma said.

There are a variety of bold hues that can be used for achieving this look. For this fall and winter season think jewel tones and rich, vibrant colors along with a good primer. “Start with a great eye primer. It allows the shadow to have that airbrushed look. Next layer the shadow of your choice. Some of the hottest hues to try right now are emerald greens, rich plum purples and steely gray shades, Lerma said, “Apply the initial color then continue over and over to get a good rich tone. If you have oily skin on the lid, try Smahbox assorted shadows. For those with a dry texture, try Urban Decay.”  

Foundation? Check. Smoking eyes? Check, Now on to the mascara. When trying to get that perfectly curled, clump free, out-there lashes look, Cover Girl’s Lashblast mascara and Lash Discovery and XXL mascara by Maybelline do the trick for me. However, all lashes are not created equal, so having a few other options to consider is the best way to achieve your own personal look.

“Women everywhere are going for that thick, fanned-out lash look,” Lerma said. “Dior’s Blackout mascara is great, don’t get me wrong, but everyone has to love the old pink and green, Great Lash mascara by Maybelline.  My mother wore it, my sister wore it in high school. It gets the job done. I always have it in my kit to use on my clients.” With lush lashes combined with a devastating smoky eye, those peeps will be popping.

Now that we have the look underway, the addition of blush is essential. With the foundation, bold eyes and bronzer, a little splash of tickled pink or pearly peach does the trick to give your face a healthy, rosy appeal.

“For dryer skin, use a cream blush,” Lerma said. ” For those who are naturally a little more on the oily side, a powder blush should work great.” There are great choices in color and hue when it comes to blush. Revlon Color Stay blush comes in small, neat compacts for easy storage and leaves skin looking subtly warm. But don’t overdo it. There is a big difference between being artfully blushed and comically clown-like.

When the core elements to your party look are all in place, lipstick is the finishing touch to your masterpiece. It is the one product that draws attention to your mouth when you speak and it completes your overall look. “There are so many amazing shades in the Ulta line. They are inexpensive, rich in color and we have a huge selection to choose from,” Lerma said. “Women want a lipstick that won’t dry out their lips and keeps them moisturized all throughout the day and into the evening.”

Revlon Softflex Color Stay Lipstick comes in a variety of delicious shades that work wonders for keeping your pucker moisturized and the color lasts and lasts. This is easily found in most grocery stores or CVS stores in the area. A simple spice or raisin color works well for a more dramatic finish to your look. Lerma said one of the more popular looks is bold red lips. “One thing I have noticed is a lot of women are doing the ‘poppy red’ lips. It is a very retro late 50s, early 60s look. For those who choose to do a more simple eye look rather than the smoky effect, using a bold ribbon of dramatic black eyeliner on the eyes accompanying gorgeous bold red lips creates that classic pin-up look that works with any party dress.”

The final lip tip-always add a little shine to those smackers. Now you are ready to go party as the belle of the ball.