Fabulous Lashes: My RapidLash Experience

Its been 3 and a half weeks since I started using RapidLash. I have always wanted fabulous looking lashes, but thought that getting fake ones put on was my only option. And fake lashes, for me anyway, are very costly and a huge pain in the neck.

So our fabulous CEO told me about RapidLash (which is like fertilizer for your eyelashes). I was very skeptical at first. What if I go blind? What if my eye lashes fall off? So I let her be the Guinea pig so I can see the results for myself. To make sure this stuff was legit. When I saw her a couple Weeks later after she started using it, it was amazing! Her eyelashes were fuller, longer and fabulous!

So I did some research before I started using it, cause I'm not just going to put anything on my eyes. RapidLash is paraben free and safe to use with contacts. It doesn't have many ingredients which is really like. Here is a list of whats in it and more information on the product https://www.rapidlash.com/faqs.php 

Of course there are small downfalls like anything else. Some people who used it (only 5%) reported that their eyelids got darker, but it did go away as soon as they stopped using it. Also this is a product you would have to use for as long as you want full lashes. When u do stop, your eyelashes will eventually go back to normal. The tube does last a long time. It retails for 49.99

Using it is very easy. You just apply it to the base of your eyelashes every night before bed. Once you get your eyelashes to where you want them, you can use it once a week to maintain them. RapidLash states that you see results in 3 1\2 weeks, but I started seeing longer lashes in about a week and fuller lashes in about 2 Weeks. You just have to be consistent and remember to apply it every night for best results. Personally I put in a sticky in my bathroom mirror so I don't forget LOL

I haven't experience any kind of side effects with the product. The only thing I did notice is it does tingle when you first apply it, but its not uncomfortable. Now for the proof....


Here are some before and after pics:

BEFORE

AFTER

 

 

 

May all your curls be shiny-

 

Ingy

Making-Up Las Vegas

Hair and Makeup Artists

Color Science Pro Mineral Foundation in California Girl tutorial

I have found a fabulous mineral makeup.  This line was created by the mother of ALL mineral make up, Diane Ranger, this is the woman who brought you Bare Minerals. She left there in the early 90's and started Colore Science. It is a wonderful mineral line, a lot of the minerals having extra anti-oxidants or essential oils added.  It stays on great and continue to looks better as the day goes on....everything I want in a mineral makeup. But, WHERE have they been hiding?  WHY didn't anyone tell me about this line?  I did not even know they existed until March of this year. It seems they do virtually no marketing.  They have a website you can order from http://www.colorescience.com/ and then they are in dermatologists offices, cosmetic surgeons, the Qua Bath and Spa inside Caesars Palace, Las Vegas along with other spas etc. It's not like you can find them at the mall.

Everything that I have tried from this line, so far, I love.  The most important piece of my everyday makeup is my foundation.  I had always had a hard time, matching my color perfectly.  I have found some over the years that do the job, but never "spot on"..  Then came mineral make-up.  My search was over.  Almost.  Next I had to find the perfect mineral makeup line.  Had to be made in the USA, had to be good ingredients, look good, feel good and be run by good people.  I have tried so many....we will review those later. I even looked into making my own!  So far, this is my favorite and now I share it with you!
Here is my "before" picture...

Move your brush in a circular motion in the lid with a little ( just a pinch) of the ,mineral foundation around on a kabuki brush, tap the brush with the minerals facing up, to help them into the brush a little and then tap off the excess.  There are brushes made specifically for minerals, the right brush can make allll the difference!

Start down on your jaw where fine lines and pore are least visible, then buff in and around your face.  Buff extra in your trouble spots.
For extra coverage do another layer. If you try and do one heavy layer all at once, you will NOT like the results. Your pores will look huge and you'll look shiny.  Not pretty people, not pretty.

I added eyebrows and a little Bronzer on my apples, cheekbones, forehead and chin.

 Again, no mascara etc...just the products I mentioned.
I love Colore Science Mineral Foundation , it continued to look better as the day went on, I looked radiant and bright all day!  I give this product 2 thumbs up, for sure!!

May all of your days be beautiful!
Lisa Strawther
xoxo

BB and Lip and Cheek Stain from Birch Box Tutorial Review

So these BB (or Beauty Balm) are all the rage, eh?  Lets see...
I just received one in the Birch Box that came this month.  I LOVE this Birch Box, it's like a monthly box of goodness.  They totally hit the mark with this.  If you are not familiar with Birch Box, you should check it out.  There is a low monthly subscription fee and you get a box of different deluxe size samples each month.  The presentation is faaaaantastic! Even the shipping Box is pink.
Anyhoo, a couple of the goodies inside were Dr Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm Multi-Action Skincare + Make up SPF 25 and Staniac hint of tint for cheeks and lips in Beauty Queen.  So, I tried them out.

Of course, start with a clean dry face! They tout this product to be a moisturizer, sunscreen, and treatment serum, which hides imperfections.  So, you should not have to use your regular moisturizer.  Hmmmm, sounds to good to be true.

I used my fingers, you can also use a foundation brush or sponge.  start by your nose, cheek area and blend out to your jaw line.  Pay close attention to blending out the jaw line area.

Next comes the Staniac, Staaaaaaaainiac oh noooo and she's dancing like sh........ Sorry, Whenever I hear Staniac, I think Maniac and that song from Flash Dance pops in my head.  Annnnnnd, back to makeup.

This stuff can go on lips or cheeks.  Be warned, if you use your fingers to blend on your cheeks, they will be "stained" as well. SO move swiftly and wash quickly! I might know this from first hand experience.  Although the applicator is great for lip application, it's not so handy for the cheeks.  If you use a sponge, it will waste a lot of product.  I just used my fingers and they were only stained for a little.

Blend with your fingers in a circular motion and out towards/along your cheekbone, but concentrate on your apple.

For your lips, apply directly to your lips, follow your lip line like you would with a liner and then fill in the center.

I of course had to add a smidge of eyebrow color with MAC eyebrow pencil in Taupe I could only find it online at Nordstrom and Macys...I hope they are not discontinuing it!  I LOVE it and use it on my self and have it in my kit.

So there it is. My 40 year old face with the BB cream, Staniac and eyebrows.  That's it!  Not too shabby, eh?

The BB cream by Dr Jart did not impress me, it is just OK.  But I am a lover of the mineral makeup for my everyday makeup.  If you are a liquid girl, this may be a great option if you are looking to shave off  a couple of steps from your routine and save a few minutes.  The Staniac is fun and gives you a nice natural pink glow on your cheeks and with it being a 2 in 1, that definitely speeds things up.  I did this whole look in about 3 minutes.

MAY ALL OF YOUR DAYS BE BEAUTIFUL!!

XOXO

Lisa Strawther

Owner/Makeup Artist Making Up Las Vegas

Kenra Volume Spray Review and How To Add Volume to your Hair

It is very important to me to always have the best products to use on my clients. Over the years and after spending a fortune on tons of different hair styling products, I have never been completely satisfied with any of the result....Enter” Kenra”.  This line is known for being a classic and quality hair care line.  First of all, not only was it a fabulous and chic name that just  felt like sugar rolling off my tongue, but  I was blown away from the results of the products! I used everything from their crème’s, to glazes, to spray’s and every time I was completely impressed. And between you and I , doll,  I do have a favorite...Kenra Volume Spray 25.  You can use it anywhere from the salon, your bathroom, your mirror by the door, or even car and every time it leaves your hair looking and feeling and smelling like pure glamour, it holds but without stiffness, or crunchy feeling and it doesn’t weigh your hair down.

My simple and easy instructions for this fabulous product:
*For super hold finish, hold can 8 to 10 inches away, spray in short bursts
*To build volume, spray between layers at base
*To secure long hair, apply Volume Spray over finished style.
*Use a round brush and blow dry your hair to create volume

Ta-da! Gorgeous hair! Kenra Volume Spray 25 is by far the best! It is a top selling product  nationwide throughout the  salons and has won Stylist Choice Award for best hairspray year after year. Once you have used it, no other spray will compare!

Simplicity is the luxury of beauty,
 Zay Valentin
Making Up Las Vegas
Hair and Makeup Artist

Coconut Oil for luminous summer skin

Coconut oil is my new LOVE.  The way it smells, the way it makes my skin look and feel.......fabulousness.

 You can find it all over.  Here in the Vegas Valley, I like to go to Sunflower Market, but you can find it on line also. Generally, you want unrefined for your skin and hair and the refined  for cooking and consumption. I like Spectrum Coconut Oil , you can get it on Amazon for under $9, the same product is about $13 at Whole Foods. Spectrum is the one that I use everyday.  I have tried others and found them to be grainy or not as fragrant.  The Spectrum leaves my skin soft and luminous and I smell like a cross between an almond joy and that yummy suntan oil on the beach smell.  Deeeeelicous!!!  There is virgin and gold label, glass jars, etc.  This Virgin Coconut Oil comes in glass jar or a tub, but you will pay considerably more. Click here to read about the differences between virgin and refined. 
The "they's" say that Coconut oil is one of the closest to our own oils and therefore is easily assimilated by the skin and body.  The smell alone is intoxicating, close your eyes and you are on a tropical beach, lying in the sand.
It comes solid, but not hard...think room temperature butter, that's, kind of, the consistency.  Although here in Vegas, mine has not been solid for a month!  Its been so warm here, even with the a/c going my Coconut Oil is straight liquid.  I have put it in a squeeze bottle and will use it that way during our hot months.  You can use this from head to toe.  And when I say head to toe, I mean head to toe. It's great for your hair, face AND body.  Massage it in like you would any lotion or oil.  You can even add some essential oils if you want to give the scent a little extra yumminess.  Dry desert skin no more!  Click here to read about all of the benefits  you can get externally and internally from coconut oil.
I will NEVER go back to lotion!  Go give it a try!

May all of your days be beautiful (and yummy smelling),
Lisa Strawther
Owner/Makeup Artist Making Up Las Vegas

Frizz Free Summer Hair!

This is Fabulous for giving lift and volume while keeping your hair shiny and frizz free!
It is one of my Favorite Summer styling products I keep in my bag and I love to use on my models before a photo shoot, or a client before her big Red Carpet Moment is Aveda Phomollient styling foam!

It’s amazing because it’s light weight and doesn't leave your hair feeling super stiff or sticky. It's a little bit more expensive compared to some other styling products you can find at any convenient drug store shelf, but I guarantee that those few extra dollars you spend on this product will leave other in a daze, and leaving your hair feeling and looking beautiful for any time of the day. Another amazing thing about it and why I love it so much is cause you don't have to use all that much so a bottle it going to last awhile. I know that the package says it’s for fine hair but take it  from me a professional Hairstyles and makeup artist that it also works on thick and wavy just fine. You will love the extra volume and body your hair has when using this product, it really keeps your hair from turning into a big frizzy mess on those humid summer days.
Here are some simple instructions for using this product,
•Do not shake the bottle.                                                                       
•Spray 1-2 pumps into your hand
•Apply the product  to your damp hair.
•Rub your hands together to distribute evenly.
•Distribute near the roots for added lift.
•Use a round brush and blow dry your hair to create volume.
•Alternatively, use a diffuser while blow drying to create soft curls that keep their shape. Or you can simply just distribute it evenly through your hair and style it to your preference without applying heat.
Ta-da! Gorgeous hair!

And remember, simplicity is the luxury of beauty.
Zay Valentin
for Making Up Las Vegas

Make Up Forever Foundation Review

 MakeUp Forever: Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation

I've finally found my holy grail foundation with the Make Up Forever: Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation!   I have tried so many different foundations from  Becca to MAC and everything in between and still haven'tfound anything that compares to this.   I have super oily and acne-prone skin. I have found that this foundation looks very good on my skin type.    

Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation

First things first, when applying any kind of makeup be sure to start with a freshly washed and moisturized face (very important!) I shake the foundation bottle up (with the cap on, of course :) to make sure that all of the ingredients are properly  mixed first.  I then put a smalldrop on the back of my hand and I used my index, middle and ring fingers to blend the foundation on my face.  The foundation goes on very sheer but you will see the coverage building slowly.  When applied with my fingers, I am able to achieve a natural daytime look.

This foundation is amazing!  You can easily wear it during the daytime or build it up  for a nice, flawless night time look. When I want more coverage, I use a  foundation brush(which is always Brush #190 by MAC),  to apply the foundation.  One of the things I love most about this foundation is that although it is liquid, the foundation never looks heavy on my skin.  Additionally, they have such an array of colors from the lightest porcelain shades to the deepest mahogany!

Brush #190 by MAC

Regardless of the application method, my foundation stays in place and remains matte throughout the day.  This product is transfer-resistant, water-resistantand oil-free so I'm able to wear it year round with no problem (Which is great for the Vegas heat!). I like to finish my look off with MUFE HD Microfinish Powder for an airbrushed, matte, radiant finish. If you've been looking for the perfect foundation for your oily skin, look no further!

MUFE HD Microfinish Powder

Have a fabulous day!



YourBeauty Fanatic,

Ijeoma
MakingUp Las Vegas



Don't forget about our GIVEAWAY!!!

GIVEAWAY!!

Now that you got great foundation tips, why don't you share your favorite summer look with Making Up Las Vegas. Go "LIKE"our facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MakingUpLasVegas, and you will be ENTERED TO WIN a brand new Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara and Bare Minerals eyeshadow.

You have until May 31, 2012 to enter. Prize will be shipped to winner.

Tell all your friends!