Guest Post –Fresh look for a fresh year! 
Hi y’all! Exciting news! — you will be able to find this weeks makeup tutorial by heading over to “The 3 F’s” where I was lucky to be asked to submit another tutorial for their readers!! To view the post, click here!!
Erin
Mac Shape and Sculpt powders- countouring and highlighting
This is juuuust a wee bit behind schedule 
The week before last, I did a post on MAC Shape and Sculpt powders because I had recently acquired 2 shaping powders and one sculpting. You can see that post by clicking here. I was supposed to follow up that post with a post showing how they work…and then something weird happened with my photo editor and I moved on. But when I recently wrote an article about the importance of highlighting and contouring–I had to come back on here with a before and after. Here are the before and after photos…same exposure, spot and everything:
This was my “I’m going to the grocery store look” so I went a little lighter on the contouring but doesn’t a little highlighting and contouring go a long way? It makes such a difference. I love, love, love the sculpting powder. I know I have done a post like this before but just to clarify I contoured on either side of my nose, underneath my cheekbones, down my jawline and chin and around my hairline. Then I put a highlight on the top of my cheeks (a bit over my blush) and down my nose. The best thing about the sculpting powder–no shimmer! So you can sculpt freely without looking like a shimmer explosion.
Erin
Ombre eye-purple, gray, pink
When I first decided that I would be doing The Bridal Showcase here in Charlotte, my bestie Tracy jumped at the chance to coordinate a visit (she lives in Miami) so that she could be here for it (she is too sweet). I feel like the time just flew by when she was here but I just had to get in a makeup tutorial with her because….
A) She has gorgeous green eyes and I know y’all are sick of seeing everything on my brown eyes.
B) She has the perfect eyes for an ombre look.
C) She loves, loves, loves to have super dark eyes-especially underneath, which was the look I wanted for this tutorial
D) Who doesn’t like to play dress up and have an impromtu photo session?
Products Used:
I didn’t do a product picture post because..well.. I just didn’t-I have no excuse. But the eyshadows in order of use are: MAC Deep Damson, MAC Shale and MAC Girlie. I also used my MAC paint pot in Soft Ocre, my Maybelline gel liner in Blackest Black and my MAC Lipstick in Pink Plaid.
PREP:
Apply concealer all around the eye, underneath the eye and up to the brow. Set with powder. Apply MAC’s Paint Pot in Soft Ochre all over the eye up to the brow.
Step 1.
Using a stiff brush, (I used a bullet brush to get close to the lash line and inside corner) apply Deep Damson to the first part of the lid…it should look something like this:
Step 2:
Using a stiff bullet brush, apply Shale right above where you ended with Deep Damson. It should look something like this:
Step 3:
Using a stiff bullet brush, apply Girlie right above where you ended with Shale. It should look something like this:
Step 4:
Using a big fluffy, start blending Deep Damson up into Shale, then blend Shale into Girlie. Then apply your highlight above the brow and into the inside corner and blend Girlie into that highlight. Apply false lashes. Go over any excess glue with gel liner. Apply a coat of mascara to blend your real lashes into your fake lashes. Apply gel liner to the waterline and smudge it into the lash line. Using your bullet brush, apply Deep Damson to the lashline. Your final product should look something like this:
and the before and after:
And one final shot for fun:
A magenta blush and Pink Plaid lipstick completed this look! As you can see by this post, ombre eyes are suuuuuper easy to achieve and can give you a fantastic look! Thanks Tracy for playing model for a day!!!
Erin
Bridal Showcase Giveaway Winner!!!
Yesterday was an absolutely fabulous day at the Bridal Showcase!!! We got to meet so many wonderful brides and work along side some amazing vendors! Thank you to all of the sweet brides who took the time to stop by our booth and chat with us! It truly was a fantastic experience Here are some shots we took throughout the day of our booth!!!
We had sooo much fun! I am so lucky to have had Tracy and my sweet husband there yesterday! Now on to the good stuff–
The winner of our drawing is……………………………………
Meggan Farnsworth!!!!
Congratulations Meggan!! You have one a free makeup session for your bridal or engagement photos! We appreciate everyone taking the time to enter the contest and if you requested information about our services, we will be sending it soon!
Erin
MAC Shape and Sculpt Powders
I have something good for y’all today! I always love, love, love when I find new products that I know I am going to keep buying over and over! The awesome products I am referring to are Shape and Sculpt Powders from MAC. There are 5 shades of Sculpting powder and 5 shades of Shaping powder. Sculpting is used to -as the name says, sculpt….so it is going to be what you contour with. Shaping is going to be your highlight color. I purchased “Sculpt” Sculpting powder (that is a mouthful) and “Emphasize” and “Warm Light” in the shaping powder. I had this whole post planned out to not only introduce you to the powders but to show you how well they work…unfortunately, my technology is failing me tonight and I am having a few issues with my photos! But check out the stock photo below and then check back Wednesday for the before and after photos/tutorial…
Erin
