Obsessed! My New Monda Studio LED Makeup Case
I attended this year’s The Makeup Show LA, and fell in LoVe! This year was my second year attending, so I knew what to expect and came prepared. What I wasn’t prepared for, was my newest obsession, the Monda Studio LED Makeup Case that I bought for a STEAL at the show!! The glistening bright lights that rim the mirror in the top of the case called to me as I walked by them in the Nigel’s booth, and I couldn’t help but stare in awe of this beautiful invention. I had seen lighted makeup cased before, but they were huge, had actual lightbulbs and were over $1000. The price tag was so reasonable on these cases, and the size was absolutely perfect. I first decided that I would get the smallest size, but at the last minute changed my mind to get the medium sized one.
The cases when I first spotted them and fell in love at The Makeup Show LA
The MSC-810 LED Lighted Mirror Make Up Station is the one I purchased. I comes on wheels, and has a handle to pull like a suitcase when it is closed and upright. It’s a little on the heavy side, but because it’s on wheels it’s manageable.
The best part, for me, are the lights! They work really well and are LED lights, which last a really long time 30-50,000 hours, you don’t need to replace them, and you can even brighten or dim them for the proper lighting effect! These lights also emit a minimal amount of heat and save 80% of the energy that incandescent lights use It plugs into an outlet, and just press the button to turn them on, and you are ready to go!
For professional makeup artists, this is a great way to get better lighting on the go, and for personal use, the smaller sized ones are perfect for your own personal vanity!
It comes in 3 Sizes! (mine is the medium size.)
It’s dimensions are 12.5x19x9.5″
The mirror is 18×11.5″
Sides inside: 12x3x3.5″
Drawers: 11×5.5×1″
Inside Compartment: 10.5x11x2″
Drawers open to 23.5″ wide
Weight: 15 lbs-so as you can see it’s a bit heavy.
It has adjustable storage dividers, and has locks & keys to lock it for security.
I love my new Monda and can’t wait to use it soon!
You can but them here at https://www.nigelbeauty.com/t-mondaled.aspx or you can find them through google for cheaper (like on amazon)!
Love,
Sunset Blonde
Makeup and Hair for this VIVA GLAM MAGAZINE cover shot by SUNSET BLONDE
The December 2012 Issue of Viva Glam Magazine features Mariza Prince the “Fit Chic.” She is glammed up with hair and makeup by Viva Glam Magazine’s own Beauty Editor & in house Makeup Artist Sunset Blonde. Gorgeous blonde locks overflowing with soft waves are the ultimate Viva Glam look, with neutral toned lips and cheeks, the defined smokey eye is inviting and sultry.
A few of the behind the scenes/instagram photos taken on set of the photo shoot:
A gorgeous behind the scenes iphone photo of Mariza Prince in the makeup studio, almost ready to shoot!
A few of Sunset Blonde’s beauty tools & makeup used on the set of the photo shoot.
To view more visit Viva Glam Magazine’s website at www.vivaglammagazine.com
Love,
Sunset Blonde
I’ve always preferred doing my own makeup over how anyone else does it. I have always felt like I do it best, even if it wasn’t always the best. Now that I’m a Makeup Artist, after getting professional training, experience, and learning industry secrets, I feel like I can do my makeup better than any one else can for my wedding day. And so can you!!
My wedding is taking place in Norway. A beautiful country that I have fallen in love with, but also a country that is still unfamiliar to me in so many ways. I know already, that I wont be able to find a local makeup artist that can do a better job than I can on my wedding day. So, I decided right away, that I would just do my own hair and makeup. I also recently gave some advice to a friend that was having a destination wedding, who asked me about doing her own makeup.
Here’s my advice for doing your own wedding day makeup:
Don’t stray too far from the makeup routine you usually do, just perfect it by having the right tools and products. You can even higher a professional makeup artist for a private lesson to help and give you pointers. The best wedding makeup, is still looking like yourself! Youtube also has many how-to makeup videos to help.
Do not wear SPF on your big day; it doesn’t photograph well. It tends to reflect the light, even when worn under makeup it can make you look pale or shiny in flash photographs.
Use blotting papers to soak up excess oil during your wedding to avoid caking on too much powder.
And, especially for this day, even though it’s a pain to remove at night, use waterproof mascara and eyeliner!
Find inspiration for your wedding day makeup look. Whether you are experienced with applying makeup or new to it, keep it simple, classic and as natural as possible.
Practice this look on yourself. Many times. I suggest beginning to practice the final makeup choice on yourself at least a month before the wedding.
Get the right products for the look. Long wearing formulas, waterproof, high quality formulas, and the right shades are essential for creating that perfect wedding day look. Buying the right products and shades will help you to look your best on the big day.
Have the right makeup brushes. A great way to not only ensure proper makeup application on your wedding day, but a great investment for your makeup collection everyday. High quality makeup brushes last longer than any makeup, they also ensure easier and more natural application. You can buy great ones I have designed at sunsetblonde.com.
If it’s an option, ask a friend to help you on the big day. Ask someone with a steady hand to help you apply that liquid liner, or apply the false lashes on your big day to relieve some stress and any mistakes. It’s a great idea to ask them before the big day, and do a trial run. I recommend waterproof mascara and individual false lashes, because they will look more natural and you wont run the risk of them coming unglued if you tear up.
Bring touch-up Makeup. Things happen during the wedding that can mess up even a professional makeup job. So expect to touch up your makeup every bathroom trip you make. At least try to look at it and make sure everything looks ok. Crying, hugging and kissing, dancing, and even eating can cause your makeup to disappear. Bring a compact with powder to cover shine, lipcolor, and Qtips as the bare minimum. You even ask a bridesmaid to hold it in her purse.
The most important part of your makeup for your big day is evening out your skintone for that flawless bride look, using foundation, concealer under eyes and on blemishes (apply over foundation), and a translucent setting powder.
Remember that a natural look is always best for your wedding day, so NO harsh/super bright colors or extreme sparkle.
Here are some inspirational makeup photos that I found for my wedding day makeup look, which might help you too:
Love,
Sunset Blonde
How to look good in pictures is always a challenge. Some people are more photogenic than others. But since I’m always in front of the camera, and most of the time I prefer to do my own makeup for my photo shoots than most make artists, I thought I’d share some of my tips on how to photograph better. Here are a few tips on how to look good in pictures using make up.
Apply your make up in natural light/daylight if possible. This is also best for every day makeup application as well as for photos. Some lighting makes it hard to tell what colors really look like, and you can end up doing your makeup too dark or too light & it can look unnatural. It can be really embarrassing when you leave the house and realize that your makeup looks different than you thought.
Always use Matte Makeup. Matte makeup would be flat colors that don’t have sparkle or shimmer or shine. When you are going to be photographed don’t use any products that are going to reflect light off your face. The flash reflects light off the shimmer and will make you look shiny, distorted, and it will look unnatural.
Wear natural colored Lipstick. You don’t want your mouth to blend in with the rest of your face, nor do you want to wear a color that is completely unnatural. Sometimes our natural lip color is a little strange for example, my lips turn blue when I’m cold, and I’m usually cold at photo shoots, so a good layer of a warm toned lipstick color is always a must for me. It is a good idea to contrast your features. Choose a shade that is a little darker than your natural lip color.
Using blush keeps your face from looking washed out. Don’t over apply blush, just a little extra color on your face is good. Blush adds definition to your face and some color to your cheeks. And again, avoid blush with shimmer or sparkle in it. You may not wear it everyday, but consider it when being photographed.
Foundation is not always a necessity, but it does even out skin tone and imperfections. There is something about using foundation in photos that genuinely gives you an airbrushed look. I get asked all the time how I get my skin to look so flawless, and it’s a combination of having the right products and the right tools that works for you, along with practice and experience. My face is much paler than the my body, and so I always like to even it out and change the color of it with a little foundation in a darker shade. You may have red spots, scars, veins, blemishes, discoloration, etc, that you are used to seeing every day, and might not even notice. Or maybe you are very well aware of what’s on your face. For photos, foundation along with concealer can make a huge difference with your skin. Getting some assistance from a professional with selecting the right shade of foundation is always a must. Most people can’t tell what shade they need to match their skin. Using the right foundation will help you look better in photos.
Looking better in photographs is easy with a few helpful makeup tricks. You can also take a few practice shots before heading out, bring your makeup with you, for touch-ups or to correct something you might not have otherwise noticed. Make sure your make up looks as good in pictures as it does in person.
Love,
Sunset Blonde
I really love how my eyes look when I do my eye makeup this way. Similar to my Signature Eyes Look. I usually choose 2 shades, a light one, and a dark one. I always apply the light shade to the inner corners of my eye and sweep it across my eyelids, and under the brow bone. Then with the Deluxe crease brush from Sunset Blonde I lightly coat the bristles in the darker shadow, and work it into the outer corners and crease of my upper eyelid. I then blended the darker color into my eyelid with a clean Sunset Blonde Soft Blender Brush. I also smudged a light layer of the darker shade along my bottom lash line under my eye with the baby bullet brush.
I used 2 eyeshadow colors from Kevyn Aucoin, the lighter one is a shimmery pink shade called Whisper, and the darker is a shimmery wine color called Goddess.
Using a black eyeliner pencil by Stila in Stingray, I lined the inner rims of my eyes only on the outer corners, and finished the look with Loreal Voluminous Mascara!
Love,
Sunset Blonde
Day 2 On Location: Hawaiian Beach Bikini Photo Shoot
Below is a photo of all of the crew setting up the shot. You can see me with my set bag perfecting the model’s hair before she starts shooting.
The weather starting out this morning didn’t go as well as hoped on day 2. Up at 4am to start hair and makeup on the new model, only to get to our location at 6am, and wait around for an hour to see if the sky would clear up to get some nice sunlight to shoot.
Our model of the day was Julia Docherty. She was a great sport running back and forth in and out of the pop up changing tent to stay dry from the rain. Below in a photo of the pop up changing tent. It’s convenient but rare to have a tent like this on location. But it is great for model’s to change inside of when on a public beach for some privacy and rapid outfit changes. Just wanted to show you this because it’s kind of a neat invention that makes on location shoots more comfortable for a model.
This is the gorgeous model for Day 2, Julia Docherty, a D cup swimsuit model that fills out the Sunsets Inc. swimsuits nicely. She was stunning, and had amazing eyes. In the photo below you can see how I styled her hair and did her makeup for the shoot. I played up her eyes, contoured her cheeks and gave her a nude/natural lip. Her hair was styled with soft beachy curls and sexy side swept bangs. This hairstyle was hard to keep looking fresh and perfect on her because of her fine hair type. 4 touch-ups where required to re-curl her hair throughout the day, and lots of hairspray was used!
Her eyeshadow was a Metallic Eye shadow in a green shade from Bobbie Brown called Sage which I blended into her creases and under the outer corners of her eyes. I used Bone also By Bobbie Brown and blended it onto her lids and brow bone.
In Julia’s hair I added some clip-in hair extensions to keep her hair looking fuller and curled, since hair extensions hold curl really well.
I used a combination of all 3 of these hairsprays throughout the day for controlling frizz and flyways, as well as for hold during re-curling.
Below is a photo of me touching up her hair in between shots, standing behind as shade panel that is known as a scrim. Photographers use a scrim to shade the model from direct sunlight, it’s basically a lighting tool.
She is wearing faux lashes, and Loreal Voluminous Mascara in carbon black, and Kevyn Aucoin The Eye Pencil Primatif in Black on top lashline only and blended.
I applied Makeup Forever HD Foundation in color #123, with a custom powder to set it that I made with yellow undertones to match her tan.
I used MAC Bronzer in GOLDEN under her cheekbones and jawline for contouring with the FANCY CHEEKY BRUSH from SUNSET BLONDE, and Kevyn Aucoin blush in Dolline on her upper cheeks.
Kevyn Aucoin The Pure Powder Glow – Dolline which I find to be the perfect matte apricot shade:
Julia needed a long lasting lip color for her lips so I made a custom color for her from Loreal Infallible Lipsticks in #812 Opulent Organza & #423 Perpetual Peach. These have nice staying power and go on creamy. Both of these colors are great to use by themselves and look great if you want a natural color for many skin tones. #812 is more of a matte berry color, and #423 is a shimmery peachy pink. I think that a combination of the 2 makes a perfect shade.
An on-set trick from Sunset Blonde: It might look weird, but works great! I like to take a small amount of lipstick with me to go in a Disposable container when on location, instead taking the entire lipstick with me and risking a meltdown in my “on-set” bag in the blazing sun. I’ve come up with a great idea for those plastic containers that false lashes come in, I smear a small amount of lipstick straight from the tube onto the plastic & Go! This not only keeps my lipsticks sanitary, and from melting, but it allows me to keep a separate tray of lipstick for each model that is portable. Great idea to reuse an item you might normally trash.
At photo shoots there are usually racks of bikinis, stacks of accessories and it can get pretty messy. This company is great in that they neatly hang up the bikinis with matching cover-ups, and attached to the hangers in plastic bags are the accessories nicely matched up for each outfit change that have been selected prior to the shoot day. This organization strategy speeds up the changing time in between shots, and makes it easy for the stylists and models to know what the complete next outfit is. I love it when designers are super organized and time efficient!
As I described in Day 1, I love my on-set bag, so I thought I would take some photos of my actual bag so that you can see me wearing it, and what I am able to fit in it! I like to wear it across my body so that I don’t have to worry about it falling off my shoulder. As you can see, I have a lot of useful items for touch ups, brushes, hairspray, compacts, bug spray, even a favorite of mine… coconut water for hydration. This bag also makes a great travel toiletry bag for the travel lovers reading this!
By late morning the sun was shining high in the sky and we pushed through a lot of shooting. I had to blur out the model on the far left, so that you can’t see her bikini, because they will not be released until July, so I have to keep them a secret 
I will be modeling on day 3 & 4…so stay tuned for more photos and info!
Love,
SUNSET BLONDE
“I have long eye lashes and always tend to get mascara on my eyelid when applying mascara. I do this after my eyeshadow so it then ruins my eyeshadow when I try to get it off with a q-tip. Any tips on how to avoid this??
Thanks
-Jessica “
Jessica,
The best way is prevention! I never run into this problem personally, because my lashes are short, and there is a lot of space between my eyelids and my eyebrows. But my sister has this issue and so I interviewed her this morning on how she deals with this problem, and what she does to prevent a mascara mess. She has become good at it because she loves wearing eyeshadow and mascara.
This is also a great tip, not only for women with Long eyelashes, but also women that have a small eyelid, with not a lot of space between their lash line and their eyebrows.
Here is how to prevent getting mascara on your eyelids after you have already applied eyeshadow and eyeliner:
First of all, my sister said that a CURVED MASCARA WAND is a MUST to avoid mascara mistakes! You have to use a curved brush! Helps to be more precise and hugs your lashes, preventing mistakes. It also gives you a little lift and curl. You will have a lot more control with a curved brush.
Straight mascara wands tend to make a big mess when you have long lashes. Using a curved brush you have more control and also helps to curl and shape your lashes in the correct direction.
She recommends using:
Maybelline GREAT LASH Mascara, CURVED BRUSH.
She likes this mascara because it not only has a curved brush that helps her prevent mascara mistakes, but is lightweight and doesn’t clump. It gives her a natural look on her long lashes.
Here are steps to help you achieve applying mascara without mistakes:
1. Tilt head back, open mouth slightly as you look straight ahead into the mirror. Almost like you are looking down. This puts more space between your lashes and your eyelids.
2. While tilting your head really far back, begin applying mascara and try your best not to blink while applying your mascara. Immediately look down and relax while allowing your mascara to dry.
3. To speed up the drying process, use a blowdryer on a cool setting (always use a cool setting) to dry your mascara.
4. Another tip, if you want to curl your lashes is to curl your eyelashes gently AFTER applying mascara. Please don’t press the curler closed all the way, otherwise you will get a hard crease. Plus you run the risk of the mascara sticking to the lash curler and ripping out your lashes. So try to avoid pulling out your lashes. Curling your lashes after applying mascara prevents your lashes from hitting your lids even more.
5. Another option, if simply leaning your head back doesn’t work try this: When you tilt your head back, use your index finger in a hook shape in front of your eyelid, resting your hand on your cheek to steady your hand.
Try to avoid pressing your finger against your eyelid so that you don’t mess up your eyeshadow. But use your finger to block the lashes from touching your eyelid. It is much easier to remove mascara from your finger, than using a q-tip after to fix mistakes and retouch eyeshadow on your lids.
Girls, try this and let me know if you have any other techniques or tips on how to solve this issue!
Special thanks to my beautiful sister Shaina (left) for your input and answers to this common LONG LASH PROBLEM!
Buy them while they are still on SALE!!
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Get these amazing high quality makeup brushes on sale now at sunsetblonde.com
SUNSET BLONDE BEAUTY
THEY HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED!
Thank you so much for waiting so patiently.
Special discount for those of you that order through online at www.sunsetblonde.com for 3 weeks only ending on June 19th, 2012.
______________________________________________________________________FULL SET SPECIAL!!
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REGULAR SET PRICE: $75.00
BUY ALL 3 BRUSHES FOR ONLY $55.00
Good brushes are really important for getting a natural look and proper application. Brushes are essential tools for achieving better blending, smoother application, and building color. Just like an artist uses paint brushes, you need the right brushes for a flawless makeup application.
INDIVIDUAL BRUSHES
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#1.)
FANCY FACE BRUSH
REGULAR PRICE: $52.00
SALE PRICE: $39.99
And I bet, most of you have never even owned one, and if you do, you don’t know what it is for!?
If so, you are missing out on this amazing beauty tool!
Luckily for you, I make really incredible, high quality fan bush for you to purchase for your collection from SUNSET BLONDE BEAUTY! This is the FANCY FACE Brush, a luxurious and soft blend of bristles, which is a very unique brush for applying powder. It is thicker, fuller, and a larger fan than any brush you have used before.
Whether you’re using a powdered mineral foundation, a baked foundation, bronzer or translucent powder, applying it has never been easier than with Sunset Blonde’s FANCY FACE Brush. The fan brush gives you far more control over how much you use and where you use it than the large ROUND types. You can layer for more coverage, or apply one or two coats for an even and natural look.
Powder to set your make-up is the last step in make-up application for many women, and the FANCY FACE Brush is ideal for this. Brushing a fine layer of powder over your face with FANCY FACE Brush will set your make-up, and you won’t have that “powdered” overdone look.
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#2.)
CHEEKY FAN BRUSH
REGULAR PRICE: $32.00
SALE PRICE $24.99
The FANCY CHEEKY Brush is THE perfect tool for applying blush, bronzer, highlighter and shading. I recommend getting one for each type of makeup application that you will do.
As a blush brush, the brush picks up less color than an angled or blush brush, and makes it easy to apply it where you want to. A few light sweeps give you a natural look for day, or layer on more for a glam evening look. It allows you to apply it gently and softly, without ever making a mistake or looking like a clown.
Bronzer can also be applied easily with the FANCY CHEEKY Brush. The best use of bronzers is to sweep them lightly across those parts of the face that the sun would hit the most: the cheekbones; the nose; the chin; and above the brows and along the hairline. Again, the fan brush lets you pick up a smaller amount of product so that you can keep the application light. If you want it darker, LAYER on more color.
As a brush for highlighting, use the FANCY CHEEKY Brush to sparsely dust a light, shimmery powder over the apple of your cheeks and the middle of your forehead to bring out these areas through highlighting.
For shading your face with the FANCY CHEEKY Brush you can use your bronzer or a darker shade of powder to shade under your cheekbones and under your jawline to define your face subtly enough for even daytime wear.
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#3.)
SOFT BLENDER BRUSH
REGULAR PRICE: $ 27.00
SALE PRICE: $22.50
Long and fluffy, this tool is perfect for shading your creases, emphasizing the outer corners of your eyes, and the number one tool to blend shadows. This is my favorite brush, and is essential to soften any eyeshadow look.
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#4.)
DELUXE CREASE SHADOW BRUSH
REGULAR PRICE: $25.00
SALE PRICE: $21.99
#5.)
BABY BULLET
REGULAR PRICE: $23.00
SALE PRICE: $19.99
**ALL SUNSET BLONDE BRUSHES ARE 100% ANIMAL CRUELTY FREE. ABSOLUTELY NO ANIMALS ARE HARMED OR DESTROYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING THESE BRUSHES.
All natural bristles are purchased from fully licensed & accredited suppliers that adhere to a strict non-cruelty code of ethics.
(No Photoshop was used on me in this photo!)
You can get this flawless look with Sunset Blonde Brand Brushes!
Everything is a little easier when you have the right tools, and this look requires the precise tools to achieve the desired look! Sunset Blonde Beauty’s Signature Eyeshadow Brushes make your makeup routine a beautifully blended breeze!
I have blonde hair, and therefore, blonde eyelashes, and eyebrows…this sometimes is not so pretty. So I have come up with a certain way that I like to do my eye makeup that really accentuates the shape and beauty of them.
Below is a photo of how my eye looks with no eye makeup on:
I love more of a cat-eye look and the almond shape, enhancing the outer corners of my eyes and keeping it natural and lighter on the inner corners. I place the eyeshadow in an UP & OUT technique. I have come up with this special way to do my eye makeup that I have also tried on some of my makeup clients that seems to work well on a variety of eye shapes.
Here is the finished look:
Without eye makeup, my eyes look small and close-set. I try to make my eyes look larger and farther apart.
Dust a pale, light-reflective shadow across the inner three-quarters of each lid, then apply a dark shadow from lash line to crease at the outer corner using the small shader brush (see brush below). I use A bronze or brown color because it looks more natural than any other shade.
Next step is to add the same bronze color eyeshadow to the lower lashline starting at the outer corner and blending and tapering off half way only:
TIP: Please limit dark liner to the outer corner of your eye (top and bottom) if you are going to use it. But I recommend it at night, I think it tends to be too dark for the daytime. Here is how I apply the cream liner crayon, which I like in either brown or purple. In this photo I’m using the purple one, to give it a subtle pop so that you can see it. I apply it inside lower lashline and underlashes on outer corners only:
Next, BLEND!! Blend the shadow into the crease and outer corners with the larger blending brush.
Add mascara to top lashes, concentrating on outer corners and sweeping lashes out. It is also very important to get the mascara as close to the lash line as you can.
Add a light coat of mascara to the outer corner bottom lashes, and VERY lightly to inner bottom lashes:
Again, concentrate on putting the mascara thicker on the outer corner lashes:
Blending and placement of color are super important.
Sometimes I will add some liquid Eyeliner and False lashes for a more glamorous look for photo shoots or a night out. The photo pictured directly below has no liquid eyeliner and No false lashes. All mine baby!
These are the new shadows and jumbo Cream liner sticks that I’m using right now. I use the shadows on outer corners of upper eyelid and blend into the crease with the small shader brush, then blend with the Blender Brush. Followed by a swipe of the bronze Jumbo Liner pencil under bottom lashes on the outer corners only. Sometimes I will use a highlighter or light shadow color on the inner corners.
I used this Bronze Essential Eye Shadow Single from Kevyn Aucoin Beauty in the photos above. This is a smooth Bronze color that blends well and comes in a nice compact with a tiny mirror.
The great thing about this look is that once you master it, you can play with different eyeshadow colors. It is really quick and easy to do, and has amazing results.
Let me know if you have any questions and how this look worked for you if you try it!
Also, stay tuned for the Darker & more glamorous night-time version of my Signature Sunset Eye look! With darker eyeshadow, Liquid Eyeliner and False Lashes!
