NiniLuvsMakeup

Hey guys! I've got something super special for you today: an interview with YouTube Celeb NiniLuvsMakeup!

Not only is she my friend, but she's also a fierce makeup artist who happens to be gorgeous on the inside and out. For some amazing tutorials, check her out on YouTube, and read below!

A: Hey Nini! How long have you been a makeup artist?

N:  I've been a Makeup Artist for about 5 years

A: How did you get started in makeup?

N: One day while browsing through the 99-cent store, I came across four products that became an obsession. An electric blue liquid eye liner, a baby blue eyeshadow, brown lip liner and a pressed powder. After wearing these products for a while, I started buying more and more makeup, found YouTube tutorials on makeup and the rest was history. 

A: When did you know you wanted to do this professionally?

N: I knew I wanted to do makeup professionally four years ago... I would create different looks on myself and soon I became confident in applying makeup to family and friends. What makes me want to continue is how it ends up making my clients feel inside.

A: Who was the most influential person in your career? 

N:  The most influential person in my career is my mother. She is my number 1 supporter. My mom is constantly giving me new ideas and if I ever need her advice, I can trust her opinion. 

A: Do you have a beauty icon?

N: I don't really have a favorite beauty icon. However, my favorite style of makeup would have to be Indian Bridal. 

A: You always look amazing! How do you keep your skin looking so fresh?

N: Thank you so much! I am loving Purity cleaner by Philosophy - I love that it takes off all of my makeup and doesn't dry out my skin. For my moisturizers, I use Shiseido Urban Eviroment UV protection cream SPF 35 and Origins Starting Over. 

A: What is the best piece of makeup and/or skincare advice you've ever received?

N: The best skin care advice/product I've received has to be from my older sisters.. Caldesene powder on a pimple over night shrinks it by half a size by morning... 

A: What's the one thing you can't live without?

N: One thing I cant live with out... An eyebrow pencil!

A: If you were trapped on a desert island and could only bring 10 beauty products with you, what would they be?

N: 1- Purity Cleanser
2- Shiseido Moisturizer
3- Urban decay Primer Potion
4- 120 Palette (Is that cheating? lol) 
5- Maybelline Define a Brow pencil in Brown
6- Silicon Mix Condition 
7- Silicon Mix Shampoo
8- Smashbox BB Cream
9- Tarte Gel eye liner
10- Blending Brush

A: What is your favorite feature?

N: My favorite feature would have to be brows. I feel like well-groomed, filled-in brows complete a look. 

A: What do you love most about your job?

N: What I love most about my job is my clients and their overall reaction when I'm done doing their makeup.. Most of the time I don't even feel like I'm working, I love that I get to be creative and express myself. 

A: Now, you're pretty famous on Youtube. How many followers do you have? 

N: I have over 19,700 followers that I love and appreciate so much! I'm so thankful for all of the love and support...I have the best viewers in the world. 

A: What are you most proud of?

N: I'm most proud when I post tutorials on my channel and I get a comment of someone saying how helpful the video was to them or pictures/video responses of some of my looks.. 

A: About how much $$ worth of makeup do you own? 

N: A LOT! lol

(I nabbed this cover photo from Facebook!)

A: What is your favorite video that you've posted? Why?

N: My personal favorite video I've posted to date would have to be my IMATS (International Make-up Artist Trade Show) Haul video. The reason why I love this video so much is because It doesn't only feature me...I show pictures of my viewers which is most important to me. I love meeting my viewers in person..IMATS was such an amazing experience... I will never forget this day. (You can view the video here!)

A: Any words of wisdom to aspiring makeup artists out there?

N:  My advice to aspiring makeup artists... Be you 100%, practice different techniques, Don't be afraid to try something new and have fun with it!

Thanks, Nini! Can't wait to see you again! xo

Commandments

Auri's 10 Commandments for Clear Skin:

1. Thou shalt not pick and pop. (See my 2nd blog for thoughts on picking.)

2. If thou wearest makeup, thou shalt not wear crap that will clog thy pores.

3. Thou shall not put makeup on an open wound.

4. Thou shalt put makeup on with synthetic brushes (not a bacteria-harboring, re-usable sponge), and thou shalt clean said brushes once a week.

5.. Thou shalt clean thy cell phone, or better yet, use a headset.

6.. Thou shalt clean thy pillowcases fairly often.

7. Thou shalt always wash thy face and never go to sleep with makeup on.

8. Thou shalt understand that if thy eats like garbage, thy body will look it too. (A great article on that here.)

9A. If thou wakest up with a volcanic erupition, thou shalt not cancel thy date for that evening. (See this blog post for more thoughts on that...)

9B.Thou shalt have confidence and a sense of humor about the situation, regardless of said volcanic eruption on thy face.

10. Thou shalt not obsess over being a GROWN ASS WOMAN with acne. (Whoops, that one's for me!)

Love yourselves, chickadees! :)
Have you rewarded yourselves for your non-popping habits yet?
xoxo

Skin Lust (Part 1)

Skin Lust (Part 1 - The Classics)  

These famous, fabulous and flawless ladies make the Top 10 of my Skin Lust List. Who's at the top of yours? 

10. Courtney Cox is enviable and lust-worthy always!

9. Vanessa Williams - Luminous skin and blue eyes for the win!

8. Kate Winslet gets more and more confident, radiant and beautiful with age!

7. Lucy Liu always kills it! This chick admits to drinking a lot of water, no coffee, and never getting facials: “People are getting peels and dermabrasion, and anything with the word 'abrasion' doesn't work for me. I also think a lot of plastic surgery hurts your skin.” (I don't necessarily agree with her...but looking at her, maybe I should)

6. Jenny A exudes such joy in this photo - I love it! Amazing skin and a sweet braid! 

5. The penultimate glowy skin goddess, Halle Berry.

4. Kate Beckinsdale. Smoldering and glowy.

3. Heidi Klum - Just. So. Pretty.

2. Cate Blanchett, who swears by SKII. She is breathtaking and radiant! The true definition of a classic beauty.

And last but not least...

 1. The megastar and jaw-droppingly ga-ga-gorgeous miss Jenny from the Block, JLo!

I know we're just talking about skin here...but look at those LASHES! 

(I sure hope Max & Emme look like mommy!)

And, because you love knowing everyone's secrets just as much as I do, check these out:

101 Celebrity Beauty Tricks to Steal

and

(Natural) Celebrity Beauty Secrets 101

Stay tuned for the second installment :)

The Anti-Shine

To powder or not to powder? Personally, I'm an oily chick who digs the dewy look. I know most of us feel nasty, constantly swiping at our T-Zone's with oil-blotting papers, but for me - I embrace it: the shine is part of who I am. (And hey, they say you're less prone to wrinkling. I'll take it!)

However, if Kate Beckinsdale's dewylicious look at the 'Total Recall' premiere isn't your cup of tea, here are a few suggestions for staying 100% matte in the hottest time of year: 

Hourglass Immaculate - This liquid to powder foundation lasts all day long. It's oil-fee, paraben-free, gluten-free, fragrance-free, phthalate-free, synthetic dye-free, nanoparticles-free, vegan and water resistant. It also has anti-aging properties like phytostem edelweiss and lavandox, although for the majority of us who use it, that's probably not our first concern. :) I apply it with a brush (like Erin's Faces' or Urban Decay's) and it looks utterly flawless over their award-winning mineral primer.

Now, these don't follow my "natural is better" philosophy, but this is a true case of "use whatever WORKS." I totally love this Mally pressed powder - I get a lot of compliments when I dust it over my Dr. Dennis Gross Tinted Moisturizer. Also - while scoping out Mally's stuff at Bendel's or on QVC, check out Mally's Poreless Face Defender, which acts more like an after-primer (which Hourglass' Immaculate and Perfekt's Skin Perfection Gel are also good for!) Bye-bye T-zone grime!)

Perfekt Matte Perfection Body Gel - For those of you who want to go stockingless (I mean, who even calls them stockings anymore?) and want to show off a killer shave while giving yourself a little non-harmful glow, check it out.  It's super duper silicone-y so if you're not into that texture, steer clear! It's smoothing, pore-filling, and kind of awesome - it doesn't feel greasy or heavy and helps even out skin tone. When all is said and done, for the right client, it does what it says it will do: perfe(k)t your skin. :)

Cosmedicine Medimatte - This oil-controlling lotion has SPF20 and has clinical results to boot: 39% increase in mattification at 8 hours, 35% reduction in visible shine at 8 hours, 37% reduction in pore size in 8 weeks and a 19% increase in hydration immediately after use. Plus, it doubles as a primer! 

MAC Blot Powder - Another good finishing powder to add to the list, it mimics the idea of a blotting paper while setting your makeup. I have definitely mentioned my long-time favorites from Make Up Forever and Tarte in the past, but this affordable compact is another goodie to add to the list, especially if you're on the go and can't be bothered to deal with a loose powder. I have also heard RAVE reviews about the Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder. Same story, but it uses rice powder to mattify. Check it out!

Allison Rafelle Oil Blotting Tissues - If you're one of those guys or gals who leaves for the day with a perfect complexion and only needs to touch up sparingly, then these oil blotters may be for you! I like the texture (which is more of a thin rice paper than a waxy sheet), they don't disturb your makeup, and they won't take up space in your purse, audition bag or desk drawer. Don't want to spend the money? Try Starbucks napkins or disposable toilet seat covers. 

Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Setting Spray - According to Sephora's website, this "high-tech formula keeps skin looking beautifully matte all day, without clogging pores or causing breakouts. The weightless mist absorbs excess sebum and controls surface shine for up to 16 hours leaving your makeup looking fresh and newly applied." My opinion? It does what it claims! I have always loved a setting mist - from Mario Badescu to AmorePacific - but this one is da bomb for my oily chicks. They also make it in a travel size for Beauty to Go - get on it!

Aren't you glad I'm a product junkie?

xoxo