I met up with Gregg Hubbard in Bryant Park again yesterday. He was meeting me to hear about my recent job offers & to offer me advice & put me in contact with a woman he knows who is high up in the cosmetic industry! AND he gave me a Sephora bag filled with cosmetics goodies…

MY DREAM COME TRUE!

The bag was filled with things from eyelash curlers, concelear, to Smashbox eyeliners & eyeshadows, Laura Mercier blue pallette of eyeshadow & an amazing kit of foundations! Gregg wanted to make sure I got the bag before the photo shoot happened… so nice of him!

I had never heard of the foundation before. It is called FACE Atelier & a woman created it. The products are also endorsed by PETA! Gregg told me that she even helped sponsor one of Beyonce’s tours so Beyonce has worn her foundation during performances. Gregg warned me it dries very glowy, so glowy & dewy that I may even want to tone it down depending on the finish I’m going for. I was so excited to use it on Rihanna in the shoot that night.

Rihanna is a model who recently got signed to Wilhemina modeling agency. Check out, Lauren Cowart’s, the great photographer I work with, site where Rihanna is featured. She is the first post so click here!!!

The foundation was amazing! It is a full kit & Gregg was so kind to give it to me. Check out the Face Atelier site here to see the amazing products. The foundation was so silky & blended RIGHT into the skin & had an amazing finish. The entire kit retails at $499.00!! WOW! I have such an assortment of skin colors – it’s amazing.

I used a MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush $34.00. I have two of those brushes and have had them for probably two years – I wash them about once a week or more depending on what makeup I have going on that week.

Wait until you guys see this pics. Here’s a couple behind the scenes photos! Excuse the suckyness that is my camera phone – I hate the BB Curve.

Although I shy away from MAC for skin products – foundation, concealer, powder, blush – I love their products for eyebrows. I recently decided to try to grow my eyebrows out a little bit, which is a HUGE process. While I’m doing that I’m going more natural with my brow – a little thicker and lighter in color.

Check out the three products I use below

1. MAC Duo Eyebrow Powder – This is a limited edition item I got about a year ago. I’m not sure it’s still sold – if it is it’s only in the MAC Pro stores. I use a 208 Angled Brow Brush from MAC . – $19.50 I brush the powder lightly on the outline of where I want my brows to be. I usually make them thicker than what the actual hair is – it ends up look very natural with the powder.

2. MAC Eye Brow Pencil In Stud or Spiked – $15.00. I fill in my brows where they need filling. Depending on the color of my hair I switch pencil shades. When my hair was red I mixed Stud & Struct together which gave me a nice deep reddish color. Now I use Spiked with my black hair. Or Stud – I have both on hand to mix together.

3. MAC Brow Set in Show Off - $15.00 I set my eyebrows with this. Not only does it hold my brows in place, but it also coat all of the hairs and lightens them a little bit to match the pencil color. I love this because I can coat them very lightly or go heavier for a more dramatic & defined eyebrow.

Cremesheen Glass is an amazing lipgloss from MAC! I love MAC lipgloss the only thing I don’t like is how sticky they are. MAC lipglosses come in a million colors & different consistencies.

This Cremesheen Glass is so creamy & smooth with no stickiness & comes in several colors.

The ones I tried on were sheer to medium coverage. I bought “On the Scene” which is a limited edition color. It’s a pink coral color, that is so pretty for everyday wear. Check them out at MAC counters or online. The Cremesheen Glasses are $18.00

Okay I picked up some new products the other day & want to give you all a little review of them!

1. Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder $33.00 – This bronzing powder is a top rated product from Bobbi Brown & after using it I can see why! This bronzer is super smooth. I bought a nice stiff contouring brush from Sephora to apply it with. I purchased the “deep” color because I wanted to use it as a contour on my cheeks, nose, & use it along my hair line to blend all of my makeup in. It is so seamless. I love Bobbi Brown products for skin as I’ve said many times before!

2. MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microfinish Blush $25.00 – LOVE THIS BLUSH! I got it in a number 8 -PDA, which is described as a Pinky Nude color. I use a MAC brush I have for foundation to apply it. Like all other MAKE UP FOR EVER products this is made for pictures & television. It is so smooth & creamy & blends perfectly. Totally worth it, especially because you can put it on sheer & build the color up as you want. The color can get really intense. I can’t wait to use this in a shoot!

3. Smashbox Lash DNA Mascara $19.00 – AJ Crimson suggested this mascara to me. I bought it & wasn’t super impressed, but it definitely gives a lot of volume. I still actually like the $10 Sephora mascara I tried the other week. I feel like this mascara is very heavy & clumped a little bit. But still a good mascara nonetheless.

I’d suggest the Bronzer & Blush. So amazing and a great fresh look. There’s a picture below where I used all three products

I spent a little time trying to look for lipsticks the other day. I hit Bloomingdales & checked out some counters. Two counters that caught my eye were Giorgio Armani & Yves Saint Laurent.

I didn’t actually try any one at Giorgio Armani because I was planning on dyeing my hair & wanted to wait until after I dyed it to find a a new lipstick to match. I did try on a great pink shade at Yves Saint Laurent that I loved! I will probably go back and purchase it at some point.

I’m still trying on different shades but here are the two types of lipstick I mentioned.

The Yves Saint Laurent lipstick (ROUGE VOLUPTÉ) is great coverage, super creamy & not sticky. I love it! I’m definitely going to purchase one of these.

The Giorgio Armani lipstick (Rouge D’armani Lipstick) I put on my hand just to view colors. It went on so smoothly & was also creamy. I loved two of the red shades I tried on & will keep you all posted on my purchases. Plus they had TONS of other gorgeous colors. Seriously, go check their lipsticks out!

If you find a color you absolutely love it’s worth spending the few extra dollars for the creamy-ness of their lipsticks.

So most of my product reviews have a majority of the same products I always use, but this product review has two products in particular that I’ve never tried before. I took the picture above in my bathroom of some things I picked up this past weekend. I needed a red and pink lip liner, I wanted two different colored lipsticks (both are great!) & decided to finally invest in some Bobbi Brown foundation. NOTHING has disappointed. Check out the review below…

1. NEW – Bobbi Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation SPF 15 – I have never tried Bobbi Brown foundation but I hear AMAZING things about it. I have a concealer from Bobbi Brown and absolutely love it. This foundation did not fail. It looks like you have NOTHING on at all – I use a sponge to put it on & it’s flawless – definitely my new favorite foundation for everyday/a night out – for photoshoots I still like MAKE UP FOR EVER – Get it at Bobbi Brown counters at department stores or online here. – $45.00

2. MAC Satin Lipstick in Rebel - My friend Kelcie loves this color & it looks amazing on her – I also love it – especially when I go back to black hair. It’s a deep color but still vibrant. $14.00

3. Illamasqua Lipstick in Underworld – this lipstick is only sold at Sephora. I tried this brand I’ve never even heard of but saw the color & needed it. It’s this briiiight purple color – AMAZING on. Try it please! $20

4. Sephora Collection Long Lasting Eyeliner - I never really use Sephora brand except one of their mascaras which I’ve been given for free because of my points I get for shopping there – but I wanted a new eyeliner that didn’t come off as easily as my Loreal so I tried this – it’s amazing. Great brush to apply either a super thin or thicker line & it didn’t come off throughout the day but comes off easily with eye makeup remover! – $10

Hope you guys enjoyed and will try some of these products

I know for my birthday, which is June 2nd, but I’m celebrating June 4th, I want to do a really soft pretty look so I’m on the search for a eyeshadow palette I can use to create a nice bronze eye. Here are two in the running!

YSL Ombres 5 Lumieres – I love this eyeshadow palette! The colors are gorgeous – 4 different shades of peaches, brown, bronze, & orange. And of course the palette comes with a highlighter! (Even better, because I need to replace my Rice Paper highlighter from MAC) – $56.00













NARS Duo Shadow – Two colors that are super shimmery & pigmented. I love these colors, it’s just missing a highlighter. I’m leaning towards the YSL palette. – $32.00

What I’m about to say is usually a huge

NO NO!

However… I like to think nothing is ever off limits – it just depends on your execution.









Recently there has been the use of white eyeshadow (such as the picture above of a Donna Karan model during one of her shows)… This look is crsip & clean & I tried it on Jessica Couch in our last shoot, but only had a white liner to do it. I wouldn’t recommend using a liner because it creases – & creasing with white are VERY obvious. Instead, try a white shadow – I haven’t tried any yet, but I’m sure if you use a nice primer from Smashbox or MAKE UP FOR EVER on your lid, followed by white eyeshadow by MAC with an angled brush you could get this look. Keep your face clean & bronze + a few coats of jet black mascara to get wispy strong lashes. This would be perfect & I’m going to try it soon!

If you ladies want a subtle & natural glow before you can get enough time in the sun to get one naturally (or better yet, you’re protecting your skin from the skin), try to “fake it before you make it” by investing in some highlighter & bronzer.

You can use the 2 to contour your face – place the highlighter where the sun naturally hits your face (bridge of your nose, cheekbones, and the bow in your lip). If you are using a bronzer to help contour find one a shade darker than your skin & make sure it is MATTE so you do not look over done – sweep it in the hollows of your cheeks, the sides of your nose & your hairline.

For highligther

If you are fair – try a light irredescent pink with blue undertones

If you are olive – try something wh with a peach shimmer

If you are medium to dark – try a bronze or golden highlighter

Check out some of the choices below that I love

Benefit High Beam – A pink liquid highlighter for a dewy complexion. I love this highlighter because it looks so natural – just don’t over do it. This is one of Benefits top sellers – you can buy it here for $24.00 or go into Sephora stores to try it on yourself before you buy it!

Check out the Yves Saint Laurent bronzer at their website or find it at most department stores or Sephora (I love Sephora because it’s a nice relaxed atmosphere where you can try things out for hours!) – This powder produces a natural radiance while helping to disguise flaws – plus the case is extra pretty! Maybe that’s why it’s $48.00

NARS Multiple Bronzer – if you all know anything about me it’s that the NARS Multiple Bronzer is my best friend – you can get the lighter colors as a highlighter and get a matte bronze one to help contour – I just love these & they last FOREVER! Definitely worth the $38.00. Again check out Sephora to try it on yourself, go to the NARS website or most department stores.

Covergirl – This is an options if you don’t mind buying cosmetics before you try them on and want something a little more affordable. I think these run between $9 and $11 … and microminerals have become so popular for their seamless finish!

Hehe… not like that! Me & Kelcie (& Zewidi too…but I didn’t find any pics easily) all LOVE Cyber from MAC. Check out the link here… it’s the richest smoothest satiniest color ever… this deep plum/purple/violet … I don’t know how to describe it but it’s AMAZING!

Tip: To be extra chic, pair these dark lips w/ just a little mascara – & nothing else!

The other weekend Lauren Cowart, my favorite photographer, & I worked together!! Her stuff is SO amazing! I wanted to do something super colorful on Margaret, who agreed to be the model for the shoot. I choose a vibrant blue eyeshadow from MAKE UP FOR EVER called Turquoise Matte 72 & an amazing lipstick from NARs called “Funny Face” I layered MAC Dazzleglass lipgloss over the lipstick – Dazzleglass is a limited edition high shine gloss from MAC & I love them! Next time: I’m going to leave the lips nude, take some photos then go back in with a bright lipstick.

After shooting Margaret, I really wanted to do another look ,but it would have been too much to take all the makeup off of Margaret so Margaret and Lauren suggested I do a quick look on myself while they finished taking the last photos downstairs. I took about ten minutes to do a quick face on myself using another NARS lipstick I picked up called “Heat Wave” I did a winged eyeliner with my Loreal Lineur and used my Covergirl Lashblast Mascara that I love.

Check out a sample of the photos below – we took tons and played around.I love the colors!! Thanks so much Margaret and Lauren.

Check out Lauren’s blog here!!!

I randomly decided I wanted to do a post on waterproof makeup verse non-waterproof makeup. I have both because some occasions you want to have waterproof makeup and others you do not.

Waterproof Makeup Occasions Include…

1. Graduation

2. Weddings

3. Funerals

4. Baby Showers…Baby Birth…Baby anything

5. Swimming

Below I have included my four favorite products, two waterproof products and two non-waterproof products. I live by these products for my eyes. On a regular day I LOVE my non-waterproof eye makeup because it comes off SO easily.

If you do NOT want your makeup to come off - trust me, these waterproof products aren’t going anywhere! Especially the eyeliner below – it takes some strength to get it off. You’ve been warned so take a look …

1. Covergirl LashBlast Volume Mascara

2. Loreal Lineur Intense Eyeliner

3. Covergirl Waterproof LashBlast Volume Mascara

4. MAC Liquidlast Liner

Lauren Cowart is doing photos for soon to be graduates. Her packages are April 18th-28th – check her flyer for details.Check out her website here for her great photography skills, if you don’t already know.

Contact Lauren at laurencowartphoto@gmail.com and if you want makeup, then contact me!

I’m also doing special makeup packages for graduates. Each face is $30 & I use MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Makeup which is specially made of photographs, as well as their silicone finishing powder that seals your face for a flawless photo finish.

Email me at anna.miya.88@gmail.com to set up times for makeup application for graduation photos.

Not Nicki Minaj, but Nicki Nickole (or Lee Ann to be correct) got her makeup done with me for a night out. She had sent me her outfit earlier so I had a little idea of what to do. We did a simple smokey eye with a deep emerald green I recently bought & went in on the eyelashes!

LeeAnn said she loved how it came out & she looked amazing! I hope she’s having fun tonight (While I stay in & watch TV haha).

I was super excited to finally go & do my friend Brittney’s makeup. She’s a senior in high school & has been so excited about her AKA Debutante Ball – her dress was GORGEOUS.

I headed to the Marriott in downtown Durham where I did her makeup. I met her mom & she was so sweet. I spent about an hour doing Brittney’s makeup. We wanted to do something classic, glamorous, & sophisticated – I think we achieved just that! They required the girls to wear lipstick so Brittney’s picked out a red from MAC – Viva Glam V (I think). Such a good color on her.

Check out the pics below. I didn’t get a before picture but you guys get the idea. These pictures are taken with my camera phone & unedited. There’s one of the makeup mixing that went on on my hand too. I tend to get messy while I do makeup haha.