a little taste of fall 2013

While it still might feel like summer, the colors and styles of fall are here. 

A few tips when looking to refresh your makeup for this season: dewy, yet finished look for skin; light shimmer or matte plums for eyes and lips; simple black eyeliner to define lashes and barely-blushed faces. Pick a trend that suits you best, or wear them all. 

This image from Allure Magazine, October 2013 is a beautiful example.

ALLURE, October 2013

Need help finding something new or revamping what your have? I'm here to help.

greasepaint gossip

Hello Makeup Bag, we need to talk. Rumor has it you are are holding on to a few things that are making me look, well, older!

image above: People Clipart.com

Many amazing things come with age: intelligence, security, comfort, etc., and with that delight comes gravity, graying and an occasional feeling of being less gorgeous than before. Brave the battle with a little tweaking of everyday things, like your makeup.

In the article "16 Ways to Look Younger With Makeup" (Allure, April 2012), Danielle Pergament amusingly writes that "turning back the clock can be as simple as opening your makeup bag." With her insight and some product suggestions, here is a little sarimotley digest version on how to look more youthful:

• Moisturize. Forget this step and you're doomed with dullness. Keep skin smooth and supple and the rest is easy. (Great for daily moisture replenishment and filled with antioxidants, do-over daily moisture creme with co-Q10).

• Creative concealing. Correcting facial imperfections with a light-diffusing and hydrating concealer is key. Think of adding brightness to camouflage by reflecting light away as opposed to adding layers to hide behind. Try Illusionist from Vapour Organic Beauty.
• Warm it up. Adding a touch of bronzer to warm the skin and give a healthy, youthful glow can take years off a tired face. Just go with a more day at the spa look vs. back from the beach (Vapour's Solar Bronzer in Simmer is the perfect shade for most skin tones).

• Powder is passe. The days of being powder perfect are in the past. If you must, use a translucent, light-diffusing powder like the Mineral Mix Secret Set powder from Senna Cosmetics (available at sarimotley studio). Or when it's just a touch up, try Tatcha's Japanese Blotting Papers made from Abaca leaf.
• Get cheeky. Creamy, dewy textures are perfect for dry mature skin, especially when they are packed with nourishing organic ingredients that leave your face feeling cared for. Use your cheekbones as a guide for placing blush for just the right flush. (Aura Multi-Use Blush from Vapour).

• Just browsing. Go a little lighter with your brow color (unless you are blonde, then just a shade darker) using softer strokes to fill in sparse areas. Find your brow solutions at sarimotley studio.
  

• Batter up. If you are not already doing so, start using your eyelash curler. Lashes become less full, and giving them a little bump up helps open the eyes and brighten your look. (Tarte's Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler is awesome.)
  

• Prime time. Smooth on a little shadow primer to even lid tone and soften fine lines. This will help eye shadow keep its true color and stay put longer. Totally Transforming Eyeshadow Primer from Senna is an anti-ageing powerhouse with ingredients like hibiscus to help firm and smooth.
• Beware black. Dark brown liner is the new black. It's less intense, but still defines the eyes. Keep the line super-close to the lashes and maybe fore go the liner on lower lashes for a softer look. (Superwear Gel Liner in dark sienna available at sarimotley studio).

• Let in a little light. A soft shimmer, not glitter, on the inner corners of the eyes will wake up your makeup. Also, jut a touch above cheekbones and on the brow bone will add nice dimension. (Trick Stick from Vapour, available as sarimotley studio.)

• Lips of luxury. Boost natural lip tone with universally flattering shades like berries, mauves and just bitten reds. Vapour's Siren Lipsticks are the go-to for finding your perfect shade. Colors that are more sheer allow natural lip tone to peek through, making the hue you choose your very own.

For more information on how to makeup a younger looking you, schedule a visit to sarimotley studio.

flattering for fall

Allure magazine raves about a sarimotley favorite from Vapour Organic Beauty: Aura Multi-Use Blush in Impluse! This cool, clear red offers buildable coverage that takes you from sheer to bold with a few strokes. Impulse is a fall wardrobe essential.

Being Bronze

Allure magazine offered valuable skin-warming info in the article Bronze Works, June 2010. Plainly stated, "with expert tips on avoiding the most common mistakes, you'll have healthy, pretty, natural-looking color in no time..." Visit Allure.com for article information.

This article was hugely inspiring for our blushing bride's sun-kissed photo shoot... We played with multi-dimensional colors from creative corals to tempting tawnies, and a NEW limited edition mineral eye shadow foursome that really got her glowing. The color story was simple, expressive and sultry.

The cheeks were dynamic (a little sneak peak at Fall 2010, read: blush is big for Fall); from coral sun to a pinch of un-tame fun this delightful combination delivered.

The smoldering summer eye, crafted from the limited edition, mineral foursome was beautiful and brilliant.

For more information on this look or to schedule an appointment, send an email to sari@sarimotley.com or visit the contact page. Images courtesy of Sara Catherine Photography.

Love Face

The February 2010 issue of Allure had a great spread on romantic makeup. This insightful read prompted me to share my take on what I will call "Love Face", as we are fast approaching one of my favorite holidays, Valentine's Day.

A "sexy" look is clearly uncomplicated and bedroomy, but not slutty. Think dewy, flush and a pinch of smoldering (eyes)... Play with the following tips to create a look that is soft and enchanting.

FACE IT

It's no secret that luminous skin is alluring because it exudes youth and a health. To achieve this, use a sheer foundation and pay attention to your application - you want it naked-like, not heavily plastered. Use a synthetic foundation brush or damp cosmetic wedge to smooth color over skin. Also, add light to the skin on the highest points like the cheek bones.

GETTING CHEEKY

The right color for this look says, "I just ran three miles." A natural flush, smoothly blended screams healthy and youthful. Try a matte color near the apples, with a swooshing of shimmer just above the cheek bones.

TURN AROUND BRIGHT EYES

Eyes are like a diary for your romantic look. They tell your secrets, how you are feeling and sometimes what you hope for next... First, properly care for your delicate eye area so not all your secrets are out in the open; try brighteyes eye creme supreme. Create a mystery with velvety, natural colors that are well blended, but not absent. Think of it as smoldering, not smokey.

KISS AND TELL

For lips, smooth is the best place to start - check out amazing lip polish to prep and prime your pout before you get out. For lips that say come hither, softly apply delicate pinks, barely berries or sheer wines. Something see-through is, again, sexy and youthful - even a little coquettish.

Use these suggestions to create/enhance your own romantic look. Be well & be pretty.

Purple's Reign

Last month's ALLURE magazine had a great article on the wearability of purple and reported, "Wear it soft, wear it strong, wear it with shimmer or liner or all smoked out; there's is no eye-makeup color as universally flattering." And it's so true. I've been playing with purple on just about everyone that sits in my chair to see how amazingly perfect these heliotrope-like colors are. Purple is the perfect blend of beautiful blues and robust reds; some warm, some cool. Here are a few pics on purples, more to come in September.

Purple speaks to all skin tones, you just have to listen. Two of my sarimotley favorites are hyacinth and nova, a perfect pair to meet your violaceous needs. For more information on how purple can work for you send me an email at sari@sarimotley,com or go to the contact form.

Allure Says

I happened upon an ALLURE article, and wanted to share. It's called: The 10 Beauty Mistakes That Add 10 Years. I found the information so valuable to looking great and being timeless. Here are six points that really spoke to me, and I added a little sarimotley adaptation:

Foundation is Too Thick
When your makeup is too heavy it can draw attention to features you are likely trying to diminish. Go with a sheer foundation, like the sheer mineral tint (with spf 20). Cake may be tasty, but looking "cakey" is no real treat.

Foundation is Too Light
Here you go: note to self, go warmer as you get older. When foundation is lighter than your natural skin tone it can magnify fine lines. Also, incorporate a little luminescence. Try the sheer mineral veil, its light reflective minerals will have you looking gorgeous, not gloomy.

Too Much Concealer on Dark Circles
It's apparent that under eye skin gets thinner as we age, so applying thick concealer will only accentuate what we are trying to hide (conceal). Keep this area light and bright by using mineral products and always apply with a brush. With a brush you are better able to get the product right where you want/need it.

The Big Apple... Of Your Cheek
There was a shift in blushing, suggesting that applying to apples of the cheek created a more youthful appearance... And it does when you are 20!! When we age, and gravity is more apparent (sagging skin), applying blush to the apples will likely draw attention to gravity's work (sagging skin). Apply color (my new favorite: coral sun) on the highest point on your cheekbones, and not too close to the nose.

The Migratory Pattern of Lipstick
As we age, the natural lip line begins to fade, which causes feathering and bleeding. Trace lips with a nude or clear lip pencil to keep color in its intended place, your lips. My favorite lip "tools" are: nude lip pencil for recreating that vanishing lip line, and the lip volumizing gloss in five sheer shades. When used regularly (3 x day for 29 days), this gloss will help increase lip volume, reduce lines and improve lip moisture.

Shimmering Shadow
If you're like me, then you probably love a little shimmer... But as we age, it's best kept to the inner corner, center of lids and just under the brow bone. Create your best look with a combination of eye shadow textures from matte to a slight shimmer.

Read this ALLURE article in its entirety at: http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-look/makeup-skin-care-hair/staticslideshowallure.aspx?cp-documentid=19543405&GT1=32032.