fall has it all

The change of seasons dictates fashion, and the biggest transition is Fall. Who will show what, and how will its runway edginess translate to everyday wear? Easy enough, pick a trend or two and make them your own. Fall 2012 is captivating, expressive and bold. Find seriously smooth skin, extravagant eyes and lovely lush lips.

getting it covered

smooth skin with vapour organic beauty
stratus soft focus instant skin perfector
and atmosphere soft focus foundation 

If you are still searching for the foundation that makes your skin appear flawless, now is the time to find it. With multiple formulas on the market–many touting skin-benefitting advantages—getting your hands on just the right one has never been easier. Foundation should look and feel like your skin. When choosing a new color, start with a few shades; paint a stripe of each near the jaw line. In natural light, the color you want is the least noticeable.

Flawless is different for everyone, but the result is the same—gorgeous skin. Find the perfect match with beauty award winning Luminous and Soft Focus formulas from Vapour Organic Beauty at sarimotley cosmetics.

extravagant eyes
black box lash jewel, gel eyeliner pencil
and pressed mineral eyes shadows

feast your eyes
Classic or dramatic, winged or smoked-out sexy; a favorite look for Fall requires keeping eye-defining tools within reach. Don’t worry if you’re not a pro, these lines are totally doable. Easy to apply, simple to smoke-out and brilliant for building lashes with impact.

Eye shadow shades you’ll want to wear: navy (indigo), gold (antique brass, gold minx, sand), taupe (moonstone, taupe tan), mauve (fading rose, brushed velvet), grey (cat’s eye, platinum, opal) and green (emerald mist, olive slate).

read my lips
First off, keep lips smooth and soft with gentle exfoliation (one to try: sarimotley amazing lip polish), and apply lip balm regularly so lips stay moist (sarimotley smartmouth natural lip balm available in the studio).

lovely lush lips with vapour organic beauty
siren lipstick in tryst and bold

Using a neutral tone lip liner is an easy way to keep lip color in place and looking great. Also, you may want to invest in a professional lip brush for applying lip color. It takes a little more time, but you’ll have more control over the finished look. Go bolder and sexier with color. Hues to look for: plum (tempt, au pair), pink (coquette, possess), red (ravish, tryst, bold, torrid) and neutral (chere, naive).

For assistance and info on creating your look for Fall, contact sari@sarimotley.com.

summer makeup tips

scorching temps, barely bikinis and melting makeup? who's ready for summer?

summer fun has its place, but your makeup does not have to melt off your face. keep makeup simple and beautiful with these five face-friendly tips.

1. prime time

neglecting this savvy makeup step is so yesterday! a great makeup primer will provide a smooth and ready surface for longer-lasting makeup. try VAPOUR favorites stratus instant skin perfector and stratus soft focus instant skin perfector. these 3-n-1 moisturizer, primer and no-color foundations balance skin for a smooth, luminous look on their own or as a beautiful base for color makeup.

2. living light

use foundation to even skin tone and perfect. find light-as-air formulas like VAPOUR atmosphere luminous foundation that gives skin a luminous glow and natural finish.

3. beautifully bronzed

a bit of bronzer = fresh-from-the-beach glamour. apply to the high points of your face where the sun touches: forehead, cheekbones, chin and nose. use VAPOUR solar translucent bronzer for a sun-kissed glow on face, shoulders, decolletage and legs.

4. multi-tasking

go natural looking or add a pop of color, but keep texture simple with easy-to-blend cream (VAPOUR aura multi-use blush for cheeks, eyes and lips) or soft mineral cheek colors.

5. soft set

set it and forget it. a light dusting of oil absorbing powder keeps makeup fresh. sarimotley favorite: secret set mineral buffing powder glides over foundation with a candlelit finish.

for more great tips on summer proofing your makeup, email sari@sarimotley.com or visit our contact page.

Spring Update Twenty-Ten

If you haven't already noticed, Spring is in full swing - as should be your makeup. Maybe you'll enjoy a new take on your favorite neutral or find fun-to-wear colors that bring out your creative side. Whatever you do, do it with confidence and flair.

Spring is about an alluring glow that not only oozes radiance, it also boldly states you know who you are. This is the time of year when it's OK to play with delicate shimmer on the eyes and cheeks. Were not talking disco ball here, think softer and less assuming. Achieve this with Stript Mineral Veil before or after applying Stript Crushed Mineral Foundation (available in ten shades).

This season's color palette offers a fresh new energy to sheer and glossy: imagine just picked when in comes to reds, pinks and corals. Yes, corals... yesterday's corals are tuckered out. Seek out present-day melons, peaches and tangerines with hints of honey and soft gold like Stript Lipstick-Liner Pencil in Holly - my favorite of the day.

Red lips are moving forward with brighter intensities than before, and gold is just glorious - being seen anywhere from eye lids to tiptoes. For a great multi-use gold, check out Stript Crushed Mineral Eye Shadow in Misty.

Keep your go-to neutrals close by, but this time pair them with one bold color like a cherry-red lip (Stript Lipstick-Liner Pencil in Scarlett or, for your pinker days, Clover). Earth tones always feel safe, and knowing you can freshen them up with accents for your eyes like honey golds (Misty), peachy corals (Jasmine), perfect plums (Latoya), mossy-like greens (Roxie) or beautiful blues (Venus) is a real treat.

Lastly, lashes are stepping up to bat, read: all the rage! Find your favorite glue-on pair from simple to snazzy. My personal favorites, NTR 13 & 14.

To revamp your look for Spring or schedule a makeup lesson, send an email to sari@sarimotley.com or visit the contact page.

Happy Spring.

I'm Loving Spring

Well almost!! Just another day and Spring will have sprung and all will be happy in the world. Or at least I will be less cold, less layered and enjoying a more sheer look with my makeup.

My favorite Spring going forward concoction: mix your best match shade of Stript Crushed Mineral Foundation with a pea-size bit of do-over moisture to create a dreamy, creamy tinted moisture.

For more information on finding your just-right shade go here, or send a email to sari@sarimotley.com.

Professional Makeup For Photography, Part II

Last month I blogged about photography makeup and the benefits of hiring a professional Makeup Artist. However, it is not always feasible to hire a professional, so here are some important tips for having your skin look its best on camera when going at it on your own.

First, know that less is more! Piling on extra makeup wont make you look your best; it's likely

to lead to a cakey mess. Also, makeup that looks great in real life may not look as good in photographs, you may want to experiment a bit.

Always start with clean, moisturized skin. Then prepare your skin with a makeup primer. Primers are so important in photography because they help to smooth skin and give the makeup something to hold onto for a longer-lasting application.

Once you have prepped and primed, it's time to work on the "look" you want to create. It may be a natural look, something glamorous, a boudoir photo session or your bridal portraits. Play with color that accents your favorite features. For eye shadow, use colors that flatter and remember to blend. Do not use shadow that has too much shimmer or frost; these do not appear as flattering on camera.

Apply foundation evenly over the face, blending into your neck. Make sure that the foundation matches your skin tone appropriately. Remember that your skin is not one-dimensional; this is where contouring comes in handy. Contouring is great for helping define the natural dimensions of your face. Use a darker color that your foundation, but one that is tonally correct. Apply under cheek bones and other areas you want to sculpt.

Finally, use a lip color that makes you feel comfortable. The color should be at least a shade deeper that your natural lip tone. Avoid colors that are lighter than your lips since this will make them appear washed out on camera.

For more information on professional makeup application or to schedule a makeup lesson, contact sari@sarimotley.com.