Daftglow Makeup Consulting & Artistry

daftglowportfolio: Model Christina Photography Brad...

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:11:46 -0400

daftglowportfolio:

Model Christina
Photography Brad Lewis
Makeup, Hair DAFTGLOW

daftglowportfolio: Model Mary Photography Brad LewisMakeup,...

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:11:39 -0400

daftglowportfolio:

Model Mary
Photography Brad Lewis
Makeup, Hair DAFTGLOW

daftglowportfolio: Model Christina Photography Brad...

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:10:53 -0400

daftglowportfolio:

Model Christina
Photography Brad Lewis
Makeup, Hair DAFTGLOW

10 Rules for Beauty

Wed, 04 May 2011 08:49:00 -0400

1. Always Wash Your Face Before Putting on Makeup

A clean canvas is best for creating art. Don’t give yourself a disadvantage and start out with dirty skin. Use a gentle face wash and lightly massage your skin in little circles. Rinse, and pat dry. Finish with a light moisturizer, let it sink in, and then move on to makeup.

image – source

2. Be Gentle with your Eyes

When applying (or removing) eye makeup, be very careful with the delicate skin around your eye area. Take extra special care to apply makeup with gentle strokes (this minimizes the need to “tug” the eyes to make application easier). A night-time eye cream is good too — your older self will thank you.

3. Be Your Own Kind of Classy

Contrary to popular maxim, you do not have to wear bright, fire-engine red lipstick and pearls in order to look classy. Do what makes you feel good, don’t show too much skin, and don’t go over the top with the makeup.

4. Tone Down the Glitter

Unless your name is Ke$ha, don’t use glitter the way the rest of us use lotion. And unless you’re going to a costume party, don’t wear glitter on your lips and eyes simultaneously.

5. Love Yourself

Some of the most beautiful women in history (and Hollywood, politics, the modeling industry, Sears catalogs… have had distinctive features that they probably hated about themselves at one point or another. Take that as a cue to love yourself — not just in spite of your “flaws” but because of them. If we all looked exactly the same, there wouldn’t be anything beautiful about me or you.

image – boost yourself esteem

5. Appreciate Every Compliment

When someone calls you beautiful, say “Thank You,” and mean it. And remember it. On the flip side, if someone criticizes you, and it was uncalled for and not constructive, don’t let it bother you. Then forget all about it.

6. Remove your Makeup Before Bed

It can be very tempting to sleep with your makeup on when you get home exhausted from a wild night out, but it’s vital to do it. Not just because makeup will stain your pillowcase (and it will), but because sleeping with makeup on can clog your pores, irritate your skin, increase the build up of sebum, dry out your skin and/or cause breakouts. In my experience, it also irritates the eyes horribly.

7. Stick to What YOU Like & Works for You

I love expanding my makeup collection, and I love trying new looks. But just because the girl at the MAC counter was wearing electric blue eyeliner on her bottom waterline, doesn’t mean I have to do it. If a certain shade of lipstick is in fashion right now, and you love it, then enjoy it — but don’t sacrifice what you enjoy and what you know from experience suits you well, just for something that seems “in style” right now.

My Mother only likes her lower waterline — and nothing else. She’s been doing it for her entire life, and everyone around her (me included) has tried to get her to line her upper lid. She has given it a shot, and she does not like it! So she does it her way (and she always looks gorgeous). On the other side of the coin…

8. Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New

While you shouldn’t feel pressured to change your style to fit the current fashion, you should experiment to your heart’s content. If you want to try something a new style of eyeshadow, do it! If you want to curl your usually straight hair, use heat protectant, and do it! Create, innovate, be inspired, inspire others — try anything that looks appealing to you. Just avoid trying out a new look for the first time on the day of an important event, and expect to have to try a couple of times before getting it right.

image – source

9. Take Pictures

Take photos of yourself, particularly after you’ve tried a new look out. You don’t have to show them to anyone, but they’re useful for helping you keep track of the looks you like, and which ones don’t work for you. This will also help you track how your techniques have changed over time, as well as gauge what you would like to do differently.

10. Smile When Saying Hello

Even when it’s over the phone, the person on the other end can hear the difference in your voice, and in your energy if you smile. Smiling increases your attractiveness tenfold, so smile widely and smile often.

A final (famous) thought from Sam Levenson…

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

From sister site, MissCabrina.com.

Photo

Wed, 04 May 2011 07:16:55 -0400

“Green Smoke”Model: Maiera

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 21:50:00 -0500

“Green Smoke”
Model: Maiera

It’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow! And half the fun in...

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:43:00 -0500

It’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow! And half the fun in celebrating the start of a new year is doing it with as much glamour as possible… so if you haven’t already decided how you’re going to look, allow this to serve as a suggestion.

Products used in video:

Face // MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC40; MAC blushes in Nuance and Bite of an Apple; MAC Bronzer in Bronze

Eyes // Urban Decay Primer Potion; MAC Paint Pot in Artifact; MAC eyeshadows in Nocturnelle, Shale, and Stars’N’Rockets; 120 Palette eyeshadow in hot pink; black liquid eyeliner (drugstore brand); MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack; Ardell lashes - Wispies

Lips // MAC Lipstick in Siss; MAC Lipglass in Viva Glam VI

Happy New Year Lovelies! If you haven’t already, check out my 2010 year in review, and read over my picks for the top 10 beauty products of 2010

(via misscabrina)

Top 10 Beauty Products of 2010

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:44:48 -0500

The year is almost over and it seemed like the appropriate time to reflect on the best of the last 365 days… including the best beauty products of the year in the form of a Top 10 Countdown!!!! (cue cheering and screaming)

Number 10…

MAC Strobe Cream

MAC Strobe Cream was one of those products I’ve always been iffy about even after reading good reviews. Until I tried it myself.

It has turned out to be the ultimate cure for the winter-skin-blues — taking dry skin to a whole new level of refreshed dewiness. And blended with a bit of makeup takes it from useful to divine — it combines with my matte foundations perfectly to rehydrate my skin and give it a crazy glow.

Number 9…

Christian Dior Amber Diamond

Amber Diamond, how did I ever live without you?

Easily the most incredible, finely milled highlighting powder I have ever used, with the most natural, gorgeous, flattering hue. Even the steep pricetag — hold your breath — of $50 (and higher depending on where you purchase) can’t undo your fabulousness. Definitely a splurge, but oh so beautiful in the moonlight.

Number 8…

GHD IV Styler

Having used drugstore (read: cheap) straighteners and curlers most of my life, I had no idea how incredible a higher end styler could be. While I still love my Bedhead by TIGI curler and my Jibere de Paris straightener ($14 and $45 respectively), something incredible happened when I tried the ghd — I was able to change my look completely in the least amount of time I ever had before.

It is always a shocking feeling to realize you were living under a rock. That feeling of awe is what came over me when I curled my hair for the first time with my ghd “straightener.” I love this thing.

Number 7…

TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

Picture it: You spend an hour getting your hair to curl just right. You tease the crown to getjust enough volume. You look like a cross between a Pantene ad and a Barbie doll. You go to an incredible party and have the night of your life. You come home and stumble directly into bed. And when you wake up the next morning, your hair still looks incredible… but it smells like an ashtray (in this scenario you live in a state that hasn’t yet banned smoking in bars) and while the curls still look luxurious, your roots are greasy.

Enter: Dry Shampoo. This year, TRESemme Fresh Start dry shampoo has been my saving grace. I’ve had too many upsetting experiences with post-party hair that looks just as excellent as immediately after styling — maybe even sexier after having been slept in a bit — but smells like a party. Products like Fresh Start essentially let you Febreze your hair and keep the visual appeal. (Please continue to bathe).

Number 6…

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in “Zero”

Creamy texture that glides across the lid and the waterline with ease. Staying power like you wouldn’t believe. In black matte. Perfection in eyeliner form.

I’ve always struggled to find the perfect eyeliner — if it was black enough it smudged like crazy or bled everywhere — if it had good staying power and texture, it pulled more gray, or smelled strange. Urban Decay 24/7 liners have no such problems, and “Zero” is the ideal black liner. I tried it for the first time this year, having received a double ended liner with my NAKED palette, and I have to say — I didn’t know what I was missing.

Number 5…

MAC Fluidline in “Blacktrack”

Liquid eyeliner who?

Ever since discovering gel liner, I just can’t go back to liquid. It seems so… primitive. Not only is it incredibly classy to use a liner brush (MAC 209) or an angled brush (MAC 266) and a little pot of blackness to decorate your peepers, it’s also much easier. Future generations will express disbelieve that we had the dexterity to use “ink” (liquid) to create our winged cat-eyes (doesn’t it seem like a little bit of skill gets lost with each generation?). But gel allows for a smooth, steady application that is much easier to get the hang of. And MAC’s fluidline in “Blacktrack” is a deeply pigmented true black, which makes it perfect for re-creating the eye looks of already bygone eras.

Number 4…

Seche Vite top coat

Even if you have the absolute worst nail-polishing skills known to man/womankind, if you add a nice gloopy coat of fresh Seche Vite on top, it will look like it was done by a pro (well, almost).

No, seriously.

Number 3…

Urban Decay NAKED Palette

“The outside is a soft, smooth velvety chocolate brown color, with the classy looking, simple lettering that reads NAKED across the front… There are 12 — count them, TWELVE — beautiful colors in this palette… not to mention two different eyeliners (the award-winning, super blendable, smooth, 24/7 double ended eyeliner) in this thing…

…And did you notice the adorable packaging came with a mini UDPP!? The inside of the palette is mouth-watering…”

Read my full review here or daftglow.

Number 2…

NARS Sheer Glow foundation

…and then there was one (foundation, that is). Having been a loyal studio-fix-fluider for years, I was skeptical about all the buzz surrounding Sheer Glow foundation. For one thing, I’ve never really been into switching up foundations anyway. For another, the price tag was twice what I had been used to paying for my makeup.

But on one particularly self-love-filled day, I convinced myself to give it a go (in the shade “Barcelona”) and I don’t think I will ever look back. Oh sure, other foundations work in their own unique ways which make them special. But I’d trade them all any day for this, the holy grail of all foundations. NARS Sheer Glow makes my skin look airbrushed, smooth, and it somehow doesn’t look like I’m wearing makeup. Isn’t that what we look for in makeup? Isn’t that the whole point of the holy grail? (wait…)

Number 1…

MAC Fix +

You can spray it on your face before moisturizing to calm irritated skin. You can spray it on your brush before applying a face cream. You can spray it on your eyes to look more alert. You can use it as a mixing medium to gain color impact. You can use it after your makeup is done to get rid of the “powdered” look and obtain a more “dewy” look. You can use it before your makeup is done to refresh your skin. You can use it in your hair to help detangle. You can put it in the fridge and spritz your face with it on a hot summer day. You can spray it on your brush before adding bronzer to your collarbone. You can pour it in a swimming pool and bathe in it daily. Fix+ went from being something I knew nothing about to becoming my absolute most favorite product of 2010. I never even knew I needed it — and once I got it, I never wanted to be without it.

…and that about wraps up the TOP 10 BEAUTY PRODUCTS (commence cheering again) countdown, of the cream of the crop in the beauty world for 2010… who knows, maybe you’ll see most of these products on next year’s countdown!

Happy New Year (via misscabrina.com)

What kind of hair care routine do you have? Your hair is beautiful and about the same color as mine. I love your page! And your music!

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:49:00 -0500

Thank you!

Actually, the texture of my hair seriously changed after I went blonde (I’m back to dark now!), but my hair care routine didn’t change that much, except that I use a stronger conditioner now, and wash my hair less frequently.

So here’s a specific breakdown of what my routine used to be:

Wash hair with volumizing shampoo (usually 5x/week)
Use miniature amount of moisturizing conditioner made for brunettes, especially on ends
Add bit of strengthening or smoothing lotion to ends
Spray some protector on and blow-dry -OR-
Let it air dry, and later on, spray some protector on and style it

…and that’s really it. I love dry shampoo for between washes if it starts to look a little oily (but note that dry shampoo seriously takes some getting used to).

Hope that helped :)
Come visit me at MissCabrina.com

"DID YOU KNOW:"

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:27:00 -0500

“DID YOU KNOW:”

- While DAFTGLOW.com will still be an excellent resource on tumblr for Makeup & Glamour tutorials & reviews, a lot of our content is moving over to MISSCABRINA.com.

See you there!

Thoughts ICING nailpolish (as in Claire’s ICING) is...

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 10:23:28 -0400

ICING "Glamourous"

ICING "Glamourous"

ICING "Glamourous" extra glitter coats

Thoughts

ICING nailpolish (as in Claire’s ICING) is completely average in terms of wearability and quality, but does deliver really intense glitter to the nails.

Like any glitter polish with a clear base, you will have to do a lot of layering to achieve full glitter coverage (which can get really thick), but that’s to be expected.

I already had white tips, so I layered a lot of this polish over the french-tip bits (first two images). I added more coats over the entire nail to make the look more cohesive (final picture). This would look reaaaally pretty combined with a second polish with larger glitter pieces for variety. At any rate, you’ll definitely want a top coat on this because most glitter polishes are a little grainy (although this was less grainy than most, probably due to a higher clear-base content).

If I remember correctly, these retail for about $4.50.

A lot of people have been asking about Daftglow Makeup Artistry....

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:36:00 -0400

A lot of people have been asking about Daftglow Makeup Artistry. Here’s a photo from a shoot earlier this year. Makeup by yours truly. Photography by Brad Lewis.

The model is Christina. Click through to view more of my work.

How to Blowout Your Hair at Home! Step by step demonstration and...

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 22:18:45 -0400

How to Blowout Your Hair at Home!

Step by step demonstration and tons of tips for getting a great blowout at home. Consider getting some velcro rollers to add extra bounce and volume.

Flaws and All

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 09:14:00 -0400

Some of the most beautiful women in history (and Hollywood, politics, the modeling industry, Sears catalogs…) have had distinctive features that they probably hated about themselves at one point or another.

Take that as a cue to love yourself — not just in spite of your “flaws” but because of them.

Besides… If we all looked exactly the same, there wouldn’t be anything beautiful about me or you.

How to add clip-in hair extensions to short hair… and how...

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 11:57:50 -0400

How to add clip-in hair extensions to short hair… and how to make them blend in. Watch on youtube to view in HD.

This is the way I did my hair for my Gucci Guilty video and in the Fall Haul video.

HAHAHA! Captain Randoms does another video response to one of my...

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 10:42:00 -0400

HAHAHA! Captain Randoms does another video response to one of my videos… hilarious!

There's only ONE way to look classy?

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:29:00 -0400

Contrary to popular belief and maxim…

You do not have to wear intense red lipstick + pearls in order to look classy.

If you’ve already figured this out, congratulations! But for those of you who have struggled your whole life to find the perfect shade of red, and are still looking (you are NOT alone), don’t worry. There are a hundred other ways to look and be classy!

Over the years, while traveling or visiting with friends, or...

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:31:00 -0400

VS Savage Beauty lipgloss

MAC Feline kohl

MAC Engraved

Over the years, while traveling or visiting with friends, or doing who knows what, I have (sadly) lost some of my favorite makeup items. Often I thought I’d just misplaced them, but really they probably rolled away under an airport sink or fell into the crack of a friend’s carseat… whatever… the point is, I never had a chance to say goodbye.

So… RIP to some of my favorite makeup items that I lost over the years.

This is my farewell to you.

MAC Feline… MAC Engraved… Victoria’s Secret Savage Beauty lipgloss… many a false eyelash… and the heartbreaking list could go on.

Please feel free to take this moment to have a moment of silence for any makeup you have lost.

Addicted to Love - Florence + The Machine (Robert Palmer...

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:12:00 -0400

Addicted to Love - Florence + The Machine (Robert Palmer cover)

(via soupsoup)

Thoughts ColorAbsolutely beautiful color. Seriously gorgeous, a...

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:19:00 -0400

MAC Jade Dragon

MAC Jade Dragon Nail Polish

MAC Jade Dragon

Thoughts

Color
Absolutely beautiful color. Seriously gorgeous, a deep and intense almost forest green with flecks of lighter teal/green. I only wish the flecks were more visible in all lights… you have to get really close or be in the right setting to see said flecks. Also, it doesn’t really match the bottle once applied (but what nail polish does?) as the iridescence that draws you to buy it doesn’t appear on nails. The pictures I took do not do it justice… the color really is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Expect many compliments.

Texture
Without Seche Vite on top, the finish is not that sleek luminescent new-car finish you’d expect for the price, and MAC polishes do seem to take much longer to dry than their OPI/China Glaze/Color Club counterparts. But the formulation is a good consistency (not too thick, not too runny) and layers well for good opacity. Two coats gave me a good finish, but the polish chipped so much I ended up with way more than that in the end.

Overall
This. Nail. Polish. Chips. Like. Crazy. Maybe my application technique somehow doesn’t work with MAC polishes the way it does with oh, I don’t know, every other nail polish in the world… but even with the HG of all topcoats layered on top, I ended up with chipped nail polish… like on every nail almost. Very aggravating, and very visible with a dark color.

I wanted to love this polish so badly, but I have to settle for merely liking it. And when you consider that MAC polishes are $13 a pop I don’t feel satisfied. That said, the color of this nail polish is soooo gorgeous it almost redeems its other qualities. Almost.