Kit Additions
At the time of of my “Modern Breakfast at Tiffany[‘s] Blue” styled photo shoot I hadn’t really done a full revamp of my kit so most of my products, tools, and techniques were the same. I did, however, finally get to use my absolute favorite eyelash: Pixie Luxe from the Premium Luxe collection by House of Lashes. You may know already from my FAQs page that I LOVE LOVE LOVE these lashes. I have also developed a love for the Noir Fairy lash, also in the Premium Luxe collection. The lashes in this collection are extremely glamorous and make the eyes stand out in photography. Because of the stacked style of these lashes the bands are relatively thick so I don’t think they are necessarily suitable for inexperienced lash wearers. For that reason, I’ve only ever used these lashes on one client and she was definitely not new to wearing lashes.
Pixie Luxe
New products and tools added to my kit and used in the styled Bridal Portraits photo shoot are (in no particular order): Black Opal Total Coverage Concealing Foundation, NARS Laguna Illuminator, NARS Albatross highlighting blush, Face Atelier Ultra Foundation, Hakuhodo #210 blush brush round, Siren Lash by House of Lashes, and Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel #77.
All products and tools performed extremely well. Here are my thoughts:
Black Opal Concealing Foundation – This product is not totally new as I have had it in my kit for a few months but haven’t really had a chance to play around with it. Black Opal Concealing Foundation is an excellent full coverage cream based foundation which can be used as a base, concealer, and/or for highlighting and contouring. Having multi-use products like this in your kit saves both time and money. The shade range is excellent for women of color and the full coverage is perfect for camouflaging anything you may need or want to hide.
NARS Laguna Illuminator – This should actually be named “crack in a bottle” because as soon as I mixed this with the Black Opal Concealing Foundation and applied it to my model I was addicted. Laguna is brown with golden shimmer and provides warmth to the skin that appears to radiate from within. I purchased this product at the suggestion of Renny Vasquez at his and Tatiana Ward’s (Beat Face Honey) Beauty and the Beat Chicago class. Renny mixed Laguna Iilluminator with the Black Opal Stick Foundation – which I am personally not a fan of. The illuminator comes in several different colors: Hot Sand (peach champagne), 413 BLKR (shimmering champagne), Adelaïde (shimmering lavender pink), Copacabana (glistening pearl), Orgasm (peachy pink with shimmer), and Super Orgasm (peachy pink with gold glitter). I don’t think I’ll be purchasing any other colors, but I am checking for Super Orgasm just because I love the name, and 413 BLKR looks perfect for bringing life to cooler skin tones.
Products:
Black Opal Concealing Foundation
Nars Laguna Illuminator
House of Lashes Pixie Luxe lashes
NARS Albatross highlighting blush – It looks pale and somewhat scary in the pan but as promised, this highlighting blush provides a luminous glow when used on the high planes of the face. I love the look of a glowy blushing bride! This highlighter has been in heavy rotation for the last month.
Face Atelier Ultra Foundation – If you haven’t heard of this brand it’s because it’s a pro product which means it is not marketed toward consumers. You won’t find this brand at Sephora, Ulta, etc. You will need to order directly from the brand’s website. The beauty in this foundation is its silicone base, light weight, and buildable coverage. Oh, and there’s no SPF which means it photographs beautifully and the product won’t go bad as quickly.
Hakuhodo #210 blush brush round – I can absolutely say the stand out addition is this blush brush. I have found a new best friend for my foundations. In the past I have used a Crown Brush version of MAC’s #109, MAC #130, and a Sonia Kashuk Core Tools Small Powder/Blusher Brush – #123 to apply foundation. They all served their purpose BUT…they shed like crazy. I mean…no woman wants extra hair on her face. (I should probably mention that of these options, the Sonia Kashuk brush shed the least and is the least expensive.) I’ve heard that MAC’s #109 brush is excellent for applying foundation. MAC is known for quality brushes so there is a good chance the #109 brush won’t shed like crazy, but since I’ve had issues with my MAC #130 shedding I decided to skip the middle man and go straight to the source of perfection: Hakuhodo. Hakuhodo has been credibly rumored to manufacture MAC’s brushes for quite a while. I have used the #210 brush with liquid, cream and powder foundations and no regrets for this purchase have been given.
Siren Lash by House of Lashes – Obviously I’m a fan of House of Lashes and this lash is no different. It is not a part of the Premium Luxe collection so it doesn’t have the thick band which makes this band easily wearable by anyone. This lash is beautiful on any eye shape or size. It is the closest I have found to the very popular MAC #35 lash and comes in at a more wallet comfy price point. This is the least expensive kit addition, so pick these up and thank me later.
Products:
Face Atelier Foundation
House of Lashes Siren lash
Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel #77 – This product was another recommendation picked up in Renny Vasquez’s class. He used it as a base for his signature smokey eye. This gel liner is creamy smooth and highly pigmented. In addition, it sticks like glue – like seriously. Inglot says this liner dries in 60 seconds to a waterproof, smudge proof, crease proof finish. While I’m usually skeptical of company product descriptions, I for once wholeheartedly agree. This liner comes in several other colors and I expect them to all be just as color intense and long lasting. Be sure to use an oil based makeup remover and be gentle around your delicate eye area when taking this gel liner off.
Note: After the Modern Breakfast at Tiffany[‘s] Blue styled bridal photo shoot I had a chance to use the Noir Fairy lashes for a bridal trial. The bride, who had never worn false lashes, loved the style and said the lashes were surprisingly comfortable to wear. She requested that we use them again on her wedding day. Keep in mind that although I love the Premium Luxe collection by House of Lashes, I have avoided using them in my client work because of the band. It just goes to show our parents were right, you can’t judge a book by its cover, or in this case a lash by its band. With that said, I did play around with the lashes prior to using them to make them more wearable for a novice lash girl. If you want to know the steps I took to make these beautifully glamorous stacked lashes easy to wear let me know and I’ll explain it in a later post.
