Senna Cosmetics

So I did a fair amount of damage while up in NYC for The Make-Up Show. I showed  *ummm* let's say a little restraint when it came reigning in my purchases. First up Senna Cosmetics.  Though I've never tried their line before, it was created by make-up artist Eugenia Weston & has been around since 1976. 

I know you'll be shocked that I picked up more nude lip treats. The never ending quest continues. I had read in Lucky Magazine a celebrity rave about their lipliners, so of course I had to scoop up one. I went for the lip liner in Heather {t} & a gloss in Flaunt{b.}

Here's the Smooth Lip Pencil {$18} in Heather. It's a nice classic nude, with pink undertones. A great basic.

I'm loving the Lip Lacquer {$20} in Flaunt & the packaging's gorgeous, too! Doe foot applicator, but the wand still dispenses a nice amount of gloss.   It's rather opaque in coverage- it reminds me a bit of Lorac's Couture Shine Liquid Lipstick, which I love.  Together this duo offers a look that ranks high in my book, though they're solid enough on their own to get plenty of use.  Just what I need- another make-up line to love!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

I purchased these products.

Your Best Friend Cosmetics

Coming off the high that was my adoration of the YBF Baby Lips kit, I wanted to fall just as much in love with their mascara duo. I admit, what drew me to it was its 007 like packaging. Ironically that's what ended up making it not work for me.

This kit included a bejeweled {swoon- super cute!} eyelash curler, as well as a mascara unit containing both a primer & mascara.  Don't be shocked, but even as a professional make-up artist I rarely use lash curlers. I worry about lash breakage.

You slide the unit apart in order to be able to use the products. Besides being a rather awkward, additional step in the morning {which who has time for?} the wand wasn't incredibly comfortable in my hand.  I like to apply a lot of layers of mascara & flip my wand every which way- the handle just didn't want to work with me.

 In fact, no one with arthritis would be able to maneuver this device at all. The actual mascara & primer formulas were fine, but there were no angels singing.  There was nothing to write home about.  What it boils down to with make-up & every thing else important in life is that yes, pretty on the outside is usually a plus- but it's what's on the inside that counts.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Must Have Make-Up Monday: Hourglass

I am powerless to resist anything involving a nude, glossy lip. Lord knows- my vanity is covered with all shades of nudes. I'm on an endless quest. When I was in NYC, I popped into Bergdorf's to investigate any new must haves. The make-up artist there from Hourglass was sporting a fabulous opaque nude lip. So we set about creating one to suit my coloring. I had already wanted to buy the Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick in Grace, since I knew it was used to create some fabulous Oscars beauty looks. Always on the lookout for the perfect lip liner, Hourglass' Trace Lip Liner in Bare also made its way home with me.Oh, did I mention I also scooped up this trio of glosses. I was totally torn between buying Child (top) or Ignite(bottom) initially, then we stumbled upon these minis- which had both shades + Imagine (center)= perfect solution!Here is the Trace Lip Liner in Bare, all on its own. It's a great your-lips-but-better shade with which to build any lip look.This look is the liner topped with the lipstick Grace. Grace is a delicious creamy, matte- but not in an extreme way. Your lips won't fall off from dryness. Plus, it's hard finding an opaque nude that doesn't wash you out. Grace is a hands down winner.Here I finished off my pucker with Ignite (top) & Child (bottom.) The glosses create 2 beautiful versions, one with some sheer shimmer & one in a milkier finish. I've been loving the multiple options I can create texture wise. The Hourglass line is quite luxe {meaning it's not cheap}, but I like the fact that I can buy refills for both the lipstick & liner. Plus, aren't we worth the splurge?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Becca Beauties

As I mentioned yesterday, Classic C brought her adorable sister in law with her to La Papillon's Beauty Blooms with Becca Event. Another natural beauty, D lives in California & loves the California 'beachy no make-up, make-up look.' Rusty applied Luminous Skin Color in Cashmere all over, then placed Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal {their #1 selling product} where the sun would naturally hit. He then used Becca's Beach Tint in Grapefruit on her cheeks & lips, then set the look with Becca's Mineral Powder in Bliss. He used Becca's Line & Define in Santorini to, well line & define her eyes, then completed her look with mascara.

Here the gorgeous girls are after their make-up applications, looking radiant & ready to take the town by storm!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Becca Beauties

So our Becca Cosmetics Launch event was a smashing success! All day Saturday La Papillon's VIPs {Very Important Pretties} came in to have National Artist, Rusty Goff work his magic. I though I'd give you a peek behind the scenes. Here's my lovely friend Classic C, she's a busy mom of an active 1 year old who wanted a fresh, natural & easy look.

Rusty started out by prepping her skin with Becca's Mineral Primer with an SPF 30- which is perfect for the summer. He followed with Luminous Skin Colour in Banana & set it with Becca's Mineral Powder in Bliss.

Once he had evened out Classic C's complexion he used Becca's Avalon Palette to add a flush of peach color to her cheeks & softly define her gorgeous blue peepers. This palette is perfect for moms on the go, to have an entire wardrobe of color in one convenient location. A quick swipe of Gisella Sheer Tint Lip Colour & she was ready for her closeup!

Here's Classic C's 'before' pic- even without any make-up, she's a natural beauty who's a dead ringer for Brooklyn Decker! Classic C made a day out of our event event & brought her sister in law, as well. Stay tuned tomorrow for a behind the scenes peek at her glamover!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Trish McEvoy

This week I had the opportunity to take an advanced artistry class from none other than Trish McEvoy! The petite make-up maven spoke for two hours about how shes creates the perfect face using concealing, highlighting & contouring techniques. Though I live & breathe beauty as a professional make-up artist, I think it's always important to keep learning!

I scooped up Cream & White Peach small shadows, as well as deluxe sized shadows in Demure & Shell for my kit. They're beautiful soft shadows that will be perfect for bridal make-up.

Of course, I also treated myself to a little something! I picked up her adorable mini voyager. The gold Chanel inspired zippered bag holds a credit card sized compact with four mini shadows- Shell, Cream, Cashmere, Blossom and Easy Going blush, a soft rose.

Also inside are 4 mini brushes- brush 48 blending, brush 23 angled crease contour, brush 50 angled lining & covered lip brush + a mini version of her Sexy Petal lipgloss. This will be perfect to take with me on vacation- only 46 days to go! Until then I have to just settle for weekends- speaking of, what are you beauties up to this weekend?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Behold the Power of Make-Up

Unfortunately Halloween came a little early for my friend, client & trusty dog walker last week! She literally had a run in with a dog, colliding head to head with a pooch while catching a frisbee that resulted in 7 stitches! Murphy's Law would have it that there was a wedding she wwould be reading in that she was so looking forward to!

While I wanted to leave the stiches alone to keep them clean in order to promote optimal healing, I was able to neutralize the discoloration using just 2 different concealers. I used Paul & Joe's Under Eye Concealer 03 which has pink undertones applied softly with a concealer brush to cancel out the blue in the bruise, while I turned to Clinique's All About Eyes in shade 02(it was a winner in my Glammies last year- you can see why!) That shade had yellow undertones which helped cancel out the red in the bruise. I often joke that I'm a beautician- not a magician(my sister even gave me a tank top with that saying on it) but short of a magic wand I think my poor friend B's eye looked great without looking too cakey!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Fall Fashion Fete

Tonight's the night beauties! For one night only Stephanie Bradshaw of Bradshaw Styling & yours truly will come together & become the Glam Squad!

We'll give you tips & tricks on how to be your most gorgeous self- so don't miss it!
Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Crushing on Coral Crush

So I've read a few glowing reviews of Maybelline's Coral Crush from fellow beauty bloggers & that it's hard to find... so of course it became my mission to find it & have it! I'm a smokey eye + nude glossy lip kind of girl, so I think it's important to step outside of my comfort zone every now & then.
Here is a quick swipe of the lipstick. The color is a great pick me up on days when you're feeling a little "blah."

Alas, after twenty minutes I had reverted to my old ways by blotting & topping with a soft gloss to tone it down. What can I say, this girl likes what she likes. It's a shade that's right up my mom's alley, so she benefited from my little experiment!

Peace. Love. Lipstick. M

Memorial Day Weekend

Phew! Where did the holiday weekend go? I was up in Connecticut for my cousin's wedding. I had the privilege of doing his bride's make-up & will post on that when I have better pics!

The flowers were done by the bride's aunt & were stunning. Fuschia & white peonies were everywhere!

Here are just some of my great cousins- Henry & Jenna after dancing most of the night away. My dad is one of five boys, so we take over when we come in to town!




I was having my hair done while doing the bride's make-up & was shocked that it had held up so well after all the dancing. This pic was the first time I had seen it, I had been in such a rush the whole day. I thought it looked really classic. Tell me beauties, what did you do over the weekend? Did you get a chance to relax?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

The Make-Up Show

I had never really tried Shu Uemura before. With news that is it to be discontinued in the United States, I of course panicked & made sure I was not missing out on some great beauty love of my life. You know how it is, you always want what you can't have (or get anymore!)

Shu Uemura is known for their over the top lashes & their lash curler. Their lash curler is the gold standard among professionals & it actually comes in a gold plated version!

One of their head artists, the stunning Rita, showed me her must haves & helped steer me in the direction of some great products to try.

I picked up quite a few shadows, though I couldn't tell you the shades if I tried, the writing is so tiny on the compacts! Vice nice color intensity & blendability with the shadows. Their gel brow color & UV Mousse Primer also made the cut.

I also scored one their limited edition cleansing oils. I'm a sucker for pretty packaging & their cleansing oils have garnered a cult following. It takes a smidge getting used to - you apply it to dry skin, then add a little water to emulsify & create a milk. I use it to break down my make-up at night, then follow with another cleanser. There's free shipping over $50 online now, I would grab what you can while you can!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Paul & Joe Beauties

Fellow beauty blogger Gouldylox also came in to have her make-up done with Leah. If you're a reader of her blog, you know we've been working extremely hard at La Papillon to treat her hyperpigmentation with a series of chemical peels. I must say, without a shred of make-up on, her skin looks amazing!

Again Leah spends time priming the face before applying Paul & Joe's new launch for summer-Protective Fluid Foundation with an SPF 25 to the face.

Voila! A beautiful natural complexion with softly smoked eyes & nude glossy lips completed the look. Perfectly sun kissed, just in time for summer.

Peace. Love. Paul & Joe Beaute. M

Paul & Joe Beauties

Another one of my amazing clients, Brennan popped in for some easy make-up tricks when Leah was in town. Brennan is the heart behind Baltimore Dog, an amazing dog walking service that puts my four legged baby in her hands 5 days a week(she's so good- sometimes I worry Bailey loves her more than me!). Brennan has that naturally gorgeous J. Crew model vibe going on, but wanted help creating a look for when she wasn't with canines!

Leah gave her a peaches n cream complexion using Light Cream Foundation in 31, then filled in her brows with Paul & Joe's best selling Eyebrow Pencil 04. Look at what a difference filling in your brows makes! A quick swipe of my favorite peach Lipgloss 05 completed the look. The result was beautiful & easy to achieve for Brennan's active lifestyle.

Leah also softly smoked her eyes with soft bronzes & golds. She patted a little of my favorite Eye Gloss 01 in the center of the lid to brighten the eyes & make them sparkle. There's nothing better than making girls feel gorgeous!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Paul & Joe Beauties

Our much adored Leah Dean, national make-up artist for Paul & Joe Beaute, flew in for our event this past weekend. We can't say enough about her, she's super sweet & super talented! Here she is rocking out a headband from our latest new shipment of Medusa's Heirlooms, she immediately scooped up two fabulous pieces while I was still unpacking the box!

One of our fabulous clients, Jodi popped in for a Spring Make-Over with Leah. Jodi is the genius behind The Business of Life, her own company that provides business & life coaching. As a business owner & busy mom- she wanted an easy, polished, yet professional look.

Leah is a huge fan of properly priming skin & is known for making the skin appear flawless. Her primer of choice? Paul & Joe Beaute's Protective Foundation Primer UV 02. It evens out the complexion while prepping the skin for color & providing an SPF of 40.

The result? Radiant, glowing skin! Jodi loved how well rested she looked & felt like a million bucks! What can I say- at the spa we always aim to please & make all of all clients feel gorgeous!
Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Steals & Deals Week

It has been a blur of a week, the kind where you keep forgetting what day it is! All week is our Steals & Deals Week at the spa where you can treat yourself to heavily discounted spa services. Who wouldn't love to pamper themselves at great prices-right? It has been crazy busy & of course it's Murphy's law that a huge amount of shipments arrived at the boutique, as well! We have been slowly digging ourselves out of the mound of shipping peanuts. This girl has been running(figuratively speaking- I don't run unless someone is chasing me!) My favorite girl & make-up artist Leah Dean from Paul & Joe Beaute is also headed into town for this weekend's festivities! So I must scoot so I can can finish tidying up the house for her arrival & ice the red velvet cupcakes!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Bridal Photo Shoot

This week I had a bridal shoot at the newly unveiled Hotel Monaco in downtown Baltimore. Here I am working my magic on one of the models- her actual name is Barbie!

I wanted a radiant look that made her skin glow and focused on making her blue eyes pop. That was achieved with black cake liner & tons of individual lashes. She looked fabulous, if I do say so myself!

So many people are involved in bringing an inspiration to life- photgrapher, make-up artists, hairdressers, stylists! There were six of us on hand, not including the models. To the left, the talented Margeux awaits to touch up hair, while in the center is Jennifer Grove of Sky Blue Events- the mastermind behind this shoot.

That's a wrap! Stay tuned for some more behind the scenes shots from moi, as well as for the official shots from the ever talented Kristen Nichols of Jubilee Photography- I'll post them when they arrive in my hot little hands! Stay gorgeous girls!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M