Monday, June 1, 2015

Bridal part 2.. Bridal Glam

Greetings e-world!

I am a little late posting this but at least it's still Monday!

So going along with my Bridal looks for all you brides out there, I have created a look that is for those brides who want to make more of a statement. If you're looking for a smokier bridal look, look no further!


How to:

Step 1.
I don't really mention it, but start by covering your lids in concealer. It will create a blank canvas for you to work with. Once this is done, sweep MAC's "Malt" to your creases.

Step 2.
Cover your lid to your crease in "Sidecar" from Urban Decay's Naked Palette.

Step 3.
Add MAC's "Embark" to the outer corners and into the crease. Blend away my friends!

Step 4.
Using NYX's Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Milk", highlight the inner corners of your eyes. 

Step 5.
Using a small thin brush, apply eyeliner using black eyeshadow. Use this to smoke out your look more. Take your time with this part and keep adding until you're happy.

Step 6.
Using "Embark" softly apply this to your lower lash line making sure it is connected on the outer corners to your eyeshadow above. (Key to a smokey eye)

Step 7.
Mascara and lashes! Normally I would say use lashes if you want but since this look is darker and with a wedding day comes much photography, I suggest using lashes.

Extras:
Foundation - MAC Face & Body in NC20
Concealer - MAC Pro Long Wear in NC20
Mascara - Too Faced Better Than Sex
Blush - NARS Orgasm

Fin.

There you go you sassy brides! Hope you enjoy!

Go get 'em killer.

Love & Attitude,


Monday, May 25, 2015

Easy Breezy Bridal!

Hello there Friends,

Hope you have had a wonderful weekend.

I thought since we are now into wedding season I would do an easy Bridal look anyone can do! This bridal look is very natural and glowy. I will do a few other Bridal looks in the weeks to come!




How To:

Step 1.
Apply MAC eyeshadow in "Malt" all over the lid to your brow bone. 

Step 2.
Apply Urban Decay's "Buck" from the Naked Palette to your crease and outer corner.

Step 3.
Apply a small amount of "Hustle" also to the outer corners.

Step 4.
Apply MAC pigment in "Naked" on your lid to your crease. I find using my fingers with the pigment works better.

Step 5.
Apply MAC pigment in "Vanilla" to the inner corners of the eyes.

Step 6.
Using MAC's gel liner in "Blacktrack" line your eyes staying close to your lash line with a thing angled brush. Blend out with a clean brush to soften the line.

Step 7.
Apply mascara and false lashes if you'd like.

Step 8.
Apply "Buck" again to your lower lash line and apply mascara here too.


Extras:
Lip Colour - MAC Pro Long Wear Lip Liner in "In Anticipation"
Foundation - MAC Face & Body in NC20
Concealer - MAC Pro Long Wear in NC20
Mascara - Urban Decay's "Better Than Sex"


So there you go all you DIY Brides! Remember to use a waterproof mascara for the big day!

Love & Wedding Bells,


Monday, May 18, 2015

Naked Palette 2!

Back on schedule...Happy Makeup Monday!

I hope everyone is enjoying the increasingly nice weather. I write to you from a dew provinces over! I am spending some time in New Brunswick with family before I take a little road trip over to explore PEI. Exciting stuff.

Today's look of the day is the sequel to my Naked Palette tutorials using the sequel to Urban Decay's Naked Palette! Now, I must admit I actually like the first Naked Palette more than the second but to each their own.

Voila!



How to get this really simple look:

Step 1.
Apply "Snakebite" to the inner and outer corners of your eyes and into your crease and blend out.

Step 2.
Apply "Verve" to the centers of your lids to make them pop!

Step 3.
Using a small angled brush, apply "Blackout" across your lash line to smoke it out and appear to have thicker lashes.

Step 4. 
Apply "Snakebite" across your lower lash line to about your pupil. Blend out using "Verve".

Step 5.
Mascara!

Optional:
Apply white liner to your water line — or black if you fancy.

Extras:
Lipstick - MAC See Sheer


There you have it! A quick and fast tutorial using only Urban Decay's Naked Palette 2!

Until next week!

Love & Simplicity,


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

It's a silver Makeup...Tuesday?

Happy Makeup..Tuesday?
Whoops. Due to technical difficulties yesterday I couldn't upload in time for Monday (I may have forgotten to charge my camera).

So this week Makeup Monday is on Tuesday. Change can be scary I know — I'll try not to do that to you again. Anyhoo, compose yourself and let's get to it!

This week's look of the day is a silvery smokey eye!






How to nail this look:

Step 1.
Apply NYX's Eye pencil stick in "Milk" across your lid. This is going to give you stronger saturation. Make sure you get into the corners of your eyes. I like putting some light here to break up the dark makeup.

Step 2.
Apply a medium silver to the outer corners of your eyes and into your crease. Blend. I used a medium silver colour from Sephora's Smokey Palette. It doesn't seem to have a name so I am sorry I cannot tell you more.

Step 3.
Apply black to the outer corners and blend into the crease. Blend outwards.

Step 4.
Apply mascara and your favourite false lashes.

Step 5.
Line your waterline with black eyeliner — I used Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in "Perversion". 

Step 6.
On the outer corner of your bottom line, sweep black towards the middle. Continue blending with the medium silver colour. Blend!

Step 7.
Apply mascara to your bottom lashes.

Good. To. Go.


Next week I promise Makeup Monday will once again be on Monday. 

Don't forget to requests looks! It's my favourite.

Love & Oopsies,


Monday, May 4, 2015

Pin Up

May the fourth be with you!

Let's get right to it! This look is by request!

This style of pin ups were really popular in the 50's. So we are talking time period makeup. I didn't stick too hard to the style but I obeyed as much as I could.



To pull off this look:

Step 1. 
Step one is your eyebrows. They need to be full with a natural arch. 

Step 2.
Eyeliner. Here is where I didn't follow TOO closely. The wing is absolutely necessary.  Normally I would have a solid liquid line going from my inner corners to the wing and the line be a little more curved — not so straight across.  You can use tape to get that sharp edge if you like.

Step 3.
So we have eyebrows and liner. My eyeshadow it very minimal so that's why it's not really being mentioned. This looks is actually pretty simple to achieve! But if you're curious it's a pale cream shadow and a slightly darker than my skin tone crease shadow. Shimmer need not apply!

Step 4.
Mascara and lashes!

Step 5.
Red.Lips. No question about it. I used a MAC pro long wear lipliner in "Kiss Me Quick" and MAC lipstick in "Ruby Woo".

Optional: Beauty mark!

Extras:
Foundation is Armani Designer Lift.
Lashes are from Quo


I really hope you try this look out! 

I cannot wait to have a full-blown pin-up shoot with Faye Ross from Faye Ross Photography (check her stuff out here). Until then sailor...

Love & Bedroom Eyes,


Monday, April 27, 2015

Back to the 80's

Hello Prettiful!

I am not going to lie, sometimes it can be hard to think of a makeup look every week. Not because I can't come up with anything but because there are so many looks I wanna show you!

So as I hmmmm'd and hawww'd, I thought I would mix things up. Let's pay some homage to that glorious stylized decade that was the 80's. The time of bright blue frosted eyeshadow and bacon strip blushed cheeks. Thankfully I left those unfortunate details in the 80's but put a new spin on them!

Chyea! Totally check it out.




To get this look and not this look














:

Step 1.
If you have read my posts before this step won't come as a shock. Taking an eyeshadow that is slightly darker than your skin tone, I use "M5" from the Smashbox Full Exposure palette, sweep this into your crease to help blending.

Step 2.
Apply a light colour into the inner corners of your eyes. I use NYX's Jumbo Pencil in "Milk". Blend the edges.

Step 3.
Apply a darker colour to smoke out the outer corners. I used "M7" from the same Smashbox palette. Blend away into your crease

Step 4.
Help these colour blend harmoniously with a colour like "Glama" from Salty Cosmetics. Pat on your lid.

Step 5.
Taking an angled brush and a black/grey/brown colour shadow (your choice of the three), lightly line the tops and bottoms of your eyes. The key to this look is creating a thicker liner on the bottoms lashes as opposed to the usual top.

Step 6.
Take a bright blue, I used M.A.C.'s Electric Eel eyeshadow and brush that along your lower lash line. Add a little shimmer with a liquid eyeliner like Nicka K New York's Shimmer Eyeliner in "Blue". Add this on top of the blue eyeshadow.

Step 7.
Add your favourite mascara and tada!

Extras:
Today I used Urban Decay's Naked Weightless Ultra Definition Foundation in 1.0
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer
NARS blush in "Orgasm"
Lancome Lipstick from the Rouge in Love line. Not sure what shade but it's bright pink!

Hope you enjoy this totally radical look!

Love & Lisa Frank forever,


Monday, April 20, 2015

Grey is the new black

Happy Monday Gorgeous!

It seems like winter is behind us finally and April showers have arrived to bring us May flowers... or more importantly wash away all of March's bullsh*t.

In the theme of April Showers and the fact that grey (gray for my American amigos) has become very trendy, here is a simple grey look.

Grab your umbrella & galoshes and enjoy.


This look is deceivingly easy! 

Step 1.
Apply a grey shadow all over your lid to your crease, I used "Grey Wash" from MAC.

Step 2.
Taking a darker grey, I used "Nice Ash" from Too Faced's Indulgences palette and apply this to your crease and outer corners.

Step 3.
No surprise here, to keep this look lighter I applied NYX's shadow pencil in "Milk" to the inner corners of my eyes.

Step 4.
Using black eyeshadow, apply this close to your lash line and tightline your eyes.

Step 5.
Sweep the lighter grey you used across your bottom lashes and make sure to join the eyeshadow on the top of your lids at the outer corner.

Step 6.
Apply mascara!

Step 7.
Choose a lighter/brighter lipstick. This one is by MAC and is called "Sea Sheer".



Bam. Done.

Can I tell you a secret? I even used my fingers to apply everything. Finger painting for grown ups!

Love & April Showers,



Monday, April 13, 2015

Purple Oyster Cult

Hello Bloggesphere!

It's getting more spring like everyday! I don't know about you, but I am ready for the summer already!
The look of the day is a purple-oyster eye.


How To:

Step 1.
Use an eyeshadow primer for this look. It will help the shadow adhere to your lids better and make it a little more pigmented. First things first, using a blending brush apply a warm colour that is slightly darker than your skin tone to your creased and blend it out. This will help make blending your makeup into your skin easier. It's a favourite trick of mine. I used a warm shade from Smashbox's Full Exposure palette.

Step 2.
Apply a deep purple shade, I used "Hollywood" by BH Cosmetics, to your eyes concentrating on the outer "V" and sweeping it into your crease and about halfway across your lids. Blend mama.

TIP: If you're having trouble blending the purple smoothly, using the brush you applied the first colour to your creases with, dab it in the first slightly darker than your skin shadow and use that to help blend.

Step 3.
Using a metallic blue shade, I used "Cop a Teal" from my Too Faced "Sweet Indulgences" palette, and apply it from the inner corner of your eye to where it meets the purple shade.

Step 4.
If you have seen more than one of my tutorials, you will know I like adding some highlight to the inner corners of my eyes. I used my favourite "Venus" from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette.

Step 5.
Using a gel liner, apply your liner and wing it out following your bottom lash line out. Aside from the actual wing itself, this doesn't need to be perfectly neat, we are about to apply black shadow to soften and smoke it out.

TIP:
If your wings turn out uneven, you can take a makeup wipe and carefully with the tip of your finger/nail wipe the line thiner/higher/clean it up.

Step 6.
Using a small brush, apply black eyeshadow to the very outer corner of your eyes and across your liner you just made. Blend it using a blank blending brush up into your crease. Re-apply as much black to the outer corners as your want!

Step 7.
Use the same purple shade and apply it with a small brush to your lower lash line until half way. Use the same blue colour and starting from the inner corner apply it to your bottom lash line to meet the purple.

Step 8.
Lining the inner part of your bottom lash line is up to you. I apply a nude colour to make my eyes seem more open. But you are free to line it with black or skip this step completely.

Step 9.
Apply mascara and your favourite false lashes.

And you're all set to shine!

This is such a pretty colourful eye. It suits pretty much everyone!

Good luck beautiful and just keep practicing!

Love & Oysters on the half-shell,


Monday, April 6, 2015

Dark...Really Dark

Hello Internet!

Happy Easter to you and yours this Makeup Monday!
I write to you from a couple provinces over. I have a bunch of wonderful family in New Brunswick and visiting here is always my favourite!

But enough about me...

Today's look is a bold one!


See? Bold. But not hard...

Step 1.
I suggest using an eyeshadow primer with this one — no one likes raccoon eyes. (Don't tell raccoons I said that). Take black eyeshadow and start applying it from your lash line to JUST above your cease. Keep applying/layering the black if the shadow your using isn't pigmented enough.

Step 2.
Using a warm colour —I used a purple shade, apply it to your crease over the back and blend outwards. Warmer colours help blend the black into your skin. The application of makeup isn't challenging, it's ensuring it's blended out well. Harsh lines are not welcome here!

Step 3.
Take a bright/light colour, and apply it to the inner corners of your eyes around your tear ducts. Also, line your eyes with black liner. The blacker, the better!

Step 4.
Since the shadow is so dark, don't stress about lining your top lids. I did and you can see just how visible it is. This look needs no flick of eyeliner but I did it anyways because hey! practice is the key to makeup!

Step 5.
Take a small brush and apply black shadow over the liner on the inside of the lash line and your lash line. Take the same warm colour you used to blend the top lid with and without adding more to the brush you used, start blending the bottom black shadow out gently.

Step 6.
Apply mascara and highlighter just under your brown bone to make 'em pop!

Truth be told false eyelashes would make this look more intense and I would have loved to wear them, however I need to refill my stock so let's just use our imagination that I am wearing them! I suggest for this look, you apply at lease three-quarter strips. When your makeup is dark, it's easy to lose sight of your pretty eyelashes.

Also not to say it cannot be done, but, when you have dark eyes try to keep your lips light. You don't want them to compete against each other.

Take your time with this one. It's really about blending. I believe in you!


Love & Raccoons have beautiful eyes,


Monday, March 30, 2015

Simple.

Hi Beautiful,


Happy Monday once again! This week I thought we would go simple. Sometimes I feel like wearing dramatic makeup. Sometimes I don't wear anything. This is not one of either of those times.

This time we are going for a clean look. A roll-out-of-bed-and-smear-makeup-on-your-way-out look.




How To:

Step 1.
After your usual foundation routine, blend your favourite slightly darker than your skin tone eyeshadow into your crease with a fluffy brush. I used a shadow from Smashbox's Full Exposure palette.

Step 2.
Take an eyeshadow colour that is lighter than your skin tone, I used "Venus" from Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette. Add it to your lid and just on top of your brow bone.

Step 3.
Using whatever black eyeshadow you like, if you are curious I used the black in the Urban Decay Naked palette called "Crave", and a thin tapered brush, line your lash line with a little flick at the end. Unsure of how to get that cat-eye-flick to happen? Imagine there is a line on an angle running from your nostril to the outer corner of your eye. You can use your brush to see the correct angle—that's how your eyeliner flick should go. Practice is the key here.

Step 4.
Apply that mascara!

Step 5.
Taking the small tapered brush you used for your liner and without adding anymore eyeshadow to the brush, line your bottom lash line from the outer corner to half way or three quarters of the way in.

Step 6.
Blush, eyebrows, lipstick.

DONE!

I swear your can do this half asleep before work. And keep practicing those flicks!

Have a wonderful week friend!

Love & Flicks,


Monday, March 23, 2015

Naked Palette Tutorial — Glamour Tutorial

Happy Makeup Monday! Today's look has everything to do with Urban Decay's Naked Palette! I personally prefer the first palette of all of them so that's what I chose to use. Steps as always are underneath.


How To:

Step 1.
Add "Darkhorse" to the inner and outer corners as well as your crease.

Step 2.
Take "Half Baked" and add that to the middle of your lids joining the Darkhorse on the inner and outer corners.

Step 3.
Blend. When it's blended out to your liking, add a little more "Half Baked" to the center of your lids to really make them pop!

Step 4.
Using your favourite liner, I used transformer with black eyeshadow, give yourself that perfect winged eyeliner.

Tip: 
To help create even wings, imagine your bottom lash line continues out — that's the angle your wing should be on. Practice makes perfect [enough].

Step 5.
Apply "Half Baked" to the inner corners of your bottom lash line and let it fade into "Darkhorse" on the outer sides of your bottom lash line.

Step 6.
I used white eyeliner again to make my eyes look bigger and more open—but feel free to use black if you prefer!

Step 7.
Load on that mascara to complete your look, and I've added lashes from Ardell to make my eyes look even more dramatic.

Step 8.
The key to really bringing this look home is those red lips! I have used one of my favourite lip pencils and shades of red : MAC Pro Long Wear in "Kiss Me Quick". Seriously, it's fantastic!

And that's it!

I realize eight steps doesn't sound like a "and that's it" amount of steps but I really broke it down for you! I promise you can achieve this too!

You go girl.

Love & Practice Makes [almost] Perfect,



Thursday, March 19, 2015

IVSO Makeup is Officially on Instagram!!

Come stay in touch and get official sneak peaks to upcoming posts!Instagram





 Instagram
Instagram

ALSO on Pinterest!

Follow Victoria's board IVSO Makeup Artistry on Pinterest.



Monday, March 16, 2015

Easy Contouring Tutorial!

You asked for it my friends!

One of the most requested tutorials I have been asked to do is all about contouring.

So below, enjoy an easy and fast tutorial on highlighting and shadowing your face featuring my face!

Remember that everyone's face is different and practice makes perfect!



I am assuming I don't need too much of a step by step explanation for this but let me include some tips.

Tip 1.
 A good rule of thumb for figuring out where your check bone contouring should go: feel where your cheek bone is. Got it? Good. Now slowly feel your way down to where it feels the bottom of it is. That's where your shade should go. Genereally speaking from the ear to the corners of your mouth. (Hopefully the image provided helps this make sense)

Tip 2.
It may be hard to see but I have a highlight just on the top line of the bow of my lips. Especially for us ladies with smaller lips, this helps the illusion of bigger ones. Amen!

Tip 3.
Choose a shade maybe 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone and a highlight colour 2-3 shades lighter. If you go too extreme you may start looking more over-done which is NEVER a good makeup look!

Tip 4.
BLEND Y'ALL!

Goodluck soldiers!

Love & Illusions, 


Monday, March 9, 2015

Pretty in Pink...

It's Monday! Not usually a day you get excited for but hopefully a new makeup look can turn that frown upside down!

Today's look is a bit softer than the previous posts I've had but still has bold eyelashes. I feel like there is a stigma around pink and blue eye shadowed looks. In the way of looking tacky, but if you know where to place your colours — everything will turn out fine! I will do a tutorial in the upcoming weeks to help explain where to put shadow colours. I am sure it will help those people who's blu shadow turns into this:

So let's get on with it!



How I Achieved This Look:

Step 1:
Using a puffy blending brush and a colour like "Backstage Pass" by Lancome from the Color Design palette, blend this shade into your crease. Some like to do the lightest colours first but I find when I define my crease, it's easier to place my other colours correctly and I always have a shade to blend into. Just a personal preference.

Step 2:
With a dense eyeshadow brush apply a colour like "Pink Venus" by MAC across your lid and "Pink Freeze" by MAC on the inner half. Should create a nice gradient of pinks

Step 3:
Using a small dense eyeshadow brush apply "Embrace" by Buxom from the Tango palette to the outer corners and lightly into your crease. Harsh lines are not welcome in this look.

Step4:
Blend until your happy.

Step 5:
Using the eyeliner of your choice, I used transformer mixed with black eyeshadow, apply a thiner but definite eyeliner to the tops lids. I used false eyelashes in this look which required my line to be thicker than if I wasn't using lashes.

Step 6:
Apply your favourite mascara, I am currently using "Full Exposure" mascara by Smashbox. And apply your false lashes if you opt for them. If you need help applying false lashes, I did a tutorial a while back and you can find that here

Step 7:
Line your lower inner lash line with white eyeliner to make your eyes appear bigger and more open.

Step 8:
Using "Pink Freeze" by MAC, apply it under your eyes in the inner corner to 2/3 of the way to your outer corner.

Step 9:
Apply "Embrace" by Buxom to the outer third and blend into the "Pink Freeze" you previously applied.

Step 10:
Finish it off by apply mascara lightly to your lower lashes and adding a highlighter colour, I used "Venus" from the Naked Basics Palette by Urban Decay, just on top of my brow bone and to the inner corners of my eyes.




And there you go! I could have summarized in fewer steps but information is easier to swallow when you really break it down!

If you have a look you want to see me do a tutorial for, as always, send me a message or comment!

Have a wonderful week beautiful!

Love & A Hope for Spring,


Monday, March 2, 2015

Let's Start a Monday Tradition ...

Makeup Mondays!!

Every Monday there will be a new makeup look up for you (or an official apology/excuse combo).

So let's begin with today!

On Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the 10th Annual Heart to Heart Gala Fundraiser hosted by The Catholic Family Services of Durham. It is an evening where the community comes together to celebrate and raise money in support of our services which goes to assist over 600 abused women and their families. If you would like to know more and/or help click to visit their website HERE

It was an absolutely lovely event!


Here is the makeup look I wore that evening:



How I achieved this look:

Step 1.
Using a shadow SLIGHTLY darker than your skin colour, in my case I used one the warmer matte shadows in the Smashbox Full Exposure palette (which is one of my all time favourites for bridal!). I used a fluffy blending brush to sweep this into my crease. This created a bit of an outline as to where my crease should be when it comes time to use darker colours. It's a trick I use to make sure my client's makeup is applied correctly for their eyeshape. It also allows me to blend the darker colours in to my skin colour later.

Step 2.
With a denser eyeshadow brush I applied a darker warm brown tone into the outer corners and across my crease. Then, using the fluffy brush from Step 1., I blended it.

Step 3. 
Next, I took "Venus" from Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette and applied it to the inner corners and 3/4 of the way to the outer corners of my eyelids. I took the blending brush and blended again until it was a smooth transition.

Step 4. 
Using a small about of black shadow and a small eyeshadow brush, I darkened the outer corners and just slightly into my crease to define it more and add a little more drama. You guessed it, I blended once again after this.

Step 5.
Using a transformer, in this case Metamorphix by Lise Watier, with a consistency comparable to more of a gel liner rather than a liquid liner I applied my eyeliner using black eyeshadow.

Step 6.
I lined my waterline with black kohl liner and applied a little black eyeshadow over it to ensure it wouldn't go anywhere during the night.

TIP: Eyeliner pencils are waxy, so to ensure it doesn't disappear right away I apply shadow over it to lock it in place.

Step 7.
Taking the same darker warm brown, and then the colour slightly darker than my skin tone, I blended the shadow underneath my eyes to a soft finish.

Step 8.
I used a Mac Pro Long Wear lipliner in "In Anticipation" to make my eyes pop!



et voila!

Next week I will try to stay away from all the neutrals and bring you a fun look. Maybe I will even use false lashes!


Love & A Good Cause,


Friday, February 27, 2015

Smoulder!

Let's celebrate this winter Friday with a super easy makeup look!



How I achieved this look:

Step 1.
Choose a dark colour of your choice. I used a gray-brown colour, not like I could tell you what it's called because it's been in my kit forever and the label has worn off but it's from Estee Lauder.
Apply this colour with a brush or your finger —you can usually achieve a slightly more pigmented coverage with your finger, from your lash line to your crease.

Step 2.
Take a clean crease brush and blend away from your crease in a back and forth motion. Blend until you can blend no more!

Step 3.
Take an eyeshadow colour close to your skin tone and use this to seamlessly blend your shadow into your brow bone. I've used the colour "Foxy" from Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette.

Step 4.
Take your favourite highlighting shade, I used "Venus" also from Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette and highlight your browbone and the inner corners of your eyes just the brighten the look up and to add some depth.

Step 5.
Apply your favourite mascara and lashes if you wish. (I did not add lashes)

AND THAT'S IT!

Bonus:
Keep your lip colour lighter — you don't want your smokey eyes competing with a dark lip.



See, I told you it was super easy! It's also a great look to practice your blending.
Now, go get 'em tiger!

Love & Sass,


Thursday, February 26, 2015

Let's Catch Up

In the spirit of "Throwback Thursday", I thought I would write about that time I was my sisters Maid of Honour.

Almost a year ago, I had the privilege of being my sister's MOH. For two years, I helped plan the wedding, planned the engagement party, bridal shower and bachelorette. I created & designed invitations, thank you cards, posters and anything else I could. I was very busy but I loved every moment of it.

Nothing had me more nervous or excited than delivering my MOH speech at the reception though. I decided very early that I wanted to do something unexpected. Although, if you really know me — it actually seems very expected, but I digress...
I wanted to "WOW" my sister. I have always been somewhat of a closet ham but on the flip side I get paralyzingly nervous when I have to speak in front of more than 5 people at a time.

So the struggle is real.

Ten months before the wedding I started writing. I wrote down all the nice things I wanted to say knowing it needed to be REALLY nice because after having seen a MOH somewhere in the States perform her speech to the beat of "Without Me" by Eminem, I had found my performance inspiration. I knew my sister LOVED that song, as did I, and I decided I would do my own version. Keep in mind I used her chorus and a few of her lyrics but I promise at least 80% of the verses are all me.

So for the final 6 months before the big day, I practiced and practiced my rap. On the way to work, for my colleagues (those who would let me), on the way home from work, in the car, in the shower - EVERYWHERE.

As a comfort, I created a video of the lyrics to play behind me. It was intended to help me as back up so the audience didn't miss any words in case I did.

I had the wedding party in kahoots with me, along with the day-of coordinators, photographers, audio/visual guys and the MCs. A LOT of prep and planning went into this delivery.

SO the big day finally came and aside from the time I was doing everyone's makeup (yes, I did that too), my mind was on my upcoming speech. Dinner came and I couldn't even eat. I told the staff to keep bringing it but don't take it away because I was just so nervous I would eat AFTER my speech. They laughed at me.

My name was called to come up and ten months of preparing, planning and practicing was about to be summarized into 7 minutes.


Before you watch, if you haven't seen it before, here is my disclaimer;

For 3 minutes prior to where the video starts I had been delivering all those nice things I had previously mentioned I wanted to say. It went flawlessly. However, rapping fast while you're nervous makes it REAL easy to get out of breath. At one point during my rap I started sounding more and more like a goat because of how shaky my voice was and how hard I was pushing to get my breath in/out. You can't notice it too hard in the video but it's the one splinter I have left over from my performance. Either than that — I am proud and satisfied. I also give "cred" to the MOH who was the original genius to use this song.

So, as I say in the video, without further ado...



After I performed, I walked straight to the bar to catch my breath and forget about my goat-esk voice.

The bar has been set for her speech at my wedding.

Love & Guts,


Wednesday, February 25, 2015

I'm Back!

Hello World!



After a long hiatus I am finally back in action here!

So keep checking back to read about makeup and design tutorials, tips and trends!

Love & Warmth,