Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Brushes

-Jillian Raposo

Brushes can be a crucial part of achieving a well blended makeup application. When I first started my career as a makeup artist, I used brushes from Walgreens, Victoria's Secret, and random brushes that came with eye shadow palettes. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why it was so hard to achieve a professional blended look. Well, IT WAS THE DARN BRUSHES!  Over time I started my collection of MAC brushes and as my collection grew I was noticing that I was doing a much better job. The eyeshadow packed on better, with far less fall out. Color's were blending together seamlessly. And it didn't take me as long to create a look. Now I know MAC brushes can be a little pricey but for me they are totally worth it.  All MAC brushes are handmade with the exception of holiday collections and sets. The sets are machine made and mass produced (not as good). Handmade brushes are much more full and better shaped and will last much longer if taken care of properly.


As my business grew it was time for me to purchase another set of brushes to help speed up the process of cleaning in between clients. This time around I decided to try out Sigma Brushes. Sigma brushes have been know to be highly comparable to MAC. The difference between the two are that, Sigma brushes are machine made, the handles are slightly heavier and longer, and they're much more affordable. Having the two collections side by side I notice that my MAC brushes are shaped much better and much more densely packed.  For the price though, I think Sigma does sell great quality brushes. Well which one's do I like better???? At the end of the day I like certain brushes from each collection. Here are my faves, where to find them, and what I use them for.



MAC

All over face: #138
Blush and contour: # 109
Packing on shadow: #239
Blending: #287 & #217
Defining pencil brush: #219
www.maccosmetics.com


Sigma

Concealer: F60
Foundation: Flat Kabuki F80
Large eye blender: E40
Packing pigments on lid: F70
Angel brush for brows: E65



http://www.sigmabeauty.com/?Click=230740
please use this link! I get credit :)

For my fine tip brushes for gel liner and such, I have tried both brands and prefer painter's brushes from the craft store.


The brand I currently use is Princeton 3750 series, from AC Moore and the brushes are:


Spotter 5/0: This is a super fine tip brush that is great for gel liner

Angled spot detailer: Also a fine tip but is angled, which helps creating the "cat eye"
Chisel Blender: Small flat top brush, great for smudging out liner.
http://princetonbrush.com/3750-decorative.html


*Disclosure: This is just "MY" opinion. I'm sure there are better brushes out there, but these are just what I have tried and liked. I do not get paid for my opinion or to represent any of these brands. I do however get a small and I mean minuscule! commission from Sigma for each sale. 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Halloween Makeup Ideas

-Jillian Raposo

Whether you're looking for an extreme eye catching look or just a simple fun look, makeup can be the make or break of your halloween costume. A costume just doesn't have the complete effect without the makeup. Makeup can also be great for last minute costume ideas that don't involve much of a costume. With many looks you can rummage through your closet and come up with something great as long as your makeup is on point. Here are some ideas for some simple and fun looks, without breaking the bank. At first glance some of these looks may be intimidating, but by following the YouTube tutorials below you'd be suprised how easy they can be. You'll never know what you're capable of til' you try. Go at your own pace and you'd be amazed at what you can achieve.


Click the links for a complete tutorial :)











The Rebrand

-Jillian Raposo


As some of you may know, my business was first called “Pretty Peacock”. It was a name that originated from an experience that took me to where I am today. Unfortunately, there was some trademark issues with the name and it was being used and under protection by another business owner. I thought my career came to an end when I was informed that it needed to be changed. I was so discouraged and so overwhelmed by the work that it would take to start over. Although it’s just “a name” it’s a lot of other things as well. It’s a brand, its what people associate you with, it’s something that took a lot of time and effort to get out there. Along with the fact that it’s also on business cards, t shirts, and all my marketing material! It brought me to a really dark place as a business owner. It made me almost feel like, I knew it was too good to be true that the business was going so well from the beginning. Picking out a new name seemed nearly impossible for the reason that everything I liked was trademarked. And I sure as heck didn’t want to go through that again! With some time and LOTS of patience, new ideas slowly started to emerge. With all the hard work, determination, and passion that has gone into creating my business, it only seemed appropriate to give myself a little credit and use my name in the business name. So where did “M.E.” come from, you ask? I have to give my husband credit for that one. He thought it would be a great idea to call it “make up by me”. It was simple, to the point, and cute. The only problem once again, became trademark issues. So after thinking of ways around that, it resulted in “M.E.” which has so much possibility. It stood for “ME” and it could also stand for two other words as well. That’s where “Makeup Excellence” emerged. Slowly but surely, the pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together and the ball got rolling towards rebranding. With a new name, came new ideas. Ideas for a new logo, new website, photo shoot, etc. Although the process of “rebranding” seemed impossible and discouraging it now became exciting. Everything this time around became such a reflection of ME. It was more my style, more professional, and more mature. It made me realize that I’ve grown as an artist, and so has my business. At the end of this journey, it has become very clear to me that everything happens for a reason. As mad as I was at the woman that made me have to change everything, I now want to thank her. This process has made me a much stronger person and business owner and has taught me to never give up.

“Things don’t go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”
~Charlie Jones~