Mel & Marshall Engaged!

Here are some photos from Mel and Marshall's snowy engagement session shot by Callaway Gable Photography. Mel wanted natural looking makeup with flirty lashes, so I did a combination of golds, sands and a bit of rose on the eyes paired with a soft pink lip. She was super sweet to talk to and I know that she will make a beautiful bride! All other details are at the bottom of the post.

 

Photographers: Brian and Allison Callaway of Callaway Gable
Hair: Adriana of The Beauty Bar
Makeup Co-ordinater: Erin Infantino of Simply Gorgeous by Erin for the Mystic Seminars

Urban Decay Electric Palette

Urban Decay just released their 'Electric Palette' which is comprised of 10 insanely bright, pressed pigments. If you are thinking that you love the colors but would never want to wear a look as vibrant as this, don't worry; the shadows in this palette make excellent eyeliners as well! You could always do a simple neutral eye and just add a pop of color for a liner. 

Eyes
1. Prime the eyes to ensure pigmented, long lasting, crease-proof shadow application. I used my Urban Decay Primer Potion.
2. Blend 'Savage' (hot pink) into the crease and above it towards the brow bone.
3. Trace out the curved shape in your eye socket using a small brush (I used the one from the palette) and cream shadows. I used the purple and green creams from the Illamasqua Paranormal Palette.
4. Press 'Urban' (deep purple) into the tail and wing, 'Jilted' (lighter purple) into the middle lid and 'Freak' (green) into the inner corner of the eyelid. DO NOT blend these colors heavily, just press them into each other so there are no harsh lines. 
5. Line the lower lashline and waterline, I used 'Deep End' 24/7 pencil by Urban Decay and a little bit of the Illamasqua green cream shadow for the inner corner.
6. Top the liners with colors from the palette, I used 'Fringe' (teal) and a little bit of 'Freak' (green) for the inner corner.
7. Add mascara and false lashes if you like them, I used a purple pair (now discontinued) to stay with the electric theme.
8. Highlight under the browbone with a matte white pencil or eyeshadow.
9. Finish the look by filling in the brows, I used my Anastasia Brow Wiz in 'Medium Ash'. 

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Face
Foundation: Nars Sheer Glow
Concealer: MAC Pro-Longwear
Powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting 'Ethereal Glow'
Blush: Hard Candy 'Living Doll'
Bronzer: Estee Lauder 'Bronze Goddess'
Highlight: Laura Mercier 'Highlight 01'

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Lips

The tutorial for these lips (and other gradient lip looks) can be found here: http://nicolemariemakeup.blogspot.com/2014/02/gradient-lips.html

Wedding Season + I'm on The Knot!

Wedding season is upon on us and dates are booking up fast, especially now that I'm advertising my bridal portfolio on The Knot. If you are recently engaged, I definitely recommend checking it out; The Knot is the destination for all things wedding related. You can find gowns, invitations, caterers and then you can stop by my page while you're browsing! I love how easy it is to search through vendors and bookmark the ones you love. It is also a great way for makeup artists to get their work out to a large audience, especially since it's an audience that is actively searching for wedding makeup! Let me know if you guys have tried out The Knot and what you think about it!

Visit my Knot profile here!

Fresh Faced & Natural Makeup

Not all makeup has to look like makeup! In fact, sometimes I think staying natural is the prettiest of all, and it's super easy to do. I love working with cream products for these types of looks because they leave a beautiful skin-like finish. I used two cream foundation sticks, one in my color, and one that was darker to contour with, but you can absolutely use a tinted moisturizer and bronzer if you wish.

1. Tinted Moisturizer
Apply a light base of tinted moisturizer (or cream stick) with your hands to create a soft canvas.

2. Concealer
Conceal lightly where needed (for me this is under the eyes) but don't cover up any freckles!

3. Cream Blush for Lips and Cheeks
Using your fingertips, pat on a light cream blush to your cheeks and lips. Blend the color into your skin until it looks naturally flushed.

4. Bronze
If you used cream sticks for your complexion, you can use the darker shade to bronze the skin. If you used a tinted moisturizer just sweep a bronzer over the highest planes of the face to get a sun-kissed glow.

5. Eyes
Sweep a light golden, shimmery shadow onto the eyelid. Add mascara and lightly fill in the brows if you wish.

***

Now you have a super natural look that is perfect for spring!

More Posts Coming Soon!

Hi guys! Sorry for my absence, I just got back from California where I was participating in a week-long training and certification program with Sephora. It was so much fun, but I am completely exhausted! I will be posting some pictures from the trip and getting back to my regular blogging schedule shortly. In the meantime, check out my instagram (nicolecudzilo) to see some of the photos. Happy Sunday!

Sarah & Jonathan's Wedding

I just received the rest of the images from a wedding I did back in October, everything about the day was absolutly lovely, so I'm super excited to share the photographs with you guys! Photography by Jillian is responsible for these incredible shots, so if you like her work, enter here to win a free photo shoot with her and makeup done by me. The giveaway ends at midnight so get going!

Win a FREE Photography Session + Makeup by Me!

I'm super excited to partner in a giveaway for a FREE Spring Photography Mini-Session valued at $150! I've teamed up with Photography by Jillian to create these awesome sessions. They will take place by the lake in New Fairfield at sunset April 26th & 27th. The full details are a surprise but there may or may not be wine + a picnic! They will include makeup by me, photography by Jillian & 10 fully edited digital files!

Visit this post on Jillian's website for more information and to enter in the giveaway: http://photographybyjillianct.com/love-mini-session-giveaway/