Sunday, May 5, 2013

My top 10 faves in the Make Up Bag!!

Hello All!

Today I want to list my 10 favorite makeup items I feel every girl should have in her little makeup bag to get you gorgeous and feel confident in the few minutes you have in the morning before you fly out the door to begin your hectic day:)
So many lady friends and clients always ask me... "Heather, as a makeup artist, can you tell me what is honestly the best necessities to have in my makeup bag that can make me look good fast before my crazy day begins?" , which as we all agree, is pretty much all the time for most of us! By the way if you are looking for a professional on location make up artist and hair artist Savannah, GA, please find me at www.beyondbeautifulbyheather.com

1. Concealer!!~ A good creamy consistency one! Honestly one of the best inventions known to woman:) Concealing all the red spot areas often will get rid of the need for foundation!! Under the eyes, corners of nose, corners of mouth , crease in chin, acne marks or age spots, between the eyebrows.
2. Eye Shadow Base ~ You can find these by the dozen in Sephora or Ulta and they all tote their own greatness but honestly, I find they are all quite similar in outcome. I prefer the tinted ones personally compared to the clear ones. It makes a nice
pallette for your shadows and liner!

3. Tinted Moisturizer ~ Honestly, there is a difference in tinted moisturizers. Some are truly better in consistency and blendability and color tones than others. My fave is the original first created tinted moisturizer..Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. It's just amazing ladies!

4. Eye Brow Pencil or Brow Powder~ You have to frame the eyes ladies! It's like hanging an unframed painting on the wall. Even a little bit of brow powder in between the brow hairs if they are sparse, and accenting your natural arch makes all the difference:)

5. High Lighting Champagne or Goldy Colored Eye Shadow~ Find one that is shimmery. This should go right on the eye lid and a touch on the brow bone..your eyes just pop right up when you do this!!

6. Defining Mascara~ So many choices out there..ugh!! Honestly, find one that works for you, even if it is a drug store brand, but going without mascara is just not an option girls:)

7. Blush~ Smile ladies!! Blush is scientifically proven to make us appear..Rested, Happy, Healthy, Content, Loved & Excited. Dont' skip the blush girls. It's my favorite beauty item I think:) Smile first and then pop the color on the apple of the cheeks!

8. Pinkish Red Lip Color~ O.k. I know a lot of you are afraid of lip color.. But it really makes the lips look plump and pretty and finishes the face! If you are not a fan of lipstick and liners, choose one of my favorites for a toned down moisturized version from Burts Bees Shimmer Sticks. These are awesome and come in beautiful healthy looking sheer colors!

9. Bronzer ~ Choose one that is not too dark for you ladies! We often want to have a faux glow on our porcelain faces, but choose one too dark and our face no longer matches our body! LOL.. For a nice drug store brand, try Physicians Formula Bronzers.. They are good for the price!

10. Eye Liner~ Don't forget one of the most important items!! Last but not least, eye liner pencils. I prefer the ones you sharpen instead of the self sharpening ones you twist up. You get a sharper cleaner line! Choose a waterproof kind in very black and brown. For drugstore, Revlon Color stay are nice!
There you have it ladies! Enjoy!
Heather F.
Beyond Beautiful by Heather


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Modern Vintage Bride ~ by MakeUp Artist Savannah GA

Hello my fellow readers!

Thank you for reading my blog today. We are talking VINTAGE!
If you haven't noticed yet, the modern bride is going vintage these days, but
with a modern twist! What a drop dead gorgeous statement this
makes! It's timeless and fashionable and just plain elegant!
When a bride comes to me and says, " I am thinking of going
vintage with my hair and makeup on my wedding day", I say " YES!!! LET'S DO IT:)"  The vintage style is flawless, Old HollyWood Glam all the way. Usually a crimson lip is top of the list with a soft gleaming eye and long, fluttery lashes!  It truly is one of my all time favorites since it graced the faces of so many timeless beauties as Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, and Rita Hayworth. On the wedding day, especially if you are getting married outside in Savannah, I recommend the staying power of the airbrush makeup that I love so much because it is cryproof for up to 16 hours of flawless coverage! I use only waterproof liners, shadows and mascaras to prevent your beautiful face from falling down onto that beautiful dress! LOL! Along with that lovely vintage face, we should follow suit with a similar hair style! When my brides want a modern vintage look, I will ask them how vintage they want to go. Vintagey hair can go from the pin curl waves to the victory rolls to the sleek low smooth chignon, to a variation of a french twist, and the list goes on. There are so many choices when the word VINTAGE comes up:) I love them all and have so much fun creating them for brides and clients for every special event! If you are looking for an on location makeup and hair artist Savannah GA, please take a look at my website at www.beyondbeautifulbyheather.com for a full view of my galleries and services and pricing information!! I hope to hear from you all soon, and remember...."Beauty is a Gift to be Coveted!
Stay Beautiful,
Sincerely,
Heather Ferguson
Beyond Beautiful by Heather
On Location Make Up and Hair Artist Savannah GA

Saturday, December 29, 2012

THROUGH THE EYES OF A MAKE-UP ARTIST...Savannah, GA ..


Hello my fellow readers!
  Today I am simply writing about my view through the eyes of a makeup artist and give you a peek into my world!  Intrigued? Most people think I have a really fun job..well.. they are right!  I love my work!!  It is something I am extremely passionate about!  Here is a little peek of how I see things!
  When I meet you for the first time, I know nothing about you or your personality etc.. I see a canvas!  A beautiful blank canvas for me to create a masterpiece.  I bet you get up every morning and go to the mirror and say, “Well, here I am again, same old , same old,” right?  Ha ha… I know it’s true, I do the same thing. However, your face is a whole exciting new opportunity for me to make something even more beautiful.  When you see yourself, you don’t usually notice how amazing your eye shape is, or your beautiful bone structure or your great lip shape right?  I do!!  I must begin my work by creating an even toned palette, meaning, I need to hide the reddened areas and bluish tones before I can contour and highlight. In this way, the beautiful eyes and lips and bone structure is what is subtly showcased, not the uneven pigmentation of the skin.  I really feel like a painter most of the time.  You must start with a clean even surface. One of the most asked questions I get from clients is how to make their eyes stand out and look really amazing. You want to know the key to achieving that?  CONCEALER  and a great EYE BASE!  Yep! It’s not really which eye shadow colors and liners per say, at least not to start off with.  You have to clean up that eye first and create an even toned canvas for those shadows and liners to really make an impact on!  When you hire me, I take into consideration your eye color, your hair color, your skin tone, your outfit you will wear, and where you are going, whether it be your wedding or a fun night out or even engagement photos! My job changes for each person because there is no face like the other. I love this part of my work. I never get bored!  Whether I am doing your makeup or hair or both, I get to be an artist and it makes me happy to see you smile after I am finished and you take a look and realize how gorgeous you all are!  Well, that will conclude today’s little post.  If you are looking for an on location makeup artist Savannah, GA please contact me on my website at www.beyondbeautifulbyheather.com and let me help you realize how beautiful you really are with my artistic touch! 
Until next post…remember.. Beauty is a Gift to be Coveted.
Heather F.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

MASCARA.!!! ....Need I say more?:)

Hello Ladies!
Alright so today we are seriously going to chat about the one product no woman can live without.....
MASCARA!!!!  Let's list the plethora of types and qualities of the gazillion mascaras out there!
We have lengthening, thickening, building, fortifying, strengthening, lengthening + thickening, curling, fattening, tubes, gel, waterproof, washable waterproof and the list keeps going right??
I bet every time you ladies walk into a Sephora or even your local walmart, you find yourself wandering through the makeup aisle thinking, " Hmmm....I wonder what new mascara I should try that will transform my short wimpy lashes into long, lucious, curled wisps ?"  Well, let's talk a bit about what mascara is really going to do for you and your lovely lashes!!  Everywhere you look, there is a new mascara promising you the prettiest flirtiest lashes ever, but the truth is, whether High End or Drug Store, they do about the same thing!! Yep...That's right girls. You can get the same beautiful look from a less expensive mascara such as Loreal's Voluminous as you can from the high end Lancome Definicils or Dior Show.  I've used everything from Maybelline Great Lash (which is still one of my favorite go to's by the way) to Dior Show Doll Lashes, and I can honestly say, it's usually the brush that seems to make the difference in the way the product applies to your lashes. A skinny long brush will create definition while a thick fat brush creates thickness!  Benefit's famous mascara "They're Real" however nice, still barely shows any difference when compared to Loreal's Voluminous when applied to the lashes.  There is a slight variation in formulas, but for the most part, they are comparable. It's also the technique you use to apply!! Always start at the base of your lashes and then slowly...WIGGLE the brush back and forth slightly while you go up to the tips. Do this several times with the first coat then do the second coat. Layering your mascara's is a popular make up artist trick.  For example, try Loreal Voluminous first then top with Maybelline Illegal Lengths and see what you get!!  KAPOW!!!  Nice:)  No single mascara can do it all! Now as for waterproof types, you have to be a bit more careful because there is a drying agent in waterproof mascaras that will make the lashes so dry that they will flake down onto our under eye and cheeks! Waterproof mascaras should not be used on a daily basis if not needed.  They can truly dry the lashes out and cause breakage over time.  Save the waterproof for special occasions like weddings or a day at the pool or beach! The newer lines of mascaras these days are geared towards fortifying your lashes and enhancing the natural lash growth cycle.. I find this cool!!  Revlon Grow Lucious is actually my fave these days on myself.  I notice I have less lash fall out using this. Lancome's Definicils is truly the number one mascara bought by makeup artists and customers across the country, however, I believe you can get the same look with a good drugstore brand to.  Much like paying for a brand name on a pair of jeans or a high end brand hand bag, it's the same with Mascara!!  So ladies, that is my input on the hype of mascara! Hope it helped a little and if you are looking for a good Make up Artist in Savannah GA, contact Heather at www.beyondbeautifulbyheather.com and let me help with your special event or wedding day makeup!
Warm Wish til next post:)

Heather Ferguson
Make Up Artist, Savannah GA
www.savannahweddingmakeupartist.com

Monday, September 24, 2012

Hey Sweet Cheeks...

Hello All,
Sorry it's been a bit since my last post! But... I'm back today to chat about one of our favorite must have's in our make up bag...BLUSH!!!  Yep.. that amazing product that makes us immediately look awake, and refreshed, and happy and youthful.. and ..well.. you get the picture:)  With all the "rosy" choices out there for blushers, it makes a girl's head spin doesn't it? Well, let's break it down!  Typically if you have dry skin.. a cream blush is a good choice. Even a mousse blush, which are the newer breed of blushes out there, are smart for someone with dry skin. They give a slightly dewy finish and look very much like the skin is blushing from within. Becareful though as to putting cream or mousse blushes over top your powder that you use as a foundation or your setting powder. Often times.. you will end up with a ruddy looking patch where your foundation was removed from the cream blush. If you apply your cream blush before putting on foundation, you will have to go lightly not to completely wipe away your blush with your foundation and also your powder may stick in a patch to your cream blush. .. Wheww!!  Hope that makes sense ladies! On the days when you are not feeling like doing the powder thing though and going maybe foundationless and maybe just using concealer here and there... the cream blush looks glowy and pretty! Now.. those of us with oily skin types.. beware!  Cream blushes are not necessarily bad but not the best for oily skin.  You will probably have more trouble with getting the color to stay on the skin. It seems to disappear more easily on oily skin. Also, cream blushes can make the pores look larger on someone with oily skin as well.   Gel or liquid blushes are great for those of us with a shiny complexion.  They are typically oil free and light and blend easily into the skin but, sometimes the color is so light, you may have to apply it in layers to get the color to the consistency that you would like. Gel blushes do not clog pores and are a nice choice for a quick wash of rosy color when you are heading to the beach or something.    Now, of course we come to everyone's stand by.. Powder Blushes!!:)  This type of cheek pigment has been around for decades. It comes in tons of beautiful shades from peach to plum to everything in between. It works well for basically every skin type out there.  If you want to really have staying power, you can layer a powder blush over top your cream or gel blush.  Now that really holds the color true! Matte blushes give a more natural finish while blushes with mica in them give that bit of shimmery glow.  It all depends on what you are going for! I like matte blushes better.. because you can always add a wash of shimmer with a light shimmer powder if you like but if your blush has it already in there.. watch out.. you don't want to look like a disco ball when the sun hits your face:) LOL!! 
Now, where do we put it when applying it?  Well, as a make up artist... I like to generally apply blush where it looks like your face naturally would turn pink from being warm or happy or exited:) The apples of the cheeks when you smile, this is the place to first put a pop of blush, then on the bridge of the nose, not the tip of it like Rudolph;)  Then on the temples slightly and on the sides of the forehead by the hair line!  There ya go! Easy, and you can look like you are happy and rested and ready to face the day in one minute if that's all you have time for some days.    Now aren't blushes better than resorting to the way of pinching our cheeks all day to get that glow? LOL!  Well, anyway, I hope this helps a few of you at least that are pondering the blush question:)  I love blush. It's one of my most favorite beauty items in my kit!  If any of you are out there looking for an On Location Make Up Artist in Savannah GA, please contact Heather Ferguson, Make Up and Hair Artist, Savannah Ga and find my website at www.savannahweddingmakeupartist.com . 
Happy Blushing Ladies:)
Till Next Post,
Heather Ferguson
Make Up and Hair Artist, Savannah GA  

Monday, August 20, 2012

The Bridal "Up do " or "Un do" ?

Hello All!

Today we are gonna talk about the variations a bride or anyone going to a special event can choose when it comes to the "up do" for a pretty hair style! These days, the tight little curls piled high upon the head with a few ringlets dangling off of our sides is rather dated! Let's face it, times change and typically we all like to get in on what is the new cool thing right?
The hot thing in wedding hair these days is what brides refer to as the "un do"!!  This term is becoming more popular as time passes!! Also affectionately referred to as the "messy bun"!!
When a bride is setting her "theme" or "feel" of the wedding, it helps when everything from the flowers to the cake and everything in between kind of follows suit with the same feeling. Including hair and make up!  Let's say a bride is getting married at the beach with a bohemian style wedding, well we probably wouldn't want to choose to have her hair styled in an extremely elegant or vintage style updo.  This type of bride often asks me to create something that looks pretty but soft and loose and romantic but still slightly carefree.  So incorporating twists and braids and deep waves in the hair is gorgeous for a wedding themed this way.
The next bride I meet with might be having the ever popular " vintage" themed wedding. This is another gorgeous type of styling.  When brides say "Vintage" to me, I usually need to ask what era they are referring to! Vintage can mean anywhere from the finger waves in the 1920's to the Victory Rolls and pin curls of the 1930's, to the sleek and elegant bun at the nape of the neck with the sides perfectly coiffed in the 1940's.  It can keep going through the years, however, I have yet to have a bride say to me, "Can you make my hair look like a flower child of the 60's or a disco diva of the 70's, or maybe give me head banging hair of the 80's"?  So....when I hear "Vintage", I typically stop calculating after the 1950's styles:) LOL!!   Then, I have the brides that are going for all out elegance!  A style dripping with sophistication and class from the Manolo Blahnik shoes she will wear to the Dom Perignon the guests will drink! This bride will often ask me to create something timeless and perfectly coiffed and smooth in styling such as a perfect chignon or even a low and classy spin on the french twist with no hair out of place and the shine spray galore!!  Honestly, the most popular request I get lately however, is ... The messy "un do".  It's cute and pretty and romantic all at the same time and can be versatile in almost any theme of wedding. The curls are loose and the slightly "messy bun" I create is usually positioned low and off to one side with a soft side sweep bang in the front often accompanied with a little loose twist of some kind to enhance the sides leading to the gathering of loose tousled curls in the back. I love this look along with all the others I get requests for! Those of you who have thin baby fine hair or a short style that is stacked in the back, this makes up do's a tad more challenging! Do not underestimate the awesomeness of clip in hair extensions ladies!! They work wonders! There is always a way to create the illusion of more hair! It's all about being creative!  So when you are getting married and putting together a theme or feeling or inspiration for your wedding day, keep in mind, the hair and make up go hand in hand with your dress and shoes and flowers and everything else. When everything flows together, it makes the wedding day that much more memorable. If you are getting married or going to a special occasion and looking for an on location hair artist in Savannah, GA  and you want something beautiful done with your hair to complete your perfect look, contact Heather Ferguson at www.savannahweddingmakeupartist.com.  Beauty is a Gift to be coveted.
Blessings till next post!
Heather Ferguson

Monday, August 13, 2012

Can I be photo shopped please???

Hello Everyone!
O.k. so, today I want to talk a little about make up and photo shop:)  What do these two things have in common right? Well, as a professional make up artist, I get a lot of brides and clients that come to me with a stack of photos in hand of what look they are wanting to accomplish for their wedding day or special event!
Typically, I see beautiful examples out of  People magazine red carpet photos of Holly Wood starlets such as Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian, Carrie Underwood, Charlize Theron, and etc...   From this point many of my lovely brides to be say I love her look in this photo, can we duplicate this.   This is where it can get a little tricky!  You see, the thing is, we are regular human beings with regular skin that has freckles and possibly scars from past acne or bumps from current acne issues and fine lines here and there!  Even those beautiful stars you see in those glossy pages of the People magazine or Brides Magazine, they do not have perfect skin. Not even close. The make up artists these famous A Listers have, do the best job they can do as far as concealing, high lighting, slimming, camouflaging, brightening and contouring, but after that..... PHOTO SHOP!!  Yes ladies, that is correct. Not even those seem to be perfect starlets can look that perfect without help.  Make Up artists such as myself pride ourselves on making a naturally pretty face look even prettier with our bag of magic tricks, but the truth is, whatever can't be covered or bumps that can't be hidden etc... Photographers are magic makers to!! Oh boy are they!  They can remove scars and shadows and tattoos and all sorts of things out of a photo with their photo shop magic!  How wonderful is that!!  I wish that when any of you come to me and say, I want to look just like this picture of Eva Longoria, I could make you look exactly that way, but no one ever knows how she really looked before Photo Shop got a hold of that photo.
Also, keep in mind, there is a big difference between two words that seem to confuse a lot of people.. these terms are " naked" and "nude".  Does not sound like much difference in the meaning does it?  Well let me explain. A "naked" face is one that you have no make up on at all when you head to the gym for a sweaty pilates class:)  A "nude" face is one that looks flawless and natural in tones and high lights and contouring and definition but with no real colors added from blushes and eye shadows etc... So, basically, a seamless airbrush makeup foundation coverage but not too heavy, with a natural bronzer for contouring, some matte highlighters where needed for dimension and defined eyelashes with a peachy pink nude lip gloss.  Hope this makes sense!  Many clients say, but Carrie Underwood looks so natural in this photo!! Oh if you only knew how much make up she really had on to look that "Natural"!  Plus of course then....PHOTO SHOP!  Lol!!
So, you see ladies, no matter how awesome make up can make you look, there are always going to still be small imperfections that will then be erased in a photo at the talented hand of a photographer!! So, when you hold that mirror up to see my masterpiece after I am finished and you gaze at your reflection for the first time, if you hold that mirror two inches from your face, you will immediately begin to find every possible little flaw that might be there. When you hold the mirror at a distance of where most people would be face to face distance from you.. you will be saying...Wow, I'm gorgeous:)  So, the truth is my lovely ladies, when in real life, no matter how great of a make up artist has done your make up.... We are not photo shopped until we are in a photograph!:)  I hope this helps all of you realize that even the small imperfections we all have, makes us human and beautiful and real, and not like a wax statue.  If you are looking for a Makeup Artist in Savannah, GA, please contact Heather Ferguson by going to my website at www.savannahweddingmakeupartist.com.

Be Blessed and Beautiful until next post!
Heather Ferguson