Read Lucky? In the August issue they whipped up a feature on fun shops in Nashville.

This was just the excuse I needed (wanted?) to pack a work-related reason into a trip to the home of honky tonk. I popped into The Cosmetic Market–a fun little shop in Acklen Park (and there’s also one in Green Hills).

Honestly, the salespeople were hit or miss…some didn’t know much about the products and some chatted away about the good, bad and the ugly with curious clients.

The interior of this place is very cool, somewhat sterile and even a bit “sporty.” Basically, not my favorite aesthetic, but it was very well organized and brightly lit, with lots of fresh daylight. There were a ton of skin care lines that are more obscure or hard to find like Therapy Systems, Dr. Dennis Gross, Caudalie, Mustela… to name a few.

Here are a few sweet treats I left with:

A yummy hand cream from Tokyo Milk‘s Dark collection

Love and Toast Shampoo and Conditioner

Too Faced Glamour dust (and too faced glitter glue to hold it on!)

Admittedly, I am a PACKAGING JUNKY first, then I’m drawn in by scent and maybe somewhere in there is a need-based incentive to buy (okay, usually I just want it). I will post a review of these products as soon as the last drop is squeezed out of each! (except maybe that glitter….)

If you have a girl-crush on Joan Holloway like most of the living population does, you have probably been inspired at one point or another to try your own Mad Men-esque makeup.  This era (late 1950′s) of makeup is actually refreshingly uncomplicated, but get ready ladies because it takes some big, ahem….”rocks” to draw on lips and eyebrows of this caliber.

Start with a nice medium to full, even coverage of foundation/concealer.  Make sure to put concealer over the lid as well.  I always use a lid primer (use this after your concealer). Powder.

Now, while there were definitely some luxuriously-lidded ladies in the 1950′s wearing peacock hued shadows (wink wink to you, Liz Taylor), for this example I’m going with the neutral lid a-la Ms. Holloway.

I want to point out Christina Hendrick’s regular makeup style (albeit a teeny smoky on the liner) to point out what a big departure this will be from what you are used to seeing and doing on yourself!

You don’t really have to wear any shadow.  (see above… green dress!)  But if you want a little something, choose a medium brown, semi-flat shadow and with a slightly fluffy crease brush run some color along your crease just until you see some dimension come through.

Eyeliner/lashes was the the main thing when it came to those sexy eyes!  I’d opt for gel liner applied with a small brush along the top lashes.  Don’t be afraid to go thick!  Thicker than you normally would and don’t forget to wing it out a little.  I personally don’t like the itsy bitsy “flick-like”wings, but rather a nice thick ramp up to the pointy end.  Like a wedge of sorts.  IF you’re up for strip lashes, then go for it.  Go traditional and basic.  You want to add a little length, but mainly thickness.  No trendy points, textures or wild styles.

Brows rule here.  Big, bold brows.  These will not look like they grew naturally out of your face–and that’s ok!  This is for fun and if you choose a realistic brow color it will look fabulous.  Thin brows were not the style here so keep them full, and really work your whole space from corner to corner.  I prefer powder for brows when doing something bold and retro like this.  It gives it just a touch of softness.

Cheeks should not be shimmery–pink, peach or raspberry… applied nice and full right on the cheek.

Lips–yay!  Red!  Orange-red and raspberry red speak so well to this era.  Make sure that you don’t draw your little dip in the top lip too sharp or pointy.  If you are comfortable overdrawing a tad then DO go for it.  I’m not a huge huge fan of lipliners overall, but glossy/stainy lips weren’t really the thing….so if a liner helps clean up the whole lip, then make it part of the plan.  I’d go full cream or even slightly matte…no shimmer.

Now mix yourself a martini and get your Getz on!

Can’t help but share this truly inspiring project that I was honored to be a part of… The story? Peter Doyle, of Storyboard Life shoots a high-end book of women who have either survived or been touched by the effects of breast cancer.

The setup last year took place at Barnsley Gardens. It was very labor-intensive and so truly filled with thought and heart. Team Osaba hand-sewed all the clocks for the tree installation and I’ve never seen so many props meticulously laid out as in the table spread.

Peter shot tirelessly all day into dusk, paired with such a tremendous effort put in by all. The mad-hatter styled scene with cakes, tea cups (a real rabbit!), the long table, the brick walled ruins surrounding….standing there in person felt exactly as you imagine it would when looking at these photos.

This was one of those shoots where the end of the day leaves you absolutely exhausted and reeling from all the schlepping (not to mention the heat and humidity!) and walking to and fro.  This is the sort of creativity I’ve come to expect from Amy Osaba and Peter’s photography talent never disappoints.  If you’ve never checked out Barnsley Gardens, the trip to Adairsville is well worth the journey; it’s a wonderful getaway from the city and the perfect event location.

Ready for the Cream de la Cream? Literally.

Hands down, this is one of my ABSOLUTE favorite products. It’s a standout in my opinion, checking off all your foundation must-have standards at once. Creamy?  Yes.  Radiant?  Affirmative. Customizable coverage?  Mm-hmmm.  Works for any age?  You bet.

And as all great relationships have a great love story behind them, I can’t help but share this one. Once upon a time, a bride brought her own foundation to our trial run. It was La Praire Caviar Foundation.

I’ll be honest–make-up professional and all–I had never tried it. All I knew was how over-the-top pricey the stuff was. We got started and I dabbed the typical size dollop of the cushiony foundation on my hand. Newsflash and surprise to me — I barely used half of it!

The second I started smoothing it out over her face, I knew it had no equal. Seriously guys, when you know, you know. For a radiant (almost dewy) foundation to stay put so well…  well, that’s what we call bliss.

Ahhh, there she is…like buttuh.  (Love this photo!).  And that’s just a dab.  A wee blip of Caviar.  I couldn’t NOT want in on this action!

So, let’s get right to the point. This magic potion is $195 a jar. Yikes! I know. I started my LPCF days with what I could grab in samples (Porcelain Blush to be exact). Hoarded them is an understatement. At one point I considered licking the jars clean rather than waste one tiny morsel of goodness.

It was time to buy my own. Brain-rattling at first, I admit (although you do get the concealer complimentary with purchase), but this is possibly the best two hundo I have ever spent on a cosmetic product. And when you’re thinking long term investment, I have to point out that I will be hard pressed to use the bottle up before the expiration date.

Let me say this–and I mean this with every ounce of all-knowingness I can muster–NO price is too high for the perfect foundation for YOUR face. More important than a great pair of jeans, if you find a foundation that makes you feel flawless and gorgeous every single time you use it, buy it. Repeatedly. Forever. Never look back and don’t worry about the price.  Consider this:  At 365 dabs a year, it only costs you 60 cents a day.

When you put it that way…..

Kisses,

Mrs. O

“GET A FULL SET OF LASH EXTENSIONS FOR $85!”

…Sounds too good to be true, right? But who can pass up a deal like that? A much-coveted, luxury service available at a workin’ gal’s price? Sold.

Usually.

And, I’m not here to poo poo every smoking hot deal out there–even I pass on a (dare I say) coupon to my clients sometimes.  But if you find yourself toying with the idea of paying less than $100 bucks for real honest-to-goodness lash extensions then you may need to do a little more research. Ask questions. Ask to see a portfolio. Where did this stylist get trained?

I have seen my share of $50 lash extensions victims and it really breaks my heart. Really. Perfectly smart, wonderful people make this mistake. Don’t be that victim. Here’s how to tell if you’re doing the right thing.

Your extensions should NOT:

• take 30 minutes to apply
• itch, tug, pull
• make you want to constantly touch and play with them
• grow out all together in one even line
• Stick to one another

Your extensions SHOULD:

• feel weightless
• be individually separate–each and every lash!
• grow independently from one another
• fall out naturally at their own pace
• have zero (NONE!) discomfort

If this is you… or someone you know–fear not!  With a little TLC and proper remover they can be removed. It’s not always pleasant and it’s not always fast (the client in these pictures took a full hour for removal!), but it’s absolutely the best method.  Don’t try and pull, cut or use baby oil.

See how overly dense the base of the lashes look?  There are too many lashes being clumped together…You can see her tiny little natural lashes trying to hold up the weight of the world.  Putting on the thickest, longest lashes available on anyone who requests it is irresponsible!  There are limits, ladies.

Notice the clumps of natural lashes that are tangled into the extensions that were removed? Bad.

OH MY GOD!

Smiling, comfortable, relaxed, gorgeous happy Mrs. O lash client?  Good.

*All photos property of Raney O’Keefe, Inc.

It’s almost winter again, so I want to share this shoot from The Swan House. Muted tones, blushing colors and seriously insane photography (Ben Vigil, I still cannot believe you put that dress underwater!). This is one of my favorite looks to create for seasonal brides. It really accentuates the wintery look by playing UP the fact we’re not always tan in January… (or ever, for some of us!).  This look works especially well for women with lighter complexions and darker hair like Madison.

your perfect foundation (in her case we used airbrush foundation)

pepto-pink matte blush

peachy pink eye shadow

espresso colored poweder eye liner

a few coats of super black mascara

classic pink cream lipstick with a touch of pearly lipstick in the center to break up all the matte-ness

It’s just a slight tweak in your makeup tricks to get this – (let your blush travel slightly further in all directions on your cheeks than you’re used to–just make sure to blend a LOT!  Also, don’t worry about that “crease” or “contour” color on your lids.  Just put one wash of your peach/pink shadow from lash line to crease (blend a lot) .   The depth will come at the lash line.  Really concentrate the espresso liner into the lashes and then smudge a bit.  This keeps the look soft and uncomplicated.

This year’s prediction – Blushes were all the rage this year… And if Vogue has anything to say about it we’ll likely be seeing more bold lips on the wedding scene this fall and winter season.   The never-out-of-style element however is creamy radiant skin.  This shoot’s look is most effective when you let your inner snow white out and skip the bronzers and shimmery makeup products.

Orange lipstick is the bomb-diggity if you ask me. Lots of people are scared of it. And I suppose that’s fair, since it shares the spotlight with the likes of  construction cones and crossing guards.   So, I’m determined to show how any skin tone, ANY hair color (eyeballing YOU, red heads), ALL ages and any personality (no-you don’t have to be Cyndi) can rock an orange lip.

Ride the fence by keeping the rest of your makeup simple. I tend to think non-sparkly orange is best… as in shiny is alright, but not glittery. And you don’t have to wear black or white… I have no rules about what color clothing you need to wear with your lipstick color. Go Blue!  Go Red!

I scrounged up some shining examples of ladies out there showing off their sweet, Vitamin-C inspired smooches. What do you guys think?

That is… unless your buns have always been that way!

Personally, I think the messy bun thing is really cute, really sexy and if i’m going to be totally honest–a lazy girl’s best fall back look.

There are millions of ways to wear it–depending on what kinda kinks you have on your head… and how much determination and motivation you have in the mirror every morning. Here’s my cheat sheet:

Got loads of hair? Show off all that texture and volume! Stop right when you have it nice and big, lumpy, and in the general shape. Resist the urge to “fix” areas of imperfection… The whole point is to look fabulously undone.

An accessories junky? DO throw in a scarf. Or two! Hint: Belts are a great bonus to give this style an extra unique edge.

Feeling spunky? Trade the euro-style volume for a plain ole mess. WARNING: Messy and dirty do not necessarily mean the same thing. Greasy locks are an any-hair-do killer, especially if you are pulling it off your face!

A classic girl? Slick back for a “Ballerina Hits the Runway” bun. It’s sleek and romantic, but big enough to be considered serious couture. Disclaimer: This takes more hair than you think, so get your volumizing products in hand and brush up on your back combing.

So… Let’s kick things off with something for free!

Want to be a rockstar? Ok, here’s the skinny on what I really love: Avant-garde, out-of-this-world weaves, can’t-handle-it hair styles and anything your creative, rebellious left-brain can come up with.

Give me a bride willing to jump the fence of conventional, and I am on board, full swing, guns–err–hairbrushes a blazing.

So much so, that in honor of this brand-new, ROCK-STAR website, I want to find that ROCK-STAR bride out there who is on the hunt for someone to make her decked-out dreams come true on her big day.  Because one lucky daredevil is going to be sporting their ROCK-STAR dream “do” for free, compliments of moi!

Here’s how you make it happen – Submit your inspiration pics (3 max) and your idea for crazy couture hair and make-up on your wedding day. Tell me your story, tell me where you got your edge and how this would be just the icing on the cake for your nuptials!

Send all your submissions to rdecember6@gmail.com and I’ll post my faves on the blog every week until November 25th. Based on your votes and my level of can’t-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-this excitement, we’ll choose the winner and get down to bouffant business!