It's finally October! This is the first time my work has been in 4 magazines all in one month! It is in Rolling Stones, Oprah magazine, Brides Noir and Beauty News this month! Wonderful! Looking back on each shoot for those magazine, I can think of great memories but one of my favorites was the shoot with Vanessa Simmons!
The shoot took place in New York, the fashion district, at Rodney Young's studio. Rodney shares a studio with photographer Francis Hill so of course the studio was awesome! I walked in and saw her being fitted for the gowns and stopped dead in my tracks. When I first saw Vanessa, it was on the tv show "Run's House". She looked so young and girly on the show, and the person that stood before me that day looked so elegant and sophisticated!Since this month's issue was the grooms issue, the spread was called "Alter Ego" to focus on men's inspired outfits and girly gowns. Since we were doing to styles of clothing, I decided to do 2 styles of makeup and hair.
Since Vanessa's skin was so smooth and clear I only had to use a touch of airbrush makeup from Kett to add glow to her skin. The first look was clean and sweet, using Aveda products, for the girly looks. The look reminds me of her sweet personality. Even though she is a very successful entrepanuer, with a shoe line, and 2 jewelry lines she is still down to earth and humble, saying "all of this is a blessing and I want to always be humble about that!"Since I showed one side of her personality I had to make the second look different. I wanted everyone to see that Vanessa isn't a little girl that everyone thought they knew but a strong sexy sophisticated woman that can take charge so I did smokey eyes and a clean lip!
Now that I'm looking on newstands at the cover I'm glad the Alter Ego spread could show off the many talented personalities that make up Vanessa Simmons!
Beauty Questions
Beauty question: "What is the best foundation you use on your clients? I love how it looks so flawless, yet natural! Also, what product do you recommend for a nice glow? I wear C6 in Mac's makeup (and actually that's a little too dark for me, yet unfortunately the closet match). So what would you recommend to give me a nice glow. (And I dont mean a bronzer, I mean a bright glow.) And one last question for you Candace, I love how makeup artists use a technique to make the nose look smaller and more defined. I've tried that trick myself but when I do it, it is too noticeable. I use Mac's Refined Golden Bronzer to define my nose and I think it's too reddish and that's why it stands out. Can you recommend a better bronzer for a C6 skintone? And when you define your nose you just use a small brush to go straight down the sides right? Am I doing it ri!ght?"- from Tisha in Illinois.
Answer: A great foundation to try is by Cinema Secrets. It is creamy so it doesn't look dry and cakey on the skin. It also has high pigmentation so you don't need a lot.
If you are looking to put a shimmer on your skin try Kevyn Aucoin's Liquid Shimmer. Pat it on the upper cheekbone area and in the inner corners of eyes and upper bow of lip to add more "POP" to the look.
If you are trying to contour your face and a bronzer is too red, try using a face powder that is 2 shades darker then your skin. If you prefer a bronzer, go with a golden instead of a red based one. Wet N Wild has a golden based bronzer with little to no shimmer in it so it will look more natural. Use a eyeshadow blender brush to apply it so you don't get harsh lines.
Beauty question: "What is the best foundation you use on your clients? I love how it looks so flawless, yet natural! Also, what product do you recommend for a nice glow? I wear C6 in Mac's makeup (and actually that's a little too dark for me, yet unfortunately the closet match). So what would you recommend to give me a nice glow. (And I dont mean a bronzer, I mean a bright glow.) And one last question for you Candace, I love how makeup artists use a technique to make the nose look smaller and more defined. I've tried that trick myself but when I do it, it is too noticeable. I use Mac's Refined Golden Bronzer to define my nose and I think it's too reddish and that's why it stands out. Can you recommend a better bronzer for a C6 skintone? And when you define your nose you just use a small brush to go straight down the sides right? Am I doing it ri!ght?"- from Tisha in Illinois.
Answer: A great foundation to try is by Cinema Secrets. It is creamy so it doesn't look dry and cakey on the skin. It also has high pigmentation so you don't need a lot.If you are looking to put a shimmer on your skin try Kevyn Aucoin's Liquid Shimmer. Pat it on the upper cheekbone area and in the inner corners of eyes and upper bow of lip to add more "POP" to the look.
If you are trying to contour your face and a bronzer is too red, try using a face powder that is 2 shades darker then your skin. If you prefer a bronzer, go with a golden instead of a red based one. Wet N Wild has a golden based bronzer with little to no shimmer in it so it will look more natural. Use a eyeshadow blender brush to apply it so you don't get harsh lines.
Beauty question: "I am only 17 but I feel like my skin isn't as vibrant as a lot of girls my age. I don't know if I should sleep more or drink more water or if I'm missing a vitamin in the foods I
eat, but I want healthier skin! Any ideas?" from Haley in California.Answer: All skin needs good exfoliation to get rid of dead skin cells that can give you a dull look. Try Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula. It is even one of Allure magazine's favorite products too.
It is gentle enough to use daily to get rid of dull skin cells to make your skin more vibrant. Dehydrated skin also looks dull so always finish with a moisturizer every day. If you have a oily skin you have plenty of oil in your skin so opt for a water based moisturizer instead of a regular one.
Beauty question: "I dont know if you can help me with this i am a latina i use mac studio fix nc40. I am getting highlight in my hair dont know if to get a hair something with more ash color in it or more orange tone in it. I dont want my face to look darker than it it is. I found out that my skin tone is warm and i might say be more of a light olive or so."- from Miss Guzman in California .
Answer: It is hard to give you hair color suggestions without seeing you but if you have any red in your skin, go with only gold in your hair. Any additional red in your hair will make you skin appear even redder. If you have golden undertones but a touch of green to your skin, and some Latinas do, then go with a more coppery hair color to add more warmth to your skin.
If you are still not sure go to a wig shop and try on wigs with both hair colors and you will be able to see what you look like before you invest in the real thing!
Next month will be more beauty answers but only if YOU keep sending me those questions!
MY FAVORITE THINGS
Answer: It is hard to give you hair color suggestions without seeing you but if you have any red in your skin, go with only gold in your hair. Any additional red in your hair will make you skin appear even redder. If you have golden undertones but a touch of green to your skin, and some Latinas do, then go with a more coppery hair color to add more warmth to your skin.
If you are still not sure go to a wig shop and try on wigs with both hair colors and you will be able to see what you look like before you invest in the real thing!
Next month will be more beauty answers but only if YOU keep sending me those questions!
MY FAVORITE THINGS
I am really loving the Skindinavia products! I spoke about the Makeup Finishing Spray on a tv segment and have been using it ever since. I love how light it feels on the skin, yet has a heavy impact on keeping your makeup in place and your skin looking flawless! It is definitely a MUST HAVE!
