food – MUAHbyAlex

When opportunity knocks, open that door!

There is just something so incredibly optimistic about 2013. As we are approaching the end of February, I find myself asking a lot of questions about my goals, what I want to accomplish, what my intentions are and if I’m ready? I really feel that 2013 is full of possibilities. I believe you need to think about and even write down your goals every so often. Remind yourself to always chase after success. I am absolutely ready to dive in & devote all of my time into my work, and crawl up that ladder in my career. I love what I do! I wouldn’t waste my time pursing it so much, if I didn’t love it. I feel that the world would be much happier if everyone found work in what they love doing. I fully respect all other artists, experts & beginners. Especially the artists that have paved the way before me! I treat people, the way I want to be treated, and I’ll never stop learning. You are constantly learning in this industry. If you think you know it all… Think again, and maybe this industry is not the right one for you. It takes a lot of time. & with time your going to fail.. ACCEPT THAT! Better yourself from your mistakes that’d you have and will make. I love assisting more experienced, professional artists that have so much to teach. It gives you the opportunity to see how a very experienced person handles all aspects of a shoot, show, or job. I am confident that my 2013 will be a more thoughtful, lovely, strict mindset on being positive and thinking positive, and full of possibilities….. When opportunity knocks, open that door!

Last Monday, I enjoyed prepping models for the Mark Mcnairy show during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Lucky for me the temperatures warmed up after blizzard Nemo… Who name’s a blizzard Nemo? Haha! I couldn’t help but notice Nigel Barkers twitter update during my train ride to NYC: “White is in. Nemo is making a dramatic fashion statement.” Working for a fashion show, always seems to inspire me & I couldn’t help but admire all the handsome, french, “Edward Cullen” vampire look-a-likes surrounding me. HELLO!

Our lead makeup artist was Victor Amos. Who is beyond fabulous and does amazing work. Be sure to check out his blog: Probeautyblog.com

I was so happy to work next to so many great artists including Tara Pagliara who is not only a friend, but an inspiration! The look Victor created was beautiful skin, with a strong highlight and light contour for both the men and women. For the women they used a deep cherry lip color (I believe a Tom Ford color, but can’t remember which shade).

As for the hair, the girls wore a low side, messy braid. And let’s not forget the fashion… A lot of fun prints and outerwear. I noticed a lot of oversized pockets and blazers. I read somewhere that Mark Mcnairy is collaborating a sneaker line with Adidas (which I didn’t know while I was at the show) but found interesting.

Last week I also had pleasure working for a Cross Fit photo shoot, doing makeup for Love In Bloom. Love In Bloom is an organization that Vivan Photography started in memory of her step daughter, helping young girls make healthy life choices. This Cross Fit gym was filled with young, smart (strong) girls that were chosen to represent this years Love In Bloom scholarship fund. I was really happy to work with fellow artists, Jenny Greene-Magliano and Tara Pross-Pellegrino and of course my fabulous hair crew from Salon 52! The Poughkeepsie Journal covered the event, which was nice too.

I’ve done a few more jobs, and making sure to keep staying busy. I’ll post photos of what I’ve been up to .. One of my DirecTV commercials I did makeup & grooming for should be airing during The Oscars .. So be on the lookout ! Starting with this image of Nastasia Scott (America’s Next Top Model cycle 19) taken by Lora Warnick.. Made it to the cover of a magazine! Hair by Anthony HollywoodStylist Terry & Styling by Dawn of New York. Second Image taken by Tess Johnson.

I was recently awarded Best of 2013 (Makeup artist) voted from local brides of The Knot.. Picked up this magazine yesterday..

And I will add that it is not easy eating healthy while running around, doing all this work. As much as I dread it at times, I can’t afford to get sick or feel unenergized. My favorite dinner meal is below. Bake chicken, then chop into tiny pieces, put chicken pieces in zip lock bag with hot sauce (no calories) .. Shake it up, then cook on skillet on high heat until the hot sauce caramelizes. To cool it down, I dip it in Non-Fat greek yogurt ( I add a tiny bit of hot sauce, garlic and pepper ) which is a great alternative opposed to ranch dressing or bleu cheese. Bake sweet potatoes on the side. Nom Nom nom…

-Lots of water, lemon water & Green tea!

-Protein!

-Spinach

-Sweet potatoes

-Hummus

-Chicken

-Non fat greek yogurt

-Egg whites

-Vitamins

-Almond Milk

-Ezekiel brand cereals & bread

Happy Monday followers! Have a great week… Looking forward to a lot of brides this week.. Bring it on xoxo

Who runs the world?! GIRLS!

Beyonce once asked, “Who runs the world?” To which we all unanimously responded from the dance floor “GIRLS!” With the big Beyonce concert last night, (and some football in between ) I was so excited to spend some time with my GIRLS! Let’s discuss how Miss Queen B herself, literally shut it downnnnnn! Like..the electricity and everything… You could definitely tell she was singing her not so little butt off live last night, full of such high energy! I was a tiny bit disappointed that her boo Jay Z didn’t come out and join her during the Crazy In Love performance. But my disappointment was completely gone when the reunion of Desitiny’s Child was on the big screen! The trio looked hot and sang their hit songs, Survivor, Bootylicious & Independent Woman… Nonetheless BeyonceBowl was nothing less of epic!!

Beyonce wore a shimmery grey smokey eye with a bit of bronze to intensify her eyes. Intensify they did, almost making her eyes look demon-ish to me.. Sorry B! She obviously looked gorgeous & fierce no matter what (especially after having a baby!), but I wish there was a bit more color used in her eyes. Her skin? Flawless as always. Hair? Big and voluptuous. This Hair style is so easy to re create! Create a deep middle part, curl hair in vertical pattern using your curling iron or wand, then gently brush out the curls using a brush with soft bristles, turn your head upside down, shake a bit, add some soft hair spray and wah lah ! Her outfit? Leather outfit with knee socks looking like a modern day version of Xena, Warrior Princess.. Yes please!

B’s version of warrior…

My version …

I was so happy I got to spend some time with my ladies, but let’s admit… any big event like “BeyonceBowl” (super bowl) can be a huge calorie FEST and compare to holidays such as Thanksgiving. Ummm.. No thanks! I’m absolutely sticking that New Years Resolution I made and obtaining a healthy life style. Luckily, my friends are on the same page as me, and hosted a fabulous, healthy party. Marissa & Joe prepared:

-Sweet Potato fries with greek siracha

-Salsa

-Black bean dip

-Fresh guacamole

-Baked hot chicken wings (hot sauce on the side)

-Chocolate protein Balls

We passed on the beer (I’m not a beer drinker anyway) and sipped on our tea and water bottles instead. If you did binge on beer, chips and wings like most party go-ers did last night, it’s okay! Nothing a little extra gym time, detox tea, and lemon water can’t fix! I’m following a Fab Ab February challenge I found via Instagram.

New Vitamin I’m trying out:

I’m going to post a few recent photos I received this week of recent work I’ve been up to. Lots of bridal trials this week and photo shoots scheduled! Can’t wait to post about it 🙂 Let’s not forget NYFW is upon us….you can find me backstage with my handy dandy brushes and pallets! For now, Happy Monday.. Hope your week is off to a fabulous start!

Makeup & Hair for friend & personal client:

Before & After on a bride’s mother.. wanted a very natural look, so I kept it simple but still enhanced her natural beauty!

ME & MY GIRLS:

XOXO,

Would you like a cup of tea?

Hello beauties! Hope the start to your 2013 has been great so far! I’ve been focusing so much on work. As Confucius once said, “choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”… easier said then done right? I absolutely love what I do, but work is still work. This year lets cheers to pushing our comfort zones a bit more. This year I’m hoping to focus my efforts and seek out opportunities that excite me the most. You see, I’m a little all over the place, constantly diving into various projects. I get bored too easily, and constantly need to be booking a job, or doing the next best thing to get me to my goal.

I am happy to say I am key makeup artist for the Miss New York USA pageant this month, and will be in charge of 2o other artists. I’m hoping to meet Trump before the event, I would love to get my hands on his hair to fix it up a bit 😉 I also just booked a job doing makeup for a Bank of America shoot next week and 15 upcoming weddings for this year so far. The thing with being a makeup artist is you never know who your going to meet, and what jobs are going to come your way. It’s a very hectic, busy, colorful lifestyle but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Makeup & hair for Miss Samantha DeRosa for her big concert last night!

But now I’d like to take a moment to discuss tea. Tea is my second favorite love after makeup and slightly before my collection of Yankee candles. Ever since watching Alice in Wonderland, I’ve been a fan of tea. I mean, how can you not? I will confess, I’m a tea drinker all year long. You will find me sipping on hot the from the depths of winter to the blazing hot summer.I have always loved the idea of tea time. Tea time is definitely one of the main highlights of my day. It has become not only a love, but an obsession. It reawakens my senses in the morning and then rejuvenates my body at the end of a crazy, hectic day.

Tea is warming, soothing and welcoming. Did you know that after water, tea is the second most commonly consumed beverage in the world? With many health benefits, a well-earned tea break can be the “healthy way” to relax, calm ourselves, and help us catch our breath in the bustle of our busy days.

Thank you to the ancient Chinese emperor for discovering tea, after his servant boiled drinking water after some leaves accidentally blew into the water. So I guess I should thank his servant too. There are so many varieties of tea- green, white, black, herbal, red, etc.

A tea bag is great for my quick cup of tea, but I love taking loose tea and taking a few minutes to brew it. It’s a ritual for me. Saturday afternoons I like to get lunch and tea at the local tea room with friends. I’ve hosted a handful of tea parties. Whats better than sipping on herbs sharing your week with your ladies, while enjoying the smell of earthy-tea aromas and delicious finger foods and scones? mmm.. not much.

The first photo is of a tea pot I made and painted at a pottery place & the next is my favorite set my bf bought me for my birthday 🙂

Ahh.. there is nothing better than a good cup of tea. You can sit back enjoying this beverage that not only tastes so good but does you good. Now that is refreshing. Happy tea drinking to all! May ALL of your dreams and goals happen in 2013!

Live well.

xo,

Favorite must-have oils !

I want to quickly share with you my absolute favorite oils, that I use all the time, which are completely natural and organic. I took a bath last night and added some avocado oil to the water. Woke up this morning and my skin is still silky smooth. Slept with grape seed oil on my face, which I do once a week and ugh the results are refreshing. Woah, woah… Rubbing oil .. on your body? Eh, okay… but, on your face?! Sounds like a set up for disaster, right? Think again pretties. These natural, oil-based products help the skin stay balanced and have unbelievable results, once you try you’ll never go back.

Raw Coconut oil, not only good for you, but it’s one of my FAVORITE beauty treatments!

Great makeup remover including eye makeup
amazing hair conditioner… add some coconut oil to your hair after shampooing (avoiding your roots) wrap it in a small bun overnight, rise with cool water in the morning… say hi to your new beautiful, shiny, soft hair
Moisturizing mask for your face.. Perfect for winter time! Leave on for about 20 minutes and rise off … Instant hydration
Aftershave. Immediately calms and soothes skin.
Improves skin tone and reduced wrinkles
reduces appearance of stretch marks and reduces cellulite

Grapeseed oil, found in health food stores. One of my favorite skin moisturizers. It absorbs quickly, and used a lot during professional massages/facials.

-High in antioxidants which helps fight free radicals from the environment that causes damage to the skin
-Another great eye-makeup remover. This oil breaks down mascara and moisturizes the eye at the same time.
-Makes eyelashes grow longer and stronger over time
-Protects collagen which is essential for beautiful, healthy skin.
-Anti-aging properties helping you fight off the aging process
-Helps repair scars

Acocado Oil is such a pure, beneficial way to treat and nourish your skin effectively.

-Add to baths for soft skin
-Penetrates skin deeply making it an excellent moisturizer
-Protects against and reduces wrinkles
-Also helps heals scars
-Minimizes pores
-Contains a natural SPF
-Perfect use for mature skin
-Reduces blemishes

Sesame seed oil is rich in antioxidants and pulls toxins from your skin.

-Prevents against blackheads
-Fades dark spots
-Great to leave on face overnight
-Antioxidant
-antibacterial
-Lather this oil onto your feet and wear clean white socks to help soften your feet
-natural barrier that protects skin and hair from smoke

Here is one of my favorite beauty cocktails 🙂

1/2 cup sesame seed oil
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water

This will make your skin GLOW!

Dr. Alkaitis Oil a calming, holistic facial oil sent to me to try & review. In LOVE with this oil, I use it every other night on my face.

-Cleans up blemishes
-Plumps up skin
-Leaves skin glowing
-All ingredients used are edible and 100% natural and organic.
-Refreshes skin
-Helps skin maintain a healthy balance

Couldn’t do without my tea tree oil! I like to lather my face in tea tree oil and then steam my face. It opens up my pores and cleans everything out.

-Kills bacteria
-Antibacterial product that gets rid of acne
-Treats sunburn
-Reduces inflammation
-Organic and natural causing no side effects
-Helps dry skin, one of my main products in my shampoo!

I officially replaced shaving cream with this extra virgin olive oil. Olive oils work as an intense moisturizer. I wouldn’t use this on your face because it can clog pores (it’s thick), but it is amazing for your body. Shave your legs with olive oil and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. This can relieve and heal dry skin, eczema and psoriasis. It soothes the skin and makes your legs feel silky smooth without feeling oily after shaving 🙂

Happy Friday! Off to do makeup this weekend.. Everyone have a great weekend!

XO!

Halloween time

Hi 🙂 Thanks for reading! This week has been crazy, busy.. I had bridal trials this week, brides yesterday, halloween makeup applications booked, and more brides today & Sunday! Like I said in my last post, Fall is one of my favorite seasons. It is also my busiest season. I find that my skin becomes more dry during these cooler months, so I find myself spending a little bit more time taking care of my skin in the morning and night than I would in the summer or spring. I recently been experimenting with new product lines. As far as skin care lines, I really love organic and natural products. I know what exactly I’m putting on my skin, and I know it’s not harmful.

I have been using Dr. Alkaitis Organic & Holistic line. It truly works wonders! I talked to them about my job and my blog, & they were willing to send me samples for my guests to try at my blog launch and I’ve been getting great responses. *There is also a sample cleanser in my goodie bag for my October giveaway! “If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your face” is what Dr. Alkaitis promotes, and I agree!. Health IS the essential foundation of beauty! You can purchase a sample pack online at alkaitis.com and the samples last about 3 weeks. It is very light, containing coconut, jojoba, shea, sesame oil, and other raw, natural ingredients that work wonders on your skin. I used the organic enzyme exfoliating mask and I saw a difference in my skin immediately. I liked how you had to mix the mask your self, taking 2 tsp of the mask mixing it with equal portions of water. It brightened my complexion and helped even out my skin tone. I’ve been using these products every day starting with the cleanser, following with toner, moisturizer and eye cream. At night I’ll add their oil to my moisturizer, so when I wake up my face feels fresh and soft. I should also add that I grew up having psoriasis. Which is when you get very, dry patches all over your skin. Since I’ve been using natural products, my skin really has improved almost 100%. (also eating clean and drinking lots of water!) So if you suffer from this, I can relate! And definitely recommend trying out this line!

I also tried out an exfoliating mask from Karuna. OMG! I will continue to use this mask once a week. Karuna masks comes in a packet, it’s a all-natural fiber cloth which helps retain moisture. Your supposed to leave the mask on for 10-20 minutes, but I left my mask on for a solid 30 minutes. Once you remove the mask, their is no need to rinse off your face. Karuna is a line of “convenience”, one-step, no rise product. It felt a bit slimy afterwards but I just massaged all the residue into my skin and onto my neck. Immediately my skin felt fresh, clean, smooth, brighter, and plump! All my friends sent me photos of themselves wearing the mask, and I took some myself, but it’s a bit scary, and alien-ish so I’ll hold back on posting those. LOL I also would recommend these for your weekly mask. You can also receive one in my October giveaway goodie bag!

Now that I shared my fall time skin regime with you, let’s talk makeup! I know I posted about Collodion in my last post, and I’m so excited that I finally tried it out! My friend Justine wanted me to re-create my creepy doll halloween look from last year. It’s so fun doing beauty makeup for brides all day, then coming home to do fun, halloween makeup! Take a look below 🙂

Another EASY, fun way to spice up your Halloween look is to mask your own mask! I participated in a hair show last month, and I had to do the makeup for a butterfly. I really was stumped and didn’t want to be corny and paint on a butterfly, so I tried to get really creative. I took some puffy paint (found at walmart or any craft store, for like $1 a piece) and started to paint on a laminated folder 2 wings. I free handed “a face” on the folder, so I knew exactly where the eyes were and started to paint. I made a thick layer, threw on some sparkles, even using some of my MAC pigment colors. It took a couple hours for it to completely dry. I peeled it off and wahhh lahh! I had my butterfly “mask”. It was so simple to apply. I tested one out on myself first. I just took eyelash glue and applied to the back of the mask, letting it become tacky before putting it on my face. Once I tried it on myself, I sent it to Aly (the hair creator of the butterfly) and she loved it! She said she was incorporating lace so I made another mask, this time applying lace. I cut out the lace to fit the mask and once this mask had dried, I put the lace on using fabric glue. Check it out! This is fun, esp. for kids!

You have to love fall and Halloween time because of the exciting costume ideas, the colors of the season and the beginning of the holiday season. One of my favorite fruits of the year is the pumpkin. It’s the perfect fall symbol, an amazing color of orange, it’s tasty—and it’s fun to carve. Pumpkin tea, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin EVERYTHING! Fall is one of the BEST times to make your own at home skin care treatments because of the tasty delights and seasonal goodies that come around. What’s better is that natural skin care is always a great choice for you.. Have fun with it! After you and your girlfriends, finish carving your pumpkins, use those guts for a good cause 😉 Pumpkin facials!

Pumpkin facial mask

Take 3 tablespoons of pumpkin puree and add 1-2 tablespoons of honey
Add 1 tablespoon of milk (regular for oily skin or buttermilk for dry skin)
Optional-add plain yogurt to mixture
Spread paste onto your face and keep on for 10-15 minutes.
Rinse off with water.

*Be sure to make your mask thick enough that it’s not dripping off your face.

Both of these at home skin care recipes using natural pumpkin will leave your skin smooth and glowing. It’s a festive way to help get the most out of the seasons with the nature around you.

Me & my friend Jessica at the Jane Hotel this week, holding up our “No No” signs ! LOL

Okay! Off to a wedding. Time to get the bride beautified! LOVE MY JOB!!! Thank you for reading.