Hair & makeup I did for host Rosie Noise 🙂 Check it out!
Tag: makeup artist
LOVE ORCHARD movie trailer I did hair & makeup for!
I was on the hair & makeup team for this film.. check it out! The little girl was so cute!
MAKEUP & HAIR I DID FOR MUSIC CHOICE WITH MINDLESS BEHAVIOR
these boys were adorable and so fun to work with.. Go check out there movie in theaters now! All around the world!
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!Â
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
DIY winter beauty regimens
I can’t lie and say I don’t love waking up to a beautiful snowfall in the morning, but lets be honest… This dragging winter has left us with much larger issues than shoveling fatigue. I’m talking dry skin, dry, dull hair strands, and dry feet (ew) that hasn’t seen much… besides the inside of our winter boots. Ladies (and fabulous gents) please if your hair and body is feeling a bit parched this season, take some time out for yourself to whip up some of these DIY beauty regimens, so you’ll be sitting pretty this winter!
Body scrub for dry skin
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
15 drops peppermint essential oil
½ cup used coffee grounds from a freshly brewed pot
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and thoroughly blend. Transfer the scrub to a wide mouthed jar, and store in a cool place until ready to use. The scrub will keep a little over a week. Make sure to keep refrigerated! This is a treatment thats used in Thai spas and a luxurious start to any cold day.
Mask for Dry Skin
½ avocado
¼ cup honey
Mash the avocado in a bowl, then stir in honey. Apply to skin and leave for 10 minutes, then rinse.
Eye De-Puffer
2 chamomile or green tea bags
Make a cup of tea for yourself to enjoy, while admiring the winter wonderland outside your house. Remove tea bags and place in refrigerator until chilled. Place cool tea bags on closed eyes for 10 minutes.
Smooth Dry Hands & Feet
Mix 1/4 tsp of olive oil and 1/4 tsp of sugar and massage into the backs of hands & feet. The oil will soften, while sugar removes scaly, dead skin cells.
For Dry Hair:
A quarter cup of coconut oil, two tsp of extract, one tbsp of apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of warm water. Microwave the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds then mix ingredients. Coconut oil helps seal the cuticle of the hair, also leaving the hair super shiny and packed with tons of protein! So important for healthy hair !! Leave on for 15 minutes then rinse with cool water.
On another note, who watched the season premiere of syfy’s FACE OFF last night?! If you have not watched this show, and your a makeup junkie like me GO WATCH! It has some of the most beautiful and creative work on television.
My good friend Jason competed on the last season of the show, soon after, landing a job on Saturday Night Live. Go Jason! This season, the challenges are most intense than they’ve ever been and I’m happy to say, my other friend Meagan is a contestant on the show. We attended her premiere party last night and was pleasantly (not surprised) that she won the first challenge. So excited for her and to watch the rest of the season!
Ok! Tea & American Horror Story time.. This weekend you can find me doing makeup for the Miss New York pageant ! I am so excited that I’m key makeup artist. 🙂 I will keep you posted!
Xoxo
A Beautilicious Weekend!
Ahh.. Weekends are always a fabulous time to recharge and relax.. unless your a makeup artist named Alexandria. It’s been a work hard kinda week which is great in my opinion, but exhausting. This week seemed to fly by, don’t you think? I started my week off in Brooklyn shooting a DirecTV commercial, followed by another commercial shoot. The second shoot was a corporate commercial for hospitals around the country. Gary from Christine Studios produced the shoot, and the crew from Moving Pictures directed and filmed it. These guys are legit. I love working with them! I met them working weddings. If your a bride that needs photography or videography, PLEASE check out Christine Studios & Moving Pictures. You won’t be disappointed.
While we are on the topic of brides, a brief background about me…. I’ve been a makeup artist for about 4 years now, working all types of jobs including entertainment and photo shoots, but I specialize in bridal makeup. I recently won Best of 2013 from the Knot. I get a lot of brides asking if I travel and I do! In addition to makeup, I work with fabulous hair stylists that I love doing weddings with! Some of these stylists you can find at Salon 52 in Poughkeepsie. This past weekend we threw an event at the salon, “Blow dry bootcamp”. My job was to give mini makeup lessons and tutorials to new clients. 30 minute one on one sessions. I had all the ladies bring their own makeup. I think it’s great for ladies to learn how to apply the makeup they already have correctly, and learn to create their best looks with their own products! All the proceeds we made that night were donated to a hurricane sandy relief. The event was successful and I can not wait to do it again!
Today, I did a cover shoot with gorgeous model Nastasia Scott, 20, from Cycle 19 of America’s next top model.
Such a beauty inside and out. Our shoot today was so fun! We didn’t just do our jobs, but singed and danced and laughed all day! She’s still going to school, even though she’s signed with the top modeling agencies in the world which is awesome. She is determined to finish her degree no matter what. I did the makeup, while Anthony “Hollywoodstylist” Terry styled her locks. Anthony and I bonded immediately after Nastasia asked what skin care products I recommended for her and we both quickly replied with “Hylunia!” haha you beauties know how much I love HYLUNIA products and anyone that loves it as much as me! I also want to shout out our lovely photographer today, Lora Warnick ; stylist, Dawn from Dawn of New York ; & videographer, Harry B from HarryBVideos !
Alright, I am a bit of an awards season junkie & I’m about to log off to finish watching the Golden Globes as I’m studying the hair and makeup.. (and loving that Tina Fey & Amy Poehler are hosting this show) but just to answer a few quick questions I’ve received recently….
…My favorite foundation: Makeup Forever HD
…My favorite eye-shadow primer: Potion by Urban Decay
…My favorite hair treatment: It’s a 10 Miracle Mask (sulfate free)
…Favorite pressed powder: MAC mineral skin finish
Everyone enjoy the rest of your Sunday !
XO,
What makeup is right for you?
The wrong makeup can make your skin or acne worse! Being a makeup artist I tell ALL of my clients this. People with less than perfect skin (including myself!) Can NOT use heavy foundation and oily concealers! Your skin will never clear up if your not using the right products for your face. The only time I’ve used heavy foundation and powders was for commercials or films I was working on. Every major makeup company now makes oil-free foundations!
My favorite foundation to use on myself and for all my brides is Makeup Forever foundation.Â
The MUFE HD Foundation is housed in a typical plastic bottle which comes with a pump that dispenses just the right amount of product. I find this foundation makes the skin soft with a dewy finish. The coverage is pretty good for a liquid foundation – it covers most imperfections such as fainted acne marks, freckles etc. It lasts about 5-6 hours on me looking fresh. Best of all it photographs very well.
When I don’t use foundation, I use tinted moisturizer.
Laura Mercier is my favorite! This is mainly what I use during the summer. It contains SPF which is always a plus 🙂
My favorite concealer right now is Laura Mercier’s secret camouflage.
The Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage is a two-shade compact concealer. There are currently eight shade combinations available. The one I use is SC-2. This product is for use on any part of the face that you want to even out. Two shades give you some leeway to mix the product to match your undertone. The consistency is that of a firm cream. I find that it works very well for spot concealing. You can find this online, or at your local sephora.
I also have a love for Erase Paste by benefit.
The tub of product is incredibly tiny for $26 (just .15 oz), but thankfully you only need a VERY tiny bit to get the job done, so this product lasts me a very long time! This concealer comes in three different shades: Fair, Medium and Dark .. I use No. 2 Medium shade. It’s great for colour correcting if you have dark under eye circles or a red pimple! It’s also a dream to blend. You can find both of these products at Sephora.
For people with oily skin, use mineral foundations, it helps your skin become matte for longer. I like a “dewy” look so I add High beam by benefit to my every day routine for some extra glow.
Urban decay has a great spray called “dew me” which is a setting spray, also creating that glowing finish.
Here’s a photo from my makeup space yesterday, working on set for a DirecTV commercial:
I’m filming for another commercial again this week, then booked up Friday with one-on-one makeup lessons and tutorials! If you have any other makeup questions, please ask! Love to all readers! Be positive, stay hard working, and be beautilicious ALWAYS!
XO!
Hello Lashes!
Hello beauties ! Sorry I’ve been slacking with blog posts, after my recent trip to Miami I’ve been so sick with a head and chest cold that I’ve been fighting to shake off! Well I’m starting to feel a little better and have something fabulous to share about how you can amp up your look this winter…. but first, does anyone else feel like they blinked their eyes and Christmas is pretty much here?! The holiday is approaching us … quick! For many people the Christmas period is not only a time to relax and spend precious time with our loved ones but also to look your finest. What better feeling than to look and feel your best while entering the new year? I certainly don’t feel that I’m the only one to think eye lashes are eye catching, so why not amp up your eyes this month? I couldn’t help but be swept away by the overwhelming trend of lashes this season. It seems as though so many celebrities and models have gigantic, lush eyelashes. Eyelash extensions always scared me. I’ve seen them done and go wrong and actually rip out real, natural lashes before… Yikes! So when it came to lash extensions, I always thought to run… FAST! That was until I met with Phyliss! Miss eyelash extension herself! My friend Nicole recommended her to me. She explained to me that lash extensions are not only popular and luxurious but save you so much time. Of course I had to try them. Since I’d be staying with Kim Kardashian’s personal makeup artist in Miami, it inspired and motivated me to go with long luxurious lashes like Kim! So two nights before Miami, I booked my appointment with Phyliss. Not only is she trained and certified, but she has worked on celebrities such as Scarlet Johansen, Cindy Crawford & Megan Fox (my ultimate girl crush) I was definitely nervous, and she laughed and reassured me to calm down! Haha! She made it very comfortable for me. She showed me before and after photos of her work so I could see samples. The whole process took a little over an hour. I lied down as she sat behind me and placed a white sticky pad underneath my eye on the lower lash line to keep the bottom lashes separate from the top. We talked the entire time which made the process go by so much quicker. Once she was done applying, I was so anxious to get up and stare in the mirror. To my surprise, there was absolutely NO IRRITATION (and I have extremely sensitive eyes)  It was completely painless, and looked fabulous !
In my opinion, lash extensions are the answer! The answer for the woman who spend so much time curling her lashes, the answer for the ladies who spends time putting on several coats of mascara, and the answer for me, a makeup artist who is busy and just wants to wake up and go in the morning! These are a good option and look amazing especially if you like instant beautiful, long dark lashes, without mascara, curling or fusing over a daily lash growth product. Lash extensions are semi-permanent and last up to 4-6 weeks. They fall out gradually with the cycle of your eyelash growth. You are continuously growing new lashes as the old ones fall out. They don’t ruin your natural eyelash! Your lashes will continue to grow. Phyliss was very precise with her application which is very important! You do however, want to avoid oil around your eyes. The oil breaks down the adhesive making the eyelash extensions fall out faster. Don’t pull or pick your lashes. When you get wet your face just don’t rub your eyes (which you shouldn’t do anyway) Every 3-4 weeks you will need fills. I’ll probably schedule for fills next week. It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve had them and they still look and feel fabulous! They feel so lightweight and look so natural. It costs about $200 for an application although Phyliss is running a special until Christmas for only $99!!!! JUMP ON THAT! She’s located in lower Westchester, NY.  If your not in the NY area and you are interested in lash extensions, make sure they are certified and trained in lash extensions! Make sure to see samples of their work, and read reviews. You absolutely do not want to take any risks what so ever with your eyes! If you see eyelash extensions for $30, they are not the same kind of lashes and appointment you should experience.
Again, I don’t wear much makeup (surprising since applying makeup is my job) so this makes “getting up and going” much more pleasant! The photo below I’m wearing very minimal makeup. For my eyes I just applied a super thin shadow above my lash line.
Enjoy ladies 😉
XOXO
MIAMI 2012
December is a hard partying month. Especially this December… Isn’t the world “supposedly ending” in 2 weeks? Who makes these ridiculous accusations up? But, “Bob” forbid it is, what better way to kick this December off than a four day weekend in the sun? Not to mention, who doesn’t love a little bit of warmth and sunshine during the winter holidays?! I have completed well over 60 weddings this season, and a ton of makeup jobs in between so I NEEDED this weekend get-a-way. And Miami is the perfect place for a mini vacation. I do not claim to be the best packer, but I must say that I have made strides in overcoming the need to pack my entire closet room, into my luggage for a weekend trip. When it comes to figuring out what makeup and skin care products to pack, I STRESS! Yeah, packing clothes, bikinis and shoes are easy. But packing makeup and beauty supplies is definitely more daunting. I had to pack light. So what are my travel beauty essentials?
– Harney & Sons Green Tea & a tiny jar of honey
-BLISS oil free makeup remover
-Secret deodorant
-Betsey Johnson shades
-MAC blacktrack gel liner
-Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer with 20 spf
-Benefit Erase paste
-Benefit Bad Gal lash
-Benefit Highbeam
-NARS blush in Orgasm
-Smashbox Photo OP
-Model in a Bottle setting spray
-Somme Institute travel pack 5 step cleansing routine
-Visine
-Lily B eye cream and travel sized moisturizer
-Hand Sanitizer
-Simply Bee~utiful lip palm
-Aura Cacia lavender oil
-Sample sized Hylunia Beyond C
-NARS mini primer
-Caudalie spray
-Kiss my face sunscreen
-Redken Powder refresh
We booked our trip during the busiest weekend of the year in Miami, thanks to the Art Basel. The Art Basel features thousands of artists with hoards of collections and exhibits. You can only imagine how many people flew in from all over the world to attend this event. In the week leading up to the Art Basel, I had to mentally and physically prepare. An oxygen facial at La Tua bella beauty bar was a necessity the night before my Miami arrival, along with lash extensions from Phyliss and a full body massage to prep myself for the plane ride. Yes its only a 2 1/2 hour flight but come on! Being a makeup artist I’m hunching over enough as it is, sitting in place for too long kills my back and butt ! So I needed the knots OUT! Going to Miami, also meant going to an insanely nice hotel that overlooks the water. We chose Fountaine Bleau on Collins Rd. Rates for Miami this past weekend were not favorable since the Art Basel was taking place, so we figured we might as well book a luxurious room way up high in the Miami Skyline making the night more than worth while and convenient, considering we were attending LIV (nightclub) also in our hotel. This was a gorgeous hotel and I’d absolutely recommend and would love to stay here again. Oh Miami, how I’ve missed you so! Sunny skies and an incredibly breathtaking view of the ocean from my friend’s balcony where we stayed the remainder of our visit.
Thank you Zack and Rob for welcoming me and my girlfriend Alyse in their dreamy penthouse. Zack is a “Zack-of-all-trades” haha. But really. He is. He is too much fun, whether it was going out and partying or just lounging around, I’m so happy I got to bond with him and his friend/co-worker Cesar. I can’t wait to visit and spend more time with them. Rob Scheppy, the other roomie was nothing less than fabulous. First impression, he had amazing shoes. Loved him from the start. He had us peeing ourselves laughing later the next night while sitting on the balcony as he shared his hilarious stories. These guys have incredible energy that I just loved to be around. Taking you back through a bit of my Miami holiday vacation, my time was split between laying on the beach, hanging out the crew from my favorite show on E! I’ll let you do the guessing 😉 , eating at my buddy Flavio’s AMAZING restaurant La Lupa di Roma (please eat there if you haven’t), a performance by Jay Z, jungle dancing to house music at some of the hottest clubs, shopping was a must, hanging out with my friend Skeery Jones and his co-workers from Z-100, meeting new friends and lounging around enjoying the weather. I’d call it a total success. With cute boutiques and shops spread out all over, shopping is a fabulous way to discover some of Miami. Miami is literally a party every day. It’s also a city that always gets my creative juices flowing. So much beauty, fashion, and flamboyance gets my mind thinking of new inspirations and ideas! I created two short videos from our trip. All content was recorded with my iPhone. I wish I recorded so much more! But check them out!!! ENJOY!
Do you instagram? If you do follow us! Check out our talents 😉
MY instagram: @Alexgill
ALYS instagram: @alysecamara
ZACKS instagram: @Zackelcott
ROBS instagram: @robscheppy
Victoria Secret Fashion show TONIGHT!
Well ladies, its been a year. A year since you saw last years show. A year since you promised yourself you’d go to the gym religiously, a year since you vowed to stop eating Chilis & ordering Dominos pizza every week, a year since you’d promised you would replace all the shoes in your closet with the hottest running shoes…. (sighs) Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is upon us, and is nothing less of a holiday. A holiday where no big meals can be consumed. Tonight is THE night that all you girls and yes, even guys gather around the big screen to admire the glitz, glamour, the over the top lingerie, all the LEGS and of course of the angel’s and their iconic wings.
As you may know the fashion show was filmed a few weeks ago in NYC. I wasn’t lucky enough to be there, (I think I would kill to be there doing makeup, maybe next year) but lucky enough to know a handful of people that were there. I talked to a makeup artist that participated. She told me that they were instructed to do very natural makeup this year. Only my favorite look. Hello brides! This look is for you! The bronzed look is gone. BYE! See you later. There was NO bronzer applied to the face. The look they created this year was “A healthy, sophisticated glow.” Trying to embrace my paleness this winter just got a hell of a lot easier for me. The big dramatic smokey eyes from last year got replaced with a light, neutral smokey eye. Individual lashes were used to create more fullness. Individuals are so much more natural than strip lashes but still makes a big difference in making your eyes pop. You will notice that the Angel’s skin, cheeks and lips are glowing and radiating with a healthy warm pink color. This year black mascara was used for the top lashes, and brown mascara for the bottom lashes. (Note: this is especially great for girls with lighter colored eyes, which will make them pop)
As for the hair, extensions were applied to every girl after getting a fresh blowout. Watching youtube videos, I noticed the blow driers are the T3 driers which I have and love!
The hair stylus created soft waves, which is so easy to do on yourself I’ll have to do a future post on this, since it is a question I receive often. They curled the extensions before putting them in the hair, which makes the job so much easier. Ladies please, if you wear clip in extensions, which I know more than half of you do, curl them before you put them on your head! That way you can style them before placing them on yourself, and all you need to do is clip them, this way your not clipping them in, then pulling with the curling iron which is pulling on your real hair. They used the extensions not for length, but for volume. Using the VS so sexy mousse all over, spritzing a little VS Volumizing Spray on the top, in the roots, giving it that perfect lift. The hair styles matched the makeup looks, looking soft, healthy and oh, so gorgeous.
And the model’s diets? You mean they aren’t born with super flat stomachs, amazing legs, and perfectly in shape everything else? Eating healthy and very clean is a must! Healthy food, organic protein and vegetables. Working out an 1-2 hours a day. Yoga, kickboxing and running seem to be the most popular.
Make sure to keep an eye out for their shoes! Designer Nicolas Kirkwood designed EXCLUSIVE shoes for each individual model to go with the different stories that will be featured on tonights show.
The designs are divine if you ask me. The three looks tonight are Circus, Silver screen, and Angel bloom.
Of course I will be attending the fashion show tonight at 10pm in my living room sporting my Victoria Secret undies, comfy PINK yoga pants and a PINK sweatshirt, maybe my new VS slippers also that were free with my pajama purchase last week, that is if I don’t go to the screening of the show in NYC tonight with my friend. 😉 I was an angel once for Halloween one year, so maybe I’ll pull those wings out from my Halloween decorations in the attic and run around wearing that too. For you’s that don’t know, I dedicated my closet to Victoria’s Secret. Haha obsessed much?
So ladies, have no shame, feel free to indulge in whatever you want today…. because tomorrow starts the diets and back to the gym. Bring on all the Facebook statuses tonight, the “I want to be that skinny,” “She’s not even that pretty,” “Those girls are too thin,” “I would kill someone to look like that,” “Well, I’m embracing my curves,” haha I’m ready for them all. I’m also looking forward to the performances, especially Justin Beiber’s since Selena Gomez broke up with him, after seeing a photo on twitter of him with a VS model in his hotel room after the show. But no worries, Justin & Selena are back together. Oh, young love, nothing wrong with getting a little action from a Victoria Secret model! haha cheers ladies! Last year I was pleasantly surprised to see a model on stage dancing along side Candice Swanepoel that I once did makeup for, hopefully I’ll see someone I know again!
Below I’m posting the latest music video I did makeup and grooming for featuring singer Michelle Sangalli and model/actor Christopher Lykins directed by Edwin Escobar. Enjoy 🙂
XO,