You know I find quite frequently in beauty, that we spend most of the time judging a book by its cover. You hear all the time people saying that "Beauty is skin deep" or even more often that "Beauty it whats inside" blablabla.
 I find that a more accurate phrase is "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". We see what we want to see. We admire what we find attractive. We style ourselves to inspire a certain type of attention or validation, and we seek out that which makes us feel good visually or otherwise. This doesn't just apply to the other people we are looking at. It applies when we gaze upon our own reflection as well.
 What do you look for in your own face or body? What is the first thing that you see? What do you like or not like about it?
 At its core our vision is perceptual. From a base point inaccurate and merely a reflection of a deeper medley of ideas and beliefs that actually have nothing to do with the truth about our beauty, and these subtle layers of unconscious beliefs are very elusive to us most of the time. Unless you take the time to investigate, you might never know what makes you like or not like your appearance. Considering that our view of ourselves is largely subjective either according to ourselves or relative to the approval and disapproval of, and validation we get from other people, its safe to say then that it is not fact, and that we can decide what its going to be.
 I think that ultimately our view of ourselves needs to arrive at a place where it can reside in Love and Respect. That should be the goal. Getting there however is a journey and one that will take a lifetime or two to attain. In the meantime we have these two options, to like ourselves or to not. If you're opting to like yourself you have several choices about where to find your self acceptance. All varying in degrees of reliability. It could be your looks, your achievements, your values, your pride etc. I only implore you to keep in mind that all of these things are temporary, and will only ever work until they expire. And everything except for truth, will eventually expire. I think the key here is to recognize that all things have their purpose and use them all as stepping stones, but ultimately Beauty will lie in recognizing your infinite nature and all that comes with it. Our packages while seemingly incredibly important to us now will become obsolete when were dead. One hundred years from now there will be all new people on this planet and no one then will care about what you felt about yourself now. Its only important to you; in this moment. And its only relevant to you; in this moment. Ghandi said that "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." I believe what he means is, in the long run, your little individual actions will not significantly impact the course of consciousness alone. But it will however greatly impact your own consciousness in that when you leave this earth and your consciousness rejoins that of the Great Mystery, you will be able to see and receive.
Wouldnt it be awesome to be able to receive now?
When considering our looks we have an amazing opportunity to access this concept and change our experience to one of appreciation for what we see. If you could spend just 5 minutes in the morning focusing on discovering more about what you like about yourself and why it could change your whole view of your reflection. 
 Maybe then your makeup will be something you do to enhance your body out of respect and value, and not out of necessity. 

  So after my last blog about BB creams I actually had a coworker bring one in to work by a brand called Tarte that in addition to having creamy medium coverage, also raved as a 12 hour Primer and Sunscreen; A 30 sunscreen to be exact. After trying it on the back of my hand, I was impressed. The finish was silky and clean; it left a vibrant, healthy finish on the skin, and was dewey without wearing greasy. I liked it. My only concern was that for me, the color was slightly too pinkish or yellow depending on the shade I chose so I went in search of a BB cream with a better match for my skin that didnt require mixing as I detailed previously. 
  I found that Tarte actually has four colors and although they would work beautifully on someone else, none of the colors were a great match for my skin. My complexion is Olive with undertones of yellow and pink. I prefer my makeup to be "beige-y", much more neutral than most liquid covers that way my undertones show thru naturally, and I add blush/bronzer to my cheeks myself to create seamless matching between my face, neck, and chest. 
   In my quest, I stumbled on Missha BB cream and found that in addition to a better color match for my skin, they had 12 liquid formula BB creams, 1 compact formula, and 2 CC creams (the newer, denser cousin to the BB Cream), all in different finishes and Hailing Suncreens from 20-50. Im Sold. 
   Of all the Beauty Balms Ive tried these two are in the lead for the most intriguing. I plan to try all of the Missha Versions, and from the looks of it they have one for every occasion and for every skin tone. 
 Try them out and let me know what you think...

So I said I would write a blog about BB creams and I havent forgotten about it.  First lets start with what a BB cream is...
A BB Cream is a foundation essentially. Its more dense than a tinted moisturizer with a comparable finish but without the oily-ness. They tend to have better coverage than a tinted moisturizer sans the heavy or cakey feeling of a full coverage foundation. Also, the texture medium is much like that of a Silicon primer in how it fills in fine lines and moderately uneven textures and adds a slight luminescence to the skin like a highlighter. Their ONE FATAL FLAW you ask????
...They usually only come in at most 3 colors per brand. All in the Light toned variety and for most people there isn't a color thats truly suitable. As a makeup artist its easy to solve this problem as we tend to have a plethora of products at our disposable. But how does the average person, after the perfect flawless finish, solve this dilemma?

Easy.
Same as the Pro's...You mix.

You'll need a few ingredients. If you're in to makeup already you probably already have the essentials. They are as follows...

1. An amazing daytime moisturizer that dries quickly with an initially moist but ultimate satiny finish. The only one Im certain of is the Yonka Creme 93. Experiment with others if you like but this is my go to. Its creamy and moist but dries fast to a fully absorbed satin finish. It will essentially pull all pigment in your blend as close to the surface of your face a possible.

2. An illuminating fluid of the desired shade. Most highlite fluids come in pink, white or gold respectively. Bronzing fluids are also suitable for darker skin tones. I like the two pictured above and also a product I buy from a fellow Artist and colleague Steven, at Palette Cosmetics in Beverly Hills called simply, Illuminating fluid in Pearl. 

3. A face primer. Any will do. Use the one you like the most. (this is NOT a mandatory ingredient btw; Use if you need to smooth your skins texture)

4. A densely pigmented liquid concealer in a LONG WEAR formula. This will give you the finish you want and the staying power you need. MAC's pro long wear is fantastic for this and one of the only ones I personally would use. its very smooth, fluffy like silicone, blends easily and dries to a perfect SATIN matte finish. Use in a shade that matches your skin tone. They have a lot of color options; you cant help but find a fantastic match. 

Now...
This is not an exact science. Based on your skins temperament and oil content you may need to slightly alter these measurements but if you stick the program with the recommended moisturizer and concealer you should be able to use this formula with little to no fine tuning. 

To make a one time use amount, take two full pumps of concealer to an equal that amount of illuminating fluid and mix it together. This will give you your pigment base. Add this to a nickel size amount of moisturizer. Mix it thoroughly and you should have enough to cover your face, neck and chest in necessary if you work quickly with your warm hands. If you need the primer add it into the pigment base before adding the moisturizer to break it down enough to make it blendible with the moisturizer.
This is the formula that works for me. I have relatively even skin, with a slight amount of redness, I usually cover my neck and chest as well, and I like my face to have a lighter base to add brozer to so I use the white highlite fluid for myself but use whatever color suits you.

If you need more coverage, add more concealer. If you need more slip, use more primer, if you need more spreading power, add more moisturizer. If you want denser shimmer, add more Highlite fluid and so forth.

BB creams are an amazing product, revolutionary really in the world of foundations. And if you can find a color that matches your face, fantastic! But this little trick worked amazingly for me and ALL of my clients this season who wanted a light, long wear, foundation that leaves no residue and photographs well. Try it and let me know how you like it!

Cheers!
Stacy

You know, today I was going to write a blog about BB cream. I was going to detail the differences between a few different brands, give my opinion about which ones are the best and why, then describe to you how you can mix your own BB cream at home using a few simple products as Customized Foundation is always AMAZING. And I will eventually get back to that topic. But I just had a client come in and while she was in my chair, thru tears, she shared with me a recent circumstance in her Special Relationship where she found herself rejected, abandoned, and hurt. Ive known this woman for 30 years since we were kids. I guess you could say were friends; but she's also my client so this applies to her and to anyone else who sits in my chair. I will relate this topic to beauty as I see it and I hope anyone who reads this can relate. Ive certainly had my share of failed relationship attempts so I speak from experience when I say it can be painful, and life altering. But it doesn't have to be devastating.
Here goes....
Ladies,
You are not defined by the approval of your man, or significant other. 
I dont care what you think you've done in your past. We are not defined by the mistakes we've made. Were not defined by our successes. Not by our status, lack there of or otherwise. Not by public opinion. Not by the size of your bank account.
While its tempting to look outside of ourselves, in our immediate environment, the people or circumstances in it, and attach ourselves to them and give them meaning (its in our nature as spirits growing in awareness to do this); until we finally realize that its futile at best and at its worst completely counter productive, even destructive at times, we will suffer. Circumstances in life are not static, they will change like the wind and sometimes because of us and sometimes not because of us. In truth you are defined only by your capacity to Love...and thats all. 
When I say Love I do not mean your ability to love in the typical worldly capacity and not only your love for others. But your experience here, is ultimately defined by your capacity to Love yourself. 
I dont mean get a freaking massage and pamper yourself. I mean your genuine capacity to see passed the bullshit of your perception and choose kindness and forgiveness for yourself. Your capacity to accept this life on its terms is a beginning. Recognize that we will never know everything there is to know and we will never be without the mistakes of this life; realizing surrender into humility is where your strength is; choosing and allowing surrenders subsequent relief for ourselves instead of forcing in pride or whatever the harder road of resistance and suffering. Then trust that your Value is inherent. Because it is. Its there you will recognize your capacity to love and consequently, your ability to receive it.
The result of this is that you wont allow any person to tell you what you deserve or don't deserve. I don't care who he is. You wont allow his reaction to his perception of you which is subjective and not reality btw, to dictate how you feel about yourself. You will not seek his approval, his acceptance or his love because you'll have enough of your own. When your self love is in place you will kindly and gently release this person from your life or you will kindly and gently show him a different way if he is willing. In either case, you wont be affected. 
Any person who can condemn you for your past decisions on this journey isn't the man for you. Whether you realize it now, or 10 years from now when things inevitably falter from perfect and he cant handle it...Move on. You deserve better.
To my beautiful friend and client who is suffering from heartache today, I Love you. Im sorry honey...and Im here for you.
XXX

Hey there!

Summer is here and while were welcoming the Sun to illuminate our lives we are ending cycles and looking for new ways to sizzle. 

With that said, I am NO LONGER taking clients at Wicked Salon in Venice, Ca. For the time being all clients are being directed to Sweet 1017 in Seal Beach, Ca; OR (on a case by case basis) to The Salon by Maxime in Beverly Hills. My Hours in Seal beach will remain as follows...

Wednesday 11am-7pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Please Call 562.594.0562 for appts.

For an appt in the Beverly Hills area please contact me by cell and I will work to set something up for you per the salons availability. 323.684.4337.

For ALL Clients accustomed to seeing me in Venice who are Local to the area and unable to make it to either of these locations Im temporarily offering my house call services at the same rate as the in Salon prices. (*Please Note* Brow shaping will be done Via Tweezing not wax). Im truly sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and Im dilligently seeking a new location on the Westside. Thank You in advance for your patience and continued patronage. 

Email or call me with any questions, Im happy to make arrangements to accomodate all my clients to the best of my ability. 

Thank You!

Stacy