mark. Gets You Weekend Ready

Mesh Together Necklace, Coach Sunglasses (similar here)

when you think of mark. cosmetics you think of lipsticks, blushes and powders. while mark does offer all those goodies they also offer clothing and accessories. surprised? me too.

i love the mark. products and i am forever an Avon girl (the big sister company to mark.) it is one of those makeup lines that has stood the test of time and consistently releases great products. they may not be the most popular girl in school (MAC) or the most edgy (Urban Decay) but they are the Senior Class president with a stunning resume for college. not a bad place to be.

when i learned of the offerings from the fashion side of things i was definitely interested. i like how the collections have a cohesiveness to them and are simple to mix and match. at times you can get a little too matchy-matchy (turquoise watch, torquoise purse, turquoise dress) but putting together an outfit that is chic, current and perfect for the season has never been easier.

Exotic Flair Stretch Bracelet, Phone It In Bag

Exotic Ease Maxi Dress, Sunny Disposition Hat

Neutrogena SPF Clear Face/Sensitive Skin, Color Me In Eye Crayon, Color Me In Lip Crayon

no trip to the pool would be complete without sunscreen and makeup (for touch-ups of course!). i don't care what your age you should always be rockin' sunscreen. get your tan from the bottle and protect your skin using the latest formulations from Neutrogena. no more excuses of 'it clogs my pores' or 'it's too greasy'. Neutrogena has solved all of those problems by introducing sunscreens that go on light as a moisturizer and won't clog your pores or leave your skin greasy. go ahead and lay out, soak up the sun, just be sure to protect your skin before you do it.

mark. Color Me In lip and eye crayons are the perfect portable solutions for makeup touch-ups on the go. with these you don't have any excuses not to look good.

xo,
kristie

photos courtesy of Tarin Crookston

Merle Norman Bright Spring Lip Colors

Coral Chic, Cameo Shrimp, Life's a Peach, Raspberry on Ice, Modern Princess

spring is in full bloom here in Denver. the trees are finally blossoming, the makeup is brightening and the white denim is beginning to show its face.

during fall and winter i tend to stick to glosses. i avoid going to too dark on my lips and nudes are my bff's. during spring and summer i flip the switch. bright pinks, sunny corals and barbie doll hues are the go-to's in my makeup drawer. there are few things i love more than a bright lip during summer.

i'm not exaggerating.

the colors you choose to wear evoke emotions, whether it is playful neons, powerful oranges or electric hot pinks. your color choice lends to what you are feeling.

Merle Norman sent me a gorgeous selection of pinks and corals to get my spring started off right. the glosses are long lasting and don't feather, a great bonus during warm weather. the lipsticks are a creamy formulation that glide on smooth and last. combine the two together and you will have the perfect color for spring.

my favorite of the group was definitely the Cameo Shrimp - the brightest color of them all. what does that say about my mood or my emotion? slightly overbearing, a bit obnoxious and overly friendly. i'll let you be the judge.

Cameo Shrimp

xo,
kristie

How To Cut Crease Tutorial

in honor of the Real Housewives i have decided to repost one of my most 'liked' videos, How To Cut A Crease. this is a makeup technique that runs rampant among the Housewives (particularly Ms. Joanna Krupa) and can been seen on 'wives across the nation. to learn how to get a 'Cut Crease', take five minutes out of your day and check out that video above.

xo
kristie

How-To Glitter Accent Nail Tutorial

by now every has seen a pin on Pinterest showing a glitter accent nail. the thing that makes that accent nail so appealing is that it is pure glitter, not just a glitter polish but pure, actual, glitter. the nail polish equivalent to gold plated jewelry vs. solid gold jewelry. we always opt for solid gold.

this gold glitter accent nail looks amazing with the new Essie spring polish Madison Ave-Hue. the Essie spring polish line has me drooling with gorgeous pinks, purples and the perfect shades to mix and match. i've been obsessively the collection since it arrived and i love how well it coordinates with my spring wardrobe.

well played, Essie.

getting this glitter gold accent nails is easier than ever. all you need is a pot of craft glitter which tends to be finer grained than your standard run-of-the-mill glitter, and your polish of choice. paint your nails, dip your nail into the glitter pot and let dry. finish with a topcoat to 'set' glitter and enjoy!

xo,
kristie

How To Highlight And Contour

learning how to highlight and contour is one of the most essential steps in getting professional looking making. it is the difference between Kim Kardashian and Rob Kardashian - let's face it, with a little contouring he could be a beautiful Kardashian. i mean that in the most loving way.

with all of the highlighting and contouring infographics on the inter web, i decided it was time to put a little Blushing Basics spin on how to highlight and contour.

Laura Mercier matte radiance baked powder

let's begin with contouring. contouring and highlighting is a game of shadow and light, you are recreating your own perfect lighting. contouring is creating shadow and depth in areas you want to fade. using a matte brown is a key ingredient in contouring. too much shimmer in your bronzer and your face will look muddled. making sure your contour is matte will keep the color flat and give you the best 'shade' possible.

for this contouring tutorial i used a new favorite product, the Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder. the bronze shades give the skin the perfect soft matte finish with a hint of warmth. the baked powder is packed with pigment and a little goes a long way. a heavily pigmented bronzer is your bff when contouring as it allows direct deposit of color and easy blend ability.

• with a fluffy face brush, apply a matte brown into the hollows of your cheeks. this is the area directly under your cheekbones. applying it too high on the cheekbones will make them look flat. applying it under your cheekbones will make your cheekbones appear higher and more prominent.
• with that same fluffy brush, apply color to the temple and along the hairline. if you have a short forehead, skip this step. otherwise, the color along the temple and hairline will help draw attention towards the center of your face (the eyes!) and help fade the forehead.
• again, that fluffy brush will be your best friend in eliminating any resemblance of a double chin. applying bronzer along your jawline and down your neck will make those areas look more recessed and thinner.
• last, using a small shadow brush to apply contour color down the sides of your nose. this will make the nose appear straighter and thinner.
• optional: apply contour color just below your bottom lip for more of a pout and in the crease of your eyelids to give depth to your eyes.

highlighting is the task of adding light to make areas more prominent and create height. areas on your face that you want to add height to are your cheek bones, your brow bones and the bridge of your nose. for highlighting i used Laura Mercier's Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight. it has the perfect soft matte radiance to really make the skin glow without being too shimmery or glittery. 

• using a fluffy brush, apply highlighter directly to your cheekbones to create height and a healthy glow of your skin.
• with an eyeshadow brush, apply highlighter to your brow bone to add height to your eyebrows, and make your eyes look brighter, wider and more open.
• with that same eyeshadow brush, apply a swipe of highlighter down the center of your nose. this will help to add height to the bridge of your nose making it appear straighter and thinner.
• optional: apply highlighter to the inside corner of your eyes to brighten and the cupids bow above your lips to make them appear fuller.

now you are armed with all the information you need to join the ranks of a Kardashian, the women who have made this technique so widely popular and well known. 

xo,

kristie

Work Outfit Inspiration

photos courtesy of Tarin Crookston

believe it or not, this stay-at-home mom has occasion for business wear. whether i am meeting with Denver Post editors or pitching brands i want to look professional without losing my sense of style. the great thing about business wear is that you can keep it simple (hello, black) and add your personality through your choice of accessories. in this case, i went with a black blazer and coordinating pants, finishing with a colorful silk shirt.

accessorizing is where i had my fun. included was of course, the cool and colorful ESQ ONE^™. ESQ Movado will be keeping me accessorized all summer long with silicone straps that are comfortable to wear, sleek enough to be chic and utility enough to go with me into the pool. with it were my favorite gold bangles, delicate chain and Chimera bangle. the mint accent and gold detailing in the pocketbook helped complete the entire outfit and coordinated clothing and accessories.

once again i'm feeling like a MILK: a mom i'd like to know.

xo,

kristie

How To Clean & Sanitize your Makeup & Makeup Brushes

spring is here and what better time to learn how to clean and sanitize your makeup and makeup brushes? i am what you would call a bit OCD but my husband's a doctor who doesn't like when i self diagnose, so let's just say i have OCD tendencies. keeping my makeup and my makeup brushes clean is one of them.

raise your hand if you want bacteria, increased acne/breakout, risk of infection, herpes or any other virus your makeup can carry.

me neither.

keeping your making clean and sanitized is not only important, it is essential. for approximately $2 you can do just that. to clean your makeup you'll need: alcohol, a small spray bottle (picked up in the Target travel section for 99 cents), a small cup/jar and some cotton.

before you begin to sanitize your brushes you'll need to clean off the residue that makeup leaves behind. rather than investing in a pricey brush cleaner, baby shampoo works just as well and if you're a mom you probably have this laying around the house.

apply a dab of soap to the palm of your hand, briefly run your brush under the tap and then swirl your brush in the palm of your hand. this will gentle clean the bristles through the entire brush. rinse under luke-warm water and lay on a towel to dry.

sanitizing your brushes has never been so easy. simply pour some alcohol into a small jar, dip your brush tip in and swirl for a few seconds. wipe off any remaining alcohol and lay flat to dry. the alcohol evaporates quickly and your small brushes should take a short time to dry, however your large brushes will take a while.

make sure to let makeup brushes dry completely before using or else you will get a nasty buildup.

sanitizing your makeup is just as simple. pour undiluted rubbing alcohol into a small spray bottle. i found mine in the Target travel section for 99 cents. keep it filled constantly and sanitizing your powder/creams will be a cinch. to sanitize, spritz alcohol directly onto makeup. make sure you've sprayed enough to coat completely.

alcohol dries and evaporates quickly and will not damage your powders or creams. a few quick spritzes is all it takes to keep your makeup germ free.

last you are going to want to make sure your containers are also germ free. you can do this by soaking your cotton swab in alcohol and wiping down your containers.

as a makeup artist, keeping your products clean and sanitized is essential. let's be honest, no one wants a virus.

my intent was to only clean my eyeshadows, but my OCD tendencies got the best of me and i ended up cleaning my entire (personal) collection. *i always keep my work 'kit' cleaned before and after use

seems like keeping things cleaned isn't my only problem... #makeupoverload

xo,

kristie