How to Start a Career as a Makeup Artist

Hey There!

I am a huge supporter of anyone who follows their dreams. Whether if it is to be a doctor, lawyer, or a makeup artist ;), the people who decided to fight all adversity and work day and night to make their dreams possible have my utmost respect.

Making the decision to follow my dreams and go against the more traditional career route was a very difficult one. It takes a lot of guts and faith. I have been asked by quite a few people why I am a MUA, how I decided to do it, and how in the heck did I make it happen. So many future MUA's and beauty makers in general get stuck on where to start and how to make this decision. Here are a few things to ask yourself when deciding if this is really what you want to do for the rest of your life:

5 Favorite Makeup Products! + Total Social

Hey There!

So I really wanted to do a post about some of my all time favorite makeup products and today also just happened to be Helene and Sarah's (from Helene In Between and Venus Trapped In Mars) monthly #TotalSocial linkup. I loved doing it last month and I really wanted to do it this month as well. This month's theme is Favorites! It pretty much worked out perfectly for me! Here are my 5 all time favorite makeup products and why. I hope you enjoy!

5. Nyx Butter Gloss in Tiramisu - This gloss is my perfect "my lips but better" shade. It just looks so nice and natural and goes well during the day or evening. Its a better alternative to a nude lip for me and I always get compliments when I wear it. I also love the formula of it. I hate uber sticky lipglosses, they drive me nuts and this formula is super smooth and not very sticky at all. I've been wearing this gloss consistently over the past year and it has become a holy grail product of mine.

4. Wet n Wild single eyeshadow in Nutty - I discovered this eyeshadow about 4 years ago and it was love at first blend. I am a lover of taupe shadows and this is seriously my favorite taupe-y shadow of all time. It has such a pretty cool toned finish and really makes my eyes pop. Its not too dark so even the palest of pale (like myself) can rock it without looking ridiculous. It is also a really good dupe for Mac's Satin Taupe. Honorable mention to WnW's Brulee because paired with Nutty, you've got yourself a super cheap/amazing combo. My drugstores never have Nutty in stock and it makes me so sad. Whenever I find it, its like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow...I may or may not do a little jig as well :)

3. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - Okay so who doesn't love this palette? I mean really? How can you beat 6 eyeshadows (1 shimmer and 5 matte) that are neutral, go with any skintone/undertone, have AH-MAZING color payoff, and are super blendable? You can't, just sayin. I have this palette in my makeup bag at all times and I even purchased a second one for my bridal makeup kit about 6 months ago. It is perfect.

2. ELF's Candid Coral Blush - Being of pale skin with a tendency to get kind of pink in the face, I tend to lean towards more peachy blushes instead of just plain pinks. I get red/pink in the face super easily and pink blushes really just makes it more noticeable. Peachy-er (yes I just made up my own word) blushes still give color to my face without looking like I'm super flushed. The Candid Coral blush from Elf is my favorite. It just looks so pretty and at $3 its a must buy!

1. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - Last but not least, my FAVORITE, I WOULD MARRY IT IF THAT WASN'T WEIRD, foundation. I am a sucker for all things Chanel. Let me see a Chanel counter and its over and done with. Where do I start with why I love this foundation? First of all, its a water based foundation so it is lightweight and holds up really well against oil production and sweat. It's scent is so lovely and not obnoxious at all. Unlike any other foundations I use or have tried, I actually prefer to apply this foundation with my fingers...I'm serious ya'll. It is a medium coverage foundation that looks like a new perfect layer of skin when applied. Yes, it is a little pricey but so very worth it I promise!

Welp, those are my top 5 all time favorite makeup products. What are yours??? Ohh and be sure to link up for Total Social all across social media and share your favorite things using #FavTotalSocial 

:)

P.S. I found this little gem and figured I would also throw in a little throwback thursday action. I posted this on my instagram as well. #tbt to when I was 17, had the 1st of the only 2 tans I've ever had, never filled in my eyebrows, and rode around Wal-Mart in shopping carts. Oh the memories! 

"Summer-Proof" Your Makeup in 3 Easy Steps!!!

Hey There!

But First...
So I know I have been pretty silent the past two weeks which I feel super bad about. Life has happened and I just needed to take some time to focus on it I guess. I have also been working on learning how to code a template for my blog. The new template is coming along nicely and I can wait to get it up and going. Between life, learning to code templates, and also completely revamping my business website...I've just had no time to blog. I am way super sorry!!!

And now for the good stuff!

Achieving long lasting and flawless makeup during the summer months is a struggle most of us can relate to. It's just not cute to look like your face is melting #thestruggleisreal #wickedwitchofthewest . I've got a few tips and tricks for you to keep your makeup in place and looking fresh! Have no fear...Jordan is here!!!

Behind the Scenes - Wedding Makeup Edition Volume 1

Hey There!!!

So last weekend I had the privilege to do the makeup for the now Mrs. Gilbreath. I am a tad late on getting this posted but I was on set all day Monday and I have been pulling extra time in the office to make up those missed hours. I was lucky enough to have my assistant, Marisa, take pictures of the day for me and I thought you would like to see a little behind the scenes action along with some bomb.com before and afters! Marisa did a wonderful job at taking these pictures. I'd love to link you to her blog but she doesn't have one *rolls eyes* (but I'm working on getting her to start one).

I gave a little sneak peak on Monday's Weekend Recap but I am super excited to show you more!

How to EASILY Contour and Highlight

Hey There!

It seems like every wedding I work these days, I am approached about Contouring and Highlighting. What is it? What does it do? I've tried it a million times but I just end up looking crazy, how do I do it right? Well, today I will answer these questions and hopefully you will be a pro at it in no time.

In layman's terms, Contouring and Highlighting basically sculpts the face, brings out the parts of the face in which the sun naturally reflects, and recedes the parts of the face that you want to make less noticeable. Contouring utilizes darker colors where as highlighting utilizes light colors. Its actually pretty simple.

#9to5TotalSocial

Hey Guys! I decided to participate in my first #TotalSocial with Helene in Between and Venus Trapped in Mars. This month's topic is "My 9 to 5". #total social is a monthly linkup that any and everyone can join in on via twitter, instagram, facebook, and blogs. This is such a fun and cool way for bloggers and social media fiends like myself to connect!

My 9 to 5 situation is quite unique. I am a Licensed Esthetican and Makeup Artist in the beautiful, and unbearably hot and humid, state of Georgia. I have worked in salons and spas but I've always had a dream to be my own boss and start my own wedding makeup business and eventually one day have my own makeup line. Most salons and spas require weekend availability which threw a wrench in my dreams of  being able to focus on wedding makeup. Now, being 22 at the time and living on my own, quiting my spa job to focus on starting a business that is primarily focused on weekends was just not going to happen. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Follow my dreams or pay my bills. Not an easy decision let me tell you.

Fast forward to April of last year. My dad has worked for a landscaping business as the sales manager for quite some time. He started with this company when they were just starting up and he decided to stick with them in order to help the company grow. It wasn't always easy for him but by April of last year, the company had more work than they knew what to do with. With a flourishing company comes a busy and sometimes unreasonable schedule. He could not keep up with his work load and was finding himself working 7 days a week and sometimes 15 hours a day just to get everything done. He knew he needed help and had interviewed a few people for the position. Suprisingly I was not his first choice...thanks dad.

I was working at a spa full time that was ran by a crazy unique colombian massage therapist who was also quite vocal. Needless to say, I was misearble. I was once yelled at for purchasing a birthday balloon (using my money and gas) for her client that did not have enough helium. During that 15 minute rant on how disappointed she was that I did not meet her balloon purchasing expectations, I decided I wanted out. I called my father when I left that day so frustrated. I didnt know what to do. I was done dealing with crazy spa and salon owners. He offered me the opportunity to come in to the office and work on a few things for him to see if I would be a good fit.

He offered to let me fill the position for what I was making before I left the last spa, I had weekends off for wedding makeup, and in the event I needed some time during the week for my wedding makeup business I could have it as long as I made up my work/hours. Pretty sweet deal huh? Go ahead and slap a cape on my dad and call him Superman because he definitely saved the day. Naturally I took the offer...I mean DUH who wouldn't. It's an amazing feeling knowing that I have an amazing father who will do anything he can to make my dreams obtainable.

I work full time in his office doing and managing estimates, taking apart complete landscape designs and pricing them out, keeping up with his schedule, helping with sales, and anything else I can do to make his life easier. Right now I work Mon.-Fri. 9 to 5 (and sometimes more) and I focus my weekends on doing wedding makeup and extra in the occasional tv show or movie. I rarely have a day off these days but it is SO SO SO worth it. I'm a long way from being able to "quit my day job" and only do what I love but I am getting closer and closer every day. I am way beyond blessed.

Moral of the story, I am one lucky/busy girl with an awesome dad and the world in my hands.
That is my 9 to 5 story. Lengthy I know but I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to follow me on bloglovin for some awesome sauce beauty related tutorials, reviews, and posts.

Product Review - L'oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara

Hey There!

So I decided to do a little product review on a mascara I purchased recently. L'oreal released their new Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara. I picked this up on a whim and was a tiny bit hesitant. The packaging seemed a little cheap and unlike most people, I am not a huge L'oreal mascara fan. I decided to take the plunge and give it a chance.

Miss Manga is advertised as giving "oversized, over-the-top volume" with a cone shaped 360 degree flexor brush. The idea behind the mascara is to give the appearance of a manga character's eyelashes. Manga eyelashes are both long and thick on the top and bottom lash lines to make the eyes look "wide-eyed".

 

I have very fair lashes so naturally I grabbed the "blackest black" one. I love really dark and extreme lashes! I decided to do a little before and after so you guys can see the difference for yourselves. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

Here are my lashes without any mascara or product on them. As you can see, they are really fair and I am in desperate need of some eyebrow tweezing. Don't judge.

This is after just one coat of the Miss Manga Mascara. Now you can see why I was pleasantly surprised!!!

This is after a quick 2nd coat. After wearing this mascara for a few days, I have come to the conclusion that I can probably skip the 2nd coat all together. This is huge for me because I am a 3 coat kinda girl.

Needless to say, this mascara is totally living up to all the hype I've seen on twitter, youtube, and beauty blogs. By the end of the day I did notice a little flaking but nothing out of the ordinary. This mascara is definitely not waterproof but for a nonwaterproof mascara, it does hold up pretty well. I have virtually no smudging at the end of the day as well. 

I think I have found my new mascara ya'll!!! This has regained my trust in L'oreal mascaras again and all is well in the world. Have you tried the Miss Manga mascara? Let me know what you think. Be sure to follow me on bloglovin for some more awesome sauce reviews, tutorials, and other fun things.

Awesome Product Alert: LAY/N/GO COSMO BAG

Hey There!

I recently picked up a new item that I think is pretty dang awesome! I'm always on the go and my makeup bag is usually right there with me. We all know the pain it is to search through our black hole of a makeup bag trying to find your favorite eyeliner but it's so packed in there, it takes you completely emptying it out piece by piece to find it. This particular product allows you to comfortably fit the makeup you travel with, but completely opens up to make it 100% easier to find what you are looking for.

It comes in a nice drawstring bag and is super compact.

The LAY/N/GO is 20" in diameter and is completely washable. It even has a pocket inside for discrete storage!

There are also nifty elastic brush holders as well as a "lip" around the bag that keeps everything from falling out of it. The picture really does not do it justice because there is room for PLENTY of makeup and beauty products.

Once you're done, you just pull the drawstring and the bag closes up. Simple as that!

If you want to get one of these bad boys for yourself, go here.

Do you already have one??? Let me know what you think of it!

p.s. i purchased this product myself. these opinions are my own.

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The Summer Tag!

It's Friday...Thank Goodness! Georgina over at Makeup-Pixi3 created this super fun Summer Tag and I figured it would be fun.  Hope you enjoy the tag and please feel free to answer the questions over on your blog if you have one... or just go on about summer in the comments if not!

1.  What's your favorite thing about Summer?

Definitely not the heat! I'm actually a huge fan of winter to be honest. It is of my opinion that you can always add more layers if you are cold, but there is only so much you can take off if you are hot until it is no longer socially acceptable and you are on the sex offenders list. If I had to pick a favorite thing about summer, I would have to say yard sales. I'm such a nerd I know but yard sale season is in full swing during the summer and I love a great deal...and opportunity to craft :)

2.  Do you have a favorite Summer drink?

Its a tie between strawberry lemonade and peach milkshakes. I'm a sucker for both during the summer months. Honorable mention - Sweet Tea. I'm from Georgia and If I didn't at least mention it, I would be shunned by anyone southern.

3.  Is there a location you like to go to each Summer?

Charleston, SC/Folly Beach. If you've never been...go. You will love it I promise.

4.  Favorite makeup look for Summer?

I love incorporating golds and bronzes into my summer looks. They just go so well with the season.

5.  Dresses or skirts?

Dresses! I love maxi dresses but sundresses are adorable too. I don't love wearing shorts and dresses are very forgiving for my body shape. 

6.  Sandals or ballet pumps?

Sandals. It gets HOT during Georgia summers so the more body parts out and airing, the better.

7.  Do you prefer to wear your hair up or down for Summer?

Well,  I'd wear it up every day but I just look funny with it up. It just doesn't work for my face, so I wear it down most days unless its just too humid or I'm having a seriously bad hair day.

8.  Deep smokey eyes or bold lips?

Smokey eyes all the way! I love the look of bold lips but they just don't work out on me as well as they do most people. I look best with a bronze or gold smokey eye and a nude lip.

9.  Favorite perfume for Summer?

Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture all the way!

10.  Last but not least, favorite music for Summer?

I love all kinds of music. During the summer, I find myself listening to a lot of chill indie music. Right now, there is an Atlanta based band called Mood Rings that I cant get enough of. Check them out here and here. 

May 2014 Beauty Favorites!!!

Hey Guys!

So I know we are already well into the month of June but I figured I would go ahead and show you guys some of my favorite products I used throughout the month of May. May was one of the busiest months I have encountered in quite a long time. With bridal season in full force, busy season for my full time job, and my Aunt's wedding (in which I helped coordinate as well as do the make up for in a completely different state) all packed into four short weeks...I did not have a lot of time to focus on how I looked. May was all about simplicity and what could save me the most time. I kept it pretty natural and basic this month which was  a nice change from my norm makeup routine. 

 Urban Decay B6 Vitamin Infused Complexion Prep Spray - This spray is amazing!!! I love to spray it before I apply my foundation and then after. It is infused with vitamins and is super calming. The combination of heat and makeup products really irritates my skin so the calming properties help reduce redness and is just downright refreshing. This also helps reduce the appearance of large pores and absorbs oil.

Nyx Butter Gloss in Tiramisu - The Nyx Butter Gloss collection has the color payoff of a lipstick but the texture and lightness of a gloss. I am not one for sticky lipglosses and these really don't have a lot of stickyness. The Tiramisu color is a nice " your lips but better" nude color that just looks so natural and pretty. I can't get enough of it.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - I consider this palette a "Holy Grail" product. I keep it in my makeup bag at all times as well as my bridal makeup kit. With 5 neutral matte shadows and one shimmer highlighting shadow, it suites pretty much everyone. The medium brown shade "Naked 2" is also perfect for my blonde brows. I probably used this color the most out of the six. It's my go to palette right now for both my daytime and evening/nightime eye looks.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge - I am a huge fan of the Real Techniques brand. This sponge is no exception. It is absolutely perfect for blending out concealer for highlighting and under the eyes. The flat part is great for under the eyes and the rounded portion is wonderful for blending the highlight and contours colors.

Banana Boat Summer Color Self Tanning Lotion - To refer to me as pale would be a very generous understatement. Although completely acceptable during the winter months, it's just not cute during the summer. I do not sun bathe in fear of skin cancer and leathery skin and I don't always have the time or money to maintain a constant spray tan so I have found a way to maintain a nice golden glow. I have tried all different types of self tanning lotions, sprays, wipes, etc. I really don't see the need in spending an arm and a leg on a self tanning product when this lotion exists. I spend around $6 for this suntan in a bottle and its worth every penny. The streaking is left at a minimum and the color is super natural compared to most other tanning lotions.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer - I am always on the search for the perfect under eye concealer. Most undereye concealers don't completely cover my discoloration while still remaining light and non cakey. Until this stuff, I've had to settle for one or the other. The coverage with this particular concealer is fantastic but does not leave that dried cakey/heavy look under my eyes when it finally sets. I have actually started using it for my contour and highlighting routine for its coverage and light weight formula. I'm thinking of doing a little review on it for you guys. I would definitely suggest going to pick this puppy up ASAP.

Milani Face Powder - Naturally I use the lightest shade available. Combined with the Revlon BB Cream, I get a really nice matte and natural finish with minimal touch ups. The texture is also very smooth and velvety which I love. The only downside is the chunky packaging takes up a lot of room in my makeup bag. Pro Tip: I have also been using this as a blending color for my shadows. Try it out!!!

NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Primer - When applied before eyeshadow, your eyeshadow is going NOWHERE! I use this on all of my brides. I have always been a fan of the Urban Decay eye primer but this blows it out of the water. Even after a whole day of wear, I still have to really work to get my shadows off. I really don't remember the last time I had to worry about creasing shadows. 

Revlon Photoready BB Cream - As previously mentioned, I had to keep my makeup looks pretty quick and simple. This BB Cream has a little more coverage than the other BB Creams I have tried in the past. It goes on easily with my fingers and after I set it with powder, I'm good to go. It gives enough coverage to smooth out my complexion while still looking super natural. This also photos really well. If I am going to airbrush my foundation, I like to do a light layer of this before I airbrush. It gives a beautiful finish!.

There you have it! Have you tried any of these products??? Let me know what you think of them or if you have any products you are loving right now that I should try!!! 

I Guess This Is My Blog Intro...

Hello and Welcome,

You are probably here for one or more of the following three reasons: 1. You are looking for insight from a young makeup artist on a plethora of makeup and beauty subjects. 2. You are one of my family members or friends in which I have probably guilted and/or harassed in to reading my blog. 3. You actually ended up here by complete accident but are (hopefully) planning on giving me a chance :).

My name is Jordan and I am a Makeup Artist and Licensed Esthectician. I mainly focus on Bridal Makeup where I actually run my own little Bridal Makeup business. It's a small gig right now but I have some pretty big dreams for it. I have been doing bridal makeup for about 3 1/2 years now and I absolutely love what I do. There is really nothing more satisfying to me that helping someone feel and look beautiful. To be honest, I actually love pretty much anything beauty related.

If I had a quarter for every time someone tells me I need to do a beauty blog or YouTube videos, I'd probably have enough to put a few gallons of gas in my car (which is saying a lot...have you seen gas prices lately???) I would actually like to do both but in fear of taking on too much, as I usually do, I am going to start with this blog first and then slowly integrate YouTube beauty tutorials into my regular routine. I would like to use this blog as a forum to answer the most frequently asked questions by my friends, family, and clients. Also, I would like to use this to reveal to the world how awkward/weird I truly am,  review and suggest beauty products, and share some of my tips, tricks, and fun stories as a MUA.

I really hope you enjoy and choose to follow my little blog here...I promise you won't regret it :) 

-Jordie

P.s. Have any questions or would like me to cover a certain topic in a blog post, feel free to ask!

P.s.s. Jordie is my family nickname...Its grown on me over the years. Very few people who are close to me actually call me Jordan. Feel free to call me either!