Interview: Jessica Brown

Photo by Sasha

If you aren't familiar with Jessica Brown's photography work, you are seriously missing out.  She started her very own business, MoonBelle Photography, just a short year-and-a-half ago and is quickly earning national recognition for her incredibly poignant and personal wedding shots.  If you're a gorgeous bride to be (or enjoy looking at lovely pictures), do yourself a favor and definitely go check out her portfolio!      

Jessica also adores makeup!  We can (and frequently do!) spend hours discussing NARS vs. MAC, Diorshow mascara vs. drugstore mascara, our current favorite nail polishes, and ways to keep our complexions glowing.  She believes in bargains and the importance of monthly facials ($15 at Ulta!  Go go go!).  She has incredible skin and looks fantastic with or without makeup.  Jessica got me hooked on Garnier's Anti Dark Circle Eye Roller and I'm planning to snap up Diorshow's Iconic mascara as per her suggestion.  What other beauty secrets does she have?  Keep reading!  And then go look at her website :)          



At what age did you first start wearing makeup?
Probably around fourteen. Before that there was mostly roll-on scented glitter gel and Bonnebell chapsticks. [Editor's note: Yep, me too!]


How did you learn to apply it?
My mother. She has a huge vanity area with wraparound lights, a full drawer of cosmetics, and an array of MAC brushes. Although when it counted, she applied for me. :)


What products were your favorite back then?
I loooved MAC face powders for their flawless coverage, but found that they tended to really clog my pores and lead to breakouts. I ended up switching to Bare Minerals.


What are your current favorites?
Dior-Iconic Mascara, Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Eye roller, NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder (a super cheap and gorgeous blush that smells like roses!), and a recently purchased Laura Mercier eye and cheek palette, Almay liquid eyeliner.

Photo by Sasha

What is your usual makeup routine?
Concealer, blush, a liquid liner cat-eye, a little bit of eyeshadow and, MASCARA. I have a love affair with mascara. :)

 
What product could you never live without?
Mascara. I can't (and don't want to) live without it. My favorite is Dior-Iconic but a less pricey alternative is Rimmel Sexy Curves. Dior is amazing if you can afford it. It has a built-in conditioner that keeps your lashes soft and supple while making them long, thick, and gorgeous. It keeps those with sensitive eyes from having issues with flaky mascara or eyelash breakoff.


Got a special tip or trick you'd like to share?
I put Vaseline on my eyelashes before I go to bed. It keeps my lashes hydrated, helps get off any excess makeup, and makes mascara go on silky smooth the next day. It's a trick I learned from my grandmother.


How do you take care of your skin?
My skin routine is very very simple. I use facial cleansing towelettes before bed, followed by Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Pads. When in the shower, I use Nivea for Men facial scrub. It smells amazing and has the best exfoliating power ever. I also get a facial every 4 weeks. :)


Who are your beauty inspirations?
Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. I love the classic elegance of Hepburn and the sultry glamour of Monroe.

Photo by Sasha

A Minor Interruption

Don’t you hate it when bloggers get all “Sorry I haven’t posted!”?  Me too, but that’s exactly what this post is going to be, unfortunately. Bear with me and your regularly scheduled content will be up and running ASAP!

For those of you don’t know, I live in a region of north Alabama that was severely affected by tornadoes last week.  We’ve been without electricity since Wednesday afternoon.  Silence and darkness suddenly reigns supreme in an age when we’ve grown up accustomed to noise and light at our every whim.  The sense of isolation and feeling cut off from the rest of the world is surreal and bizarre.      

Some businesses are able to operate on generators, though.  I'm typing this on the floor of a dark room in a computer store that mysteriously and blessedly has free WIFI.  Last night my friend Lori Anne (you'll meet her in a post soon, I did her makeup on a photoshoot!) and I went to a restaurant the next town over and were able to watch Royal Wedding Coverage!  We were glued to the screen like a pair of ecstatic hillbillies for the better part of an hour, gushing over Kate's dresses.

In any case, I haven't forgotten about you lovelies!  I've been planning and writing out blog posts in longhand.  Fabulous things are still in the works.  I'll be updating as regularly and as often as I can until our we get electricity back into our homes and can get back to a proper schedule! 

The Best Red Lipsticks (and how to wear them!)

No makeup item is more glamorous and show-stopping than red lipstick!  This is not for those who are shy; red is guaranteed to get you noticed (in a good way, of course!).  If you want to change up your look, wear something bold, and bring a little glamour into your life, red lipstick is the easiest and quickest way to do it!

Since red lipstick is so bold, it usually looks best if you keep the rest of your makeup relatively simple.  Black eyeliner and lots of mascara is all you really need!  False eyelashes work wonders if you know how to apply them (tutorial coming soon!).  If you want a little extra glam for evening, sweep a shimmery neutral eyeshadow all over your eyelid, and lightly blend a dark brown shadow into your crease.   

L to R: Revlon, MAC, Chanel, Dior, Urban Decay

Best Drugstore Red:  Revlon Super Lustrous Certainly Red
Revlon has the best red lipsticks of any other drugstore brand; all of them are great, but my favorite is Certainly Red.  It's a fantastic bargain and almost as good as MAC.  Almost.

Best Matte Red: MAC Russian Red
There's a reason this shade is a top five favorite of makeup artists, celebrities, and just about every lady who wears lipstick, period.  Gwen Stefani adores it.  Dita Von Teese swears by it.  Russian Red is just that good.  It's a color as legendary and flattering as NARS's Orgasm blush and definitely a red lipstick staple!  It stays put for ages, hardly fades, and delivers the most saturated color of any lipstick I've used.

Best Red Lipgloss:  Urban Decay Pocket Rocket
The packaging is kind of gimmicky (holographic boys! pheromones molded into the plastic tube!), but once you get past it, there are two amazing red lipgloss shades in this collection.  Eric is a true red, while Colin is a brilliant orange red (yes, the shades are named after boys as well).  The gloss is thick but not gloopy and the colors look amazing alone or layered over lipstick.  It's especially perfect if you want to try red lips but still keep the color sheer.

Best Red Lipstick Formula: Dior Addict Red Carpet
AKA the most hydrating lipstick you will ever wear.  It feels like lip balm and shines a little like gloss but lasts like a lipstick!  The light formula is fabulous for summer.

Best Red Ever: Chanel Rouge Allure Passion
Though all the lipsticks on this list are the best of the best, this is the one I wear most often!  It's not the first red lipstick I ever bought, but it's the first I fell in love with.  It's absolutely perfect.  The formula is a little waxy so the color stays forever, but isn't drying like matte lipsticks can be.  I like to dab and blot it on my lips rather than drag the lipstick across.  The packaging is unique and glamorous.  It's pricey but unbelievably chic and the color is marvelous!  It's like a little tube of elegance, I love it.  


Red Lipstick Essentials: Primer, pretty compact mirror, black eyeliner, false eyelashes!

Bonus!  Super cool outfit ideas for rocking red lips.

Lilly fancied herself a "goth" in high school and even though she abandoned the combat boots and stark white face powder years ago, she never got over her penchant for black clothing and serious footwear.

Julia's secret once-in-a-while weekend activity was to dress up, head to a coffee shop on the other side of town, and flirt in a faux-French accent with the cute guy behind the counter who made her caramel macchiato and thought her name was Angelique.

Carmen was named after the heroine of the famous opera, had an encyclopedic knowledge of British rock bands, and loved prowling for hidden treasures in record stores more than anything in the world.