Monday, September 1, 2014

Dean+Stephi

We had such a wonderful time taking these photos with our amazing photographer & friend, Sheri Holloway! It is Branson where we fell in love & Branson is where we will wed on May 27th, 2015. These photos capture the essence of "us" & we are so happy to share them! Being emerged in nature, taking in the beauty of Table Rock Lake & snugglin' up with our furry babies in our backyard are all things we hold dear. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as we loved taking them! 

Dean+Stephi














































Photo Cred: Sheri Holloway Photography

Monday, March 31, 2014

Jennifer Lopez inspired Makeup Look


Jennifer Lopez is famous for her curves, daring red carpet gowns, her "triple threat" skills, business savvy & most of all: That JLo Glow! She is my inspiration for my first ever makeup tutorial!

I highly recommend jammin out to some of Jenny From the Block's greatest hits while creating this look...I know I did ;-)

Begin by prepping your face. These are the products that I used but you can use anything you want! Make sure you have cleansed your face and applied a toner and moisturizer before applying your primer, bb or cc cream. Primer is sooo important! It helps to fill in the lines you may have, protects your skin from your makeup and increases the wear of your makeup. Your skin is the largest organ you have, so take care of it - from the inside out!  Next, I use a separate primer/bb cream for under my eyes because I am a sufferer of those dreaded dark circles! Lastly, pucker up and soften those lips! For this I used Burt's Beeswax lip balm and it is amazing! 

*i have oily skin so the face products I use will cater more towards that skin type.*

Brows: I used a matte brown shadow from my Sleek Makeup palette. I really had to fill in my brows for this one since hers are much fuller than mine. When you're done filling in your brows, make sure to clean up with a bit of concealer.

I did not use an eyeshadow primer for this look but you're more than welcome to. Primers help the color to not only POP, but they help to prevent creasing and increase the longevity of your eyeshadow. Concealer works as a good primer too and it will save you $$$. I used this light shimmery champagne color to apply all over the eye from lid to under the brow. I made sure to highlight the brow bone and inner corner of the eye. This is the Sleek Makeup palette again. Fun fact: it's on $10! Sleekmakeup.com out of the UK.

For my eyes I chose the Naked2 palette from Urban Decay. I combined grey, brown and black so use whatever you have available. This smokey color blend shouldn't go too much into the inner corner of the eye or past the crease. Extend the color out past the outer corner of your eye in a winged shape and bring it all the way under your bottom lash line into the inner corner. 

*if you'd like me to go more in depth on eye makeup, please leave a comment either below or on my Facebook: Stephi Shoog Richardson*

I used my black pencil to fill in the water line in both my top and bottom lashes then I used my gel paint pot to create the rest of the look. Wing out the outer tip as well as the inner corner. Think of elongating the eye and giving it that Egyptian feel.

Apply concealer and foundation. I actually didn't use any foundation for this look because I didn't have the right color for the bronzed look. I don't recommend skipping foundation for a glam look like this! (Shame on me!) This concealer is also used as a highlighter so it needs to be lighter than your skin tone. I applied it fully under the eye, down the side of the nose, across the bridge of the nose, under the nostrils, above the top lip, in between the brows and on the chin. Whew! 

Set with a loose, clear finishing powder. Oily skin people: more is more!!!! 

This is what we've got so far. Can you see where I put the highlight/concealer? 

I did a powder contour with my Sleek Makeup contour set. I used this under my cheek bones, on the tip of my nose and all around the outside of my face...basically in the hairline and underneath the neck. With contouring you are creating depth in your facial structure. If you keep that in mind, it makes contouring much easier. (Once I get my new cream product in, I'll do another tutorial on contouring and highlighting)

I used bronzer instead of blush. I also dusted this over all the areas where I used the contouring powder to give me a tan appearance. That's the beauty of makeup! You can have a beachy tan without even going outside!

Glow time! Apply on apples of the cheeks and brush upwards along the top of the cheek bone. Also, brush it down the center of the nose.

Apply mascara! I LOVE this one! 

I lined my lips a bit smaller to better match hers using a nude pencil. Finish up with a nude lipstick. I use this Loreal pencil all the time! The lipstick was Shanghai Spice from MAC. 

Apply coat #2!!!! 

*some people prefer to curl their lashes or put on falsies. Both are great, but I didn't do that for this one. Feel free to add that in!*





Add some glam hair and BAM! You have yourself a look fit for the red carpet!