Customized looks: Light brown hair and green eyes, casual makeup for everyday wear

Hi all,

Thanks to my friend and neighbor Byra for being my model!

This is my second blog in my customized looks series.

These colors will look great on anyone, but the look is tailored for those lucky ladies with green eyes and blond/light brown hair :)

 I liked the idea of doing a casual look for ladies who want to wear a little makeup to jazz things up but not go overboard. The look I created is perfect for everyday wear when you're at home with the kids, running to the grocery store, or even a dinner date.

Makeup you need to complete this look: 

Concealer
Foundation
Mineral Powder Foundation or Pressed Powder to set face makeup
Eye brow pencil matching your brow color or a shade lighter
Matte white eye shadow
Matte medium brown eye shadow
Shimmery medium green eye shadow
Black or Black/Brown mascara
Brown gel eye liner
Peachy-tan blush
Neutral lip liner
Gold lip gloss

Let's get started!

As always start off with clean fresh skin.

Apply foundation and concealer as needed. I usually just apply concealer to under eyes and eye lids. Then, I apply liquid foundation to face (not a lot). Just enough to smooth out skin tone. Next, lightly dust face with mineral foundation or pressed powder to set face makeup.

Color in brows with eye-brow pencil using small strokes. Strong brows are the key to any glam look. If you can't figure out what you're doing wrong, chances are you are pressing too hard. You can use brow powder and a brush, but I find that to be messy. Your choice, just don't neglect those brows!

Next apply the matte white shadow to entire eye area, as well as under lower lash line. This helps wake up your eyes, and make them look brighter. Take the brown shadow and lightly apply it to your crease to create depth. Don't over do it, this is daytime makeup. Lastly, apply the green shadow to lid only, and don't blend into crease. We are trying to subtly draw attention to those gorgeous green eyes of yours! (*Blue eyed ladies, try the same trick with a light blue shimmery shadow. *Brown eyed ladies, try shimmery copper) Using a brush, apply brown gel liner to lash line, don't make a wing. I just don't think wings are flattering with brown eye liner. Leave it to black. Lastly, apply mascara to upper and lower lashes. Use a comb if they become tangled or clumpy.

Apply peachy brown blush to cheek bones and apples of cheeks. Blend well, we are going for a natural glow.

Line lips with neutral lip liner, and color them in with same liner.

Apply gold lip gloss.

You're done!

Don't neglect your hair! To get this pretty style I simply spritzed Byra's hair with leave-in conditioner and twisted it into pin curls. To do this take small sections of hair and twist it into a circle. Start with ends, spritzing with the leave in conditioner first will make it easier to hold. I then fastened the circle of hair with a clip, but bobby pins also work. Her hair sat in the clips while we did her makeup, so only about 15 minutes, and then we took the clips out and fluffed it. Part it on the side, fasten the front with a bobby pin and you're done! No heat styling, but adorable waves and body!

Please feel free to message me or comment here for any questions on this look. If you would like to be a free makeup model, comment below. I am looking for all types of women!

For questions on my photo business, email me at tiffanyaprilmiller@gmail.com

*To see Byra's beautiful pin-up photos she did with our studio, simply follow this link

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.244749535576576.75231.194811453903718&type=3

Love you all!

Things I learned last week...

Hi all,

Fun pic from Stevie's Vintage Girl shoot. Dutchess just tried to
steal a cupcake. She will bite yo' fingers if they get in the way!

I've taken it upon myself to learn what I can each week and share it on here. No particular topics, just whatever crosses my path. I still carry a reporter's notebook, and I take notes in it whenever something strikes me as cool or important. The same with photos.

From Family Circle Magazine:

3 tips on how to ---Be Happy 
1. Spend 10 minutes before bed writing 3 positive outcomes from the day and why they were successful 
I thought this seemed like a neat idea. Sometimes on the weeks when I don't make much money, or something else happens, I feel like I'm not doing enough with my life. However, there are so many things I do that matter a lot and are needed. I take care of my house and my family. That right there is worth a lot of money if you think about it. Childcare and house cleaning services are not cheap by any means, so if I wasn't there to do it, it would be costing a ton of money to pay someone else.

My list from last night:
Spent time with my mother-in-law--Finally got caught up watching Dexter
Cooked a nice breakfast for my husband--French toast, the only thing I could cook when we got married, lol
Grocery shopped with my mom


2. Drop everything and move around
Here the magazine was talking about how important it is to take small breaks every hour or so, where you stand up and just stretch, or walk into another room and get a glass of water. Taking a small break where you move a little makes you happier I guess. It's worth a try, right?


3. Be a cheerleader
I firmly believe this to be true. If you are happy for others, eventually happiness will come to you. No matter how I feel I always try to put on a brave or happy face for the people in my life. Eventually the happiness becomes real, even if I start off faking.


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I also discovered some items I would like to own or do last week, hehe:


-L'oreal Paris Infallible Le Rouge in Refined Ruby $10.00
Every lady needs a new red lipstick now and again

-Netbook Aspire One 722 $299.99 (for Bubba Ho-Tep)
This one got a good review from the magazine


-Kindle Fire $199.99
Everyone is raving about these things!


-Revlon Ciara perfume (used to wear it in high school, love the scent)
Sometimes you just need a whiff of nostalgia

-A vacation at Gulf Shores
Haven't seen the ocean since Clinton was president

That's me on the right in my It's a Beautiful Day tie dye shirt. 

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If you want to achieve a task, follow the 20 second rule:

Rule* If you remove 20 seconds off the start up time of a task, you are more likely to follow through. 

For example, put your work out clothes and shoes next to the bed if you want to work out in the morning. Pack your gym bag and have it in the car if you want to work out after work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, here's to this week and the success we hopefully all achieve!

Love you all, and look for my Valentine's Month specials coming out later this week. Big discounts if you've already been a Vintage Vamp Studios customer!

We love Valentine's Shoots!
This is from one of my new
"age appropriate" ones :)

Contact me in the comments here or on my email for any questions! tiffanyaprilmiller@gmail.com

Fitness Solutions for Busy Ladies---and my special relationship with Gilad

Hi all,

After I had my son I worked out every day for at least an hour
to get back in shape. Years later, the weight crept back on.
Yep, it's my lifelong struggle to be healthy!

Staying fit and healthy has been a life long struggle for me. I was a chunky kid, a voluptuous teen, and gained a ton of weight when pregnant 12 years ago. In other words, I have always been in need of a good fitness routine. I didn't always have to watch food intake, but I sure as heck do now.

This is me at my heaviest weight of my life...
I can pull it off, but it's very uncomfortable on my back
and joints to be overweight. I've lost 20 lbs since this pic.

My special relationship with Gilad started when I was around 12. My mom had just had three kids in a row, and was working hard on getting back in shape. My mom has a lovely figure, way better than mine, and she looks great after four kids. But like most moms, she needed to work out to tone up and build lean muscle mass while burning fat.

There he is! Gilad. He's the man.

At the time we had American Cable Vision. The Fit channel featured a 30 minute fitness program called Bodies in Motion with Gilad. This program is still on today, on the Discovery Fit and Health channel. It airs at 5:00 a.m. I DVR it. But back to my story. My mom and I would do this work out show together. Working out is always easier if you have a pal or family member to motivate you. In turn, you motivate them. I really think working out with my mom during these early years helped me lose baby fat, as well as develop an understanding of the importance of working out to stay in shape.

Gilad's workouts take place on a beautiful Hawaiian beach.
They consist of a warm-up, commercial, aerobics, commercial,
floor work, commercial, cool down, over.
Perfect for beginners! Already in shape?
Jog in place through the commercial breaks!

Later on in my teen years, I was able to stay thin by working a part-time job, going to school, always hanging out with friends, and not eating very often. I'm not saying it was healthy, but it was how I stayed thin.

That's me in the middle, Kira on the left and Laura on the right.
I die when I see that amazing stomach of mine here, hehe!
No stretch marks!

(Well, after having Gabe and gaining a Gazillion pounds, I started working out to Gilad and Bodies in Motion again. I was able to lose 50 pounds and get my figure back. Granted, I was much younger than I am now, and didn't really need to watch my diet. However, when I think back I realize Chris and I hardly ever went out to eat or grab fast food. Just goes to show you, if you can make yourself eat at home, you are taking the first step.)

Over the past 15-16 years, Mom and I have also worked out frequently to Denise Austin, who has the best figure even after all these years and having two kids of her own. She is so perky and positive, I would recommend her videos and shows to anyone who is a beginner, or starting back into fitness after taking a break.

Denise is so beautiful. Amazing figure, amazing hair,
and most importantly amazing attitude!

This DVD is a must have. I know for a fact
they have it available for rent at the
Riverside Mid-continent Library.
No excuses! Give it a try!

Now that I have been working out for a little over 4 months, I have enough base strength to do Pilates. For anyone who's ever tried Pilates, you know there is NOTHING easy about it. You always see celebrities on TV and in magazines saying how it's easy to do. "How do you stay in shape?" "Oh it's easy, I do Pilates." Please, Pilates is one of the hardest workouts I've ever done. But I will say, after just one week of adding it to my fitness routine, my body is tighter and more streamlined than it has been since my teens. Also, the scale has dropped 4 lbs. However, I've also been making sure to eat fruits and vegetables every day, so eating and working out is what changed the scale I'm sure. Also, I worked 4 months to get strong enough to do it.

I rented the Basics Step by Step DVD from
the library and have been doing it for
almost a week. I would love to buy
the set!

The morale of this story, and blog post, is don't give up. There are workouts you can do. Start small. Even if you can't get your diet under control in the beginning, never stop working out. It will make you stronger. You will see results. I believe you can do it.

I'm posting my workout routines. Hopefully it will motivate you and help you realize you have enough time to be fit. I never do the same thing on Monday, Tuesday, etc. I always change things up so my body never "plateaus" (a nasty word meaning you don't see any more results!)

Some of my workouts include:

*Gilad 30 minute work-out, *Windsor Pilates

*Gilad 30 minute work-out, *Denise Austin's Daily Dozen (one or two of the workouts)

* Denise Austin's Daily Dozen, *Windsor Pilates

*A brisk 30 minute outside walk, *Gilad

*Jump Rope video on Spark People's Youtube channel, *Gilad

You see how I'm always changing things?!

I would like to lose more, but here's to not gaining any back!

I've also made myself a Pilates vision board, which I'm going to add 5 exercises to every week. I will do these after I finish the Pilates video.

I'm pretty proud of my sketches, lol!

I hope this blog post has helped you figure out your own fitness journey, and where you want to go from here.
If you have any questions, or tips for me, please comment below.

For questions on the photo studio, or to send me information or photos, just email me at tiffanyaprilmiller@gmail.com

Love you all, and here is my friend Heather's beautiful vision board! I love it!

Love how the person is holding grapes! So creative!

Heather. Thanks for sharing girlie!

Vision Boards---How to, Why for, and with who?

Hi all,

I've been asked many times by friends and clients what the crazy collages hanging on my walls, sitting in my bookcases and taped to my doors are.

Newest creation! Everything on here represents a dream or idea.

Remember when we were teens and would cut out photos of things we thought were cool and tape them to the walls? Well, I had a room full of magazine clippings back in the 90's.

A little peak into my teenage room. Yes, I'm throwing up Westside :) 

Back in the day I would stare at my walls and get so many ideas of the awesome life I was going to have when I grew up. Then I grew up, and even though I did go to college, buy a house, get married, have a child, and all the other stuff society makes us think we need to do, I kind of stopped dreaming. Yes, I know, so depressing.

Well, vision boarding is your ticket to changing yourself back into a dreamer! I made my first vision board at my friend Faith Evangeline's house. You know, the chic who created Evil Pawn Jewelry?

Faith and I back in 2009! Ignore my duck face pose please :)

Faith held a "Girl Revolution" event at her house where we all learned how to vision board, and the many positive benefits this exercise can do for you. That was my first vision board. I was still in school, so many of my pictures had to do with finishing strong (I graduated with a 4.0) becoming editor (I started as News Editor and was promoted to co-Editor-in Chief) and losing weight (it's weight, it comes and goes lol). Winning. I made this board more than a year ago.

My very first "vision board." Very chaotic, a lot going on, and lots of tiny words.
It worked, but I now prefer to keep it simpler.

My second foray into vision boards was after watching an episode of Jerseylicious (don't judge, haha). This time I involved my husband and we both made boards. One of mine featured the idea of a vintage business (hello Vintage Vamp Studios!) and being more glamorous (hello to taking better care of myself). My husband also had some of his "visions" come true. All around a good experience. We made those boards about six months ago.

I wanted a '67 Impala...but ended up with a '66!
When your dreams come true, they might not always be perfectly what you expected.
Snatch up your opportunities, I know I intend to!

Saturday Chris and I made a new set of vision boards. It's important to always keep dreaming, so don't let me be the only one. I'm going to tell you exactly how to make your own vision boards, and make your own dreams come true.

Chris working hard and taking inventory on one of his newest boards.
This is a great activity to do with your guy or partner!

Making vision boards

Surround yourself with positive people, or do it alone.

You'd be surprised how contagious dreams are.
My husband, who is a very talented man, decided to pursue pin-striping.
His newest vision board is full of his designs. So cool!

This is sort of a given. If you've got a negative ho-hum person next to you, trying to figure out what your dreams are, and finding pictures to cue your subconscious mind and help them come true, is going to be pretty difficult or impossible. I know sometimes in life our friends and family can be pretty down in the dumps negative because of their own circumstances or attitudes. I'm not saying never spend time with them again, but make sure you are feeling positive when making your vision board, you don't want negative thoughts and actions to come true right?

Get your supplies.

-A poster-board, I prefer white or black. I like to cut mine into fourths. I keep two pieces, and I give my husband two pieces.

-Magazines. Not your collectible ones, you are going to get scissor happy. But make sure they have pictures of things that interest you! Printing pics off the internet is another option.

-Glue

-Scissors

-A marker

Optional---single hole punch and some twine. (this is for hanging them so you don't need to use tape).

Make sure you have a nice open space to work in. I like to do this during the day, when there is plenty of light, but if night is your only option that's okay too!

Get Started!

-Flip through your magazines and look for images that speak to something inside you. Your dreams are there. Your subconscious is there, it's soaking up everything, every detail you ignore. I can't tell you what to dream. Maybe a new hairstyle, a new fitness routine, a side job, a new career, going back to school. Your dreams are there! Cut out the images. Cut them in interesting ways, tracing the lines of a face for example. Put all these clippings in a pile for use later.

----Insider Tip----Try and stay away from words. This is a helpful tip Faith gave me. Your mind is going to glance at this board hopefully 20-25 times a day. This is why it should be in a high frequency zone in your home, or office cubicle. This board is going to make your dreams come true, even when you're not actively looking at it. So don't give your subconscious too much to work with! Images are good, words are bad. You can use some words, for example if you are listing, just don't go overboard. I used too many words on my first vision board, and at times I felt like it was an eyesore.

Now, arrange your clippings on the board in a manner that pleases you. This isn't a homework assignment. You do whatever you want. Pics can hang off the sides, overlap, whatever. This is your masterpiece! When you have it the way you like it, start gluing!

Two of my boards from 6 months ago. Still love them and look at them when in the studio!

-If you desire, punch two holes at the top of the board and lace with twine to make a "hanger."

This vision board is meant to keep me on track while working at my computer desk!

-You're done! This process usually takes me about 2-3 hours. I like to take my time, but for you it might be quicker. Everyone is different.

My last piece of advice on vision boards...


DON'T YOU DARE EVER FEEL STUPID FOR DOING THIS, DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING IT OUT, DON'T LET SOMEONE ELSE MAKE YOU FEEL BAD FOR DREAMING!


Sorry for the all-caps rant, but there's nothing worse than a Debbie Downer trying to stomp on someone's dreams. You should never feel stupid or dorky for doing something other people don't have the courage to do. This is your life, your home, your space, your dreams. Don't let anyone rain on your parade :) And I'm sorry to say, chances are people will try.

Just remember, explaining your board to another person can be liberating and wonderful...but make sure it's the right person. If you know they won't believe in you, just say you like to keep it private. There's nothing rude about that if you say it nicely. Let them look and think what they like...be mysterious :)

I hope this helped. Some other things you might want to do while vision boarding:

-Listen to music you love

-Drink some hot cocoa or tasty hot tea in winter, or a cold smoothie in summer.

-Burn a scented candle (not on the table you're working on, haha fire hazard!)

-Take pictures as you go along

-Make it a party and share the experience with friends

Have fun! Love you all, and as always we are booking shoots for the studio. Just message me at tiffanyaprilmiller@gmail.com

Have fun making your own vision boards!

I would love nothing more than pics of your vision boards, so if you make one after reading this and feel like sharing, please email me! :)

Saving money day by day: Healthy food shopping at ALDI, stocking up at the library and more tips.

Hi all,

Like most people, my family and I try and save money however we can. There are some things we really want, like cameras, paints, parts for the classic cars...and then there are things we need, like food, reading material, utilities, a roof over our heads, etc.

This was our first Christmas not going all out and spending an insane amount of money. As hard as it was seeing my son disappointed, as he did not get a laptop, flat screen TV or $300 worth of X-Box games, it's been nice not worrying how to catch up on basic necessities.

I know for a lot of women, a photo shoot with me falls into the category of things they can't afford after paying the bills. I too have to save money to buy the things I desire, so I decided to do a blog on some steps I take to save money. Hopefully some of these ideas can help you and your family! And hopefully even if you don't practice these tips, you are able to save a bit of money to buy something for yourself every month or so. Even if you don't book a shoot with me, you deserve things for yourself! Too many women sacrifice everything to make their families happy. This is your life too, so make sure and take time to make yourself happy!

Healthy Shopping at ALDI

I like to eat 1 yogurt a day for good health, and my family enjoys them too. Does this brand have sugar? Yes, but it's still a healthier choice than ice cream, or full-fat yogurt. I do read the labels no matter where I shop, and make sure not to buy items with high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oil, when possible.

When money is tight, food can get unhealthy. Frozen pizza, pasta, white bread, processed cheese, these are affordable foods. Sometimes it seems like vegetables, fruits, and good lean meats are out of the price range of any family or person struggling financially.

I found that we were eating HEALTHY food less than once a week about six months ago. I was pretty horrified, not to mention unhappy with my health and weight. However, just because I made this realization didn't mean we all of a sudden had more money! I decided to shop at ALDI for the first time, and I was so happy/surprised with what I found there.

If you can set aside enough time for yourself to really read the food labels, and really pay attention to what your're buying, ALDI can be a lifesaver financially. Do they have a ton of unhealthy food there? Yes. But if you shop smart (shop S-Mart...sorry Evil Dead reference) you can find some healthy choices too.

Dairy: ALDI has yogurts for around 30 cents. I don't buy milk there because we like 1% and they only have skim, 2% and whole. I did buy some sliced Swiss cheese. Yes, it's processed and in the little plastic sheets, but it's still better than some of the alternatives. Sometimes I feel like we are too hard on ourselves. If your choice is a sandwich at home with processed cheese or a fast food hamburger, you're still probably better off overall eating at home.

Breads/Pastas: I buy the oat bread, since it has fiber, and the wheat they carry doesn't. The bread tastes great, I have no complaints! I also get whole wheat pasta at ALDI, which is just as good as more expensive brands. This time I got some rice cakes. I know rice cakes get a bad rap, but I love them. You gotta be careful though, eating a bunch of rice cakes is still fattening, haha. You have to eat them in moderation, because they don't have much or any fiber.

Fruits and Veggies: ALDI is funny here. They don't always have the same items, and you need to look over what they do have super carefully to avoid buying older produce. However, I always find good stuff. This last time I got oranges, red onions, garlic, limes and lemons. They all looked great!

The yummy produce I got at ALDI yesterday!

Misc: Juice, Vanilla Wafers, Hot Chocolate, Corn Tortillas, Canned Fruit, Honey, Tuna lunch kits...ALDI has all this stuff.

We might not be perfect when it comes to being healthy, but we've come a long way  from our completely unhealthy ways!

Using the Library

I know, I know...the library is nothing new. So why am I just now taking advantage of it? I've been using the Riverside branch of Mid-Continent for the past few months, and I couldn't be happier. Gabe picks out books for his reports, and I read up on things that interest me. The internet is a vast resource for info, but there's still nothing like picking up a book. And it's fun to put those library skills we learned in elementary and middle school to use. Today I went in just wanting a Pilates DVD, and ended up with a bunch of books! All for free, well, I did pay an old fee...$3.00. Hardly the price tag I used to get at Barnes and Noble. I'm not saying I will never buy books again, but for now this is just the resource I need!

I even got a book for Chris!

Take those freebies

When my grandmother in Prairie Village was remodeling her kitchen, I commented on how much I liked her vintage curtains. "Do you want them?" she asked. "Okay," I said. Now I have these adorable vintage curtains she didn't want, and I got them for free. Too often people ask us if we want stuff like hand-me-downs, and we say no out of pride. If you need it, say yes! They are offering because they want to help, or just don't want the stuff anymore. My grandma in Briarcliff asked me once if I wanted a beautiful mink stole, and I said no because I was embarrassed for some dumb reason. I would love to have it now! I should have said yes, now the moment has passed.

Sorry, the pic is a little dark, but the curtains are darling!

Make the best of things

My sister Stevie left a pink carnation at my house after our photo shoot last week. Instead of letting it die, I put it in an old Shatto milk glass bottle, and I've been admiring it ever since. Its the little things in life we can treasure, health, a flower, a smile...it might sound corny, but I'll take this stuff over a shopping spree I can't afford any day!

So pretty.

My husband is handy when it comes to home repairs. We didn't really like our kitchen, but instead of tearing out all the 1940's cabinets, and spending a ton of money on new granite counter tops and such, we decided to put a new floor and some new backsplash tiles ourselves. We are blending our style with what was already here. We don't always get all the materials we want at the same time, but we keep working even if it takes months. It really helps with moral, and it gives us a continual purpose and goals for our home decorating.

It's a start!

I hope some of these tips were helpful to you! Please feel free to give me some tips in the comments. Let me know what you do to save money!

As always, for questions about the photo studio, or anything else, email me at tiffanyaprilmiller@gmail.com

Love you all!

10 Items for Building and Managing a Makeup Kit---and New Year's Resolutions!

Hi all,

I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve!

Chris and I were so excited and proud to win best dressed! We didn't go out for New Year's Eve, so this is the last exciting photo I have to show you! :)

My husband and I both made resolutions to be more creative and give ourselves time to work on our vintage business. He's working hard on building a pin-striping kit for himself. Since their are many pre-made kits on the market, I got to thinking about make-up kits. There are some you can buy that say they have everything you need, but usually you could buy what is really necessary separately and get more! I am always building and updating my makeup kit, both for myself and my professional work. I'm going to start off with 10 items I think you really need in your personal makeup kit.

1. Tweezers. I know, not a makeup item. However, your eyebrows are so important to the way your face looks. If you want to look younger, keep your eyebrows as thick as possible. I've read many articles in Vogue and other fashion/beauty magazines giving this tip. I'm going to do a video on eyebrows later, but for now I have a few simple tips. Don't try to make your eyebrows look like someone else's, it never works. If you must pluck the top of the brows, be careful not to lose your natural shape. If you really need guidance, line where you want them to be with white eyeliner, and then pluck the outside the lines. You need tweezers in your makeup kit so you can pluck your stray eyebrow hairs everyday. This helps you look like you keep yourself up, instead of having run down scraggly brows. You can sterilize the tips of the tweezers with a swap of alcohol on a cotton ball. I usually pluck mine right before I get in the shower, so I don't forget.

2. Foundation matching your skin tone. Beautiful skin always looks fresh and is always in style. You should have a good a.m. and p.m. cleansing and moisturizing routine to ensure this. If you can get away with using soap, so be it. But make sure you moisturize before you apply foundation. This will allow the base to glide on, as opposed to caking up in some places. I know a lot of people feel strongly about foundation primer, but I like to apply a light coat of moisturizer, and then apply the foundation. You can use mineral, liquid, or creme to powder. Whatever works best for your skin type. It might take some time to find what you really like. But once you do, don't be afraid to stay loyal to your favorite product. If it ain't broke, right?

3. Blush. If you are not using blush or bronzer, you are really missing out. It helps sculpt your cheekbones, and gives you a pop of color you need in winter months as well as warmer ones. It brightens your face, making you look cheerful, feminine and glowing. Even if you refuse to wear foundation, please try wearing blush. You might need to dust some face powder on first, and it might not apply as well if your face is very dry. Again, moisturizing is really important to makeup application. If you worry about having "clown" cheeks, try applying blush with a cotton ball at first. I still use a cotton ball to apply my brighter colored blushes. It helps you control the application a little better than a brush. Try wearing blush for just one day and I think you'll be hooked! Try a pinky brown blush for a nice glow, or a pinky coral one for drama.

4. An eyelash curler. If you have naturally curly eyelashes, you can skip this one. If you don't, you better have a good curler! I like Revlon's and Mary Kay's. The Mary Kay ones were just part of a promotion for our new Lash Love Mascara, but I would love it if they made them regular line. Put the curler at the base of your lashes and squeeze gently about 10 times. If you have long lashes, move the curler closer to the ends and repeat. Curled eye lashes open the eye and make you look more awake!

5. Neutral Eye Shadows. I love bright colored eye makeup, but when just starting out it's best to stick with neutrals. Cream, white, and browns. I like to have matte shadows, which have no shimmer or glitter, as well as iridescent ones, which shine brightly. A good eye look to start with is a white shadow under the brow bone, a light brown or gold on the lid, and a darker brown in the crease. This gives you a put together eye look and it's what I always go back to when in a pinch.

6. Black or brown eyeliner. I like creme and gel liners you apply with a brush. They go on smoothly, and it's easy to color in the dreaded "line" we can get between our lashes and our eyeliner. My second choice would be liquid liner, however it can run and have a thin texture. Pencil is my last choice. I've yet to perfect "smudged" liner, but when I do I'll make sure and let you know! Also, if you are very fair, try using brown eyeliner instead of black for your everyday wear. You might find it's more flattering. I don't like liner on the lower lash line for ladies with dark eyes, as it can add a "goth" look you might not be going for. However, ladies with light eyes can usually get away with it. I remember back in the 90's, I wanted to do my eye makeup just like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She always had her eyes lined top and bottom with a black pencil liner. Somehow I always ended up looking like...well, not good. Yeah, Buffy has a blue eyes. Mine are very dark brown. She's tan. I'm pale. She's a blond, I'm a brunette. It's just one more lesson I learned about having to look like yourself, lol.

7. Black or brown mascara. If you are very fair and have blond eyelashes, brown or black/brown mascara could be very flattering on you for everyday wear. Black is best for ladies medium brunette and darker. That's not to say blond eyelashes should never wear black mascara, but I would save it for nighttime and going out.

8. A flattering pink lipstick. Red lips are glamorous, and I would love nothing more than to bring back brown lip liner with gold gloss on the inside. However, for those starting out, find a good pink you like. This will balance well with your blush and neutral eyes. Pink lips look good on all skin colors, and with all hair colors. Start off with a more neutral  pink as opposed to bright and flamboyant colors. But if you want to do a coral color, I think it's pretty universally flattering. With lipstick I think it's worth the money to go to a Mary Kay lady like me, or MAC, or Ulta, and try the lipsticks on. That way you are buying a shade you know looks good, as opposed to getting home from the drug store and hating the color (happened to me more times than I can count or remember).

9. Gold lip gloss. Gold lip gloss always looks good, on plain lips or on top of pink lipstick. Mary Kay has a great one called Beached Bronze. So pretty, looks great with bronzer on cheeks as well.

10. A few good brushes. Start small. Eyeliner, eye shadow and a good eyelash comb. Build from there :) I like Eco Tools, as well as Mary Kay, Merle Norman, and of course MAC.

I hope this blog was somewhat informative and helpful to those of you just starting out wearing makeup and building your kit. I learned a lot of this the hard way over my many years of striving to make the best of my natural looks with makeup, haha. All of these product photos were taken by me (of course) and it was actually really fun. Who knew inanimate objects made such good models, hehe!?

Moving on...

My New Year's Resolution is...TO LEARN HOW TO SEW! Yes! I want to sew vintage clothes from patterns.

Also, we are hoping to rent a booth at one of the local antique malls in the next few months.

Overall, I think 2012 is going to be amazing, at least I hope so!

Love you all, and as always for questions about my photo studio or to book a shoot just email me at tiffanyaprilmiller@gmail.com