I know you seen me on the video. (True.)

TBT to Lil Kim’s “Crush On You”…aka the jam…anyway… I was recently asked how Electra Lane’s personal video makeup lesson service works.  Let me explain.

How often to you search and search on YouTube for a particular tutorial only to a) not find exactly what you want, and/or b) be so confused by the ultra-advanced techniques, and/or c) feel like you must purchase hundreds of dollars of products and tools that you’ll likely never use again?  With ELn’s video makeup lesson, you get a YouTube-style tutorial to access at your leisure, as many times as you want, and personalized for you: your look, your face, your budget.

On my current video channel I show you what I do and what products/tools I use to achieve a look, but not necessarily how I do it.  If you’re a newbie who, for example, wants to learn an everyday, wear-to-work look, I’ll show which brush to get, how to hold it, how much product to load on the brush, where to place the brush on your face, and so on.

Check out my Vimeo page, and email me at jessica@electralane.com if this service interests you.

Birthday Makeup - Part III

Since we’re finishing this birthday look today, here’s the grainy, back-of-the-cab photo from my birthday:

Yes that's a seatbelt...safety first...and we were having too much fun to stop and take photos of the makeup, and I didn’t remember until right before we got to the show…I know that’s not very blogger-like, but I feel like real life supersedes the one on-screen.

Since we've already covered eyes and skin, all we have left is the color: here is the video showing how to finish the look!

Products Used:

Highligher: MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Light Boost

Nose Contour: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Skin Perfecting Micro-Powder in Dark

Luminizer: RMS Living Luminizer

Blush: Bobbi Brown Blush in Pale Pink

Lip Liner: MAC Lip Pencil in Subculture

Lipstick: Armani Rouge d’Armani Beige 100

Set Spray: Urban Decay All Nighter

Also, I'd like to say happy Veterans Day and THANK YOU to all those who honorably served!

Birthday Makeup - Part II

Now that our eyes are done, we move on to skin. So that the primer has time to soak in, I applied it before doing the eye makeup.  Also, for the sake of the video, I apply all of these products very quickly.  In real life, it takes me about 45 minutes to complete this look from start to finish – this leaves plenty of time to blend and let all of the products settle into the skin.  Otherwise, as you see in the video, the makeup gets streaky. Since we went out at night, I wanted soft, glowing skin that did not have too much color so as not to compete with the eyes. Check out the video here, and I’ll meet you next week for the final look.

Products Used:

Prep: Embryolisse Hydra-Mat

Foundation: Armani Luminous Silk in 6.5

Concealer: Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Light Golden

Contour: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Skin Perfecting Micro-Powder in Dark

Bronzer: Make Up For Ever Mat Bronze in 40

Setting Powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light

Birthday Makeup - Part I

So earlier, I said I was planning a smoky eye with brown shadows for my birthday look…but I went with plums…because if you can’t change your mind on your birthday, when can you? This is one of my Go-To Glam looks, and it would be perfect for parties that pop up throughout the holiday season. When doing a really smoky eye, I do eyes first so when I clean up fallout, I don't take any foundation with it. In this three-part post, I’ll give you the full look from naked face to setting mist starting with eye makeup: click here for the video.

Products Used:

Eye Shadows: Dazzlelight, Tempting and Folie from MAC; Metallic Merlot from Stila

Eye Liner: MAC’s Smolder

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills brow powder in Brunette; MAC Brow Set in Clear

Lashes: Ardell Wispies; Duo dark glue

Clean Up: Almay Makeup Eraser Sticks

HalloWEENY

I realize that as a makeup artist I’m supposed to get jazzed about doing something exciting with makeup for Halloween, and if someone wants me to turn them into a deer (because apparently that’s the big thing this year) I would be more than happy to do so, but I just can’t.  Perhaps I’m a Hallo-wuss.  And if we went to a Halloween ball or major costume party, I feel like the transformation would be worth it.  But, for the times when we’re only catering to little gobblins begging for sugar, I like to keep it simple. Last year, I was cat woman by utilizing a mask, fantastic lashes and a red lip:

This year, my husband and I will be Zach and Kelly from Saved by the Bell, and I’m looking forward to 80’s cheerleader glam.  A simple brown lid (Cork) and cranberry gloss is all I need (except for that sweet original brick phone!).  I'll add a little tease to my bangs, throw in a few "likes" and "totally-s" into my vocabulary, and we're set.

In case you need some legit last-minute inspiration, Cara of Maskcara put together an incredible list of phenomenal Halloween looks.  Enjoy all that candy, and Happy Halloween!