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Friday, April 30, 2010

More makeup advice....

A few techniques I left out from my last makeup tutorial, A Few Humble Suggestions....:

1) I highly recommend investing in a higher end foundation. A little goes a long way and they last for months. Drug store foundation formulas tend to dry your skin out, and gather and crease. Also, higher end foundations are more likely to match your skin tone so you can wear smaller amounts to cover small blemishes, without coating your entire face.

For application: Do not use a sponge. It sucks up all the foundation. Instead, try using a fluffy brush. I know they make foundation brushes, but they're so thick and tightly bound that they tend to just smear the foundation around. I prefer to use something similar to a blush brush. All of the soft little bristles help the foundation apply smoothly and evenly.

Lastly, I recommend using a light and translucent powder to set your foundation. This is a good daytime look. Too much powder can make you look old. We've all seen people with way too much powder and foundation on, and it's not pretty!

2) A few mascara tips:

Don't pump the brush. It puts air in the tube and dries it out. Also, if you think you're getting sick or a virus, throw it out. The virus can live in the tube. Yuck.

Also, don't try to "juice it up" with water. I've seen people try to do this. Just buy a new tube. ;)

For application: Start at the base, and shake the brush as you move outwards. It helps distribute the mascara and separate your eyelashes. For a more dramatic look, layer your mascaras. For example, I use a dryer formula of mascara to separate my lashes, and after they set, I apply a wetter formula that lengthens.

For your bottom lashes, drag the tip of the brush back and forth. Try not to go all of the way across your eye, unless you're going for a very dramatic look. Only go about halfway in, and make sure that you have a little bit of powder on under your eyes, to keep your eyelashes from dotting your cheeks.


3) For the most part, drugstore eyeshadows are relatively the same formula as higher end brands, and work just as well. For more dramatic and bold colors, I go for Mac eyeshadows and Urban Decay. For daytime makeup, I really like Almay's color palettes. You can buy them according to your eye color, and they're cheap.

For application: Invest in a brush. The little sponges they come with are too coarse and don't really do anything. Even using your finger is better than using a sponge or foam.

For a more dramatic look, put a primer on your eyelids. The color will be creamier and stand out. An eyelid primer is like a glue. It holds the makeup in place and it will last all night, like if you're going dancing, or to a concert. ;)


On my next blog, I will discuss eyeshadow application and color combos more in depth. :)


Sunday, April 25, 2010

Enchilada Recipe


This recipe is always a party favorite! I make it every year for me and my girl friends Annual Christmas Party and they love it! It is a very easy recipe that anyone can make. If you can cook chicken, then you can do it!






What You"ll need :


A pack of corn tortillas
1 Can of Juanita's 28 oz can of enchilada sauce ( but you can use any kind you want)
2 whole chicken breasts (but you can use shredded or ground beef, or cheese)
1 8oz can of Embasa ( or any chunky salsa, canned or not)
2 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (jack or mild cheddar works best)
1 can of sliced olives
1/2 a sliced onion
1 sliced green bell pepper

seasonings:
taco seasoning
Seasoning salt


Step One

Slice up the Chicken breast into small pieces. Heat up the pan with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the chopped up onions, bell peppers, Embasa (or salsa) and chopped chicken, taco seasoning and a dash of seasoning salt, and 3 tbsp. of the Enchilada sauce in to the pan. Mix all the seasoning so its coating the chicken and vegetables and let it cook on a medium heat for about 15 min. or until the chicken is fully cooked.

Step Two

Step two is messy! If you have acrylic nails, wear gloves because enchilada sauce stains. Also, make sure you are in clothes and are using dish rags that you don't care about!

Your going to need to set up a little station. You"ll need to pour the enchilada sauce into a round shallow dish or a wide Tupperware, something that a corn tortilla can lay flat in. Have the Chicken and Vegetable filling within reach with a ladle waiting in the pan.

Take a round shallow pan set it to a very low heat. Heat up 4 tbsp. of oil. One by one, you are going to cook each tortilla on each side for about 15 seconds. Don't cook the tortillas in the oil for too long or you'll make taco shells! :p

After you cook each tortilla, dip it in the enchilada sauce on either side so the tortilla is coated completely in sauce. Place the tortilla in a baking dish, something similar to a casserole dish, and spoon enough of the chicken mixture so that the tortilla will roll up with ease and without breaking.

Roll up all you tortillas with chicken until the Pan is full. Don't worry if a few tear because the sauce and cheese will hold them together!

Step 3

Lastly, preheat your oven to 350 F. Take your shredded cheese and olives, and sprinkle them all over the top of your enchiladas. Place them in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
Top with Sour cream and enjoy!


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Friday, April 23, 2010

Cookie -- The Real Rock Star.




My Dog Cookie is a rock star. She was beamed from another planet to torture us with her unbearable cuteness. And watch out, those big brown eyes will eat you alive....









My Mom brought cookie home about 10 months ago, form my little sister's friend's house. Cookie was being repeatedly attacked by the families older dog, and we were looking for a friend for our other poodle sally. She was Trembling and cried every time you put her down for the first two weeks at my house.

She is a big girl now, clocking in at three times the weight of our poodle sally. She is my co pilot, my personal assistant, my shadow and my partner in crime. I couldn't ask for a better dog, she loves children and babies and has never snapped at anything. The only thing that bugs Cookie is when Mr.Holly, my parakeet, steals the kibbles out of her food dish.

Cookie requires 24/7 love and attention. She'll cry when I'm watching TV sometimes because she wants my undivided attention, and eye contact. Her eyes are so big and expressive it freaks me out sometimes.

She came with me on my Mission to drop off some presents at Tommy's house from his fans. Cookie Rocked her Ray Bands and hit the road with me and my girlfriend. She wore the glasses all the way to his house. In the picture above she is attempting to hypnotize him with her Super powers and it worked.

Cookie is has her secrets. Shes loves to hunt crickets, and roll in anything disgusting like mud or cat poop. She rolls in something almost every week. I think she just might like the attention of getting a bath ^-^

Cookie is going to be a licensed therapy dog like Sally when she gets a little bit older. She doesn't know her commands very well. Sally can sit, speak, roll over, lay down, hop on two legs, and hop in circles on her back legs. Cookie know "Sientese" ("sit" in Spanish) and that's it. However Cookie has already had practice in therapy. One time, I found a lady crying in my driveway. She told me that my house was her childhood home and that her brother had passed away last week. She wanted to look at their hand prints and initials in the driveway. I didn't know what to say to her so I handed cookie to her. She sat on the concrete and cried into Cookie for almost 20 minutes. Cookie licked her cheeks and wagged her little tail and had the lady smiling. Cookie is a little angel.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Man Make Up Do's and Dont's.




It simply is not fair that the joys of makeup be exclusive to women! After all, everyone should have a chance at accenting their beauty and hiding their flaws. However Man Make up was a trend of the 80's, right? WRONG!

Man Makeup and the delicate art of man-scaping is being resurrected by modern day Alternative and Glam Rock! What was pioneered by artists like Alice Cooper, The New York Dolls, David Bowie, Twisted Sister, and Kiss (just to name a few) is being upheld by modern day musicians like Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Adam Lambert, Marilyn Manson and Lady Gaga (just kidding). ;P

However Man Make-up can go wrong, hideously wrong!
Here are a few tips to pretty up your boy all while carefully avoiding the evil drag clown look.

Tip 1: Eyes

EYELINER AND LASHES
It is a common fact that men have beautiful and untouched eyelashes. Play it up! Mascara is a great way to open up the eyes and brighten the entire face. Black and brown eyeliner should be applied like it would be on women, close to the lashes. This really is the best look. Men tend to apply their eyeliner like a thirteen-year-old girl discovering make up for the first time. I call this the pre-teen Raccoon look, and it is not pretty. Think the singer of the Cure, Iconic and Amazing? Yes. A little scary? Kind of. Smokey and smeared liner is sexy. Think the singer from My Chemical Romance. Hot

EYESHADOW
Stay far far away from Bright Colors. Some men, as Adam Lambert has shown us, can pull off the darker Blue and Purples. I even use a corn flower blue eyeshadow on Tommy sometimes, but what often comes to mind and also haunt my dreams is the makeup of Dee Snider. I Love Twisted Sister, and I highly doubt beauty was Snider's goal, but the blue eyeshadow up to his brows is a horrible reminiscent of my great aunt Lavina, mixed with an evil clown.

TIP 2: LIPS

LIPSTICKS AND GLOSS

For man Lips I recommend pinks and reds that aren't too far from their natural lip color! For Tommy I use Milani's Hot Pink Lip gloss with glitter. The Hot Pink is muffled by his Olive Skin Tone so it doesn't stand out, just enough to show off his natural pout.


THE OVER ALL GOAL OF MAN MAKE UP

Man Makeup is suppose to highlight their sexiness. I met Tommy in eyeliner and can't picture him any other way. I mean, can you pictures Billy Joe of Green Day without it? Its accents his eye shape and adds to his looks. However there is a fine line between sexy man makeup and drag. There is a stigma that all men who want to wear make up are drag queens and although I love my Drag Queen Friends, it is not to say that all men who rock the glam look are in drag! In my experience doing make up, I have found that 99% of men love having their makeup done; they find it fun, new and exciting! My dad was all about his Pirates of the Caribbean makeup on Halloween. :)

-Chantala


*Disclaimer: I love Lady Gaga, The Cure, Twisted Sister, and all Drag Queens. Esp. Frankie Starr.




Monday, April 19, 2010

A Few Humble Makeup Suggestions





I may not be a professional makeup artist, but I do every one's makeup on club nights, date nights, before weddings, before concerts, and job interviews. I've done makeup for runway models and photo shoots. To me, makeup artistry is like another extension of painting. For anyone who's interested, here are some good brands that I recommend:

I suggest Estde Lauder's Light Coverage Foundation for Oily Skin, and for those interested in a satin finish that works for light daytime makeup. For those with mild to moderate acne and oily skin, I recommend Mac Studio Fix Foundation. It offers flawless coverage and it will last for hours. I use Mac Studio Fix Foundation on Tommy because it stays on even when he gets sweaty on stage. ;)

For eyelashes, I recommend Great Lash Mascara from Maybelline. For those looking to spend a little bit more, Dior Show Mascara and Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara. I use Great Lash Mascara on Tommy because he already has giraffe eyelashes, and putting Urban Decay on him would make him prettier than me, and we can't have that.

For cheeks, I recommend Physician's Formula Shimmering Bronzer in gold-bronze and peach. They're earthy and the shimmer brightens your skin without making you look like a daytime hooker. For those looking to spend a little more, and who are seeking a more dramatic look, I recommend Channel's Blush in Rose Cache. I use this brand on Tommy because it makes for great stage makeup and really highlights his cheekbones.

For Lips I always suggest wearing Chap Stick under your lipstick or gloss. It creates a barrier between your lipstick and your skin and keeps it from being absorbed into your lips. I love Bert's Bees Chap stick, cherry is my flavor of choice! I highly recommend using a natural chapstick without The ingredient "Camphor." Camphor is highly allergenic and is dangerous to ingest therefore shouldn't be rubbed all over your mouth.
You do not have to spend a lot for great lipstick and gloss. Loreal's Outlast Lipstick is cheap and lasts for hours! Milani is another great drugstore brand. They make beautiful lip glosses and lip shimmers. For those looking to spend a little bit more, I suggest MAC Lipstick. MAC is a good choice for those looking for a bright and bold colors! For those looking for a more natural color and application, I suggest a lip stain from Benefit. A lip stain is a translucent liquid applied to the lips like a lip gloss. It is absorbed into the lips laving a matte finish that lasts all day! I use Milanis Lipgloss in Hot Glittery Pink on Tommy! :)
-Chantala

Sunday, April 18, 2010

My Lucky Connection



In Late 2009, my friend Tommy asked me if I could pretty him up for an audition for American Idol's Adam Lambert! I knew he would get the part, hes a likable person, talented musician, and was already rocking the glam rocker look.

I did him up nice, the management loved his look, and were impressed with his talent, and within a week he was in! His popularity soared after Tommy and Adam's infamous American Music Awards "kiss!"

In Late February, Tommy Asked me how i was promoting my own art. I said that i was just a spec in the world the of art and that i am at a complete loss of where to start! Tommy asked me if I had a Twitter. I said yes but that I only had two followers! He laughed and told me he would help me out. He informed all of his fans that i had done his make up for Adams Birthday Party, and that I had done the painting of of him that is on his MySpace.

With one night I had 150 followers! I could not believe all of the networking potential that I had, now it was up to me to build and maintain it. Although I created my Etsy account months prior, I was yet to make any online sales and was selling at live art shows only. I made my first sale on Etsy a few days after I became active on Twitter and with lots of time and dedication, I have been able to maintain steady sales throughout the past month and a half!

Promoting your own art can be scary. Sometimes its embarrassing to advertise yourself because so much of yourself is put into it! Learning to Promote myself in a constructive and successful way has been my most valuable lesson so far!

Last week I decided to create a feather piece for Adam Lambert. Tommy told me he loves feathers, and there are lots of concert pictures to back that up! I made Adam a Fedora Hat Clip with Pheasant Feathers, Peacock Feathers, Lady Amherst Feathers, and lots of chains, studs and Black Gem Buttons!

I did Tommy's make up for the GLAAD awards last night, and sent my present along with him. This morning he told me that Adam Loved the piece, is gonna wear it on a hat, and he says thank you!

I will be looking out for it, I hope i get a chance to see him wear it.

-Chantala

Monday, April 5, 2010

Hide Your Feathers Jewelry

Welcome to Hide Your Feathers Jewelry! I am a free lance artist, college student and illustrator living in Los Angeles. My jewelry was inspired by my fascination in natural and organic patterns. There is no greater beauty than that found in nature! About a year ago, I created a series of paintings of natural patterns and was particularly moved by the majesty and enchanting colors of the feather! (To see my work visit www.chantalaparris.webs.com)

From there, I was inspired to expand my art, to make it more personable and accessible. I have always been a great appreciator of fashion, and deiced to try my hand at jewelry designing. With great luck so far, i plan to expand my business and share my visions with the world. I believe in the power of personal expression and see my jewelry designs as the deepest and most sincere extension of myself.

I deeply care for animals so I always make a great effort to ensure that all of my materials are naturally molted, and 100% animal cruelty-free! I also believe there is no beauty like the the real thing so all of my beads and wire are authentic metals and gems.

I love to create custom orders and help materialize others ideas, so if ever there is a request to be made, feel free to email me at the address above.

Sincerely,
Chantala

****Hide Your Feathers Jewelry has been featured in live Fashion Shows including the SUGAR ART AND FASHION SHOW and included in many blogs! Here are some links to my event and articles:
http://www.lafashionsnob.com/2010/01/03/sugar-art-fashion-show/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Tj6zx_YhHU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5tVaJsXHA