I remember when I was first approached by b5media in the summer of 2006 to write a makeup blog for them. I was beside myself. Makeup Minute officially launched in September of that year and from the start my readers were from all around the globe and just as enthusiastic about makeup as I was. You became a part of my life and I thanked God everyday for such a loyal readership. So many of you have been with me right from the beginning. Getting more exposure as a writer helped me land a really great job at a PR firm that I am eternally grateful for. The more I get involved in the beauty industry, the more requests I get to go speak and teach beauty brands about social media…so readers, if you find yourself at Cosmoprof North America this summer, I will be there speaking.

Writing Makeup Minute has been such a blessing in my life and a great outlet to share my love of makeup with people who understand the need to have 15 lip glosses in their handbag at all times. And maybe a compact. And some blush. And a mascara or two. But I digress…

I will surely miss you all and my family at b5. I am eternally grateful to both. Thank you for the sunshine for the last 2 1/2 years.

Much love (and lipstick),

Shannon Nelson

Post from: Makeup Minute

The sweetheart look:

Eyes- Sweep a soft shimmer beige brown shadow on entire lid extending up to the crease.
Suggested product: DEX’s Mineral Loose Pigment in City Brass Center

Next- use a soft chocolate brown eye pencil on top and wedging between lashes, making a thicker line on outer corner, then blend top line with a soft brush.
Suggested product: DEX’s Luxe Cream Eyeliner

Cheeks- Use a blush in a red or pink color and apply softly with finger tips on the apple’s of cheeks.
Suggested product: DEX’s Mineral Pressed Blush in Hell’s Kitchen

Lips- apply any color in the pink or red family in a tinted sparkly shinny gloss.
Suggested product: DEX’s Lip Gloss in Christopher St. Orchid or Mott St. Cherry

So you want to be sexy and seductive:

Eyes-apply a chocolate shimmer or mat color on lid extending up to the crease, next apply a shade darker in a metallic metal or dark brown on lid only.
Suggested product: DEX’s Mineral Pressed Powder in Grand Central Coffee and Dakota Spice

Next- take a black eye liner pencil and rim inside entire eye top and bottom, then with the same eye pencil apply on top lash line extending thicker on outer corners.
Suggested product: DEX’s Powder Eye Liner in Coal

Next- apply false eye lashes on top lashes in a edgy style depending on personal taste. Make sure you measure and cut the lashes accordingly to your eye shape.

Cheeks-using a cream blush with finger tips apply in a pink or red tone on apple’s of cheeks, then follow with the same color in a powder blush and apply on top of cream blush for a hot sexy blushing cheek.
Suggested product: DEX’s Mineral Pressed Blush in Soho Plum Wine

Lips- use a hot pink or vibrant red lip pencil and fill in entire lip, follow with a lip stick color to match, last apply a sparkly shinny lip gloss over entire lip, don’t be shy about the gloss.
Suggested product: DEX’s Slimline Lip Pencil and Lipstick in Broadway Cranberry

All products mentioned can be found at DEX New York.

Post from: Makeup Minute

Women:

- For daytime events less makeup is better

- Use mineral power to warm up and even out the skin

- High definition powder instantly removes shine

- For day time – think mascara!

- Lighter lipgloss shines in daytime photos

- Highlight the “apples” with a bit of blush

- Daytime bronzer gives a fresh healthy look

- For photo-worthy hair give it a quick “jazzing”!

- Flip your hair over – bring back the fullness

- For those forever photos – guys can conceal a blemish too!

- Keep the shine away – blot your face before the photo is snapped

- A few minutes in the sun can give you a healthy glow

- For a picture perfect smile apply a bit of lipgloss and go for the SPF kind

Men:

- Use gel when hair is damp – avoid the spiky 80s look

- Less is definitely more when it comes to hair products

- Run fingers – not a comb – through hair for a modern look

- Plan ahead – cut your hair a week before the event

Now go make yourselves look fabulous ladies! xo

Post from: Makeup Minute

“I love creating ethereal looks with a surprising pop of color. This holiday season, I’m excited about Aveda’s Inner Light Liquid Foundation. Tourmaline, a semi-precious gem, gives this foundation just the right amount of “glow” for a beautiful, flawless face. Swipe a little of Aveda’s Moon or Opal eye shadow all over the eye lid and add a coat of black mascara.

For the tiniest bit of cheek color, dust Tulip blush by Sevi on just the apples.

Finally, use lips as the statement piece by applying Sevi’s Lip Nector Mineral Lipgloss in Passion Fruit, Black Currant or Agave. The finished look is both angelic and sexy.”

You can learn more about Todra Payne via Makeup Theory Workshops.

Post from: Makeup Minute

“To get New Year’s Eve glam, I love the idea of creating a bold lip and adding definition to the eyes and lashes. This holiday season I’m obsessing over CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain because the stains wear beautifully and are available in fun, bright colors. I recommend ringing in the New Year in Wild Berry Wink because the shade gives your lips a healthy flush of color and the easy to use precision applicator makes the stain effortless to apply.

To help the stain wear longer and enhance the vibrant color, it’s a good idea to apply moisturizing lip balm like Nanak Lip Smoothie, available at Whole Foods, over the stain. To play up a bold lip you want to keep the rest of your look simple.

Complete your evening look by lining the eye with a shimmery, yet subtle, eyeliner. I love Shu Uemura liners; they are smooth and easy to apply, and are available in great colors. Finish off the eye with two coats of mascara. To make eyes really stand out, CoverGirl Exact Eyelights is my choice mascara because the customized shades are developed to make your natural eye color pop. The Exact brush technology also leaves your lashes long and lush for the holiday season.”

All CoverGirl products mentioned can be purchased at Drugstore.com or your local drugstore.

Photo Credit: CoverGirl

Post from: Makeup Minute

First from Paul from Beyond Beauty Basics, being a fabulous guy that I’ve had the pleasure to meet in person: “I think it’s always safe to say not to overdo it on the makeup. I like a natural look that you can go from day into night with because you know that look will work for any setting. If my date looked like she was going to dance FOR a club rather than in a club.. I might have to skip out on dessert and coffee. And yes bronzers are nice but too much might make me feel like I just won an Oscar.”

Trent from Average Metro Joe says: If you’re going on a first date, then your makeup depends on what kind of “date” you want it to be ;) If you want it to turn into a second date, then go for the “flawless” non-makeup look. Accentuate your best features, but do not use too much. Look naturally beautiful.

Julie from I Heart Heels says: The trick is to keep it simple and don’t forget to apply some type of lip shine. It’s amazing how great your lips look with a little sheen. Bare Escentuals Buxom Babes is my fav (it has a built-in plumper!)

Erika from Makeup Bag says: Go easy on the foundation and lipstick. Anything that might rub off on the napkin (or leave marks on your wine glass) might scare him! Also, a teeny bit of shimmer (think “glow” not “sparkle”) looks great in low lighting or candlelight.

Jamie from Girl Woman Beauty Brains says: Wear a scent that works for your body chemistry, but make sure it’s not overpowering. And remember, ylang ylang and heroli are two of the oldest aphrodisiacs in the world. You might want to stay away from them on a first date!

Carla from Product Girl says: I like to go with a “you only better” look for these types of occasions, nothing too dramatic or done up. One of my favorite things to do is use Laura Mercier’s “tightline” eyeliner technique. By using eyeliner from underneath the lashes, it gives a great defined look without being obvious.

Joi from Beauty Blvd says: Clean relatively short nails with a pretty but sheer color always looks nice and neat. Make sure you have on some hand cream and he won’t be able to resist holding your hand!

Jenn from Beauty in Real Life says: keep your hair soft and touchable. No crazy complicated hairdos tonight ladies. He wants to be able to think he can run his fingers through your hair…not get stuck in the process.

Christine from Temptalia says: Wear exactly what represents you! If you normally wear bold and dramatic makeup, go for a nice smoky eye for your dinner date. But if you’re normally wearing no makeup? Try light foundation, define eyes with a natural mascara, and wear your favorite non-sticky gloss!

Aramide from The Sassy Peach says: My rule of thumb is, it’s lips or eyes, not both! If you want your eyes to really pop, do a nude or toned down lip. If you want the attention to be on your lips, then keep your eye makeup soft & simple.

Alison from Advice Sisters: I have always downplayed too much makeup on a first date. Most men really don’t care or focus on the color of type of makeup you apply as long as it isn’t too much.

An Indian Girl’s Makeup Blog says: If I were on a first date, I would keep my face simple,soft and luminous by using just a little foundation mixed with a small amount of a luminizer. Kohl on my eyes, coral / peach blush and gloss. The other important thing would be a wonderful perfume! This works!

Eileen from MissWhoever You Are says: While red is the color of the holidays and bold and sexy for a first date it can be a bit overwhelming for some guys. A nice nude or something with a bit of shimmer. You want to seem approachable and beautiful…save the red for the second date!

Carleen from Beauty and Fashion Tech says: Less is more. Instead of regular foundation, try a more sheer mineral makeup. Aim for neutral shades on the eyes and lips, and wear very little blush. That way he will see the pretty you as opposed to creative bright makeup. Save that bright look for clubbing with your friends!

Latoicha from Luxe Tips says: Wow him with a beautiful scent. Men love when women smell good. I am currently in love with Lancome’s Magnifique. My husband loves it!

*Photo Credit: AskMen

Post from: Makeup Minute

“Two keys to glamorizing any look: Black eyeliner and shimmer. For a sexy look apply Smolder Eye kohl all around the eye and smoke the line with 219 Pencil Brush. For a sophisticated look use Blacktrack Fluidline with a 209 Eyeliner Brush along the upper lash line only. Add shimmer at the inner corners of the eyes, as a brow highlight, along the cheekbones or the lip. For the sexy look try Iridescent Powder in Silver Dusk or Bronze. For a sophisticated look try Hush Cream Colour Base.”

All products can be found at a local MAC Cosmetics counter near you or at www.maccosmetics.com

*Photo Credit: MAC Cosmetics

Post from: Makeup Minute

While I think every woman sharing their story on BrickFish deserves a day of pampering, I know Kristen personally and would really love for her to get some much needed rest and relaxation. Besides breast cancer, Kristen is also battling uterine cancer–which to me is all the more reason to go vote for her! It only takes a second! Please share with your friends and read Kristen’s complete story over at A Girl’s Gotta Spa!

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I’m going to safely assume that 99.9% of you reading Makeup Minute are women. ;) With a woman being diagnosed with breast cancer every 3 minutes I am also going to assume that in some, way shape or form, breast cancer has affected either yourself or someone you know in your life. This is why awareness, early detection, prevention and most of all fund-raising are so important in the campaign against breast cancer.

This month I am am part of an initiative with the Total Beauty blog community to educate more women and collectively raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Fund through Total Beauty-Total Cure. The blogs involved will each be giving away some fabulous products all month long for those who are entered to win via answering breast cancer trivia correctly. Just become our friend on MySpace and Facebook to learn all of the details.

I have made it my goal to raise $1000 between both Makeup Minute and A Girl’s Gotta Spa, but I need your help in order to meet that goal. This month, if even all of you reading Makeup Minute donated $1, I would most definitely meet (and exceed) that goal. I plan to auction off some Limited Edition MAC products on ebay to help add to the pot.

If you can make a $1 donation through the Paypal button found in the sidebar of A Girl’s Gotta Spa! (unfortunately the way MM is set up, I can’t embed a paypal code into a post), it collectively goes into an account attached to all of the blogs participating, but will identify that you were a reader of mine. In November that money is then compiled and sent to the Breast Cancer Research Fund.

If you made a I donation, I would love for you to post a comment here and let me know if it was in memory of someone who has passed, in honor of someone who has survived or because you have battled the disease yourself. Your words may impact those reading this post.

Thank you and let the fund-raising begin!

Post from: Makeup Minute

A fellow beauty blogger, Lianne from TheMakeupGirl, Samara and myself. We were at an Italian restaurant (IL Menestrello) that as Lianne put it, “Was real gangsta!” I had a great time at dinner with these ladies and we certainly laughed a lot.

I was invited to an event at Estee Lauder with Total Beauty and The Beauty Blog Network. We were given a tour of Mrs. Lauder’s office, intact the way she had it while she was still alive. The room was gorgeous, although I remarked on the fact that her bathroom was all mirrors, which kind of freaked me out. Loved the view from her office out to the skyline of New York City. This is the event where I also got a picture with Bobbi Brown.

These are Mrs. Lauder’s antique compacts–aren’t they beautiful?

These were some of the items designed for Runway to Change, which I wrote about on my work blog. And we all know how much I adore Isaac Mizrahi–so when I was paying the cab driver when we pulled up to the event, Isaac was leaving the VIP portion of the party with Russell Simmons in front of him. I tried to make the cab driver move a little faster getting me my change so that I could talk to him, but Isaac was quick and got in his car and left. I was so disappointed, but at least I can say I saw him in person and he has such a bright smile as you see in all of his pictures.

This is Pamela Pekerman, who attended Runway to Change with me (and was also at The Budget Fashionista party where I met Carson Kressley). In full disclosure she is a Pierce Mattie PR client, but nevertheless, she is exceptionally nice and we had a really great chat that night.

Here’s just a small video of what it looked like inside Runway to Change:

This is me in my hotel room a few hours before I had to speak at the HBA Expo (and later that night met Jane Iredale.) Leandro Bare from Lancome came to my hotel room to do my makeup (because he is amazing like that!) He had fallen asleep on the bus ride over and left his whole makeup kit on the bus. So he used what I had. Just goes to show you what an incredible talent he is!

Then this is just me in the last few hours I was in the city hanging out at Pierce Mattie’s Media Oasis.

Of course, look through the archives here and at A Girl’s Gotta Spa! and you’ll find more photos from backstage. I look forward to going back again next year!

*Photo Credit: All photos (c) Shannon Nelson

Post from: Makeup Minute