Christine here with an Update!

Hello Beauties!

Well its definitely been awhile since i last blogged! So sorry about that, its been kinda hetic for me these

past couple of weeks, but tthought i would update you all on what i've been up to! First, i have been

applying to lots of makeup stores like Sephora, MAC, Bare Escentuals, and then Benefit. I'm currently

waiting to hear back from them!

Secondly been focusing on my film which is alot of harder than i thought it was going to be!

Scheduling 9-10 people at once is rather difficult but i should be pro at this by now after scheduling 17-

20 people for when i did Alice. And one of my actors is SAG meaning he's super legit so lots of

paperwork to sign and get clearance for him to do the project..Its fun but kinda stressful.. I am very

excited to start the actual filming process soon! This is my second film and i love doing these side

projects for myself because well im not in school anymore so its something to keep me entertained

while looking for fulltime work.

I also had a lovely tea party/ film meeting this past weekend which turned out really well. Everyone

showed up except one who couldn't make it. It was in my backyard, i set up two tables with a lace

tablecloth and a flower one. I made so much food like tea sandwiches: Cucumber, Tomato

Basil,Mozarella and Walnut Parsley. I also made Chocolate Chip  and Lemon Poppyseed Scones, Petit

fours, Cupcakes personalized for their character and Emily part of my crew made Lemon Cupcakes. So

yeah alot of food....

Here's a picture the lovely Rhona took of some of the girls at the party, at this point reading thru the

script.

I cant wait to see everyone all done up in costume and hair and makeup, its going to be so much fun!

For my next blog topic i will be talking about COSMETOLOGY SCHOOLS! If you know of a great

one let me know in the comments! I'm still deciding where i want to go!

Stay pretty my friends!


Cheers,
Christine

Films, Faeries and Fun?

Hello Beauties! 

How ya'll doing?! Today I want to talk to ya'll about this small independent film I'm working on, starting production in May. Its about one of my favorite things in the entire world.... Disney Fairies!!! I honestly don't know where this obssession started and yes i know its kind of silly to be obssessing over Disney Fairies at my age but i just adored the movies they created about Tinkerbell and her friends and since i am a HUGE Peter Pan fan i had to check them out! I also started this thing called the Disney Directing Project about two years ago where i take scenes from my favorite Disney films and create live action little films for pure fun and to build up my film reel. I started with Sleeping Beauty and only had five actors, a small handheld camera and cold weather but managed to make a decent film. Now with this film i have more actors, better equipment, and time! Im really excited to get this project off the ground and running! 

Meet my beautiful Cast! 

Jessica Ellithorpe as Tinkerbell 

Rhona McFayden as Sassy Rosetta the Garden Fairy 

Andrea Furtado as Iridessa the Light Fairy

Amanda Vogel as Silvermist the Water Fairy 

Michelle Elrick as Fawn the Animal Fairy 

Haley Barta as Periwinkle the Winter Fairy 

and Sean Gilvary as Terrence the Dust Keeper Fairy 

I love all of them dearly, we were all part of Sugar together and since we all live relatively close to each other so it worked out perfectly! 

Stay tuned for more Fairy News from me! 

oh annnddd

Stay pretty my friends! 

Cheers,
Christine 

My Makeups

Hello Beauties!

How are ya'll doing today? I'm doing quite well! I got an interview with Sephora for tomorrow and i couldnt be happier!!! I'm getting one step closer to starting my career! FINALLY! I know i wont be able to sleep tonight. So for today's blog i thought i would show pictures of past makeups that i have done. I love creating different looks and ill be putting more recent looks up as the blog progesses. 

My version of "The Terminator" 

"Lizard" inspired by makeup artist Petrilude on YouTube

"Blue Flower" and no its not a starfish 

"Fire" 

"Water" 

"Earth" 

'Rainbow" 

A fun look to pair with pink hair 


I hope you enjoyed these looks! 

Stay pretty my friends! 

Cheers,
Christine 

I'm done with my show what now?

Hello Beauties!

So i just finished an amazing run of the musical "Sugar" based on the movie Some Like It Hot starring Marilyn Monroe. I played one of the anatagonists Sweet Sue. She most definitely was not sweet but she was definitely a fun character to play! She was very feisty, and yes mean. I'm just glad that i dont have to yell "Bienstock" anymore or just yell in general.

Me with my band Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopaters!

I will miss this show so much, i've loved getting to know everyone and bond with so many people! Ya'll are a crazy bunch! Now i can focus on work, having my nights back and getting rid of my double chin.....oooh boy

Me being a badass with a gun....well a wooden gun in this case

Now that this show has come to a close, i have been asking around for more makeup/hair work for any of the shows for the production company and now i'm waiting to hear back from Sephora! Only time will tell! I'm also crossing my fingers for work for the show 9 to 5 and possibly Jesus Christ Superstar!

Now there's this thing called Post Show Depression where most actors become depressed and cry about how much they miss the show the day after it closes. I did not go through that with this show, i loved being apart of this show very much but it really didnt hit me like Spring Awakening did. There are really only a handful of shows that can do that to a person and when they do it really hits hard.

Hope you enjoyed my blog and stay tuned for more!

Stay pretty my friends!

Cheers,
Christine

Stage Makeup 101: What's in my Bag?

Hello Beauties! 

So i do want to say thank you all for reading my blog, i'm glad there are some people out who do enjoy reading it which makes me very motivated to keep on blogging! So i was trying to think of what to write today and then i thought about what you should carry in your bag whilst your in a show! I of course do forget some essentials when frantically getting ready since lets be realistic they allow you one hour to get ready and that hour is being eaten up bu doing other things like warming up and the like. But if you dont want to be in a panic mode, here's some tips that could help! 

So i usually dont like to carry a huge bag, maybe a more medium sized one. One that zips on the top so all your stuff doesn't fall out and has a fair amount of pockets. I'm considering creating a bag thats perfect for all of my stage stuff this summer then maybe ill sell in on etsy or something! 

1. Always bring neutral undergarments, meaning tights, spankies, something that won't stand out underneath your costume because there will be times when lets say your costume is quite sheer and you wore bright neon underwear, that does not look good. Try finding neutrals that best match your skintone or have be really close to it.  Also the tights will give your legs a flawless finish which looks lovely on stage. 

2. Bring some breathmints, gum something to keep your breath fresh throughout the performance because you never know if you're gonna have to kiss or just be physically close with someone and you don't want to have rancid breath. 

3. Bring a sweater, sweatshirt, something to keep you warm during those evening perfomances or if your eating something while in costume which you shouldnt do normally but we all do it, you have it to keep your costume protected. 

4. WATER WATER WATER. I cannot tell you how many times I have forgotten to bring a bottle of water with me when i really needed. Throughout the course of the show you will become somewhat dehydrated because of all the energy and moving you do so you need to stay hydrated. 

5. Your stage makeup kit is obviously very important. 

6. Snacks are very important to bring because there may not be food where you perform so its always good to have some small snacks on hand like oranges or trailmix. Healthy snacks are ideal because they'll make you feel good inside and out and boost your immune system since its inevitable that at one point you will get sick during a run of the show in its entirety. 

7. Like water, tea is another great option to have, green tea with honey and lemon which will help soothe your throat and voice. 

Well I hope these tips help you when you need to pack a theatre bag when your on the go to your call. There are probably more items i'm forgetting about so feel free to comment down below! 

Stay pretty my friends! 

Cheers,
Christine 

Stage Hair?

Hello Beauties!

Long time no type? Well I've been super busy with my show this weekened which has been going quite well, but i thought i would talk about hair? I realized that I do also like creating cool hairstyles for the stage and styling wigs. I've done hair for shows like Spring Awakening and Alice and Wonderland two very different shows, but being able to let my creativity show through each style has been an awesome experience! I'm also helping with hair in my current production of "Sugar" where every girl in the show is in a blonde wig and every guy is in a old man wig. I'm the only one without one. Each wig really has its own personality with the different colors and styles. Our guy Andy who actually styled the wigs comes in every now and then to touch them up but while he's not there, I do his job. I really do like making the wigs look cleaned up and polished because sometimes they can get very out of control in a matter of minutes.

Here's my hair and makeup for my show today, ill have a darker lipcolor for the show I usually put that on last. but my hair is basically two big sausage like curls with pin curls in the back. Everyone calls it my "Johnny Bravo" hair, you know like the cartoon from the 90's. Since I dont wear a wig in the show i created this hairstyle. It changed throughout the course of the show's run from being just pin curls to this. I like this waaaay more than what i was doing before! It adds volume to the head and makes the face slimmer. Also conturing the face helps.

Here is a picture of one of the girls who sports a blonde wig in the show.

    Jessica Ellithorpe as "Sugar Kane" in Sugar

Here is a picture of another wig on its stand.

This is one of the longer wigs that fellow castmate Amanda Vogel wears in the show.

And heres a overview shot of all the girls wigs. 

You can see the different styles used in the show some short, some long. 

I usually touch them up with my Tangle Teaser. 

This product comes from the UK and is the best hairbrush I've ever used! It gets the nastiest tangles out of the most unruly hair, I used to detangle the wigs since they do get pretty out of control during the course of the show. Then I smooth it out with a fine toothed comb and set it with hairspray. 

Well I hope you enjoyed reading about hair and if you have any question please feel free to ask! 

Stay pretty my friends! 

Cheers,
Christine 

Stage Makeup 101: Makeup Brushes!

Hello Beauties! 

Feels likes its been awhile but this weekend took everything out of me from perfoming to partying and sleeping less im pretty exhausted. But nonetheless i'm here to talk you ya'll about makeup brushes! 
There are so many different types of brushes that you can use to create different looks. From big fluffy brushes to kabuki to eyeliner brushes, there's a brush for everything. 

Types of Brushes: 

Kabuki Brush 

Foundation Brush 

Concealer Brush 

Eyeshadow Brush 

Angled Eyeshadow Brush 

Eyeliner Brush 

Blush Brush 

Eyebrow Brush 

Contour Brush 

Lip Brush

Now each brush has a different purpose and obviously the names give away what they do but those who dont know read below. 

Foundation Brush: Applies foundation for a flawless finish on the face, you can also use a stippling brush if you prefer to apply your foundation. 
Kabuki Brush: Applies loose powder over foundation, press the powder into the face dont sweep it it will look more natural 
Concealer Brush:  Helps concealer go on smoother 
Eyeshadow Brush: Helps apply eyeshadow to eyelids
Angled Eyeshadow Brush: helps define the crease with darker shadow for depth and can also be used for lining eyes too 
Eyeliner Brush: helps give a defined precise line along the lash line and making an awesome cat eye
Blush Brush:  Applies blush to the apples of the cheeks  
Eyebrow Brush: Combs eyebrow hairs into place 
Contour Brush: helps contour face to give more shape and definition 
Lip Brush: best to use to put on lipstick, a little more sanitary 

Stay pretty my friends! 

Cheers, 
Christine 

Stage Makeup Kit 101: Emergency Items

Hello Beauties!

So you know when you have those moments when you really need a safety pin or part of your dress is falling down and you really need fashion tape to hold it up, or there a run in your tights? Girls we ALL have those days where something goes wrong and we dont have the tools on hand to fix it, so i'm here to tell ya'll what products are great to have on hand for those "ohmygod" moments.

Fashion Tape 

Fashion Tape is a great way to keep up a strapless dress or if parts of clothing are loose you can use this to tighten the gaps. It comes in strips, which are doublesided so they stick to your skin and the clothing as  well. The tape also create some added cleavage, yes it can do that, ah the power of tape.

Bobby Pins 

Bobby pins are a holy grail item in any makeup/hair kit, they can make and stray hair stay in place and create beautiful hairstyles. They come in different colors according to hair color, so if you are using them please use the ones that match your hair color and that also goes for if you're wearing a wig we don't want to see brown bobby pins on blonde hair. Keep it classy girls!

Hairspray

Hairspray is yet another holy grail item you should have on hand. It keeps your stray hairs in place and gives your hair shape. There are also different types of holds in the hairspray from light hold to extra strong. My favorite is Elnett Satin. It leaves your hair feeling soft and bouncy and touchable. If you want something stronger i would go with Aussie Instant Freeze, any kind that says extra strong hold.

Clear Nailpolish 

Clear nailpolish helps with runs in your tights and adds some shine if your nails need some! 

Sewing Kit

A sewing kit is great to have on hand in case some stitching comes undone or you need to safety pin something closed. 

Comes with a pair of scissors, different colored thread, different sized needles, etc.. 


Small Emergency Kit 

Here is a small emergency kit that you can throw in your makeup box. 

Hairbrush

Combs

Hairgel

Makeup Remover Wipes 

Mosturizer for hands and face 

If there's any items that i forgot feel free to comment below! These are just some of the items i would have on hand for emergency situations. 

Stay pretty my friends! 

Cheers, 
Christine 

How To: Organize your Stage Makeup

Hello Beauties! 

Hope you all are doing well! I thought today i would talk about how to organize your stage makeup kit.  Now there are so many ways you go about organizing your kit, from putting products into plastic bags to keeping everything in a box. I personally have tried soo many ways to keep it organized but never really found a great solution UNTILL NOW DUN DUN DUN.... *insert dramatic music*. I prefer storing my makeup in a box, but an organized box.. If you walk into an Ulta or Sephora or even Target you'll undoubtely find one. The most popular seller for makeup storage kits are by the brand Caboodles. You can get them in different styles and colors. I have a black and white poka dot one. It has different sized compartments so you can store eyeshadows, lipsticks seperately from one another. 

Here's the case i have and i love it! and got it on sale for $19!!  There are two levels with a bottom level for the bigger items. 

Very Top Level: I usually put my lip products because i like to reapply my lipstick throughout any show im in whenever i get a break between scenes, its like a refresher to me. I also store some eyebrow pencils and lash glue. 
2nd Level: Eyeshadows, Mascaras, Eyeliner,Foundation, Concealer 
Bottom Level: Bigger products like Powder, Makeup Remover, Blush/Bronzer, some Falsies, Makeup Setting Spray 

 I would love to hear your thoughts on how you organize your makeup leave it as a comment! 

Stay pretty my friends! 

Cheers, 
Christine 

How To: Skincare for Stage Makeup

Hello Beauties! 

So im going to be talking about SKINCARE today. Taking care of your skin is so important, especially if you're wearing copious amounts of makeup for the stage or maybe in real life? Cleansing and mosturizing your skin helps improve the condition of your skin and gives it a healthy glow. Who doesn't want that?! 

So i am by no means an expert on skincare but i just want to share my tips and tricks on how to take care of your skin after heavy makeup. sooo lets go! 

So what exactly does a cleanser do? Well there are different types of cleansers, foam, gel, creamy, all different types of textures. A cleanser,cleanses the face by getting rid of all the dirt,sebum(the natural oils in your face) and giving you a clean surface to work with. There are SO MANY cleansers on the market, its hard to find one that really works. I highly reccomend natural, organic cleansers with no added ingredients that will be harsh on the skin or dry it out. LUSH is my all time favorite brand for natural beauty/skin products. They smell amazing and really do work. 

So after a cleanser i would use a toner to tone and firm the skin and yes get rid of more oil and dirt that didnt get picked up in the cleansing process. Bioderma is my new favorite toner besides LUSH's Breath of Fresh Air. It feels so refreshing and light on the face, and ive also found that champagne works just as well! Who knew right!? 

To finish the process apply a mosturizer to keep the skin hydrated and soft. I do reccomend investing in a good mosturizer like Gorgeous from LUSH or you can always stick with good ole Lubriderm or Olay! Don't apply too much, just a light coating with clean fingers! 

** Step 1: Take a warm washcloth and let it rest on the face untill cold
     Step 2: With clean fingers pour a quarte size amount of cleanser into hands and distrubute all over face, gently massaging it in circles  then rinse thoroughy 
    Step 3: Pat face dry then take a cottn pad or ball and soak toner into it and rub over face
    Step 4: Pat face to absorb any leftover toner and apply a quqrter sized amount of mosturizer to forehead, cheeks, nose, chin and massage into skin gently**

Also treat your skin to a luxurious face mask, either homemade or store bought. The masks are designed to pull out all of the toxins and excuse my french *crap* out of your face and calm any breakouts you get. Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask is one of my favorites for calming redness and breakouts and Brazened Honey from LUSH is great for really cleaning the skin. 

Stay pretty my friends! 

Cheers,
Christine 

** LUSH: LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
   

Stage Makeup Kit 101: Basic Products

Hello Beauties! 

Today i'm going to be talking about what basics, essentials should belong in your stage makeup kit. Stage makeup kits in general are very different from your average makeup kit that you have at home. You have quite a few more products and tools to acheive different looks and the products itself tend to be of a thicker consistency so that they make you more visible onstage under that artificial lighting. Ben Nye is known for creating makeup solely for the stage and is the biggest makeup brand in the theatre industry along with Alcone. 

For me, having a stage makeup kit is so much fun! Learning about how each product works, its like opening Christmas presents every day of the year! There's always something new on the market with makeup in general and that applies to theatrical makeup as well! 

Basics include but are not limited too: 

a good foundation: i tend to steer away from the Ben Nye base foundation that comes in your kit, only because it will tend to break you out because of the strong salicylic acid content, so i recommend either doubling up on your normal foundation or Mac Studio Sculpt which provides great coverage and really should only be used for the stage because it is quite a heavy, almost cakey like consistency which can look too heavy in natural lighting. 

a good concealer: i love using my Erase Paste from Benefit because like foundation you also want a concealer to conceal any blemishes, dark spots, hyper-pigmentation, if you look at the actors on the stage, their skin look flawless because of the foundation and concealer. Makeup Forever also has some great options as well so find one that works for your skin. 

** a good tip for finding the right shade is take a swatch of it on your neck to see what color matches you the best you don't want a two tone complexion! EEK! Also try to pick a foundation and concealer that goes on matte, you don't want to look like a grease ball**

bronzer and blush: Bronzer helps contour your facial features, like making a strong jawline, or bringing height to your cheekbones while slimming your face down. Find a bronzer with a finish that's matte, it will be easier to work with. The one im currently using is Hoola by Benefit. Blush however gives a beautiful flush of color, you can either use a cream blush since everything else is matte, with the cream blush it will give you a more natural glow versus a powder blush which gives you a stronger cheek color. For the stage its ideal to stick with a powder. I'm currently using Nars blush in Orgasm which gives a beautiful flush of peachy pink color with some shimmer in it! 

a good powder: you ALWAYS want/need to set your foundation with a good powder to prevent the foundation from becoming too oily and shiny on your face. For the stage i reccommend using a HD powder that will show up in pictures and leave a matte finish, MakeupForever makes a great one. 

**when using powder to set your foundation and concealer, press the powder into the skin instead of brushing it onto the skin, it helps the foundation and concealer stay in place and it doesnt leave it streaky**

a good primer: primer is the base to any makeup look, its like if you're making soup you need a good base to make a great soup. A primer helps keeps makeup in place and there are different kinds of primer to target different kinds of skin problems, you can check out the ones by Smashbox.  I also really love Benefit's Poreprofessional. It smooths the skin and preps it for foundation. 

a good eyeshadow quad:  a quad is always a good way to go because it keeps all your eyeshadows together and organzied. Pick neutral shades if your going for a classic stage makeup look like Urban Decay's Naked palette, it comes with 12 different shades to create different looks. Or you can customize a smaller palette with four neutral shades that best fit your skintone and you can also fill in your brows with the darker shades. Whatever suits your fancy. If you want more color options invest in a bigger eyeshadow palette like the ones for BH Cosmetics. 

a good eyeliner&mascara: Having a good eyeliner on hand is what really helps bring the makeup look together. I would stick with a gel or liquid liner because it shows up more on the eye and to an audience. I use Bobbi Brown's Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink. For mascara, i love making my lashes look full and long with the addition of false lashes. I use Loreal's Million dollar lashes, it volumizes and makes the lashes long and it doesnt flake. Also using an eyelash primer helps too. 

a good pair of false lashes: False lashes are a must in theatre and in your makeup kit! It gives your eyes a pop of awesome! I love the Katy Perry lashes, but if you want a cheaper pair Ardell is great as well. You can also get just little demi corner lashes if you didnt want to wear a full set. I like to cut my sets in half, its easier to put on and doesnt overwhelm my eyes. 

a good lipstick and liner: to finish off your look you need some gorgeous lipstick to make you look irresistable and kissable. Matte lipsticks tend to stay put more than creamier lipsticks. From reds, pinks, nudes,corals,browns there's a shade out there for everyone. Also invest in a good lip liner to keep the lipstick from feathering. 

I hope you got something from this and go have fun buliding your kit! If you have any questions feel free to ask! 

What are you favorite brands to use? let me know in the comments! 

Cheers, 
Christine 

** links for products are listed here** 

Ben Nye: Ben Nye Makeup
Alcone: Home - Alcone Corporation
Mac: maccosmetics.com - MAC Cosmetics
Benefit: BenefitCosmetics.com - Shop Benefit® Makeup
Makeup Forever: Make Up For Ever
Nars: NARS Cosmetics - Official - NARScosmetics.com
Smashbox: smashbox.com - Smashbox® California
Urban Decay: UrbanDecay.com - Urban Decay® Spring 2013
BH Cosmetics: BHCosmetics.com - BH Cosmetics® Makeup
Bobbi Brown: BobbiBrownCosmetics.com - Bobbi Brown™ Exclusive
Loreal: L'Oreal Official Site - LorealParisUSA.com
Katy Perry Lashes: Katy Perry Lashes
Ardell: Ardell Lashes

Hello Beauties!

Hello Beauties!

My name is Christine and like many beauty gurus out there i fall right into their catergory of beauty blogger and makeup artist.

I've been a self taught makeup artist for 6 years and still going strong! As far as what kind of makeup i do, i have a huge passion for anything avant garde, theatrical, anything ridiculous! I've been involved with theatre my whole life and for the longest time i couldn't figure what direction to take my life untill i realized that makeup was my true passion. Oh sure i love the whole "acting, singing, dancing" bits too but i'd much rather make actors look awesome!

I absolutely love the feeling i get when someone compliments me on my makeup and  knowing what a good job i did. It gives me the satistfaction that i know im doing something right! And my friends and family have been so supportive, so that makes me want it even more!

My current plan is to get a job at Sephora(the holy grail of makeup stores) and work my way up from there while doing freelance makeup artist work on the side, to keep buliding up my resume, to eventually become a freelance artist for runway, magazines, weddings and the like.

I'll be posting as often as i can with what's what in the beauty world and would love to hear your thoughts!

Hope you have fun reading my blog as much as I'm having fun making it!

Cheers,
Christine