kaelierenaecosmeticartistry

January 30, 2019

Styled Bridal Shower

Near the end of 2018, Bethany Moberley of Rose & Lily Events asked me to do makeup for a styled bridal shower that was being planned by her and Mallorie of Mallorie Gayle Photography. She informed me that she was going to be doing a giveaway in which one lucky bride would WIN a completely styled, all expense paid BRIDAL SHOWER! Can you imagine being the bride to win that?!

I was so excited to say YES and jump right on board, because I had never heard of anything like it. Everyone is familiar with styled shoots where vendors get together to bring their visions to life and promote their businesses, but this is SO unique because it is also benefiting a bride in an incredible way- such a wonderful thing that I was thrilled to be a small part of! Mallorie was also gracious enough to do headshots for everyone on the same day- I’ve included some below!

Our winner was Kristie, and she is absolutely stunning and so deserving of this shower!

Please be sure to scroll to the bottom to see the list of talented, hard working vendors who brought this to life

@ankermobilebartending
@agoradowntown
@avalaurennebride
@whimsyva
@jennchancestylist
@gemstonecreations
@krcosmeticartistry
@malloriegaylephotography
@roseandlilyevents
@brideandjoyculpeper
@owlandenvelope
@theblacktux
@therefineryat120

July 24, 2018

A Southern Garden Wedding

Earlier this summer, Elizabeth Wolfrey of Pinnfield Photography reached out to me about a styled shoot she was putting together in Spotsylvania. This was my first time meeting and working with Elizabeth, and not only was she the sweetest, but such a talented photographer with fantastic taste! Everything from the stunning venue choice to the flowers and the small details were absolutely gorgeous, and perfect for a summertime wedding. I hope you love these photos as much as I do! Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the full list of amazing vendors who made this shoot breathtaking!

Vendors:

Photographer: Pinnfield photography
Venue: Forest green Shooting Preserve
Rentals: paisley & jade
Cake: sweet memories cakery
Makeup: krcosmeticartistry (Kaelie Renae)
Dresses: peacaloo boutique
Florals: fredericksburg flowers
Wooden table decor: the scenic route
China: Nancy Goodman
Planner: Elizabeth Wolfrey
Models: Billy Sutter, Rory Loftus, Ashley Arrington, Lizzie Roscoe

June 6, 2018

Makeup Tips: Contouring & Highlighting

In addition to blending, contouring & highlighting was in very high demand when I asked everyone what they would most like to know about makeup. I once spoke at a women’s church group on makeup tips, and all but one said they had no idea how to contour & highlight- which makes sense! It’s a confusing concept, so where do you start? If you’re lost, there is an easy way to think of it to help you remember what goes where (aka, the “dark stuff vs the light stuff!”)

Think of a drawing or painting. The objects far in the distance are shaded while those closer up are lighter- contouring is no different! Just like in art, our goal with contouring and highlighting is to create illusions and enhance certain features. Therefore, whatever you want to bring forward you highlight, and whatever you want to recede, you lowlight, or contour.

Something to notice about highlighting and contouring is that where there is one, the other is usually right next to it. This creates extra emphasis on what you are trying to enhance. For example, the most common place to contour is right below the cheekbone where your face naturally indents, to make the cheekbone appear more prominent. But to really make it pop, we also highlight right on the cheekbone itself to bring it forward.

Another main place to contour is the sides of your nose, to make it appear slimmer, while highlighting right in the middle, down the bridge.

My favorite place to lowlight is the top of the forehead (This helps make your forehead look smaller- you are welcome, fellow five-heads!) and you can add a dash of highlight right below, in the center of your forehead near the area in between your eyebrows.

These are the main areas that are contoured, and these techniques are generally flattering for most people. However, if you want to get really specific, you can look up how to contour based on your face shape!- round, square, diamond, and more. All contouring techniques for the different face shapes have the goal of making yours appear oval, as that is the “ideal” face shape.

I hope this helped clear up any confusion you might have! Thanks for reading!

Love, Kaelie

May 24, 2018

All About Blending

Hello and thanks for stopping by! It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged, mostly because I’m never sure what to write about! I’ve wanted to blog about makeup tips for a long time but have never gotten around to it, and didn’t know where to start. I posted a poll on Instagram to find out what everyone struggles with most, and I got so many great replies! Some of which were liquid eyeliner, spot coverage, and false lashes. I feel your struggles. And I plan on doing more posts, so I will be touching on all of these great topics! However, this poll leaned toward blending, so that’s what we’ll be talking about today!

I’m really excited to talk about this because I LOVE blending and the techniques you use make a big difference on the final look. In fact, before we dive in I feel compelled to share a story. One morning, my sister was getting ready for work and she was grumpy. I asked what was wrong and she said she didn’t like her eyeshadow. So without adding anything else, I just blended it all in a little more and her mood completely changed. It was so funny! #BlendingMatters

Let’s get to it!

Blending can have a number of meanings, but we’re going to be specific and focus on eyeshadow. Here are some things to keep in mind:

When you apply your foundation, apply in over your eye area as well. Some people prefer not to do this, but I think it makes a great base for a smooth ending result
Make sure you are using a good eyeshadow primer following your foundation. My favorite is Urban Decay Primer Potion- which now comes in different colors and finishes! To apply, swipe over your eye area and use your ring finger to spread it evenly by gently patting
This is just preference, but once it’s time to apply shadow, I always start with the crease. For best result, choose any color darker than your skin tone (browns will never let you down and are flattering for almost everyone!) I take a medium sized, fluffy eyeshadow brush and do windshield wiper back and forth motions directly in the crease. Once I have taken the brush back and forth several times, I continue the same motion but bring it up a little higher, but not too high. Just about right between your crease and your brow bone. This technique blends the product upward to create a soft finish instead of a harsh contrast in the crease, while still keeping most of the shadow and color directly in the crease.
Next, for the lid, choose a color lighter than the one on your crease, and use a flat eyeshadow brush to pat it on. Having a lighter color on your lid will create the illusion of your eyes being larger, making them pop, while the darker color in your crease adds depth and definition.
This step will seem like just a finishing touch, but it really brings it all together! Take a large, fluffy eyeshadow brush and choose a matte, skin-toned shade and apply to the brow bone (right below your eyebrow). Do the same back-and-forth motions as before, however this time we’re going to start at the very top and work our way slightly downward, just enough to touch the bit of crease color that you brought upward in step 1. Basically, this is where they meet in the middle and blend everything seamlessly.

Remember that everything takes practice and the brushes you use matter! Very cheap brushes may be easier to get but you will struggle with them while trying to blend, and you might even see bristles fall out of the brush often. Look for quality brushes with very soft, dense bristles. Investing in decent brushes will save you a lot of blending time, and honestly, do a lot of the work for you!

If you’re looking for a great palette, I cannot recommend Anastasia Beverly Hills enough. Their shadows blend like a DREAM and are wonderfully pigmented! I started with the Modern Renaissance palette, and I now have the Soft Glam palette, which is my new favorite and is PERFECT for everyday natural looks. Also, the brush that comes inside is dual ended. The black side is perfect for blending the crease, and the tan side is great for the lid. Here is the link if you’re interested: http://www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com/soft-glam-palette/ABH01-18174.html

I hope you enjoyed! If any of these tips help you, let me know! It will make my day 🙂

December 6, 2017

New Year’s Eve Styled Shoot

Where do I even begin?!?! I think these pictures really speak for themselves, and I’m sure you can see why I’m so speechless, but I’ll give you a background story anyway. 🙂

On Tuesday, Christina of Bella Giornata Events contacted me in kind of an emergency situation. She needed a makeup artist and one more model for her shoot on that Thursday. There were going to be 6 photographers shooting, my friend and office-mate Jamie Butcher of Blushing Blooms Event Florist, and other amazing vendors at the coolest location- the Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower. It is a beautiful clock tower in Baltimore, built in 1911, and pictured below. Kind of like Big Ben on a smaller scale!

Christina told me that I would be both modeling and doing makeup on the other model in the shoot, Kellyn. That’s a huge win-win! We both were going to be wearing dresses from Ava Laurenne Bride, which as you may have noticed by now, I love doing. It’s so fun!

I got in touch with Kellyn and we met early Thursday morning for makeup then got in my car for our long drive to Baltimore. Walking toward the tower was SO exciting knowing we were going to the very top. Although, what I did not know was that I was going to stand up in one of the faces of the clock- even better! I could tell as soon as we climbed up into the four walls of the clock that this was a brilliant spot for a styled shoot and would make for incredible pictures.

It was such a fun experience having 6 photographers shooting all at once. One of them I’ve known for a long time- Michelle Harris- while the rest were knew faces who were a pleasure to meet and connect with. To be honest, I feel like I now know how celebrities feel with all those cameras on them! It was then a proud moment watching my new friend Kellyn killing it up there once it was her turn, and I was popping my head around the corner and taking behind the scenes sneaky pics on my phone (I couldn’t resist).

I have to give a huge virtual round of applause the the impressive vendors- I mean JUST LOOK at those photos! I love seeing how creativity from different business owners come together to make something amazing. This was definitely unforgettable! I hope you love it as much as we do! (These are the photos I have received from a few of the photographers. I hope to add more to this post as they come in!)

*Scroll to the bottom for vendor list

–Amanda Adams Photography: