Hey, guys! As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I was suggested by a reader I do a FAQ and I think it's quite a good idea as I've been getting quite a few questions that have been repeating themselves among you guys so I thought it would be nice to hear back from you and let you all know what's up. I want to thank all of you who submitted your questions. You guys know who you are! ;) Also, I'll be putting up a FAQ tab on my blog menu.
Here go the questions:
Favorite fashion blogs?
Monoxious, The Glamourai, Indecorous Taste, Love Aesthetics, Chalkboard Nails, I Spy DIY, The Nailasaurus, The Man Repeller, Cami Loves Kiwi, Artworks by Lena Ker
What make-up/brushes/starter kits/etc do you recommend for beginners?
For makeup I highly recommend you stick to basics. A good primer, a foundation that works for your skin type, a concealer, a versatile eyeshadow palette, a peachy/pink blush, eye liner, mascara and a few varied tones of lipsticks and glosses ranging from nude to light pink to red. I can't develop on foundations and concealers because that varies from person to person, but I can recommend some very good eyeshadow palettes that work for any occasion and you get your money's worth. The Urban Decay Naked palette is fantastic. Personally, I'm more partial to the Naked 2. I also have a little Naked Eye palette from Too Faced Cosmetics which is one of the pillars in my eye routine almost every day. For primers, I recommend Makeup Forever's HD Primer. Once you've got those basics covered, I think you're set to play around with the rest.
As for brushes, I have a mélange of different types and I've still to get myself a professional kit but I really don't worry about that because I'm confident I can make it work with any tool just as long as I practice. What good does it do having an expensive kit when your blending sucks, right? For beginners, it's good to experiment and work your way up. I'm about to receive my first Real Techniques brushes in a few days. They're from Pixiwoo's Samantha Chapman. I haven't tried them yet personally but I do have makeup artist friends who do have the range and love them. They're really well priced for your pocket and they're made with synthetic bristles so you can experiment with any sort of pigment, albeit powder or cream. Also, if that's still a bit out of your range I've used E.L.F. brushes and I quite like them for experimenting. They might shed a bit but at that price, it's to be expected. Also, Crown brushes are pretty good!
What do you recommend for people who want to experiment beyond their "safety zone" in Fashion/Make-up?
Go for it! Experimenting is the only way to see what can work for you and what doesn't. It's the best way to find out if your comfort zone has limits or not. If you're afraid of what others will think, well hun... those people might consider going outside of the box once in a while too. Wear what feels comfortable for YOU. If what you wear makes you feel confident, radiant and excited, you're doing it right. You might be surprised how many compliments you may get when you wear something unexpected! It really is a breath of fresh air! Try out new pieces, prints and color combinations.
How do you think your mayor has helped you so far?
For those of you that don't know, I have a bachelors in Fine Arts and my studies were focused in Drawing and Printmaking. My major was just that... MAJOR! The amount of skills, techniques and knowledge I gained from my education is far beyond greater than anything I could have imagined. I've been able to use those techniques to develop and create my own. They've helped me land job opportunities that are actually fun and interesting. It's also helped me be kind of the "problem solver" girl at work. Aside from the practicality it offers, it's also helped me see things with a more critical eye and open mind. I've developed a great sense of care for detail and I've learned to appreciate things from a different perspective. It definitely was the formation I needed to get on to my next professional step.
Who are your favorite Make Up Artist/Fashionistas/Artist?
Makeup Artist: Pat McGrath, Lisa Eldridge, Megan Martinez, Nikkie de Jager
Fashionista: Daphne Guinness, Prabal Gurung, McQueen, Debbie Harry, Alison Mosshart (she's not a fashionista, but her style has been a beacon for my taste for years), Rick Owens, Lauren Tennenbaum, Carine Roitfeld, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Arissa and Dawn of Monoxious, and Kate Lanphear.
Artist: David Downton, Garance Doré, Rubén Toledo, Zoe Bradley, Jenn Stark, Amanda Wachob (tattoo artist)
What inspires you?
Wow! That's kind of a general question I think. I can be inspired by anything at any given moment but I've always had a knack for beautiful lines and hard contrasts. Anything that has a soft, poetic movement or a rigid, structured flow is sure enough to catch my interest. The contrasting preference comes from my very graphic taste. I like things that resemble printmaking very much.
Do you have a bad make-up day(Days you can't seem to get anything right)?
UGH. I suffer from atopic dermatitis and EXTREMELY dry/combination skin. It literally chaps open when it's bad and on those days it is nearly impossible to get a good foundation/concealer routine going since I have to treat my skin with specialized creams. I think I've had like one or two good skin days since I hit puberty. My skin just reacts to anything at any given point so I have to be very careful with what I use. I've been able to calm it quite some bit but some days, it's just a beeotch to work with!
What do you do when you have artblocks?
I walk away. It's the best advice I ever got from a mentor. When you get artblocks, it could be because you've been working for so long on that one project that your mind is just tired of looking at it. I just put it away for a while, maybe a few days, and when I come back I see it with fresh eyes. It gives me space to think about other things that might actually spark a solution. Also, I like to read. Anything, really. May it be a novel, scientific facts, or just randomly scrolling through the internet, it helps.
What got you into makeup and what products did you start with?
Well, I've always been quite into makeup. In school I was the girl that always wore eyeliner even though it was against my school's rules. If we have to go way, way back I'd say I started out with my mom's cosmetics. She's a die hard Estée Lauder woman so when I got really into makeup when I was about twelve, she'd hand me down whatever product she didn't like and could live without whenever I raided her stash of makeup. I was a bit apprehensive about lipsticks up until the other day so I was always smudging my eyes with colors as bold as red on my eyes and my black eyeliner.
What are your do's and dont's in fashion/make-up?
Fashion do: Do wear according to your body. Be bold enough to play around with shapes and proportions.
Fashion don't: Don't wear five sizes smaller than you really are. Don't overly show skin. Keep some for the imagination.
Makeup do: Do play around with colors you don't usually go for. You might be surprised and it might just turn out to be your new favorite shade.
Makeup don't: Don't over do it. Remember to keep a balanced face. You want to enhance your looks, not make them worse!
I have tried many brands of red lipstick and every single one of them fades away really quick! Which one do you recommend? I have not tried MAC yet. Do you think I should?
MAC Ruby Woo is one of my all time favorite red lipsticks. It's Matte so it's a little hard to apply but I used to wear it for work because it was fade proof and absolutely no bleeding! Although, I would recommend you use MAC's Russian Red or MAC Red instead if that's too cool for your skin tone. You could also check out NYX's Matte lipsticks. They're not as matte as MAC's, a fraction of the price and also keep your lips moisturized. My favorite is Merlot.
What have been your worst "don'ts" as you started in fashion/Make-up/art and your "do's"?
My personal Do's: I've accepted a bit more color into my closet and my makeup stash. I've discovered shades of color I never thought I'd love! Also, I learned from my mother to dress accordingly to my body and to wear what feels good. It's helped me build my sense of confidence in how I portray myself.
My personal Dont's: There was a period in my life when everything was better if it was grungier. I used to walk around with the most torn up jeans possible. Looking back, I looked pretty awful. In terms of makeup I think it comes down to having a few mishaps with color balance but nothing too bad.
Do you think knowing how to apply Fashion and Make-up helps you with your artistic sense?
Well of course! Due to my agenda, my hours to work on my art have decreased much so every morning when I do my makeup and pick out my outfit, it's my personal break to indulge in color coordination. Everyday I think up of new ways to do this look or that look. I've also taken those ideas and transfered them onto my work so, definitely!
What do you plan to do in the future?
P-P-P-Parsons! I don't plan on coming back to Puerto Rico so my plans for the moment are to finish my Fashion Design degree and move forward into fashion. I want to incorporate my printmaking into my designs but in the meantime, take over NY. In the nearest future after moving to NY is to land my dream internship, Prabal Gurung.
Do you plan on making a art portfolio?
I actually do have a portfolio. It's not online but it's a small thesis I worked on in order to be able to graduate. I have been meaning to post it online, but I've been so busy that it comes secondary when I have so many things going on! But I do have to get that in order sooner or later so I will let you guys know as soon as I do!
What are your favorite go-to outfits and make up? Picture/illustration, please?
I have these cigarette black pants that I wear at least once a week. I've done so for about two years now (yikes!). I've re-dyed them a couple of times too. I can wear them with flats, heels, sneakers, and adapt them to practically any look. Lately I've really been into chiffon button downs and very flowy dresses and tops. I wear a lot of gold accessories too. I did a Polyvore not long ago that I think fits that description best. It was similar to an outfit I wore a few weeks back and it pretty much resembles that go-to outfit. You must be warned, I wear a lot of black. It's not until recently that I've started to wear bright colors!
Step 2: With your brush/sponge, apply glue evenly from the center outwards on the cover. It is VERY important that you use a pH neutral adhesive for this so over time, the paper will not suffer from acidity. I found this book making adhesive at Utrecht but one of the best kept secrets is that regular white school glue is basically the toughest thing you can use just as long as you apply some heat afterwards. Just make sure that it's not washable and is neutral. That's where the iron comes in after you've glued the paper on but let's not get ahead of ourselves. You can also use Matte Medium (for painting).
Step 3: Eyeball your paper placement and set it down over the glued cover. Flatten out any air bubbles. Since this paper has such rich texture, I let the wrinkles show. If you're using school glue, this is the moment to put your iron on a low setting and fix the glue with heat. Just gently run the iron over the surface until most moisture is released from the glue.
Step 5: Since my notebook is coil bound, I had to figure out a way to close off that end so I simply cut off the paper in between coils so I could tuck the excess paper un between. I dabbed on some glue and pressed down the tabs in between. The ones on top of the coils I let them on because they looked like fringe and I liked it, but you can cut those off if you like. If your notebook is not coil bound, simply continue the process on the back cover.
