Me and Julia of All About The Pretty

BAM!

Keep in mind, I’d already done my own face. But by the time Jake was done with me, I felt like a brand new woman.

Do you like? Here’s what he used:

Jake highlighted the apples of my cheeks with Cover Girl Simply Ageless blush #230 (or Lush Berry) – I was a bit apprehensive when he was putting it on. It seemed like A LOT of blush, but it photographed beautifully.

Then he went over my existing liner with Cover Girl’s Outlast Eyeliner in Indigo.

After that he used Cover Girl eyeshadow in Purple Pop, and WOW. Purple shadow with brown eyes FTW. Now there’s even more reason for it to be my favorite color.

On my lips, Jake used delicious Amazemints gloss in shade # 605, AKA Everything’s Rosy.

I was absolutely thrilled with my makeover, and Jake was so sweet and friendly and warm. He made me feel beautiful, and now it’s my turn to pay it forward!

TWO lucky Afrobella readers can win the four items Jake used in my Cover Girl makeover. All you have to do is tell me — do you have a favorite Cover Girl makeup item? If yes, what is it and why?

I’ll close these comments on Monday afternoon. And I’m about to make it rain with giveaways, so get ready! This will be an epic month!

Edited Monday 8:45 pm — Comments are CLOSED! I’ll choose winners at the end of this week!

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3. NYFW Day 3 – Plus Size at Fashion Week?

Over the weekend I dealt with the extremes of Chicago weather. Rain on Friday and blistering heat Saturday and Sunday. But through it all, my eyemakeup stayed in tact. How? I’ll tell you my latest little secret.

Gel eyeliner is my new best friend.

My hands are too shaky for liquid, and eyeliner pencils are frequently too waxy and smudgy for me. So when I want to get that kapow! liquid liner cat’s eye look, I reach for the gel. It’s forgiving and easy and lasts forever. Add a little eyeshadow primer and it gets even better!

Most department store brands have a gel or powder liner amongst their stock, but these brands are my favorites!

Bobbi Brown has this here on lock. Their long wear gel eyeliner is so precise, so easy, and comes in so many gorgeous shades. Their new fall color is Forest, mossy green with a subtle gold shimmer. It’s very low key and works great for bellas who like their makeup subtle and stunning. I prefer a bit more pop, so I need to get my hands on violet — purple makes my baby brown eyes look amazing (and it’s my favorite color!) These cost $21 a piece but they’ll last you forever and a day as long as you keep the jar tightly sealed.

Are you up on Lancome’s Fall 09 collection? It’s called Declaring Indigo, and the shades are sharp, bright, and classic. This isn’t the kind of makeup you buy that loses its allure next season. Gold and navy blue aren’t going anywhere anytime soon! Their Ink Artliner longwear calligraphy gel liner in Indigo Charm is nautical, and really stands out on brown skin tones. It’s $23.50, but you already knew Lancome is on the higher end of the makeup scale, right? And in this case you really do get what you pay for.

Cream to powder liner is an alternative to gel that’s equally long lasting, and a new one I’ve had the pleasure of trying recently is by Christopher Drummond. If you’re new to his lline, sit up and take notice! Christopher Drummond is all about 100% natural, organic based, high quality cosmetics. If you’re a fiend for good ingredients in your products, definitely check him out.

His cream to powder eyeliner is meant to be used as a brow filler as well as an eyeliner, so it’s super subtle and very complimentary to a variety of skin tones. I will be gushing more about his products soon, but for now I’ll just say this — the Sateen Blush is gorgeous, and the cream to powder liner surprised me for two reasons. 1. the name of the color, soft black, led me to believe that it was in fact, black. It came out more of a deep raisin on me. But surprise #2 – I love the color! It’s rich, soft, subtle, and very very pretty. It’s $22.50, and I’m anxious to see if this product is eventually released in even more shades.

Last but not least, let’s hear it one time for my bellas on a budget! If you aren’t up on Sonia Kashuk’s line of makeup at Target, you need to get there in a hurry. I can’t tell you how impressed I am with the quality of these items! Most of all, her gel liner. For some reason it isn’t on Target’s website but I know it’s available in stores. (I got this photo from Makeup Alley). Sonia Kashuk’s liner lasted me all afternoon in the blazing Lollapalooza heat, and with her equally affordable angled liner brush, application is a breeze. It costs less than $10, and the color is flawlessly dark and longlasting!

I’ve noticed a lack of available swatches for brown skinned beauties, so here’s my first attempt at swatching colors for you. From left to right, Bobbi Brown’s Forest, Lancome’s Indigo, Christopher Drummond Soft Black, and Sonia Kashuk’s black liners.

Whew! Do you prefer gel, liquid, or pencil eyeliner? Got a fave brand? Share!

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I know what works best for me, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to turn to some true divas who know makeup from makeup. Beauties who use makeup to transform their look completely from day to night. I reached out to my amigas in gorgeousness — three of Miami’s most fabulous drag queens.

My last post on drag queen makeup was forever and a day ago, so I’m long overdue for a fresh update.

Who better to ask than three of my favorite divas who live, love and entertain in the 305? As a special bonus, I’m gonna throw in my two cents with a special makeup recommendation for each of these faboosh ladies.

Let’s kick things off with the stunning, the electric, the diva Miss Elaine Lancaster. Her glamorous photo is by Howard Austin Feld. You can find her on Facebook, and while you’re at it, join her fan club Friends of Elaine Lancaster. Tell her Afrobella sent ya!

Take it away, Elaine!

1 – What inspires your look? There are so many kinds of drag, what led you to express yourself this way?

I guess my look was inspired, at first, by the ladies of Dynasty. Now I get inspiration from everywhere.

2 – How would you describe your aesthetic?

I want to dress for myself & how I feel that day/evening. Plus i TRY to be appropriate for the event/location.

3 — What are your go-to tools of the trade? What makeup brands work the best for your needs?

I love MAC Cosmetics, but really am learning to love MAKE-UP FOREVER… amazing colors.

4 — What’s your advice for young queens on the come-up — in the physical sense and in the sense of entering this new and exciting world?

It’s the hardest job you’ll ever love if you do it right.

5 — What do you want the world to know about the Diva, Miss Elaine Lancaster?

“I can’t cover up my feelings In the name of love, or play it safe… For a while that was easy… And if living for myself is what I’m guilty of Go on and sentence me I’ll still be free…….IT’S MY TURN…….” Diana Ross

Oh Elaine. Quoting one of my all time beauty icons. LOVES it!

My makeup recommendation for Elaine — Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Eyes Collector. 25 gorgeously pigmented waterproof eyeliner pencils, the better to highlight those gorgeous peepers.

Next up, I had to holla at ADORA. Why? Because her makeup is among the most outlandish and outstanding in the biz.

Look at THAT. I don’t know many other people who can pull that off, and Adora does it so effortlessly every day. I HAD to find out what inspired this look. It was a bit tricky because English is not Adora’s first language. But I think we figured it out! (PS: Adora’s photo is by Alexis Trigouria).

1 – What inspires your look? There are so many kinds of drag, what led you to express yourself this way?

My look was inspire by cartoons, 1950 ’s and 60’s vedettes (which I believe are dancing girls?) and I thought that this kind of drag was the most fun and creative.

2 – How would you describe your aesthetic?

Adora’s aesthetics is a mix of camp and glamour.

3 – What are your go-to tools of the trade? What makeup brands work the best for your needs?

For Adora’s “natural looks” she uses MAC full coverage, with a mix of colors from Coty powder. White pigment as eye shadow from MAC, water proof eye liner from MAC, the eye lashes she just let them grow, contour from MAC , lipstick and lip gloss from whoever and all this depends on the event, time of the day or just the mood.

4 — What’s your advice for young queens on the come-up — in the physical sense and in the sense of entering this new and exciting world?

For the new girls I have advice — BE YOURSELF the looks are second, the talent has to be always first, one can have a fabulous figure and looks… no talent? No thank you! So there you have it girls before you go out there, make sure that you can entertain!

Adora’s web site is AdoraMiami.com.

What’s my product recommendation for Adora? Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. The brand is all about mixing and matching, expressing yourself, and creating your own vision. The multi purpose cosmetics are made for mixing and everyone I know who has tried their lip tar absolutely RAVES about it. And their colors come in a range Adora would adore.

Last but so certainly not least is my friend Shelley Novak — photo by Desi. We clicked with each other years ago, when I interviewed her for Miami New Times.

Since then she’s retired like Cher, and returned for a glorious revival on the SoBe circuit.
Shelley is like no other queen on scene. Gloriously hairy, carefree, hilarious, honest, and extremely knowlegable about many things pop cultural and cinematic, Shelly rocks. Point blank, period.

Take it away, Shelley!

1 – What inspires your look? There are so many kinds of drag, what led you to express yourself this way?

I’m a dash of Donna Mills of Knots Landing mixed with a healthy dose of Divine with a sprinkle of David Lynch.

2 – How would you describe your aesthetic?

Barney Rubble in a dress.

3- What are your go-to tools of the trade? What makeup brands work the best for your needs?

Max Factor pan stick, which is very hard to find now that Max Factor went under thanks to his rapist grandson’s expensive trial.

4 — What’s your advice for young queens on the come-up — in the physical sense and in the sense of entering this new and exciting world?

Take every job you can, get paid in cash and always try to get paid ahead of the event if you can!

5 — What do you want the world to know about the inimitable Shelly Novak?

That I’m on chapter three of my memoirs (finally).

I can’t wait to read them. I wish I was around to help co-write them! Shelley’s got a wealth of material, and she’s fun to interview. TRUST.

You can find Shelley exclusively on Facebook by joining I’ll Shave Tomorrow: The Shelley Novak fan club. Ha!

In terms of makeup, Shelley’s gonna have to upgrade from Max Factor, because boo hoo — the brand responsible for coining the term makeup and countless innovations in the world of beauty is not going to be for sale in the USA for much longer. Now’s the time to expand the makeup horizons.

For super duper unbeatable coverage, I recommend Shelley check out Prescriptives AnyWearMulti-Purpose Makeup Stick with SPF 15. Speaking from experience, this brand gives amazing coverage, comes in just about any shade you can dream of, and will last for ages and protect your skin from the scorching Miami sun.

I’m hoping to interview another fabulous queen about makeup soon, so stay tuned. If you have questions or loving comments for Miami’s most fab, feel free to leave them below.

Thanks Elaine, Adora, and Shelley — keep shining and know that Afrobella loves ya!

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In the world of eyebrow shaping, there are the laypeople (the ones who wax you at any standard day spa or mall outlet), and there are the superstars — Anastasia, Damone Roberts, and Miss Rashida B., among them. Rashida flits between Miami and Chicago, beautifying the brows of the truly fabulous in both cities. When she isn’t plucking, shaping, holding down her popular Chicago salon, The B Spot and getting namedropped in the likes of Vogue magazine and Daily Candy — Rashida’s keeping it real on Twitter as @beautyschooled. AND she’s got an awesome blog of the same name — where she drops knowledge and interviews professionals in the world of makeup and the beautifying industry.

My interview with Rashida was unconventional in the sense that we were cracking each other up and bonding like old friends (even though we hadn’t met yet!) So without further ado, here are some of Rashida’s best tips and quips.

I had to ask her about the infamous eyebrow weave video — despite the repeated promise of “celebrity status,” Rashida is not feelin’ it.

“I don’t recommend it. It doesn’t look good in person. Maybe you can use it for photography, to achieve a certain look for a photo shoot…” she suggested. Oh, Rashida you are being too kind.

What about the latest no eyebrows trend, as identified by the New York Times?

“I’m gonna say no to that as well, unless you’re a runway model. If you absolutely have to achieve that look, there’s this stuff called spirit gum which you can use to smooth them down.”

One of the things I loved about interviewing Rashida is, she is no nonsense. She broke down her feelings about waxing and threading, without hesitation. And she got this formerly wax-happy bella to think twice.

“Tweezing is my preference, but I’ll give you the facts. The saddest thing I’ve been hearing lately is about clients going to get their eyebrows waxed and walking away with scabs. That’s when you go to a place that isn’t professional. There should be a consultation form when you go into a professional waxing salon. They don’t do that. What if you’re dealing with a diabetic? Diabetics, you don’t wanna lift the skin off them for fear of infection. Are you on Retin A? Are you on Accutane? These are questions that need to be asked before you get waxed. And don’t get me started on the double dipping and the stick… if you think about it, they’re using the same wax for your eyebrows, your upper lip, and your bikini area. And they’re just double dipping the stick into the same wax.”

Um, EW. I never even thought about that before.

I had to mention a popular chain of wax salons that ahem — I had a ghastly experience with back in Miami. Now they’re offering “celebrity brows,” where you can go in and ask for let’s say, the Megan Fox brow. It sounded ridiculous to me. And Rashida agreed.

“That’s… insane. You don’t have Megan Fox’s face, or her eyebrow shape. You can’t go into an eyebrow shaping like that. Don’t think thin, don’t think thick. Beware of eyebrow trends. It should be all about your face, your brows, and what’s gonna look right on you. It happens all the time, where ladies will say to me “I want eyebrows like my friend.” Well, unless your friend’s gonna give you her face, that’s probably not gonna work.”

So what are the perfect brows, according to Rashida B?

“It’s all about your facial features, your brow shape, and your lifestyle.”

Lifestyle?

“Yes — if you want high sculpted brows, that might not work for an everyday 9 to 5 job. And if you’re a low maintainance person but you want high maintainance brows, you’re gonna have mad stubble for days.”

What about eyebrow stencils?

“They should pile them all up and burn them. I can spot ‘em a mile away. Oh, you’re Anastasia high arch #3, hi!”

What about threading?

“Threading is great if you have alot of thick hair. For your facial hair, sideburns, upper lip… great. But for your eyebrows, you probably don’t have alot of thick hair there. And they lie you down and tell you to pull your forehead. So when you let go, what happens? It looks great up there, but then your face relaxes. I don’t agree with any eyebrow method where they have you recline. That makes your face look completely symmetrical. It’s not a true reflection of what you’re going to look like later on when you’re out and about on the street.”

So if someone perhaps couldn’t afford Rashida’s services, and wanted to do their brows themselves?

“Find a picture in a magazine, of someone who has the same facial features and eyebrow shape as yours. Don’t try to be Megan Fox or Jennifer Connelly or whoever has the hottest brows. Find someone who looks like you. Then take a white eyeliner pencil, or a light colored concealer stick, and use it to create that shape on your face to make sure it’ll look right on your face. Then pluck the hairs that are covered by the white pencil/concealer. Don’t go overboard, don’t get obsessed with getting the one hair in one area… try to look at the big picture.”

I followed Rashida’s advice to the letter and tah-dah! My brows look GREAT. Another tip of advice from personal experience, sit in good light so you can really see the hairs you’ve covered with white pencil, and use a good pair of tweezers. For beauty needs like this, I am LOVING the Tweezerman Lighted Slant Tweezer.

My interview with Rashida couldn’t end without a question I also put to eyebrow king Damone Roberts — is there a particular famous person who’s eyebrows she’d like to work on? Hmmmm?

“Until Michelle Obama showed up, I didn’t have one!” she responded.

Ding ding ding! I knew that’d be the answer. Lord knows I heart the First Lady but it’s undeniable that her eyebrows could use some fresh talent and a little growing in. Rashida more than agreed.

“I’m gonna need someone to work on that, OK? Have you read my brow blog?”

I hadn’t, yet. But in case you were also concerned, click here to read Rashida’s take on Michelle O’s brows, which fully explains why they are the way they are.

As she explains at the end of her post, “Brows should be shaped in a manner that is best suited for the client, in a shape that flatters and compliments their individual facial features, never mind what the eyebrow stylist’s preferences are.”

I agree completely, and here’s hoping Michelle opens up her circle and finds additional people to help keep her as flawless as possible. Like um, Rashida perhaps? Hey, she’s right here in Chicago!

In summary, Rashida B is made of awesome. After this interview I had the good fortune of meeting her at the Blogalicious kickoff party here in Chicago, and it was SO much fun. Can’t wait to visit her salon and get the Rashida B brow treatment for real! You know I’ll review the whole shebang!

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Depends on what you’re looking for!

I enjoy wearing colored mascara from time to time, it’s such an effortless way to switch up your look. And it can be surprisingly subtle, too. Depending on the shade of colored mascara that you wear, people may have to do a double take, or catch you blinking in the sun before they notice — hey! Your lashes are a different color! Colored mascara is fun, it’s a trend that comes in and out of style, and it’s a trend that (in my funky opinion) works just as well for teenagers as it would for someone old enough to be a teenager’s mom. Just because you’re not a girl anymore, doesn’t mean you don’t still want to have fun!

I’ve been around the colored mascara block a time or two, so allow me to share with you the outstanding ones, and the ones that could use a little more oomph.

Blue mascaras make big promises. Supposedly they make blue eyes bluer, brown eyes appear golden, and hazel eyes look green. I dunno about all that. But I do know they’re fun, especially if you’ll be in the sunlight.

Benefit’s BADgal blue mascara is rich, royal, and instantly noticeable IMO. I love a bangin’ blue on my lashes, and this delivers pigment from root to tip. it’s $19, but worth it if you want a noticeable shade. This is a true blue through and through, unlike CoverGirl LashBlast in Black Royale, which is really just a black with a hint of blue. The LashBlast Luxe shades are subtler, good for an office or professional environment. But if you’re looking for bam! in your face color, you’ll be sad.

CoverGirl Black Platinum was honestly, a disappointment. I noticed hardly any shimmer or color, even in the sun my lashes just looked kind of washed out. Not even close to “platinum,” as I was hoping they’d be.

For a far better Cover Girl mascara experience, I recommend Exact Eyelights. My mom in law LOVES the Black Sapphire for Blue Eyes, and I’ve been using the Black Pearl for Brown Eyes practically every day since I got my sweaty little hands on it. LOVE how it makes my brown eyes pop. But please search online for reviews – they are kinda mixed when it comes to these mascaras. I love it, not everyone does though!

Benefit BADgal plum mascara hardly made a difference to my lashes — at times it looked like I wasn’t even really wearing mascara, apart from the definition of my lashes. It’s kind of like wearing brown mascara, except — cosign with Bellasugar — it can make your eyes look a little um, red and tired.

Those are the shades I’ve tried most recently. I’m intrigued by Urban Decay’s Big Fatty in teal, and I’ve been hearing raves about LA Splash mascara — YouTube makeup artist Risa really likes em. They’re affordable, come in CRAZY colors, and are available here.

Have you tried colored mascara? Do you have a fave brand?

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I missed the BET Awards but I didn’t MISS the BET Awards, if you know what I’m sayin’.

Judging from the various indignant responses on Twitter, it seems I didn’t miss much. But thanks to some of my favorite sites — Oh No They Didn’t and Crunk & Disorderly, I saw all I needed to see. Red carpet fabulousity! And if you’re like me, you might be wondering — exactly how did these stars get so amazingly dolled up?

Today’s your lucky day. Celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff wanted to share her special makeup tips and tricks exclusively with Afrobella readers, and here’s the scoop on her lush looks for humanitarian award winner Alicia Keys, and one of my favorite child stars who’s gorgeous and all grown up, Tatyana Ali!

Take it away, Ashunta!

Alicia Keys
Inspiration: Moroccan inspired due to her recent trip there in May for the Mawaline Festival. Alicia’s short bejeweled shift dress in its soft aqua truly brought out her golden complexion. I wanted to give her a touch of sun kissed glow and egyptian/moroccan eyes with coral lips remniscent of the colors of a Moroccan Paradise.

Body: my secret weapon body glow mix is a combination of Dior Bronze Sun Powder Spray, Smashbox Bodylights body Lotion shimmer and Girlactik Beauty Gold Shimmer powder. The combination gave Alicia an amazing bronzed sun kissed glow to make her legs and declertage look flawlessly stunning.

Client: Tatyana Ali
Inspiration: Bollywood Princess, bringing out more of Tatyana’s Indian heritage I used metallic earth tones to shape and frame her eyes. Radiant bronzed skin works for her toffee complexion and an iridescent nude topped the look off.

Body: Palmers Organic Olive Oil Body Cream and Smashbox Bodylights Lotion body shimmer to make her legs look flawless.

Did she say Mary Kay? Palmers? Olay? Cover Girl’s Queen Collection? Black Opal? Ashunta is my kinda bella! There’s something so wonderful about knowing celebs are using the same products a bella on a budget might swear by, am I right?

I promise to fill in the complete list of products with links where you can check out these items ASAP! Right now it’s 1:30 a.m. and this blogging bella needs her bed.

Click here to visit Ashunta’s website to see even more of her amazing work, and click here to follow her on Twitter! Look out later today for even more BET Awards looks from the red carpet and the ceremony itself — Janet, Beyonce, Nichelle Nichols and more!

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When the days are muggy your makeup can get to melting. And nobody wants to walk around looking like a runny ice cream cone with raccoon eyes. What’s a bella to do? My advice is, use the right products to make your makeup last all day — especially if you plan to be out and about at an event where you might be photographed or something. Think wedding or special date. Here are some product suggestions — some I’ve tried, and some I certainly plan to try!

Being matte and perfectly made up all day starts after you wash your face with your moisturizer of choice. For daytime, I love products by Pur Minerals. The Under Control Mattifying Gel is light and does exactly what it promises, and the See No More pore minimizer leaves your skin super silky and primed for makeup.

For evening I like Lierac Mat-Chrono Creme — it’s an anti-aging, mattifying night cream that will last you FOREVER. That’s because only the teeniest dab will absorb into your skin! Just touch your fingertip to it, rub it on your T-zone and voila, oil begone. I dig it.

After you moisturize, then it’s time to get your prime on. MAC has two great options — Prep & Prime lotion, $23 and it really evens out skin tone, makes makeup last, and keeps oil at bay. Then there’s Prep and Prime transparent finishing powder, which you can dust on over your makeup. I love this stuff, and I hardly leave the house in this summer heat without a little dusting of it on my face.

Need an affordable alternative? I heart Valana Minerals Oasis Oil Control Powder. $15, and it really works. I love everything Valana, you already know that!

I’m intrigued by MakeUpForEver’s HD primers, because if they’re anything like my beloved HD Foundation, I won’t be able to leave home without it! The HD Primers promise to correct complexion and make makeup last under even to the closest examination. It’s made to withstand HD technology, so if it works under Hollywood’s hot lights, it should last in the most sweltering heatwaves.

There are other tips I’m sure many of you savvy bellas know — to make your lipstick last, start out with a lip pencil. Or better yet, line your lips, fill them in almost all the way, and slick on lipgloss for shine.

There are SO many great lip pencils on the market, but these days I’m partial to Prescriptives Deluxe Lip Pencil which comes in delightfully dark shades that last forever and look gorgeous on brown skinned bellas. Benefit’s d’finer d’liner clear lip liner is a clear stick that promises to make your regular lipstick stay put. I’ve tried it, but I gotta be honest – I haven’t put it to the ultimate hot weather test yet.

To make eye makeup stick — now THAT’s tricky. I speaking of Benefit, I personally prefer Benefit’s lemon-aid over Urban Decay’s classic primer potion — but bear in mind I haven’t yet tried the new Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin 0.34 oz Sin. I hear it’s gorgeous, even without shadow.

Lemon Aid is “a warm yellow correcting cream” that hides eyelid discoloration and has the added power to make eyeshadow last for ages in the heat. And like the Lierac, all you need is the teeniest dab. This will last for a LONG time, trust!

I could go on and on about primers — there’s a product to make your makeup stick, from foundation to lashes. But I’ll just wrap it up with my last fave to make your makeup last. If you’re going somewhere special, it’s smart to bring the tools you need to reapply your look. Stroll out the door with an eyepencil, little mascara, and compact in your purse just in case. And always, always – specially in a hot climate if you have oily skin — roll with some blotting linens. Boscia blotting linens are among the very best and now come in new scents. Like vanilla! Not bad for $10, but if you’re a bella on a budget there are cheaper varieties by Clean & Clear and Sonia Kashuk at Target.

Whew! Those are some of my fave products for making your makeup last. My other word to the wise? Stay out of the sun and outdoor elements if you can! No quicker way to ruin your expertly applied makeup than being outside in the summertime!

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3. Makeup for Dummies

One of my beauty blog besties, Julia of All About The Pretty recently featured a blog post that made me squeal with delight. It was a behind the scenes interview with renowned makeup artist Pat McGrath, revealing this season’s hottest trends and drugstore essentials for bellas on a budget. Now any bella who has been reading this site for a while knows how I feel about Pat McGrath – she’s amazing. Ever since she got involved with the Max Factor brand, I’ve been paying special attention.

Recently I was lucky enough to get my hands on some Max Factor favorites, so let me break it down for you!

Word on the street is when the economy sucks, women buy lipstick. So the time is now to invest. AATP gives high points to MAX Factor Vivid Impact Lipcolor, and I resoundingly concur. I’m diggin’ Hipster, but if you’re seeking a more summery shade, check out Ms Behave, for a pretty coral pink pout.

OK bellas, if you are looking for a mascara that is going to leave your lashes defined, thick, and perfect for batting at that cute guy across the bar, look no further than Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Lash Plumper. At around $8.50, this is a drugstore find worth scooping up. The applicator brush is plump (and very reminiscent of Cover Girl’s Lash Blast) – all the better to make sure each individual lash is coated with dark makeuppy goodness. And because it’s waterproof, my lashes stayed pretty all day through a good cry and the Miami heat. Yup, I’ve been having those kinda days in the midst of this move. At least my mascara’s up to the job!

I’ve got my eye on more products in the Max Factor line — I LOVE the bright, punchy summer bright shades of eyeshadow in their three-color palettes, and AATP also raved over the eyeliner. I might be due for a trip to the drugstore!

Have you tried any Max Factor products, bellas? Any personal faves?

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Wow. All I can do is quote Tim Gunn. “That’s a lot of look!”

AfricanLoft phrases it more charitably – “Her fashion sense is very bold.” Yes indeed. I’ll go a step further and say her fashion sense is straight outta Dynasty. Most makeup artists will advise clients to choose a strong lip or a strong eye. Not both. Chantal Biya says to hell with those silly rules — her look can be described as opera diva. You can spot her a mile away.

Bold eyes. Bright lips. Blush like “blaow” on her cheekbones, and eyebrows that are calling out for Damone Roberts’ expert hand. It’s like she’s been shot with Homer Simpson’s makeup gun.

And then there’s the hair. Goodness gracious, then there’s the hair.

Drink it all in with the Telegraph’s 17-image slideshow of the First Lady. Boston Globe style writer Christopher Muther has called her “a saint of style,” and added “you can tell that the Pontiff was thinking “How can I grow my eyebrows like that” through the entire encounter,” during her meeting with the Pope.

Now here at Afrobella I strive for positive vibrations and constructive criticism, so I’ll just say — less is more. There’s no denying that Chantal Biya is a beautiful woman, but I think she manages to hide that by taking her look into a clownlike stratosphere. Just imagine what a makeunder would do — soften those unnatural brows, bring her hair two decades forward, and give her a subtler makeup look. She’d be a show stopper — in a much different way than she is now. But that’s just my opinion.

What do you think, bellas? Any style advice for Chantal Biya, or do you applaud her passion for fashion?

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We met and clicked right away at the Macy’s Women of Color event, and it’s rare that I meet someone who I can instantly say, someday I’m gonna be like “I met her when.” I say this because I know Patrece is a star on the rise. Someday I want to click on Bravo or the Style Network and watch her dispensing makeup tips on her own show – she’s THAT sweet, warm, funny, and has presence and personality for days. And her attitude was both refreshing and inspirational. “A humble person is a successful person,” she believes, and let me tell you – from interviewing so many people, that is rare to hear, and even rarer to experience. I can’t say enough nice things about her.

Patrece is the makeup artist of choice for Laila Ali, Colin Cowie, and Debbie Turner Bell. And you can see her hard work every morning bright and early — Patrece is holding down the fort on the CBS Early Show, doing makeup for Maggie Rodriguez, Harry Smith, Russ Mitchell and Dave Price along with all of the celebrities and dignitaries who come through the green room before their interviews. And it all began when she moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana to NYC, and worked at the MAC makeup counter.

“I am living my dream,” she declared during her presentation, and I know she inspired many of the aspiring artists and cosmetics employees at Macy’s that day. I managed to put together a little video of highlights from her demonstration. Click below to watch, but be forewarned – I’m the worst videographer ever. What are you in for here? Terrible, terrible camera angles, misguided attempts at zooming in, continuous shaking, not-so-great audio, occasional applause with the camera-in-hand, and cackling laughter from myself and the loud, loud lady right next to me. Oh, and amazing makeup tips!

Mark my words, one day Afrobella will have a video person down to produce some slick content. One day it won’t be up to me and my complete inability to film.

On this day, she admitted she wasn’t feeling well and her mom (who is her rock and her guiding light), had to stay behind to care for a sick relative. And very sadly, that relative has since passed. Please join me in sending positive thoughts and prayers to Patrece and the Williams family.

Despite the personal burdens in her own life, Patrece pulled it together and taught me and the audience so much about makeup, and about grace under pressure. I’m happy to share some of her top makeup tips!

— Patrece uses many different makeup brands, but MAC ranks high as her favorite. “I love MAC’s foundations. I think they’ve done the research and taken the time to really cater for women of color. I worked for them for 5 years, so I can attest they take it seriously.” Patrece loves Studio Fix liquid foundation, which dries to a powder. This probably explains why I look so frickin shiny in my photo next to her! Note to self, tone down the shine before posing for photos with famous people with flawless makeup.

– In Patrece’s professional opinion, the best way to put on foundation is to start in the T-zone area. Use a dime size amount, stipple on under your eyes, and on your nose and forehead. Then feather it down and out to make sure the coverage is even and looks natural. Patrece focuses foundation on the center circle of the face. “Foundation should just enhance your skin and give it a glow.”

– Patrece (and most makeup artists in general!) loves and recommends lipliner. But she doesn’t use the pointy part. “Lay the pencil flat and point the tip to the bow of your lip. Use the flat edge to give a smudging effect on your lips, rather than a sharp line. That way you can use lipstick or gloss to blend the color and it lasts all day,” she says. Patrece LOVES a plum colored lipliner on women of color. And she specifically recommended a brand and color of lipgloss – I’ll blog about that soon, promise! She used a lighter color of gloss at the center of the lip to highlight or contour her model’s lips. Note to self, try that at home!

– Patrece loves and highly recommends using powder eyeshadow as eyeliner. “If you have oily skin, liquid or cream eyeliner or eyeshadow is going to crease. With powder eyeshadow, you save money and get two uses out of one product.” She uses and recommends MAC makeup brush #266 for applying eyeliner, or for filling in eyebrows. She used an indigo purple shadow and started applying it right in the lash line. “Eyeshadow looks matte, whereas pencil can look shiny. And you don’t always have to use black or brown shadow as your liner. Sometimes I like to use gold eyeshadow and smudge over it with brown to bring that iridescence out. I also love a plum or indigo shadow,” says Patrece. She used the very tip of the #266 brush to just place the color, not to brush it on the lashline. And she used shadow both on the lid and under the eye!

– DON’T pump air into your mascara! Open it to where you can see just the stem of the wand, then turn it and pull it out. That way the product remains creamy and good to use while it adheres to the brush. Patrece prefers to put on mascara on the bottom lashes first, very lightly. She starts on the outer corner by the ear and moves to the center, using the wand to pull the lashes down as she applies mascara. “What we’re trying to do is create an illusion of thicker, fuller lashes. Push the mascara from the base of the lash, pull all the way down, then push them up,” she says.

– Patrece doesn’t always use an eyelash curler – bellas with long lashes don’t necessarily need one, she says. But she loves strip lashes, and reuses them four or five times a piece, just by removing the glue and reapplying them.

For now I just have to say thank you again to Patrece for the opportunity, and to my amigas at Macy’s. Of course you know normally I link to the people I interview, but Patrece doesn’t even have a website! She hasn’t needed to have one yet – her success has come from word of mouth recommendations. I plan to (and hope to) keep in touch with her, so if you’re in need of makeup advice or have a specific question, I’ll ask her for ya!

More to come from Patrece soon – I’m interviewing her on her drugstore product recommendations next!

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