Adrianna // ModCloth // San Francisco

Meet Adrianna. This little lady was super sweet, her mood was bubbly and intoxicating. While I curled her hair in the ModCloth studio she told me stories of her summer...and divulged her dreams for the future. I was inspired by her happy-go-lucky spirit...she had the best smile!! Her makeup for the stylebook was simple and chic: Grey smokey eyes, plum blush, and a berry lip color.

Try Christian Dior's '3 Couleurs' in Smokey Black 091 to get Adrianna's eyes!

My go to blush for any occasion.... Sin by Nars!

A long day requires a long-lasting lip color. Adrianna is wearing Keep It Red by Maybelline.

Stop by the ModCloth website for a little Fall Fashion shopping!

xoxo
Priscilla Francine

What Have I been up to...

Summer just started and it's already over! It's been a busy few months, but it's been a GREAT few months. I even got a vacation thrown in the midst of wedding season. I am back and refreshed and ready to blog. I have ALOT of things to catch up on and tell you about. In the meantime, here's what I have been up to...

1. Anna and Joel flew in from Oregon, and I was lucky enough to work with each of them and their bridal party on their wedding day. Their photographer Jamie Jones captured the day, and even a few images of me applying touch-ups in the ivy! During Anna's trial we played around with a few options for a dramatic eye, and she fell in love with a style that complimented her eye shape. To achieve these beautiful eyes, apply Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black on the entire lid (stopping at the crease). Next, set the lid with Nars Eyeshadow in Night Clubbing. To soften the crease, use a pony tail brush to apply a mauve or heather grey matte shadow. You eventually want to fade the color into eyebrow arch, so your color needs to gradually go from black to white. The best way I can translate this look is to compare it to a rainbow! Think dark to light!

2. Taryn and Shelby are the photographers behind Joielala, who also captured Christie's wedding. I cannot wait to see the final results!!! (Check out the engagement session in the meantime...I used nuetral shades with a highlights of gold and rust.)

3. I met Katie, Katherine's MOH, while working on set at ModCloth in SF. This bridal party got ready at the Inn at The Presidio. Because they wore black dresses, I was free to play with color options for their eyes, cheeks, and lips. I wanted to compliment each bridesmaid's skin tone, so each gal had their own version of a natural look.

4. Katherine was inspired by a magazine editorial with Julia Roberts as the model. To replicate the look, we kept her skin clean and refreshed looking, using the appropriate primers before any foundation. I did not use any bronzer, just a plum blush on her cheekbones. For her eyes, I concentrated on keeping all the color (Plums/burgundy hues) on her top and bottom lash line for definition. After I lined the lashes with the darker shadow, I overlapped it with Bare Escentuals Celestine to add a shimmer. Last, but not least, we kept the lips light, but not too light, because I didn't want her to be washed out in photos. My favorite color for bridal season this year was Perpetual Plum, Maybelline's Superstay 24 Hour Color.

5. Meet Adrianna!! Stay tuned for some amazing images on the ModCloth site!

6. Jamie's wedding day makeup was inspired by Carrie Underwood! Dramatic eyes, a bold pop of color on the cheeks, and a lighter nude lip! Carbon eyeshadow by MAC helped me create this sultry look! Ashley Maxwell was her photographer... I'm drooling over the images already and I haven't even seen them yet!

7. My dear friend Taylor got married this August, and I was honored to be part of her special day! I decided that my new favorite blush color for blondes is Gaiety by Nars-it is sooo pretty!

8. This year, I have been doing lots of bridesmaid up-dos! Thank goodness for my amazing Hot Tools curling iron!

9. Stop by the Favour Shoppe Blog for some skincare tips!

10. Every time a bride tells me they are searching for the perfect location for their destination wedding-I can't help but tell them about The Azul Resort in Cabo. It is one of the most peaceful and beautiful resorts ever. Our first visit was for our honeymoon, this time around we went with some friends... so while the boys had their guy time, us girls spent the day at the Paz Spa getting massages!

11. August 21st was my 2 year anniversary with the hubs. Omg! How time flies!! I feel like yesterday we just got married! We spent a night in Monterey at the Clement Hotel. The room came with a fire place, chocolate anchovies, and Elemis bodycare!!

12. I normally get the standard pedicures when I go to the salon... but I decided to try something unusual and out of my box on my last visit to Lavande, and opted for the Chocolate Pedi. While I enjoyed  by chocolate covered almonds, hot cocoa, and all the sweet smelling lotions-my favorite part was the mud masque they used on my legs. My skin looked so bright after!

Make sure to follow me on Instagram!

XOXO
@priscillafrancinemakeup

Product Junkie

Before a product goes into my "client" kit... I test out many options, formulas, and companies because I want to guarantee it will do what it says before I trust it. Or maybe I just have a makeup junkie problem... either way here are a few new things to love:

1. Eyebrows make or break the face, and most women have over plucked throughout the years. Brow powder can add length or fullness where needed, or completely change the shape which could alter your entire look. Bobbi Brown's Brow Kit has 2 color options which will offer you a more natural look.

Take MAC's 266 Small Angle Brush and draw one single line for a guide on the bottom side of your brow. Next, blend the lighter color with Smashbox's #12 Angle Brow Brush into the rest of the brow shape.

2. Nail polish can be used to create some serious art work now days. There are so many options in formulas, hues, and patterns to paint...if you are a collector of nail polish-I hope you already have at least one limited edition from the Nars Thakoon collection. It was no question that I needed Kutki.  (This color lasted on the nail bed, but when time to remove it was super easy to get off)

3. I'm a sucker for any type of mud masks...and Whole Foods. Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin was such a great price it was worth the gamble to test it out! $14.99! The key ingredient is obviously (Organic) tomatoes, which contains Lycopene, a potent antioxidant found in red fruits and vegetables. Mud masks are great for oilier skin types, they will clear out any clogged pores!

4. Remember my last experiment at Target? Keep it Red was a bit too bold for a bride and I wanted to add a few color options to my kit for my clients. Say hello to thee most amazing bridal hue by Maybelline...Perpetual Plum 055!!! It's the same color as the lip just intensified, with a slight golden shimmer in the right lighting.

5. Concealers under the eyes are tricky for some skin types. Hence my post on eye creams. While I love Bobbi Brown's concealer and correctors, they can sometimes crease on drier eyes. When I am working with a bride or model I need the product to last the entire day. I trust that Estee Lauder's Double Wear will do what it says. It promises to last 15 hours and is perspiration resistant! I have these in every shade because they work!

6. Yes, it's another Yes To Tomatoes product... I went at little crazy because I bought more than I am showing you. My hubby and I are both trying the Daily Balancing Moisturizer. It's pretty hydrating which does leave my skin a bit shiny at the end of the day, but it is light weight so I do not notice the formula. (The pump gives you more product than you expect so press down gently!)

7. No 'zit' Sherlock. I'll admit the title got me. But can you blame me? With a name like that, it has to work! I really wanted the serum but had to settle with the spot treatment due to what was available. I apply this after my toner, before my moisturizer. I use it 2x a day, and have not seen any dryness in the rest of my skin. There is only 2% salicylic acid and I could go for 5% but am pretty content with the product so far.

As you can tell I enjoy trying new things... what have you tried lately?? Any recommendations?

XOXO
Priscilla

Painted Purple

There is one main concern my clients and dear friends seem to share, and are a little distraught about. I repeatedly hear the sentence, "My makeup disappears by the end of the day." Is this one of your struggles too? Most of the time we are getting ready for the day around 6am, so I have been on the search this month for the perfect long-lasting products on the market. We all loved my Keep It Red find with Maybelline...so let's talk about their Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Shadow today.

Let's start with the good stuff first. Pros: 1. It does not crease. 2. It's hue is intense. 3. Because it is such a pigmented color, the product is really packed into the jar...which means it will last you a very long time. 4. I paid under $4 for Painted Purple on sale at Longs.

Raspberry Sorbet Flavored Lip Shine by Philosophy $10.00

Cons: 1. When applying the cream shadow, it may streak, leaving some areas without any product. 2. I needed to set it with a powder shadow 3. I had to layer the cream gel shadow to create the look I preferred.

Earrings by Francesca's

When using Painted Purple, use the color on your eyelid, stopping at the crease. Smudge the left over color on the brush on your bottom lash line for full eye definition. Next, press on a powder color that is exact in it's shade (I used a discontinued Nars matte shadow). Last, soften the crease with a beige or neutral matte shadow with a pony tail brush.

XOXO
Priscilla Francine

Keep It Red

Target is a dangerous place. period. Often times I find myself running in for cotton balls...and leave with $120 worth of bathroom accessories, cosmetics, candles! Things I always really need. My last visit to Target resulted in purchasing a variety of cosmetic brand's long lasting lipsticks. I wanted to compare Covergirl, Maybelline, and Revlon's formulas, to see which was the best. I opted for nudes and raspberry tones and over the past week I have fallen for Maybelline's Super Stay 24 Color in Keep It Red.

Necklace by Francesca's While I adore the color, it's really the formula that I appreciate. I personally don't have time to touch-up, and I want to feel confidant with my lipsticks. Maybelline's Superstay 24 Hour Color had no feathering, fading, or caking. The others either dried my lips out, or where harder to apply. I felt free to eat, drink, and kiss with no need to look in the mirror the entire day! Other bonuses, people seemed to ask me more about what I was wearing when using Keep It Red, and the applicator was the easiest to apply to my lips.

Hairstyling Ring by H&M

*Tips for best results when applying a long-lasting lip product: Exfoliate your lips the night before and hydrate with some eye cream. Ensure your lips are dry and free from other product before a long lasting application. Allow a few moments for the color to dry before applying the conditioning balm. Remove with an oil-based makeup remover like Lancome's Bi-Facil Double Action makeup remover.

What gets you the most in trouble at Target? The cosmetic department? The bathing suits? The home decor section?

XOXO
Priscilla Francine