that glow tho.

Who doesn't want to be glowing? What did we ever do before the invention of highlighters? And strobing? I guess we were all just a little flat. But thankfully now the market is packed with highlighters of every shape, size, and colour, and I'm going to share some of my favourite ways to get your glow on!

Top (L-R): MAC Lightscapade/MAC Soft & Gentle/MAC Global Glow
Middle (L-R): The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer/ABH So Hollywood/Benefit Watt's Up
Bottom (L-R): Kevin Aucoin Contour-Highlight Duo/Revlon Skinlights Bare Light

first, what colour should you be using?

If you haven't noticed, they come in a few different shades, and picking the right one for your skin tone (and makeup look) is key.

If Your Skin Is FAIR choose: Silvery Pearl
If Your Skin Is LIGHT choose: Peach
If Your Skin Is MEDIUM: Warm Gold
If Your Skin Is DEEP: Coppery Bronze

Now these aren't hard and fast rules... if you are fair but are going with a bronzed goddess look by all means go for a highlighter with warm/golden undertones, just make sure the tone isn't too dark.

powder vs. liquid?

Powder highlighters are so easy to use, can be blended perfectly and can be intensified (or applied subtly) depending on your desired look. Liquid highlighters (like Cover FX liquid illuminator) are nice because they can be worn alone for serious glow power, or mixed in with your foundation/moisturizer for a subtle glow, but beware: liquid can be a little less user friendly when used on their own as they can be more noticeable if not applied and blended perfectly!

where do you put it?

Unless the look you are going for is "unicorn", don't put highlighter all over your face. It should only be applied to certain areas that you want to 'pop', not only giving you a glow, but also creating angles (aka cheekbones). Highlighter should be applied to the tops of the cheekbones, inner corner of the eye, underneath the brow, and on the Cupid's bow (making the lips appear fuller).
Powder highlighters are best applied with a fan brush or small tapered brush.
Cream highlighters can be applied with a small fluffy brush, beauty blender, or your fingers.

my faves

POWDERS
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in "So Hollywood" (warm gold) $28 USD, anastasiabeverlyhills.com
- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in: "Lightscapade" (silvery pearl), "Soft & Gentle" (peach), "Global - Glow" (bronze) $25, maccosmetics.ca
- Kevin Aucoin The Celestial Powder in "Candlelight" (champagne) $53, sephora.com
- The Balm Cosmetics "Mary-Lou Manizer" (light gold) available at petite&sweet beauty boutique (shop local!)
- Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit x Anastasia Beverly Hills (multi-colour palette) $52, sephora.com

LIQUIDS/CREAMS/STICKS
- Benefit Watt's Up Cream-to-Powder Highlighter (silverly pink/peach) $40, beautyboutique.ca
- Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops (various colours) $52, sephora.com
- L'Oreal Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator (various colours) $15, Walmart


Shine on my beauties! 

- Lianne
xo

correct. conceal. cover

I often get asked about my favourite concealers, what are colour correctors? and how to properly cover spots, dark circles and redness. Concealing is probably one of makeup's more confusing elements, but I'm going to try and make it a little less confusing!

First things first, assess your skin and determine if you need to conceal dark circles/spots, redness, dullness, breakouts, or just want general concealing/brightening (or a combination of a few). This will determine what products you need. Colour correctors are really becoming popular (and with good reason), so you may have seen various palettes of unconventionally coloured concealers on the shelves. These palettes are great because they usually have all the colour correctors you may need in one product, and don't skip this step! If you don't correct the underlying 'problem' no amount of foundation will give you a truly flawless face. See the colour wheel below for quick reference of what colour will cancel out

1. colour correct

If you have an issue that needs correcting this will be the first product you put on your face.

Green - Corrects redness. Apply to red spots/patches, and around nose area.
Peach - Corrects blue/purple dark circles. Apply to under-eye circles before applying any foundation or concealer.
Purple - Corrects dullness. Apply to skin that appears dull or ashy.

Make sure to apply sparingly, and blend out the edges really well.
From the drugstore I like the NYX Colour Correcting Concealer Palette, $14, nyxcosmetics.ca, and the L'Oreal Total Cover Concealer Palette, $17, Walmart. 
From Sephora I like the Urban Decay Naked Colour Correcting Fluids, $35, sephora.ca 

2. foundation

After you've corrected your problem areas, you can go in with your foundation or BB cream to cover the concealing you just did, and even your skin tone. 

I always recommend Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Fluid Foundation; it's lightweight but buildable, comes in every shade possible, and works on just about every skin type. $52, sephora.ca

3. conceal + brighten

Lastly, apply your usual concealer to brighten and highlight; this will be applied mainly to the undereye area, but also a bit on the chin and centre of forehead. I love to apply my concealer in an upside triangle shape under my eye and blend with my beauty blender. 
***Don't forget to set with powder to avoid creasing!*** 

From the drugstore I like Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, $8, walmart.ca. 
From Sephora I like the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, $37, sephora.ca.



If you have tried colour correcting or have a favourite concealer, let me know in the comments below!

- Lianne
xo

my favourite beauty picks for VALENTINES

Happy Valentine's Day! To celebrate, I'm sharing some of my favourite V-Day themed beauty picks.

L'Oreal Infallible Lip Paint in "Spicy Blush" 
Glossy lips are coming back in this spring ladies (so put down the Sahara-level matte liquid lipsticks for now). This lip paint is thicker than a gloss so will last a lot longer, but has a high shine finish.
shoppers drug mart, $12

The Original Beauty Blender
Love this little egg for applying foundation, concealer, and setting powder, and love it's bright pink colour!
sephora.com, $28

Lash Darling Mink Lashes in "Christie"
Super lightweight and fluffy, these 3D mink lashes will give your stare some major sex appeal. Bonus: they can be worn up to 25 times!
lashdarlinglashes.com, $30

Eye Kandy Glitter in "Double Bubble"
When you're feeling a little sparkly, Eye Kandy glitters are dope, and this pink shade is perfect for Vday (or any other day, since pinks are coming back in!)

Mario Badescu Rosewater Facial Spray
MY. FAVOURITE. FACE. SPRAY. EVER.
ulta beauty, $7

Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo in "Histoire"
The perfect glossy red lip!
thebay.com, $45

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in "Blushing Bride"
These blushes blend so well and last forever (thanks to the Amazonian clay). This colour is a pretty mix of plum and rose.
sephora.com, $35


Lianne
xo

LASH DARLING mink lashes now available!

I am so excited to finally share that my hand-curated collection of luxurious mink lashes has officially arrived! 

There are eight gorgeous styles in the collection to choose from, ranging from natural to super glam, and all are named after iconic supermodels! (Think: Cindy and Naomi)

These lashes are hand-made from 100% cruelty free mink hair, and will last up to 25 wears.

Lash Darling Mink Lash in style "LINDA"

SHOP the collection now at www.lashdarlinglashes.com! Fast shipping within Canada and the US. Follow @lashdarlinglashes on Instagram for all the styles and inspiration on how to wear them!

- Lianne xo

thank YOU + website update

Another year is coming to a close, and what a busy year it has been! I love and appreciate all of my beautiful clients that chose me to glam them for their wedding, a special event, or just to feel extra beautiful. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't get to do something I absolutely love every day, so THANK YOU!

I have updated my website with some of my gorgeous brides, and fun work I was lucky to do this year, so please have a look and if you know anyone that is celebrating something special next year, please do share it with them!

www.liannemascia.com

Lots of love to everyone this holiday season, and hopefully I will have a chance to see you in my chair in 2017. xoxo

- Lianne

Baking 101 (...and I'm not talking about Christmas cookies)

Makeup trends come and go, and the latest craze to be seen all over the INSTA world is baking! And I'm not talking about cookies. Baking isn't a new idea, people (mainly in the theatre, red carpet, and drag world) have been doing it for a long time, but just like contouring and highlighting, it has made it's way mainstream.

So What is Baking?

It's a way of setting your concealer and foundation with loose powder to ensure longevity. Using a brush or sponge you pick up an excessive amount of powder and pack it on to the areas that you want to heavily set. The powder is left on for approximately 5 minutes to "bake" the concealer/foundation, and then is dusted away leaving a budge-proof finish. The most common area to bake is undereye, as concealer is the most common culprit to crease, move, and disappear, but you can also bake other areas of the face to sharpen contour lines, and brighten forehead and chin.

My Favourite Products for Baking:

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder
This is my holy grail of setting powders, it's translucent and so silky it leaves the skin looking amazing, and does a great job of baking. It also doesn't give flashback; THIS IS KEY!
$47, sephora.com

Beauty Blender
The beauty blender's unique shape allows it to fit the under eye area perfectly, making it a great tool to bake with. Make sure your blender is damp before picking up any loose powder!
$28, sephora.com

Sigma Beauty Baking & Strobing Brush Set
This brush set is amazing as it contains all the essential tools to bake (and strobe, baking's BFF). Check out my INSTA page to see these brushes in action (@liannemascia).
$84 usd, sigmabeauty.com



Have you tried baking? What are your favourite tools to bake with? Let me know in the comments! 

- Lianne
xo

my favourite drugstore NUDES

Everyone loves a good nude... lipstick! I know I do. And I've rounded up my favourite drugstore nudes so you can bare it all without breaking the bank.


1.  L'Oreal Colour Rich Collection Exclusive Lipstick "Jennifer's Nude"
This is one of my favourite drugstore nudes, and it's not just because it's named after Jennifer Lopez! The texture is creamy, and the colour has got enough warmth to it to make it very wearable with almost no other makeup on. $9

2. Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick "Nude Attitude" 
This one is a very pale nude shade, but with a matte finish it's very on-trend. Also great for laying with other lipstick shades to lighten them for a custom colour. $8

3. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Last Lipstick "Neverending Nutmeg"
This is a two step lip colour with a matte-drying liquid lipstick on one end, and a moisturizing 'top coat' on the other. I really like the brown tone of this lipstick and find it really does last forever! Sometimes I skip the top coat if I'm feeling a more trendy matte finish. $12

4. Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick "014"
It's a flattering shade with a hint of pink, and a semi-matte finish so isn't too drying! $7

5. Colour Pop Ultra Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick "Midi"
Ok so this one doesn't actually come from a drugstore, but it is so cheap I had to include it in this list! This shade is one of my all-time favourite nude shades, and I've used it so many times in bridal makeup applications it has become one of my go-to's. $6 (usd)


- Lianne
xo