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

the makeup brushes you should be using (and where to buy them).

I often get asked various types of makeup related questions, but the ones I hear the most revolve about brushes. What types of brushes should I have in my makeup bag? How do I use them? Where do I buy them? Should I invest in good quality or just buy the inexpensive brands?

In my personal and professional makeup bags I use a wide variety of brushes from different brands (in my pro kit I have over 60 brushes!). Some I've spent a few dollars on, some I've spent upwards of $60 per brush. I would say the majority of my brushes are either from MAC, Sephora or Morphe, but I do have a few QUO and Sigma. Now, MAC and Sephora brushes are high-end and going to cost you $$$. Morphe, Sigma, and QUO are relatively less expensive, but that doesn't mean lesser in quality. I actually really love my Morphe and Sigma brushes, and for a fraction of the cost I think they compare very close to the ones from MAC and Sephora.

My pro brush belt (and this isn't even all of them!)

So what brushes should you be using on the daily? Well it depends how much makeup you wear, but
I've narrowed it down to these 7 essential brushes that should be in your bag, so you're always covered no matter what look you are going for. I've also added a few bonus brushes for those that want to take their brush belt to the next level!

1. LARGE POWDER [ MAC #150 ]
Invest in a good quality powder brush with real hair bristles, used for setting powder or applying powder foundation.
$51, maccosmetics.ca

2. LARGE KABUKI [ Essential Beauty Kabuki ]
For flawless bronzer application, I find a large, fluffy-yet-dense brush like a kabuki works best. I picked up one of mine from the Winners beauty section (you can really score big there sometimes!), and didn't spend a lot. I can't remember exactly how much it was but I know it was under $10.
Winners/Marshalls.

3. ANGLED BLUSH [ Sephora Pro Angled Brush #49 ]
I love my angled blush brush from Sephora! The bristles are so soft, and the angled shape really carves out the cheekbone perfectly (Bonus: it can also be used for cheekbone contour.)
$40, sephora.ca

4. FLAT SHADOW [ Morphe M124 ]
For applying eyeshadow to the lid and brow bone, I like a firm, flat brush the best. This can be an inexpensive purchase - I bought a few from the Sonia Kashuk line when we still had Target here in Canada (*tear*) and they are perfect, but these ones from Morphe are almost identical and so inexpensive!
$3.99 (usd), morphebrushes.com

5. FLUFFY SHADOW [ MAC 217 ]
For blending out crease shadow a good quality fluffy shadow brush is a MUST, and there isn't anything better than the trusty MAC 217.
$30, maccosmetics.ca

6. SMALL ANGLE [ Morphe M413 ]
A small angle brush is essential for defining your eyebrows with powder, or a pomade like Dipbrow, and can also be used to apply eyeliner. Along with an eyebrow brush/spoolie, these two go hand in hand and are "must-haves" for sure.
$3.99 (usd), morphebrushes.com

7. FOUNDATION [ Beauty Blender ]
I literally have about 5 different types of brushes/sponges I will use to apply foundation (it just depends on my mood that day), but my recommendation for a go-to foundation applicator is not actually a brush but a sponge - The Original Beauty Blender - and make sure you splurge on the real thing, there is a difference with the knock-offs!! This sponge can also be used for applying under-eye concealer using the pointy end, AND baking/setting the under eye area (more on baking later...)
$24, sephora.ca



BONUS BRUSHES:

FAN BRUSH [ QUO Professional ]
For applying that glow! I love using a fan brush for highlighter. I find it applies just the right amount of product and it's fun to use. *Make sure you get the QUO Professional fan brush (with the black handle), not the basic QUO fan brush (with the silver handle) - there is a huge difference in quality.
$20, Beauty Boutique at Shoppers Drug Mart.

FLAT TOP BUFFER [ Morphe G6 Flat Buffer ]
A good all-purpose buffing brush that makes blending any type of cream product (contour, blush or bronzer) a breeze, is a flat top brush like this one by Morphe.
$13.99 (usd), morphebrushes.com

TAPERED HIGHLIGHTER [ SIGMA F35 ]

This brush is essential if you are partaking in the contour and highlight game. Applies highlight powder like a dream with its super soft bristles and tapered shape, it really gets in the under-eye area perfectly. You can also use this to apply glow to the tops of your cheekbones (and if you are feeling adventurous, can use it to apply cheek contour).

$25 (usd), sigmabeauty.com

If you have any other brush favourites (or even new brands) let me know in the comments! And don't forget to follow me on Instagram (@liannemascia) for lots more makeup tips, reviews and looks! <3

-Lianne

xo

what's in my pro MUA kit

Every makeup artist's kit is unique. It' s a hand-picked, and carefully curated selection of products that they love, trust, and believe will help them produce the best work they can. A kit can take years to develop, and like vegetables in a garden, they grow bigger and better as time goes on. Things are constantly being added and sometimes replaced with the 'next best thing', and sometimes old
favourites are brought back in because there just isn't anything that can beat them.

Clients always ask what products I use, and they should, as what I'm putting on their face is just as important as the techniques I use. Many times my kit, my trusty sidekick, helps me secure a job when the client knows I only use the best! Here I'm going to give a peek into my kit staples, the brands I love, and the products that have been with me since the beginning. 

PRIMER

Smashbox primers are really great. I carry their Photo Finish Primer in Original, Light, and Pore Refining (depending on my client's skin type and needs). For redness, I also have Make Up For Ever's HD Primer which is green and colour corrects the red, and for very oily skin I LOVE Becca's Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector.

FOUNDATION

I almost exclusively use Make Up For Ever foundations. I carry both the Ultra HD formula, which is great for almost every skin type and leaves a gorgeous 'real skin' finish (undetectable with HD cameras), and I also use MUFE's Mat Velvet for those with really oily skin, or who want a very full coverage matte finish. 

CONCEALER

I love MAC Pro Longwear concealer for under eye concealing, it's very long lasting and gives great coverage. To colour correct before I put down the concealer, I always reach for my Eve Pearl Salmon concealers in various tones (depending on the intensity of the dark circle).

SETTING POWDER

I have flip-flopped between a couple different powders over the years. When I first started working, I used the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, and it was great, but then decided to try the Ben Nye Neutral Set Loose Powder. The Ben Nye one set everything perfectly, but recently I have gone back to Laura Mercier's. I find the powder is just a touch finer and softer, and I like how it isn't stark white (like the Ben Nye one).

CONTOUR/HIGHLIGHT/BRONZER

Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kit (I mainly use the colours Banana and Fawn), and MAC bronzers and highlighters in Lightscapade, Soft & Gentle, and Beautiful Bronze. I also recently added Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel cream bronzer and it is amazing! Works on almost every light-medium skin tone.

EYESHADOW

I have so many it would take me forever to list them all! I will say the majority are from MAC because I love them so much, and I will give a special shout out to Anasatasia Beverly Hills, Urban Decay and Colour Pop for their fab shadows that keep my clients' lids on fleek (wait, do people still say "on fleek"?)

LIPSTICK

Again I have soo many but the majority are from MAC (my custom palette pictured below), and I also really love Colour Pop liquid lipsticks for their longevity and on-trend shades!  

Obviously this isn't everything I keep in my kit, there are just too many products to list individually, [and of course some things are trade secrets ;)] but these are some of my favourites! 

Lianne

xo

if you have oily skin you NEED to try this foundation

There is a little hidden gem sitting on shelves at drugstores across the country. A foundation that provides such long-lasting, oil-controlling coverage, you would think it is sold at Sephora... but it's not. And it's under $20.

The foundation I'm referring to is L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation, and I'm in LOVE. I have combination skin and am constantly battling shine throughout the day, but when I wear this foundation I barely have to blot! It leaves my skin flawless and demi-matte for hours longer than the many other foundations I've tried. I also love the medium-full coverage, and how long it lasts, especially when I'm doing full glam (it might be a little heavy if you are doing a quick daytime makeup, but to each their own). The only negative I can say about this product is the colour selection; it only comes in 9 shades, so might be hard to find a perfect match. My colour is 104 Golden Beige (equivalent to MAC NC30) but this is when I have a bit of a tan, otherwise it's a tad dark (and the lighter shades are too pinky for my complexion).

I find this product to be very similar to Make Up For Ever's Mat Velvet+ foundation in consistency, coverage, and even packaging, but retails at less than half the price! Pro-Matte sells for $17 at Walmart vs. $47 for Mat Velvet+ at Sephora.

If you have tried this product and love it or hate it, let me know in the comments! And don't forget to follow me on Instagram (@liannemascia) for lots more makeup tips, reviews and looks! <3

- Lianne
xo