The Journal - Klava Zykova

PreParty Beauty Sesh with the Girlfriends.

25.03.2017 , Makeup , 0 Comments

Hello beautiful!

Spring is here and grads, proms and formals are coming up quickly! Girls are anticipating the exciting day when they will be dressing up to the nines, doing their prom makeup and hair, and dancing the night away with their friends. From my experience, getting ready with the girlfriends is often of the best parts of it all, and one you will remember for years!

Girlfriends are such cheerleaders to each other, especially when everybody is in a happy preparty mood and getting all glammed up. Everybody is admiring each others dresses, giving advice on hair and makeup, what jewelry to wear and helping out with last minute details (“I forgot my deodorant!”), gossiping excitedly about who they are going to see, while listening to their favourite playlist, maybe sipping on the bubbly or mocktails (whichever is allowed in the house). It’s a girls party all on its own!

Now imagine that on top of that, you don’t have to worry about doing your own makeup and hair! Even if you know what you are doing, because it is a special night, everything takes twice as long. The beautifying process can be a bit daunting; shower, shave, manicure, pedicure, makeup, hair styling, and all of a sudden it’s 5pm. Your date is here and you are not ready!

I can completely relate. I decided to do my own makeup for my wedding and it definitely made the process more stressful then it could have been. I was so excited, nervous and distracted all at the same time, it took me twice as long. If I could go back – I would hire another makeup artist do my makeup.

That’s why I’ve partnered up with the talented hairstylist Kirsty Gaudreault from Topknot Hairstyling to offer all Ottawa prom, grad and formal girls a special deal for hair and makeup!!!

Hair and Makeup Special

Kirsty and I are both mobile artists, which means we will come on location to you whenever you are getting ready. This alleviates the stress of running around from appointment to appointment and dealing with traffic. Instead, you can relax at home, have fun with your girlfriends and get glammed up by professionals for a big night out! We will use all of our tricks to make sure that the makeup and hair stays put all night long and while you bust a move on the dance floor. You will look flawless throughout the whole grad or prom or formal, whatever is the event!

As an inspiration, we did a fun photoshoot of three girlfriends getting ready and us doing their prom makeup and hair. It was captured by the talented Julia from Exclusive Moment Photography and the stunning dresses and accessories were borrowed from Rent Frock Repeat, which is an amazing store to rent beautiful designer dresses for fraction of the price for those special events!

We created three different looks to reflect the girls personalities. One was natural with neutral makeup and soft waves, second was glam with more dramatic eyes and hollywood style waves and third was a fun modern look with bright colour lips and and a soft updo. Check out the behind the scenes of getting ready and the final looks of the girls.

Everyone had so much fun at this photoshoot! Cheers!

I hope you will get to do your own preparty beauty sesh and share getting ready with your girlfriends for a special night!

Getting Ready Tips

Plan ahead to make sure everything goes smoothly as you get ready. A few tips from me, a veteran in going out 😉

Get your manicure and pedicure done a day before. You think you will have all day to get ready, but the time will pass faster then you think. Plus there will be no risk of ruining your freshly manicured nails because you are in the rush.
Wash your hair the night before and dry it well. When the hair is freshly cleaned in the morning of, it’s harder to style it.
Put your best face forward by exfoliating and doing a treatment mask, like a moisturizing mask, either the night before or in the morning. The foundation will go on smoother and your face will look flawless!
Make sure you wear a button up or a zip-up hoodie while you’re getting ready so you don’t have to pull anything over your head and ruin your hair or makeup.
Have a few pictures ready for inspiration for your ideal makeup look and hair style. Keep in mind though, that the same beauty look will look different on different people. 😉
Enjoy the day, don’t stress about small things that don’t go according to the plan and take lots of pictures!

I hope I will see you in my makeup chair sometime soon!

Let’s play!

Klava Z

Credits
Hair Topknot Hairstyling
Photography Exclusive Moment Photography
Styling MJ from Rent Frock Repeat

Holiday Eco Glam Look

Hello beautiful!

Welcome to the Everyday Effortless Beauty Series by Klava Z, which is a beauty series showing you how to do flawless, fresh, fun and natural makeup looks for everyday life.

This is another eco makeup look when I used only natural non-toxic products, this time by Delizioso Skin Care to create it!

Holiday season, as always has crept up upon me suddenly leaving me wondering when I’m going to do all these great holiday projects I had in mind. 🙂 Maybe next year?

Tis the time for anything fun, sparkly, shimmery! Which means you have a legitimate excuse to put some extra bling on your face! This Holiday Eco Glam Look is appropriate for an office daytime party or an evening restaurant outing. Usually even for going-out makeup I prefer to choose only one feature of the face to focus on and either go for dramatic eyer OR lips. However, since it’s holiday time, a little excess is allowed and even encouraged, so my Glammed Up version of this look is strong makeup all over which my lovely model pulled so nicely. You would never guess that she doesn’t usually wear makeup! This version of the makeup is perfect for an extravagant evening out or a New Year celebration!

THE LOOK

I did a twist on the traditional holiday colours of green and red and used olive on the eyes and pink on the lips and cheeks instead. It’s actually a pretty combination even if it doesn’t sound like one. It’s a softer, more feminine version of green and red that I personally wouldn’t recommend in makeup for most people. The olive tone eyeshadow has a gold metallic finish to it and I mixed a bit of light silver to add dimension to the colours and also to add a cool tone to the eyes to tie in a cool tone pink lipstick even more. I don’t mind mixing gold and silver as long as it’s done right. 🙂

Even with colours on the eyes being green and metallic, the makeup still ended up looking elegant with soft smokey eyes and appropriate for an office party. It’s all about the placement and blending that makes it so wearable and that’s what I focus on explaining in the how-to technique part of my post below.

TECHNIQUE – EYES

When you are working with shimmery or dark colours, I recommend to start with your eyes first in case of fall outs or smudges. This way if you make a mess then you can just wipe it off without worrying about redoing your foundation.

Make sure to have a base for your eye-shadows to grab on to, whether it’s an eye-primer or a long wearing concealer, which what I used in this case.

I used a flat synthetic brush, to get an intense colour pay off, to apply the metallic olive eyeshadow all over the mobile lid and also along the lower lash line. Then I blended the colour towards the brow, just slightly above the crease with a soft blending brush to bring a hint of this colour there. This way the colour is the most intense in the middle of the lid and then gradually disappears outwards. Otherwise if this fun colour goes strong all the way above the crease it might look too garish.

To brighten up the colour, I mixed a silvery white eye-shadow in the inner corner and blended it fading towards the middle of the eye.

A sneaky liner was placed with a black pencil in between the lashes to make the roots of the lashes look really dark and full. Read all about this wonderful technique that most know as tightlining here.

Then I used a slightly wet angle brush to pick up a powder eye-liner to create a liner on the top and using the same brush soften the border of the liner for a more smokey look. I took what was left on the brush to add some dark in the outer bottom corner along the lashes as well. Since it was in a powder form, I was also able to use the same product as an eye-shadow to darken the outer top corner of the lid to create more depth and drama. And again I used a blending brush to go over the dark to make sure the colours are seamlessly flowing one into another. Well blended colours is what will make your makeup look polished and neat. Also how you move your brushes against your skin will also make a difference in how eye-shadows will go on. I focus on these techniques during my makeup lessons.

Finally lots of mascara applied in layers, going back and forth between the eyes to give layers a chance to dry a little bit, to define the eyes with a luscious fringe!

FACE

Since this is a going out Holiday Eco Glam Look, the base of the makeup needs to be long lasting and flawless (who knows how long that party is going to go for?). I think that the more dramatic makeup is applied, the more perfect the foundation should be and a bit of extra coverage is ok to achieve that flawless look. But more coverage doesn’t mean cakey!!! I used a medium to full coverage foundation that sets to matte finish and applied a few sheer layers with a flat synthetic foundation brush to get the coverage. After I gently pressed the final layer of foundation into the skin using a slightly damp beauty blender (if you don’t know what it is and you use foundation – look it up right now!). My makeup kit is not complete without this handy little tool that makes the surface of the foundation look so smooth!

I brightened up under the eyes with a slightly lighter then skin tone concealer to create a highlighted effect.

Then I applied the cream blush on the apples of the cheeks and slightly up and out along the cheekbones. To make sure that the cream blush goes on evenly, instead of dipping the brush into the pot, I placed a bit of cream on my hand, spread it thin and then stippled the brush on that to pick up the colour.

After everything was done I used a very sheer application of setting powder on the T-zone to ensure that foundation stays put and shine-free in that zone.

LIPS

Lipstick needs to last through all the party talking and drinking, so I started with a lipliner in a neutral colour. I like how the lipliner gives light-coloured lips more definition. Then I applied a layer of long-wearing lipstick in a medium nude tone mixing a bit of the same cool tone pink cream blush I used earlier, as it is a lips and cheek product.

PRODUCTS

This summer I had a chance to connect with two lovely sisters, Leeona and Ariel, the creators of a kick-ass natural skin care company Delizioso. There are so many amazing things I love about this company! All of their products are 100% natural, raw and 100% paraben and synthetic free with no preservatives in sight. They are cruelty free. They are very particular about not diluting the active ingredients with water or other fillers so that the end products are at their highest potency delivering bio-dynamic powers of nature straight to skin. And all of the products are manufactured in Canada! On top of their extensive skin care, the girls also created a big selection of beautiful makeup. Along with offering neutral colours, the girls didn’t shy away from more daring and creative colours, which is not easy to find in a eco makeup world.

The sisters very generously send me a few of their products to play with and the more I discovered over the course of the past couple of months, the more I fell in love with them! So for this holiday eco glam look I decided to only use their products.

Dual Action Foundation Hydrating Coverage. It’s not easy to find an eco foundation that has this much high-pigmented coverage and stays put so well! It blends nicely and is easily buildable and sets right away to a natural matte finish. Which means you have to work fast with it. This makes it a great option for normal to oily skin types. This is also a good option for acne-prone skin because it has anti-inflammatory and blemish fighting properties! This alone blows my mind because I’m so used to conventional foundations that will only make breakouts worse. The other properties of the Dual Action Foundation are anti-aging, nourishing and sun protective. So this baby has got you covered on all fronts! And it smells divine being infused with Bulgarian rose oil!

Camouflage Mousse. Same in terms of coverage and longevity goes for this concealer. It has been my personal staple for all my angry spots and blemishes for the past couple of months. I already raved about this concealer on my Instagram. It covers well with a tiniest amount and doesn’t budge for hours. I like to use it with a small soft brush or the tip of my beauty blender.

Lust Lip and Cheek Shine. Another personal staple of mine that I sang praises to already! First of all I love it’s mutlitasking ability! The less I have in my makeup bag – the better. I need a very small amount of products because it’s so pigmented! It blends smoothly on to the skin and the colour stays put for the day, which is hard to do on my oily skin. This cream blush has a lovely dewy finish to it. See above in the FACE section on the best technique to apply this blush. The colour is a cool tone pink mauve that looks great on cheeks and lips! Goes on almost like a weightless stain on the lips.

Pressed & Perfect Eyeshadow in Cinnamon Sticks and in Coconut. If you want an eye-shadow that has high pay off, don’t look any further. The colour you see in the pot is the colour you get on the skin with its high pigment quality. The formula is velvety smooth, applies easily and sticks well. It’s made with pure minerals and great even for sensitive eyes. Mica, being the main ingredient, provides a beautiful metallic shimmer that’s not overpowering. Cinnamon Sticks is an olive colour with brown undertones and gold shimmer finish. Coconut is icy white with cool tone shimmer.

100% Natural Eyeliner Pencil/Brow Pencil in Midnight Black. It has a creamy consistency that makes it glide easily on the skin. The colour is a true black and as with everything in this line, it’s very pigmented. It stays on well with minimal smudging.

Intense Black Loose Eyeliner Powder. I was curious to try out this product because I don’t generally work with loose pigments, so I was worried that it would be messy. But it was very easy to work with! I just picked up the product with a slightly (not soaking) wet angle brush from the lid. A little goes a long way because, again, it’s super pigmented, and it doubles as an eye-shadow as well! The beauty of this formula is that once it’s on, it doesn’t smudge and will stay on all day. It’s easy to apply in a very precise line or smudge it for a smokey look. Can be applied wet or dry.

Volumizing Mascara in Black Diamond. I love that this mascara has so many lash nourishing ingredients to help keep lashes healthy. It does a good job at defining the lashes with it’s rich black pigment.

Creme de la Creme Natural Lipstick in Vanilla Creme. Goes on very creamy due to so many lovely nourishing oils and butters in the formula and has a nice rich satin finish. It has good longevity and amazing colour pay off. This has been my go to colour when I go for more dramatic eyes and want nude lips. It’s a medium light nude with warm pink undertones.

Lipliner Pencil Peachy Nude. This pencil is soft feeling upon application but not too creamy, so it doesn’t slide all over the place. The formula is very long wearing which will greatly enhance the longevity of your lipstick as well! Colour pay off, you guess it, is rich! The colour is peachy brown neutral.

GLAMMED UP VERSION OF THE LOOK

I know, it’s funny to have a glammed up version of the glam makeup look, but here it is, because sometimes there are different levels of glam! 😉

I just love how a simple change of lipstick has created such an impact to this Holiday Eco Glam Look! I chose a beautiful deep magenta colour, staying within the original palette of cool pink tones. I also added a strip of false lashes to make the eyes pop a bit more. Can’t go full glam without falsies, right?! My favourite are Demi Wispies by Ardell.

I hope this holiday season you have a chance to relax, enjoy time with your loved ones and of course, go out to a few fun parties looking all kinds of fabulous!

As always, if you are trying out any of the looks on my blog – please share here or on my Instagram @klavaz.makeup. I would absolutely love to see it! Feel free to follow me there too to see more of my work and what I’m up to!

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Klava Z

Credits
Photos Laura Kelly Photography
Model Amal Wahab
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Clothing Vincent
Eco Makeup Products Delizioso Skin Care

Pool Party Makeup Look

16.11.2016 , Uncategorized , 0 Comments

Hello beautiful!

Welcome to Everyday Effortless Beauty Series by Klava Z, which is a beauty series showing you how to do flawless, fresh, fun and natural makeup looks for everyday life.

It’s time for an Eco Makeup Look when I use only natural non-toxic products to create it!

Before we dive into the makeup world, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that I haven’t posted a blog since June!!! This summer has really kicked my ass in a best way possible, but I wasn’t prepared to be so busy. So all my projects were put on hold so that I can focus on my lovely brides and keep sane. My services were in high demand this wedding season, which was so amazing for my growing freelance business! And not so great for everything else :). I’m working on finding a better balance for the next wedding season.

Last weekend I finished my last wedding of the season and now can finally turn my attention back to these Beauty Series and makeup education, something that I really enjoy doing. I have been doing lots of one-on-one makeup lessons, so if this is something you have been thinking about doing, check out my Educating page.

Speaking of summer – it was an incredibly hot one in Ottawa! And even though we have been blessed with a beautifully warm fall, I’m already missing summer – the sun, the heat, the carefree clothing, the beach. I really hope that you got to make the most of the summer! Now I don’t have a pool, but I hoped to persuade one of my lucky friends who do, to throw a pool party. I think that pool parties are an upgrade from a standard BBQ party with so many possibilities for fun activities. I never got around to talking somebody into it, so this Pool Party Makeup Look is reminiscing of shoulda coulda woulda. It is also a great inspiration for an upcoming getaway vacation season.

THE LOOK

The last pool party I attended was in Vegas, so this look was inspired by that experience. Beautiful swimwear and champagne were a must. So was makeup. Of course, I don’t advocate wearing a lot of makeup in the hot weather and by the water. Too many chances of it melting off. In the case where maximum impact is required with minimal product – bright colour lipstick is always a safe bet! Warm tones of red, oranges are perfect for this look to complement the gold glistening of the body. It’s gold, of course, because you have one of those body bling oils all over. 😉 The whole look is shiny and glossy with some golden highlights here and there.

FACE

If you can get away without a foundation in the summer – skip it. For this Pool Party Makeup Look I did use a tiny bit of glowy liquid foundation, Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation, for a more polished finish. I spread it as thin as possible using a dual-fibre flat topped brush, which is really great for a very natural application of the foundation. The cheeks were imparted with a touch of gold shimmer with Ilia Illuminator in Sway that worked as a bronzer and highlighter at the same time. I picked up the product from the cream stick with a smaller version of the dual-fibre flat topped brush (remember to choose the size of the brushes according the area of the face you will be using it on) and swirled it along the cheeks and cheekbones.

EYES

So simple and so perfect for this look. A swipe of a light shimmery gold Eye Shadow in Fiji by 100% Pure all over the lid and especially in the inner corner for extra brightness. Waterproof (of course!) mascara by Pacifica on the eyes.

TECHNIQUE – LIP HIGHTLIGHT

Yes, there is even a highlight for lips! Strobing has been huge, what can I say. For those not sure what strobing is, it’s pretty much the same as highlighting, but a bit more intense. I love lip highlighting to create an effect of a slightly more plump lip, it has this instant sexy effect. And it’s very easy to do. Choose your highlighting product – it can be a pencil (which is the most convenient for the lip area) or a creamstick or even a powder highlighter. I lightly traced 100% Pure Cotton/Silk Dual-Ended Creamstick along and on top of the upper lip border, especially concentrating on the cupid bow area and also applied it in the middle of the lower lip. Tip number one – do it before applying your lipstick, otherwise you run a risk of smudging your beautiful lipstick (unlike shown in my picture haha). Tip number two – slightly smudge the highlighter with your finger, so that it doesn’t look like a line.

LIPS

Lastly I applied a glossy coral-red lipstick Karma Chameleon by Ilia all over the lips, blotted it and applied again for more longevity. Seal everything with a lipgloss for an extra shiny lip! All ready for a pool party!

PRODUCTS

I’m very lucky to have awesome friends! One of those is Lyz Plant, an eco makeup artist, who have lend me her eco makeup kit in the past to play with her products on my photoshoots. Until recently, she was running an online eco beauty boutique, which she decided to close for now in order to pursue other adventures and goals of her life. All the products that I used in this Pool Party Makeup Look were available for purchase at her store. Now that the store is closing, the stock is low, but the discount of 40% is pretty great! So check out her store Louche Lily before it closes for liquidation deals on eco beauty products.

Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation. Light in texture and very breathable, which is essential for a summer foundation. Very easy to blend, provides light coverage. The effect on the skin is of a soft radiance. It has lovely ingredients like dry oils for a lightweight hydration and a Herbal Enlightenment Complex, to help sooth, calm and protect, as well as brighten.

Ilia Illuminator in Sway. A multi-tasking cream stick that can be used anywhere on the skin or eyes. It has a soft bronze colour with fine gold shimmer which results in a sublime sun-kissed glow that illuminates the skin. A few different oils in this cream stick make sure that it glides on easily while giving their goodness to your skin. Can be used with fingers or a brush and layered on top of the blush as well.

100% Pure Satin Eye Shadow in Fiji. A creamy fruit pigmented eye-shadow in a nude-bronze colour with a soft golden sparkle. It goes on velvety and blends effortlessly. Whenever I read the ingredient list of 100% Pure products, I just want to eat them – they are that clean and full of antioxidants from fruit and herb extracts. The only issue that some people can notice with these eye-shadows is some creasing, since it’s a bit creamy and moves easily. Nothing a good eye-primer or re-adjusting with your fingertip can’t fix.

100% Pure Cotton/Silk Dual-Ended Creamstick. I have been in love with this one since I tried it out for my Eco February Look, so check out my review on it here.

Pacifica Beauty Aquarian Gaze Water Resistant Long Lash Mineral Mascara. I have used this mascara in a few of my other Beauty Series looks. This is a standard black mascara that defines lashes for a natural look. The formula promises lots of length, but I didn’t find it added much to mine. The mascara has a silicone wand, which I’m not a bit fan of, but that’s personal preference. It is water-resistant, which makes it stay on well for a long time. Make sure to have a good waterproof makeup remover to take it off. I like the fact that it has lashes conditioning ingredients, like coconut oil because a lot of mascaras, especially water-resistant once, can dry out the lashes.

Ilia Karma Chameleon Lipstick Crayon. This one has been in my personal makeup bag since the beginning of my journey into green beauty. I have fun with its’ fiery coral colour, love the hydrating effect of coconut, sesame and cranberry seed oils on my lips and enjoy the ease of application of a crayon. It glides on smoothly, have a slight glossy finish and stays on reasonably well for a hydrating lipstick. The crayon applicator allows me to define my lips with more precision then regular lipstick, for a more clean finish.

GLAMMED UP VERSION OF THE LOOK

Since the lips are already bright and fun, I thought that adding a smokey eye-liner for extra sultry definition of the eyes will do the trick. I used one of the 100% Pure Dual-Ended Creamstick in darker colour to line top and bottom, focusing on the outer part of the eye. The liner is applied thicker on the outer corner and tapers off towards the middle, leaving the inner part of the eye light. I ran a pencil brush along the edges of the eye-liner to blend it out for a more smokey effect. A difference in how the eyes pop more is pretty noticeable from left to right. An easy update for a pool party that goes into the night. 😉

Sharon, my fabulous model for this look had so much fun shooting this that I can’t help but share a few more from this photoshoot! Oh, I miss summer already!

I hope that you will have an opportunity to rock this eco Pool Party Makeup Look sometime soon. Vegas, anyone?!

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Klava Z

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Sharon Philipose
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Styling Toast Special Events
Clothing Vincent
Eco Makeup Products Louche Lily

Eco Makeup Look – Casual Neutrals

13.06.2016 , Eco Makeup, Everyday EffortlessbyKlavaZ Beauty Series, Makeup , 0 Comments

Hello beautiful!

Welcome to Everyday Effortless Beauty Series by Klava Z, which is a beauty series showing you how to do flawless, fresh, fun and natural makeup looks for everyday life.

It’s time for an Eco casual neutral makeup Look of the month when I use only natural non-toxic products to create it!

Once in awhile I need alone time to contemplate whatever is brewing on my brain or to get away from it! 😉 It’s hard to get a quiet alone time in the house with a toddler, so I head out for a walk. Sometimes I really enjoy taking a stroll outside in a rain. I’m not talking about heavy downpour, of course. However, there is something extra calming and peaceful about walking in the soft drizzle of the rain or right after it. The smells, the cloudy sky and darkened colours really set the mood for a relaxed walk. This is the scenario I had on my mind while creating this casual neutral eco makeup look.

THE LOOK

When I’m heading out for a quiet walk, I’m not going to spend time putting on a lot of makeup, but I do want to look put together. Nothing bright or distracting, just a casual swipe of colour here and there on the face. When I was choosing colours for this casual eco makeup look I thought about how it always gets darker outside and everything gets a cast of cool tones from the grey clouds. The tones of this makeup are neutral taupes on eyes, lips and cheeks, creating a monochromatic look. I like monochromatic looks because there is no need to think which colours look good together, they will work for sure since they are from the same colour family. Also neutral taupe colours are flattering on most skin tones, as long as you adjust the intensity of the colour to the darkness of the skin tone.

FACE

Choose a complexion product that is sheer and is just enough to make the skin look even toned without looking like you have any makeup on at all. BB creams and tinted moisturizers are great for this. No need for perfection – this is a casual look. I used a liquid foundation, warmed it up in my hands and applied a very sheer layer mostly in the centre of the face.

TECHINIQUE – BLUSH CONTOURING

I love accentuating my already prominent Russian cheekbones. 🙂 Here is a great tip for when you want not only to have some colour on the cheeks but also define the bone structure of your cheekbones. You don’t need to use special products if you are just doing a natural contouring effect, not the heavy contoured look.

Pick a blush that has earthy-pink or mauve tones. Apply a bit on the brush. I usually swirl the brush a few times on the blush surface to make sure I have a good and even amount on it. Start the application on the outer part of the face, where the cheekbone connects to the ear. Wherever you touch your brush first, that’s where the colour will be the darkest. Bring the brush along the bottom part of cheekbones and slightly under, moving towards the middle of the face. Blend the colour by going over it with the brush in circular motions, especially focusing on the apple of the cheek area.

EYES

Eyes were easy peasy using an eye-shadow stick that I love so much for its convenience. I smudged a light taupe colour all over the eyelids, blended the edges in the crease and worked in a darker shade on the outer corner and that’s it! I only needed a bit of colour on the eyes. Plus mascara, of course! Can’t leave the house without it unless you are blessed with thick black lashes. 🙂

LIPS

A swipe of a brown-pink lipgloss in a tone close the actual lip colour finishes the look.

PRODUCTS

Sappho Organics Liquid Foundation and Dalish Cosmetics Concealer – both are in my personal makeup bag and I have raved about them on multiple occasions in my blog. Check out the Sweater Weather eco makeup look that have my reviews on these two products.

Mineral Fusion Blush in Airy. A great blush with all kinds of skin nourishing ingredients in it and lot’s of “free” to be happy about. Like parabens, artificial colors, fragrances, talc and gluten free. It feels silky as it’s finely milled, which is a great plus in my books because a lot of mineral makeup out there feels a bit grainy and doesn’t go on as smooth. It is also well pigmented and has a soft shimmer to it that adds a bit of glow to the skin. The shade is muted brownish pink that works as a neutral universal colour.

100% Pure Dual Ended Eyestick in Champagne/Chocolate. I got this one in my April Vegan Cuts Beauty Box and already did a review on this Eyestick in a different colour in my Eco February makeup look. As for the colours – they are a beautiful light and dark duo, but I would’t call them champagne or chocolate. They definitely have cool undertones and I haven’t see a lot (actually none) of greyish champagnes or chocolates out there.

Pacifica Naturals Mineral Mascara Aquarian in Abyss. This is a standard black mascara that defines lashes for a natural look. The formula promises lots of length, but I didn’t find it added much to mine. The mascara has a silicone wand, which I’m not a bit fan of, but that’s personal preference. It is water-resistant, which makes it stay on well for a long time, but also means that you need to put a bit of effort when taking it off. I like the fact that it has lashes conditioning ingredients, like coconut oil because a lot of mascaras, especially water-resistant once, can dry out the lashes.

Bite Beauty Lush Fruit Lipgloss in Currant. I have been curious about this Canadian brand for awhile! It gets rave reviews and I was happy to have an excuse to try it out. The colour is a sheer nude plumy pink that can go with just about anything! Leaves lips feeling nourished with coconut, mango, and strawberry; infused with seven fruit oils. These ingredients also make it smell and taste yummy! It doesn’t feel sticky and looks juicy and wet on the lips.

GLAMMED UP VERSION OF THE LOOK

I added only two things, but you can see in this picture the instant impact that it has on the makeup. I used the Chocolate colour of the Eyestick along the upper (thicker towards the outer corner) and lower lash line and smudged it for a softer finish. Then I used a dark pink lip pencil to pop the lips a bit more and applied the same lipgloss overtop. That’s it, you are ready to face the world in your casual neutral makeup look!

I hope this inspires you to try out natural toxin-free makeup and play with different looks. And if you do, I would love to see it! Don’t be shy, post your interpretation of this look here or on Instagram with a tag #EffortlessbyKlavaZ.

Perhaps you will be interested in creating a perfect casual look tailored for you – then contact me to set up a one-on-one makeup lesson. 🙂

Next week in my Beauty Series I will be showing you how to create a professional makeup look with a fun element. And in the meantime, follow me on Instagram @KlavaZ.makeup and Facebook Klava Zykova Makeup Artist and Educator for everyday makeup inspiration.

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Klava Z

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Faye R Angie’s Models
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Styling Toast Special Events
Clothing Vincent
Location The Handmade Bride

Vegan Cuts Beauty Box Review

11.05.2016 , Eco Makeup, Makeup , 0 Comments

I get really excited when a package of beauty products arrives at my door. I have to confess it happens quite regularly. 🙂 However, I justify it to my husband with the fact that I’m a makeup artist and I need to stay in the know of the new products out there. When the goodies arriving are eco friendly – that makes me even more happy!

In my skincare and hygiene routine I have completely switched to green beauty products and I’m working on replacing my personal makeup bag with all natural cosmetics as well. I’m almost there, just a few products left to find that would perform similar to the conventional ones.

Today I wanted to share with you about Vegan Cuts Beauty Box that I received in April. This is my second box from this company and I really liked the first one as well! I think the whole idea of beauty boxes is genius and this one is a great way to discover cruelty-free brands without committing to full-size products or prices. Each month you’ll receive a delivery of 4-7 new products to try, ranging from unique cosmetics to luxurious skincare. I would like to point out that many products come in travel sizes not tester sizes, which means they actually last for a long time.

Here are the products that were in the box and my experience with them. When I test out a product, I first look at the ingredients list and then at how it performs. I like my products to have a simple list of natural ingredients.

Marrakesh Endz – Argan & Hemp Oil Therapy – Split End Mender & Preventer – Original Scent. When I first looked at the ingredients I was sceptical about some, because they had those long names that usually an indicator of non-natural origin. When I researched them on Skin Deep, I found that all of them had low ratings of possible toxicity. In any case, I’m more tolerant towards non-natural ingredients in my hair products if they are not touching my scalp and therefore not penetrating into my bloodstream.

I’m still not sure about parfum that is on the list, because I don’t know whether they are using only natural essential oils or something else. In general in cosmetics “parfum” is an umbrella word for what can be up to 70 different chemicals if it’s synthetic based. I did find that the fragrance of this product while being pleasant is a bit too strong for my liking. Now, I haven’t been wearing fragrances for the last three years, so I’m more sensitive to scents then I used to be.

Otherwise, I really liked the texture of this hair therapy – it is light weight, more like serum rather then oil and doesn’t weigh my hair down at all. It does tame the frizz and makes my hair smooth feeling and looking. I would have to use for awhile to see if it can actually prevent split ends but I believe that with such powerhouses like argan oil and hemp oil it does have the potential to help with that.

Goddess Garden Organics Facial Natural Sunscreen SPF 30. This one has a bunch of lovely ingredients that not only provide sun protection with Zinc being the active one but also take care and nourish the skin. When I tried it out I had to really work it in into my skin to blend out the white particles. The texture felt a bit tacky and heavy for my combination oily skin. The tacky feeling disappeared in a few minutes, but the heavy feeling did stay. I would recommend this product for somebody with dry skin as it can be too moisturizing for oilier skin types like mine. It did the job of protecting my face wonderfully – no redness after a half a day out in the sun.

Cocokind Organic Facial Repair Serum. I would like to mention that the awesome Cocokind company gives clean water, meals and books to children in need for every purchased product. I admire when companies not only produce eco products but are socially responsible as well.

The serum has exactly the simple ingredient list that I like – coconut oil, avocado oil and rosehip oil. I have a long lasting love relationships with all three oils. Coconut and avocado oil are both deeply moisturizing, contain essential proteins and many antioxidants while rosehip oil provides rejuvenation and repair to the skin.

The serum has a subtle sweet and nutty smell and immediately feels very moisturizing. Again, because of my oily skin it is too heavy to use everyday, so I use it more like a treatment twice a week. My skin feels extremely smooth after using it. This serum has an incredible ability to sort of fill in and plump up the fine lines for an instant supple skin appearance.

Sage and Arrow Blissful Bath Melt. This is pure bath luxury in the most adorable packaging! It smells divine of chocolate and has moisturizing ingredients like shear and cocoa butter plus calming and soothing lavender, chamomile and calendula. You can actually see little herb flowers trapped inside which float in the water once the bar melts and makes my bath water look pretty. My skin definitely felt softer after using it in my bath. I will need more of this in my life!

Eco Lips Balm in Sweet Mint. It has a lot of moisturizing ingredients like sunflower oil, cocoa, coconut oil and vitamin E. This lovely lip balm melted on my lips easily and provided a long-lasting hydration. The only issue for me was the peppermint oil that made my lips tingle as I’m not a fan of this sensation.

Routine Deodorant. Props to a Canadian company to formulate a vegan clay based product that has won 2014 Organic Beauty Talk Awards and has been mentioned on many blogs and media. People must love this product for a reason! It is notoriously hard to find a natural deodorant that actually works. I did have one before that worked really well but application was such a mess (you know the ones with the stick that you have to stir all the time) that I didn’t want to deal with it at all. Routine deodorant has a thin paste texture that spreads easily. I even tried it out on a freshly shaved armpits and it didn’t sting or bother me in any way at all.

This deodorant comes in a few scents and unfortunately I got Sexy Sadie that has patchouli oil in it. I say unfortunately because, though I like the smell of patchouli on its own, when it mixes with my chemistry it can smell a bit off. However, I could tell that if I got it in a different scent it would do the job really well.

There was also supposed to be a Joshik Polish nail polish in a beautiful magenta pink, but I didn’t get it in my box as I believe the company has run out of stock.

All in all, I liked playing with and discovering the products and will be definitely using some of them till the end and repurchasing in full sizes!

I appreciate Vegan Cuts sending me their lovely Beauty Box to try out and share my feedback with you. To a skincare and makeup products addict like myself it’s like mini Christmas when I get a box filled with green beauty products!

If you have any questions about these cosmetics – ask away, I would be happy to answer!

Come back soon to check out the next new look in my Everyday Effortless Beauty Series and tips on how to achieve it! And in the meantime, follow me on Instagram @KlavaZ.makeup and Facebook Klava Zykova Makeup Artist and Educator for everyday makeup inspiration and to see what I’m up to.

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Klava Z

Spring Pastels Makeup Look – Refreshing Pinks

07.05.2016 , Uncategorized , 0 Comments

Welcome to Everyday Effortless by Klava Z, which is a beauty series showing you how to do flawless, fresh, fun and natural makeup looks for everyday life.

This week I will show you how to achieve a fresh, clean and cute pink pastel makeup look that I called Spring Pastels.

Finally spring is here, though it took awhile for it to come to Ottawa. I’m starting to seriously consider my husband’s continuous suggestions that we should move somewhere warm permanently. Though I feel that I wouldn’t appreciate the season’s switch as much if I didn’t have the contrast of cold days of winter.

It’s already May and we are just seeing a bit of green peaking out of the buds on the trees. Every spring these young bright green little leaves make me want to sing out loud anticipating the wonderful warm days of summer! I’m eagerly awaiting the weather to finally settle on warm, so that I can switch to my spring/summer wardrobe. And together with my wardrobe I will be switching my makeup too.

THE LOOK

This past fall and winter I really got into wearing deep pink and burgundy or nude tones on the lips, so I’m looking forward to changing my makeup towards light bright and fun options. Without fail every year there is a spring fashion and beauty trend that features pastels and floral patterns of some sorts. This season’s trends along with timid pops of colour of the first spring flowers here and there have inspired me to create this minimalistic pink pastel makeup look with just a hint of pink on the eyes and, you guessed it, pastel pink lips and cheeks. This is a great option if you want to add a hint of girly to a nude makeup look.

As always I try to create looks within this Beauty Series that are easy and fast to execute and this is definitely one of those. Pat on the eyes, flick of the mascara wand, blend the BB cream, swirl on the blush and slick on the lipstick and you are done! If you have time for a few extra details like sneaky eyeliner and brightened waterline – great! These tricks make the eyes stand out more. If you would like to learn more techniques and become a pro at your own makeup then see me for a private makeup lesson.

FACE

Apply a complexion product of your choice to achieve an even-toned skin with a natural finish. If you have any blemishes or red spots – cover them up with a concealer over top of your foundation and blend together. Since the colours of the makeup are subtle, the skin will be noticed more then if there was a more dramatic makeup look, so you want to make sure that it looks flawless.

After your skin is looking perfect – apply a light pink blush on the apples of the cheeks and along the front part of the cheekbones for a soft colour that looks like it’s just peeking through your skin.

EYES

I like to use cream eye-shadows, especially long-wearing ones, because they can be used as a primer for your powder eye-shadow for more longevity. I also love that they are easy to apply and blend with fingers. I liberally applied a pinky-nude cream eye-shadow Painterly Paintpot by MAC to the whole eyelid area for an even opaque (no skin showing) layer all over.

TECHINQUE – TIGHTLINING

I heard another artist calling it a sneaky liner and I like this name better. 🙂 I have discovered sneaky liner out of necessity. I have very blond lashes and I never liked that look of seeing blonde roots after mascara is applied. Tightlining takes care of that. It gives the eye almost an eye-liner like definition without having to apply an eye-liner! Sneaky, right? Added bonus – the lashes will look thicker as well because they will be darker in the base. Now that I have convinced you that you need to do tightlining, here is how to do it.

There are two ways to get to the base of the lashes: either gently place a finger on the lid and pull it up so that that the waterline of the upper lid is visible or tilt the head back and open the eyes wide until you can see the upper waterline in the mirror. Using a black waterproof eye-liner apply in short strokes to cover the waterline and also in between the lashes until you don’t see any skin between them but only pencil. Don’t be shy, dig it in to cover everything thoroughly but please don’t poke yourself.

It is important to choose a pencil that is REALLY waterproof and sets fast because you don’t want black smudging on the bottom waterline and running into the inner corners as well. Especially since in this look the bottom waterline is actually lined with a nude colour pencil to brighten up the eyes a bit and make them look more open. Now that’s a great trick for covering any redness on the lower waterline. I used a concealer pencil but a white, nude, light pink or light gold colour could also work well.

LIPS

The lips were painted with a Barbie pink lipstick and a layer of creamy pink lip gloss was added to mute the colour of the lipstick and make it more pastel-like.

PRODUCTS

Here is what I used to achieve this look.

Burberry Effortless Kohl Eyeliner in Jet Black. This is a retractable pen with exceptional colour payoff that has a built-in sharpener (so handy). It is described as a long lasting waterproof eye-liner and it is certainly that! This is one of the few pencils I will trust the job of staying on my waterline. Sometimes it does need to be warmed up a bit on the hand first for a smoother glide.

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly. This is a creamy high-pigmented long-wearing eyeshadow that sets to an intense finish. It blends super smoothly and creates buildable coverage. It doesn’t streak or crease even on my oily eyelids for good 8 hours. I actually use this formula everyday in different colours as my eyeshadow primer or as an eyeshadow on its own.

Burberry Curve Lash Mascara in Ebony. I haven’t tried this mascara out myself, only on the models a few times, so I can’t talk much about the formula. It seemed to build decent volume on the lashes. I did like the brush – it is small and designed to coat even the most delicate lashes – making it ideal for shorter, flatter lashes.

MAC Chromographic Pencil NC15/NW20. It’s almost like a concealer in a creamy pencil that glide on easily and smoothly. This flesh-toned shade works really well on the lower waterline to open up and brighten the eye.

Burberry Cheek Glow Blush in Misty. This lightweight powder blush can really enhance the look of skin with its subtle healthy radiance. It is ultra-blendable and buildable which makes it a breeze to apply. Usually I really dislike brush applicators that come in blush compacts as most of those stiff synthetic brushes will not provide a smooth application. This one is made out of natural hair and is great for touch ups. The colour is a pale, light-medium pink with subtle cool undertones and a matte finish.

MAC Velvetease Lip Pencil in Tease Me. A hybrid between a pencil and a lipstick this product glides on smooth for a rich and matte finish. It has an intense impact of a lipstick and the ease of application of a pencil. I like using chubby pencils like this on my lips because I can be more precise with the application. I really like the fun Barbie pink colour of this lip pencil!

Burberry Kisses Gloss in Fondant Pink. It is important to me that a lipgloss feels comfortable on the lips – and this one does, it’s completely non-sticky and I can feel it’s hydrating properties on the lips right away. The finish is super shiny and buildable, so that I can start with just a subtle dewy finish and intensify for an extra wet look. It’s a light creamy pink gloss.

GLAMMED UP VERSION OF THE LOOK

Since the eyes were pretty much nude, that’s where I decided to add more makeup to give this look a bit of a twist. I wanted to stay with the pastel tones to keep the softness of this look, so I added a seafoam-grey eyeshadow to the eyes. A few years ago I went through a stage of wearing different shades of cool toned green colours, like pistachio, seafoam or muted turquoise and creating this look made me want to wear them again. I applied the eyeshadow to the outer corner of the eyelid and blended it along and above the crease. A muted grey pencil was used along the upper lash line, a bit on the outer part of the lower lash line and winged out ever so slightly to enhance the almond eye shape of the model.

And here it is – a spring inspired pink pastel makeup look. I hope you will give it a try! It’s a fun one! Don’t forget to snap and picture of yourself and post your interpretation of this look on Instagram with a tag #EffortlessbyKlavaZ.

Come back soon to check out the next new look and tips on how to achieve it! And in the meantime, follow me on Instagram @KlavaZ.makeup and Facebook Klava Zykova Makeup Artist and Educator for everyday makeup inspiration and to see what I’m up to.

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Klava Z

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Search

Latest From Our Blog

PreParty Beauty Sesh with the Girlfriends.

Hello beautiful!

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Let’s play!

Credits Hair Topknot Hairstyling Photography Exclusive Moment Photography Styling MJ from Rent Frock Repeat

Holiday Eco Glam Look

Hello beautiful!

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Credits Photos Laura Kelly Photography Model Amal Wahab Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald Clothing Vincent Eco Makeup Products Delizioso Skin Care

Pool Party Makeup Look

Hello beautiful!

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Credits Photos Throne Photography Model Sharon Philipose Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald Styling Toast Special Events Clothing Vincent Eco Makeup Products Louche Lily

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Hello beautiful!

It’s time for an Eco casual neutral makeup Look of the month when I use only natural non-toxic products to create it!

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Credits Photos Throne Photography Model Faye R Angie’s Models Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald Styling Toast Special Events Clothing Vincent Location The Handmade Bride

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Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Spring Pastels Makeup Look – Refreshing Pinks

This week I will show you how to achieve a fresh, clean and cute pink pastel makeup look that I called Spring Pastels.

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Credits Photos Throne Photography Model Stephanie Laliberte Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald Styling Toast Special Events Clothing Vincent

Klava Zykova

Let's Play!

Pages

Credits
Hair Topknot Hairstyling
Photography Exclusive Moment Photography
Styling MJ from Rent Frock Repeat

Credits
Photos Laura Kelly Photography
Model Amal Wahab
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Clothing Vincent
Eco Makeup Products Delizioso Skin Care

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Sharon Philipose
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Styling Toast Special Events
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Eco Makeup Products Louche Lily

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Faye R Angie’s Models
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
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Clothing Vincent
Location The Handmade Bride

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Photos Throne Photography
Model Stephanie Laliberte
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