Author: Klava Zykova

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Evening At The Manor Bridal Photoshoot

19.10.2017 , Bridal, Makeup , 0 Comments

Hello Beautiful!

I love participating in styled bridal photoshoots! That’s when I get to express my own creativity and create a bridal look all of my own. Of course, I still use the inspirational guidelines for the photoshoot, but unlike working with the real bride, I’m not limited by comfort level with makeup and her vision. I also love hanging out with all the talented Ottawa wedding vendors that come together to create something beautiful. Even though we all work in the same industry, we rarely get to spend time together during a busy wedding season.

When I was invited to take part in this bridal photoshoot set in a beautiful Manor in Merrickville – I jumped on the opportunity. First of all the list of vendors was amazing and the goal was to be featured in Once Wed wedding blog! And that’s a huge and ambitious goal which was coincidently a personal dream of mine! Once Wed is one of the top bridal blogs and they are very picky about who they let to grace the pages of their blog.

Lovely Cara, the owner and designer of Stor by Margo Jewelry was the mastermind behind the inspiration for this shoot, which was one of her stunning vintage bridal rings. To execute and bring her vision to life, Cara asked Brittany, the owner of Gloss Events and Decor to style the shoot. Brittany is such a delight to work with and to be around! She has one of those happy bubbly personalities that charms you as soon as you meet her!

She is constantly trying to create something new or inspire another. For this bridal photoshoot she really did make each element feel romantic, soft and rich. All the place setting elements were selected by mixing vintage pieces with sleek modern lines and soft flowing fabrics. Brittany used heirloom silver trays, goblets & cutlery and balanced them out with modern blush dinnerware, etched wine glasses and topped each with La Fabere stunning stationery & raw silk ribbons. The final look was stunning!

She also had a brilliant idea of adding a chandelier to the ruins to elevate the textured stone, modernize it and create a glamorous space for the beautiful couple. I remember how for my wedding all I wanted is a chandelier in a tree! Another element that was done differently is that instead of a cake she put together this delicious looking fruit platter – the colours and textures of which looked stunning in photos!

Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t be on set for this bridal photoshoot! I recently had a baby and at the time of the shoot she was only 2 weeks old!!! I could barely stand for long enough to finish the makeup on the model! So the model came to me to get her makeup done instead. Oh, it killed me to not be there during the process! I was worried about possible touch ups needed or change of a look! When it comes to makeup – perfectionism is not an overkill because every little detail will show up in pictures!!! And as much as I can rely on post production of the photo editing, I would like it to give less work to the photographer and nail the look on my own, without the help of a photoshop. So I did my best and chose a look that is one of my favourites at the moment. Big blown out brown smokey eyes with big lashes, soft contouring and neutral lips.

I think everything came together so beautifully – a romantic wedding with an old world feel to it. There are so many details to ogle over – the silk ribbons, the table setting, the chandelier, the florals, the dress, the unique hair accessories (that were created by an Ottawa local talented hairstylist Kirsty from Topknot Hairstyling). So go ahead, check it out and take it all in and hopefully you will get inspired! There is lots of stunning wedding inspiration in these photos!

P.S. The day this stunning bridal photoshoot was featured on Once Wed I was beyond excited and so grateful for the amazing work of everyone on this team!

xoxo,

Klava Z

Awesome Vendors:
Photographer Charlotte Northrope
Styling and Decor Gloss Events and Decor
Jewelry Stor by Margo Jewelry
Stationary and Ribon La Fabere
Florals Pollen Nation Floral Studio
Hair and Hair Accessories Topknot Hairstyling
Makeup Klava Z
Bridal Gowns Willow & Sasha by Made with Love Bridal available at Revelle Bridal Boutique
Groom suit L’Hexagone Menswear
Featured Couple: Stephanie Larocque & Mathew Bertrand

bridal photoshoot

bridal photshoot

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

21.12.2016 , Eco Makeup, Everyday EffortlessbyKlavaZ Beauty Series, Makeup , 0 Comments

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! It’s ranked #3 on Acne Foundation’s best acne treatment comparison. 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! However, there are many other products on the market too! I plan to use this Four Sigmatic discount code for their vegan box in the near future.

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

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

Brunching – Effortless Bronzed Makeup Look

07.04.2016 , Everyday EffortlessbyKlavaZ Beauty Series, Makeup , 0 Comments

Hello beautiful!

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

This week I will show you how I created an effortless bronzed makeup look that is perfect for casual get together with friends or family, like brunch.

I love going out for brunch! Nothings says better that the weekend is here then leisurely stretching out your meal and socializing with friends or family from breakfast to lunch. I religiously set aside time for brunches and am always in search of the next best place for it! I don’t mind even cheating on my usually clean diet with delicious brunch classics like pancakes or eggs benny – I consider it a treat.

THE LOOK

When I get ready for a brunch with my girlfriends, I want to look fresh, stylishly casual and not too done up. To achieve the happy glow (which doesn’t alway come naturally at the end of the work week) I really focused on the skin to make it look extra radiant and bronzed. Skin is your canvas, so think about it as a foundation of your look. Not only in a way that it should look flawless, but that it can reflect the feel of the makeup you are going for. For example, I wouldn’t think to do a matte finish on the skin for this casual look, but might consider it for a night time going out look.

I used pink tones on the eyes as those colours complement bronzed skin beautifully. I saw lots of pink and other sunset eyeshadow colours on the Spring/Summer 2016 runway shows and it’s promising to be another big trend along with a pop of blue on the eyes. Such a pretty trend and easy to wear! Keep reading on how to create this look and how to nail the perfect glowy bronzer application. If you would like to learn more techniques and become a pro at your own makeup then see me for a makeup lesson.

FACE

As I mentioned above, skin for this effortless bronzed makeup look is supposed to emanate healthy radiance and that’s why I only used a light application of a creamy and hydrating BB cream that has a dewy finish. No setting with powder required unless you have oily skin because it will take away that glowy finish that we are after. Oilier skin types use the powder mostly in the T-zone and definitely skip the cheekbones. Usually the glow will come through the powder in an hour or so and will look just right.

The next step will give you a three in one effect so that you can spend less time on makeup and more time enjoying your eggs benny. 😉 I’m all about finding ways to speed up and simplify my makeup routine.

TECHNIQUE – EFFORTLESS GLOWY BRONZER

It is important to choose the right product for this because if it’s right then instead of applying blush, then your bronzer and then a highlighter you can do it all at once. I used a Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc that has four sections of different colours in shimmery (as the name would suggest 🙂 ) peach bronze colours. With a big buffing brush I swirled over all four colours a few times to have a bit of every colour on the brush evenly. In circular buffing motions I applied this blush/bronzer combination along the cheekbones and on the apples of the cheeks, starting with the edges of the face and bringing colour to the middle and blending really well. Remember to always start with a place where you want the darkest colour because the brush will have the most amount of product on it at first. Then I kept going along the forehead hairline and touched the chin lightly with what was left on the brush. The main colour concentration should be on the cheeks. Voila, the face has a gorgeous peachy sun kissed dewy look to it.

I find that it’s always helpful to get a visual to makeup instructions, so a short video will be coming up on my Instagram @KlavaZ.makeup showing this technique.

EYES

I applied a light eyeshadow as a base all over the lids to brighten the eyes and then blended a soft warm pink eyeshadow along and slightly on top of the eye crease. Women often stay away from pink eyeshadows thinking it might make eyes look tired, but it all depends on the application. In this effortless bronzed makeup look the pink is what makes this look so perfect for spring! Eyes were finished with a generous application of mascara.

LIPS

A swipe of a glossy nude sheer lipstick was all that’s needed. It will come off when you will be devouring your delicious brunch food, so might as well use a colour that won’t change the look much once it’s gone. 😉

PRODUCTS

Here are the key products to achieving this look.

Burberry Fresh Glow BB Cream SPF 20. It’s a make-up and skincare hybrid that moisturizes, protects, perfects and enhances the skin to create the signature Burberry healthy-looking, even toned, dewy glow. It has sheer but buildable coverage and feels very creamy going on and then settles into a more lightweight texture on the skin. It’s pigmented enough to even out redness on the skin which not many BB creams can do due to being too sheer.

Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Peach Mosaic. I love multi-use products like this! It has 4 different colours ranging from light peach to bronze and you can use it on the eyes, cheeks or body. This is a baked formula that glides easily upon application and has a strong pearly finish to it that might be too shimmery for some occasions but perfect for others. I can see it being a staple for me in the summer.

Estee Lauder Foundation Brush #3. This one is a large full powder foundation brush with a rounded top edge. It is quite dense which means it will provide fuller coverage and apply the product more intense. Can be used for powder and liquid. I also like to use it if I need to apply bronzer or foundation to décolletage area since it’s such a big brush.

Burberry Eye Colour Silk in Rose Pink #201. An ultra-blendable, silky smooth powder eye shadow that offers high colour intensity. The super-soft, weightless formula gives strong colour pay-off and a smooth finish. The colour is a very warm toned matte pink that looks beautiful on those with warm skin undertones.

Burberry Eye Colour Silk in Porcelain #100. Same as above in terms of texture and feel. This one is a pale shimmering ivory champagne, which is a great base colour to use for many looks and also work really well as an under-brow highlighter because the amount of shimmer in it is just right.

Burberry Kisses Sheer Nude Beige #201. This is a new formula of lipstick that Burberry launched just over a month ago and I love how it feels on the lips! The lightweight gel texture melts onto the lips, delivering a shiny tint in just one swipe. It locks in moisture and conditions lips with a signature blend of rosehip, tea and lavender. The sheer shine finish packs a lot of pigment which has a translucent quality to it. So even they are sheer in texture, the colour pay off is actually stronger then you would expect. Once the glossy finish wears of, the colour stays on almost like a stain, so it has great longevity to it which is hard to find in moisturizing lipsticks. This colour is a true beige that is not too brown or peach.

GLAMMED UP VERSION OF THE LOOK

To give this casual look a bit more drama I added warm brown eyeshadow in the outer corner and the middle of the crease and also used it to lightly define the bottom lash line. I also packed on a pretty pink glitter on the eyelids, but unfortunately, it’s hard to capture glitter on camera in natural light, so you can’t really see it in photos. 🙁 I kept the lips nude but layered the lipstick a few times for the colour to come through a bit more.

Here it is, my Brunching – Effortless Bronzed Makeup Look that you can see me wearing often, even when I’m not out for brunch. If I don’t have time to put together a properly finished look, just applying mascara, concealer and this type of glowy peachy bronzer is all I need to look my best natural polished self. 😉

I hope you will give this look a try and if you do, I would love to see it! Don’t be shy, post your interpretation of this look on Instagram with a tag #EffortlessbyKlavaZ.

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Klava Z

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Ashley Models International Management
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Styling Toast Special Events
Clothing Vincent

Eco Makeup Look – Into The Blue

26.03.2016 , Eco Makeup, Everyday EffortlessbyKlavaZ Beauty Series, Makeup , 0 Comments

Hello beautiful!

Welcome to Everyday Effortless Beauty Series by Klava Z, which is a weekly 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 of the month when I use only natural and/or organic products for creating it!

I wrote all about why I’m passionate about it and how I became interested in natural cosmetics in my first Eco Look post. This week I started doing a detox cleanse and researching about different toxins in our environment reminded me how important the whole idea of green and clean living is, including makeup!

One of the biggest spring summer 2016 beauty trends I’m seeing everywhere is a pop of blue on the eyes. Now that’s not an easy one to pull off and I suspect not many women will venture into trying it out. We can blame the extreme look of blue eyeshadows up to the brow in the 80’s for deterring many away from using blue on the eyes all together. 🙂 However, I think that certain shades of blue can look stunning and understated instead of loud on the face so I wanted to show how you can make this trend wearable for day and look effortless and fresh. And all using only organic natural makeup products! Yes, it’s not all brown shades in eco makeup (though I do use some brown in this look ;)).

THE LOOK

This casual eco makeup look is great for those weekend errands or hangouts with friends. It focuses on a deep blue eye-liner with a soft pop of blue on the lashes as well. I know, blue mascara! Sounds scary. But actually most of them just give a blue tint to the lashes which makes the whites of the eyes whiter. That’s a nice bonus, isn’t it? There are a few mascaras out there this season that are electric blue which is more of a fashion statement. Make sure to try one before purchasing so that you know the effect you are getting. 🙂 Tip – if your blue mascara is showing up too bright or not giving your lashes enough definition then apply your regular black mascara first and then the blue one. The trick to using the blue and making this makeup natural-looking is to tone down the brightness of blue with a neutral colour, like a brown eye-shadow and keep everything else fairly neutral as well. If you would like to learn more techniques and become a pro at your own makeup then see me for a makeup lesson.

FACE

I applied liquid foundation in a sheer layer all over and then followed with a soft earthy-pink blush focusing on the apples of the cheeks and blending it out.

TECHNIQUE – PENCIL EYE-LINER

For this look I really wanted a super easy and fast application, since it’s a casual one I don’t see a woman spending lots of time on it. I applied a sheer wash of a warm beige colour all over the lid with a jumbo pencil eye-shadow (love them for a quick application, no powdery mess and a beautiful glistening finish). Using a fluffy brush (but fingers will work well too) in a small circles motion I blended out the edges of a cream eye-shadow so that there is no harsh edges left.

Then I lined the top lash with a blue eye-liner pencil extending the line just slightly past the eye. I don’t recommend to draw a line in one swoop – it rarely works as pencil gets caught on the skin and pulls. Rather do short strokes with a tip of the pencil laying slightly on the side. Then I went over the line again to make it a bit thicker and for the colour to pop more. Try not to squint when applying an eye-liner as it will create crinkles that will make application harder and uneven. I have mastered gently closing the one eye that I’m working on and pulling the brow up a bit to smooth out the lid even more.

No worries if the line ends up a bit rough looking – use an angle brush either dipped in the same colour eyeshadow or pick up the product from a pencil and go over the border of the liner. This will even out the line.

If you are noticing that the colour of the pencil is not as intense as it should be then warm it up on the hand with short back and forth strokes and then try again. A few coats of dark blue mascara on both top and bottom finished the eyes.

As always, a short video will be coming up on my Instagram @KlavaZ.makeup showing this technique.

LIPS

I actually used a creamy nude eye-shadow with a bronzed sheen as a lip colour by patting it on the lips. To be honest with you, I thought it was one of those multi-use cream products and didn’t realized it was an eye-shadow until after I used it. But it worked great and stayed on well. 🙂 I like happy accidents like these.

As you can see, the lip and the cheek colour compliments the colour of the eye-shadow and lets the blue eye-liner be the only thing that stands out.

PRODUCTS

The key products to achieving this eco makeup look are the eye-shadow, eye-liner, mascara, blush and the lipstick, which I will provide my short reviews on as usual. However since I’m really focusing on introducing natural makeup products, I will list all the products I used.

100% Pure Dual-Ended Creamstick Eyeliner in Cotton & Silk. I wrote all about this baby in my previous Eco February Look post.

Pure Anada Natural Mascara in Blue. This is a great mascara that can build good volume and length without clumps, stays on very well and washes off easily. I like its’ brush that gives lashes nice separation. Everything you need in your everyday mascara. It is naturally paraben-free, gluten-free, and mercury-free. This applies to their black mascara as well. Yay to a Canadian natural makeup line!

Delizioso Skincare 100% Natural Eyeliner Pencil Deep Blueberry. A beautiful vivid deep blue eye pencil with high pigment. I found that the pencil is a bit hard in texture, so to get the full potential of the gorgeous pigment either warm it up first so it glides effortlessly or use an angle brush to pick up the colour. Stays on well. Of course, I love the fact that this is a Canadian brand as well!

Pure Anada Pressed Mineral Cheek Colour Sweet Pea. Another great product by Anada and my personal go to! Take a look at my rave review about it in my first Eco Look post.

Pacifica Supernatural Eyeshadow Trio in Breathless, Glowing, Sunset. As I mentioned I ended up using this cream product as a lipstick and it worked really well on the lips. It applies like a cream and then sets to powder finish. By the way it set on the lips I can tell that it will be a long-wearing eyeshadow. It has anti-aging ingredients including jojoba and argan oils.

Da lish Illumination Concealer CO2. Voted the best acne concealer.

Delizioso Skincare Dual Action Foundation

GLAMMED UP VERSION OF THE LOOK

Easy peasy! Just apply a chocolate eyeshadow over the cream one. Keep in mind that it will stick to the cream and will show up more intense, so be extra careful blending the edges of the shadow. Use a bit of the same chocolate eye-shadow on the pencil brush to smudge a bit of a liner on the outer part of the lower lash line. Go over the blue eyeliner once more to freshen it up and that’s it! I love how the darker eye-shadow made the blue colour of the liner really pop!

I hope this Eco Makeup Look – Into The Blue gives you a preview of how beautifully eco products can perform and inspire you to try them out!

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.

Come back in soon to check out the next new look (what will it be?!) 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.

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Klava Z

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Victoria Models International Management
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Styling Toast Special Events
Clothing Vincent
Makeup Products Louche Lily

#Girlboss Professional Makeup Look

11.03.2016 , Everyday EffortlessbyKlavaZ Beauty Series, Makeup , 0 Comments

Hello beautiful!

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

March 8th was an International Women’s Day and I wanted to honour it with this week’s look #Girlboss – professional makeup look. I grew up in Russia where this holiday was lavishly celebrated all across the country and women were celebrated. Even though back then we didn’t have the term girl boss, but many were by default, because it wasn’t common for women to stay at home, every one I knew was a working woman.

Today I’m surrounded with kick-ass girl bosses who run their businesses with style and even if it’s not easy – don’t show it. I’m in total awe of women’s abilities to balance all the roles that they take on. I know from a personal experience that it can be challenging and I’m still trying to find the balance between developing my business, spending time with my lovely family, taking time for myself and taking care of my house. I guess I’m a girl boss in training. 😉

THE LOOK

I wanted to create a makeup look that says “power” and what better gets that point across then a red lipstick? A lot of women think that they can’t get away with red, but trust me, there is a perfect shade of red lipstick waiting for you somewhere to be discovered. It is also a matter of getting out of your comfort zone – if you are not used to wearing bright colour lipstick then even your perfect shade of red will look too harsh to you. Give yourself some time to get used to it! Wearing red can make you feel more confident and it’s a proven fact that people pay more attention to what someone is saying when their are wearing a red lipstick. Another great reason for girl bosses to wear it. 🙂

In this makeup look for work every feature of the face is polished for a professional look, however nothing competes with the lips. You don’t want anything taking away the impact of the power colour. Let’s take a look at the details of this makeup.

FACE

You need a flawless base to make the bright colour lips stand out in the best way, so make sure to do your foundation properly, covering any discolourations on the skin. I used a liquid foundation with medium coverage and natural finish, meaning not too glowy or matte. The t-zone was powdered to make sure that it doesn’t look oily midday. The cheeks were defined with a blush in an earthy-peach blush colour that was applied under and slightly across the cheekbones for a contoured effect.

EYES

Often I recommend to not put anything on the eyes other then mascara when wearing a bright pop of colour on the lips for a modern look. However, in this case, I wanted the eyes to be more polished, since it is a professional makeup look for work. So I did a classic look on the eyes. Soft cool pinkish grey colour was blended all over the lid and in the crease with a soft brush to add depth to the eye. Light eye shadow was patted with a flat brush on the lower lid to brighten up and open the eyes. To define the eyes, I applied a thin liquid eyeliner across the top lash line stopping where the lashes stop. Be careful not to go over and down the eye edge as it will make the eyes appear droopy.

Brows are really important to this look! Brows really define the character of the face and they need to be meticulously defined and polished. Fill in the brows with a pencil or powder, making sure that all the gaps that make them look uneven are filled in and then go over with a brow gel to set them in place.

TECHNIQUE – RED LIPSTICK APPLICATION

I will warn you right away that I didn’t use a lipliner on purpose. I find that brighter and darker colour lipsticks without a visible liner look more modern and fresh. If you are used to a lipliner to even out your lips – find one that matches your lipstick perfectly and use it AFTER you applied lipstick. This way it will even out the borders of your lips without looking like a definite line.

1. To make sure that your bright beautiful lipstick will stay on strong all day – use a lip primer. I use the one by MAC and I let it sit on the lips for at least two minutes before I start applying a lipstick, otherwise it doesn’t have a chance to set and won’t hold your lipstick in place as well. Trust me, giving time to a lip primer to set makes all the difference!

2. Use a lip brush so that you can define the borders of your lips instead of using a lipliner. Tip – I like to use a concealer brush for more full lips as lip brushes can be too small so takes longer to fill in the whole lip.

3. Gently blot lips to help press the pigment of the lipstick into the lips more thorough. No smooshing your lips into the kleenex though!

4. Reapply your lipstick for more longevity and put back the shine that you took off while blotting.

If you think that it’s too much work, think about Marilyn Munroe who would put at least 5 layers of lipstick on to get the desired colour and fuller look. But seriously, it only takes an extra minute to do this, but will result in extra 4 hours of perfect lipstick wear.

That’s it – you are ready to go out there and rule the world … or at least your office. 🙂

PRODUCTS

Giorgio Armani Cosmetics Eye Tint in Flannel. This is an interesting liquid-to-powder eyeshadow formula. The coverage is really buildable from sheer wash of colour to a more opaque shades. Once it dries it feels, looks and acts like a powder eye shadow that is extremely long-wearing. The colour is really cool, sort of muted rosy pink with gray-ish undertones and a golden shimmer-sheen. Certain tones come out more depending on the rest of the makeup and the skin tone, of course.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper. I already sang my serenades to this liquid liner that is my absolute fav in the previous post here.

Burberry Effortless Eyebrow Definer in Sepia. The design of this dual-ended pencil and brush is one of the best out there if you want to quickly fill in your brows for a natural looking definition. The triangular slanted tip is brilliant because you can use different angles of it depending on what area of the brow you are working on. The powder texture adds subtle colour and will never look harsh. There is a good reason it has won Best of Beauty Awards 2015. Sepia is a muted brown with ashy undertones which is one of the most versatile colours in the range.

Burberry Light Glow Blush in Tangerine. It’s all in the texture – lightweight finely milled powder that blends flawlessly and becomes invisible on the skin. The colour is darkened peach with a tinge of pink and the pigment shows up just perfect – not too strong, not too subtle, which makes application fool-proof.

MAC Prep+Prime Lip. I usually describe it as a double sided tape for your lipstick. It will help smooth lips creating a perfect canvas for the lipstick and will help it adhere stronger to the lips for a super enhanced longevity and prevent from creeping the lipstick into the lines around the mouth. Remember to wait 2 minutes before applying your lipstick!

Giorgio Armani Cosmetics Rouge Ecstasy Teatro #402. Armani calls this a CC lipstick, meaning that it offers Care and Colour – skincare lipstick that combines high-impact colour with the ultimate comfort of a moisturising balm. It does feel very velvety soft going on the lips and the colour has this luminousity to it that makes the colour pop even more. Teatro is a gorgeous orange based red which, unfortunately didn’t translate accurately in pictures (it looks more like a classic red).

GLAMMED UP VERSION OF THE LOOK

If a special occasion or dinner with clients is happening right after work and you need to quickly step up the look to a night version, it’s very easy. I simply applied a shimmery grey eye-shadow all over the upper lid and blended into the crease. It takes it up a notch but still looks professional. If you want it even more daring and dramatic then swipe the same colour under the eyes as well.

I hope you will give this look a try and if you do – please post your interpretation of this look here or on Instagram with a tag #EffortlessbyKlavaZ. I would be thrilled to see it!

By the way, after this #Girlboss makeup look I will be posting new looks bi-weekly instead of once a week. As much as I love creating these looks and tell you how to achieve them, I found that posting every week was taking too much time from my actual makeup job and my family. In my search for balance in my life, as I talked about in the beginning, I made a choice to scale down a bit. I hope you won’t mind. 😉

Check back in two weeks for a new look in my Beauty Series! And in the meantime, follow me on Instagram @KlavaZ.makeup and Facebook Klava Zykova Makeup Artist and Educator for your everyday makeup inspiration.

Have an effortless beauty day!

Let’s play!

Klava Z

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Ashley O Models International Management
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Styling Toast Special Events
Clothing Vincent

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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

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

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

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Ashley Models International Management
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Styling Toast Special Events
Clothing Vincent

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Victoria Models International Management
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Styling Toast Special Events
Clothing Vincent
Makeup Products Louche Lily

Credits
Photos Throne Photography
Model Ashley O Models International Management
Hair TopKnot Hairstyling by Kirsty MacDonald
Styling Toast Special Events
Clothing Vincent