We are all guilty of it.
Sighing over, obsessing over and admiring the latest pictures of our favourite celebrities flawless, beautiful make-up they are wearing at the many glamorous events they attend. I do it all the time - but one thing I keep in the back of my mind is that behind every beautiful make-up job, is a fantastic, talented make-up artist.
I have two MUA's (make-up artists) that I admire deeply, two people that I truly believe started doing makeup to show that everyone and anyone can enhance their outside reflections to help their inner beauty shine through with confidence.
My idol - Kandee Johnson - the prettiest, sweetest person who I would love to meet one day.
I started watching her YouTube tutorials about 18 months ago and was so impressed with the tips and tricks she shared to the world. From my understanding, she is an MUA for a number of the stars and has worked on film sets etc and has quite a reputation in Hollywood for her abilities. Not only is she wonderful with her tutorials, she appears to be a very passionate and caring person and very open and honest. You can't help but like her. I hope one day she brings out a book of all the amazing looks she has created with her skills as an MUA - until then, it is all available on her blog and her YouTube channel. If you are a fan of makeup and the crazy and wonderful things one can do, you must check her out. Here are a few of my favourite creations - they are amazing! What talent!
 |
| How amazing is this! MJ! |
 |
| Betty Boop |
 |
| Princess Jasmine |
 |
| Snow White |
Kevyn Aucoin
Kevyn was a very in demand MUA throughout the 80's, 90's and early 00's, until he passed away in 2002. From just reading his books, you can see that he was a man who saw beauty in many different forms and encouraged all men and women to embrace their individuality. He wrote a few books, with tutorials and showcases of his work. He did some amazing transformations.
 |
| Kevyn Aucoin |
 |
| I really recommend these books |
What I love about his books is that he encourages women NOT to follow trends - just to wear what you love and what suits you. He also says that you don't need to rush out and get every apparent 'must have' product, just a few of the basics and you can work wonders. This is one of my favourite passages from his book 'Face Forward'..
"
The next time you come 'face to face' with yourself in the mirror, try to step back mentally and see the person, and her needs, reflected as a whole- not as separate parts...If you concentrate to hard, or are consumed with microscopic details, instead of the essence of the look, you end up losing the big picture - you."
I got the impression he just wanted women to see themselves as unique, and that being unique is beautiful. Not only that, he can show you that makeup can be art. Here are some of his transformations - absolute works of art..amazing!
 |
| Calista Flockhart as Audrey Hepburn and Gwenyth Paltrow as James Dean - WOW |
 |
| Lisa Maree Presley as Marilyn Monroe |
"
I'm not saying that putting on makeup will change the world or even your life, but it can be a first step in learning things about yourself you may never have discovered otherwise." - Kevyn Aucoin.
See, wearing makeup isn't about being vain - it's about having fun and feeling confident. I can honestly say that Kandee Johnson helped me to see that just a bit of makeup in the right places can really help your personality shine through from that extra bit of confidence you gain from feeling pretty and nice.
Annie xoxox
Photos sourced from Google
