Makeup by Megan Alexis

Everyone can benefit from a little help in the under eye category!  The undereye area is consisted of some of the thinnest skin anywhere on your body. It is extremely delicate, so it’s important to take care when removing eye make up and applying product.

The eye area has tons of veins leading blood into and away from the eye area. All this activity is important to keep your eyes healthy. Unfortunately for some (me included), this can lead to dark circles.

Do all you can to prevent dark circles from happening in the first place. Take care of your body by eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. Sleep is an important factor as well, but as a parent of a 2 year old and 4 month old I understand sleep is a commodity that isn’t always available.

Make sure you drink plenty of water. With all the circulation in the eye area, blood can pool around the eyes especially when you are dehydrated. If your lips need chapstick, you are not drinking enough. Staying hydrated can help flush excess blood and fluid out of the eye area, keeping puffiness at bay.

Make sure you are using a good eye cream packed with antioxidants to help keep your skin supple and moisturized.  I have been using the Arbonne RE9 eye cream for about a year now and I have to admit it’s wonderful.  Another eye care product I couldn’t live without is the Origins No Puffery.  Didn’t get much sleep? Slather this masque on your eye area for instant de-poofing.  It will help make it look like you got the sleep you needed (when in fact you didn’t). I like to keep mine in the fridge for extra cooling benefits.

What are your favorite products for under eye care? What are your best kept secrets for looking more awake?

Stay tuned for my next tutorial: covering dark circles.

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful girl, A, and working with MLP again!  A was so much fun to work with and a gracious hostess.  We came to her, I did makeup while Mandy set up.  I really wanted to focus on her gorgeous blue eyes.  I did a deep brown smokey eye, finished it off with black liner and lashes.  Of course I took some time to contour out her cheekbones for a little extra oomph and finished off the look with a pretty plum lip.

I can’t believe I haven’t written this post yet! a couple of months ago, Mandy Leonards photography, Becky Wolford and I got together for a fun evening shoot in the Carmel Arts district.  for the first look, I did a fun and colorful pseudo-fantasy type look.  For the second look, I did a very dramatic liner (drawn all the way past the crease!) and topped it with a little lip gloss for shine.  This was all just for fun, but I had a blast creating looks I’ve never had the chance to try before!

One of my good friends is an aspiring model.  She was the model for our fun photo shoot a couple of months ago and asked me to do her makeup for her headshots.  How could I say no?  She is now represented by Heyman’s Talent agency.  Go check out her headshots here!

On the Fourth of July I had the pleasure of doing makeup for Kari, 2 of her bridesmaids and the mother of the bride.  It was such a wonderful experience and I hope everyone loved their makeup!

On the bride I kept things very simple with soft brown shadow in the crease, brown liner and a couple coats of waterproof mascara. I made sure to contour out her cheek bones and add a little touch of color on her cheeks.  The two bridesmaids were very fun to work with, and I tried a new dramatic eyeliner technique I learned on Ping.  The mother of the bride looked beautiful, too!

All pictures by MLP

Last night I again  had the pleasure of working with Mandy Leonards Photography on a senior photo shoot down on the south side of Indianapolis.  It always ends up being a longer drive than either of us expects to get all the way to Greenwood from the north side, but I have to say it was worth the trip!  Lauren is a beautiful girl and allowed me to use her picture on my website.  I ended up doing a look on her that is quickly becoming one of my favorites for photo shoots and evenings out.  A soft black smokey eye with a pop of color on the cheeks and a nude lip. Photo courtesy of MLP

Yesterday was a very exciting day.  I got out of bed at 6:15 on a Saturday because I was so excited!  I packed my kit and prepared for a whirlwind of makeup and beautifying!  My wonderful husband and daughter dropped me off at Mandy’s house so we could carpool downtown.   I took many deep breaths on that ride in order to keep the nerves at bay.  I knew I would be focusing mostly on the eyes for this type of shoot, but I was hopeful some of the girls would let me play a little more–and I was not disappointed!

Upon arrival downtown, we loaded up our supplies and took the short trek from the car to the Conrad.  Looking back, I must have looked ridiculous with a traincase on wheels, topped with my big black purse and a Victoria Secret bag–oh and a barstool.  People must have been scratching their heads!  But thank goodness I brought it, because I don’t know where people would have sat!  The toilet? um, no. anyway, here are a few shots from yesterday for your enjoyment! Courtesy of Mandy Leonards Photography