Dia de los Muertos: Sugar Skulls, Calaveras, Catrinas

Hola amigos! Recognize this skeletora? It's me, your girl Maryam, disguised as a Mexican Catrina and painted as a sugar skull for Dia de los Muertos aka Day of the Dead! This haunting, yet vibrant Mexican holiday follows Halloween ("All Hallows Eve") and precedes All Saints Day (or "All Hallows Day"), in a tradition to commemorate friends and loved ones who have passed. In Mexican and South American cultures, the Day of the Dead is celebrated in color with decorated skulls (las calaveras catrinas), bright flowers and edible sugar skulls adorning the altars that host the festivities. It is my dream to eat sugar skulls and drink tequila in Mexico for Dia de los Muertos, and one day I'll make it a reality! For now, I'm celebrating in spirit and in full makeup in stormin' NYC... MUA-Ha-Ha!!!

Read more for makeup tips & how-to's!

The Modern Witchy

MUA-Ha-Ha!!! Halloween is right around the corner and this year I'm keeping it simple. "The Witch" is my go-to Halloween look and can be interpreted in many ways: she can be ugly, green & wretched; she can be young, cute and bewitching; and she can also be sexy, sly and seductive. My Modern Witch costume is part mystical, part seductive and is super easy to replicate. So, if you're still unsure about your Halloween attire and/or if you didn't really plan anything, the Modern Witch is a great last minute idea and won't break your bank!

Read more to see how it's done!

BDay Nails & Giveaway (CLOSED)

Salut mes amis!! Yesterday was my birthday and as promised, I'm back with a quick giveaway. Enter to win $20 to spend at Born Pretty Store -- my favorite place for nail art polishes, equipment, and other goodies. Choose from matte, glitter, neon, mood changing and regular nail polishes, as well as rhinestones, loose glitter, studs, dotting tools and much more. If you're not a nail artist, the Born Pretty Store also offers makeup, accessories and even nail rings!

Read more to see my latest bday nail art!

Get Your Rhyme & Reason!

Salut mes amis!! Eye C U!! Today's quick eye look is my prequel to Halloween and is celebrating Lime Crime's pre-launch of Rhyme and Reason uniliners -- the gorgeous gold and silver liquid liners used in this eye creation and many of my recent looks. The liners are available today only, and they're on SALE, so get yours before the time runs out, otherwise you'll have to wait until the holidays!

Read more for deets!

It's a Glossy Event with Koh Gen Do!

Salut mes amis :)) Hope your Sunday was a Fun-Day!! Last Friday, I had the opportunity to wind down and have some fun of my own at a Koh Gen Do launch party hosted by Glossybox at Sephora Times Square. I love to celebrate, socialize, and am a huge fan of both brands, so this event was totally my thang! What could be better than sippin' on champagne, munchin' on cupcakes, trying on & talkin' makeup, plus taking home a glossy box full of goodies? For a beauty blogger, there truly is nothing better. This party was a total blast filled with amazing energy and people, and today, I'm showing you a snippet!

Come party with me!

Daytime Smokey with Missha & UD Naked 2

Salut mes belles :)) Hope your week is going great and you're looking forward to this month's festivities! October is my biggest month and this year I am busier than ever. In beauty news, I'm working on a lot of various projects, one of which is my transition to YouTube. As a bday gift, my LeeLee surprised me with professional studio equipment, and the packages have been arriving all week in time for my birthday on the 23rd. Creating professional grade videos takes a lot of work and I'm so thankful to my Lee for his support of this venture. He really is the FATHER of my blog, my Mr. Maquillage, and this blog simply would not exist without him!! 

Today's Daytime Smokey makeup look was created on film for a practice YouTube tutorial. I had LeeLee take a few photos while I was filming and took a few of my own after the look was complete. I quite like how it turned out, so I'm sharing it here today!

Read more for pix, tips & deets!

Cut-Crease Pastel Rainbows!

Bonjour mes amis!! I'm doing something a little different today and I hope you like it. I'm taking a conceptual cut crease rainbow makeup look and applying it in a way that's more wearable and flattering. This look started out as something totally different (check out my inspiration folder on Pinterest) -- I was initially going for big and bold, but I cut it short because I liked THIS so much. I thought it was perfect for a little daytime drama, so I wore it out to brunch! Voila!

Read more for pix & deets :)

Spanish Rose Nail Art

Hola amigos! Today's vibrant red nails are decorated with graphic roses, retro polka dots, sparkling sequins & lace motifs and are inspired by a photo I took of a local beauty pageant in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This month, I'm celebrating my nail art feature in Cosmo For Latinas and this is my tribute to the beautiful Latin culture and heritage!

Read more to see my inspiration :)

In the White of the Night

Salut mes amis! The month of October just keeps getting better and it's time to reveal another surprise!! My favorite indie makeup brand Lime Crime just came out with two brand new uniliners and sent me a pair to paint and play with!! Today's look is White Nights-inspired featuring Lime Crime's newest addition to the uniliner collection: Rhyme and Reason. I'll let these babies speak for themselves :))

Read more for pix-n-deets

smooth strands, curls & waves with ghd styler

Bonjour mes amis! One of my most FAQ's is about my hair: "What do you use to dye your hair?" -- "Is your hair naturally straight?" and "How do you style your hair?" Although I'm not much of a guru when it comes hair styling, these questions are valid and I'm addressing them all in this post. Two of them are already answered with the picture you see above. No, my hair isn't naturally straight (sadly, it isn't curly either) and I use this ghd black gloss classic styler as my #1 tool to tame my tresses to smooth perfection and also to create luscious curls!!

Wanna know more? Keep reading!

"Caramela Chocolata" Como Sofia

Hola chicas :)) Without looking at the title, can you guess the Latina celebrity whose makeup style I'm imitating? Hint: this look was worn last week to the Emmy's, by a certain celeb who had a pretty funny and public wardrobe malfunction, posted on Twitter! Who could this modern mama be? LOL I'm terrible at keeping it subtle!!

In celebration of Hispanic heritage month (through Oct. 15) and my nail spread in Cosmo Latina, I'm honoring a few of my favorite Latinas and duping their makeup looks, with today's first: Sofia Vergara! 

Read more to see my spread!

October News & Past Faves!

Hola mis amigos! October is here and it's a huge month -- not only does it celebrate my favorite Fall holiday: Halloween, but it is also my birthday month (Oct 23) and this year, I've been gifted with the best present ever. If you follow me on Social Media, you already know the news, but if you don't, here is my official announcement:

Maryam Maquillage exclusive nail art and how-to's are featured in the Fall/Winter edition of Cosmopolitan for Latinas!!! I'd like to thank everyone at Cosmo For Latinas for your support and belief in Maryam Maquillage and I want to especially thank all my followers for giving me the inspiration and motivation to do this!! <3

I'm super excited to share the news and will be celebrating this occasion throughout the month with Latin inspired nail art, celebrity makeup looks and more -- please let me know if you have any requests!! My feature also coincides with Hispanic heritage month, so the timing couldn't be more perfect! 

This month, I will also be commemorating October's breast cancer awareness and including some pink looks and nails. Of course, you can expect to see several Halloween options: the witch requested by my sister, Lady Gaga and/or Nicki Minaj requested by friends, and a special surprise I'll reveal later. If this month isn't jam-packed already, I'm going to attempt to include something for Oktoberfest and will close up the month with Dia de los Muertos (Nov 1). Whew, that is a busy month indeed!!! Stay tuned :))

Off I go! For now, enjoy my past favorites of the aforementioned!!

Isola -- Jamaica In A Jar

Salut mes amis! Hope your weekend went great and you're enjoying its remainder. Sunday is usually my pampering day and this post is a review of one of my new favorite indulgences. As you know, I've been exploring the greener side of beauty & skincare, and today, I'm excited to share my latest discovery: Isola Coffee & Sugar Body Scrubs.

Read more for complete review!

Glossybox US September!

Salut mes amis!! September's Glossybox is here and it may just be the pinkest, prettiest and glossiest box yet! This month's "Fall Forward" theme features five innovative and multi-tasking products that not only perfect, but also enrich and pamper your beauty routine. This month's box offers three full sized items and let's face it -- three out of five ain't bad!!!

Read more for deets!

Sleek, Chic, & Street-Smart: The City-Kitty

Bonjour mes amis! It's official, fall is here and I'm eager to dress up in rich colors, cozy fabrics, luxurious scarves and tough leather! My association with fall is a depiction of me rushing to the subway to get to class, with bitter NY wind slapping my face, and my grande mocha soothing my nerves as I scramble to find my metro card. It's a story most New Yorkers are familiar with and one I am happy to leave behind! This year, I'm celebrating not having to rush to class, and I'm also excited to change up the look of my autumn makeup from school appropriate to party ready!

Today's makeup is dark, shimmery and demure -- perfect for nighttime and fit for a City-Kitty! I'm a huge fan of darker makeup, it always makes me feel like a chic, sleek, powerful heroine in an awesome thriller, and I'm excited to tell you all about it :)) P. S. This look can be achieved in under $30 -- those are some serious savings that any street-smart city chick can appreciate!

Read more for info, deets, tips & how-to!

Showcase: Miniature Nail Artworks

Hello old friends and new!! Today's post is a showcase of my latest nail-art, featuring a hand-painted collection of 10 distinctive designs for each fingernail. I created this nail art with no theme in mind -- I was just practicing my micro-doodling -- the result: a melting pot of swirls, scribbles, tribals, abstract & realism. This creative chaos combines some of my favorite elements in art (which is so very me) and is pretty cohesive overall. What do you think?

Read more!

Can't Live Without My "Maryam"

Salam dear friends :) Today's post is long overdue and is featuring my favorite keepsake: my silver "Maryam" necklace. As you know, I've started to incorporate more and more accessories and style posts, and I couldn't exclude one of my most worn jewelry items and personal faves. I've worn my "Maryam" in many different posts and have always gotten a ton of compliments, as well as questions, so today, I'm giving you all the info and even including a makeup look inspired by the piece.

Read more for details!

Zen Society Skincare

Hello old friends and new! Fashion Week is over and I'm back to my regular blogging schedule -- woo-hoo!! I must admit, the past few weeks have been extremely fast-paced and tiresome on my body. I've attended many events, met a ton of people and have worn A LOT of makeup. Given the circumstances, my skin hasn't had much of a chance to breathe or regenerate itself and with all the stress I've put it through, I was expecting a massive breakout-age the week following all the activity. This time, however, my skin was saved. Lucky for me, a wonderful care package arrived my way just in time and although my skin had faced the worst possible conditions (constant makeup, lack of sleep & stress), these conditions were met by an equally powerful antidote: Zen Society skincare. In today's post, I want to go back to the roots of nature and share a review of the Green skincare line that proved itself in the time I needed it most. 

Read full post for the review:

Beauty by Inglot at Bonkuk Koo -- NY Fashion Week

Salut mes amis! Today's post is my final coverage of NY Fashion Week and I'm excited to present Bonkuk Koo, one my favorite runway collections of the season. The show, presented by Stoli, was all about class and taste -- from the exquisite designs to the impeccable styling to the glamorous makeup -- Bonkuk Koo left me intrigued and yearning for more! The makeup for this show was done by Inglot with the expertise of key makeup artist James Vincent.

Beauty By Inglot at NY Fashion Week -- BlacMéra

 

Bonjour mes amis! Fashion Week may be officially over, but my runway recap is still going strong. Today's post is covering the BlacMéra show I attended on Wednesday, with makeup sponsored by Inglot and realized by the legendary makeup artist, James Vincent.