Sailor Stripes Nail Art & Easy Tutorial

Salut mes belles! It's Mani Monday and I'm back with another hand-painted nail art! This bright, nautical mani is the perfect look to open up the beach season and is quite easy to replicate -- just follow my step-by-step pictorial tutorial and these sailor stripes can be yours in no time!

Read on!

Dinair-brushed in Leopard!

Salut mes belles!! For today's Fantasy Friday installment, I'm featuring a few of the awesome new goodies from Dinair Airbrush Makeup, namely some cool stencils that helped me create this fierce cat-eye and leopard-lovin' lippies. This look took no time to complete and barely involved any effort -- it's perfect for those of us who subscribe to the "ain't nobody got time for that" philosophy... :) Dinair's easy-to-use stencils have made fantasy makeup attainable for everyone and saved so much time for MUA who specialize in makeup art! Genius!!

Read more for deets!

Go Gatsby with the Latest Vintage Wares*

With the popularity of the American television show Mad Men and the recent release of the film version of S. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, vintage clothing and accessories are becoming hot items with today’s fashion’s elite. From striking headpieces to 1960’s style A-line dresses, the fashion world is being inundated with old school designs. Jewelry is also getting the vintage treatment with pieces like the sautoir necklace reemerging. You don’t have to dress from head-to-toe like Mad Men’s Peggy to partake in this growing trend. Incorporate a classic locket necklace or dramatic brooch and glam up any simple look. The best thing about this trend is that you don’t have to shell out a lot of money for vintage duds and accessories as many of these items can be found in thrift shops or at flea markets.

My LA Weekend with Dinair!

 

Hello old friends and new! It's been a while since my last personal update, so today's post is very special and way overdue. Last weekend, my blog and I hit a major milestone and were formally inducted into the Dinair Airbrush Makeup Family and today, I'm taking you on a mini-tour of my journey!!

Thanks to all of your support and votes, "Maryam Maquillage" won Dinair's Beauty Blogger of the Year Competition and I was named as the top emerging blogger of the year! Joined by the beautiful Stephanie Lee aka LiquidLinerLover on YouTube, a fellow NY-based blogger / vlogger and winner in the top emerging vlogger category, we were flown to LA for an unforgettable weekend with the fabulous Dina Ousley and the amazing Dinair team!!! This was an experience of a lifetime and I can't express to you how thankful and overjoyed I am! 

Here are a few snippets from my journey :)))

Happy Birthday Glossybox & Hudson + Bleecker Giveaway!!!

Bonjour mes amis!! Today's Fan Friday post is celebrating Glossybox -- my fave beauty subscription sampling service on the planet and its first birthday in the US with a special giveaway dedicated to all of you, my dear makeup lovers! I've been with Glossybox for exactly a year now and am so thankful to this amazing company for introducing me to some of my most loved beauty goodies. It was so hard to pick a favorites list, but for this special post only, I've narrowed it down to the top Glossy products that have made it to my arsenal and have become my staples.

Keep reading to check out my Glossy favorites & ENTER the GIVEAWAY!!!

Leopard Nails & Toes!!

Hi guys! I'm back from my LA trip and I couldn't feel more rejuvenated!! My weekend with Dinair was exceptionally memorable -- I've met the most amazing people, saw some of the coolest things and left feeling so much richer. I can't wait to share all the pictures with you and relive the memories once again :)) 

Today, I've got leopard on my mind. Leopard was quite a theme for me over the weekend, so I couldn't help but use it as my inspiration for this week's nail art. I'm featuring two looks -- one for nails and one for toes -- and I'm incorporating both hand-painted designs as well as stickers to show you how easy it is to wear LEOPARD!!

Read on for the tutorial!

"Feline Fatale" Classic Smokey Eye

Bonjour mes belles! First and foremost, a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of my Giveaway -- Tephie S., Jennifer F. & Jessica M., and thanks so much to everyone who participated. I have more giveaways coming up soon, so keep glued for announcements!

It's finally Friday and I'm getting ready to fly out to Hollywood for my Beauty Blogger of the Year ceremony with Dinair! I'm super psyched & anxious, and literally cannot wait!!! Woo-Hoo!! Before I go, I'd like to leave you with something special: a Classic Smokey Eye made for a fierce, feline, femme fatale -- the perfect ensemble for a Friday night and one of my most requested makeup looks. I'm using a gorgeous, luxe palette from Lancome and I've even prepared a Pictorial-Tutorial to share with you guys!! I hope you all get to try this look -- it's a classic and is one of my go-to's :))

Read more for details & how-to's!

Missha Graceful Muse & Last-Chance Giveaway!

Salut mes belles! My Missha giveaway is coming to a close in less than 2 days, so this is a last chance post (+makeup look :) reminding you to enter to win Missha Spring / Summer Collection & Snail Mask! Today's Wearable-Wednesday look is featuring two items from the giveaway: the Graceful Muse Palette & Mambo Pink lippie. Good luck everyone!

Read more for deets & GIVEAWAY raffle!

Balmain + Zoe Meet Nail Art!

Salut mes amis! It's Mani-Monday and today's nail art is pretty self-explanatory. I saw this gorgeous Balmain ensemble on the ever-so-flawless Zoe Saldana and fell in love immediately! This rose / gold scales appliqué top and crimson petal skirt combo is so me that I knew I had to have it or at the very least, I had to recreate it on my nails. So, before I knew it, I was dotting away the scales and hand-painting the outlines to mimic Zoe's sexy Balmain number. What do you think, did I do it justice?

Read more for deets!

Spring Summer Look & Missha GIVEAWAY!!!

Salut mes belles! Happy Fan Friday!!! To celebrate you and the changing of the seasons, I've teamed up with Missha, one of my favorite Makeup brands ever, to bring you an awesome, product-packed Spring / Summer Makeup GIVEAWAY! I've created a fun, wearable look to transition into warmer weather and in today's giveaway, Missha and I are offering you all the products I'm wearing in this look, plus much more. There will be THREE winners, so I expect all my US fans and followers to enter immediately!!! Good luck mes amis <3

ENTER BELOW!

A GLOSSYBOX for mothers and daughters!

Salut mes amis! Meet my beautiful mom Irina -- she is making a guest appearance on this post and we are here today to report our thoughts and first impressions on two GLOSSYBOXes of the month: the LE Mother's Day box and April's subscription box! We are both wearing / using products from our respective boxes and are excited to share our findings and faves with all of you :))

Read more for details!

My L'Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil Experience & Couture Edition Nail Art

Salut mes belles! Today's post is another chapter from my Hair Story, featuring one of my favorite products and trustiest hair treatments: L'Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil. The system features in-salon and at-home products designed to balance the natural oil levels in the hair, resulting in cleansed roots and lustrous, moisturized ends. The Mythic Oil experience nourishes your hair, while indulging you in the ultimate oil ritual. 

Read about my experience!

Pink SpLASHes & NAKED 2 Smokey

Salut mes amis! It's Wearable Wednesday and for today's ready-to-wear makeup, I'm featuring a sparkly nude smokey look embellished with pink accents for an every day ensemble that's sure to turn heads! As you know, pink is one of my favorite colors and happens to look good on everyone -- it freshens up the complexion, gives the face a youthful glow and adds a playful touch to any makeup or outfit! For this look, I'm using the coveted NAKED 2 Palette from Urban Decay -- I know you love that one -- and a few goodies from Mary Kay, Anastasia and MAC. 

Read more for tips & deets!

"Spring Fling" Romantic Eye Makeup & VIDEO Tutorial!

Salut mes belles! Today's look and tutorial are way overdue, and took a lot of effort to put together, especially on the part of my Mr. Maquillage, who filmed, edited and produced the video tutorial. Give him a hand, y'all -- my LeeLee really went to work on this one! As for my part, I wanted to put out an educational tutorial filled with lots of tips, so this video is very detailed, focusing on the technique of cut-crease makeup, as well as blending eyeshadows, applying falsies, and much more. Your feedback is most welcome and encouraged, so feel free to share your thoughts! :)

Check it out, check it out!!

"Eye-C-Music" Makeup Art

Hey guys! I almost forgot, it's Fantasy Friday -- which means, today's makeup look is artistic and totally unwearable fantastical! I was inspired by my Black & White nail art of the week (which wasn't hand-painted by the way) and decided to hand-paint some sheet music, rather two bars of my of favorite Michael Jackson song. Can you guess which one it is? I might have already given it away :))

See my inspiration!

"Black & White" Mani / Pedi Nail Art

Salut mes amis! It's been a crazy busy weekend, and I'm back with my first post of the week: a quick mani / pedi nail art combo. Although today's design isn't one bit hand-painted, it is one of my personal faves, plus anyone can replicate it, so it's definitely share-worthy! Read more to see how it was created :)

Pix & Deets after the jump!

"Golden Goddess Luminess" Airbrush Makeup

Salut mes amis! It's been a while since my last airbrush post and today, I'm introducing a new brand to my blog: Luminess Air. I've been an avid airbrush user for almost two years now, and I can honestly say that airbrush makeup is unbeatable when it comes to achieving a flawless look. Airbrushing smooths out lines and imperfections, tightens pores and brightens the complexion, resulting in a dewy finish that looks like perfect skin.

Read more for review!

Bright, Textured & Happy -- 3D Nail Art!

Hey guys :) Today's nail art wasn't planned for a post, it was merely a practice design I played around with a few days ago while testing out some new polishes. I'm posting this here today for several reasons, first, to brighten my somber mood, and second, to symbolize hope through art. Occasionally, I like to go out all with my nails and makeup, as channeling my creativity allows me to dream and deal with every day living. Art helps us escape and cope with the sometimes harsh reality of life and provides a necessary safe haven to release our frustrations and fears. With all the unfortunate current events -- the bombings, the shootings and the natural disasters -- we must find peace within ourselves, and ART (music, dance, visual art) is one of the few mechanisms that helps keep us sane and hopeful for a brighter tomorrow.

♥

Too Faced La Creme Lipsticks: Swatches, Reviews & Recs!

Bonjour mes amis! It's the day you've been waiting for -- it's a Sunday Special featuring my big, fat review of Too Faced La Creme Color Drench Lip Cream Lipsticks. A couple of weeks ago, I posted four swatches of the latest La Creme berry shades on my FB & IG and since then, I have been pleasantly bombarded with countless requests to swatch the entire line. Your message was well received, et Voila! Thanks to my friends at Too Faced, I present to you the entire La Creme collection (with meticulous notes and rec's on each shade), in my most thorough lip review of the season!

Read on for pix, deets & recs!

Spring Style: Casually Retro

Salut mes belles! It's Fashion Friday and I'm ready for a sunny weekend with today's subtle retro look. This Spring, I'm in the mood for flirty, laid-back separates and classic, feminine shapes reminiscent of the 50's. I'm diggin' the carefree elegance of rockabilly style and crushing over the full swing of poodle skirts paired with clicking peep-toe heels. I'm embracing the hourglass silhouette, and putting my curves on display -- after all, the winter is over and it's time to come out and play!

Read more for details & style tips :)