Forever Young Makeup in a World of Aging Makeup

Take a stroll through the skincare aisles of any Sephora or Department store, you will be overwhelmed with skin care products that cater to preventing any signs of aging. We as a society, seemed to be obsessed with anti-aging and age reversal products, not just resorting to preventative topical measures to avoid it but even succumbing to needles and knives all in the pursuit of looking forever young. That's why its so mind boggling to me to see see teenagers packing on layer upon layers of makeup and over contouring in a non-blended manner as well as inappropriately distorting their face shape and bone structure because they copy what a guru shows them.

When I was a teenager, I looked older than I was. I noticed that my friends would apply what I believed to be a lot of makeup but in comparison to the Instagram/Youtube phenomenon that currently exists among pre-teens and teens, it was very light.

I was part of a shoot recently with a model who was in her twenties. I opted to keep her makeup light, fresh and natural with a soft wash of color on the lids and lips. Don't get me wrong, I love a heavy glam look, it gives me life....but I feel that there is something so ultimately chic about clean, soft makeup. It helps you look healthy and fresh and when you actually do glam it up on special occasions it is more of a noticeable, drastic change. Also, why not look forever young by using makeup to enhance your best features and save the super glam stuff for special occasions?

Model: Sydney Westgate @ Major
Photographer: Melina Tavares
Hair: Andrita Renee
Makeup: Maria Ortega
Manicure: Maria Ortega 

Innocent & Green Scene in the Concrete Jungle

Living in NYC, it's not often that we get to be surrounded by trees, plants and just an overall green scenery. It was refreshing to shoot in an area that made me question if I was still in NYC.  The mosquitos situation was mad real though. My legs have the scars to prove it lol.

The makeup look for this shoot was aiming for a fresh dewy look with good skin. It was a pretty hot day so instead of skipping out on powder, I did used cream highlighter and set her face with powder. We had initially prepped at a home studio and then drove to the location in one of the surrounding boroughs. So the drive there and walk from parking allowed for her skin to become dewy and refrain from becoming oily or allowing the makeup to move.

Model: Carlyle @ The Society
Photographer: Jordan James
Hair: Andrita
Makeup: Maria Ortega

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