I hope you have enjoyed the last few weeks with Ariel. This was such a fun series. This week Ariel will answer your questions, but first I wanted you to know a little bit more about her. This was a stretch since she doesn’t like to talk about herself. She is always focused on others. Truly, Ariel is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

Where are you from? “I am from Richmond, Kentucky. I was born and raised there until I was 19. I got married (ya, I was young) and moved to Atlanta. I have been happily married and lived here with my family for six years.”

When did you start doing make-up? “I started doing makeup on myself and my sisters when I was young, but I was TERRIBLE! I didn’t know a thing. Then when I moved to Atlanta, I didn’t have a job. I walked in to a Dillard’s actually looking to buy clothes for interviews and someone stopped me and asked me if I was there for the job fair. I said no, but she continued on like she didn’t hear me and took me to the cosmetic manager. She then proceeded to say that I would be great in cosmetics. Long story short, I worked for Lancôme for almost a year at Dillard’s because, well, I loved it and learned a ton! I then went to Neiman Marcus (a whole new world) where this country girl adapted to the city just fine. I worked there for four years for several lines and then specializing in Bobbi Brown.”

Why Bobbi Brown? “Like I said before, I am not making a plug for Bobbi Brown and I no longer work for them. I just honestly fell in love with a lot of their products and their philosophy about makeup. Check out their website and read up on the brand. They are one of the few lines who have a foundation/ concealer for every skin color. That is just one of the reason I love that line. I have tons of other favorite products that are not Bobbi Brown; I just tend to use mostly their stuff.”

What is your favorite thing about doing this? “If you ask any makeup artist they will tell you they have seen it all. You meet people from all walks of life and I LOVED that. I learned so much about how to talk with people and I learned from them. That was my favorite thing about working, was meeting new people and learning their story. Sometimes I felt like a therapist. That leads me to my favorite thing to do now are my friends makeup and some events. I don’t work much more outside of that because I am focusing on my family. I love being able to make someone feel great about themselves. Make up is not needed, but it can accentuate the beauty that is already there. I love being able to make someone realize how truly beautiful they are.”

What is one random fact about you? “I was somewhat of a tom boy growing up. I played softball from age five through my senior year of high school. I also played soccer for six years. I love to be active and be outside. (well, with no bugs) I run and play golf. (When I have the time) This seemed to shock most of my clients when I told them, but I would tell them that I have always loved to dress up and be girly too.”

“I don’t pretend to know all the answers or to be the best makeup artist. I was just thrown into doing makeup by events that could have only been orchestrated by God. I want to use what I know to help people feel better about themselves and to be confident in their beauty.”
She may not know all the answers, but she knows a lot. Let’s look at your questions from the past three weeks and her answers.

This is in response to Cat’s question about eyeshadow color (especially for hazel eyes.) “Eye shadow can be very tricky to pick out and very hard to recommend without talking one on one with someone. Just like any kind of makeup, you can make a statement with the colors you choose to wear. For specific color recommendations for hazel eyes, I would say to wear gold, brown, green, and violets/plum colors. These are pretty basic go to colors that will complement your eye color.

 Now, for everyone you should have your three go to colors for your day look. A light color that you apply all over the lid, this includes under the brow all the way to your lash line. This helps to take darkness out of your lid and make the other colors you apply stay more true to color. If you use an eye shadow base apply that first and then your light color. You can get eye shadow bases in light colors, like the one I used on Melissa to serve two purposes. Then you should have a neutral color that complements your eye color that you can place all over the lid or in the crease. You can stop here and not put another color on, but if you like to have more on or want a night look you can add in your third darker color. This can be a brown, black, purple, green, etc. (Just a color that is darker than your first two). This color serves as your eyeliner or crease color.

    I am all about getting the most out my cosmetic products and most cosmetic companies get that you need a few colors to complete your eye shadow look. That is why you see several eye shadow kits at the cosmetic counter and at the drugstores. You don’t have to do the same thing every day or use the same amount of colors every time. These are just some easy steps to get your started in your makeup experiments. I will be the first to tell you that there are going to be some awesome looks and some not so awesome, but just practice and see what you end up liking. Just remember it’s makeup and it’s supposed to be fun!”

This is in response to Elizabeth’s question about her lipstick not staying put. “Everyone has the issue with their lipstick fading or smudging…believe me I wish I could recommend the perfect lipstick! The truth about lipstick is the longer lasting ones tend to be dry and don’t look great unless a gloss is applied afterward. Then you have the moist lipstick that we love the feel, but it is off our lips onto our face or teeth in a second. I would recommend choosing a lipstick color that you love and then wearing it a few times and see what it does. If it tends to get dry, apply a lip balm or gloss over it (not before, this will cause smudging). If your lipstick jumps all over on ya, then apply a lip liner all over the lip first. You can put some of your foundation/powder on the lips as a primer. You can also limit the coats of the lipstick on; more is not always better. The lipstick feels so good going on, so try and resist applying too much. I love lipstick, but for day my go to is a gloss. I love the hint of color and hydration that it gives my lips.”

Several have asked for a list of products used. For a PDF version, click here

We have received messages regarding booking information for Ariel. We will respond via email. As Ariel said, she is in a season of life where her little ones need most of her, which requires that she be more strategic about appointments. Please give as many details as possible when inquiring (date, event, time commitment) and I will return your email as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd the winner of the eyelash curler, primer and mascara is… Liz! Congratulations Liz! If you will forward the mailing information via email for your prize, I will send it out right away.

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