Makeup Companies worth EVERY Penny!

As 2012 has begun i wanted to take a moment and reflect on some companies i literally cannot get enough of. I have picked 3 to spotlight this month due to there amazing & professional quality products!! Drum Roll Please.........

1- Concrete Minerals 

This company i discovered a couple months ago, they were moving from an etsy store to there very own website so i of course waited patiently and then like a bat out of hell ordered as much as i could! This company for being as new & raw as it is is SERIOUSLY professional! From there website all the way down to there pictures. The eyeshadows are so pigmented & i use them in ALOT of my professional photoshoots now. The size of the shadows are SOOO much bigger than normal companies who sell mineral eyeshadows & the prices is great! Bravo ladies, BRAVO! 

2- theBALM

Ok i will be doing a HUGE thebalm series review because i have been such a fan since i was 14 years old. But until then here is a company i haven't ever shaken nor forgotten about! I purchased HOT MAMA & a duo eyeshadow/liner brush and my collection has grown since! This Spunky yet very hip Retro company never falls short; The packaging & incredibly clever concepts/names are to die for themselves. All there products are all versatile & true to there high quality pigmentation.  Like the company says 

"Whats Next?? Keep an eye out.. If we told you then everyone would be doing it"

well my eyes are peeled wide open!! I highly recommend everyone checking them out especially since i think they are underrated and they are such an amazing TOP OF THE LINE COMPANY!

 

 

 

 

 

3- MADD STYLE Cosmetics

I randomly came across this company on artfire looking for a new company that offered samples. I placed an order and wasnt sure how it was going to go.. WELL LADIES i am hooked! This company blew my mind with the amazing quality of the pigments & the prices were awesome! I used this companies pigments in a recent photoshoot that was a fairy theme, i knocked my client out of the park! She was stunned on just how beautiful all the colors were and how well they blended together for being foiled. Check them out!!

Have you ladies ever tried these companies?? If so Let me know what you think!!!

XOXOXOXOXO

Ashes 

AVA with Beauty

Vintage Vanities Throughout Time: The Art Behind the style

In Western art, vanity was often symbolized by a peacock; In Biblical terms, by the Whore of Babylon. In secular allegory, vanity was considered one of the minor vices. During the Renaissance, vanity was invariably represented as a naked woman, sometimes seated or reclining on a couch. She attends to her hair with comb and mirror. Ironic how the word vanity became associated more with an actual modern day piece of furniture today, but it was looked upon as a woman grooming herself in front of a mirror in the renaissance era. As a child i was obsessed with the illusion of a beautiful table top full of glass bottles, silver brushes & combs, and gorgeous black & white pictures. I find inspiration in the fine painted vases & light fixtures from the past, it was true craftsmanship and the hand painted pieces truly are one of a kind!

Vanities are not just hand crafted wooden furniture anymore, even throughout the years mirror vanities, plastic or tile were used to create a different illusion to this classic piece. Even in some pictures below fabric was used to change an average table into a lavish makeup haven! Not only is the actual vanity a creation of its own, the chair or bench was just as important to tie in the whole look.

Through films the art of decorating a vanity became more elaborate during the 1920's-1960's as the glamour years were booming. Of course not every vanity was the same nor full of fine china & one of a kind diamonds, but the same concept has stuck! I do feel that due to our new decorating styles that have taken over, have diminished the art of a vanity. Simple, clean lines & clutter free bathroom counters and vanities are taking over. I understand that my style is eclectic and very new age retro and not everyone will agree to my clutter zone vanity, but i cant deny how it makes me feel. As a beauty addict show casing some of my favorite items on a vanity keeps me inspired and motivated!

What is your vanity style? 

Here are some gorgeous Hollywood vanity setups with some of the most 

influential woman of our time!

Remember stay Inspired

XOXOXO

Ashes