A Closer look.

Hey Guys,

When people hear my story they always tell me I should share it with others, because I never know who I might help or motive just by telling my story, so here goes...

Many of you know me as a freelance makeup artist, but there is more to me than what meets the eye. I suffer from chronic kidney disease. I was diagnosed with kidney disease over 5 years ago. Now at the age of 25 and in Stage 4 (the last stage before dialysis) this could be debilitating. For many this would be very depressing but being a makeup artist is therapeutic to me. I created NP Beauty (Natalie Patrice Beauty) to inspire all women. I wanted to show people that despite suffering from an illness you can still follow your dreams. I try every day to empower and uplift women by showing them that just because they may be feeling bad, or have whatever life stresses going on, no one should be able to tell when they look at you. 

I always said when I make it I will give back to my community, but then I thought why wait? I will be offering women like myself, with kidney disease, a special discount for makeup services. One of my biggest goals is to hold seminars educating women not just about the disease, but proper makeup techniques as well. I'm currently accepting donations for this cause. I service all women whether they have kidney disease or not. I will continue to work towards being the best professional makeup artist I can through my struggles. So everyone out there if you have a dream go for it, no matter what the situation. Only we can stop ourselves from achieving success.

For more information or to make donations to the cause please check out the following: 

www.gofundme.com/nataliep

Before & After

Short bio

Name: Shika Nicole

Age:30

Occupation: Model/Owner of Chic'cakes and creations llc.

A single mother thats,independent, self employed, successful and goal oriented . Shika is the oldest of 5 siblings and remains to set great and positive examples for them and their success

Links: www.Facebook.com/shikanicole1 (model page)

www.Facebook.com/chiccakesandcreations

Shika is my first Fresh Face model to be featured on the blog. Shika already has beautiful skin so I didn't wanna take away from that. She came in willing to let me do whatever I wanted to her lovely face. Being a model im sure she is used to that :) To start off I used MAC eye pencil in stud to fill in her brows and make them a bit more profound. After that I applied a bit of eyebrow gel to make sure they stay in place throughout the day. On her eyes I used my Urban Decay eyelid primer, cant remember the name but the one in the purple tube, you guys know what im talking bout lol. For shadows I decided to choose from my BH cosmetics and my Morphe Brushes palette. For her foundation I decided to go with Face Atelier which is a silicone based foundation, its hydrating and not to mention oil free. It last all day and gives a flawless finish, no cracking or creasing. Yes! For her lips I used NYX's lipstick color ''Castle'' as the main color and in her pout I used Graftobian's lip color ''Nude''. For blush I used my Morphe Brushes blush palette, and of course I set her face with Ben Nye's Setting Powder in 'Topaz'. Mascara of course is Maybelline's ''Colossal Volum' Express"

*To learn more on how you can be the next Fresh Face featured on the blog, please email me at npbeauty1@gmail.com. You must live in the DMV area to be considered.

Today I decided to keep it short and sweet with information. Many makeup artist including myself miss out on alot of pro discounts from makeup companies. Today I decided to list all the pro dicounts that I knew. I also threw in there some makeup sites that sell cosmetics or supplies for less. When you click on the link it should take you straight to the application form, or a page where you can sign up in order to get the application. Each website is different, some may require a license. While other sites will require just your website, comp card, business card, or a combination of those. I hope that this list helps alot of you, building a professional kit cost alot of money. If you know of any that I have missed, click on the link at the bottom that says "no comments" to leave a comment with the link. Thanks guys and remember "Quality over Quantity"

www.makeupmania.com

www.coastalsscents.com

www.morphebrushes.com

www.eyeslipface.com

www.alconeco.com

www.sadowsheilds.com

www.thehouseoflashes.com

http://www.beccacosmetics.com/us/industry-alliance/how-to-qualify/

http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/cms/pro/bobbi_pro.tmpl

http://camerareadycosmetics.com/pages/pro-discounts.html?fullSite=1

http://www.evepearl.com/professionals_register/

http://www.faceatelier.com/proartists

http://www.frendsbeautysupplyonline.com/fwb.aspx

http://www.illamasqua.com/explore/professional-registration/

http://www.inglotusa.com/promembers.html

http://www.makeupforeverusa.com/mufe/pro-only/backstage-card/

http://www.naimies.com/studio-pro-invitation.php

http://www.nigelbeauty.com/t-pro.aspx

http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/t-professionaldiscount.aspx

http://www.occmakeup.com/pro.php

http://www.smashbox.com/smashbox-pro

http://m.urbandecay.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-UrbanDecay-Site/default/UDPro-Show?id=udpro-ma-registration

https://www.maccosmetics.com/macpro/templates/user/enrollment.tmpl

Official Naked Giveaway Rules!

Ok everyone here is what you have been waiting for. The Naked Basics Palette giveaway! One lucky beauty will walk away with this palette for FREE! There are two ways you can enter this contest. So here are the official rules for THE NAKED GIVEAWAY2013:

First way to enter the contest:

1. MUST FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @MUANATALIEPATRICE

2. MUST "LIKE" CONTEST PHOTO ON MY PROFILE

3. MUST REPOST CONTEST PHOTO WITH #NAKEDGIVEAWAY2013-MUST TAG ME AN LET PEOPLE KNOW IM RUNNING THE CONTEST.

4. MUST BE A PUBLIC PROFILE DURING & AFTER THE CONTEST, NO PRIVATE PROFILES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Second way to enter if you dont have Instagram:

1. YOU MUST "LIKE" MY FACEBOOK FANPAGE AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NATALIEPBEAUTY

2. YOU MUST SHARE THE CONTEST PHOTO FROM MY FANPAGE ON YOUR WALL.

Additional Rules:

1. MUST BE 18+/ USA ONLY TO ENTER

2. UNLIMITIED ENTRIES PER ACCOUNTS, THE MORE YOU REPOST AND SHARE THE MORE YOU IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW THE CONTEST RULES OR YOU UNFOLLOW ME OR UNLIKE MY PAGE DURING THE CONTEST YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

3. IF YOU UNFOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM OR UNLIKE MY FANPAGE AFTER THE CONTEST, YOU WILL BE BANNED FROM ANY FURTHER GIVEAWAY'S.

4. THIS CONTEST WILL END ON 3/24/2013 @NOON EST. I WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. YOU MUST EMAIL ME AT NPBEAUTY1@GMAIL.COM WITHIN 24 HOURS TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE. IF YOU DO NOT CLAIM YOUR PRIZE WITHIN THAT TIME FRAME I WILL GO TO THE RUNNER UP.

The Do's & Hell No's of Makeup

Now you can tell just by the title what im about to get into. There are alot of common mistakes amateurs and professional makeup artist make in this industry. I am guilty myself of a few of these(im not telling which lol). We all want to be the best makeup artist that we can so here are a few tips to help everyone out.

DO: When color matching foundation, match it to your jawline and neck. You always want a smooth transition.

DON'T: Use your cheek or hand to match foundation. I have even seen top professionals teach people in the webinars to match foundation by blending it into the cheek. Sure it will match your cheek, but alot of people like myself, the jawline is a darker shade, see the problem?

DO:  Some people choose to apply foundation before or after doing the eyes(personally I do it after), if you need to apply anything after you have done the foundation and you know your hands will touch the face. Use a 4x4 or Kleenex to shield your hand from the face.

DON'T:  Directly put your hand to the clients face, you could wipe off or smudge foundation and blush. If your anything like me, you might have makeup on your hand and dont realize it and now you have put that makeup on your clients face.

DO: When applying eye shadow or blush, tap the brush why its in the upward position, to get to excess product off the blush before applying it to the client.

DON'T: Blow on your brushes!, so you can put particles and germs from your mouth onto the brush to deposit on the clients face. Its just not sanitary!

DO: Always be honest with your clients about your product knowledge and education in the field  If you dont know the answer to a question, dont be afraid to let people know you dont know. You can also let them know you will get back to them and try to find the information.

DON'T: LIE! Never give someone information that your unsure of, you could potentially harm a client if you give them information your not sure of on a product. They could use it and break out or have an allergic reaction. Your credibility with that client could be ruined, and trust me people will tell everyone about there bad experiences before the good.

DO: You should always clean your products and brushes after each gig. You should wash brushes atleast two times a week if not more depending on how often you have gigs. When washing your brushes its best to let them dry face down(brush guards come in handy with this), it helps them dry faster and get all the water out of the brush.

DON'T: Dry your brushes by placing them face up, water will get trapped and loosen the glue that holds the brush together. Also the hairs will start to shed out of your brush, and not to mention the germs that will settle into that brush eww lol.

There are plenty of Do's and what where you thinking? lol but i will save more of those for another day. We work in a field where alot of our clients are uneducated so they may or may not know if we are practicing proper makeup techniques, so its up to you to make sure your are on point with your work ethics. Do your best and until next time remember "Quality over Quantity".

Be Who You Want To Be.

I have come to realize in life, there will be people who will try to tell you how to run your life because they have "been there" before. I ask that you please bare with me through my ranting today.

I had a conversation with a family member yesterday that left me a little more than irritated. I had to tell myself at one point why are you letting someone upset you, when they aren't a professional makeup artist, they don't run their own business, and they just aren't you. Now believe me people mean well when they give you advice or tell you how you should do things, but at the end of the day you know you better than anyone else. If you guys are anything like me, sometimes you tend to listen to family a little more than you should. I know i kick myself for doing it all the time. You will reach a point when you've had enough and you decide that, maybe you wont share so much with others. If you tell less to people, you will have less problems, and even less people trying to tell you how to do it.

The best advice i can give anyone, is do what you want to do as long as your happy and it doesn't involve causing harm to others. We look to others for praise and acceptance for what we do, when we really should look for that from ourselves. We have to make our own bed to lay in at the end of the day. So do what you feel you need to do to have success in your life and careers. To receive a 4 year degree is not for everyone, running your own business is not for everyone, get my drift? So take the path that you know will bring you success and a peace of mind at the end of the day.

I have to continue to remind myself that no one runs my life but me, not my parents, my boyfriend, friends, ME! I take chances and i make alot of mistakes, but i will never live in the "what if" factor and that makes me completely satisfied. Live life folks, you don't get to do it all over again. Time is not on our side, so till next time remember "Quality over Quantity"

Product Review: Morphe Brushes

I decided this week I would talk about some products. It's very hard to find great brushes for a reasonable price these days. Everyone is on a budget so I decided I would share with you guys one place I shop for brushes. So all you makeup lovers I hope you enjoy.

Morphe Brushes is a great company that offers great quality brushes for a low price you can't beat. They sell Italian Badger to Synthetic brushes plus more. I can honestly say I'm very happy with my purchases with this company. They have brush sets for as low as $20! I paid about $11 for my Italian Badger jumbo kabuki fan brush an I love it! They Italian Badger brushes barely shed any hair, and my fellow makeup artist you know how we hate doing makeup and the hair sheds on the clients face, so not cool.

Morphe Brushes also offers private labeling for their brushes. I haven't tried this out myself but I will be soon enough. They also sell eye shadow and blush palettes, disposables, and even esthetics essentials too. I have their blush palette and I really like it, just a little bit of blush goes a long way. I noticed some brands of blushes you have to literally dig the brush into the blush to get the product, that is not the case with this palette.

I had one order where they sent me the wrong lip applicators, I emailed them and they responded right away. They told me to keep the ones I had an I received the right ones within three days. This is one of my top choices for ordering brushes. I do believe that you have to spend a minimum of $25 to order, but with all the great products they have I'm sure you will have no problems. If you guys have brands that you stand by share them! Until next week remember "Quality over Quanity"

Check Out Morphes Website By Clicking Here.