AMERICAN SUPERMODEL: MAKEUP TIPS AND TRICKS

Luxor Living nd Style, Houston Photography, Texas model, Jennifer Gunderson, Stephanie Dawn Sjoberg, Photography by Luxor, Top Houston bloggers

     This is the part where I am going to show you some of the makeup and cosmetics tips I used on Jennifer for her Next American Supermodel photo shoot!(You can also see more pictures from the shoot there.)


 

   The eyes are the window to the soul so with that in mind, I decided to play up her eyes and strong brow area. We actually laughed so hard during our conversation about eyebrows, because a lot of salons want to end up giving everyone that walks into there doors…a cookie cutter, skinny half moon brow and she’s been smart enough to stay away from that practice. Eyebrows are so important!  They can give your face the appearance of symmetry and a good brow is a rich feature. 

FUNNY SIDEBAR:  I went into my bank about a year ago, and the girl at the counter started talking to me about my hair or lip color…but the conversation turned into an eyebrow conversation, against my will.  Hers were shaved off and then a thin line was tattooed on in place of them.  She adamantly searched for the number to give me to the place that did it for her. EECK!  I was polite, but I would never do that unless my eyebrows suddenly fell out into the street and I had no choice.

  As for Jennifer’s lips did not need any help looking full, so we went with a barely there color and liner, to keep the main area of focus on the eyes.

 

I knew that I would be doing some black and white pictures, which can tend to make you look washed out if you do not enhance the architecture and bone structure of the face and define certain places well enough.

  So lining the lips well, defining the brow and the hollow of the cheek, is important.

 

We also wanted some fun, real person shots that were full body shots therefore the makeup that may appear heavier close up, only looks more simple from further away.

 

My original plan was to use an old school, super glam red for the lip color, however, her eyes turned out so fabulous, and her lips are already perfectly photogenic, so we decided for a more reserved, pale and natural color.

Everyone’s face is different.  People expect to walk up to a cosmetic artist, and ask for a Kardashian look, for example…when there’s absolutely nothing to work with in that direction. In makeup, you have to step back, assess the situation, and work with what you’ve got!

  Here’s the listing of make up I used for Jennifer:


  

   Additionally, a cosmetic look for photos will look different from cosmetics for say…a date. Have you ever noticed that when you look at a picture that was taken on a day that you thought you looked great…the picture was awful? Basically, the same highlighting techniques, just on a lesser scale.

 

-December 27, 2014

-SDS

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SIX SHOTS: OCTOBER, TWO THOUSAND AND FOURTEEN

La Jolla Cove Seals, Luxor Living and Style, Stephanie Sjoberg, KS Tennis, Houston, travel blog, California, San Diego, La Valencia, Cody's La Jolla

La Jolla Cove

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Stephanie Sjoberg, fashion blog, blogger, houston Texas blog, Luxor Living and Style, fun blog, over 40, California

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This Six Shots post is very late, but with a lot of projects going on… everything is late!  I still wanted to share my top shots for October, and of course most are coming from my various posts on La Jolla, California from our vacation.

During our stay at The Valencia Hotel … we had a fabulous and relaxing time with no real strict agenda.  We hung out on the cove at La Jolla a little each day, just breathing in life!

Breakfast at Cody’s was amazing, with the ocean view and omelettes and the sea lions were amazing! The old couple in the shot above was heart warming and my love for birds grew even more as the birds came to the hotel balcony to eat cheetos from my hands!

We had and absolutely beautiful time!

-SDS

 

 

 

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BLUEBERRY DESIRE

Blueberry Desire, food, dessert recipes, Luxor Living and Style, food style, style blog, blueberry desserts, Desserts for Christmas

Blueberry Desire

     This is my all time favorite holiday time dessert that I make every season!  It first came into existence for my family, when once, about 25 years ago, my Aunt Kay brought it over for Christmas to my father’s house.

      I am not sure what the original name was, or where it came from, but I’ve been honing the recipe ever since, so now it’s simply known as Blueberry Desire…as it should be named due to it’s rich, creamy and desirable taste! 


     

     I made enough to take to a friend’s house, keep one for my home, and I even used the topping mixture to make a store bought pumpkin pie, more interesting.

     The ingredients you need are shown below.  ( I love to do this for visual people so if you find yourself at the store seeking ingredients, you can just pull up the blog post on your phone to see that you got everything!)

Imperial Sugar, recipes with Imperial Sugar, Blueberry dessert ideas, Luxor Living and Style

 

You will need:

 2 large boxes raspberry or strawberry Jello Gelatin 

 3 cans Blueberries in Syrup

 2 cans crushed pineapple

 2 Cups Imperial Sugar

 4 Bars of Cream Cheese

 1 small tub of Cool Whip

  4 oz chopped pecans or Walnuts ( I used both)

     Mix the two boxes of Jello Gelatin, only using HALF of the water it calls for! The reason for this, is that you will be using the juices from the berries and pineapple anyway, and we want a thick consistency.  So, two cups of boiling water, mix until gelatin is dissolved.

     Add all blueberry cans and pineapple cans, including juices!  Let chill and harden in refrigerator. ( If I’m in a hurry, I let it sit in the freezer for an hour, then move it to the fridge to continue hardening.)

     After letting the cream cheese bars sit out and soften while the blueberry pan is chilling,  add in large bowl with one small size tub of whipped topping, and two cups of Imperial Sugar!  Beat about 7 minutes with a mixer, or until desired consistency is met.

     Spread across the top of your hardened, chilled blueberry mixture, then sprinkle your nuts across the top! Done!

     Hear me when I tell you, this is a super creamy topping on pure blueberry heaven!  I’ve never had anyone not love it!

 

-SDS

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STYLE TIPS for TEENS


Teenage is a great time of your life, you are young, free and energetic and you’re always ready for something exciting and fun. Teenagers are mostly the most fashion forward people, the best thing about them that like to come up with their own fashion creations. In their quest to standout and always appear chic they sometimes commit fashion mistakes as well. In order to save you all you young fashionistas from such awkward situations or mistakes we have a few basic style tips for you. We have picked up some teen essentials that every girl needs in her teenage wardrobe with some style tips on how to style them. So are you ready girls?

  1. Shout Out With Your Shirt:     Sophie and Trey, teen fun , fashion, style, blog, blogger, Luxor Living and Style, teen tops, fun teesteen fashion, style, Sophie and Trey, shop online, Luxor Living and Style, teen fashion, style, Sophie and Trey, shop online, Luxor Living and Style, teen fashion, style, Sophie and Trey, shop online, Luxor Living and Style,

 

Graphic Shirts are what every teen fashion diva should own. Let your shirt do the talking as you wear a graphic tee to school. Keeping up with the trends, you can get your graphic tee as a cropped tee and stay trendy. While your shirt will be striking a statement setting message at school, you can wear it with your skinny distressed denims, boyfriend jeans or high-waisted denim shorts. To layer up your graphic shirt, you can use a denim vest, leather moto jacket or a bold print kimono. You can always accessorize your shirt with long chain necklaces and bracelets which you wear every day to school. Do it like Ariana Grande and tie up your hair in high ponytail or leave them open.

Quick Tip: Always keep your clips, headbands in your bag in case of a bad hair day.

 

On a relatively hot day when you feel like wearing a tank top, wear your tank that talk (not really though). Like your T-shirts, your tanks should draw some attention too, as everyone stops to read, what is it that is written on your tank. While you are young and you can wear anything you like, don’t let your shirts or tank be plain. Strike a pose in your favorite graphic tank paired with skinny jeans, shorts or skirts. To keep it ultra-chic, tie a plaid shirt around your waist or wear a trendy cap/beanie.

 

  1. Of prints and Patterns:   teen 26

 

 

Stripes, florals, polka dots and plaids are some of basic prints and patterns every girl needs in her wardrobe. You can pair and wear these essential prints anyway you like; either wear your plaid shirt as a top or a layering piece, polka dots and floral prints are the most girly of all prints, stripes have always been a favorite for every women. Don’t mix and match different prints in one look. You can wear one print at a time and keep the rest plain.

 

  1. All in One:

There are always some one-piece garments you’ll need to either layer over your plain shirts or just slip into when you don’t feel like finding a top and bottom. In such cases, denim or printed overalls, jumpsuits or rompers can save your day. When you wear an overall on a plain crop top or shirt it naturally makes you stand out. Jumpsuits and rompers are all in vogue and for teens they are always easy to carry and super-fabulous.

 

  1. Dresses in your closet         teen 19                                                           teen 22 

 

You’re obviously not always going to wear tops and bottoms, so fill your closet with some basic dresses. You’ll need them all, fit and flare, shift, slip and sun dress. Find all of these dresses in either cute prints and colors and if you’re going for plain then look for vibrant colors. Wear any of your dress to school or on a day out with friends, your wedges, sneakers or flat pumps will up your shoe game. Accessorize your dresses with cute art deco necklaces and bracelets. If you have a lot to carry then a back pack is all you need, if not, then a cross body bag can do well.

 

  1. All you need in bottoms:     teen 4                                             

 

 

Apart from you skinny jeans and basic stockings or leggings you need to a little more well-stocked in the bottoms department. A printed or plain pleated skirt is something every teenager needs to pair with any top they want. Similarly, high-waisted shorts, printed pants and printed shorts are something without which your bottom collection would be incomplete. You will always find something in your wardrobe to pair with these fun bottoms.

 

There is still a lot more you can do with these wardrobe staples for teenagers, don’t let your style intuition and your own unique personality fade while you use these tips to dress up. Have fun and look fabulous!

 

Author Bio

Sarah is a content writer for Sophie & Trey, an online clothing store for women. Serving its customers with best quality dresses, shoes, jewelry and other women’s accessories. Like us on Facebook to stay updated with our latest deals and sales.

 

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CREAMY GARLIC CHICKEN SOUP WITH KALE

Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup With Kale

 

     This soup is by far the best thing I’ve ever created in the kitchen!  It’s been a terribly cold winter, and nothing sounded great to eat except for some type of fabulous, hot soup.

    Being a major fan of garlic, I decided it would surely be hard to mess up a creamy, garlic chicken soup with new potatoes.  Too lazy to search for a recipe, I decided to wing it on my own!  What ended up happening, was the birth of the absolute best soup recipe I’ve ever accidentally created!

   Personally, I like hearty soups with at least a wee bit of meat, or I’ll just be hungry again in two hours without protein, so I opted to chock it full of chicken breast pieces.  There’s also the Woolly Mammoth to keep feeding, so I prefer to make a huge and hearty amount of whatever I cook, so that it will last more than one meal, and I won’t find myself in the kitchen quite as often this way.

 Here Is What You’ll Need:

1 Cup Minced Garlic

2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cans Chicken broth

4 Cups Chopped Kale

1/2 Cup Green onions

1 Cup Chopped Celery 

8-12 New Potatoes…sliced

3 pounds Chicken breast

1 tablespoon Salt

2 tablespoons black Pepper

2 Cups Water

 

 All You Do Is:

Dump you Cup of Garlic in a heating pan, then place chicken breasts on top, and cook over medium heat until done, adding light salt and pepper to the chicken.

In a soup pot, you will put in all cans of soup and water, over medium heat, adding in new potato wedges first.

When your chicken in done in the skillet, cut up all chicken breasts before adding into soup pot, and use the remaining chicken garlic juice, to add to the soup mixture.  Simmer, adding salt and pepper to taste… for one hour. Add cut green onions to top and BAMM!  You rock a sexy Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup With Kale!

 

   

                            

                         -SDS

-January 25, 2013

    

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