The Idea

I’m the type of person where if I have a creative idea pop into my head, it is really hard to ignore it.  I love the surge of energy it gives me.  I was at a friend’s house playing board games and the topic of Halloween came up.  A friend asked me if I was going to do one of my annual Halloween Makeups (they don’t call me the Queen of Halloween for nothing).  I said I hadn’t actually thought about it yet (true story).  She said her favorite makeup that I have done was my crystal skull that I created back in 2013.

That statement sparked the idea!  I thought…wouldn’t it be cool to recreate the look with a different twist.   I thought it would be fun to do the makeup with tons of crystals!  And that’s what I did.  But before we get there let me tell you about the prep that went into the look….

First I needed crystals and I knew I wanted to use Aurora Borealis coloured crystals.  They look like the colours you’d find in an oil slick.  I was only able to find smaller sized crystals but not large ones.   The smaller flat back crystals I was able to order from Amazon:

Tear drop AB Crystals

Round AB Crystals

I remembered that I had ordered a necklace back in February when I was doing a glitter photoshoot for my new headshots.  The necklace had large AB crystals in it.  I didn’t end up using that necklace and realistically I probably would never wear it anywhere.

Popping out the crystals from the necklace proved to be very hard as they were glued in there pretty well!  I put my oven to 350 Degrees and put the necklace on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  I kept it in the oven for about 5 minutes and that was all it needed to heat up the glue and pop out all the crystals.  RIP pretty necklace.

Now that was done I was ready to create my Crystal Skull Halloween Makeup 2.0.

Products I Used:

• Blacktrack Fluidline from MAC for most of the black details
• Squid Pencil Liner from MAC for lining the waterline and adding in sharp details/straight lines
• Blush in Full_Fuchsia from MAC as the main pink colour
• Pigment from MAC in Bright Fuchsia
• Kat Von D Tattoo Pen Liner for a winged liner and to define the brows
• Lashes Model 21 in style 170
• Kat Von D Alchemist Palette-Pink Opal Eyeshadow as a highlight
• Foundation was Face Atelier blended with 0- to make a lighter complexion
• MAC Chromocake in Black to black out the neck area
• Pros Aide for gluing on the crystals
• Use cotton swabs for applying the glue (so you don’t ruin any of your brushes)

I decided I would attempt to put together a time lapse of my transformation.  I realized I got so in the zone and I was covering my face with my mirror for a good portion of the time so sorry for that!  But I think it turned out pretty well.  Take a look and let me know what you think.

Here are some tips that I recommend:

• Do all the details first….eyes, skull shape etc. before you start gluing on crystals
• I did the teeth crystals pretty early on and I wish I didn’t…I recommend doing them later so you can still drink or eat
• For symmetry try to do the same pattern/crystals on each side of your cheeks then add on from there
• Use the larger crystals in the center and use smaller ones along the edges and around the nose
• Use cotton swabs to apply the glue so you don’t ruin any of your brushes
• Make tweaks/changes to the shape of everything as you go….if you watch closely at one point I add more shading on the sides of my cheeks to add a more hollow effect

And finally now I present the pics for my Crystal Skull Halloween Makeup 2.0.  ENJOY & HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

XO Janine

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I talked about the hottest makeup trends seen on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was my first time ever having to speak and demo on live TV.  To say I was nervous would be an understatement.  I totally blacked out and barely remembered what I said, I went into total auto-pilot!  It was pretty exciting to sit down later that evening and watch the segment with my husband and kids.

You can watch the segment here———–> Fav. makeup trends from the TIFF Red Carpet

I wanted to break down and spotlight all the products I used on my models.

Bold Colourful Liner Trend:

Pencil-Wild Coral Edge Liner from Annabelle

Brush-#239 from MAC Cosmetics

Expensive Skin Trend:

Makeup Spray-Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist

Highlighter-Charlotte Tilbury Bar of Gold Palette

Brush-#168 from MAC Cosmetics

Invisible Eyeliner Trend:

Eye Pencil-Graphblack Technakhol Liner from MAC Cosmetics

Classic Red Lip Trend:

Lip Plumper-Grande Lips Plumping Gloss

Lip Liner-Showstopper Edge liner from Annabelle

Lip Colour-Kiss Me Pillow Pout Lip Plumping Powder from Buxom

Dramatic Eye Trend:

Lashes-KISS Blowout False Lashes in the style PIXIE

Tweezers-Revlon Pro Point Tweezers

And since I have been asked about what I wore I figured I should include that as well:

Lashes-LASH COUTURE FAUX MINK COLLECTION – BOUDOIR

Lips-Kiss Me Pillow Pout

Tassel Earrings-Accessories by Talia

Dress-Lip Print Dress from Amazon (only $20)!!!

I had a nice big cocktail after the show in celebration of a great segment….so cheers to many more!

XO J9

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What a year 2017 was! Lots and lots of highlights for me and I am beyond grateful for being able to do what I love.

Lets go over some of my 2017 highlights:

I started the year off right with travelling down South to Varadero Cuba for my first wedding of the year.  I knew the bride-Sherri from the fitness industry.  She was once a bikini competitor and I had done her hair and makeup for her fitness competitions in the past.  I was honored that she chose me to do her hair and makeup for her destination wedding.  Here are some gorgeous shots from Sherri and Alex’s wedding which were also featured in Hitched Destination Magazine.

In March I got to work with one of my favorite celebrity clients Elisha Cuthbert.  I don’t work with her as often as I use to because she moved to Ottawa because her hockey player hubby-Dion Phaneuf got traded to the Ottawa Senators.  So it was great to see her again and to get to doll her up for her press day for the movie Goon 2 Last of the Enforcers.  We traveled all day where she had interviews with Chum FM, Etalk, Entertainment Tonight Canada & The Social to name a few.

I kept her look casual and clean for the day and I used Burnt Spice Retro Matte Lipstick from MAC Cosmetics on her lips.

We then had a mini break and I got her even more glammed up for the red carpet premeire of the movie.   She wanted a thick winged liner and a plummy lip.  Her hair was kept down with soft waves.  Gorgeous!!!

Next up I worked with MAC Cosmetics at the Canadian Screen Awards where I got to powder down the nose of Mr. 90210 himself Jason Priestley!  If only I could only go back to my 17 year old self and let her know that she would be working with Brandon Walsh!  Haha.  He was lovely by the way!

Probably the coolest gig of the year was I was hired to do makeup and hair on the guests of Live with Kelly & Ryan for 2 episodes they were filming in Niagara Falls Canada.  I was in charge of making all their guests/talent look fabulous for the cameras.  The first guest just happened to be none other then the Prime Minister of Canada-Justin Trudeau.

Some of the other guests I got to work with were singer Erin Bowman, actor Nathan Fillion and hip hop artist French Montana.

I finished the year off right with adding 3 Magazine covers to my resume, being a contributor to D’Fyne Magazine and a gorgeous bridal shoot that is featured in the latest Wedluxe Magazine.

On top of all these highlights I have to say my bridal beauty business I Do! Beauty Co. is doing really well.  We are currently booking for select dates in 2018.  If you or someone you know is getting hitched this year, feel free to reach out, we would love to be part of your big day!

Cheers to an even more exciting 2018!!!

XO J9

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I have had this idea in my head for quite sometime but the timing just never felt right.  But with how busy I have become with bridal clients and my personal life becoming more and more demanding I knew 2016 was going to be the year that I took the big plunge.  And here we are!  I Do! Beauty Co. has been my blood sweat and tears the last few months and I am so proud of this company and I can’t wait to see where I can take it!

I am excited to offer our brides stellar customer service and the some of the best artists that Toronto has to offer.  My elite team is hand picked by me.  They are all experienced, professional and their level of artistry is top notch!

So please, spread the word.  If you know of anyone getting married please do not hesitate to send them our way.  We would love to be part of their big day!

Beauty to you, for the perfect ‘I Do’!

XO J9 aka Janine Holmes

Founder and Principle Artist for I Do! Beauty Co.

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Jessica Simpson ran with this trend for her little sister’s Ashlee‘s bridal shower.  Everyone in attendance made bohemian flower crowns to wear at the festivities.

Here is a shot from a Bridal Editorial I worked on which was featured in Weddingstar Magazine.

The model wore a bright coloured floral crown with ribbon details.  It made a statement without overpowering the whole look.  I really liked the deep red tones in the crown so I gave the model a complimentary lip which really tied the whole look together.  To achieve this look I used Kiss Me Quick Prolongwear Lip Liner and Ruby Woo Lipstick-both from MAC Cosmetics.

Here is a wedding I worked on last year where the bride wore a gorgeous half flower crown.

It was a casual beach wedding so I did her hair in soft curls, swept to the side to tie the crown in nicely.  My friend and super talented florist Maija created this flower crown.  She is the owner of Hello Midge Flowers <———-Check her out, her work is fab!!!

Even Vogue is writing about the trend of floral crowns and their true meaning in the Ukraine.  Check out the article here:

In Ukraine, That Flower Crown Means More Than You Think

Whether you are following the trend or wanting to wear a floral crown for traditional reasons there’s no denying that this bridal look is one that will surely turn heads.

Bridal Floral Crowns as seen on the latest cover of Wedluxe Winter/Spring 2016.

XO J9

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It was an online promo to be released just before the Superbowl.  We all know how much saucy wings and football go together!

This gig was an easy one.  It was just one guy so only a wee bit of grooming was required (you can learn all about Male Grooming from a previous post of mine found here——->Grooming).  The only curve ball thrown at me was the actor had a tattoo on his inner left arm.   It happened to be that arm that he had to stick out in the beginning of the commercial to introduce the segment.

The client wanted the tattoo to be covered up.  But I didn’t panic…I actually enjoy doing tattoo coverups.  A little bit of colour theory and knowing how to build coverage are key!

So now time to show you the final product.  I hope you enjoy!

Did it make you hungry for some wings???

XO J9

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The commercial was for the Scotiabank Hockey Club and it featured their ambassador, NHLer and Montreal Canadian‘s Assistant Captain PK Subban.

There was a drone on set to capture a bird’s eye view of PK playing hockey with a bunch of lucky kids.  Here are some behind the scene shots I took from the day:

PK was a great sport and he really didn’t require a lot in terms of makeup.  I was just there for shine patrol and to make sure he looked great on camera aka grooming.

I was out with some friends last week and I got to see the commercial for the first time and now I can share with you.  Here is the commercial we shot on that hot summer day-ENJOY!

XO J9

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So let’s say you aren’t sure if that special someone would love the 11 other Beauty products I recommended…or that you are buying for a beauty junkie and they already have everything I have suggested.  A perfect solution is to get them a Shoppers Drug Mart Gift Card so they can pick out their own beauty treats!

Here is what I love about the gift card:

• You can fill a card from $5-$200
• Can be used on anything sold at Shoppers Drug Mart
• Super easy but more thoughtful then just cash
• Shoppers Drug Mart stores are everywhere-all across Canada, even the Yukon!
• Easy to throw into a card and mail to that special someone

Whenever I have a guy friend that can’t figure out what to get their sister/mother/Auntie or the girl that they got as a secret Santa at the office, I always tell them to pick up a Shoppers Drug Mart gift card-you can’t go wrong!

And lastly the part I love most is when you buy a gift card you can collect the Shoppers Optimum Points for the dollar amount and then when the recipient spends the gift card they too will receive the SOP for their purchase so everyone wins!!!  YAY!!!

I hope you enjoyed my 12 Days of Beauty Stocking Stuffers.  Have a Holly Jolly Christmas and a Fantastic New Year!!!

XO J9 HO HO HOmie

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Whenever I want to wear my hair curly I will wash my hair and apply Dove Style + Care Mousse while it is still wet.  I will then directionally blow dry my hair for root lift and then I use a curling wand (like the one seen belown) to create loose soft curls.  With the Dove mousse I can keep those waves for a good 3-5 days and my hair looks great.Here is what I love about it:

• Gently nourishes to help eliminate frizz
• Along with hot tools it creates well-defined, soft, bouncy curls
• Provides long lasting style by protecting hair to help prevent frizz, fly-aways and dry/split ends
• Doesn’t leave hair feeling crunchy
• Product doesn’t flake or leave a residue on the hair
• Smells fantastic!
• It’s lightweight and never weighs down hair

Here is a pic of me with my hair all up in curls using Dove Style + Care Mousse!  I think I look pretty cute

Dove Mousse can be found in the aisle with all hair care products at Shoppers Drug Mart and will cost you around $8.

Go get that beautiful bouncy hair you deserve!

XO J9 HO HO HOmie

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So what exactly are they?  They give you a salon fashion manicure anytime, any place. It wears like nail polish because it is nail polish. There is no dry time so you’re ready to go. Salon effects lasts up to 10 days and removes easily with nail polish remover. Just peel, apply and file. Accessorize your nails with neons, glitters, and high fashion patterns.  Nail art can be super expensive at salons so these are the perfect DIY money savers!

Here is a great video on how to apply these nail strips:

I recommend applying a top coat over these nail strips.  One like Sally Hansen’s Mega Shine would do the trick!

It will help seal down the edges of the nail strips and make them last even longer!

I have tried many of the styles available but I think my favorite has been the black and white hounds-tooth pattern.

There are over 24 different patterns to choose from and they often do limited edition patterns for each season.  They are available at Shoppers Drug Mart and will cost you around $10.

Everyone will be asking you “where do you get your nails done?” and you’ll be able to boast that you did them yourself

XO J9 HO HO HOmie

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