Thank you for visiting my site! I am excited to share my love of makeup, skincare, fashion, and style with you. Feel free to browse published photos of my work as a makeup artist, or get to know a few of the real brides who I have been fortunate enough to work with over the years. Since I am constantly talking about beauty and hair products, new (or new to me) product lines, and fashion, I figured my friends would be grateful if I had another outlet for my constant musings. Therefore, this blog and site is not only for people who may want my services as a makeup artist, esthetician, and teacher; it's also for those who like to share their thoughts on creative expression through the arts of personal style, makeup, and fashion.
Ruby Envy was started 13 years ago, after I did makeup for my first local fashion show. Later, being asked unexpectedly to do wedding makeup on the fly got me hooked on the excitement and importance of wedding day beauty. It's an honor working with brides and their families, as well as photographers, caterers, and all the other inspired people that go into the production of a wedding. I am a crazy romantic, and I never get tired of helping brides achieve their vision of themselves on the most important day of their lives. However, I also enjoy doing freelance work for cosmetics companies, fashion and beauty shoots, and personal shopping. I am the makeup and skincare Beauty Director of a bridal magazine, which allows me even more opportunities to test new stuff and write about it, and to work with incredibly dedicated and fun-loving people.
My personal passions include singing, dancing, and cooking...this is fair warning to all who read this blog, as you may be subjected to anything from musical performance reviews and suggestions to recipes and my favorite cocktails. Again, you've been warned!
Please connect with me here, leave comments, and stay in touch.
I had the best time in New York during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week! Yes, I arrived several days late due to my vacation, but I still had amazing food (New York delicatessens??? THE BEST!) and wine, a weird yet illuminating adventure (more on THAT later!), and, cherry on top, my first video interview! I chatted with San Francisco based designer Tuan Tran, who took fashion week by storm with designs worn by 3 beautiful models. I have to give props to Mr. Tran, whose designs stole the show everywhere he and the ladies went.
*SHAMELESS BRAGGING ALERT*--who did Andrinea and Jaslynn's makeup? Me!!! Me!!!!
They were bombarded by photographers, media, and new fans–and yours truly got up close and personal with the designer himself. You may remember my first encounter with Tuan at last year’s San Francisco Fashion Week, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I, for one, will be following this designer as he creates more unique and interesting future works. Check out the interview…the first of many in my quest to keep you informed about fashion and beauty in the Bay and beyond….so stay tuned!
I just wanted to share some shots of a few fun finds…I was innocently doing some business in Dublin, CA recently and came across the tiniest shop with an even tinier sign…”thrift”. Of course, this was good enough reason for a brief detour. I copped this adorable Halogen skirt for a mere $9.00:
I paired my sweet thrifted Halogen skirt with my husband’s white H&M button-down, and my trusty Chie Mihara blue
suede platforms. I looove a skirt (or dress!) with pockets. The sash belt makes it a keeper, too.
My favorite Chanel sunglasses and no-name cheapie faux silver hoops…I can NEVER have enough
silver hoops, real or not.
I thought I’d go all matchy-matchy with my gorgeous Harlequin Feltworks headpiece (a generous gift to me from the designer), and Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Amethyst Ablaze #978. Of course by the time I took this picture it was kind of rubbed off, but here it is:
Contributing to my mini thrift haul were 2 beautiful silk vintage Oscar de la Renta scarves….they were HAVING A SALE, so in total, I spent $20.00!
I absolutely adore the colorful, swirly flower print on this scarf.
When it comes to beautiful pieces, I would never call myself “cheap”, but I am definitely a “bargain aficionado”. Gotta love those little thrift store gems!
It’s so weird how women evolve style-wise, isn’t it? I remember back when I didn’t care AT ALL about shoes. Like, I had the rattiest pair of hightop Reebok sneakers and (for real) would wear them with anything and everything. I swore nobody looked at my feet, so why waste the precious money that I could ill afford, being very young and financially….lean. Clearly, I have transcended this issue, as evidenced by my crazy vast footwear collection:
Ahhh...my babies. Some of them.
...and the big sistahs.
Now, there’s a new sheriff in town…my nails. I’ve always thought of getting my nails done as something for special occasions, and I was happy to paint them myself once in a blue moon. As much as I type, and periodically (read “practically never”) play the guitar, chipping and cracking was pretty much a sure thing. Which is why I’m so in love with the shellac trend of polishes, which doesn’t do the damage of acrylics, and lasts 2, sometimes 3, WEEKS. It’s a nail miracle! To top it off, you can get your nails done and immediately fish your keys out of your purse, as the polish is dry and totally unable to be smeared, smudged, or damaged. I love that it comes in glitter polish that can be layered, and my nail salon, Nails by Vivian in El Cerrito, has talented nail techs that take their creativity very seriously. Shellac is very much lik gel polish in that you dry your nails under UV light following every layer of polish, including base coat. For me, with my multiple coats, designs, and glitter extravaganza, this is usually about 4 times.
This was not intended to be posted, hence the horribe cell phone blur, and post-grow-outness. But this is one of my fave looks, leopard print nails with gold glitter, all shellac polish.
Black polish and gold glitter polish, with extra gold chunks added individually. Sorry, another cell phone shot.
All pink, with gold glitter ring finger. This was my making an effort to be conservative.
Finally a decent pic with my Nikon! So this is teal blue shellac polish with regular nail polish ladybugs. This is a great way to have designs on your nails with alot of detail, with the added bonus of being able to remove the design if you get tired of it...regular acetone polish remover will take OFF the design, but NOT the shellac polish! Genius.
My two co-workers and I are all nail crazy, and it’s fun to compare nail designs…it’s almost like who can out-do who, from week to week, and I’m getting more and more creative with my design ideas in preparation for what I call Office Nail Wars. It’s not too expensive to get shellac (only about $5 more than a regular mani, at the 3 nail salons that I’ve gone to in the past year). I have yet to see this done in pedicure form, so I don’t even know if salons typically offer it…I don’t need it because my pedis last long enough. By the time they start to look wack, my feet are begging for professional pampering anyway. To remove the shellac, you can soak your fingertips in acetone, a process which is followed by scraping off the remnants with a metal tool. As time passes, the polish will start to peel on its own; however, resist the temptation to pick and peel it yourself, as it can damage your nails.
My next big nail move will be….well, you’ll see when it happens. There’s a look that I’ve been putting off due to the ridiculous cost, but I must do it at some point…..I guarantee you, victory will be MINE in Nail Wars when it finally happens! Stay tuned
Go to Sally’s beauty suplpy or your local suplpy store and purchase acrylic remover. You can also purchase pure acetone. Be sure to use a glass bowl. Soak 4 fingers at a time. Get an orangewood stick to so you can scrap the acrylic when it gets gummy. It will be messy but it won’t take to long. Once you get down to your own nail, take a white buffing block and gently buff off the remaining residue. Apply a clear nail hardener. I’ve tried the soaking with the cotton balls but its takes longer and I don’t like the idea of it being wrapped under foil. The acetone needs to breath because the vapors can be toxic if there isn’t enough ventilation.
Saturday night came storming into the Bay Area, bringing its pounding rain and wind. It seems, however, that San Francisco was the eye of the storm–it was all fun, fashion, and fierceness thanks to the Bossini Fashion Show at San Francisco’s beautiful Regency Center! The show was to benefit BCAction (Breast Cancer Action), and celebrate Bossini’s launch of luxury women’s wear. Bossini, a luxury retailer based in in Santa Clara, teamed up with Melange and Byrdsong Productions in a brilliant move that made this event a pleasure to attend. From the opening live music by Ella Cooley & Band and the flavorful fare provided by Sukhi’s, all the way to the sinfully delicious desserts by Black Tie Desserts and music courtesy of DJ River, the evening was high energy entertainment and fashion for a cause. What could be better?
Attendees mingle before the show.
The girl sitting in front of me got these beauties in London.
Me with fellow makeup artist Regard Tang. I’m wearing my favorite red this season, Red Stiletto lipstick by Lancome, topped with Venetian Lustreglass by MAC.
It was great to see Amanda stompin' the runway last night.
The generous selection of colorful pants was killing me. There are no words to describe how much I love these green ones. Gorge!
no comments