Next week will mark the "greatest 2 minutes in sports" and for my hometown its the greatest 2 weeks in the city.

The Kentucky Derby

This is where one of the largest fireworks shows in the world kicks off the two week festival to celebrate the greatest race on earth. 

Growing up for most of my life here in Louisville I never understood why all the grander surrounding The Kentucky Derby. But I guess I was on the inside looking out and not the other way around. As I got older I learned to appreciate and respect The Kentucky Derby and what it meant to the history of my hometown. I also fell in loved with the style that surrounded The Derby. For one day out of the year here in Louisville anyone and everyone can and SHOULD wear a great hat, a pretty dress, or a pastel suit. 

The Kentucky Derby is everywhere right now. I am always in awe of how much appreciation it gets from around the world and from some of my favorite designers which I have showcased below. Enjoy!

How adorable is this dress and hat? I just love everything about it! It's fresh, bright, and sophisticated. 

The dress is form the talented Anne M. Cramer and the hat is from Marley Lilly

For more details on this outfit go check out the amazing Ashley Brooke at Ashley Brooke Designs

(photo by Gregory Daniel. photo from ashley brooke designs blog. visit them for all the info)

I absolutely LOVE Mary Beth Designs. Everything she creates is just so beautiful, whimsical, girly, and southern all wrapped up into one. She has so many awesome things to choose from. First you choose the item you want to buy, whether it be a platter or a pillow case, then you choose your design and monogram...Because monograms make everything better! Here is her beautiful Derby design. I can't get enough, it's so pretty!

(all photos are from Mary Beth Goodwin Designs on her Pinterest. 

Please contact Mary Beth for more information or to order.)

Now Let talk Derby Makeup!

Let the dress and hat speak for itself. Don't over do it with the makeup. The Derby tend to be a long day and it warm. Don't let your makeup have to hold on for dear life. Keep it light and simple with the skin and the eyes and be sure to wear sunscreen. Play the lips up. If there is ever a place to get away with bright lips it's in the south and Derby is the perfect time. Wear a great Red, Orange, or Pink. Get a long wearing lip color so you don't have o worry about it smudging or wearing off. I love MAC's Prolongwear lip color and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics LipTars 

Keiko Lynn pretty much sums up the looks that would be great for Derby. I love her blog and her style. I'm sure you've run across her all over Pinterest and whatnot. She is pretty adorable!

So if you are going to The Derby, a Derby party, or just want to dress up like you are then I hope you find this post inspirational. And don't just use The Derby as a reason to get all dolled up in dress and a hat, in my book, it's welcomed any day of the year!

Check out my other sites

Click, Follow,Share,Subscribe!

All those fun things!

FACEBOOK

SIMPLY MAKEUP

PINTEREST

INSTAGRAM

Have a Beautiful Day!

-A

I feel old and out of the loop!

Today I decided to make a collage of my favorite past MAC collections for "throw back Thursday" on Instagram.

(my Instagram)

Well when I start digging for pictures I realized all the collections that I loved so much were between 5-10years old. 

How did this happen? *Pretend you didn't hear this* but I still have the makeup from these collections and I use them! (please don't judge, I've never had any issues but if you choose to use older makeup, use at your own risk)

I haven't kept up with ALL of the new collections that have come out in the last 4 years or so because I don't work for MAC anymore. There are a few that stick out in my head and of course I still swoon over certain collections but I can honestly say I have become a lot more reserved in my purchases.

Today I also realized how many collections I haven't even paid attention to over the last few years and while digging around on the good ol web for images I had this familiar feeling slowly creep back into my artistic shopaholic heart with a voice whispering to me:

 *I don't remember this collection, ooo it looks pretty, how could I have missed this, maybe I should go on eBay and see if I can torture myself to try and find pieces from this collection, I have to have this now, oh no what have I done I need this!*

The further I dive into google images the louder the voice gets! I need to suppress it!

So while I'm yearning after these new collections I realize I cant find many images of the collection I do know and love and didn't miss out on. 

-INSTANTLY FELT OLD-

It's not often that Google can't help me! Even Specktra.net was filing away all the 'good ol' collections so deep that I couldn't find them anymore. I quickly felt even older when I realized "live journal" was just about the only thing around when these collections were born. These are pre-facebook days people! 

I thought to myself "surely there is someone out there that loves these collections just like me. Surely they have archived them somewhere! SURELY!"

Then.....sure enough, I found my new hero! I found someone who cared enough to hold on to what has made MAC....MAC!

INTRODUCING

http://colorstorycollections.blogspot.com

Thank you Linda for your hard work and dedication on preserving MAC collections are beautifully as you do! 

As I scrolled ALL THE WAY BACK to 2000! (yes she has archived that many years!) I reminisced over the "good ol" days (when I was a young fresh faced wanna be makeup artist swooning over new collections at my local MAC counter and hanging on to the every word of the talented artists who "little did I know-could only dream" would be my co-workers one day!) I fell back in love. The shopaholic hoarder subsided in me and the artist came out. I then felt appreciation for the fact that I remembered these collections, the collections that built MAC into what it is today. When 'lustre' lipsticks were new, when Viva Glam was just a baby. There is this new generation (who know more about recent items than I do) that has no idea that THIS is what made MAC-MAC. I was reminiscing over the births of the classics again and I loved it. I didn't feel so prehistoric anymore but felt more tenured and appreciative that I remembered and I was present during those times. 

I don't need to scour through eBay to find collections that are a couple of years old and try to backtrack and collect them. I may not know every more recent collection but that's OK. I can go to Linda's site and sell ALL of them. Besides, it will take far less time and research for me to fall in love with the "post-facebook" "post-social networking" collections. 

I don't mind if I feel a *little* older when people ask me "what collection is that from" or "Ive never heard of that" or "Ive never seen this, where did you get it" (and then I tell them the lipstick is 10 years old!:) More than anything, I feel lucky! I guess this is what getting older is all about? People mark their age and knowledge with many different things, mine just happens to be MAC color stories. 

(Here is the collage I made. Photo credit is below. Aren't they beautiful?)

Again, thank you Linda for making this blog. I appreciate so very much!

You all go check her out and look to see how MAC has evolved as a brand, with their products, and most of all visually! (that was my favorite thing to see on her blog.) It is laid out very well and is super organized! 

If you all have any questions about the collections above please feel free to ask in the comments section!

*Photo above credit to MAC Cosmetics and some images borrowed from Linda*

Check out my other sites

Click, Follow,Share,Subscribe!

All those fun things!

FACEBOOK

SIMPLY MAKEUP

PINTEREST

INSTAGRAM

Have a Beautiful Day!

-A

I didn't disappear

 (See it's ME!)

Well OK I did but there is good reason

My computer is broken which obviously makes it very hard to write blog post and edit videos.

I have also had some personal issues that are taking up a lot of my time. Nothing to be concerned with but sometimes in life you just end up having a lot on your plate and you're needed in multiple places at once. These things have recently required me to post less, be present for people in my life more, and still do makeup (which is in full wedding swing!)

I am not quitting the blog or the videos I just want to make sure the quality is good and I am able to fulfill your requests with the quality you deserve. 

I have the longest list of things I want to write about and review and I can't wait to share it all with you. 

Even though the computer is broken that doesn't mean I haven't stopped buying makeup to share with you all!

In the meantime I would encourage you to check out my Instagram because that is obviously easier to share quick tidbits and products on, like the looks and products seen below:

My Instagram name is aevansmakeupartist

Thank you all so much for your understanding 

Ill see you soon with all the fun stuff I love to share with you!

In the meantime come follow me on Instagram and as always

Have a Beautiful Day!

-A