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Faces by Farah

Faces By Farah: Make-Up Tutorials!

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My fave makeup artist Farah from Faces By Farah is now uploading some sweet makeup tutorials via YouTube, and I just had to share! Here’s the one I’ll be queuing up today: Easy Homemade Lip Plumper for Pennies.

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaOv5Ojdtg4″]

Also on her channel: How to Keep Your Costume Jewelry in Perfect Condition, Paring Down Your Eyeshadow Kit, and more.

If you’re looking for expert advice and tips that you can easily follow at home, subscribe to Farah’s YouTube Channel!

A BlogHer ’11 Tale

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Sigh. Finally a moment to sit back and reflect on my BlogHer ’11 experience. By now, you’ve likely come across many tales from other fabulous bloggers, but I’d like to share my thoughts as well as have something to add to my pile of memorabilia.

(My travel buddies for the trip were Tammi from My Organized Chaos and Farah from Faces by Farah, so you’ll likely see their lovely faces in a lot of my photos from the trip. And, many of the photo credits go to Tammi – such a wonderful shutterbug!)

Getting there was a whirlwind. With a golden ticket from Ford and less than two weeks to wrap my head around the fact that I was actually going to BlogHer, I had suitcases to pack, babysitters to arrange (thanks husband!) and babies to wean. (Turns out that Reid was just fine while I was gone – but literally jumped on my boob the second I walked through the door. Huh.)

THE BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO
PALM TREE LINED STREETS

Although the conference took place on Friday and Saturday, I was crossing my fingers that I’d touch down in time for Mom Central’s Canadian Embassy Party on Thursday night. Turns out I had plenty of time to arrive at the hotel, relax and shower before clinking wine glasses with wonderful Canadian bloggers and friends. Putting a face to many of the bloggers I had chatted with online was so enriching! And, the @MC_Canada ladies were beyond wonderful as always – they continually inspire, teach and support moms and blogging in Canada. Fan 4 Life.

On Friday morning, a pulse check with the Ford ladies during breakfast at the Hard Rock Hotel. Ford put together one classy group of social media-minded gals; I was looking forward to getting to know them all over the next few days. Our little group included Donna Marie Antoniadis ~ ShesConnected, Erica Ehm ~ The Yummy Mummy Club, Raymi ~ Raymi the Minx, Shannon ~ Zchamu, Tenille ~ Feisty Frugal and Fabulous, Sarah of Get Mommy Some Gin and Dee ~ Cocktail Deeva.  Friday also saw the first day of the conference and me popping in and out of the conference hall, taking in the bits and pieces of all BlogHer has to offer. Much time was spent in the famed expo hall, where I chatted with brands and of course, snagged a ton of swag. Thankfully, I was very selective with my freebies (read: too cheap to pay excess baggage fees) so I whittled down the loot to mainly toys, makeup and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.Many of the booths offered photo ops – too good to pass up when you’re hanging with two gorgeous babes!

Friday night was the much-anticipated yet socially-taboo Softcup party. Anticipated because it was held on a rooftop patio and promised appearances by Mario Lopez, Ryan Cabrera and Amanda Beard; socially-taboo because it was sponsored by a tampon alternative. Regardless, the fun ride via pedi-cab, yummy apps and Cake Vodka shots made it easy to attend and enjoy a party put on by menstrualogists. Bonus: had a chance to hang with the gorgeous Stephanie from Sassy Modern Mom and the equally adorable (and mummy-to-be!) Shelagh from Practical Mum.We then hightailed it to the Cheap Sally party at Stingaree. With a reputation as being San Diego’s best nightclub, noticeably absent were the caged go-go dancers. But I digress; there were jars filled with Rockets (or “Smarties” as they’re known in the US), a Gordon Ramsey cooking display complete with cushions emblazoned with his gorgeous face (managed to snatch one of those!) and a continuing parade of martinis, kobo beef sliders, party goers and party anthems.

A quick pop into the Sparklecorn party was a bit of a letdown; most of the attendees were already sobering up and a quick walk around the room had us running back to the hotel to turn in.

Saturday was a repeat of Friday – dabbling here and there in the seminars and sponsor exhibits, in addition to meeting with friends, bloggers and brands. I was dying to indulge in authentic San Diego fish tacos, so off we trotted to a local Mexican bar/resto for lunch. Yum!

Saturday night; another Ford reunion at Tabule restaurant. On the menu for moi:Shared Starters:

Shrimp and Crab Portobello
Lettuce Duck Wraps
Thai Baby Back Ribs
Mesquite Smoked Ahi Tuna Tacos
Salmon CevicheEntrée:
Lobster Ravioli

Do I really need to say any more? We finished the night partying at CheeseburgHer, where yes, bloggers do wear McD’s bags on their head (I didn’t) and help themselves to a buffet of (wait for it)… cheeseburgers… all night. There was much tootsierolling on the dance floor (you’re welcome Farah) and after shaking our money maker to some old school R&B, it was time to turn in.

At the Ford Family Picnic on Sunday, I had the awesome opportunity to learn about Ford’s Focus on Safety, test drive the peppy Focus (with Donna from She’s Connected playing navigator and Rose – Ford Canada’s rep – describing features and benefits from the back seat). And, we enjoyed the most drool-worthy BBQ at the South Embarcadero Marine Park which was literally right on the water. Bliss.

Donna and Rose weren’t just awesome driving buddies; they later proved to be even better shopping partners as we booted it to Fashion Valley Mall, Nordstrom Rack and Target. When I finally strolled in at 10:00pm that night, it hit me that I hadn’t yet packed and had a 6:00am flight the next morning, necessitating a 3:30am wake up call. Needless to say I got my sh*t together in a hurry so I could hit the hay! The flight home was unremarkable and I literally wept with joy when I saw the faces of my two sweet boys waiting for me at the airport.

Next year BlogHer ’12 is back in NYC – who’s coming with? xo
FARAH AND I, ON OUR WAY TO MOM CENTRAL’S SOIRÉE
I AM 100% CRUSHING ON SARAH @MC
THE LOVELY AND ICONIC ERICA EHM
THE GLORIOUS MARIOTT CONVENTION CENTER
EXPO HALL, BRIMMING WITH BLOGGERS
BUILDING UP MY STREET CRED ON THE SESAME STREET STOOP
PHOTO OPS WITH BLOGGERS AND VAMPIRES
IN OUR PEDI-CAB, READY TO PARTY
THE BEAUTIFUL STEPHANIE AND SHELAGH
GROUP SHOT WITH MR. DIMPLES
GORGEOUS ROSE AT THE FORD FAMILY PICNIC
THE SUPER SAFETY FEATURES: INFLATABLE SEAT BELTS
TAKE ME!
PRO ACTIV VENDING MACHINE? SERIOUSLY?

Summer Beauty: Faces by Farah

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The following giveaway is open to US and CAN residents.

Regular readers likely just whooped for joy – yes, it’s my girl Farah, and yes, there’s another HOT giveaway ahead! And even though she’s a local makeup artist, the giveaway is open to all residents of US/CAN!

I’ve long followed the career of Farah, a Makeup Artist and Beauty Editor whose incredible talent and passion have led her to establish herself as one of the premiere freelance makeup artists in the Greater Toronto Area.

Farah has a way of making your face come alive – bringing your inner beauty out. With an arsenal of the hottest shades and a keen understanding of different skin tones and textures, she will work with you to create your best look for all occasions – weddings, holiday parties, TV spots, photo shoots, or just because. But perhaps Farah’s best quality is her ability to make her guests feel comfortable and totally at ease – because makeup should be fun!

Don’t take my word for it – click on over to her testimonials page…

“I have had the absolute pleasure of working with Farah in both a personal and professional capacity. Farah’s strength comes from being able to turn her clients vision into reality, in a flawless manner. She stands apart from others as she is personable and easy going. Highly recommended!”
– Noorin H (Client)

Spending an hour with Farah getting make up done is like spending a day at the spa. She immediately puts you at ease, not only because of her professionalism, but because her own make up looks so good, you know you’re in good hands. Farah came to my rescue and fixed a make up job that another make up artist did the day of my friends wedding, and after that, I knew Farah would be my ‘go to make up artist’….
– Stephania C (Client)

And be sure to check out her portfolio!

(Click to enlarge photos.)

Farah is also one of Toronto’s most popular beauty bloggers, writing for Faces By Farah (her own lifestyle blog) and as a contributing beauty writer at MTV Fora. She takes the time to share product reviews, tips, advice and more on her blog – you can stop by any day, ask just about any question, and she will get back to you! She also features fellow makeup artists on a regular basis (did I mention Farah is incredibly supportive and kind?), allowing you to discover other talented gals in your area.

And if you’ve seen my posts about the Toronto Beauty Bloggers, meet the president of the club – yup, it’s Farah! In fact, many of the beauty brands participating in this event are here thanks to her recommendation. Thanks doll!

Want to win a year’s supply of BIC Soleil Razors? Head on over to Farah’s blog and enter her amazing contest. And, if you live in the GTA, please do contact her for your special occasion makeup – she’s FABULOUS!

Click here to visit Faces By Farah.


Farah has once again put together a prize pack featuring her favourite brands – including Mac Cosmetics, Cargo Cosmetics, Vasanti Cosmetics, Maybelline, Physicians Formula, L’oreal, Dermaglow, Givenchy, Burts Bees and MORE! The total value of the gift basket is over $400!

To enter, check out her portfolio and leave a comment here telling us about your favorite look. Do you like bold eyes and neutral lips? Or are you a fan of all-round natural look?

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Follow my blog, Listen to Lena! (2 extra entries!)
(2) Follow Farah’s blog, Faces By Farah (2 extra entries!)

(3) “Like” Listen to Lena! on Facebook
(4) NEW Follow Listen to Lena! on Twitter
(5) “Like” Faces By Farah on Facebook
(6) Follow Faces By Farah on Twitter
(7) Tweet daily: Please use this Faces By Farah Giveaway Tweet.

I’ll draw for a winner on August 7th. Good luck everybody!

Toronto Beauty Bloggers: Step into Spring!

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Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of spending an afternoon with some pretty fabulous ladies! The Toronto Beauty Bloggers, headed by über-talented Make-up Artist Farah, is a group of bloggers, make-up artists and beauty junkies who live, work and play in the Greater Toronto Area. Once every few months, Farah works tirelessly to put on a smashing event; it’s part meet & greet, part networking, part beauty chat – and ALL FUN!

The Step into Spring event was held at the ulta chic Loki Salon, located in the heart of Yorkville – and home of the Kavita Suri Beauty Academy. At first, just a few gals stood around the salon, casually making introductions. But in a matter of moments, the place was jam-packed with beauty crazed folk – everyone from sponsors (Hi! to the gals from Marcelle and Devon Consulting), make-up artists (I arrived with one of my faves, Mala Brar) and of course, Beauty Bloggers!

It was SO MUCH fun to meet the ladies behind many of the blogs I follow – in fact, I recognized a few “profile picture” faces right off the bat! And surprisingly, while most of the talk was beauty-oriented, we also chatted about kids, jobs, balancing work/ life/ makeup obsessions, and more.

Be sure to check the Toronto Beauty Bloggers website over the next few days for pictures from the event – as usual, I was sans camera, but just about everyone else was shutter-happy, so I fully expect some awesome shots will be available for viewing!

Farah also put together some smokin’ prizes – thanks to the incredible generosity of several sponsors, there were gift baskets galore up for grabs. I didn’t have a winning ticket (waaa!) but let me tell you, a lot of the ladies walked away with some major loot.

And speaking of loot – don’t even get me started on the swag bags. OMG. They were chock-full of goodies just begging to be swatched, sniffed and sprayed. Here’s what was in the bag:

(I recommend that you click the picture to enlarge.)

L’Oreal. Balmshell. Hard Candy. Marcelle. Diane Lai. Prada. Joe Fresh. Bioré. The Body Shop. Dermaglow. Vasanti Cosmetics. Foxy Originals. Burt’s Bees… just some of the awesome sponsors who contributed their best selling items. You can look forward to my reviews on many of the products – I think I’ll have to dedicate a separate feature to the Toronto Beauty Blogger’s Swag Bag!

All in all, a successful event thanks to Farah’s hard work, the generosity of sponsors, and participation from a talented bunch of gals. See y’all at the next meet up!

Faces By Farah… It’s One of A Kind!

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Attention beauty junkies… HOT giveaway coming up!

I’ve long followed the career of Farah, a Makeup Artist and Beauty Editor whose incredible talent and passion have led her to establish herself as one of the premiere freelance makeup artists in the Greater Toronto Area.

Farah has a way of making your face come alive – bringing your inner beauty out. With an arsenal of the hottest shades and a keen understanding of different skin tones and textures, she will work with you to create your best look for all occasions – weddings, holiday parties, TV spots, photo shoots, or just because. But perhaps Farah’s best quality is her ability to make her guests feel comfortable and totally at ease – because makeup should be fun!

Don’t take my word for it – click on over to her testimonials page…

“I have had the absolute pleasure of working with Farah in both a personal and professional capacity. Farah’s strength comes from being able to turn her clients vision into reality, in a flawless manner. She stands apart from others as she is personable and easy going. Highly recommended!”
– Noorin H (Client)

Spending an hour with Farah getting make up done is like spending a day at the spa. She immediately puts you at ease, not only because of her professionalism, but because her own make up looks so good, you know you’re in good hands. Farah came to my rescue and fixed a make up job that another make up artist did the day of my friends wedding, and after that, I knew Farah would be my ‘go to make up artist’….
– Stephania C (Client)

And be sure to check out her portfolio!

Farah is also one of Toronto’s most popular beauty bloggers, writing for Faces By Farah, Toronto Beauty Bloggers, and as the Beauty and Lifestyle editor for Gallery {Femme}. She takes the time to share product reviews, tips, advice and more on her blog – you can stop by any day, ask just about any question, and she will get back to you! She also features fellow makeup artists every Sunday (did I mention Farah is incredibly supportive and kind?), allowing you to discover other talented gals in your area.

Farah is currently sharing her 30 Fabulous Holiday Gift Ideas. I LOVE that this isn’t a list of sponsored posts – rather, these are items SHE loves and has experience with! Her blog is a daily stop for me – visit it once, and you’ll be hooked too :)

And, if you live in the GTA, please do contact her for your special occasion makeup – she’s FABULOUS!

Click here to visit Faces By Farah.

WIN IT!

Farah has generously offered one Listen to Lena! reader the chance to win a “Farah’s Favourites” prize pack – worth over $200! In it, you’ll find products from some of her favourite brands, including MAC, Vasanti, Cargo, Burt’s Bees, Annabelle, Mary Kay, Balmshell & much more!

(Even though Farah is a local makeup artist, the giveaway is open to all Canadian/ US readers.)

To enter, simply check out her 2010 Holiday Gift Guide, and then leave a comment here with your own suggestion for a holiday gift idea (makeup-themed, of course!) or your favourite pick from Farah so far.

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Follow my blog, Listen to Lena!
(2) Follow Farah’s blog, Faces By Farah
(3) “Like” Faces By Farah on Facebook
(4) Follow Faces By Farah on Twitter
(5) Tweet about the It’s One of A Kind! giveaways (tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/369glqk)
(6) You may Tweet daily.

I’ll draw for a winner on December 4th. Good luck everybody!

Faces By Farah: Kim Kardashian Giveaway!

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Um, no… she’s NOT giving away Kim Kardashian (my husband would be up all night entering THAT contest), but Farah is offering a pretty sweet prize –

Perfumania has teamed up with Kim Kardashian to feature her new fragrance in all of its 370+ stores! To celebrate, both Perfumania and Kim will be appearing on an upcoming episode of NBC’s The Apprentice on Thursday, November 11.

Perfumania.com has been newly-designed and to celebrate they want one lucky reader of FacesByFarah.com to win an amazing prize pack.
Enter for your chance to win Kim Kardashian’s new fragrance, a chic travel bag & a $25 gift card to Perfumania!  (Total prize value $133.50)


Click here to enter the giveaway.

If you live in the GTA you can also meet Kim in person – 

MEET KIM KARDASHIAN – TUESDAY OCT. 19th
Kim Kardashian, the face of FUSIONBEAUTY’s Illumifill and LipFusion, will make a special Personal Appearance at Sherway Gardens Tuesday, Oct. 19 from 4:30pm – 6pm in Sherway Square. The first 200 clients to purchase $38 or more from the FUSIONBEAUTY collection at Shoppers Drug Mart (Sherway location only) will be eligible to meet Kim Kardashian and receive an autographed photo. For more information, visit Shoppers Drug Mart Sherway store located at Door 7.

Whew! October 19th makes 5 years to the day that my husband and I had our first date, so there’s no way he’d punk me to go catch a glimpse of KK. Right? Riiight?

Faces By Farah: Cargo Cosmetics Giveaway!

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Fellow Toronto Beauty Blogger and super amazing gal Farah is holding a sa-weet giveaway on her blog, Faces By Farah.

Up for grabs – Cargo’s Contour Palette in Malibu, Water Resistant Bronzer, Color Palette in Los Angeles and Lip Gloss Quad in Oceania. A total value of $115!

I’ve got the Lip Gloss Quad in Oceania and it’s absolutely amazing. Super moisturizing with a high shine finish, it’s perfect for day or night. Since I’m all about being fabulous, the fuchsia quad is completely used :)

Click here to enter the giveaway.