make.me.over.

Allow me to redirect you....

2009-09-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

If you have arrived here, you will not find any updates.

If you would like to read the blog I use that follows life in Madrid please redirect to:

www.sarahmadrid.blogspot.com

Thanks! :)

primer.

2009-07-11T10:14:00.001-07:00

Since I was 10, my sister Carlie has been my live-in-test-subject. I have subjected her to many makeup and hair horrors. Thanks to her graciousness, she has allowed me to improve my art, many times at the sake of her beauty.
In the days before Katie's wedding, I was determined to get more practice in before the big day. I had bought some *smashbox makeup, which is formulated for photographing beautifully. I am truly impressed with the purchase, and I would recommend *Photofinish foundation primer to anyone taking professional photographs. Apply it under any foundation (or my choice: bareMinerals) and your skin will photograph as if "zits" were something you've never heard of.
Below is Carlie's before picture. Here is Carlie with the Photofinish primer and bareMinerals foundation. I want to emphasize the importance of priming one's eyelids before an occasion (say, a wedding) where the makeup has to last all day. It's the only surefire way to keep the eyeshadow going strong! I didn't do too much for Carlie's eyemakeup. Again, I used a smashbox eyeshadow palette, which I used for the base, crease, and eyeliner (smudging the shadow on the lashline with a thin brush). I used the smashbox bronzer, their moisture rich lipgloss and voila! A beautiful look that took approximately 20 minutes! While the look is nothing crazy, it emphasizes Carlie's natural beauty and looks flawless in photographs!

here comes the bride.

2009-07-06T10:15:00.001-07:00

It's been months since I've updated, but I'm back with new dedication.

I have just completed a "first" in my life: This 4th of July, I was the makeup artist at my best friend's wedding.

Katie was a breathtaking beauty at her wedding and it is my only hope that she felt as gorgeous as she looked.

Enjoy the pictures:

like what you see? contact sarah miller at sarah_miller1@baylor.edu

casie

2009-03-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

When I asked Casie what her vision was for her makeover, I think the answer went something like "smoky, sexy, flirty, mysterious". I don't know if I accomplished that, but it's not too hard to make Casie look hot. Here's the before:And here's how it came out:

Español

2009-03-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

El semestre pasado, tenía un blog escrito en castellano. Ahora no escribo nunca en español y me siento rara… La verdad es que, esta lengua y su cultura forman parte de mi alma. Un día sin español no me vale. Tengo que oir sus erres, su ceta, formar los sonidos con mi propia boca. Es bonitísimo. Con tal de la cultura, me hace falta escuchar un poco de flamenco, ver fotos, pasar tiempo con unos amigos hispanoparlantes. Me quedan seis meses de estar en los estados unidos...¿Después? Mi vida empieza de nuevo en mi querida España.

the satt-pack.

2009-03-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

Continuing on in the beach makeup series, I simply did the eye makeup for Satt (Sarah Satterlee). Enjoy the pics!

Before:

After:

the bride

2009-03-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, I received one of the biggest honors to date. Katie Pluhowski asked me to do her wedding makeup! Right away, I was thrilled and immensely nervous! I have the responsibility of giving this bride the look "she's always dreamed of". We will be practicing in the coming months so that when the big day arrives she will look even better than she ever envisioned. Here are a few shots from one of our first go-rounds.

l.beck

2009-03-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

I calculated and I've been doing people's makeup for ten years now. At the tender age of 12 I began doing my friends' makeup and getting in trouble for it. I would do my makeup behind my mom's back during recess, only to get yelled at at the dinner table for wearing mascara.

Anyway, in all ten years of makeup, I have learned that sometimes the makeup just does what it wants to. In the look I created on Lauren Beck, whom I have known since move in day at Baylor, the makeup took over and she ended up looking like a pin up model from the 40s. Sexy, but unintentional. Take a look:

Before:

After:

melanie

2009-03-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Melanie, or "Milan", has a naturally exotic look so I thought I'd emphasize her Aruban eyes. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Before

After

beach makeover series

2009-03-21T09:51:00.001-07:00

During the best week of my life in Destin, Florida, I had the opportunity to do makeovers on all six of my fellow beachgoers. In these next few entries I'll highlight each girl.

Sadie Morgan, one of the most vibrant people you'll ever meet, was the first recipient of a "Miller Face" (we were calling it this at the end of the week...made me really sad I don't have a more interesting last name). Anyway, Sadie has gorgeous skin and shining eyes, so I wanted to make this the emphasis of her makeover.

Beautiful Sadie before:

Beautiful Sadie after:

My favorite part of the whole process? Sadie's reaction. I could tell she felt more confident and beautiful (which is a perfect reflection of the beauty she exudes every minute!) Makeup-artistry has been perpetuated by reactions like little Sadie's.

What I used:
eyes: Sonia Kashuk concealer (under and on lids)
shadows: Too Faced- Steel Magnolias, Too Faced- Glamazon
liner: LeKohl by L'Oreal

cheeks: Too Faced- Caribbean in a Compact

face: Light by Bare Escentuals

lips: Too Faced- Love Bites

true love waits

2009-03-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

I've been wearing this ring since 7th grade, which makes 10 years now. God has been good, forgiving, and overwhelmingly gracious through those ten years.

He has protected me and shown me what true love really looks like. And it's worth waiting for.

monster mash

2009-03-04T08:24:00.001-08:00

These past two weeks, I performed in Baylor's All-University Sing. Imagine: fraternities and sororities doing the biggest off-Broadway show they can come up with.

My favorite part? The excessive make-up, of course. Here are a couple of snapshots:

overdue.

2009-02-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

Holy moly, I haven't written in a while. Soon, I will have pictures up from Satterlee's Mardi Gras Ball extravaganza, for which I was the makeup artist. It was so fun to be able to have free reign to make someone look "glitzy". It's my favorite. Anyway, thought I'd post a couple pictures from the weekend to satiate everyone's hunger for a new post.

family portraits.

2008-12-28T08:34:00.001-08:00

I snapped these photos yesterday and thought I would post them because I like how they turned out.

Lucy

Paul+Lucy

Brother Paul

new year's look.

2008-12-27T15:31:00.001-08:00

This entry's model is Lexi Hauptmann (before photo above), one of Carlie's best friends! Thanks to Lexi for letting me have free reign over her face!

I decided with New Year's coming up, that I wanted to play around with a classic "going out" look. One huge misunderstanding about said look is that it requires massive amounts of makeup. WRONG!!! I can't emphasize enough how untrue that is...in fact, at the end of getting her makeup done, Lexi commented, "It feels really light!"

So, for Lexi, I used light foundation with a little concealer...she has perfect skin...and focused on the eyes. She has big beautiful brown eyes so I used a champagne colored base eyeshadow with navy in the crease to really bring them out. A little shine stick smudged on the inner corner of her eyes, pinkest of pink blush on the cheeks, shiny lipgloss and Lexi looked like she was ready for a night on the town!

Here are the snapshots:

what I used:

FACE: bare escentuals FAIRLY LIGHT; sonia kashuk concealer

EYES: Shroom by MAC; Vixen by too faced; Root Beer by Bedhead; EyeBright by Benefit

CHEEKS: Who's Your Daddy? by too faced

LIPS: Nude Flash by Maybelline

the first victim.

2008-12-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

My beautiful little sister, Carlie, was willing to be my first victim on this make-up blog experiment. The above photo is the before picture we took of her.

Carlie has had eczema, a skin condition, since she was little. For those of you unfamiliar with this condition, it leaves the skin unbearably dry and patchy if untreated. So, before I started Carlie's make-up, I was sure to use a moisturizer (which is recommended even for those of you that don't have eczema!)

The look I did on Carlie is one that I jokingly called "The New Yorker," mainly because it looks effortless but has a big pop of red-lip gloss to create a flawless finish. In my head, it's the perfect look for the city because it takes virtually no time, but makes a statement.

What I used:

FACE

Light Bare Escentuals foundation, Sonia Kashuk concealer under the eyes

EYES

Eyeshadows: "Shroom" by MAC

"Glamazon" by Too Faced

Mascara: Maybelline Colossal Volum Express

CHEEKS

Blush: "Lust to Love" by Too Faced
LIPS

Gloss: "Strawberry my Daiquiri" by the Balm

new camera.

2008-12-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

Makeup blog, here I come! I got my Christmas present a few days early this year and I'm so pumped about it! It's a Canon PowerShot SX110. I've spent the whole day reading online articles about ISO, aperture and shutter settings, and proper lighting. I'm really excited to cultivate this new desire to take quality pictures, instead of just longing after the compositions of photographically talented friends. So, here are a few shots from this afternoon!

rest.

2008-12-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

Finally, finals are nearly finished. Thank goodness. I'm usually a stress case, but I'm glad to say that I handled this round of finals with much more poise. It's such a liberating thought to think that only one more set of these horrendous tests are in my future.

Christmas break means going back to Mandeville, Louisiana...my humble hometown. I plan on being productive over the next few weeks.

Here's a glimpse into what I want to accomplish:

1) Complete my Teach in Spain application--see foto of Sevilla, where I hope to be!

2) Find a paid marketing internship for summer '09

3) See my dad play in one of his Blues gigs in New Orleans (note his idol, Stevie Ray Vaughn)

4) Read: Mere Christianity and El Alquimista

5) Compete (and win) in the annual Gingerbread House competition at the Gilbert's house

6) Start my make-up blog!

i love love.

2008-12-05T19:50:00.001-08:00

Do you have to have a "significant other" to love love?

If so, I'm a rule breaker. I'm absolutely enamoured with love (namely romance). Hand holding, love songs, poetry. I'm a sucker for the stuff.

My thorough education in Spanish literature has only added to the vice. Pablo Neruda's love poems absolutely pierce my soul.

Any Juanes lovesong lyrics have the same effect:

"Quiero vencer el miedo inmenso de morir y ser eterno junto a ti"--

"I want to conquer the immense fear of dying and be eternal together with you"

...That translation doesn't do it justice.

The beauty found in two people seeing a spark in one another, venturing to explore the other's infinite soul, simply takes my breath away. {Le sigh}

bridesmaid.

2008-11-23T21:31:00.000-08:00

How did "bridesmaids" come to be? According to some website that may have no historical accuracy, in ancient times bridesmaids would wear similar outfits to the bride to confuse evil spirits. Another website references a similar story, but the bridesmaids functioned to ward off literal thugs and thieves on the way to the groom's village.

Anyway, this weekend I was a bridesmaid. I did not ward off any thugs (nor evil spirits, as far as I know). I did not wear a dress similar to the bride's. But I did wear a beautiful cranberry dress to contrast the white one worn by the most beautiful bride. And I did not guide her to her groom's village...which I guess would be Richardson?...but the bridesmaids did accompany her to the reception where we got our groove on. It was truly a magical weekend, serene and hopeful, overflowing with love.

make up

2008-11-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

One of my passions in life is make-up. I love everything about it: the products, the possibilities, the prettiness. There's some alliteration for you. Anyway, ever since I was in fifth grade I begged my mom, "PLEASE let me wear lip gloss!". Eighth grade was monumental: I was finally allowed to wear eyeliner. Since then, my makeup collection has evolved and improved, moving from the chalky eyeshadows of Maybelline to the smooth, pigment rich ones of Urban decay and MAC. Sephora is my heaven (and the reason for my Marketing degree).

My friends have given me free reign time and again to make new creations on their faces. I've created natural looks, model-esque looks, futuristic ones, and retro ones. The possibilities are truly endless.

Every morning, I love the moment when I get to decide, "Which artistic approach will I go for today?" Makeup lasts for the perfect amount of time: just long enough to be appreciated, but doesn't overstay its welcome. The face becomes a blank pallette every night.

Enjoy these photos...maybe I should begin a make-up blog: EUREKA! more to come...

seasons and smells

2008-11-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

Fall is maybe my favorite season. I hate to select just one season to be my favorite, seeing as all the seasons have something unique and beautiful to offer. Who doesn't love snuggling up in the winter time, Christmas carols, and a handsome new scarf? Or the blooming flowers, dew, and liveliness of springtime? How about the barbecues, late nights, and carefree spirit of summer time?

But fall is an absolutely enchanting season. The warm yellows, deep reds, and burnt oranges create such a beautiful scenery that it's hard not to marvel. And one of my favorite things about fall is the way it smells. First off, the air is much crisper in the fall, as compared to the mugginess of the summer. People begin to have bonfires and the smoke adds to the wonderful scent of fall air. Inside, I try and burn my "cinnamon gingerbread" candle or bake my new favorite recipe (pumpkin bread) to keep the fall spirit alive in our home.

Thanksgiving is the quintessential fall holiday, and one I did not get to celebrate last year. I am looking forward to spending time with friends and family over the most delicious meal we may get to eat all year.

May we all enjoy this fall and remember to keep celebrating no-stress-November!

webcams

2008-11-07T09:24:00.001-08:00

Last week, I got a package from Spain. Simply receiving the package with my friend Dani's handwritten address was a joy in and of itself. But I was even happier to open it and discover what he had sent me: a book and a webcam!!!

Dani and I do what the spanish call an "intercambio", or language exchange. While lately we've been speaking mainly in Spanish, we speak both english and spanish to help improve the other's second language. It has been amazing! I have improved my speaking skills more in the states than I did in Spain!

Anyway, I decided that a webcam is one of the worst presents you can get for me because it's all I do! I will be typing up homework and I find that thirty minutes later I've done nothing (except discover that I didn't know my face could look like that!) . So, anyway, I hope you all enjoy the silly pictures we've been taking. I LOVE WEBCAMS!!!

the number three.

2008-10-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

For the past three years, I have been one of three. A third wheel, if you will. And to my joy, I consider the other two wheels to be some of the best friends I've ever had. I like to think that I bring a dimension of fun and flair to their relationship, the silly single friend who always has some jokes. For me, they serve as a beautiful model of what relationships can be: centered on God, filled with fun, and romantic all the while.

But sometimes, their model is just tooo good and I begin to feel like the little girl in the picture (obviously, the one on the right). I yearn to break away from the tricycle and form my own bicycle. It's quite the yucky feeling.

And I tell myself over, and over, and over again: "stop it!" Because jealousy sucks and it's against everything I believe about life.

Maybe it's less about the fact I'm jealous, though, and more about the fact that I get to witness firsthand the amazing blessing God can dish out to two people if they decide to honor Him in their relationship. According to the old testament, "A cord of three strands is not easily broken." Interestingly enough, God is one of three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That's the strongest bond there is. Perfect community.

Maybe if that little girl in the picture looked up instead of looking over, she wouldn't be making such a sour face. Maybe she'd be smiling.

senioritis

2008-10-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

I thought people only got senioritis in high school. But no. Senioritis is a prevalent disease in our universities as well. I believe it hit me when I realized I've been in school for sixteen years of my life. That's sixteen years of "do your best!" "Make sure and get an A". That's immense pressure. What makes me even angrier is that grades ultimately don't matter. Why do I let them control my life? So many successful people in business and other specialties were in fact horrible students. I pride myself on being a good student, but I must say, it's taken a toll on my stress levels. To be honest, I don't know where I got this from either; neither of my parents were really like this. My dad finished college later in life and he's done well for himself in his career. I think a lot of it stems from the fact that I am constantly aware of how much my parents pay for my education. Anything less than an "A" seems like a waste of their money. I feel this burden often, and I am excited to move on and become independent.

The idea of being "cut off" financially is not frightening but exhilarating. I can't wait to be in command of my own decisions in every way. I have had this independent streak since I was young. I dressed myself starting at age four, I would rip ribbons out of my hair placed there by mom, and I spent a significant amount of my childhood at the neighbor's house. One of my main focuses in high school was getting to go away to college. I've always wanted to be "my own person." So here I am at the brink of this long desired independence and I have to, yet again, study. I must make the most of it, though. College is an amazing chapter of life that I don't want to waste away being overwhelmed by school :)

why two blogs?

2008-10-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes. I agree. Two blogs seems quite excessive. However, as a native English speaker, it seems only natural for me to have an english blog on top of my spanish blog.
As a learner of a second language, it never ceases to amaze me how some things simply cannot translate. Languages express much more than simple thoughts; they express our innermost beliefs and viewpoints on life. What does "life" mean to you? Much of that answer is formed by where you live, your culture, what language you speak. Learning another language allows your worldview to become completely altered. You get to hear and understand how a completely different culture group looks at this thing called "life".
For that, I thoroughly believe language goes so much deeper than words. The mere utterance of the words "I love you" are not significant due to their vocalized tones, but because they are an attempt to express the significance of the relationship between two people. In this same way, words often fall short. When we are deeply affected by something we often respond, "I'm at a loss for words."
All this to say, language has proven to be one of my biggest passions, interests, and driving forces. So, if I speak english AND spanish... I should have an english blog, right?