Floral Mountains: Alexa Smothers

Hello lovely readers. Alexa here to share with you my go-to eye makeup. I love this eye because you can dress it up or down, depending on the lip. Lets begin!

I start by prepping the area around my eye and create my brows (you can find my brow tutorial here). Normally, I would prep my eye and finish my shadow before applying my foundation, but for the sake of the tutorial, I went ahead and finished everything. I do that to keep the fall-out from the eye shadow from my face.

Next, I apply a taupe or ash brown shadow to my crease, and into the outer corner. I apply it with a bigger shadow brush, like the one shown in the photo. I make sure to follow my natural eye shape while doing this.

After that, I use a smaller, more precise brush to apply a warmer brown to the outer corner, and halfway up the crease. This color also goes on the bottom lash line. I apply by looking upward and sweeping back and forth.

A deeper brown is then applied to the outer corner and blended slightly along the top lash line. I use an off white shadow on the lid, inner corner and brow bone, and then blend with the same brush.

I take an angled brush and dip it in my liner, and draw a small line starting from the corner of my eye, and drawing toward the end of my brow. I create a small triangle and fill it in, and then continue brushing my liner along my top lash line.

Using a white pencil, I color in my water line on the bottom, and also the inner corner. This will make the eyes appear bigger.

Finish off with some mascara.

Thanks for reading!

Have a lovely Valentine's Day from Alexa & Sarah.

Details : Shadow Palette/Eyeliner/White Pencil/Mascara

Friends, I am so excited to present to you the first collaboration and feature here on Floral Mountains. I want to introduce to you my dear and beautiful friend, Alexa Brooke Smothers of Horizon and Form. Alexa will be visiting my blog once every couple of months to show you how to highlight your natural aesthetic through the beauty industry.

I met Alexa via internet about a year ago. I was immediately drawn to her sense of creativity that she portrayed through her style and appearance. I then set up an appointment with her at the salon she worked at in Springfield for a small cut and conversation. To say the least, we hit it off. We chatted about blogging, style, personal creative goals, photography, and music. This lady was definitely my type. From there on out we kept in touch through social networking… I started blogging and not long after Alexa began her personal blog, Horizon and Form.

Thereafter, we decided to work together. I can’t wait for you all to discover her talents while revealing a little something about yourself along the way. I want you all to get to know Alexa, so here are a few Questions I thought would help us identify and relate with her.

Q : What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

A: For as long as I can remember it has been filled with lipstick and hairspray. Among the cosmetology side of life, I love capturing the world around me behind a camera; sometimes I like to be in front of it. I love creating things that make the every day prettier, whether it’s planting a cactus to put on a shelf, or putting an outfit or shoot together.

When I'm not creating, you can find me with an xbox controller in my hand and snuggled by my husband to be, or out nurturing my shopping addiction with thrifting.

Q: Explain what you do professionally.

A: I've been a professional cosmetologist since the beginning of 2012 and an aspiring photographer for years before. Loving everything about the industry, it’s hard to pick just one outlet. I tend to lean toward makeup artistry, however, I would love to eventually be able to have a business, where hair makeup and photography are a one stop shop.

Q: How long have you been practicing hair and makeup?

A: Practicing hair and makeup was never foreign to me. Home-schooled until high school and having an aunt and grandmother with a salon, I basically grew up in it, which definitely spawned and inspired my love for all things fashion. Even as a slight tom boy, growing up in the middle of nowhere, I would braid my hair to go climb a tree, because that was the "look" for tree climbing. Yeah, I did that.

I got my first camera as a gift at the age of 14, and shortly after that I began doing my friends hair and makeup for prom, senior pictures or we would create a shoot just for fun. Because of my love for it, the career kind of found me.

Q: What makes you passionate about hair and makeup?

A: I am so passionate about what I do because I love the look on someone’s face, when you can tell you have brightened their day. In a world that pushes products upon products and edited beyond belief photos on our society, I love being able to show someone that they are beautiful with what they were given.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: I would describe my style as eclectic minimalist. I love unique pieces, but don't like to over do it. This is the same with my hair and make-up. A bold lip or an overly curly mop is right up my alley, but its all about balance.

My comfort outfit is a high waist pant with a crop top and bold shoe, or a funky dress and hat and always, always a cat eye.

Q: Tell us about your career currently and your dreams for the future.

A: Currently, I am trying to find a salon job as I just moved to Nashville a few weeks ago! I plan on being behind the chair, along with freelance makeup and photography until I eventually can do it all self-employed.