Krystal Hardy, founder of Age of Aquarius Artistry, Make-up Artist, Beauty Editor for IKon Magazine, and Cosmetic Consultant is making flames down in Miami. Originally from Wisconsin, Krystal moved to Miami to pursue her career as a make-up artist.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Krystal as a Make-up Artist extraordinaire! I must say outside of her amazing make-up skills, she has a great personality and is really down to earth. A true artist at heart.

As you can image when 2 make-up artists combined it was a little hard to stay on track, but I was able to stay focused for a hot second to complete the interview….

Model: Juliette Black /Photography: davidbenolielphtography.com

LYB: So Krystal when and how did you start doing make-up?

Krystal: It was completely by accident. I grew up as a tom-boy and was never into make-up really. I was working for a magazine after college, but that did not work out, so I started working for Marshal Fields for a while in the cosmetics department. I fell in love with it! First with facial care, because you can’t enjoy make-up unless your skin is in good condition and then I started experimenting with colors and duplicating looks I saw in magazines in my spare time.

LYB: How would you describe your art if you could categorize it?

Krystal: Make-up is an art and usually people in the industry understand that. Uhm, I never really thought about that. I would say innovative because I don’t do a lot of conventional things or use the conventional colors. I’m always striving to be different. I usually do what comes to my head. I never really sit down and design a look.

LYB: What music genre emulates your makeup style?

Krystal: Classical – It’s a smooth edge, timeless and is still very different and unique. I grew up on Classical music. I used to play the violin and mom loved it as well.

Model: Juliette Black /Photography: davidbenolielphtography.com

LYB: What motivates you?

Krystal: Family, I do this for my family. It was really hard for me to move out here because we are a really close-net family. And for young artists, when I see that they love my work, it motivates me and inspires me to work harder. I moved to Miami with the company that I work for part-time and plus Miami is bigger in the fashion realm.

LYB: What are your favorite products?

Krystal: Mascara – I’m so picky with mascara - MAC false lashes; Lip Color – I jump around as long as it has a nice pigment and is blendable; Foundation – MAC face & body – I use that probably 75% of the time. It’s natural, easy to work with it. IMAN foundations and powders are also good for women of color.

LYB: What are your top 3 “Must Haves” for your own makeup kit?

Krystal: I have to have a really nice concealer, you can do so much with that, you can use as a base for eye shadow or for eye brow shape, a neutral lip gloss, and a nice mascara (MAC false lashes).

Model: Juliette Black /Photography: davidbenolielphtography.com

LYB: What is your favorite makeup look?

Krystal: Everyday beauty I love to 3 colors on the eye. It’s about taking the time in separating the eye into 3. As long as you keep it separate you can create so many looks. I like to keep it simple. Light shadow on the lid, mid tone on the lid, dark in the crease, and a soft foundation powder (colors are subject to their skin tone); a little bit of blush; and a neutral lipstick or a bright lipstick; and sometimes fake lashes, not the “drag queenish” ones!

LYB: Give us some healthy skin tips.

Krystal: Making sure that you use a cleanser that is appropriate for your skin type, moisturizing, having a good scrub and a good mask. My best line is Origin. It’s all natural. They use a lot of white tea in their products and a lot of aromatherapy.

Model: Juliette Black /Photography: davidbenolielphtography.com

LYB: And just for fun, what is your New Year’s resolution?

Krystal: I really didn’t make on this year. 2010 was a great year for me and I want to keep that going for 2011.

You can learn more about Krystal at her blog: www.krystalhardy.blogspot.com

Model: Leidy J / Makeup: Krystal Hardy / Hair: Jasmin Lisboa / Styling: Ace Stylista /Photography: Maksimilian Dikarev

KISS MAGAZINE “The Difference”

I fall victim to this all the time, with myself and with my clients. I get spontaneously creative with eye make-up and foundations, contouring and highlighting as if I was really painting on a canvas; however, my creativity sneaks away when it comes to lips. Should I use a lip pencil, lipstick, or gloss; do I need to line the lips and if so what color; what color liner should I use with what lip color? Hmmmm…. And with all these uncertainties at the end of the day I always go with the famous, yet safe nude lip. I mean really, who can go wrong with a nude lip color? The worst I’ve seen is going too nude where you have the zombie lips (ya’ll know what I’m talking about, a nude lip that is too light, making a person look like all their natural color has been drained from their lips, yeah that lip).

With 80’s fashion being recycled into the 2000’s, rocking big hair, purple tights, and pink Reeboks has become the norm. Color is what’s in; even guys are wearing the once so girlie pinks and purples coordinating with their exclusive, one of a kind, “you can’t find these in the stores” purple and gray J’s. Ladies, so quick to throw on your red sequenced tank and leather skirt and dare not to wear a red lipstick! You should be ashamed of yourself for depriving your lips from sexiness that a red color can create! That’s like wearing, red lace Secrets with sweat socks! Not a good look!

So, where does this insecurity or fear of wearing a lip color come from? Don’t get me wrong, I love a nude lip and I recommend it for most looks; however not every look. Most women that I’ve come across stay away from lip color simply because they think that they are too dark or too light for it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “Oh, no I’m too dark for pink”! Really? I mean have you ever seen Black Barbie? She has been rocking the pink and red lip since the 60’s! No woman is too dark or too light for any color, that’s why there are multiple shades of reds and pinks. Just because one shade of pink isn’t your color doesn’t mean they all are. Try testing out a few different shades before you all out say NO to a color. Just the other day I was playing in my pink lipsticks, trying to find a perfect pink for me. After mixing a fuchsia pink with a light baby pink, I came up with a color that made me feel like Barbie myself. So much that I damn near slept in it. And I’m the girl that is a groupie when it comes to natural looks, so you can try to imagine how daring it was for me to rock red lipstick out one night. I felt a little out of my comfort zone at first but as soon as I looked in the mirror I knew I was on fire and the slew of compliments I received that night confirmed it.

So ladies, add some diversity to your make-up game. Switch out some players and don’t leave your lips sitting on the bench all the time. If you wear a dramatic or colorful eye, keep a nude lip with a hint of color from your liner. And next time you want to keep it natural and simple with the eyes, go bold with a colorful lip. Sometimes a little mascara and a red tube of lipstick is all you need!