The Makeup Show NYC 2010 Report

I had such a great experience (as always!) at The Makeup Show NYC this weekend.  It is certainly sensory overload from the minute you enter this trade show.  One of the first things everyone notices is the body painters.  I am always amazed at the type of creativity and precision that these artists possess!

The big highlight for me is getting up close and personal with famous and legendary Makeup Artists.  This year attendees were treated to a keynote presentation by Charlie Green!  Not only did we get to pepper her with questions about makeup and her career, we got to watch her do a smoky eye step by step just like she would do on a sexy celeb or perhaps one of her Victoria's Secret models.  I won't even attempt to describe her quirky and eclectic style which made it all the more fun to watch.

  

And speaking of smoky eyes, my favorite seminar, Achieving Editorial Beauty with Jon Hennessey, featured a beautiful editorialized version.  In other words, it's the type of makeup that you might see in a fashion magazine instead of the red carpet or on a celeb.  The way he manipulates the skin and eyes with very little product is really something.  I especially loved hearing his thought process about achieving these looks ("How can I take this basic idea and make it my own?  How can I modify this color, shape, or texture?"), where he finds inspiration, and how he tries to push his artistry continually in new directions. 

 

The kids from MAC Pro never disappoint either!  Keri B and Romero J tag teamed to show us lots of backstage runway tips and tricks, all while taking typical kit items and making them work quickly for any challenge.  Who knew you could prep brown brows and then comb through concealer to turn them blonde?!  Loved the cheek sculpting method too!

Of course the main attraction for the 4,000 makeup artists that attended was meeting up with industry friends shopping like crazy!  Some newcomers such as the Inglot booth were so crowded I could only get my hands on some thick and deliciously sticky pots of gloss called AMC lip paint.  These were exactly like NARS lip lacquers but with more colors to choose from. Another thick and long-lasting gloss discovery was from Armour Beauty. Impressive staying power! There were some surprises such as the Egon Schiele Cosmetics booth.  My husband is a huge fan of Schiele's artwork but he doesn't exactly conjure up images of lovely ladies the way some artists like Vermeer did.  Turns out the lady at the booth (founder perhaps?) was friends with the Schiele family.  Very cool story!  I revisited the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics booth again, to buy some more of last year's breakout hit: Lip Tar.  They have re-packaged it and added new beautiful colors. Lip tar is so extremely pigmented it's like putting house paint on your lips and having it dry into a smooth satiny finish. There is nothing else like it out there.  Some of the vendors were nice enough to give us some goodies for free!  Thanks L'Oreal Studio Line and Geri G. Cosmetics!

My niece had just graduated from high school three days before the show and tagged along to learn more about a career in makeup artistry.  She was blown away by the experience.  Thank you to The Powder Group (TPG) for producing another amazing show!     

Face to Face with my Idol

I met Jeanine Lobell yesterday and I am still floating on cloud 9. When I found out that she was going to appear at the Healing Arts for Haiti event, I freaked out and made the kids trek with me into the city in hopes of catching a glimpse of her or hearing her speak. Not only did I see her, she put makeup on me!!! Seriously, it was heaven. Jeanine is the creator of Stila cosmetics and a brilliant makeup artist. I have been a Stila fan since the late 90s. I loved all of the innovative products and packaging she came up with, the seasonal limited edition palettes were consistently gorgeous, and they even had little mini booklets with step by step directions so people could learn how to "get the look" after buying the products. The weightless feel lip stains, the now famous click-turn pen style lip glosses, the wet/dry shadows, the anti-bacterial touch pad foundation, the lipstick colors named after the movie stars who wore them, the illuminating properties of the products, the multi-use stuff such as convertible color, the quotes from famous women on the inside of the shadows...all of these things rocked my world back then. Most of all, when cruising through the department stores looking at the various makeup lines, Stila's aesthetic always stood out to me as a beauty ideal. Fresh, pretty, fun. Jeanine is still a busy working makeup artist. Here are a few recent magazine covers.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking with her while she put makeup on me. We discussed what kind of projects she is doing now, a little product talk, and she gave me some great advice about integrating kids into your life as a makeup artist (she has four!). I loved what she did on my eyes especially and I wish I had a picture that did it justice. The look was dark plum but up close there was very carefully blended in shimmery parts that made the whole thing look illuminated in certain light (you can see a bit of this in the Liv Tyler cover). She used a pale shimmery mauve-y color to line the inner rim of the eye which I would have never thought to do. It balanced so nicely with my green eyes but didn't make them look smaller. I spent the rest of the evening doing a happy dance and studying my face in the mirror. What a treat!

MAC Pro fashion week class + Lady Gaga 4 viva glam

MAC flatiron store & Chic Studios NYC presented a wonderful pro class on Monday, complete with demos of two fashion week inspired runway looks using MAC's newest products. Artists were also treated to an exclusive sneak peak days before the official launch of the two new viva glam lipsticks inspired by Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga that [sidebar: I was mortified when a youngster sitting near me had no idea who Cyndi Lauper was!]. Cyndi's lipstick is a fresh strawberry red - nothing sultry or vampy - that is perfect for spring and for those who like a bright mouth or a new spin on red. Gaga's is a real baby pink that balances out a smokey eye. Both have a lustre finish (shiny and moist feeling) and come in the coolest red chrome packaging with the artist's autograph on it. Best of all, MAC donates 100% of the price to its AIDS fund.

One of the demonstrations focused on an alternative to the usual shading in the eyes crease. This look had a dark matte color shaded on the inner and outer crease corners but left the center of the eye blank. Super shimmery crushed metal pigments were pressed and buffed into the center of the lid and crease to really elongate the entire eye. I thought this was a great technique for runway as it can really be seen from a distance. I also agreed wholeheartedly with the presenter's comments about creating texture. You have to use combinations (e.g. matte + shimmer + satin shadows) to get a textured look. Drugstore eyeshadow quads often have four shimmery colors that do not allow for this. I adored every well-chosen eye shadow in the plum-themed quad used in this demo (you can see her holding it in the picture).

The other demonstration showcased all three of their new Spring Colour Forecast blush ombres (gradiated shades of color in one huge blush compact that can also be used as eye shadow). The first look paired several of the colors together in a light wash that was meant to look like someone who had light from a stained glass window reflecting on them. Clever! The second look showed the ripe peach blush used on the eyes and face, paired with my favorite pigment color of all time: melon. We were all enamoured with the way the artist, Reagan, used the 239 eye shader brush to press the pigments on and sculpt the eye and lip details.

Besides the presentation, it is always fun to network and exchange information with other makeup artists. I sat next to a budding YouTube sensation, Jinah chae , whose broadcasts focus on makeup for asians with monolids (no crease in the eye). We both agreed that most makeup books that deal with the issue (sadly) focus on creating something that looks like a crease with makeup. To me, it's the equivalent of super overdrawn lip lines - it doesn't usually look realistic or good. She has inspired so many girls to embrace their monolids instead of hoping to surgically change them or wear the dreaded little tape thingys that force your eye into a crease shape (yes there are such things). I met such a fun variety of people working in several different aspects of artistry. I also got to catch up with one of the leaders of our NYC Makeup Artists Meetup Group, Genevieve Santos, who was a model for the demos. Oh and we got to shop! A wonderful night!