Winter Nude Palette Inspiration Board

With all of the twinkling lights and holiday displays, how you can you resist adding some sparkle to your makeup?  The nude-colored fashion offerings of the season consistently attract me so it's no surprise that I chose a nude gold shimmer for my little wintertime treat.  Tarina Tarantino's Sparklicity Pure Gold shimmer powder, with its shiny gold top and box, is a sophisticated and finely milled (no glitter chunks here) powder.  It's SO shimmery that a fluffy brush tapped lightly before applying helps keep it toned down.  I like adding it to the inner eyelids of a grey smoky eye, alone on lids with lengthening mascara, or mixing it into a plain nude gloss.  It can even be used on the body (again - fluffy brush is key).

Speaking of nude glosses, if you have a friend who is also attracted to sophisticated nudes or loves high fashion, Burberry Lip Glow in No. 9 Nude Beige would make an outstanding little gift.  The Burberry packaging is some of the best I've ever seen: heavy, patterned gunmetal, classic and sleek.  The gloss color is universally flattering (a good thing when buying makeup for someone else) and is thick enough to have substance while still feeling light and smooth.  It's almost as if the texture were universally flattering too.  

The Best Concealer and Primer I've Ever Used

Right before I got married I asked my boss at the time if he had any advice for me before I ran off and tied the knot.  "Don't drink the Dom" he said.  Come again? He explained that someone was bound to give us a bottle of Dom Perignon as a gift and that I'd better not even try it because I'd love it and I could never go back to drinking the cheap stuff after that.  I've found his advice to be true with a lot of things including beauty products.  Sometimes they're so amazing I wish I'd never tried them. Cle' de Peau concealer had intrigued me for ages, winning Beauty Best awards left and right, but I steered clear due to the whopping $70 price tag. 

I mean, it's concealer - how great could it be? But one tiny swipe of the beige color while perusing a cosmetics boutique and I was stunned.  The saleswoman actually laughed and said "Perfection, isn't it."  I had been mixing two concealer colors together for years and I still never felt like I had a perfect  color match like I did on this day, let alone the feeling.  The texture is so interesting.  It's light but it covers.  It's solid, but one touch turns it into a smooth-gliding cream that's moist enough to use under the eyes but dry enough to use on the face (usually you have to use two separate concealers for these areas).  After I took it home I realized that I needed to prep the eye area with a lot of eye cream for it to look smooth.  Still the finished look was worth the extra step. Then I read a tip in Lucky Magazine by the fab beauty editor Jean Godfrey-June who said to try using L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base under the eyes before applying concealer and it will look "1,000 times less crinkly."  I was already obsessed with the L'Oreal primer but had never tried it under the eyes.  That combo really is perfection.  

Two years ago I spent countless hours scouring every makeup and skincare line looking for a primer that was thick (think spackle) that I could pat into the deep wrinkles of my mature clients.  The best I could find was that smooth silicone-feeling stuff but it was too thin and barely washed over lines and bumps.  L'Oreal's primer is thick and scoopable.  It's velvety texture gives the skin a diffused soft-focus look, even without makeup on.  I use this on almost every client and definitely on myself.  Try a light touch if you just want makeup to go on smoothly and stay on longer or use more to fill in nooks and crannies.  It's perfect for all skin types and luckily sells for around $12!

New Hampshire Beauty Haul

I'm just back from a GLORIOUS vacay in New Hampshire where I enjoyed a refreshing trip to the beach and loaded up on some new beauty goodies.  The source of my treats was none other than New Hampshire goddess Joanne McDonough of Joya Beauty.  Joanne is my "it girl" and I want to be her someday when I grow up!  Not only is she super talented and generous with all of her knowledge but she has this amazing studio where she does all kinds of things like makeup lessons and spa treatments.  One of the things that sets her apart is her custom makeup blending.  Knowing that I have a product that's made especially for me that no one else has gives me such a little thrill.  Ok, I am really LOVING the souffle' she whipped up.  They are little frosted glass pots of whipped jelly cheek color that give off this gorgeous luster.  Such a nice way to freshen the face and offset the powdered down t-zone.  I'm also trying her shimmery eye creams that dab on ever so lightly with a wand to wake up tired eyes.  Joya Beauty also carries other hard-to-find lines like Three Custom Color and I scored two of their Mood Lighting Shimmer Cremes. I am totally obsessed with the paler color Afterglow, although the golden On Fire color is great for the times when I'm more tan or for those with medium to dark skin tones.  The problem with highlighter creams is that they tend to be overly frosty or shimmery.   The pale ones  often have a pinkish tone that I'm not a big fan of. You want one that just blends into the skin and makes it look glowy without anyone detecting a streak of frost.  The cream-to-powder feel of it is exquisite and these are sheer enough for anyone to use with ease.   I think I like how light it feels and how it really isn't too powdery after it sets.  Thanks Joanne!  You never steer me wrong :)  People, if you are in New Hampshire or even passing through, you need to set aside a little time to visit Joya Beauty!

 My favorite vacation photo of the kiddos...

Sweltering Summer Skin Care

I meant to post this before going on vacation in early July but time got the better of me.  Now I'm back in the hottest and muggiest part of the year and am thankful I have these products on me. What I've learned through the years of testing summertime products is that there's no silver bullet that "feels like nothing at all".  When you're hot and sweaty, the last thing you want to do is put something on top of that.  Even so, if you want to prevent burning and aging, you've just got to.  And remember, if you don't moisturize your skin, your body will produce its own moisturizer and the only kind it can make is oil.  That's why you'll wake up with an oily sheen on your face even if you didn't put anything on.  Moisturizing will tell the skin there's no need to produce oil. Sometimes there is an initial breakout with a new product regime as your skin adjusts to everything.  This is quite normal so give things a good two weeks before you make up your mind.  Here are my top summer picks:

DAYTIME FACE - DDF (Doctor's Dermatologic Formula) Mattifying Oil Control UV Moisturizer SPF 15.  I had been using their Ultra-Lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew in SPF 15 for about seven years but I saw they had a new similar product and decided to give it a try.  I could find very little difference between the two and recommend them both.  Using these in a humid climate still feels like product on the face, but still they're the lightest feeling ones I've found.  I was surprised to find the mattifying one actually felt matte when I was on vacation in a drier climate.  No weird perfume-y smells either.  Two thumbs up!

NIGHTTIME FACE - Dr. Brandt's Pores No More Anti-Aging Mattifying Lotion.  Back in the day my only summertime concern was keeping breakouts at bay,  but now that I'm getting older I need something that also combats aging.  My go-to product for years was a sheer coat of Murad's Skin Perfecting Lotion, an oil-free super light moisturizer that did amazing things to my face overnight.  But a sample of the Dr. Brandt led me astray and I decided to give it a try.  It feels a little more matte on the skin and is producing great results.  It has an earthy smell which might be from the alpine extract used to control the oil.  I hate flowery scents but this seems doable. I highly recommend both of these.

NIGHTTIME HELPER - Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment.  I always have a little tube of gel that contains 2% salicylic acid on me.  It dries up little breakouts in a day or two and is great for prevention.  I often trace it along my hairline and dab it on my nose before I go to bed when I feel a breakout coming on.  I've tried several brands and they all seem basically the same to me so I've just resorted to buying the cheaper ones.  Clean & Clear has reformulated and repackaged theirs and it seems to blend into the skin better.  However, it now has more of an alcohol-y feeling.  I don't want to use the word "burn" but you definitely feel it on the skin at first. 

DAYTIME BODY - Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF.  I love this whole line and have the SPF 30, 70, and 100.  What's amazing about this line is that it is thicker and more "hard core" than anything I've ever used but once it's dry it is truly dry to the touch.  Kudos to the chemists who came up with this.  My mommy duties take me to many outdoor parks where I'm basically baking in the sun and these have really been a savior.  When I worked in an office and spent very little time outside in the summer, I always used my beloved fragrance free hypoallergenic Coppertone Oil Free Lotion SPF 15.  

Experts say you need at least an SPF 25 if you are spending much time in the sun but I have yet to find one for the face that is bearable.  Not giving up hope on it though.  Last but not least, don't forget your lips - any lip balm with SPF will do!        

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!     

Two Innovative, Lovely Spring Faves

Call me a traditionalist but I want my spring makeup to be fresh and pretty - even if the runways are trending otherwise.  I mean petals are blooming about and my skin looks so GOOD (not dried out like in winter or summertime greasy).  There are two major standout discoveries on the product front this spring that I'm pretty much dying over.  First was Make Up For Ever's High Definition Blush, a highly pigmented cream that comes in a pump. Cream blushes are an obsession of mine and I don't think there's anything on the market that's quite like this.  Once applied it doesn't feel like cream.  It kind of bonds to the skin (longer lasting than any I've tried) and feels smooth and weightless.  Cream-to-powder blushes come close but end up feeling and looking powdery.  This one does not- it gives off a very subtle light.  There are no shimmery particles at all so that is the mystery.  How does it subtly glow like that?  I am already using these on my brides and they love it.  The most used and universally flattering color is #3, a rose with a touch of brown  (their site calls this fuschia but it is not even close to being that bright).  A similar color for warmer complexions is # 7, a  light warm pink  described on their site as light peach.  I personally enjoy wearing the bright  peach #14.  A little goes a long way so you'll want to barely touch it and apply in a series of rapid pats and sweeps with your finger. You cannot really judge the colors by looking at them in the bottles or the site swatches so it's best to try them in person.  

I struggle with lip stains because I LOVE the look of them but I don't like the weightless feel ones.  It feels like I'm drawing on my lips with a magic marker. Others feel and smell like lipstick, which I don't wear much.  I really want to reward the people who came up with Tarte's Natural Lip Stain with LipSurgence Technology.  This solid gel (just like their amazing cheek stain) feels like a minty moist lip balm but leaves a stain behind when it wears off.  The closes thing I've tried is a tinted lip balm, but those don't come in a gel form and don't leave behind a stain.  It feels GREAT on the lips and looks so fresh!  As an added bonus, I have finally found a gorgeous SHEER tomato red lip product that can be worn in spring . Although the color is called Lust, I don't think it's too overtly sexy.  I hope they come up with more colors.  I feel like their future cult favorite color that everyone will love is just around the corner.

My Very Own Freida Pinto

Anjali is not a model but she is one of those "regular people" that is quite a head turner!  When I first met her it was during Slumdog Millionaire mania.  Like everyone who watched the movie, I was enthralled with Freida Pinto's beauty.  Then she was featured in that pinup style photo for Vanity Fair and I totally wanted to re-create it.  I asked Anjali to be my Freida and was so glad she was into it.  As the  planning progressed, we began to lose sight of the retro theme and it took a new direction,  She wanted big hair and I wanted to use my Liquid Metal greenish gold cream shadow from Illmasqua.  What a fun night vamping it up for the camera!

 

Bowled Over

Nicole is from a family of hard core bowlers so it was no surprise to learn that she met her man (where else?!)...bowling!  And while the girls spent the morning of the wedding primping, he was (what else?!)...getting in a few frames before the ceremony.  I loved this family so much and really enjoyed spending time with them.  Nicole wanted a very classic look for herself and the wedding details so she chose a classic updo for her hairstyle.  She had been using black eyeliner with white shimmery shadow but I thought it was a bit too stark of a look for her.  We softened it with an espresso brown liner with taupe and shimmery champagne shadow accents.  She loved it and agreed that it suited her skin tone and style perfectly. Like many people, Nicole's eyelids tend to get oily so we primed them with Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion and used Tarte's waterproof creaseproof Lock and Roll Eyeshadow Duo in rose gold on the lids.  Nicole's sister (who was more nervous than her!) opted for a "french twist with a twist" hairstyle.  Nicole surprised her with a beautiful gift of custom made jeweled hair pins - perfect for an updo.  Mom went for a nice blowout to give her bob a little shape and movement and very natural makeup to show off her beautiful skin.  I heard the groomsmen were blown away when they saw the ladies.  That's what I like to hear!  Good luck Nicole!  I wish you and Frankie the very best.  These lovely images were taken by Zaven's Photography for Bella Pictures.

MAC Pro Master Class + new MAC faves

Every year I try and take a MAC Pro Master Class because I learn so much from watching these master  artists and really feel a sense of inspiration afterwards.  The New York pro store is also an amazing space that was clearly built to inspire.  Kudos to MAC for choosing Keri B to teach the bridal class which I thought was the best I'd ever attended. Keri was very  prepared and willing to share information with us, from business and social aspects of working with brides to kit essentials and techniques.  Of course the big treat for everyone was watching her "build" the model's face layer by layer.  I loved the way she moved the Tete-a-Tint eye shadow (a warm matte caramel color) throughout the crease of the eye, coaxing it up towards the inner eyebrow and outer eye.  The matte color contrasted with the shimmery pigments on the lid were such a beautiful balance.  I pledged myself to use warmer colors more often on blue-eyed blondes.  After all, as our teacher pointed out, blue and orange are complimentary colors on the color wheel.   Look how BLUE the model's eyes seem framed in the warm colors.

My super new favorite product I had to have after the demo was the eyeliner she used to line the inner rim of the lids.  Longwearing waterproof Powerpoint pencils are one of my kit staples but the burnished gold color Power Surge is amazing (downside: these are the hardest MAC liners to blend).  I'm already thinking ahead for summer when dark liner just looks too heavy and this shimmering almost-khaki will look great with my green eyes and a light (fake! :) tan.  I don't see the color listed on the MAC website...panic panic...but I found one easily in a MAC store. My other favorite from the class is Shaping Powder in Lightsweep,  a limited edition pro product that you can only buy in MAC stores that sell the pro line.  This is the most absolutely subtle highlighter I have ever seen.  It  looks just like a powder compact but it is velvety goodness!  Brides and highlighters don't always go hand in hand.  A lot of them are just too shimmery or sparkly for photographs or a long day.  When buffed into the skin, this gives you that barely discernable lit-from-within glow.  I just used it on a bride yesterday and it looked GORGEOUS.  Thank you Keri B for an afternoon very well spent!

  

Smitten Kitten

The morning of Tricee's wedding I saw her groom in the lobby by himself grinning from ear to ear. He didn't see me watching him but he was almost floating on air with happiness. I almost expected him to skip down the street and jump up and click his heels together! Out of all the grooms I've met, he wins the award for most smitten. It's easy to see why when you meet Tricee, the picture of classic simple elegance. I think she may have been a First Lady in a former life.

The wedding took place in their home on a beautiful sunlit morning. The soft rosy makeup look was perfect for this time of day. A key product for achieving this look was Graftobian's Hi-Def Creme Blush Palette. This is one of the longer lasting cream blushes I have found as it lightly stains the skin and every color in the palette is beautiful. I must admit Tricee had me losing sleep when she told me that if we did not find the perfectly understated not-too-light not-too-dark smudge free mascara she would just not wear any. WHAT?! No mascara?!! The thought of sending her down the aisle without any physically pained me. Luckily she and I both shopped it up for mascaras and found a winner. It came down to the wire with her hairstyle, as we were still not completely decided about it on the morning of the wedding. In the end, she decided too much volume on top and too much hair pulled back looked overdone for the overall feel of the occasion. I was so happy when I received an email from her saying her beloved was over the moon when he saw her and that he was glad I had "preserved her natural beauty". Yay! Thank you to David Lindner Photography for the photos. Good luck Tricee! I can't wait to hear about your second overseas wedding!

Back to the Field Makeup Solutions

My years in Washington, DC gave me the opportunity to work with amazing women who have dedicated much of their careers to working overseas. Whether they are professional humanitarians, Peace Corps volunteers, government, NGO, or U.N. workers, returning from a long stint overseas often means a big readjustment to the beauty routine. Power suits and professional makeup and hair are a must in that town so you need to kick it up a notch! This weekend I did a makeup lesson, hairstyling lesson, and guided shopping trip with a woman who works for the State Department. She will be spending the next seven months in DC for language training before returning to a new assignment in a hot and muggy Asian country so the focus was preparing a beautiful professional look to beat the heat.

A common thread amongst nearly every returnee is the toll it has taken on the skin around their eyes. EYE CREAM people! PLEASE! This woman's skin was also prone to breakouts so I recommended an oil-free budge-proof regime. She had been using mineral makeup but I convinced her to ditch it because it was the kind that needs to be buffed which would only enhance the shiny look. A nice alternative might have been a pressed mineral compact (not as messy and no need to buff) but I didn't think she'd get enough coverage from it. We visited the Laura Mercier counter where I had her try on the long-wearing buildable coverage oil-free foundation. It looked gorgeous but I still recommended that she walk around with it on to see how it felt after time. It held up well through the day and felt lightweight so she ended up purchasing it. I also recommended Laura's undercover pot which is a trio of her beautifully creamy undereye concealer (my favorite out of all brands and great for eyes that need moisture), a drier concealer for facial blemishes, and a translucent powder to press on the concealer and set it. We decided that something simple for everyday would be best on eyes so I showed her my favorite all-day-wearing cream shadows from MAC, Bobbi Brown, and Benefit. She has brown hair and blue eyes so she can wear both browns and greys. Benefit's pewter colored creaseless cream eyeshadow (a warm grey with a brown olive tinge) in skinny jeans was the winning color and the perfect middle ground. I showed her how to use her pinky to apply it darker on the outer half of her eyelid first and then keep it more sheer on the inner half. Warning! This product sets very quickly so you have to work fast to blend it properly. Waterproof mascara, some highly pigmented powder blush, and Smashbox's limitless long wearing lip gloss in infinite finished up the lovely and long-lasting look.

Like many people who have thin oil-prone hair, she does not put any product in it. That only makes it worse! We determined that her shampoo and conditioner were weighing it down from the start. Our key theme for hair was VOLUMIZING. She needed volumizing shampoo and conditioner (only use on the tips of hair if tangled-not at the scalp) and volumizing mousse to add body and help stop oil production at the roots. I begged her to blowdry it upside down in the months that weren't too hot just to give it some body. Another option is to sleep with wet moussed hair in the hotter months. It will need a little re-styling in the morning but will have much more body than just wash-n-go. I'm looking forward to getting my post-report from her on how everything is working out!

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!