Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Beach and Gardens

A few blog posts ago I mentioned the hair and makeup I did for the lovely Summer Rayne Oakes for her L.A. book launch party of her book "Style, Naturally". She posted some great pictures and gave me a nice little shout out on the blog, so check it out here:


http://www.summerrayne.net/index.php/2009/03/18/style-naturally-la-launch-party/


Also, one of the shoots I did last year or so was posted on the Behance Network, and when I stumbled upon it I thought you lovely readers would like to see it :) So here is a link to that:

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Beach/180069

I did a shoot with my most favorite photographer Courtney Dailey about a week and half ago, so once she finishes editing them I shall post them for your viewing pleasure.

I may post a blog tonight about some new Smashbox products I bought...stay tuned!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

A Luster In My Eye

Spring is here...the flowers are in bloom, the birds are singing and it's time for me to purchase a few new color products from Spring/Summer collections to add to my kit to keep it current.

Since I've been doing quite a bit of event makeup and commercials, much of my work needs to reflect the trends of the moment, rather than the upcoming fashion season.

I've found a few little gems that I am absolutely loving and so I thought I'd blog about them here for your viewing (and perhaps purchasing) pleasure :)

Too Faced Cosmetics Luster Liners


While these little pencils have been out for a couple of months, I somehow recently noticed how a couple of these colors are perfect for the Spring trends for lips...and to add that I absolutely adore the finish and feel of the product. It has a slight cooling effect and they go on quite opaque.

These are advertised as lip liner, but they are chubby and you can easily use them like lipstick. They also come with their own sharpener so you can keep them sharp and sanitary for your clients.

My current favorite colors are South Sea, Caspian and Akoya. Gorgeous!

NARS Summer '09 Collection

So while I love all of my NARS products, I am really excited about some of the new products and color combination that NARS came out with for their Summer color collection. What found it's way into my kit (and dare I say...my heart?)

NARS eyeshadow in Tropic. What can I really add but that it's a truly gorgeous shade of teal. Not too green, not too blue which means it will look absolutely fantastic on everyone. *yay!* Don't let the tiny sparkles fool you. This will not turn into a hot glittery mess. It gives a subtle sheen that looks marvelous on set as well as "in real life".



NARS Falbala Lipstick

It's just a pearly gorgeous bronzy/beigey shade that will look hot paired with any vibrant shadow that is so in for Summer. Truly beautiful.



NARS Outsider Lipstick

It's pearly in consistency and copper in color. Could you really want anything else in a lipstick for Summer? This shade will go perfectly with bronzed eyes (or cheeks!) and will look lovely on medium to dark skin tones. *Love!*

For a little twist I am also adding a drugstore foundation find that I recently tried and decided that I love!

Max Factor Pan Stick Foundation



This little gem has been a cult favorite since it's release in the 1940's. I had a coupon for one, so I decided to give it a whirl. Wow! Was I impressed. The consistency, opacity and finish reminded me of my Gerda Spillman ( the foundation of choice for the American Idol makeup artists) although I must say the Max Factor is slightly less "dewy" and imparts a very nice satiny matte finish.

While I don't usually suggest buying drugstore foundation for one's kit, I understand there are instances in life in which emergencies happen (my good friend once had her car broken in to and her entire kit was stolen, and when she went out to go ready her kit for her 6 a.m. shoot, she discovered it was gone) and you need a reliable foundation that will do in a pinch. I can confidently recommend these foundation to anyone who finds themselves in a situation like that and can't get to a pro store, or can't find one that is open (let's face it, Walgreen's is open 24 hours...Frend's not so much).

So for the week, these are my new loves and I hope to discover (and report!) some others in the coming days :)

Monday, April 6, 2009

Getting Back To Business

I have said it before, and I will say it again - I am a bad, bad blogger. I sort of have an excuse. I've been quite sick and I am just feeling better so here I am getting back into the swing of things, and most definitely back to business!

So as promised, here is the roundup of Day 2 of the L A Makeup Show

It was certainly much less crowded on Day 2. I think that fact that it was Monday and 2/3 of the Sunday crowd had to go back to work.

My artist friends and I started off the day by taking in K.J. Bennett's lecture on ensuring makeup on-set lasts. It was a little loud on the sales floor, so the closer you were to the stage, the better.

When then proceeded to buy more cosmetic goodies and see if any "extra show" specials were to be had. I purchased more Face Atelier glosses (at 3 for $23, how could I not? That's better than the 40% off discount I get!) and I bought some more velour puffs for on-set needs.

I was also finally able to get some more Crown Brushes (it was virtually impossible on Sunday) finally bought some coveted Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder (LOVE it!)

We were there a considerably less amount of time since we had done most of our shopping on Sunday, but it was great to meet up with and see friends, and of course make new ones. The amount of cosmetic companies there was great, and there truly were some great show deals on alot of the merchandise.

Friday I have a shoot at CBS studios, so I shall blog about that and I have a couple of product reviews coming up. I promise to be a better blogger for those who actually read my blog ;)