I did a super-easy black and white nail design that I call “tuxedo nails.” Because- they are super streamlined and chic looking, IMO. The absolute best part of this nail design, which I came to find out during the week … Continue reading
So I stumbled on these 2 links a while back, and decided to make my own “Scotch Tape Manicure”. http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/12-amazing-diy-nail-art-designs-using-scotch-tape http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/04/sticky-situation/ I used, Pinkalicious and Impeccable Greys from Maybelline’s Color Show line as my 2 base colours, then used white, … Continue reading
I am seriously wishing for spring… Just hoping for some warm weather and the re-appearance of one of my fave trendy colours this year, mint. I have 2 mint green shades of nail lacquer that I am in love with … Continue reading
In keeping with the Irish holiday this year, I decided to really get into the spirit of St Patrick’s day by doing some festive nail painting! I really wanted to do something simple and classy, and realistically wearable. I’m not … Continue reading
Brides ask a ton of questions… the poor things are so bogged down with wedding plans and price lists, menus and measurements they often lose out on the details. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I get from my brides, and ones that I hear from fellow MUA’s with many of the same FAQs. Here goes…
1: Do I REALLY need a Makeup Artist? “Becky, my friend from high school is really good at eyeshadow! My sister always does her makeup really well, I’m sure she can do mine! I know, I’ll just go to MAC, get one of the girls to paint my face and then buy all the products, and I’m set!”
No, please do not go with Becky, “sister” or MAC-Lady. Yes, You do REALLY need a Makeup Artist. You need one who understands you, your style, the wedding esthetic, and is a real Professional. Not some girl who likes to play with lipsticks who is ‘really good at eyeshadow’. You need a pro who is good at doing ‘a whole face’.
On your big day, it is imperative that you get a few moments to relax before ceremony time. You want to get an artist who is mobile and will come to you so you have less running around to do on that day. You also want to make sure you did a trial with her before the day of so that the two of you know there is a plan in place. It is going to be your most photographed day of your ENTIRE LIFE. Hire a pro who can make you look good from every angle, in every light, and in your photographs and video. Someone who understands that a bride sweats, gets shiny, kisses people endlessly, and needs to stand out above everyone else in her photos. Get an artist who will make you shine, and, make you comfortable and confident in their skills. Even if you pay more for a mobile artist, the relaxation time and worry-free moments prior to the ceremony will be invaluable and is money very, very, well spent.\
2: Why do I need to leave a deposit?
Do all the rest of your bridal contractors take a retainer fee/deposit? Yes they do. It’s because no one wants to have a client retract services at the last minute and leave them high and dry. This happens, especially in a business where a couple sets a budget and often spend several thousand dollars over budget but don’t realize it until the last moment.
Leave your retainer for the date you are booking, and try to pay your balance prior to the date. Some artists ask to be paid the balance 30 days prior to the wedding, others ask that the balance be paid on the day but give you the option to pay in advance if you wish. If you can financially manage it, pay in advance. It’s one less envelop of money to worry about giving out on the big day.
3: Can I negotiate the price? I never budgeted for a makeup/hair artist for the wedding 😦
Firstly, don’t let this happen to you. Budget it in. You’re budgeting in something for everyone else that day from music, tuxes, food, entertainment, etc. so remember to include something just for you in the budget too.
Should you try to negotiate price? Some artists may budge, some may not. Artists who post their rates directly on their websites are usually of the ‘no-nonsense’ types and don’t play games with their vendors. Some Artists use the idea of not having rates public to either try to make contact with a potential client who may not have contacted them because their price is too high for the client or to make an individualized quote depending on how deep a client’s pocket is. You can try to negotiate, but always remember that you get what you pay for. Now if Gina around the way is charging you $10 for ‘just the eyes’ and you’re happy with her, go for it. But you can always find a great artist for a reasonable price. Pricing also depends on your geographical location. Ask a friend and see if that artist will give a referral discount. Book a large party and see if they will throw in the false eyelashes for free. You never know what you may get by negotiating, but in the end, be prepared to pay their worth if they are a worthy Artist.
4: Will you do touch-up services?
Now every artist is different in terms of what they do to perform their job, but professionally, I never recommend that a client do ‘touch-up services’. If a client needs a secondary makeup application, the Artist should start with a clean canvas and do a new application. Piling makeup on top of a sweaty, shiny, oily face is bad for the Artist’s brushes, bad for their makeup, and bad for the client. It will photograph as caked-on, opaque, heavy or even with a big colour difference (especially in women of colour). So no, no touch-up services. Please ask for details regarding a secondary application. If you have many hours between the ceremony and reception, this may be a great add-on for you.
5: I ONLY like ______ products! Do you use______ (<—- Insert consumer brand name cosmetic company here)?
Most artists I know are not brand loyal. We are not interested in selling you the products, we are interested in selling you our skills. Sometimes we may use items that are from a ‘prestige brand’ and sometimes we may use an item that is from the drugstore beauty section, but either way, we use items that perform. Period. An artist may use a Skinfinish by MAC or a blush colour from NARS, but their whole kit & caboodle usually doesn’t come from one place. And the mark of a good artist is someone who uses what WORKS, not just what looks expensive to a client. And therein lies the difference between what an Artist may buy verses what a client may buy. There are some notable differences between Pro brands and Consumer brands which often affects an Artist’s purchasing choices. Consumers often buy products because they are new, exciting, and marketed well. Pros use brands because they work, they perform, they are highly pigmented, waterproof, hypoallergenic, etc. We don’t care if it comes in a jar, bin or bucket. If it works well, we want it. It doesn’t need an expensive name scrawled across the outside packaging to impress us. The fact that our colleagues all talk about how well it performs is proof enough for us.
Also, many, many artists need travel friendly kits so they often downsize by ‘depotting’. This term is used to describe the many ways we artists eliminate heavy and bulky packaging by taking our makeup items (blush, eyeshadow, powder, bronzer, etc) out of their packaging and putting them in flat empty palettes that hold a multitude of items. This saves us on lots of space. Many Artists also downsize liquids (foundations, liquid bronzers, face cream, toner, etc) by putting them in small 1/8, 1/4, or 1/2 oz bottles to eliminate the heaviness & high possibility of breakage of carrying several glass bottles in our kits. Cream products (lipsticks, concealers, cream foundations) are also often downsized too in all kinds of flat palettes for ease of mixing and, again, to eliminate packaging & weight. Which means when an Artists opens their kit and it’s full of downsized items, they could be any brand: an Artist may be using an Urban Decay eyeshadow, a La Femme blush, a Ben Nye powder, a Joe Blasco concealer, and a Revlon Lipstick… but you hired the artist based on skill, photos of their work or a sound referral from someone who has hired them before so have no worries about what brands they’ve got and trust they will make you as stunning as you’ve hired them to. It doesn’t matter what they’ve used so long as it doesn’t irritate your skin, it lasts all day/night, and you love the look they’ve given you!
6: How do I know you’ll be able to do makeup on my Asian/Indian/Irish/African skin tones? Can you do “Indian” bridal makeup with heavy and dramatic eyes? Can you do “Asian” bridal makeup with a sculpted face? Can you do “African” bridal makeup with deep pigment in the blush and eyeshadows?
If you’ve hired a reputable artist, they SHOULD be able to do makeup effectively on every skin tone and skin type. They SHOULD have all the items in their kit to create any foundation shade to match any client. And they SHOULD be familiar with different cultures and how the makeup is styled differently.
That being said, some artists in more multi-ethnic and multicultural geographic regions may have more skill or more practice doing makeup regularly on a multitude of skin tones and complexions. If you live in a less multicultural area where you have not tried out the Artist you’re considering hiring, you might want to do a trial (ensure you take LOADS of pictures in all kinds of light) or you may want to considering hiring an Artist from a different part of town or a different close-by city. You may need to pay more for them to travel to you, but it would be worth it to have the peace of mind to know your Artist has the right skills and products to make you look your best. And at the end of the day, your comfort is the key to a smooth wedding day.
7: I think I want to look like Kim Kardashian! I really want that Nicki Minaj pink lipstick! I really think that I should go for J.Lo’s bronzed complexion for my ivory skin tone, don’t you think?
Remember, you may have an idea in your head of what you want but the Artist’s job is two-fold: one, to help you get the look you want and two, to help ensure the look is balanced, suits your skin tones, features and dress/accessories style, and will photograph wonderfully. So send your makeup artist an email PRIOR to the trial with a photo of yourself and a photo of the look you want. This also means that when you choose photos of looks you like, remember to picture them ON YOU and not on the girl in the photo. If you look like Brandy, but show up with a photo of Jennifer Lopez, please, please understand… You must be realistic about how a look may translate on you and whether or not it will flatter YOU specifically. (Kim K. lashes on a small almond eye? Nicki Minaj pink lipstick on a chocolate coloured lady? White-nude lipgloss on a mature bride? a bird-cage fascinator with an au naturelle curly fro? oh. hell. no.)
8: Can you change my skin colour? Can you change my eye shape?
Some tricks are easier than others. You want poutier lips? Easy. You have Brandy’s complexion but want to look like Beyonce? Harder.
And while we can take a mono-lid and double it, or take a darker complexion and brighten it, at the end of the day, the features you have are YOURS. Be proud of them! It’s what makes you who you are and makes you the person your groom-to-be is excited to marry. Be you on your wedding day!
9: I’m not sure what I want, I think I like these 10 photos of different hair and makeup styles, we can try them ALL and THEN decide on what I like, right?!
Not right. It’s ok to have an idea or two, but a trial is not meant to be a 5 hour session of playing “makeover” with your artist. It’s meant to help your artist determine your look and fine-tune the colours and shades that will be used on your big day, to make sure it photographs well, to ensure colours match the accessories or bouquet, and to ensure your skin’s comfort, and the longevity and wear-ability with the makeup. So do all the Googleing and photo scouring before the trial, so that when you see your artist you can focus on making that one look you have in mind, just perfect!
10: I really want to look amazing on my wedding day, I should try something fresh and new! Right?
Wrong. If you are the girl who is normally wearing heavy eyeliner and a pink lip, how will your Husband-to-be react when he sees you down the aisle in a smokey eye and red lipgloss? Do what suits you but what is also a recognizable style on you. Be you, just a more polished, photographic, and slightly more ‘done up’ version of you. You also want to look timeless and classy. Remember, your grand-kids could be seeing these photos one day and wondering who on earth that woman is standing beside Grandpa. So be the best version of you on your big day.
Now remember, communicating with your Artist is key. So if you have allergies, expectations, photos, or hopes and dreams about your wedding day makeup, share them with your Artist! It’s the only way they can make you gorgeous, happy and glowing on your most celebrated day.
As a makeup artist, hairstylist & often times stand-in wardrobe personnel, there are some things I sometimes wish a model would have done to properly prepare herself, her skin & her hair for a shoot. This is a quick checklist to make sure you’re bringing everything you need and doing everything possible to ensure your shoot goes smoothly, your pictures look fab & your hair and makeup are perfection.
Please arrive:
1: on time. Do not flake. You may be blacklisted & that team/photographer/MUAH may choose to never work with you again. Especially if it’s a TF shoot. If you’re going to be late, call. And text. Don’t send an email or MM message. Call or text directly. Communicating with your crew is vital, even if it’s just to say that your subway train is delayed 10 minutes.
2: braless or with a strapless bra or tube top on. If you are wearing a bra with straps, the straps will leave marks on your skin and may take a while to disappear after you arrive. If you’re shooting fashion or topless beauty shots, it may be best to arrive braless to avoid all skin markings. Please bring & wear a nude gstring and a black gstring. For more tips on what to pack in your bag for both male & female models, please read this.
3: with no makeup on. None. Just a clean & lightly moisturized face please.
4: hair-free. Take care of any unwanted facial hair 2 days before… freshly waxed skin doesn’t allow makeup to stick to it the same as unwaxed skin, so the face may look uneven. This includes tidying eyebrows & removing upper lip hair, excessive sideburns or chin hairs as needed. Remove all under arm hair & have freshly shaved legs up to the bikini line 1 day prior (incase there are any nicks or irritation bumps or redness that need 24 hours to vanish). This also applies to men: make sure you’ve had a proper haircut (if required to look well-manicured) within 3 days prior to your shoot. Shave and shape your facial hair accordingly. Don’t forget! Trim that back of neck hair, armpit hair, groin hair, and any other long and lengthy hairs we do not want to see. Men being hairy is cool, but men looking like a Sasquatch is not.
5: like you’ve got 20/20 vision. If you wear glasses, please take them off at least 1 hour before the shoot to get rid of the nose pad marks or just wear your contacts. But always bring an extra contact case & solution in case you need to pop them out.
6: with clean, dry hair. Preferably washed the night before, no product in it and no flat ironing please, unless you have kinky/highly textured or relaxed hair then please care for it as discussed prior to the shoot. If you have a wig or weave or clip in hair extensions, make sure it has been washed & styled properly. Do not show up with a ratty looking wig or extensions and expect miracles! Also, styling extensions can be like styling 2 heads of hair on a model, so coming with them properly treated can save a lot of prep time, meaning more time for you in front of the camera!
7: smooth as a baby’s bum. Please ensure your skin has been exfoliated & black heads/white heads removed the night or 2 before. Smooth skin is key for a beauty shoot.
8: no-ash. All body skin should be well moisturized with lotion, no oil as it leaves residue on clothing garments.
9: not in your Sunday’s Best. Please wear a button or zip down shirt to the shoot in a dark colour to wear while you have your hair & makeup done, or bring a robe. Something you don’t mind getting makeup or powder on.
10: the same. Do not make any crazy changes to yourself after you have been cast for the shoot! This means, don’t go tanning, don’t get 5 inch acrylic nails, don’t change your hair colour, don’t get a drastic haircut, don’t get more tattoos or piercings, and don’t gain or lose any weight. Unless you’ve discussed any of these changes with the shoot organizer/photographer, do not make any changes to yourself once you have been cast. The shoot depends on you showing up looking like you looked when you were given the job, so no changes please.
Coming prepped saves time, money and mostly… it makes you look more professional and desirable to work with again. With this list, you are now ready!
There are a few things models should always have with them, even if there is a full crew expected at the shoot. Heaven forbid, but if your hairstylist doesn’t show & you showed up looking like you’ve got sex-hair, the shoot is about to be a disaster. So, if you pack the following things, you should be good in a pinch no matter what disasters strike!
Please bring:
1: a good attitude. No, not a hungover attitude. A good, wide awake, energetic, ready-to-pose positive type attitude 🙂
2: makeup. These items are your basics & should be in your bag incase the MUA is not there. Items with * beside them include both male & female models.
~foundation*
~concealor
~translucent/anti-shine setting powder*
~clear brow gel*
~mascara
~eyeliner (black, white & a colour to match your brows)
~eyeshadows (neutral brown, black, shimmery white or gold if you are an ebony toned model)
~blush (a peach tone & a pink tone that flatters you, no shimmer)
~bronzer* (no shimmer)
~lip balm*
~lipstick (one nude, one red, one soft pink, one deep brown/deep plum/deep burgundy)
3: directions and phone numbers. Don’t just store them in your iPhone, print them and pack them in your bag. If you get lost & have no reception or your phone dies, you can still go to a gas station or ask a transit personnel for directions. Or if you have the numbers of the crew written down, you can call from a payphone to let everyone know you’ll be arriving a bit late.
4: hair things.
~flatiron. Preferably a round barrel that can do both straightening and curls.
~hairspray
~texturizer/messy hold gel*
~a hair elastic & bobby pins
5: clothing. Always bring the basics, even if wardrobe is provided. I have seen it happen so many times where we have used a model’s white tank or leggings.
~leggings
~skinny jeans (slim jeans for the men)*
~white tank*
~white tee if you’re ivory-medium/black tee if you’re medium-ebony*
~g strings. black, white & nude. not thongs with those thick straps in the back. g strings.
~bras. strapless in nude/black/white. pushup in nude/black/white. at the very minimum you need these 2 types.
~white or denim button down shirt*
~nylons/pantyhose, 1 nude & 1 black
~a blazer/leather jacket*
~a pencil skirt
~ 3 pairs of shoes, minimum. 1 classic black/dressy. 1 bold & trendy. 1 casual (flats, boat shoe, etc. Runners don’t count)*
~accessories. a hat, a tie, suspenders, jewelry, etc. Whatever you have that you like & is vintage, classic, or ultra trendy. Leave stuff from 3 seasons ago at home.*
6: clean nails. Nails should be freshly manicured on hands & toes with a clear or neutral lacquer. No lacquer required for men.*
7: snacks. There may be no break or it may be a long time before dinner. Bring things like fruit or veggie sticks, protein drink, granola bar, cheese wedges, etc. Nothing greasy or carbonated (which could leave your waistline bloated in photos).
8: iPod. Bring music you love. Play it while you model. Put stuff on it that will get you in the right kind of mood for your shoot. Somber, upbeat, grunge… whatever does the trick. And even if you can’t play it in the studio (for whatever reason), you can pop on your headphones in between changes and get re-focused and re-charged.
9: safety pins. Always.
10: your business card/comp card. You just never know who you might meet 😉
I saw a tutorial on YouTube one day for something I never tried before so I decided to give it a whirl & see what happened.
It was my first time, so please don’t judge me too harshly! lol But, I think they still look pretty great anyway.
I’m usually a nail-painter and usually have my talons decked out in pretty trendy shades, but this was another level which I had never really thought of let alone aspired to.
Newspaper print nails.
What you need:
1: a light colour nail polish. I used #03 by Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear (light pinky white colour). I thought the white would look too harsh on my brown skin and this colour still has the newspaper effect without the super high contrast.
2: top coat/quick sealer. I used Orly’s Sealon topcoat.
3: bowl.
4: rubbing alcohol.
5: ten strips of newspaper. Preferably the sections with really bad political articles (insert Rob Ford joke here). It makes you feel like you accomplished something, trust me.
What to do:
1: give your nails 2 coats of colour. Let dry.
2: DO NOT PUT ON A TOP COAT. Once a top coat is on, the newspaper does not stick as well.
3: dip the newspaper strip in the rubbing alcohol & gently place it on the nail, holding it down firmly & pressing over the entire nail. Let dry thoroughly.
4: put on the top coat, thickly and gently. If the coat is thin, you will drag the newspaper writing off the nail (like I did on a few of them). Let dry. Repeat.
5: clean off your extremely dirty newspapery inky looking fingers. I skipped this step in the photos I took, but I did it afterwards 🙂
6. feel sexy, studious, and like you just took a bite out of politics’ ass.
What do you guys think?
It’s not bad for my first time, right?
I love makeup, I truly do. But I hate the fact that because I have a mild makeup shopping problem, my whole bathroom suffers. Not to mention that the more product I have, means the more heavy my kit is when schlepping around town servicing clients. One of the items I love the most in my kit, I tend to often times leave at home. In a box.
It’s ‘pigment pots’. MAC has pigments, Gosh has Gosh pots, Lise Watier has Folies, NYX has pearl powders. They’re all loose pigment eye shadows that come in individual pots or containers. They apply with a sheer pop of highly pigmented colour when dry or give a big burst of concentrated colour when wet or if primed properly. I love using these but I just can’t justify lugging them around. I usually bring my 2 most used colours with me, my close-to nudes, and leave all the rest on my makeup table at home. It’s so sad.
So I finally decided to press my pigments. I had tried this a couple years back but didn’t really like the result. I found my pigment was just too crumbly which led to wasted product & lots of fall-out. So I heard a voice in my head that said to use a lower percentage alcohol & see what happened. And very good things happened.
I’ll start off with what you need:
1: A tool. I used my pro stainless steel double ended spatula. You could use a plastic spatula, teaspoon, cocktail fork, etc or a combination of all of those. You need something to scoop up/out the pigment and mix it.
2: Empty pans. Empty metal pans… I used some old blush ones that I stuck magnetic stickers to the bottom of (to use with my Z palettes), some old square L’oreal eyeshadow pots, some broken 120 palettes pans, and some Yaby empties. It doesn’t matter where they’re from or if you’re recycling old pans or not, just be sure to properly cleanse them and disinfect with alcohol prior to re-use.
3: Rubbing alcohol. I suggest 50%. I had used the 99% pro type rubbing alcohol and it evaporated too quickly which is what I think led the product to it’s crumbly
state. The 50% will evaporate more slowly and although it takes longer to set, it will allow the product to set better and form better in the pan.
4: Pigments. Some brands may have difficulty in pressing. I used Makeup Forever, Lise Watier, Gosh, NYX and a cheaper brand called Lanmei that I never heard of until one of my suppliers sent me a ton of them along with an eyelash shipment. All of the above worked really well.
5: baby wipes for clean up of your space, and you (I was a hot mess afterwards) and paper towels should be placed all over your work space.
To Press Your Pigments:
1: Start by filling your empty pan with pigment. A scoop of pigment and a drop of alcohol at a time until the pan is full, and you have a thick paste-like consistency.
2: Mix mix mix.
3: Tap tap tap.
4: Wait until dry.
5: You might choose to press them (literally) with a penny/quarter/dime depending on the size of your pan. I chose to press a few, but not the larger ones. In pressing, you can wrap a tissue around your money and press it flatly into the pan of pigment. You can also choose to wrap a patterned cloth around your coin and press in a fancy schmancy design. I skipped all that. After 3 hours of mixing pigments, I was not feeling fancy or schmancy.
6: Enjoy the fruit of your labour.
I took some photos to show what I managed to do.
I MAJORLY downsized my pots of pigments into several flat pans:
This was the waiting part:
This was the end result, with 21 pots of different pigments being downsized into 21 pans of pressed pigment eyeshadows that all fit in to 1 Z-Palette:
Lastly, I swatched my Lise Watier Folie D’Or from the pot and from the pressed pigment pan after it was dry to test for any colour change at all and I could see none. The only thing it seemed that happened was the colour from the pressed pan seemed more pigmented and would require a light handed application if I wanted it to appear very sheer.
(right side is non-pressed, the left side had been the pressed one)
All in all, I am very happy I finally pressed my pigment pots! Now I can carry around 21 pots of colour in just 1 Z-Palette, and actually, there’s room for a few more pans… hmmm….
So yesterday I got my Z-palettes in the post, which I ordered from Camera Ready Cosmetics during the 50% sale, for $9.97 each (just under half price).
*As a side note, it was cheaper to order from CRC than from Z-Palette directly, not just because of the sale, but also because shipping to Canada was pretty much double on the Z-Palette website.
So I began depotting. This is where you heat up your terribly heavy plastic packaging that your makeup comes in & melt that sucker down until the glue loosens on the bottom of the eyeshadow/blush & you can take it out easily. There’s loads of YouTube videos on how to do this properly. Some people like the oven method, I find it always melts the packaging before the glue & makes getting the product out super hard. Some people like the lighter/candle method which I quite like for items that come in a palette so you can do each colour individually. And some people like the flat iron method which I quite like for bulky single packaging like a Nars blush or a Revlon eyeshadow. All ways are equally time consuming, some are just more or less messy than others.
Then I arranged my colours in a way that made sense to me: blues with black & whites (my highlight & contour shades), pinks & purples, greens & yellows & oranges, and my earth toned neutral palette of browns, taupes, champagnes, & light shimmers. Aesthetically, I think it gave me a makeupgasm when I saw how lovely everything looked after all that hard work & sweat.
But what really inspired me to write this post was not to talk about depotting… But to talk about the art of NOT depotting. The thought of being able to get away with never depotting makeup again feels almost like a sin, because the thought alone feels so damn good. I hate depotting. It sucks. You get nearly stabbed many times & nearly burned just as many times if not more. So why are we still depotting?
Well, if you’re a drugstore makeup buyer and love your Revlons & L’oreal’s then depotting may be your sport. Or if you’re a makeup snob & love some lovely Nars or Tarina Tarantino $30+ makeup, then depotting could be a good stress release from thinking about how light your wallet feels. But… If you’re either a pro artist or just a consumer with the idea of quality over branding, then let me take you to a place I call, “Never Depot Again Paradise.”
In this Paradise, there exists a multitude of professional grade eyeshadows, blushes, lip colours & powders that have NEVER been potted. You can order them, and they arrive with NO packaging to melt. These products are amazing. And when you measure them gram for gram beside some of the drug store products, you’re often getting 3-6 times more product for less than half the price.
My faves: La Femme. The blushes are AMAZING and the eyeshadows are pretty fabulous too. The size is HUGE and you get tons of product for less than $3. You can purchase La Femme online. Cheapest price I’ve see on their Eyeshadows: http://www.makeupmania.com/products/La-Femme-%252d-Pressed-Eyeshadow-%28Pan-Only%29.html although I find the shipping prices to Canada from CRC make it cheaper to buy here: http://camerareadycosmetics.com/products/la-femme-eye-shadow-pans-refills-large.html
And the cheapest price I’ve seen on their blushes: http://www.makeupmania.com/products/La-Femme-%252d-Blush-On-Rouge-%28Pan-Only%29.html and ditto to the above so click here if you’re a Canuck: http://camerareadycosmetics.com/products/la-femme-blush-on-rouge-refills.html
My second favourite is the Ben Nye. The eyeshadows rate a little bit higher than the La Femme because the pigment is a bit stronger, but the blushes are just as nice as La Femme’s are but you’ll get a colour differentiation here. Eyeshadows: http://camerareadycosmetics.com/products/ben-nye-eyeshadow-refills.html and their blushes: http://camerareadycosmetics.com/products/ben-nye-powder-cheek-rouge-refill.html
Now you can stick these guys into your Z-Palette or pro palette easily and never worry about depotting OR the extra cost you’re paying for all the unnecessary packaging. And this is the beauty of using a Z-Palette to organize your makeup while never depotting a piece of eyeshadow ever again.
Spending your Family Day or President’s Day @ home? You may as well do a DIY facial to rejuvenate your skin while playing that game of Scrabble…
Here’s what you need:
~ half a cup of plain yogurt (preferably with the active bacteria)
~ 3 tablespoons of honey
~ ground oats (just use dry oats & grind them up yourself!)
Mix all 3, scrub and slather on a clean face & neck, wait 15-20 minutes…. and presto! wash off with warm water first, then cold water & pat your face dry. This facial can be used on ALL skin types (oily, dry, combo, acne prone, aging…) and wakes skin up while exfoliating away all the little nasties that love hanging around.
The Science:
Yogurt is chock full of vitamins that are good for your skin like calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B and zinc (which is particularly good for blemishes or acne). Honey is a natural antiseptic and is great for moisturizing & killing bacteria in the skin. Oatmeal is a great natural and cheap exfoliant that becomes softened once added to this mix so it’s never to harsh to use on the face.
Try it out & tell me what you think!
Makeup brushes are like an extension of your arm when you’re a Makeup Artist. So take good care of your makeup brushes and they will take good care of your clients in return 😀
Maintaining good brush hygiene is extremely important for several reasons:
1. Your colours stay true to form because you don’t have old colour built up on the bristles, tinting your colours one way or another or having colour stuck on the brush which causes new makeup to not stick to the brush very well or deposit unevenly to the skin.
2. As brushes deposit colour to the skin, they also pick up oils, sebum, bacteria and environmental pollutants that have ended up on the skin. These little ‘nasties’ can build up on your brush and cause makeup to look streaky or uneven on the skin. They can also, and most importantly, cause breakouts or recurring breakouts of acne & other skin irritations by depositing & re-depositing these nasties onto your skin over & over again.
3. Good hygiene can also extend the life of your makeup products. After using a, for example, lip brush in your lip palette, you need to clean it before going back for any more colour so as not to endanger your client’s health and to prolong the life of your product substantially by making sure there’s no bacteria in it or being added to it.
There are 2 methods to cleaning makeup brushes, the Quickie & the Deep Clean.
I use the Quickie method when I’m on shoots or between clients to maintain a hygienic work space & working conditions for my clients. The best brush cleaner that I find does the job well is from Sephora called Daily Brush Cleaner or Cover FX Brushes Cleanser (also requires no rinsing).
HOW-TO: To use this method, take your brush, spray it several times (3 times for an eye brush or lip brush, 5-7 times for a face/body/blush/contour brush) and, using a clean towel, make circular motions on the towel until all makeup is off the brush, ending with a squeeze to put the bristles back in place. Do this gently, keeping in mind this is a dry clean to disinfect & remove immediate product, not to get right down into the depths of the brush as you could ruin your brushes otherwise. This method is also called a “dry clean” by other makeup artists because since the brushes were never soaked with water, they can be ready to reuse right away.
The Deep Clean method should be done WEEKLY for someone who wears makeup everyday for their personal brushes and after each and EVERY work day for an MUA who may have several clients back to back in a day (meanwhile still using the Quickie between faces).
Now everyone has different advice on how to deep clean makeup brushes, and they’re not all bad, but some methods are best for some people while not being good for everyone in general; these are tips that are safe/best for everyone to use. Firstly, you have to decide if you’d like to use a brush liquid cleaner or a shampoo. For those with highly sensitive skin, please use a cleaner (I recommend the brush cleanser by Quo at Shoppers Drug Mart) or an unscented baby shampoo. For those who do not have sensitive skin, I recommend using a mild shampoo that is sulfate, phthalate, & scent free. Personally, I use an organic shampoo on my hair that is all of the above & so it suits me very well to use on my brushes as well since I know it’s not too harsh and my skin will not react poorly to it. I do not recommend using “any shampoo” because not just any shampoo will do. After all, you have to put these brushes on your face or your client’s face so please be mindful of everyone’s different sensitivities when choosing the way you clean your brushes (the same goes for reusable makeup sponges).
HOW-TO: Take a nickel sized amount of shampoo in your palm, wet the brush under lukewarm water, and turn it bristle side down in your palm while making circular motions. Rinse & repeat until the water runs clear. Make a final rinse with cold water. Make a bed for your brushes with a clean towel partially rolled up. Place the brushes handle up (bristles down) with the handle resting on the ‘pillow’ part of the towel bed (the rolled up portion). This is so that water doesn’t leak down into the handle of the brush & cause the handle glue to loosen. Do this at night so that you won’t be rushed to use your brushes before they’re dry. Some people choose to rinse their brushes with conditioner, however, it’s not something I recommend for most peoples skin since conditioners contain moisturizing ingredients (oils, proteins, etc) that some people’s skin will not agree with. Using a mild cleaning agent is a much safer bet.
P.s. by using my method, the same one used by many other professional MUAs, I still have all my brushes I bought 8 years ago 🙂
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