2009 PRO HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

As a Pro makeup artist I am always shopping for products and accessories for my kit that will hold up to my high standards and that I can trust will get the job done when I am under "on set" time constraints! My clients expect the very best from me and my artistry and I make sure that my kit (and my brain) are packed with many tricks of the trade!

The products in my kit are not only amazing they are “the best in show!” I have spent the better part of the past 20 years testing numerous cosmetic, skincare and accessory lines. Time and time again, I return to the products I know I can rely on.

So, I thought that I would compile some of my favorite brands and put them into a 2009 Pro Holiday Gift Guide (just in case our readers needed ideas on what to get your favorite makeup artist or beauty junkie)!

All of these products would make great gifts or stocking stuffers and are perfect for the beauty Pro or novice in your life!

Japonesque Train Case: every teen, woman, beauty junkie or professional makeup artist needs a place to keep their makeup and this cute train case is just the right size! Would fit perfectly under the sink and makes travel even more stylish!

The Kim Greene Line: this set of professional “on set” actor bags are perfect for at home too! This Pro loves them because they are clear and you can see exactly where your favorite lip gloss is for quick access! Great for travel and perfect for anyone on “the go!” Teens love them and they are essential for any college student living in the dorms!

billybBEAUTY Brush Line: this Pro is always adding to my extensive collection of brushes and Billy B.’s line is amazing! Easy to grip handles make “making up” easy and the quality of these brushes make the investment worth every penny because they will last you for years to come (with proper care)! Your makeup application is only as good as the tools you use to apply your makeup with so why not “go for the gold” and invest in yourself for a change?

billybBEAUTY Lash/Brow: this Pro can’t help myself…look at how great this new gadget is from Billy B. – perfect for quick eyebrow and lash grooming! You can stuff my holiday stocking with several of these! A “must have” on my wish list for sure!

EnKore Makeup’s Brush Roll: do you know Koren? Well, you should because he is a big YouTube star! He is also a pro makeup artist who partnered with another pro artist, Eve Pearl, and created the online webisode series called Be-You-Tified which brings easy, how-to makeup application instructions directly to you in the comfort of your own home! Also, Koren has an online store and makes the cutest brush rolls! Perfect for protecting those precious makeup brushes!

Z Palette: this Pro is a palette junkie because I can’t stand individual product rolling around in my kit or in my cosmetics drawer at home! I found the perfect solution to solve my organizing dilemma at this year’s IMATS convention called the Z Palette and right now they are having a great Holiday Sale! I love the new color collection and will be asking Santa to bring me that zebra palette for sure!

Books: every Pro artist and extreme beauty girl loves to look at gorgeous pictures of makeup and models! I have so many amazing coffee table beauty books that I turn to over and over when I am researching or need a good how-to tip! Here are a few books that this Pro recommends and you can get them through the online store at Makeup Artist Magazine! While you are at it, renew or get a new subscription to the best resource for makeup in the industry – Makeup Artist Magazine is a Pro Must Have!

If you want to give the gift of skincare or cosmetics this holiday season, check out the following Pro recommendations:

SAMPAR: the geniuses at SAMPAR designed the SAMPAR Line Up Box Coffret Anti-Rides ($59), which contains everything that you will need to repair the damage caused by extreme weather conditions. Their Nocturnal Line Mask and Hydrating Fluid will drown your skin in hydration and help restore elasticity! This kit also contains the SAMPAR Skin Quenching Mist that this Pro loves to tuck into her purse and kit when I am on the go. One spritz of this mist and I am able to revitalize my skin and refresh my makeup instantly!

NARS: Francois Nars is one of the best makeup artists in the business so I trust that his product line will deliver high quality products! I rely on NARS cosmetics and carry a plethora of these products in my professional kit and personal makeup bag. Check out the newest Holiday Gift Sets from the Red Hot Holiday Collection:

Bobbi Brown: classy, beautiful, affordable and on the cutting edge, Bobbi Brown always delivers the “goods!” This Pro loves Bobbi Brown’s Pro palettes and carries several in my kit! Great eye, lip and cheek palettes are perfect for anytime! Can’t get enough of this Goldstone Long-Wear Eye Palette, which I use to create an updated smoky eye! Gorgeous cream eye shadows that will last from dusk to dawn!

Eve Pearl Cosmetics: this Pro is always impressed with anything Eve Pearl puts out on the market! I am a lover of her Salmon Concealer, HD Dual Foundations and my newest obsession is with her new line of Dual Performance Lip Colors! They are long-lasting color that stay true and will moisturize your lips all day! Eve Pearl’s 4 piece Lip Color Set #4 City Lights are great colors that will take you right through to New Year’s Eve and beyond!

PRO TIP AND TRICKS:

Start off 2010 with a resolution to take better care of yourself! Invest in a good skincare, sunscreen and cosmetic line that will make you look and feel your best everyday! The Pros at In My Professional Opinion would like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers and to wish each of you a happy and healthy holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Armed & Organized!

When a makeup artist is hired to department head a new film or television show one of the tasks expected of the artist is to prep the makeup trailer or room. This endeavor is fun if you have good organizational skills and can be challenging for those who lack the expertise.

I am a total neat freak, which borderlines on the type of obsession that requires medication. I can’t stand a dirty counter, filthy brushes, abused powder products that are crusty and old or used tissues, sponges, orange puffs, Q-tips and makeup remover cloths that manage to find their way onto the floor of the makeup room instead of in the trash bin!

This Pro admits that I have the ability to drive fellow artists crazy and they laugh at me behind my back, but my power to keep my work environment sterile and clutter free has a benefit…my actress/actor or client love it! If you think I am a germ-a-phobe, you should venture into the world of the celebrity, can you imagine how many hands they have to shake or people that touch them on a daily basis?

I am always concerned with organization because being a well-prepped MUA helps me with speed of application, which in turn helps my client get into character quicker, which helps the director start the cameras rolling faster and ultimatly the scenes get produced in a more timely manner and sometimes, we (meaning the entire crew) can wrap for the day earlier!

My makeup room is always well prepped and stocked because it makes for good energy within that space. Actresses, actors and models begin and end their day in hair and makeup and as professionals we like to provide a comfortable environment for our clients.

This Pro’s location kit is always in tip-top shape and holds at least 50 different lipstick, gloss, eye shadow and blusher colors I keep in palettes, not to mention a wide range of foundations, concealers, powders, bronzers, eyeliners, lip liners, mascaras, primers, skincare, removers, false lashes and many different disposable makeup applicators and brushes!

I also carry several types of products that do not necessarily relate to makeup application such as; tampons, first aid kit essentials, sewing kits, pain relievers, breath mints, nail grooming supplies, shaving utensils, deodorant, stain removers and safety pins to name just a few.

Basically, my makeup kit is like a bathroom on wheels and it is constantly being perused by “lookie loos” and they are shocked to find out that I am able to carry a ton of product in a rather compact case!

Are you wondering how I am able to stay so organized and manage to bring all that “stuff” from one location to the next? Well, I am going to show you how I do it, but first I want to point out that it is crazy for anyone to have 50 or more single shades of eye shadow or blush when you can easily remove color and customize a palette. Palettes are the ultimate organizational tool and should be utilized as much as possible.

You can easily create a palette from cosmetic companies like M.A.C. directly at a store location or make your own palette by de-potting (removing) eye shadows and blushers from their original individual containers and popping them into an empty palette.

This Pro frequents a blog and YouTube channel called “Makeup Geek” and the makeup artist who is the brains behind those incredible posts has a fantastic how-to video featuring de-potting a M.A.C. eye shadow (blushers can be removed using the same technique).

I have linked the video below and please pay close attention to her emphasis on safety!

I love the fact that she mentions saving the empty plastic container and returning them to the M.A.C. store! This is called the Back to M.A.C. program and doing this can earn you a free lipstick, gloss or eye shadow, while helping to save the environment! Bonus!

It is important to note that you must return the container in its entirety. Notice when she removes the shadow pan (metal part) from the plastic pan, you should replace the plastic pan inside the container. If you do not do this then M.A.C. will not accept this component for redemption.

Please make sure you measure the metal pan and empty palette mold area in order to ensure a snug fit prior to de-potting.

At the recent IMATS Convention, our contributing writer Pro (and killer makeup assistant) was given several Z-Palettes to try while on set and she has kindly provided our IMPO readers with a little review:

“Some of my favorite products come in bulky packaging that is difficult to store for travel and even more difficult to keep organized. An efficient way to downsize is to put all your shadow products into palette form, which usually come with “uniform” sized holes, but what if your favorite blush doesn’t fit? Solution: The Z-Palette!

It is strongly magnetized and lets you combine square, round, big and small pans all together. You can combine all of your special occasion colors in one and your everyday face in another, or fit them all in one large palette. There are no pre-sized molds so the Z-Palette holds much more than the standard 15 pans.

It has a clear window, which is extremely helpful because it makes finding color easy and keeps it from becoming contaminated. If you are a professional makeup artist you will find the Z-Palette very useful when creating a character and it is compact enough to store in your “actor” bag for quick on-set touch up!"

For more information on where to purchase, as well as cosmetic lines that offer discounted refillable foundations, bronzers, blushes, eye shadows and powders without packaging, visit www.zpalette.com

The DLSH Actor’s Bag, which was also gifted to this Pro at IMATS is a wonderful storage and organizational tool that contains a non-molded palette that you can fill with all your favorite color, storage areas for brushes, pockets for compacts and a detachable clear zippered bag for cosmetics such as lip gloss or pencils. This bag is great for keeping all your makeup in one zippered component and makes traveling extremely easy while providing sturdy protection.

For more information on where to purchase go to www.dlshinc.com

You should also consider taking your collection of individual lip color tubes and make your own lipstick palette, which is exactly what this makeup Pro does in order to carry and mix many individual colors together for a custom look!

What you will need:

*empty palette (japonesque palettes work best)

*putty knife

*disposable spatula (found at drug store)

*small glass beaker (with a lip – art supplies stores carry – must be able to use in microwave)

* lip brush

*microwave

*lipsticks

Here is the how-to:

1. Gently cut off the end of the lipstick with putty knife. Use spatula to scoop out excess color within the bullet. You will be amazed at how much color is left in the bottom!

2. Place color into the beaker.

3. Place beaker in microwave on high for one minute constantly checking if lipstick is melted. Continue in 20-second increments until lipstick is liquid in form.

4. Carefully remove the beaker and very quickly pour color into the palette using the lip brush to scrap the bottom of the beaker. The lipstick will harden in seconds so you must be speedy during this part of the process.

5. Clean beaker and spatula

6. Repeat the steps until all lipstick color has been successfully transferred into the palette.

DO’S AND DON’TS:

Do: If you have several shades of nudes, plums, berries, reds, pinks and earth tones – use a separate palette for each color family or if you only have a few of each shade then combine your nude and earth tone hues into one palette and pink and red tones in another, etc.

Don’t: Do not be tempted to stick the entire palette into the microwave in order to save the time – you must follow each step because lipsticks have different formulas and melt at different time ratios. They will also “boil” over and spill into neighboring pans. UGLY!

When this Pro is on location or away from a makeup trailer, I carry my product in a special type of case, which comes in two parts. The top section of my kit is exactly like a “train” case and when opened has several compartments and trays for storing tubes, palettes, pencils and a deep middle section, which houses all of my foundations, concealers, powders and skin prepping/care products.

The bottom section of my kit is very deep and holds many clear makeup bags filled with other accoutrement, such as disposable applicators, brushes, tissue boxes, hair products, towels and makeup removers.

Now, by no means should you as a cosmetic consumer need this type of professional makeup kit, however there are many train cases that are available which are smaller in size and could easily organize your beauty products without taking up much needed bathroom real estate.

There are also many professional “set” bags that have several pockets and compartments, which would aide in storing and making your cosmetics easy to find when you are in a major rush in the morning! These bags are very durable making travel a breeze!

All bags shown above can be purchased online at www.frendsbeautysupply.com

In this Pro’s personal space I use drawer organizers found at Target or The Container Store, whose original function was to hold kitchen utensils, but they work just as well in the bathroom and keep my makeup very well managed.

My teenagers use a type of plastic drawer system also found at major retailers because they share a common space and are able to maximize under the counter areas. We label a drawer for each girl, which keeps the bathroom counter uncluttered and neat! Hey! Don’t make fun of me: a makeup mom has to do what a makeup mom has to do in order to relieve her anxiety!

PRO TIPS & TRICKS:

Don't you just hate it when your favorite pressed powder eye shadow or blusher breaks? Opening the component and having chunks of your coveted color spill into the sink or onto the floor makes this Pro crazy! Instead of trashing the entire thing, transfer the broken eye shadow or blusher into a container!

STAY TUNED:

Up next on IMPO: Get the look! Are you a rocker chick at heart? Tune in next time when IMPO features step-by-step instructions on how to achieve a glam rock star look without the hooker vibe!

Brush Off!

In the magical world of professional makeup artistry a great artist possess three very important attributes that make them stand out from the crowd - Attitude, Knowledge and...Makeup Brushes.

Professionals invest in quality over quantity and brushes are no exception. Like a writer needs a great pen, a ballet dancer needs the right toe shoes, a photographer needs the best camera, a makeup artist needs amazing brushes! Brushes can enhance an artist’s skill level and they can be a BIG investment, but one that with proper care, can last 20 years!

To look your best everyday whether you are a professional or a novice, investing in good brushes should be a top priority. Let’s start with the basics…

Makeup brushes are divided into three parts: Hair, Ferrule and Handle. Doesn’t sound that complicated right? Well, did you know that there are approximately 13 types of Natural Hair makeup brushes? Badger, Squirrel, Squirrel Mix/Blends, Pony, Raccoon, Ox, Goat, Sable, Kolinksy Sable, Red Sable, Weasel and Pahmi. There are Synthetic brushes – Taklon and Nylon. All these hair types can affect the overall value of the makeup brush hence also their prices.

Confused? Then keep reading!

Natural hair = soft makeup brushes and are mostly manufactured for the larger brushes in an arsenal, such as a Powder, Blush, Contour, Blending, or large Eye Shadow brush. Those types of brushes usually are made from Squirrel, Pony or Goat. Smaller brushes, such as Lip, small Eye Shadow and Eyeliner brushes are also made of natural hair most likely different types of Sables or Pahmi hair.

Natural hair brushes hold or trap the powder cosmetic they pick up so, when you press the brush to your face, you release the powder more effectively with little to no fall out (or in laymen’s terms – the cosmetic goes where you want it to and not where you don’t! Capisce?).

Synthetic brushes are Nylon or Taklon and are not “absorbent” or will not “trap” powder cosmetic to the bristles. They are best used as Concealer, Foundation or creme product applicators. If you have a brush made of synthetic bristles and you are using it for powder products, you probably get “fall out.”

The ferrule of the makeup brush is the metal “tube” designed to hold the glued hair in place and they are usually made of brass, copper or aluminum alloy. Brass is the strongest of the three. Higher end brush lines can also have nickel-plated ferrules for appearance and corrosion resistances.

Today, brush handles can range from acrylics to fancy metals. Most professional artists prefer wood handles for both durability and control.

Now that you have had quite the education on makeup brushes, here is a list of brush lines I use both personally and professionally:

Ve's Favorite Brushes – one of the most renowned makeup artists in the motion picture industry is Ve Neill! She has created the characters for some of the most iconic movies of our time and is a three-time Oscar winner! Now you can own the same brushes Ve uses when she is making up Johnny Depp, Uma Thurman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Edward Norton, Keira Knightly, Robin Williams or Julia Roberts.



Tricia Sawyer Beauty's Foundation and Powder Brushes – hands down these two brushes should be a “must have” in every woman’s arsenal! TSB’s Foundation Brush is made of taklon with a rounded tip, which allows for better blending over the natural curves of the face. TSB’s Powder Brush is made of a natural blend of Squirrel and Pony hair with a wood handle. Designed to buff your powder into your skin when setting your makeup.




adesign Brushes– Shana King’s professional career as a makeup artist includes such national credits as Smirnoff, Cadillac and Cirque Du Soleil and she has created high-profile brand campaigns in the fashion and entertainment industries. She was also the regional manager of over 35 salons for Aveda. She designed this brush line to improve the function and skill of makeup application for both the professional and consumer.



I also use brushes from MAC, Sephora (silver handle pro line), Japonesque and have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of Sonia Kashuk's line for Target.

TIPS AND TRIX:
Taking good care of your makeup brushes is easy and takes very little time. I recommend using Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner for quick disinfecting. Pour a little brush cleaner on an old, clean towel and wipe the brush gently back and fourth over the towel or pour the brush cleaner into a metal or glass bowl and soak the brush hairs into the cleaner. Gently stroke the brush over a clean towel to remove excess cleaner and place on the side of your bathroom counter to dry. Do not stand your brushes up (or put them back into your brush holder – dry them flat first – or the cleaner will drip down into the ferrule and cause the glue to disintegrate and the hairs will shed or fall out). I also recommend cleaning your brushes with a gentle shampoo (baby shampoo works great), after all – it is made of natural hair (but please don’t use conditioner).

TIME FOR A LITTLE Q&A:

Stacy H. wants to know:
Why do my brush bristles fall out?

Pro suggests:
It’s actually called “shedding” and it happens to brushes sometimes, but if your brush tends to shed all the time, it is time to get a new brush. Here is how you can “test” a brush to see if it is prone to shedding or loosing it’s bristles before you purchase it: Step 1) Run fingers through the hair. Step 2) gently sweep the brush on the back of your hand. Expect a few strands to fall out. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 – if you notice more strands on the back of your hand, pass on the brush and test a different brand.

Kim A. wants to know:
Can dirty brushes cause breakouts?

Pro suggests:
The answer to that question is a big YES!!!! Dirty brushes are full of bacteria and are unhealthy for the skin. They can cause breakouts and rashes because oil, bacteria and makeup build up on the brush. You must clean your brushes regularly to ensure they stay in tip-top condition! My friend Karen, who writes the Makeup and Beauty Blog, suggests using Wet Ones for quick and easy cleaning if you don’t have time to properly shampoo your brushes. Good tip Karen!!!

Christine C. wants to know:
I have under $75 to spend, which brushes would you recommend I purchase?

Pro suggests:
The most important brushes to have in your bag would be the following: Foundation, Powder, Blush, Large Eye Shadow, Small Eye Shadow, Blender, Eyeliner, and Lip. You could also start with a “travel” brush kit and look for the type that have “dual” ended brushes (more bang for your buck because it is like getting two brushes for the price of one).

STAY TUNED:
In My Professional Opinion will be posting a product review featuring the skin care line Jurlique. As always, if you have a comment, suggestion or beauty question, click on the Ask The Pro button on our side bar and send us an email today!