Favorite Things!

As professionals in the beauty industry and ever since starting this blog, IMPO receives a ton of email asking us to let our readers know what skincare, makeup and personal care items are really in our bathrooms! What do the Pros personally use daily? What are our “go to” products?

So, we decided to channel our inner Oprah and comprise a list of “The Pro’s Favorite Things." Unfortunately, the “plugs” we will be providing to many beauty manufacturers out there will not reap the benefit of a swag (stuff we all get) bag for our readers! Sorry folks!

Hey, maybe someday IMPO will be as big as Oprah and our Fans, Followers and Readers could receive care packages like Oprah audience members do during the taping of her “Favorite Things” segments…a blog’s gotta dream y’all!

Now, putting together this post was not easy and it made the Pros really think about which products we “must have” daily and can’t live without ever, the kind of products that you have to take with you when you travel because you just can’t feel confident without them.

If you read IMPO regularly you are aware of the cosmetics and skincare lines that the makeup Pro uses professionally on her clients, but our readers ask, “do you also use those products on yourself?” and, “do professional products really cross the line over into everyday wear?”

The answer to those questions is a very simple…yes. Some products make the leap and others are manufactured specifically for television, film and photography.

To recap…here is a partial list of cosmetic products inside the makeup Pro’s kit: Nars, Dior, Eve Pearl, Smashbox, M.A.C., Tricia Sawyer Beauty, Three Custom Color, The Lipstick Queen, Bobbi Brown, Jan Marini and La Mer, all of which are consumer friendly beauty products found at major department stores and retailers or online. They work just as well “on” camera as “off” camera for her clients.

The makeup Pro’s kit also contains products found at industry specialty retailers such as Cinema Secrets, Naimes, Frends and Alcone, which work in both the professional makeup industry and for everyday wear. Please check the IMPO blog archive or use the “search” button at the top if you are curious about a particular product line.

It is also important to make clear to our readers that the Pros of IMPO do not “rep” or sell any particular beauty line. We do receive products to test personally and professionally and some we review and others we do not! Just like Bobby Brown: that’s our prerogative!

But, what you really want to know is which beauty care and makeup lines are in our shower, makeup bag and medicine cabinets and it may surprise you to read that as Pros in the beauty industry (and sisters in real life), we have different styles when it comes to our personal routines, so without further ado…

SKINCARE:

The makeup Pro is a firm believer in the Jan Marini Skincare line of products. With 42 creeping up on her door step, she felt it was time to start fighting back the signs of aging skin and the Jan Marini line came to her rescue! Starting with the BioGlycoloic Facial Cleanser both morning and night to cleanse and to remove makeup and bacteria. C-ESTA Serum, Age Intervention Peptide Extreme, Age Intervention Enlighten, Age Intervention Face Cream and Eye Cream. Twice a week she also uses Age Intervention Regeneration Facial Mask. Also used daily is the Jan Marini AntiOxidant Daily Face Protectant sunscreen.

The makeup Pro recently discovered the Talika skincare treatment line and has been using the Eye Dream product at night (on day 15 of the 28 day treatment) in conjunction with Jan Marini products, which has helped rejuvenate her over traveled, delicate skin around her eye area.

The marketing Pro is using Jurlique Balancing Foaming Cleanser once a day (in the shower!) followed by a spritz of Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist and Jurlique Sun Lotion with SPF30+. In the evening, she uses M.A.C. Wipes to remove all her makeup and a touch of Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado around the eye area.

HAIR CARE:

The makeup Pro changes up this product most often because she loves to discover and use different hair care lines almost as much as makeup. Currently, she is in love with the Ever Pure line from L’Oreal. Not only does it keep her color treated hair in tip top shape, it is full of more natural ingredients, which is better for the environment and our body!

The makeup Pro also uses the following styling products on her naturally curly hair: John Freida Frizz-Ease Original Serum, Straight Fixation and Dream Curls Curl Perfecting Spray. L’Oreal Vive Pro Glossy Style Non-Aerosol Hairspray, which provides great hold and shape!

The marketing Pro colors her brunette locks and to maintain that healthy chocolate color, she uses Pantene Pro-V Brunette Expressions shampoo and conditioner. When she wants to blow-dry the curl out of her hair, she uses the best blow dryer ever, the Revlon 1875 Ionic Ceramic Blow Dryer and Redken Satinwear 02 blow-dry lotion. When the hairstyle demands hairspray, her fave is a tried and true brand: AquaNet Extra Super Hold (flash back to the 80’s – she’s with the band man!).

PERSONAL CARE:

The makeup Pro likes to keep it simple when it comes to body lotions because she doesn’t like heavy fragrances competing with her favorite perfumes. Johnson and Johnson Baby Lotion (the one in the pink bottle) is wonderful and keeps this Pro’s skin feeling soft and smooth! Neutrogena Body Wash and Gentle Exfoliating Cream work wonders on dry skin and invigorates her senses after a long day on set! LAVANILA Laboratories, The Healthy Deodorant, in Vanilla Coconut (also because it doesn’t compete with the makeup Pro’s fragrance) is a natural choice to traditional anitperspirants and it works!

The marketing Pro, unlike the makeup Pro, doesn’t mind a light scent in her body lotion and she loves Jaqua’s Pina Colada Body Butter. A must have for the shower is Skintimate Shave Gel for legs and bikini area.

MAKEUP:

The makeup Pro is opening up her personal makeup drawer to our readers! There are staples in her collection that never change (foundation, face powder, eye shadow palettes, mascara) however, frequently she will replace and try new products such as lipgloss, blusher, bronzer, eye liner and lip pencils. Here is a list of the current products that she uses daily:

Primer: M.A.C., Prep & Prime Foundation: Eve Pearl High Definition Dual Foundation/Medium & Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand and Nude (she mixes these colors together to achieve the perfect skintone match) Concealer: Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer/Medium Brow: tarte comsetic’s emphasEYES/Taupe & Medium Brown Face Powder: Purely Cosmetics Diamond Powder Palettes: Tricia Sawyer Beauty's Essential Palette & Essential Pretty Palette, Eve Pearl The Eye Palette in Ultimate & Natural Blusher: Eve Pearl Blush Trio in Sassy Bronzer: CoverFX Bronzer in Gold Eye Liner: M.A.,C., Liquidlast Liner in Coco Bar Mascara: CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara in Black Noir, Diorshow Mascara in Black Lips: La Mer Lip Balm, tarte comsetic’s Vitamin-Infused Lipgloss in Liquid Sunshine & OM, Laura Mercier Lipgloss in Bare Beige and Blush, The Eve Pearl Lip Pencil in Caramel, Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in Rose Satin 657 and Linen Beige 317 Remover: M.A.C Wipes.

The marketing Pro’s collection; Primer: LORAC aquaPRIME™ Primer Foundation: combination of CoverFX M30 & C30 foundation with 30SPF Concealer: Georgio Armani High Precision Retouch 3.5 Face Powder: SmashBox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder in Light Brow: Laura Mercier eye brow pencil in Soft Brunette Palettes: Eve Pearl Au Natural Eye Palette, M.A.C. custom palette for eye in various colors, Smashbox Cream Eyeliner Palette in Backstage Eye Liner: Eve Pearl Black Pearl Smudgeproof Liquid Eyeliner Mascara: tarte mascara and for those lower lashes, Bottoms Up™ Blusher: NARS Orgasm Tint: CoverFX SkinTintFX with sunblock in E Light and tarte tipsy cheek stain Lips: NARS glosses in Orgasm & Bad Education, Sally Hansen’s Lip Inflation in Sheer Mocha, Laura Mercier Natural Lips lip pencil.

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:

To save money, the Pro’s recommend shopping for personal care, hair care and some cosmetic products, like mascara and lip gloss, at your local drug store, but when it comes to skin care and makeup such as foundation, concealer or powder, splurge on high-end manufacturers to insure that your skin is receiving the best quality plus those product lines tend to last longer throughout the day!

STAY TUNED:

Up next on IMPO: Hitting the spa with our Marketing Pro! IMPO was invited to try a facial featuring the Clarisonic! Discover how this technology has made a difference in the cleansing of the skin!

Pucker Up!

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I thought I would post a product review on some of my all-time favorite, hall of fame, can’t go wrong with…red lipsticks!

There is no doubt that red lips make an impression, but you don’t want your lips entering the room 5 minutes before the rest of your body so here are a few In My Pro Opinion suggestions:

Use simple eye makeup. A neutral or vanilla eye shadow (matte or shimmer) swept from lid to brow would work best (see archive post Take 5 for Pro recommendations).

Consider using a liquid liner instead of a pencil or shadow and only line the top lash line. Very sophisticated a la Sophia Loren! The Pro is in love with MAC's LiquidLast Liners.

Coat those lashes thrice with the blackest-black, lengthening mascara. Try a Pro favorite like Max Factor's 2000 Calorie Mascara or Fiberwig Mascara!

Watch the hair! Opt for a classic hairstyle and save that rocker frock for another occasion!

If you are drawn to browns or earth-tone colors, go for a brick red lipstick with brownish undertones.

If you can wear rainbow colors with your skin tone, then try a lipstick that is a true red or fire engine red.

If blue is your choice on the color wheel, then seek out a cool toned red lipstick with bluish undertones.

Got a tan? Choose a red lipstick with flecks of gold.

What the Pro carries in her kit…

“Vogue” out with MAC's Russian Red,which was designed specially for Madonna. It is a bluish, matte red with great texture.



Channel your inner Marilyn Monroe and grab Chanel's Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipstick in Red Dream. It is a moisturizing formula that won’t fade or feather.



Guaranteed to leave a stain on “his” collar, Nars Cosmetic's Fire Down Below is a dramatic, blood red lipstick with brownish/orange undertones. It is semi-matte, highly pigmented and is very, very long wearing. (Image below is not of actual color).



Hit the bull’s eye with L'Oreal's Infallible Lip Color in Target Red. This product has incredible staying power in a glossy formula. Great bang for your buck and available almost everywhere!



As timeless as the little black dress, Jemma Kidd's Classic Couture Lip Color in Siren is a super creamy pro formula that will allow you to sip your champagne with class! So, next time you are at Target don’t forget to throw this in your cart! (Image below is not of actual color).



For that just drank the Kool Aid, but in a good way look, try Aveda's Nourish-Mint Smoothing Lip Color in Cherrybud. It is a great sheer stain and lip plumper! I keep this product in my personal makeup bag for those days when I want to spice up my swank factor! (Image below is not of actual color).



Are you a Sinner or a Saint? Check out Lipstick Queen's Saint Red, which is very sheer, but has enough depth of color to leave an impression. Or be a Sinner Red, which has the most insane pigmentation I have ever seen in a lipstick formula!




Whether you have plans this Valentine’s Day with your husband, fiancé, boyfriend, boy-toy, partner or if you’re a hot, single gal about town, you will knock ‘em dead with one of these red lipsticks on your perfectly pouty lips!

Laying the Foundation!

For my very first post I thought I would jump right in and tackle the product everyone asks about.....Foundation!

We have all pondered the question, "Which foundation is right for me?" Whether we are standing at a department store counter, in the drug store aisles or online searching beauty websites, foundations are a mystery and can be costly if you purchase the product and then discover it was not right for you! I am always asked the question, "Which foundations do I use personally or carry in my professional kit?" So, here are the answers and reviews.

CREME FOUNDATION: Tricia Sawyer Beauty makes the best creme foundation I have used - the formula blends smoothly and won't settle into any fine lines or wrinkles. Invented by celebrity makeup artist, Tricia Sawyer, this foundation consists of two colors (a warm and cool tone) which can be blended together to achieve your exact skin tone match. It also has buildable coverage, which means you can use as much or as little as you need to achieve your desired look. I highly recommend purchasing Tricia Sawyer Beauty's Foundation Brush as well to insure the best application however, if you tend to have very oily skin using a cosmetic sponge to apply this product may work better. I use this product both personally and professionally. This foundation can be purchased in a number of places including: www.triciasawyer.com, online at Sephora.com or from QVC.



LIQUID FOUNDATION: Makeup Forever's Face and Body Liquid Makeup is an incredible product. It is light, fresh and leaves a slight sheen of powder on the skin for a very natural effect. Founder Dany Sanz is a total perfectionist and only creates products that work. I keep this product handy for use on all of my clients who prefer a liquid foundation over a creme. You can purchase Makeup Forever at any local Sephora.



I also love L'Oreal's True Match Foundation. If you mainly shop drugstore brands then this is the foundation you should try. It comes in a rainbow of colors with warm, neutral, cool & depth undertones depending on your skin color. Goes on smoothly with a sheer coverage. Doesn't leave your skin feeling dry or oily. Carried at all the major drug stores such as CVS, Longs, Rite Aid and Walgreens and also available at Target, Walmart and some grocery stores.



POWDER FOUNDATION: Nars Cosmetics makes one of the best powder foundations available to consumers. I keep the entire powder foundation line in my kit because I found that it performs well for film and television with incredible coverage and because men prefer this type of foundation over a heavy creme or liquid application. I also use it for contouring and for blush because of it's amazing pigmentation. Sold at Nars online, Sephora and other high-end retailers.



I also love MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation and use it on several of my younger clients. Provides great coverage and comes in a variety of shades. Sold at MAC Stores, MAC online or Nordstrom.



TINTED MOISTURIZERS: I love Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer (Oil Free)! It is a wonderful oil free, lightweight, buildable foundation that works with all skin types, especially those with sensitive, oily or acne prone skin. It controls dryness, prevents excessive oil buildup and provides sun protection with a built-in SPF 20. Great for teens! I use this product personally and professionally. Sold at Sephora and Nordstrom.



MINERAL FOUNDATION: There are several products available to you if you prefer a more natural approach to your foundation. Bare Escentuals is the most popular of all the mineral brands and it does a great job in providing the skin with pure ingredients, free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other skin irritants. It also has a built-in SPF-15 and is a very fine, loose powder. I have used Bare Escentuals personally and enjoyed the feeling and coverage, but on a professional basis I can not use mineral product because of coverage needs when shooting film, television or print, as well as I have found that mineral makeup tends to have a reflective nature when used with flash photography.



ETHNIC FOUNDATION: If you are a person who has darker skin and have a hard time finding a foundation that matches your skin tone, here are a few cosmetic companies that might have a product to meet your needs:

MAC Cosmetics - has many foundations in creme, powder and liquid form that should have a match for you.



Black Radiance is a drug store brand catering to African American women. This foundation comes in a creme foundation form (in a stick-type formula). It is lightweight and has an SPF 15. You can purchase Black Radiance at CVS, Walgreens and other retailers.



Thevi Cosmetics is an online retailer representing consumers of the Asian, South Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, African and Mediterranean descent. They make an incredible liquid powder foundation with an SPF 15. This product is enriched with Vitamins E and C for anti-oxidant protection and Vitamin A for skin conditioning. You can purchase this product at www.thevicosmetics.com.



I carry the MAC Cosmetic brand in my professional kit and use it on all types of ethnicity's. I have found that in my line of work when I need a heavier type of coverage that this cosmetic line works the best however, I do know several women who swear by MAC for everyday use.

A few more foundation lines that I enjoy and use professionally:

Dior, Cle de peau, Era Cosmetics, Prescriptives, Chanel, Visiora, Bobbi Brown (these are all in my professional kit).

As with all foundation, concealer or powder, please make sure your skin is properly prepped with a good skin care regime and primer prior to applying coverage cosmetics.

TIP OF THE DAY: Creams on top of creams - powder on top of powder! In other words - if you are using a creme or liquid foundation make sure to set it with a translucent powder prior to applying any type of powder blush or shadow! If you are using a creme blush - use right after foundation or concealer and then powder to set!

Please remember that this blog is based on my professional opinion and all product reviews are based on product performance I have witnessed either from using the product personally or on my clients professionally. I hope I was able to provide you with concrete advice and help regarding foundation products and please let me know if you have tried another type of product I have not listed here. I am always on the look out for the next "best" foundation!