THE MAKEUP SHOW LA 2011 - a Recap & Haul!

Every year it seems The Makeup Show Los Angeles gets better and better! This year was no exception! In fact, it was the best to date! 

Some favorite new additions – Kevyn Aucoin Beauty and GLAMCOR Professional. And of course we visited with our favorites; Stila Cosmetics, Inglot Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, Senna Cosmetics, Embryolisse, Yaby Cosmetics, Eve Pearl, Smashbox and TemptuPro  - this show really is makeup heaven! 

The Pros made a quick beeline for the Stila Cosmetics booth first because we had received an Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer the day before at the Blogger Event and we were so impressed with it that we wanted to see(and buy)more. It was time to stock up on Stila products because they are so versatile and many have dual purposes, which is so useful for professionals. Our Pro, Cathi Singh, works a ton in print and her only regret was not buying more of the Stila Convertible Colors! She did purchase Petunia, one of their top sellers, and loved its creamy consistency for the cheek and as a light stain on the lips and she has used it for every job since!

Another Stila product that "had us at hello" was the Prime Pot waterproof eye shadow primer. As Pros, we like options and have had some difficulty finding an eye primer other than Urban Decay. This one not only completely neutralizes any discoloration; it gives a smooth texture and does not let that eye shadow budge all day. Another "must have" in our professional opinion.

With Spring around the corner and bright colors popping up everywhere, Stila's The Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Indigo is a gorgeous shade of blue and the liner pen is extremely easy to use. But what sets it apart is the sheen it leaves - it looks like patent leather! Definitely an eye catcher. It also comes in black and dark brown.  We snagged those up for our Pro kits immediately!

As freelance artists, working in different environments everyday, with different elements and accommodations, sometimes it’s nice to have a little music to get the energy going and keep the client happy and relaxed while in the makeup chair. Stila came out with The Makeup Player and we snatched up two! Created by Stila Owner Lynn Tilton, it’s a small makeup case big enough to hold a basic personal kit or necessities, with an iPod hookup and speakers on the front to play your own tunes! It is also compatible with the iPhone so you can watch your favorite beauty how-to videos while getting ready.  The best thing is that it’s cordless so we can take it to each job and use it for makeup storage in transit.

Also, all of you Pro artists out there - be sure and take advantage of the amazing discount Stila has just launched for makeup artists. Go to www.stilacosmetics.com/proartists and sign up to receive up to 40% off products as a Pro.

As an Airbrush Tanning Pro, Cathi Singh, was interested to try out products from the South Seas line. She was given their tanning formula to try, as well as their bestselling coffee scrub to gently exfoliate the skin in preparation for a tan.  Here is her review: 

"I have to say I am extremely impressed with the quality and color of this line. I watched a demonstration and just seconds after being sprayed, the tan was completely dry - no stickiness at all! The color was flawless and had a nice scent, which is important to me. No one wants their client to smell like self-tanner!"

South Seas has been voted “Best of the Best” by Allure Magazine and is used on numerous film and TV sets such as; HBO, NBC, ABC, Disney, and Dreamworks. We highly recommend trying this product. If you want a quick tan for an evening out, try the Tahitian Tan Mist. It’s perfect for self tanning on the go, or touch ups in between spray tans.

During New York Fashion Week, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the Beauty Blender. Our Pros had seen them but never used one because we always used brushes and found reuseable sponges unsanitary. However, artists were using them on every major runway to apply foundation, cream blush, and highlighters on the skin and they were tweeting about how the sponge left a perfectly blended, no-streak airbrush finish. This sounded too good to be true, but we decided to purchase some at the show and give them a try.

Since then the Pros have used the blender on every major client and we are blown away by the results. Not only was it incredibly fast, but it did blend the foundation into the skin and gave a natural and flawless look. We are now huge advocates of the Beauty Blender and wish we had jumped on this train a long time ago!

Pro Tip: The Beauty Blender is a sponge which needs to be thoroughly cleaned after each use. It is somewhat delicate and does come with its own cleanser. However, another safe way to wash it is by using Dr. Bonners Magic Pure Castile Liquid Soap. It’s extremely gentle and won’t harm the sponge, but will disinfect it completely.

Pro Melissa Street, was quick to the TemptuPro booth this year, where she was able to pick up some much needed supplies for her airbrush.  The Pro discount that Temptu offers all in attendance was so amazing that she was able to replenish her S/B Foundations, blush colors and purchase several Dura color packs without breaking the bank! Because Melissa is a beauty and SPFX artist, TemptuPro is one of the best tools in her arsenal, she says, "I can't imagine working without this product line - I have to be quick on my feet and sometimes my director will change a look or add an effect during filming and Temptu never lets me down.  It is a must for tattoo work and wounds, but also I love the foundations and blush colors for beauty!"

The Pros also love our Eve Pearl Cosmetics and must stock up at every show!  This year, our friend Grace Chun was working the booth and we had a great time watching her talk about Eve's new products!  Melissa was gifted the Eve Pearl Lipstick Palette and if you don't have this, you must run and get it.  All of the colors in this palette are wearable and look great on everyone! Rounding out our Eve Pearl purchases were Anti Shine and Eve's Cream Blush Trio.

Every year it is imperative that we stop in and say hello to our friends at Hakuhodo!  These brushes are our favorite and the Pros add to our collection each year.  The quality of the Hakuhodo line is impeccable and they are made out of the best hair for flawless application and blendability.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all at Hakuhodo and we hope that you are recovering from the devastating earthquake.  Please take care!  This year, the Pros purchased the following brushes; #290 Eye Liner Brush, B533BkSL Eye Shadow Brush pointed, 246 Eye Shadow Brush round and the Yachiyo Medium Purple.

We also stopped in at the Make Up For Ever booth because this was the place to restock our beloved MUFE HD Liquid Foundations.  The Pros grabbed 115, 130 and 145 as well as replenishing our HD Powder.

Embryolisse was next on our list because it had been ages since we spoke with Michelle.  She is always such a huge help when we speak with her about the skincare needs of our actors.  This year, Embryolisse added a few new products to their line and we had to have them for our Pro kits!

You are all familiar with the iconic Lait Cream, but you should also check out Creme Onctueuse Raffermissante, which is a rich firming cream.  Melissa and Cathi are getting ready to work with famed actress, Marcia Wallace and this cream along with the Anti-Age Re-Densifying Serum and Re-Densifying Eye and Lip Contour Cream will help to smooth her mature skin.  These products reinforce, firm, plump and strengthen the skin.

Also, the Rosamelis Lotion Sans Alcool is the best toner we have found and our clients are totally in love with this product.  Even our male actors ask for their faces to be spritzed before makeup application with this product because it helps sooth the skin and makes them feel revived!

Yaby Cosmetics is now a staple in Melissa Street's professional kit.  This year she found herself making her own professional palette and seeking the advice from the incredible Victoria Stiles who was heading up the Yaby booth this year. Victoria schooled her on Yaby's line and Melissa purchased an entire set of neutral, matte eye shadow shades, eyebrow powders and cake liners.  Powder and liquid foundations made their way into Melissa's bag as well and since the show, she has used this line exclusively on Season 2 of Vampire Mob.  Here is her review, "at first, I thought that the tiny colors in the Yaby line would not pack enough punch to pick up on camera, but boy was I wrong! This line is so pigmented that a little goes a long way.  I love how the eye shadow blends and sculpts the eye. They are affordable and of the highest quality!"

Our Contributing Writer Pro, Heather Wilson fell in love with Kevyn Aucoin products and purchased many to add to her kit.  She was excited to get her hands on a few things that had been on her list for several months and since this was the debut of the Kevyn Aucoin line at The Makeup Show, she decided to really stock up.

She had been on the hunt for a super thin eye brow pencil and she found a great one! Here is her review, "this is a super thin retractable pencil that fills in, shapes and defines the brow. There are 3 colors of The Precision Brow Pencil; Basic Brown, Blonde, and Auborn. I have been on shoots playing with all the colors this week, and they are amazing! The Basic Brown is the perfect color for 9 out of 10 clients, and I had a red head in my chair and the Auborn color was perfect!"

 

She was also pleased with the quality of the Kevyn Aucoin blush line and says, "the blush colors are worth every penny! I bought every shade (but dont tell my husband that), and actually wish they had a few more colors!  They go on so smooth, and blend so beautifully on the skin, you honestly would never believe that they are a powder! The bright pink color called Shadore and the color Natura are a beautiful combination on the skin. They work great for print as well as HD."

Another company debuting at The Makeup Show Los Angeles was GlamCor Professional.  This product line is made for the professional by the professional. You must check out their stellar line of bags, brushes, rolls and get your hands on their lighting kit. They are running an artist special right now on their Classic Light Kit (LED, portable, no color distortion)for only $195. This booth was so popular that they sold out in the first few hours!

The education and hands on workshops at the show were packed with big names like Eve Pearl, Pati Dubroff, Eugenia Weston, Joanna Schlip, Orlando Santiago, Ve Neill, Kathy Aragon and John Hennessey just to name a few.

The Pros were able to sit in on a seminar about HD television and film work featuring a panel of artists that are the experts of the HD world.  Along with sharing some of their expertise on how to work with HD filming, they each shared helpful advice on the other part of being a makeup artist, which is working as a team and how attitude has everything to do with it.

Ve Neill made a good point that not everyone is good at everything. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses and how to use them to attack the days on set.

Ve also advises for those just starting out, find a mentor. Work for free just to be in the environment and be surrounded by talented people. It not only shows your dedication, but you will learn and absorb so much so quickly.

At the show, you have the opportunity to be schooled by some amazing artists and when you sign up for the private classes, you get to sit with the artist while they tell you their private tips and secrets in a hands on workshop. It is a great opportunity to ask questions and get answers directly from a Pro.

 

Celebrity Makeup Artist to the stars, Joanna Schlip was giving red carpet tips and advice. She has done makeup for Christina Applegate, Ellen Pompeo, Eva Longoria, Megan Fox and Melissa Etheridge for the Emmys, Grammys, and Golden Globe events.

She says that not only do you have a limited time with your client, but you need to do flawless makeup that will last! Their makeup will be scrutinized and many times it is 10 or more hours before the artist gets on stage.

She also talked about how you must be able to do makeup on a moving target. Your client could by eating, talking on the phone, texting or conducting business with their managers or agents.

If you want to see and hear more from these amazing artists as well as Makeup Forever’s Dany Sanz, Cinema Secret’s Maurice Stein and more, book your ticket now for The Makeup Show in New York, May 15-16 at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

The Pros can't emphasize enough how important it is to attend The Makeup Show. We really feel that knowledge is power and as professionals this show helps us to stay on top of our game! Thanks to everyone behind the scenes and we look forward to next year!

The Makeup Show 2011 - Los Angeles

The Pros are excited to attend this year's The Makeup Show on February 26th and 27th at the California Market Center in Los Angeles.  This event is a highlight that we look forward to each year because it is a gathering of some of the top Pros in our industry.  The mentors we turn to for advice, collaboration and continuing education will all be in attendance.

We have been attending this event for the past 4 years now both in New York and Los Angeles and this year we are excited to catch up with fellow artists that are representing some of the biggest brands in professional artistry and to discover new techniques that can take our makeup skills to the next level.

The Pros will also be attending the Blogger Preview Party and a reception honoring Maurice Stein, who is a legend in our industry having worked with many top celebrities, Grammy award winners and three US Presidents!  He is also the owner of Cinema Secrets, which is a cosmetics, hair and special effects supply store located in Los Angeles that provides product to every major studio, professional makeup artist, hair artist, celebrity, as well as the general public.  If Cinema Secrets doesn't carry it, it doesn't exist!

The Makeup Show Los Angeles is also the place to learn to become a makeup artist directly from the best in the business or if you already are a Pro, fine tune or learn a new skill that will boost your marketability.  This year top artists from Make Up For Ever will inspire you with their incredible workshops, as well as attend Makeup 101 with Orlando Santiago or Airbrush 101 with Myles O'Reilly.

Interested in the editorial industry?  Then attend Understanding Photo with Jon Hennessy or for bridal artists, you won't want to miss The Modern Bride seminar with Jo Levy for Becca Cosmetics. Legendary artist, Eugenia Weston will be demonstrating the art of perfecting eyebrows in her Master Workshop-The Art of Brows and Kathy Aragon will be conducting a workshop on achieving Essential Eye looks.

Need to be schooled on hair?  Guru Daven Mayeda will be teaching Basic Hair Styling for Makeup Artists this year and will show you how to maximize your career by understanding hair products, principals and fundamental techniques.  Danessa Myricks will show you how to achieve a perfect canvas in her hands-on workshop Perfect Skin and Joanna Schlip will be conducting a Master Workshop on how to achieve Everyday Hollywood Beauty.

Are you a makeup artist interested in getting into the local Union 706?  Then don't miss Susan Cabral Ebert's seminar called State of the Union.  Susan will tell you exactly what you need to do to become a makeup artist on Union film and television shows. Michael DeVellis for The Powder Group will help you learn how to capture long term success in his Marketing Your Career Now seminar and you must attend Women In The Industry with legends Eugenia Weston, Eve Pearl, Crystal Wright, Joanna Schlip and Danessa Myricks as they walk you through what it takes to to become a brand creator, bridal and beauty artist or Department Head on major television and motion pictures.

Esteemed artist Pati Dubroff, whose worked has graced the magazines of Vogue, Vanity Fair, W, InStyle and Harper's Bazaar and who is called on by A-List Celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore, Drew Barrymore and Gisele Bundchen, will be on hand to demonstrate and share many secrets on how to become a successful celebrity artist in her workshop Making Up.

For a list of all education opportunities - click here!

As if this wasn't enough, all the major industry brands will be on hand for discount shopping and demonstration directly at their booths. Exhibitors include: Alcone, BeautySoClean, Cinema Secrets, Crown Brush, Dermalogica, Dinair Airbrush, Embryolisse USA, Eve Pearl, Face Atelier, Frends Beauty Supply, Graftobian, Hakuhodo USA, Inglot Cosmetics, Kett Cosmetics, Kevyn Aucoin, Make Up Designory, Make Up For Ever, Mehron, Naked Cosmetics, Naimies Beauty Center, Nigels Beauty Emporium, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Senna Cosmetics, Smashbox, Stila Cosmetics, Temptu PRO, Yaby Cosmetics, Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics and Yves Saint Laurent, just to name a few.

For a complete list of exhibitors - click here!

The Pros are looking forward to interviewing renowned makeup artist, Victoria Stiles and Liz Yu owner and creator of Yaby Cosmetics!  We also can't wait to catch up with our YouTube friends Koren Zander from EnKoreMakeup and Eleesa from PurseBuzz because these two always have their fingers on the pulse of what is bigger, better and happening in the makeup industry!

On the Main Floor, we can't miss Academy Award Winning Makeup Artist, Ve Neill as she talks about the new SyFy show, Face Off! Ve is a judge on the show and she will takes us on a behind-the-scenes look in her seminar Face Off: Inside the SyFy Reality Show on Sunday.

We will definitely be stocking up on our disposable supplies because the discounts offered from industry stores like Alcone, Cinema Secrets, Frends, Naimes and Nigel's can't be beat!  So if you need sponges, puffs, mascara wands, brush cleaner or even if you need empty palettes, we highly recommend purchasing them at this event!

There is still time to get advanced tickets to this event - click here and if you see any of the IMPO Pros at The Makeup Show, make sure to say hello!  We would love to meet you!  See you there!

Get the look - Valentine's Day!

You always want to look incredible on a day like Valentine’s Day because it symbolizes love, affection and intimacy!  You want to feel beautiful, look sexy and exude passion.  How come everyday isn’t Valentine’s Day?

If you have a hot date on V-Day or maybe you are going out for a girl’s night, you can’t go wrong with smoldering eyes and glossy lips.

The Pro’s want to help you get the look and it’s easy when you use products from Eve Pearl's cosmetic line! Check out our link to Eve's great Valentine's Day makeup offer under our Pro Tips and Tricks section below!

Step 1 – After you cleanse your face, properly prep your skin with Eve Pearl’s Priming Moisturizer with Astaxanthin.  This product is incredible for anti-aging and contains natural sunscreen so you won’t be worried about flash photography!  It also is an essential step that will help your makeup apply smoother and last longer - don't skip it!

Step 2 – decide if you plan to apply your eye makeup first and then your foundation or apply your foundation and then the rest of your makeup.  We recommend applying the eyes first because you can clean up any fall out from the shadow and not ruin your foundation or concealer.

Eve Pearl’s Diamond Eyes palette is perfect for achieving a smoky eye look.  It contains 6 of the most dramatic, pigmented and gorgeous shades in the gold and silver family, which when blended together will make your eyes sexy and seductive!

 

Start with a combination of the deepest shades and apply all over the lid up to the crease.  Using a clean blending brush, blend only in the crease area – as if you are fading the color into that crease and diminishing any lines of demarcation - do not blend the lid – you still want the deepest, darkest hues to be along your lash line area and on the lid.  Take these same shades and run them along the lower lash line and blend, creating that fading effect.

Take a small amount of either the light gold shade or silver shade and pat that color right in the center of the eye lid – which is the most moveable part of your eye – this will act as a highlight.  Don’t forget to take that it shade and apply to the inner corner of the eye too.  The Pro’s like to keep the brow bone completely bare, but you could use the highlight color along the brow bone too. 

Line the upper and lower water line with Eve Pearl’s Kohl Eye Pencil in Blackout and apply at least 2 coats of the Glamour Lash Mascara in Jet Black.

If you are feeling extremely playful, a set of Absolute Eyelashes 104 will really make your eyes pop!  Now, clean up any fallout with a wipe and reapply a tiny amount of the Priming Moisturizer under the eye area – dabbing with your ring finger and begin foundation.

Step 3 - remember foundation comes before concealer.  Many times a great foundation with a medium coverage will cover skin imperfections eliminating the need to use concealer and minimizing the amount of product used on the face. 

Eve’s product line also contains two options for foundation – pressed powder foundation or cream foundation or if you want to apply your makeup like the Pro’s do, then you will want to have both types in your arsenal.

Begin with the HD Dual Foundation in your shade – most people will fall into the Medium category, but Eve’s line makes it easy to find the shade that exactly matches your tone because you will receive two shades in one compact for mixing and matching.

The Pro’s like to use Eve’s method of applying foundation and below is a how-to YouTube video of Eve demonstrating proper foundation application.  Once you have applied and blended your cream foundation using a sponge, brush or fingers, it is time for concealer.

Step 4 – Salmon Concealer & Treatment is the only concealer that the Pro’s use because it will completely erase all signs of dark circles and it applies silky smooth to the under eye area without caking. Eve makes it easy to find the shade that matches your skin tone!

We like to apply this concealer with our fingers and then blend into the skin using a small, tapered, fluffy blending brush (like a crease brush normally used for eye shadow application). You can also spot conceal any blemishes or discolorations at this time.  

The Pro’s use a very small, pointed eyeliner or lipstick brush to conceal small pimples – this is to ensure precise coverage of the blemish and the area around it.

Step 5 – set foundation using the HD Dual Pressed Powder in the matching shade to your HD Dual Foundation cream.  This step will eliminate shine and prep the makeup to receive powder products.  

BONUS – this powder is also a foundation and can be used wet or dry.  If you prefer the light feeling of a pressed powder foundation, this product delivers buildable coverage that adjusts from a sheer to medium to full when applied with a damp brush.  When used dry, this product will create natural highlights and contours of the face for a flawless finish.

Step 6 – it’s time for cheeks!  Using Eve’s Bronzing Highlighter Trio, which are three colors that are ideal for every skin tone and a “fan” brush; sweep the color over the apples of the cheeks.

You can also use the colors individually to create more sculpted cheekbones or as a highlight around the orbital bone area.  The Pro’s use a fan brush to apply this product because the shape of this brush will ensure we do not apply too much color.

If you want a more pop of color on the cheeks, try Eve’s blush trio in Sassy Cheeks, which contains 2 great matte shades that are the perfect pinky and peachy tone and an illuminating bronzer.  Tip: remember if you are rocking that smoky eye using the steps above, then you will want to keep your cheek more neutral or you will look overly made up!

Step 7 – you have got to reach for Eve Pearl’s Pearlicious Lip Gloss Set!  Every girl needs some Foreplay, Climax, Striptease and Ménage in her life and Eve’s set delivers!  Whichever shade you choose to wear, you will have the perfect kissable color on your lips!

If you want to create more definition to your lip line, try using the Kohl Lip Pencil & Brush Combo in Cosmo, which is the perfect natural lip shade that applies creamy.  Fill in the entire lip area and viola!  You have a gorgeous, nude lipstick shade!

Step 8 – step back and look over your entire face.  Now is the time to adjust, add color or blend more.  You may also want to use Eve’s Smudgeproof Liquid Eyeliner in Black Pearl if you are seeing the band from your false eyelashes.  Decide to fill in brows if they are sparse and brush them into place.  The Pro’s use the matte powder eye shadow from the Au Natural palette and a stiff angle brush to lightly feather color into the brows.

By now you should be feeling and looking like a million bucks! Don’t forget to toss your lip color and pressed powder into your handbag for touch ups!

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

Pro Tips and Tricks:

Eve has great makeup specials for Valentine’s Day – check out her YouTube promo below and get shopping! Click here to go directly to the Eve Pearl website!