Products of the Month - October

Recently, IMPO Pro Melissa Street went to Europe for 14 days to work with a very special client.  During her European tour, which closely resembled the National Lampoon Chevy Chase movie, she experienced several filming challenges, including weather that went from sweltering (in Tunisia) to freezing rain (Marseilles, France) and everything in between.

So, which products did this Pro turn to help conquer travel dehydration, sleeplessness, dry and frizzy hair, perspiration issues, skin irritations, chapped lips and one or two swanky dinners with a cruise ship captain?

Ladies and Gentleman…The Products of the Month for October:

Jan Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF 30 – Melissa knows she preaches about this product, but it is only because it really works!  This is a non-greasy sunscreen that is actually good for your face!  Melissa uses this personally, professionally and in place of primer.

Embryolisse Exfoliating Care Cream – this product gently removes impurities and dead cells leaving the complexion fresh and radiant.  Perfect for travel and to revitalize tired, dehydrated skin.

SAMPAR Prodigal Pen – this product will treat and reduce the appearance of skin imperfections such as pimples/blemishes, irritations, bacteria and assists in healing insect bites, razor burn, etc.  A makeup artist must have!

Bed Head Let’s Get Tropical – this body oil treats and rehydrates the skin after long exposure to the sun.  Contains coconut, avocado and sunflower oils, as well as aloe vera.  Gives skin an amazing all-over, healthy glow.

Tara Smith Base Coat Serum – you prep your face with primer before makeup, so prime your hair before styling!  Totally organic and vegan, this product helps protect your hair, hydrates and provides a nutritional supplement for a good hair foundation.

L’Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray – this product is the legendary hairspray of choice for red carpet events, photo shoots, film and television sets because it is so fine that it will disappear at the stroke of a brush.  Won’t way the hair down and has amazing holding power!

Prairie Dawn 100% Natural Lip Balm – this lip balm is more like a lip treatment!  Goes on smoothly and keeps lips moisturized.  Great to use as a lip primer prior to application of lipstick.  Comes in 4 luscious flavors!  Melissa’s favorite is Sweet Orange.  Psst! Check out IMPO's first contest thanks to Prairie Dawn! Details below under Pro Contest (scroll all the way down to the end of the post)!

Hakuhodo Brushes – renowned in the beauty industry as the best in brushes, this line features premium bristles and first-rate craftsmanship.  Melissa refuses to work without this brush line.

CoverFX Big Cover Up Set – traveling with multiple products in individual packaging can be frustrating, but the geniuses at CoverFX have solved that problem!  This 5- piece kit not only achieves total coverage of minor to major complexion issues, it comes with a foundation brush and instructional DVD too!  Melissa used this kit on stage, on camera and for all personal appearances!

CoverFX Conceal FX Camouflage Concealer – this product instantly erases under eye circles and dark spots as well as, redness, sun damage, tattoos, birthmarks, trauma and moles.  A little goes a long way and because it comes in 6 shades you can easily find your exact skin tone match!

Youngblood Cosmetics Artiste 2 Nude Awakening Palette – as a Pro MUA travel is a must, but Melissa hates packing individual colors, it’s just impractical and can be very messy if something breaks.  This palette has all the essential colors for day and night!  It’s a one-stop-shop!

Smashbox Brow Tech To Go – IMPO raved about this product last month, but this product is worth another mention.  Brow Tech is so longwearing and waterproof that it lasted all day through long hours of filming and into the night for a personal appearance and dinner! No need for touch up!

Senna Cosmetics Lip Sync – this is a Pro MUA’s dream!  Lipstick and coordinating lip gloss all in one component!  Gotta love Eugenia Weston for inventing this amazing product!  Incredibly pigmented with tons of staying power, these lip colors are all you need.  Melissa’s favorite colors:  Stunning and A La Mode, but the good thing about owning all 4 sets is that you can mix and match.  Oh and did we mention that this product is formulated with collagen?  Excellent lip plumping power!

MAI Couture Blotting Papier – this product is incredible because it is a bronzer and a blotting paper in one.  Gives a light shimmer while controlling and absorbing oil.  Leaves a warm, sun-kissed glow on the skin.  Melissa also used the Rejuvenate Oil Blotting Papier in Lavender scent for removing excess shine without adding more makeup to her client’s face.  The soothing lavender scent is very calming and refreshing without being overpowering.

Lifewave Y Age Glutathione Patch – Melissa uses this product personally and was introduced to this technology through a client.  Daily, Melissa is asked about her personal skincare regime and because she feels that having good skin is not just about the products she uses on the outside, it’s also about how she treats her body on the inside, she felt it necessary to share this patch technology with our readers.

Here is a little information; Glutathione functions in our body as a master antioxidant that prevents damage to important cellular components caused by free radicals.  Basically, this patch technology slows down and can help improve the signs of aging by neutralizing free radicals that cause skin damage.  It has been clinically proven to help minimize fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improve overall health. As we age, Glutathione levels start to decline and many scientists now believe that how long we live is directly proportional to how high our Glutathione levels are.

In all fairness, Melissa is a distributor with Lifewave, but for the sole purpose of purchasing these patches at wholesale cost.  If you would like more information, feel free to click on the link or visit Suzanne Somers' website at www.suzannesomers.com.  You can also read about this incredible, nontechnology in her book Knockout.  This is a personal product of Melissa’s and is not sold to any business clients on set, nor is this mention intended to generate distributors for the Lifewave organization.

Pro Contest:

Thanks to Prairie Dawn Natural Body Products for providing us with our first IMPO/Twitter contest!  Be our 1,500 follower on Twitter and the Pros will send you two of each flavor of Prairie Dawn’s Natural Lip Balm (8 lip balms total)!  Click here and start following – Good Luck!

Photo credit: Makeup by: Ayami - Photography by: Rankin for Sightsavers 

Products of the Month - July!

Professional makeup artistry has its perks to say the least!  Exotic travel, glamorous clients and gratis product!  But, just because makeup artists receive “gifted” product from manufactures does not mean that the products work for all genres of professional artistry.

Consumer products can cross over into our world, but most are made for every day use and can’t handle the pressure of being “on set!”  

IMPO Pros use and test all the products we are sent gratis for approximately 4 to 6 weeks both on and off the set before we meet to decide which skin, hair or makeup products are up to par!

To be blunt, some pass and most fail our “tests!”  Unfortunately, the rigorous hours on a television, film or photography set can make even the best consumer friendly products cower under pressure!

The Pros from IMPO have decided to form a new post titled “Products of the Month,” which will feature products that have passed what the Pros like to call “The On Set Test!” 

The On Set Test is when the Pros use products on set, either during a television, film or photography shoot or for a live event (like the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, etc.).  The products endure numerous on set hours under hot lights, outside, uncontrolled location heat, wind, dust, freezing cold temperatures and sometimes, numerous makeup/hair changes.

The products are used on all different skin types and rest assure that if a product is featured in this new monthly post, it is because our Pros have fallen head-over-heals in love and we feel the product is exceptional!

So without further ado, let’s unveil our July Products of the Month:

With summer in full swing, the Pros have decided to feature products that are ideal for this time of year (even though we use them all year long)!

Jan Marini Daily Face Protectant – if you don’t use sunscreen daily regardless of the weather…shame on you!  Leathery skin is not attractive or healthy and the genius that is Jan Marini has made it extremely easy to incorporate sunscreen into your daily skincare regime.

This product is brilliant in the fact that it is not a traditional white-pigmented sunscreen that can take several minutes to rub into the skin and absorb.  The Pros have found that this is the only sunscreen that does not oxidize foundation and concealer!

This product also contains a powerful antioxidant formula, which means that it is actually good for your skin and won’t cause breakouts! Bonus – it is waterproof so fantastic for sports and water play.  It does not feel oily or greasy and gives an instant oil-free, matte finish!  Click “here” to read Jan Marini’s 11 Reasons to Stay Out of the Sun!

Nurturing Force Wellness Aloe Vera Skincare Blot Out Offensive Shine + Oil Control Cream – the Pros were gifted this product at the recent IMATS Convention in Pasadena, California and we think it is genius!  Applied after normal skincare, it creates an instant matte canvas and barrier that soaks up oil secretion throughout the day!  This is not gel based, but a fast absorbing cream that will slow degradation of makeup so no more slipping, crawling, creeping, cracking or bubbling!  The Pros use this on all our clients for HD, stage, film, etc.  Bonus – no added color, fragrance or animal testing! Ideal for men with bald, shiny heads!

Clinique Self Sun Body Tinted Lotion – a gift from the sunless tanning gods!  This product comes in Light/Medium and Medium/Deep and we also love the tinted lotion for the face.  This product is a lotion, which means that it absorbs quickly into the skin! Bonus - because you can actually “see” where you have placed the product you can ensure that you are rubbing it into the skin and not creating streak marks.  For best results we recommend that you exfoliate your body first and wash your hands after application.  Clinique does recommend a drying time of 15 minutes before coming in contact with clothing.

Youngblood Mineral Radiance Moisture Tint – the Pros were gifted this product to try for an upcoming shoot with an actress who was extremely adamant that only natural products were used on her skin during filming.  Most mineral based products, while amazing for every day use, suffer under studio lighting and do not give enough coverage for extreme close up on HD cameras, but this moisture tint from Youngblood proved to be different!  It is sheer on first application, but you can build it up to cover small skin imperfections (most tinted moisturizers don’t have enough pigment to cover – they just provide a sheer “wash” over the skin).  Bonus – this product is packed with free-radical fighting antioxidants, calming botanicals and nourishing minerals.  Plus, it protects your skin from environmental damage!

Youngblood Hi-Definition Hydrating Mineral Perfecting Powder – this product saved us during the shoot we mentioned above because our actress was extremely allergic to any type of talc powder.  The Pros grabbed this powder out of our kit and were amazed at how incredibly finely milled this powder was, which left our actresses complexion flawless, almost looking airbrushed. Bonus - if you are prone to excessive oil or live in a high-humidity area, this product will keep your makeup fresh and matte for hours!

ColoreScience Corrector Kit – this palette has become our “go to” palette in our professional kit!  It offers five shades of powder corrector that perfectly camouflage any skin discoloration.  Corrects and lightens red tones like Rosacea or blemishes, blue tones like dark, under eye circles, brown tones like sun spots or yellow tones like sallow skin from medication side effects. Comes in two kits for light/medium and medium/deep skin tones.  Bonus – we also use these colors as highlights, concealer, contour and bronzer.

MAI Couture Rejuvenate Oil Blotting Papier – we purchased these amazing blotting papers at the recent IMATS Convention in Pasadena because we just HAD to have them!  They are incredible for absorbing and removing excess oil without disturbing makeup or adding powder to the face.  Infused with lavender oil that calms nerves on hectic shooting schedule days, they have become a luxurious addition to our Pro kits and personal makeup bags!  Bonus – these blotting papers are also available in blush colors or bronzing color for instant application sans brush or to add a pick-me-up of color when touching up the face!

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow – since one of the summer time trends seems to be matte makeup, we are in love with Bobbi Brown’s cream shadows!  They last all day and won’t crease or smear.  Our favorite colors are Shore, Ash, Malted and Cement.  They leave a matte finish and the Pros love to apply these shadows with a brush or fingertip, plus they are safe for contact lens wearers.  Bonus – Bobbi Brown also makes these shadows in shimmer and metallic colors!

Make Up Forever Aqua Cream Liner – originally created by Dany Sanz for water ballet, this formula withstands extreme conditions!  Water, perspiration and humidity are no match for this amazing pencil!  It is seriously waterproof, smudge-proof and tear-proof with highly pigmented, intense color.  Comes in so many fun colors that we Pros love to use them as a pop of color on the eye when using matte, neutral eye shadows.  Bonus – these are great for the water line!

Make Up Forever Smoky Lash – this is 100% the best waterproof mascara we have every used!  Ultra-pigmented specially designed to give lashes exceptional volume!  Gives lashes curl, volume and length!  Bonus – you can get great pay off with just one coat!

Cover FX Bronzed FX Bronzing Powder – if you are looking for an amazing bronzer then look no further!  This product creates a radiant, sunny hue on the skin with a matte finish!  Oil-Free, paraben-free and packed with skin soothing properties so it is perfect if you have sensitive skin!  Bonus – comes in colors that are perfect for all skin tones!

NYX Cosmetics Rouge Cream Blush – we love to pop a bit of color just on the apples of the checks to compliment a bronze glow and to give the face some dimension!  We love a pinky-toned cream blush like Glow from NYX!  This line is very pigmented and lasts all day!  Dab on the skin with fingertips or a brush and blend!  Big Bonus – this line is extremely inexpensive so you can afford several colors!  Check out their lipstick colors too!

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector – this is by far our most favorite lip gloss!  Contains 3D pigments to enhance the lip’s natural color, fullness and shape!  Comes is three colors, but we are partial to Rose Shimmer.  Bonus – can be worn alone or with another lip color and the Beige color is the perfect nude lip color gloss!

Embryolisse Lotion Micellaire – this is a rinse-free makeup remover!  Yes!  You heard us right…rinse-free!  The Pros use this product a ton when we are on set and need to change makeup looks in a hurry!  Made for all skin types, this cleansing lotion is made with a solution of cornflower, witch hazel and chamomile water.  It is like a cleanser and toner all in one!  Even water resistant makeup is removed easily!  Bonus – impurities and daily pollution are removed in one sweep, leaving the face clean and clear so for those beauties that hate to take their makeup off at night…you now have no excuse!!!

Votre Vu On Holiday Collection – O.K. beauty junkies…the IMPO Pros literally died when we received this product line in the mail!  This is a luxurious body collection that will take you on a mini-vacation!  Take a deep breath and float away to your happy place while you exfoliate and bathe your skin in this sumptuous treatment!  The scrub will lift away dead cells and improve your skin’s texture, while the gentle cleanser nourishes and replenishes your tired, dry skin with moisture.  Complete your holiday with a spritz of the body oil and enjoy the intoxicating fragrance. Use on legs, feet, arms, stomach or wherever you would like to lock in precious moisture! Bonus – Votre Vu’s entire product line is natural and made with a blend of essential oils!