L'uvalla certified organic skincare

I am very lucky to live in a town with such wonderful hospitals and doctors.

UPMC is one of the premiere hospitals in the US and I have been privileged to work on many commercials, videos and billboards for this health care giant over the years.

One of my most memorable UPMC commercials I worked on last year, was with actress, Alla Korot, former soap star and now current co-owner of L'uvalla certified organic skin care. She is as passionate about her products as she is acting, and her skin was absolutely flawless.

After we wrapped the commercial, she was kind enough to send me some of her products in the mail to try and I have to say I was very impressed with everything she sent me.

Using the L'uvalla line is like feeding your skin some of the long lost nutrients its been lacking.
It's such a comforting feeling to know that every ingredient they put into their products is both natural, organic and very good for you. There really is something to be said for the old saying, "if you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin."!

Her Balancing Cream for normal to oily skin was one of my favorite products. It instantly absorbed into my skin, leaving it hydrated and matte...a perfect combination for my oily skin, and completely free of toxic chemicals.

Alla was such a beautiful soul to work with and I really enjoyed the time we spent together on set, and making her even more beautiful for our commercial.

Many celebrities love and endorse her line, and now I can see why!

Green is the new black

Ladies, if there is one thing you must add to your spring makeup collection this season, it is green makeup!

Emerald green is taking over the runway, the theaters, and now your makeup palette.
I have no doubt that the "OZ the Great and Powerful" in the theaters this month has something to do with the green craze;)  

 One of my favorite ways to wear green eyeshadow is to wet it to give it a nice sheen, then apply it to the eyelid. I love colors that have some iridescence to them such as MAC, Makeup Forever and Urban Decay.

Green liner has always been my favorite eyeliner to make hazel eyes sparkle.
I have three go-to colors from Urban Decay that I absolutely love:
Graffiti, Stash, and Mildew. The colors all glide on effortlessly and stay put...24/7!

If you're afraid of color on your eyes, you can ease into it slowly by adding just a pop of color along your upper lash line, while keeping your eyeshadows neutral.
If you're feeling really daring, try a glitter liner for evening along the upper lash line, Stagedive is gorgeous and fun!

Colored mascara is always a cool way to add some life to your eyes. Hard Candy makes a green mascara. I like to add it over black to add a little pizzazz!

And who wouldn't want to wear false green eyelashes?! My latest discovery from Ardell...just in time for St. Patrick's day, available online or at any drugstore.

And finally to top off your green makeup palette, you must have Spring Bean lip gloss by MAC! 

Be not afraid...it doesn't actually go on "lime green", but just tints your lip with a nice golden tone.

Makeup Timesavers

I am so excited it is finally March, and spring is just around the corner.

After a long winter, it's so great to finally see the sun peeking through again. Daylight savings time can really reek havoc on my system for a while, so I am always searching for the best products that can make me, (or my clients), look more awake, refreshed and make up that time that mother nature took from us!

Losing that hour of sleep over the weekend, hurts, but it's nothing that a little concealer, (and caffeine) can't handle...or how about a concealer, with caffeine, to instantly perk up the eye area?

Smashbox High Definition Liquid Concealer does all that! The caffeine helps sooth the redness and puffiness around the eyes, while never getting cakey. Apply this after your foundation to lighten under eye circles and soften the lines.

Spring is the time to shed the heavy foundations and lighten the coverage with some of the newer BB creams. I'm a huge fan of Miracle Skin Transformer. It gives a flawless, airbrushed look to the skin while moisturizing, priming the skin, minimizing pores and providing a SPF 20. The formula glides on like silk resulting in perfect looking skin without looking like you're wearing a full face of makeup.

Continuing my quest for flawless skin, another one of my new beauty time savers comes from celebrity makeup artist, Kendra Richards. Heir Atelier Ultimate Makeup Prep is a hydrating serum designed to moisturize, nourish and prime the skin for a beautiful complexion. The silicone free formula is so lightweight and immediately absorbs into the skin. It's a must have on all of my shoots as it keeps the makeup looking fresh all day.

And finally, on those days where you just want to look alive, and fresh and have absolutely no time for makeup, there's always time for NARS Multiples. With a quick swipe of the stick on your cheeks, eyes and lips, your skin glows and instantly perks up with sheer beautiful color with a hint of vitamin E and acai oil.

Slice Cosmetic Pencil Sharpeners

I really never thought I'd get super excited about a cosmetic pencil sharpener...but I have, and just wanted to share my latest discovery with you, thanks to the recommendation of my friend, celebrity makeup artist Kendra Richards.

Slice cosmetic pencil sharpeners are the cadillac of sharpeners- a great compact, sleek design by Michael Graves. It is the perfect companion to my high end cosmetic pencils - no more shredding and tearing my expensive pencils apart with cheap sharpeners!

This unique design catches all the shavings in the bottom of the container, while the dual German stainless steel blades sharpen your 8mm and 12 mm pencils to a precise point. It even comes with its own handy cleaning pick, and for 9.99, it's worth every penny, and makes my life as a makeup artist, so much easier!

But the best thing about Slice, is that founder, TJ Scimone donates 1% of all product sales to help fund autism research. His son Alex is autistic...now that is beauty with a cause.