To cover up or show tattoos on wedding day less of a dilemma

To cover up or show tattoos on wedding day less of a dilemma

Read on to hear of one of my favorite products for covering tattoos, bruises, scars and birthmarks- Premiere Products, Skin Illustrator. It's an alcohol activated makeup that can last for a few days. I've used it on many brides, commercial sets and the movies I've worked on.

It's a staple in my kit and a must have for every aspiring makeup artist.

How to make your makeup last all day and all night

"My makeup does not last!"

That may be my number one problem that I hear from many of my clients.

Here are some tried and true products that I've used on my films as well as my bridal clients that really work well and hold up under hot lights, underwater and all night long.

Having great skin preparation is a must to keep your makeup and your foundation looking fresh all day and night.

Start with a face primer like Make Up For Ever to make your foundation goes on smoothly, and to fill in the fine lines. I cannot do makeup without a primer…they are that important for beautiful skin.

Next, I like to apply foundation with a dampened makeup sponge called the Beauty Blender. The pink egg shaped sponge gives a natural, airbrushed look to the skin.

After the foundation is applied, gently dust the skin with a translucent powder to set the makeup AND with the same pink sponge, gently go over all the face with a patting motion, pressing the sponge into the skin to set the makeup.

Eye makeup stays best by starting with an eyeshadow base before applying any shadows.

I like Two Faced eye primer to lock in my shadows.

To keep your eyeshadow on all day, I highly recommend waterproof cream eye shadows. Make Up For Ever's warm beige is a great color that I like to use as a base shade. You can then add additional colors to contour and highlight over this, if you'd like.

I always use a water proof mascara to avoid any smudges throughout the day and I am a huge fan of Make Up For Ever's black mascara.

The only type of eyeliners found in my makeup kit are waterproof liners.

My favorites are Urban Decay 24/7 and MAC Power Point eyeliners.They are guaranteed to stay put until you take them off- and as an extra added sealer, I go over the liners with a gel liner to set them.

NARS eye paint is my latest go-to gel liner.

Blush stays best when you layer a cream blush under a powder blush.

I love the Tarte Amazonian 12 hour clay blushes the best for staying power.

For lips, the best bet is to start with waterproof lip liners. I like Prestige and Urban Decay. I typically use one shade to outline and another to fill in the lip color and take a pointed q-tip to blend them together and finish the look with a matte lip color for the longest lasting color or a lip stain.

And finally…when the entire face is done- I give a light spray of Urban Decay's All Nighter makeup setting mist to seal the deal!

Here's to putting your best face forward!

The no makeup, makeup look

It seems that every commercial and film I am on these days, the directors are always wanting the "no makeup" look.

What they fail to understand sometimes, is that the "no makeup" look,  can take as much time as a normal makeup application.

Here are some tips to achieve that look, especially when you don't have a lot of time.

Start with a clean, clear complexion and prep the skin with a good primer that will smooth out the fine lines, moisturize and create a flawless looking complexion.

I love Heir Atelier created by Los Angeles celebrity makeup artist, Kendra Richards, it creates a beautiful glow to the skin and it never leaves it feeling oily.

Even "no makeup looks" need a little help evening out the skin tones and my new obsession are BB creams. Skip the heavy foundations and brighten your skin with a healthy dose of sheer color. These are especially nice in the winter months as they add extra moisture to the skin.
Bobbi Brown is my new favorite which has a bonus SPF 35.

Curling your eyelashes is one way to really open up your eyes, if you don't want to wear eye makeup. I love the iconic Shu Uemura eyelash curler as it gently curls the lashes instead of crimping them…and who doesn't need a 24 kt gold eyelash curler?!

If you're not a fan of mascara, you can have your eyelashes professionally tinted in the beauty salon. It's an all natural vegetable dye and is safe for the eyes. The results are so natural and it lasts about a month. A lot of brides do this before their honeymoon and I've even known many men who have done this and it looks great!

The natural look requires a nice, healthy flush to the cheeks and lips. I love time saving dual products like Benetint's rose cheek and lip tint. It's a sheer berry fluid that tints the lips and cheeks.

It works great alone or under lip sticks. I tend to use it a lot on television shows, especially those kissing scenes where the lip color needs to last and last, take after take:)

xoxo

Winterizing your makeup and skin

With the bitter cold, winter weather upon us, now is the time to pamper your skin and winterize your makeup.

Start by increasing your water intake to nourish and hydrate your skin from the inside out. I love pure, natural, fluoride-free spring water and purchase Fiji water for the added silica and minerals which are so beneficial for the skin and hair.

All good makeup, starts with beautiful, clean skin and a fresh palette.

Exfoliation is the key to a smoother, softer complexion and a must this time of year. I like to use more organic products on my skin and have found the best, most gentle, skin scrub is baking soda. I keep it in the shower and mix a small paste with water and gently massage it into my skin to remove the dead skin cells. Your skin will glow afterward! And while your at it, you can brush your teeth with it, and rub it through your hair to remove excess hairspray buildup.

Another naturally, "green" moisturizing product is Barlean's organic coconut oil.

I use it as a cleanser, eye makeup remover, night cream and even as a hair moisturizer at night. It's the best multi-purpose organic product on the market today, and the one product I can't live without! It's the best tasting coconut oil out there and my dogs love it, too!

For daytime moisturizing, I love Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre. It's one of the best day creams I have ever used and a big celebrity favorite.
It has natural ingredients such as: shea butter, aloe vera, beeswax and soy to nourish the skin, and acts as a makeup primer as well. I mix a drop of this with my foundation for a lighter base to create my own tinted moisturizer during the winter months. (Skip the heavy foundation, as they tend to clog the pores). This product does not contain a SPF, so don't forget your sunscreen...even during the winter.

Most face powders will only make the skin look a little drier, and the same holds true for powder blushes.
Cream blushes are a great alternative for the most natural looking glowing cheeks. I love Stila's convertible color that can also double as a lip color, too...just a dab on the apples of the cheeks, brightens the whole face.

Lips tend to be the driest this time of year, so start by gently exfoliating them with a soft tooth brush and some organic coconut oil to remove dead skin. Skip the matte lipsticks as they will only dry the lips even more.
Stick with sheer lip balms such as Fresh sugars Rose lip color or Nivea's cherry lip balm that really help soothe those dry,chapped lips.

Waterproof mascara and eyeliners are a must during the cold weather as eyes tend to be a little drier and water more with the winter winds. I am a huge fan of Make Up For Ever's gel liners and waterproof mascara. It takes a little more effort to remove it, but in the end, it's worth it.

Here's to a warm and beautiful winter ahead!

Metallic makeup

With thanks to The Stir for the interview about the best way to wear metallic makeup this season! 

Metallic makeup can be so much fun when worn correctly! It looks best at night, weddings, proms or any event where you need to shine. The key is to not overdue it. Choose one feature to highlight with metallic makeup, whether it's your eyes or lips. I love the glittery eyeliners from Urban Decay and the sparkly lip glosses from MAC and Chanel.


Read on for my favorite picks from Chanel and NARS…makeup artist must haves!

Chanel Glossimer

NARS Orgasm