Valentine's Day How-To by Heather Wilson

A very special and romantic holiday is almost upon us! A day where it is tradition that lovers express their fondness by presenting each other with tokens of endearment!

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, you are probably thinking about purchasing a new outfit and shoes, how you will wear your hair and we hope that you are considering trying something new with your makeup.

No matter who you are spending this day with, be it a special partner or a single ladies night out, the Pros at IMPO want to suggest two makeup looks that are actually easy to achieve despite their intimidation!

Now, we all have our comfort level for an evening or special event makeup look, but this is the day to try something a little extra! So, the Pro’s want you to ask yourself…”are you more comfortable with a brighter lip, or a smokey eye?”

  

In this post, Pro makeup artist and IMPO writer, Heather Wilson will guide you through six easy steps on how to wear a red lip or a smokey eye and she will show you the products she uses to attain both of these looks.

Here is how she does it:

For most of us, we don’t feel comfortable in a bolder lip, but if you have found that perfect red and you are willing to try something new, then Valentine's Day is definitely the day to rock it! 

Let's begin...

First: start with super moisturized and exfoliated skin.

Second: mix 1/2 a pump of Make Up For Ever Uplight with your foundation to get that soft glow (if you tend to be more oily in your T-zone, you will not want to put this product on your forehead, nose or chin). This is also the time to conceal any skin flaws, irritations or dark circles with your favorite concealer product and then set the entire face with a neutral powder.

Third: use Laura Mercier Eye Shadow Base in Wheat to get a nice nude eyelid, but any “bone” colored shadow will do. Then take a color like MAC’s Soft Brown and smudge into top and bottom lashes. You can also add a very thin line of black, liquid eyeliner to define the upper lash line, but feel free to skip this step because if you do not feel confident in using this product the look can turn “vintage” quickly. This would also be the time to fill in your eyebrows with a matching color if needed.

Fourth: apply plenty of black mascara in your favorite brand and you can try a full or half set of false lashes. We love Ardell’s #105 or #301 for accent.

Fifth: a light application of bronzer like Bobbi Brown’s Maui Illuminating Bronzing Powder will sculpt cheekbones and add a slight bit of shimmer.

Sixth: to get a flawless red lip that will last through out the night make sure your lips are not chapped or flaky. Apply a matching red lip liner and use Yaby Cosmetics Lipstick in LC184. Finish the look with a little gloss just in the center of the lip. Alternative red lips that I love are: NARS 413 BLKR Larger Than Life Lip Gloss or Pure Matte Lipstick and Lipstick Queen’s Sinner or Saint.

4 more red lippies that are Pro favorites worth mentioning are all from NYX Cosmetics; Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Perfect Red, Xtreme Lip Cream in Spicy and Absolute Red and Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam.

Maybe you are more of the smokey eye type! If so, I am going to suggest mainly using soft plums for a more romantic flare than the traditional concrete tones popular with rock stars!

Let's begin...

First, follow the same steps for your skin prep, foundation, concealer and powder listed above. Then continue on with...

Eyes: Again, using Laura Mercier Eye Shadow Base not so much as an overall color this time, but instead to hold the shadows in place. Then use three of Yaby Cosmetics Pearl Shadows on the lid: PP017, PP038, PP047 and under the lower lash line. Take a black eyeshadow, such as NARS Night Breed and smudge it into the outer corner and elongate. I love to use Smashbox Gel Liner in Midnight Black softly smudged into the upper lash line because it will stay put all night.

Again as listed above, use a soft bronzer to sculpt your cheeks, fill in your brows if necessary, apply plenty of black mascara and false lashes then...

Lips: Use Make Up For Ever’s Rouge Artist Intense in Satin Blackcurrant for an intense pigment that will match the plum colored eyes. Alternatives are; YSL Rouge Pur Couture Gloss in Violet Edition, Sephora Collection Rogue Cream Lipstick in Crush 23 or a little lighter tone with a hint of brown is Bobbi Brown's Lipstick in Raisin.

If you just can't handle the combo of a smokey eye and a matching dark lip then swap for a soft nude with a hint of pink, but that is playing it safe and on Valentine's Day I say step out of your comfort zone and have a little fun!

Remember to take your time, apply your makeup well and don’t rush! It is important to blend…blend…blend and blend some more for a flawless finish!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day!

*all cosmetics listed above can be purchased online or at your nearest Sephora retailer. Yaby Cosmetics can be purchased from their online site or from Camera Ready Cosmetics.

*photos courtesy of Makeup by Heather Wilson.

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!