Products of the Month - August

The Pros at IMPO love the month of August because it is still summer and we have a deep tan on our skin (achieved the healthy way)!  We use summer to revive our skin and give it a break by using less makeup and more skincare/sunscreen.  When we do wear makeup it is usually light on foundation, concealer and powder, but with vibrant pops of color on our eyes, cheeks and lips!

This time of year we tend to use multitasking makeup products that have great staying power.  Hair tends to be left to dry naturally or with a diffuser and we like to use high-end shampoos, conditioners and treatments that help protect from and repair any sun damage.  Fingers and toes are never sans Mani/Pedi with fun, summer colors that are exotic and tropical.

We also take the time to treat our bodies better by working out more, eating healthier and drinking more water to flush out toxins (and those margaritas we can’t seem to turn down)!

And last, but not least…we are sticklers about grooming our eyebrows (we are adamant about this all year long, but in the summer when our makeup tends to be less or none, it is very important)!  It is a major pet peeve of the Pros to see over growing eyebrow hair that hasn’t come in contact with tweezers in weeks or made a trip to the salon for a proper groom!

Here are the products we love for the month of August:

NYX The Caribbean Collection - I Dream of St. Lucia – 5 Color Eye Shadow Palette – these gorgeous colors are perfect for summer!  They are bold, highly pigmented and long lasting.  The yellow color in this palette is beautiful as a brow highlighter! Pops of color on our eyes while keeping the cheeks and lips sheer is our favorite beach babe look!

Tricia Sawyer Eye Slept – Instant Eye Brightener – this product is nothing short of amazing!  Notice the words “eye brightener,” which means it is NOT a concealer!  We love to use this product on those days when concealer is not necessary, but if you must wear concealer daily, use this product on top of your concealer.  It is a buildable coverage so start out with a small “dab” and use your finger to tap in to blend.  Reapply for heavier coverage!  Use under eyes and in the corner of the eyes to create a more awake looking effect!  Great as a cheek highlighter and use on the cupids bow to create a fuller lip!

DiorShow Waterproof Mascara – one of the most glamorous products available to the consumer, we live in this mascara year round!  The waterproof version won’t smear or run when you swim and splash!  We covet Black 90, but recently purchased Azure Blue 258 and love how our eyes stand out!

Nars Multiple Tints – Summer 2010 Collection – stop the press!!!  We can’t get enough of these new colors for summer!  A cult classic, we use this product to create a sheer wash of color on our cheeks and lips.  In love with Beverly Hills (watermelon) and Turks & Caicos (tangerine), which look beautiful against a healthy glow!

Embryolisse Hydrating Lait Creme Concentre for Dry Skin - Our skin drinks in this lotion year round, but in the summer when the Pros tend to spend more time outside, this body lotion re-hydrates our skin and sinks right in without intense rubbing!

Embryolisse Rich Repairing Protective Stick Lip Balm – does exactly what the name implies!  Moisturizes, repairs, protects and soothes dry, damaged lips!  Contains natural ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, coconut, macadamia and castor oils.  Packed with vitamin E, this product makes your lips soft for hours!  Use under lipstick or gloss!

Arbonne Revelage Age Spot Brightening Hand Therapy with SPF 30 – this product is a rich protection hand therapy that shields skin against UV damage to prevent further signs of aging, skin discoloration and age spots.  Use daily and reapply frequently for more youthful looking hands.  The Pros think this product works better than a sunscreen because it is a moisturizer and blends quickly into the skin. We keep tubes of this product in our pro kits, car and personal makeup bags!  This product is sold through independent distributors so use the Internet to find a seller near you!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Nail Lacquer – want your Mani/Pedi to last longer?  Try this nail varnish!  This product is quick drying, intensely pigmented and very long lasting!  We love bright colors for summer like Anime (sheer, glossy day glow pink), Grandma (bright coral) or Traffic (bright yellow).

Leonor Greyl Huile de Palme, Shampooing Reviviscence, Masque Quintessence – we love to use this hair care line all year long, but especially in the summer to treat and repair sun damage or the effects of salt water and chlorine!  Behind-the-scenes on some of Hollywood's biggest studio sets, you will find Leonor Greyl responsible for many of our favorite celebrity hairstyles. Currently, hairstylists are using this line on Woody Allen’s new film shooting in Paris, which stars French First Lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy!  Additionally, you can visit the Leonor Greyl website and view treatments/recommendations for all types of hair issues (dry, oily, dandruff, thin, limp or frizzy)!

Jan Marini Age Intervention Regeneration Mask – topical anti-aging!   Packed with a ton of anti-inflammatories, including the new red wine longevity extract, Resveratrol and combined with a skin rebuilding peptide blend.  Results are immediate and we love to use this product after extreme exposure to the sun to deep cleanse pores and maximize our skincare results.

Jan Marini Age Intervention Regeneration Booster – 6 bottles/6 weeks to dramatically younger looking skin.  This product combines Telomerase Enzymes in combination with anti-inflammatory agents and select peptides, which have proven to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles, elasticity, firmness, texture, discoloration and overall radiance, suppleness and hydration.  Use in conjunction with the Regeneration Mask mentioned above.

Lucy B Frangipani Bronzing Shimmer Oil – summer in a bottle!!!  Use to enhance your healthy tan or apply to create a sun-kissed bronzed glow without sun exposure!  Made with organic coconut, jojoba and sunflower oils and infused with Lucy B’s signature scent, you will feel like you have been whisked away on an Australian beach holiday!  We use this on our legs, shoulders and arms!

Elke Von Freudenberg – The Model Brow – do you know Elke?  Well if not, then you should make getting to know her, her blog and her website, The Model Brow, a major priority!  Elke is the best eyebrow groomer in the biz and she also manufactures the best brow products for personal and professional use.  Having groomed brows is a must and Elke can fix, reshape, touch up and tame the wildest brows.  She is based in NYC and Los Angeles, but if you are not able to snag an appointment with this guru or one of her highly-trained assistants, check out her website with tips and tricks on DIY!!  We love her Brow Tamer Clear Pomade (water-resistant)!

Pro Tips and Tricks:

Use the last few weeks of summer to repair your skin and hair and get it prepped for the upcoming fall and winter months.  Remember, just because you are not seeing the damaging effects of summer sun exposure today, doesn’t mean you won’t see it in the next 6 months.  Now is the time to rejuvenate your skin and hair if you want to be drop dead gorgeous on New Years Eve!

Glow Baby Glow!

There are several “staples” you will find if you are ever lucky enough to dig into a professional MUA’s kit, like incredible skin care, false lashes, industry concealers and foundations, flesh tone pencils, liquid liner, cake mascaras, the perfect nude lip gloss and of course…bronzer!

This Pro’s kit is packed with several variations of bronzer in shades ranging from light to dark. I can’t do a television spot or film project without them and I rely on bronzers for correcting and creating natural beauty. My favorite types are matte colors (no sparkle) because I use them to sculpt the face, jaw bone, nose area and correct flaws or create illusions, which ultimately trick the viewer’s eye into thinking the actor or model's face is completely flawless.



Bronzer should be primary in your makeup bag as well to give your face a sun-kissed glow and to wake up tired, pasty skin. Finding the right color for your skin tone is crucial because you want to be able to wear a bronzer all year around.

Here are a few guidelines:

Fair Skin: peach/pink bronzers

Light: beige brown with a hint of pink

Medium: Browny pink with a touch of cooper for warmth

Olive Skin: copper shades

Dark Skin: dark shades with a touch of red or blue if you are deep dark skin toned.

Avoid orange shades, which will immediately give you an unnatural look and leave you feeling like one of Willy Wonka’s Oompa Loompas or like one of those overly spray tanned actresses (who shall remain nameless).



My preference is powder-based bronzers applied with a fan brush, but there are also several cream- or gel-based products that work well for dry skin and should be applied with a sponge, which I do use now and then on certain television and film projects.

This Pro uses the following application technique when contouring and correcting: apply bronzer to jaw line, under cheekbone, down sides and tip of nose and at the temples. Always blend into the skin for the best results. To help illustrate, check out the great contour/highlight chart below:



For everyday application apply bronzer lightly to the areas of your face that the sun would naturally tan; apples of cheeks, chin, forehead and down the nose area.

Bronzer can replace the need for blush color, but feel free to add a shimmer highlight just above your cheek bone directly under your eye area. Complete your look with eyeliner, a coat of mascara, add a pretty gloss and you are ready to take on the day! Bronzer is magic and looks best on the days when you don’t need a ton of coverage from foundation or concealer.

Self-Tanners are also used to warm up the complexion of the skin on the body and face, but if applied wrong or excessively can lead to disaster. However, if you are not a sun worshiper or if you are completely conscious of sun damage, then using a self-tanner is a necessity for you during the year.



If applying self-tanner on the face, be sure several hours have passed before makeup application and make sure to apply the tanner to your neck and ears and wash your hands throughly after. Self-tanners come in cream, gel and spray formula usually mixed with a moisturizer for easy application and best results. Don’t forget to wait the recommended time limit before getting dressed and most products take an hour or more to develop color on skin.

Here are a few Bronzers and Self –Tanners that this Pro can’t “glow” without:

Nars: you can find several shades of Nars Powder Bronzers in my professional makeup kit, as well as a few of Nars’ Multiples. Powder shades include: Zen (matte), Irresistiblement, Casino, Laguna – Zen is a Nars blush color, but I use it as bronzer. Multiples: Rapa Nui, Malaysia, Tuomota.




Dior: love these shades from Dior, they are incredible on the skin and give a very natural radiance! Shades: Honey Matte 002 and Amber Matte 003. Dior’s Bronze Original Tan in Healthy Tan 01, Honey Tan 02 and Amber Tan 03 can be found in my personal and professional makeup arsenal. I also use Dior Bronze Self-Tanner Natural Glow Face and Body.





Shu Uemura: beautiful color for lighter skin tones in Light and Warm.



Calvin Klein: sunkissed, healthy glow for medium to olive skin tones in Sun Dance and Sun Drenched.



Laura Mercier's Bronzing Duo: perfect harmony for medium, olive and dark skin tones. Choose Bronzing for olive tones, Pink Bronze for dark skin and Coral Bronze for medium skin.



Mystic Tan: self-tanner for face and body is an aerosol formula that will give you a deep, even application. It is alcohol-free and it dries quickly.



Bliss, A Tan For All Seasons: this is a great self-tanner infused with antioxidants and aloe vera. Amazing color and no gross odor!



Speciality Products: Tarte’s Glam Gams Leg Bronzing Stick can be used when you are not able to self-tan or if you want to faux glow your legs (and arms). All Tarte’s products are packed with fruit complex like goji, acai and pomegranate. Lucy B. Bronzing Body Shimmer Oil is made from organic coconut, jojoba and sunflower oils. Use all over face, body and hair to achieve a fresh sun-kissed look!




Most product listed above can be purchased at www.sephora.com except for certain Nars bronzer shades and Lucy B. products can be found at www.lucybcosmetics.com.

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:
If you are going to wear bronzer to the pool or beach, check out Cargo's newest line of waterproof bronzers. This product stays put no matter how much you get wet or sweat!

Remember, a little bronzer goes a very long way so use a light touch and build the color onto your face and body! If you find your bronzer leaves your face looking too matte or flat add a pop of color with a pretty blush color.

One more trick up my Pro sleeve; if you are very fair skinned you may want to try using a powder foundation color instead of a bronzer. Look for a shade that is one shade darker than your usual foundation color.



STAY TUNED:
Up next on IMPO – The Loose, The Compact and The Mineralized - all about face powders!

I Love Lucy!

Founder Lucy Baldock-Sacchi is originally from London and has been working as a celebrity and beauty makeup artist for over 15 years. Her clients include Claudia Shiffer, Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elle McPherson and Kylie Minogue to name just a few and she has worked for some of the most influential magazines of our time – Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire and Vanity Fair.



Lucy began Lucy B. Cosmetics when she discovered a gap in the market between color cosmetics and organic ingredient resources found in Australia. Today, Lucy B. Cosmetics is the only color range in the world to have infused the natural Australian Flower Essences within their products.

Lucy’s vision is to balance image and style with heart and soul and when you use this product line, you will grasp that same perspective! Lucy was kind enough to send In My Professional Opinion many wonderful products to play with and boy, did we put them to the test!

Here is a list of the our must-haves:

Fresh Juice Lip Glosses – while this product is the ultimate in bee stung lips, it is the color and staying power that captured our seal of approval! We fell head over heals in lust with Coconut Kiss, Tinkerbell and Tigerlily! These super-shiny glosses are a big hit amongst celebrities so make sure to pre-order Tinkerbell and Beatnik online today! These gloss colors are sure to fly off the shelves when they are released this Spring!



Tinted Lip Balms – these balms are the bomb! Formulated with Vitamin E and a delicious watermelon scent, these little cuties will certainly uplift your spirit! We especially loved Nudie, Pink Bikini and Ruby Red! Great for travel and should be used in conjunction with Lucy B’s Lemonade Organic Lip Balm.



Frangipani Bronzing Shimmer Oil – all we can say is, “hello summer!” This is the most amazing bronzing, shimmer oil that gives even your winter tanned-less skin a kiss from the sun! Infused with organic coconut, jojoba and sunflower oils and with Lucy B’s signature confidence enhancing Australian Flower Essences, you are going to feel and smell like you are on a beach holiday! Great winter pick-me-up!



Eye Silk Eye Shadows – Lucy B. was kind enough to give us a sneak peek at a new collection they will be releasing soon and you are going to want every single color of these amazing crème eye shadows – we can’t stop wearing Sea Shell, Rock Pool and Bronze! As with most crème shadows, prep your lid with an eyelid primer prior to use and your shadow will last all day and long past happy hour! This product is great as eyeliner or used as a powder eye shadow base and you can mix the colors together to create a very sexy look!

Coming soon from Lucy B. Cosmetics is a line of Lip and Eye Pencils and Cheeky Rouge, which we hope to feature on a future blog post here at In My Professional Opinion!

Lucy B. Cosmetics are available at Anthropologie, QVC, Planet Blue and at the following online stores:

www.lucybcosmetics.com
www.simplyvain.com
www.apothia.com
www.beautyhabit.com

TIPS AND TRIX:

Crème shadows are a big must have for this Pro and they are part of my 5 Minute Face almost every morning – used as an overall color from lid to brow, they provide just the “right” amount of color and shimmer to open up the eye so you will look like you got 8 hours of sleep even if you didn't!

STAY TUNED:

Tune in next time when In My Professional Opinion will be reviewing eyeliner! You won't to miss this post because we have some very interesting products to tell you about!