NYFW - VIVIENNE TAM & MAYBELLINE!

IMPO is proud to announce the newest member of our team...Contributing Writer Pro, Heather Wilson! Heather is a Pro MUA working mainly in the Phoenix, Arizona area, but travels extensively for many high-profile clients. Today, Heather has planted herself in the heart of New York's Fashion Week and is bringing our readers the backstage scoop on the Vivienne Tam show!

Heather reports...

"It was a packed house at the Vivienne Tam showroom tonight! Inspired by the Chinese New Year, Ms. Tam's line was filled with overtones of ruffles, fur, sequins and layers.

She was able to use multi colored gathered appliques, which made stylists swear that her collection contained tons of flowing sequins, when in reality there wasn't a single piece of glitter in the dress!

And who says that you can't wear animal prints, sequins, and printed tights at the same time? Ms. Tam paired "snake" print sequins together with an animal print blouse balanced with patterned tights! Absolutely stunning! However, my personal favorite of the night was a cream-colored, tiger-print, "slashed" coat! If anyone wants to get it for me- I will tell you where to send it!

Pro Makeup Artist Charlotte Willer, with Maybelline Cosmetics, informed me that look of the night was the bold, bright red lip, achieved by using Color Sensational Lip Liner "Red #50," which was used first to insure the lip color remained bright and would not bleed or wear off!

Maybelline's Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Foundation and Maybelline's Mineral Power Concealer were used to accomplish the look of clean, fresh, glowing skin while another key component to around out the look was a very sculpted brow, pulled off by using Maybelline's Define-a-Brow.

The lightest, neutral shade eyeshadow from Maybelline's Eye Studio Quad in Give Me Gold Beige was used all over the eye. Hair stylists finished off this fabulous, clean look with the perfect tight, high ponytail!"

If you are unfamiliar with Fashion Week, here is a little history...Fashion designers produce fashion shows to introduce their latest collections. Currently, the shows are sponsored by Mercedes-Benz so they are referred to as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, in the past shows were referred to as Olympus Fashion Week.

New York City in Bryant Park (42nd and Sixth), is an 8-acre park that is converted to a temporary fashion arena with tents. The Fashion Week tents are huge, air-conditioned and contain several venues for the designers to show their collections. The individual venues, ranging up to almost 12,000 square feet, come complete with runway, seating for attendees, backstage areas, lighting and sound. Some designers choose to have their collections shown in showrooms or other off-site venues during the week!

Fashion Week is twice a year! The Fashion Week fall shows are held the preceding winter (February). The spring shows are held the preceding late summer (September). So, who attends Fashion Week? Everyone! From journalists, editors, buyers, celebrities and social types. The shows are invitation-only and are an excellent opportunity for designers to entertain large crowds!

This year, Maybelline Cosmetics is the official cosmetic sponsor for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2010 and they are proud to take trends straight off the catwalk to the sidewalk! So look for upcoming launches inspired by such designer collections as Erin Wasson xRVCA, Michael Angel, Custo Barcelona and Vivienne Tam!

Please click "here" and watch the how-to video from Maybelline straight from the backstage area of the Vivienne Tam show, Charlotte Willer takes you through the step-by-step process on how to use Maybelline's products and to achieve the look!

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Everyone knows Maybelline's catch phrase, "Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline!" And unless you have been living under a rock for the past 35 years, you know that every Pro makeup artist at one time or another will have Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara in their kit! This mascara has won numerous awards because it gives beautiful, natural looking lashes, but this Pro prefers using Maybelline's Great Lash Big Mascara over the regular formula. It is a great buildable formula that is clump-free and won't smudge during those long hours on the set!

Spotlight - Julie Hewett Los Angeles

Being a professional makeup artist regardless of the venue you choose to work in (i.e., television, film, photography) requires total commitment, but deciding to also manufacturer your own product line and still be on set daily can be as challenging as climbing Mount Everest!

This Pro has known several MUAs that tried to develop their own professional line to only have it fail because they could not afford the advertising, public relations, packaging, testing, FDA approval, etc., and I know a few artists who have gone the route of consultant to major cosmetic companies, as well as continue to apply makeup to a list of celebrity clients.

Alas there are only a few artists that have climbed the beauty product-manufacturing hill and made it to the top. Those people are some of the most talented artists of our time and if you were a smart consumer you would use their cosmetic lines daily because those are the products that truly work and they have been put to every test you can imagine.

Those foundations, powders, lipsticks, liners, blushers, mascaras, etc., have been used on film and television stars and on everyone in between; family, friends, total strangers and the artists themselves personally. They are the secret weapons of many beauty editors and other MUA colleagues because the products do exactly what the creator intended for them to do.

These lines are little in comparison to big name brands like L’Oreal, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Dior or Chanel and sometimes they are not as easy to purchase because they are sold via the Internet. Since we seem to be a instant gratification society, waiting for a package containing the world’s greatest lipstick is too much for us to handle – unless you are a true beauty junkie and you know that the product is worth the wait!

When this Pro wants to feel and look my best personally, I reach for products that are made by other makeup artists, not big manufacturers. One of the product lines I love is Julie Hewett Los Angeles. This line is creative, paired down and designed by one of the best film artists working today.

She developed her line out of necessity while on the set of the film Pearl Harbor. Julie needed to create her own line of long-lasting Technicolor red lipsticks because of the period of time the film was recreating. Do you remember the gorgeous lip colors from the 1940’s? Now try to find those colors made with today’s natural ingredients. Impossible? No! Julie Hewett created classic film noir colors, which are ageless, timeless and for every woman who thought they could never wear red lipstick, this is the line for you!

The success of the lipstick line leads her to continue to manufacturer other products that performed to makeup artist standards. Now with a complete cosmetic line sold in stores around the world from California to Singapore, consumers can experience the luxury of Julie Hewett.

Here are a few of my Pro favorites:

Icon of Beauty – in Annette – it is a classic matte mauve lipstick with a hint of brown. This is an amazing long-lasting lip color that makes me feel instantly glamorous when paired with a pale eye and liquid liner.

Omit – a concealer pencil you can use to “omit” any flaw on your face, this Pro also uses it to line around the lips to make liner and lip color last longer and not bleed. It is my "secret" weapon! I have also used it to line the inside of the waterline instead of using a white liner.

Cheekie - in Peachie, Rosie and Natural - when this Pro wants to add a sheer wash of color onto a client's cheek and lips I reach for a Julie Hewett Cheekie! This product adds just the right amount of color onto the skin without looking heavy leaving a gorgeous, natural flush to the face!

Cheekie & Shimmy Duo – in Peachie/Goldie and Jami/Pinkie – this is my secret weapon for bringing a pop of color to the cheeks and creating a fresh glow on the skin! Used with the Chubby Cheekie Brush that makes applying the exact hint of color possible and not over do it!

Palettes – in Soiree, Ambre and Mandy – this Pro is all about palettes! My test of a great palette is when I have used every single color contained in the palette and not just one or two. That is why I love Julie Hewett’s palette line and she has made it possible for customers to create their own personal palette. Julie also has a Twilight Palette for those who wish to embrace their inner vampire a la team Bella and Edward!

As far as in my professional kit – Julie’s red lipsticks are my go to product. Rouge Noir, Sin Noir, Nude Noir, Film Noir, Oona Noir (a 2009 Emmy favorite) are what I grab when I am looking to recreate total glam on a client and I mix a few of these reds together to create a custom shade!

I trust Julie Hewett’s line because of her own professional experience working with such award-winning actresses as; Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, Hilary Swank, Debra Messing and Liv Tyler. Her film credits include; The Women, Leatherheads, Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve & Thirteen, Spider-Man 2, American Beauty and Pearl Harbor to name just a few. Her cosmetic line delivers every single time I use it and it makes me feel confident as an artist and a consumer.

Hollywood big wigs have trusted in Julie Hewett’s cosmetic line and artistry skills for the past 20 years and now you can too! To purchase Julie Hewett product log on to www.juliehewett.net, enter the site and click on "locations" to find a retail store nearest you or to purchase directly on line.

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:

Julie Hewett’s line offers custom gift boxes that are fabulous for the upcoming holidays, birthday celebration, wedding shower gifts, sweet 16 parties, etc., choose the size and products you want to include and the staff at Julie Hewett will do the rest! Or choose from several pre-filled beauty boxes including Noir Lipsticks or the Bento Beauty Box. Julie Hewett also offers professional discounts, gift certificates and the Julie Hewett Case of Beauty, which contains 1 each of all products, including brushes and palettes.

STAY TUNED:

Are you aware? Breast Cancer is the number one leading cancer death among women in the United States! Join the Pros at IMPO as we support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation!

*Photos: Julie Hewett Los Angeles and IMDB