Beauty - News

All About Blush
By Artemis

Blush is my best friend! As are mascara and lip-gloss. When I feel like I need a little pick me up, I swirl a little bit of color on to my cheeks, and I instantly look brighter!

I apply makeup to many women each week, and I often stumble upon a woman who says to me "Oh! I never wear blush!" When I show them how to successfully choose a color and how to apply it properly, they never say never again!

I have found that sometimes just a hint of blush is enough to brighten up any face, even if you have nothing else on! And when you have a full face of makeup on, but neglected your cheeks, then the face looks sort of dead. Blush balances out the face and adds beautiful dimension. Blush can be your best friend too!

But with so many colors out there and so many formulas, how do you know what to choose for your skin tone and skin texture? Many artists say that if you pinch your cheeks, the color that shows up will look best on your face. So for a natural blush, look for a color that is similar to your natural flush.

Ivory Skin: pink or peach
Beige Skin: terracotta or apricot
Bronze Skin: plum or corals

Powder : this is great for all skin types and should be applied with a full sized blush brush, and not the tiny brushes that come with many compacts. The tiny brush lends towards a streaky look. * should be applied after loose powder.
Try: Blush by Bourjois Paris

Gel : can look very sheer. Is great for oilier skin. *should be applied after foundation, but before powder.
Try: O-glow by Smashbox

Cream : will give dry skin a dewey look, but will make oilier skin look greasy. It is very easy to work with. I blend it using a foundation brush or a sponge. *should be applied after foundation, but before powder.
Try: Cream Blush by Nars

Liquid Stains : your skin must be very well moisturized as it dries very fast and if it is not blended right away with a sponge it will look blotchy. *should be applied after foundation, but before powder.
Try: Lip & Cheek Stain by Vincent Longo

The Rules:
Although, as a makeup artist, I do not believe that there are any rules in makeup because it is of course an art... there are a couple of "rules" I like to abide by....

How much is too much?
Start with a little bit so that you can add. That goes with anything when it comes to makeup. If you begin with way too much, and hate the way it looks, then you will be tempted to wipe it all off and start with a clean slate... which is too much work if you are in a hurry.

This easily happens when using a powder blush. What I always do is tap my blush brush into my cheek color and swirl it first onto a tissue. The object is to load the brush, but get rid of the excess color. Blowing on your brush, will get saliva all over your brush, so please do not do it. It is also unsanitary.

Then I apply it to the apples of my cheeks. It should start out looking like I am flushed, and if you wish to build up on the color, then go ahead. Just know when enough is enough. I always take my powder brush with nothing on it, and swirl over my cheeks afterwards to blend out any lines. Blush should look natural. It should brighten up your face, but not stand out.

Tip: If you get a little overzealous with your color, simply dip your powder brush into some face powder and swirl over your cheek color. This will diffuse your blush and soften your color.

Placement
No FISH FACE! Under no circumstances is it pretty... it lends to streaky looking blush. Blush belongs on the apples of your cheeks and is to be applied in a circular motion slightly upwards towards your ear. If you smile, you will naturally pop out the apples of your cheeks! This is where you place your blush. The location is about two fingers away from your nose.

Contouring
Please do not contour with your pink blush... or sweep it across your forehead and nose for that matter. If you wish to contour your cheeks, and get the Beyonce, J Lo, of Eva Longoria look, then follow these simple steps:

• Use a matte bronzer to contour. If you use a shimmery one, then you defeat your purpose. Shimmer reflects light, while matte colors do not. To rescuplt your face and create higher cheekbones, you should take an angled blush brush, dip it into a matte bronzer, and brush it into the hollows of your cheeks, and into your temples.
Try: Mary Kay Mineral Matte Bronzers Sandstone or Bronze Diva (depending on how light or dark your skintone is)

• Using a blush brush, apply your powder blush to the apples of your cheeks, and in a circular motion, sweep along your cheekbones towards the ear.

• Dip your brush into a powder highlighter and sweep that along the tops of your cheekbones. Try: Mary Kay Mineral Highlighting Powder in Pink Stardust or Bronzing Powders in Desert Sun or Canyon Gold (depending on how dark or light your skintone is)
Blend it all together with a clean powder brush, so that you look like a red carpet diva!

Bronzers
These are for all over color and that sun kissed look. I love shimmery bronzers. They give you a healthy glow! Using a bronzer brush or a kabuki brush, swirl into your bronzer, dust some off onto a tissue (as always) and swirl it over your face, where the sun naturally hits you. Across your cheeks, your forehead, nose and chin. And once again, using your clean powder brush, swirl over your whole face to make sure that it is all well blended.

Color Harmony
Blush looks best if it is in the same color family with your lips. So if your lip color is warm, like peach, coral, or brown then prefer a warm blush. If it is cool, like pink or wine, then go for a cool blush.

You should also make your color choices according to what you are wearing. If you are wearing brown, then go for a warmer lip and cheek color. If you are wearing and icy blue shirt, then opt for cooler colors.

Your makeup should simply make you look pretty and radiant. Choosing the right colors will do just that!

Tools :
• MAC Large Angled Contour Brush (for contouring w a matte bronzer)
• Sephora Brand Professional Bronzer Brush #44 (my favorite way to apply bronzer)
• Smashbox Blush Brush 16 (perfect for powder blush)
• Laura Mercier Crème Blush Brush (great for a smooth application of cream or gel blushes)
• Japonesque Powder Brush (for loose powder and blending powders on your face)
• Benefit Fantail Brush (great for a touch of highlighter for the cheekbones. Also great for lifting powders off the face without disturbing the rest of your makeup)

Beauty - Makeup

Laura Mercier Hydrating Foundation Primer
by Artemis

Just perfect for the dry winter or any dry climate, Laura Mercier’s Hydrating Foundation Primer creates a moisture barrier from you and the environment. Specifically created for dry, dehydrated or aging skin, it is rich with a vitamin formula that nourishes and conditions the skin. It holds water in the skin preventing it from evaporating, with Vitamins A, C and E acting as antioxidants to protect skin and keep it healthy.

It feels quite wonderful on my own skin at this time of year.

Tip: Keep it in the refridgerator and applying it cool will decrease puffiness before you apply your foundation.

Beauty - News

Boots No7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 Wipes
By Artemis

These are my favorite makeup wipes. I find that many that I have tried irritate my skin, and the No7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 Wipes are very gentle. These are perfect for a quick cleansing wipe at the gym, or if you are too tired to actually cleanse. They are definitely a great alternative. I don't feel that wipes should take the place of a cleanser, but when you are so exhausted that you are contemplating sleeping with your makeup on, or in a place where finding a sink is inconvenient, these are the perfect solution!

Beauty - Skin & Nails

Winterizing Your Skincare
By Artemis

You may have noticed that when the weather begins to get a little colder, your skin gets considerably drier. You may have noticed that your summer moisturizer just isn't doing what you think that it should. This is because there is less moisture in the air now, the temperatures have dropped and now your skin has begun to dehydrate.

Here are some tips for face and body to keep your skin from over-drying!

1. Cleanse
Switch to a creamier formula. Anything sudsy will be too drying to the skin. I love formulas that you wipe off instead of rinse with water for the colder weather. I find them much more soothing to the skin. Also when showering, allow yourself no more than 15 minutes in warm water, not hot, because long hot showers dehyrate theskin.

For the Face:
Cetaphil Gentle Skin-Cleanser

For the Body:
Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash

2. Exfoliate
Scrub away dead skin cells that create a barrier on the skin that does not allow moisturizer to penetrate properly through the skin.

For the Face:
Enzyme peels will help to expose new skin and get rid of the dullness.
Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Peel

Twice a week use a manual exfoliant like Clarins GentleExfoliating Refiner, gently massaging your t-zone and cheeks to buff away dry skin.

For the Lips:
Scrub them softly 1-2 times a week to rid the barrier of dull skin with Smashbox Emulsion Lip Exfoliant. If you have ever felt that lip balms are not working for you, try this and you will change your mind!

For the Body:
I love formulas that are made with oils that leave the skin extra moisturized like sugar or salt scrubs.

Carol's Daughter Sea Salt Body Scrub
You can also use a loofah scrub to help smoothe away dry skin on the body.

3. Hydrate
Switch from a lotion to a cream. You may even decide it wise to invest is a humidifier for your bedroom as well.

For the Face:
Mary Kay Intense Moisture Cream for dry skin.
If your skin however is quite oily, and does not really dry up in the winter, then try Mary Kay Oil-free Hydrating Gel instead.

Continue to use a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 or higher even in the winter months over your moisturizer like DDF Moisturizing Photo-Age Sunscreen SPF 30

For the Lips:
Slick on a buttery lip balm like Propoline Lip Aid with Cocoa Butter & Olive Oil SPF 15

For the Body:
You basically only have a couple of minutes before your skin dries up for your to get maximum benefits from a body cream. Keep it near your shower, towel off and rub some on before your skin dries completely. You will both see and feel the difference!
I love body butters in the winter. The Body Shop has many flavors for you to choose from (my favorite is coconut).

Beauty - Makeup

Mineral Essence Foundation
By Artemis

This is by far one of the most beautiful mineral foundations I have ever applied. Flawless coverage and it never looks like there is any foundation on your face, because skin always needs to look like skin! Anyone who knows me, knows that I love a great foundation that will do a little bit of work on my skin while I am wearing it. Mineral Essence products are enriched with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that help to minimize and prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while combatting free radicals to help maintain skins youthful appearance. I love that there are Green Tea, Vitamins A, C, and E in the formula.  It is made of 100% pure micronized minerals and are free of additives, oils, talc, and harsh chemicals. Available in 15 shades, this featherweight formula creates a naturally luminous, radiant look.

Beauty - Reviews

I was introduced to this product eight years ago by a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant who noticed that my lips were chapped. Living in New York City where it can definitely get bitterly cold and dry in the winter, my lips were just always chapped, sometimes even cracked, and no matter how much lip balm I applied, I just wasn't seeing results.

I used the Satin Lips Scrub to exfoliate my lips, which gently removes dead skin that would otherwise block moisturizers from doing their job correctly. Once you have scrubbed away the dead skin, you apply lip balm and your lips are super smooth!

Use it up to twice a week for optimum results.

Beauty - News

Udderly Smooth
by Artemis

This is probably one of my greatest drugstore discoveries for a body cream! The original formula for Udderly Smooth was a cream that moisturized cow udders on milk farms. Now it is available for the rest of us! Use it anywhere you wish on your body. It is great for dry and chapped skin, as a shaving lotion, diabetes skin care, hand and foot syndrome (a side effect of chemotherapy drugs) or just to moisturize your skin everywhere.
Best part of all, is that this great product is under $10!

Beauty - Makeup

Ok ladies! We are all guilty of this! A dirty makeup bag!

As a makeup artist, my professional kit is always kept impeccable because I work with so many people, it is imperative to keep it clean. But when it comes to the personal stash, and as I am always in a rush, it eventually becomes a mess!

So let's clean it up!

Here is a list of where to start:

Begin by emptying out your makeup bag! Surely, it has collected makeup residue from many of your powder products. Now this is your choice, you can simply toss it out and buy a new one, or take a cleaning product, turn it inside out and clean it!

Now, look at all of your products and let's figure out what to toss out & what is worth keeping around. Note that most products do not come with an expiration date, so it is helpful to abide by these guidelines. Also, if they have been exposed to extreme temperatures, they also should be disposed of.

Mascara:
If it is more than three months old, then please throw it away. Mascara collects bacteria very easily and dries up very quickly. Bacteria does not discriminate between a $3 mascara or a $33 mascara!

Foundation & concealer:
These are formulated to last for up to one year. When going on past that, the formula will tend to separate and begin to smell. Needless to say, old foundation can cause adverse reactions to the skin.

Face Powders:
Formulated to be kept for up to two years.

Lipsticks:
These should be tossed out after two years, because it will go rancid. But how about when a favorite color has been work all the way to the base of the tube? You can pick up a small empty lipstick palette and scoop out that favorite color and press it into the empty wells and even mix colors with a lip brush to create new ones!

Blush:
Cream or gel blush can be kept for up to a year, while powder rouge is formulated to be kept for up to 3 years. Now, if it is broken up, do what makeup artists do, and choose to toss it or mix it with lip balm or a clear gloss and create a new lip shade. Many of these products have similar ingredients! (you can do the same with some eyeshadows)

Eyeshadow:
Like blush, creamy eyeshadow can last for about a year, while powder shadows no more than three years.

Liners:
Both eye and lip liners can be kept for up to three years, but make sure to sharpen often.

Brushes:
A clean brush will allow for a flawless application of your makeup. I wash my foundation and concealer brushes every day because I am using them to apply wet products. I have a brush cleaner that I spray on a paper towel and gently wipe the bristles of my other brushes about once a week. Once a month, I will shampoo and condition them. Squeeze out the excess water in a paper towel, reshape and lay them on a table, with the bristles hanging over the edge to dry so that the brush will retain its shape. Brushes that are well taken care of will last you for many years.

Beauty - Hair

Pro Silk Gold Flat Iron

I have tried quite a few flat irons on myself and on photoshoots. Not all of them hold up to what they promise. Pro Silk's Gold Flat Iron however is quite wonderful! Heats up evenly in 7 seconds up to 435 degrees. It produces faster straighening results, even on the curliest hair! It is made with tourmaline, ceramic and nano technology. The effect is long lasting and seals in moisture instead of drying out your hair, resulting in tons of lusterous shine! Best part of all? This is a very affordable professional tool at $79.95 with which you can straighten, curl, flip and style!

Pro Silk recommends using the Pro Silk Serum with this for extra protection and shine. I love that it smells like candy. It has a lovely silky texture and is not sticky, like some other serums.

Beauty - Makeup

How to apply false eyelashes

Sometimes the occasion calls for a little extra something… like, say false eyelashes. If you want the most natural of false lashes, then I suggest either individuals or individual knot-free flares. Applying them might be a little bit tricky, but once you have got the hang of it… well, then it’s really a piece of cake!

Putting them on one by one:

You will probably need no more than three or four on the outer corner of your eyes. You will need to stop either at the center of your lash line or before. The only way you can tell is by knowing what your lashes look like. I prefer to have a coat of mascara on before I start so that I can easily blend the falsies in with the second coat.

Begin with the longest length first. In order to keep it all even on both sides, I alternate eyes. For my own eyes, I need two of the medium on the ends and one or two of the short, close to the center. I am placing them either between lashes on attaching them to a natural lash, so that they have somewhere to grip. In order for the glue to grasp, you must give it a few seconds to air dry and become tacky, once you have dipped the lash into the glue. Then you will be ready to attach it successfully to your lashes!

If they don’t look like they are naturally intensified by the time you are finished, it is probably because your own may be very short. Then you should probably try a full strip of the most natural looking ones you can find!

Putting them on all at once:

Firstly, you must measure the strip lashes against your own to make sure that they are not too long. If necessary cut the excess from the outer end. Squeeze a little bit of glue onto the back of your hand. Dip the edge on the lash into the glue form end to end and blow on it to help make it a little bit tacky.
With your fingers or tweezers, or a lash applicator, pick up the lashes and place them along your own lashes close to the roots. Make sure that you do not leave a space of skin between your lashes and the fake ones… it will all look wrong!!! Push & hold the lashes into place with the slanted end of an orange stick. They should be dry within a minute.
When the glue is dry, blend your lashes with the fake ones by applying mascara. You will also have to hide the base of the false lashes. The way to do this is to line your eyes with a black eyeliner, literally tickling the base of the lashes.
Taking them off:
To remove them safely I use an oil-free eye makeup remover to loosen up the glue, so that I can easily pull the off. You do not want to sleep with them, and of course all good girls never sleep with their makeup anyway! If you attempt to pull them off without dissolving the glue and your mascara, you will risk removing your own lashes.
The Tools:
• False Eye Lashes - either strip or individuals
• False eyelash glue
• Mascara
• Eyeliner
• Eyelash Curler
• Tweezers
• A mirror
• Eyemakeup remover
• Patience
• A steady hand