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the Bay Bridge at night…
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the Invitation
This past Monday, Los Angeles area makeup artists were able to forget (or drown if need be) their tax sorrows and engage with one of the premier makeup artists in the world, Val Garland. The Master Class event was hosted by MAC Pro and held at Milk Studios. If you are not familiar with Ms. Garland’s work, well, you have some homework to do now dontcha? 
If you are one of my past students, or a regular reader of MTG or have in any way heard me discuss the Fashion Week cycle, you will have heard me say that there are truly about 8-10 artists who key the vast majority of ALL of the shows. Val Garland is one of those artists. She is also responsible for some of the most iconic fashion editorial images of the current day, and her reach even extends into pop culture as she has been Lady Gaga’s primary artist for several years now. She is an artist on the level that even if you do not know her name, if you are into makeup artistry, you know her work.
Val Garland’s presentation on Monday was a retrospective – including live demonstration – on a selection of some of her most well known makeup designs from her work with Lady Gaga to her runway work for designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. A picture is worth a thousand words as they say, so here are my images from the event. I will say that nearly everyone I spoke to walked away thoroughly inspired. Val Garland’s presentation was the type of event that reminds you why you wanted to become a makeup artist.
the Program
In the 80′s the look of this video was everywhere, since that time the look has become iconic. Robert Palmer’s (RIP) “Addicted to Love” may have been a catchy tune, but it no doubt became the massive hit that it did due to the massive popularity of the music video. Nothing really even happens in the video, what’s legendary about the video is the look and aesthetic, both of which were heavily dependent on the game-changing makeup designed by makeup artist, Martin Pretorius. Watch as Martin Pretorius HIMSELF demos how he created this look. That’s right my friends, this is not an “interpretation”, this is the real deal by the artist who created it. Enjoy and learn… (video starts after the commercial)
and in case I have any readers who are so scary-young they’ve never seen the “Addicted to Love” video…
Many thanks to superfab in her own right makeup artist Stella Kae for producing this tutorial and posting it to YouTube and sharing with all of us!
array of cosmetics supplied by Milani
Did she say “Milani Cosmetics”? Yep, sure did. Regular readers of MTG will note that I do not largely discuss mass-market/”drugstore” cosmetics brands because I do not generally use these brands. I am not default 100% against these brands (I use and have talked about some Maybelline and NYX products, for example), but I hold ALL cosmetics – regardless of price point – to a certain standard of performance. Therefore if a product line does not work or if they “work OK for the price”, I will likely not be discussing it here. The Makeup to Go mantra has always been and always will be “how well does this product work when used in a Real World application?”. Continue reading →
a selection of brushes from one of my many brush rolls…
Yep, it’s Tuesday. As I mentioned a couple of times in the last few days, something has been going on with my web host’s servers so we have been having some tech problems here in MTG-land. Better late than never… enjoy. 
Returning to our series The Basics, I decided to write about brushes. I would say in my private lessons/teaching this is the item I’m asked about third/fourth most often (behind mascara, foundation and concealer). For makeup artists, however, this is the A-#1 priority. Bottom line while, yes, some products are obviously better than others, with the right tools pretty much any makeup can be applied seamlessly and flawlessly. I love my brushes. LOVE my brushes. In fact I wrote an ode to one of them when I lost it. That is how attached artists become to their brushes. Once you get used to using them and see how the right tool can change your makeup life, you too will be come attached. For this installment, I will be discussing purchasing brushes. Then in a future installment, I will talk about using them.
What To look For
When considering a new brush I look at Continue reading →
Behold! The first in Makeup to Go’s version of “swatches”. As you can see, our idea of swatches is a bit different. As a makeup fan, I understand that seeing the actual product on an actual person is a more accurate way to see a color/texture/etc. of a product. As a professional makeup artist, I also want to know how it wears, how it looks in different lights, and how it photographs. Therefore – about every month or so – I hope to pick a product line or a theme or the like and USE them in a professional photoshoot and see how they perform. First up to bat I am featuring the Fashion Fair Supreme Color Collection, designed by makeup artist Sam Fine.
To give a bit of history for those who are not familiar, Fashion Fair was founded in 1973 by the late John H. Johnson and his wife, the late Eunice W. Johnson to address the lack of cosmetics available for women of color, particularly African America women. You can click here to read the full story, but long story short, long before there was MAC or before it was expected for a mainstream brand to have colors for “ethnic” skintones, Fashion Fair was there to fulfill the need. Like many a brown girl of a certain age, I grew up watching my grandmother, mother and all of the women around me using Fashion Fair. To say that the pink packaging with gold leaf writing brings back strong memories is an understatement. Over time, however, Fashion Fair began to recede in popularity as the mainstream brands did start to address the needs of women of color. That coupled with dated color palettes and formulations (and some would say the packaging was dated as well), and Fashion Fair began to slip a bit in the competitive cosmetics marketplace. Enter master makeup artist Sam Fine. In August 2011 it was announced that he would be joining Fashion Fair as it’s Creative Makeup Director and begin designing signature Trend lines for the brand. His first collection came out in 2012 and was an instant success, bringing a much needed breath of fresh air and vitality to the brand.
In this story, I am working with his latest collection, The Supreme Color collection. I am focusing on one eyeshadow palette in particular, the Amalfi Coast quad. I chose to work with the eyeshadows because eyeshadow is one of the areas where rank-and-file consumer cosmetics often do not work for women of color because they lack adequate pigmentation. I’ve even found this to be the case with some of the better brands. On the other hand, a woman wants a palette of wearable colors and not necessarily the extremes of brands such as Sugarpill or LimeCrime. Overall, I was very impressed with this palette. The shadows are wonderfully pigmented and have a creamy texture with good color payoff. Unlike a lot (most) higher pigmentation eyeshadows, they are creamy instead of powdery, which means they are easily blendable and have less fallout. All that said, let’s see the products in action.
Fashion Fair Supreme Color Collection eyeshadow quad in “Amalfi Coast”
and here are swatches of the colors on my model’s hands both dry and damp (most eyeshadows that can be applied dry can be applied damp to increase the pigmentation and staying power).
left – dry, right – damp
As you can see, the Amalfi Coast quad is a more “neutral” palette, although Mr. Fine modernized by Quad by adding a pop of color in the form of this year’s trend color of Emerald Green. It is smart touches like that which make this Collection on trend without being overboard trendy. (The other quad in the collection, Tunisian Nights, is a jewel-tone blue & purple palette).I also used some of the lip colors from the collection in my shoots. Here is a swatch of all of the lip colors in the collection. As you can see, the color palette is fresh and contemporary with a few classics mixed in. The lip colors are also nicely pigmented while still creamy and blendable, and the pigment lays very evenly. Also used throughout the shoot, although not pictured, is the Canary Diamond gloss which is a nude-y/gold shimmer. I liked it, but I wouldn’t say it was remarkable.
Swatches shown on my own hand. Yes, some pre-photo lotion would have been nice…
OK so for look #1 I of course started out with a clean beauty/daytime look using only the burgundy/bronze shimmer (lower left corner) and the light gold shimmer (upper left corner). I used the shadows dry. (all makeup below by Tania D. Russell, photography by Gorgeous Digital. These images are NOT STOCK and unauthorized usage is prohibited.)
Next I wanted to do something a bit more “glam”, so I used a lot of the light gold shimmer on the center lid to create highlight and added the matte brown (lower right corner) to the outer corners of the eyes to add depth. The burgundy/bronze and light gold shimmer shadows blended like a dream dry or dampened. I found that when damp, the matte brown grabbed a bit which is something matte shadows can do. I was able to blend it out by using a bit more of the same brown with a dry brush. The lipcolor is Whispering Rose, also from the Supreme Color collection.
Next I wanted to ramp it up to a full smokey eye. This is where I was wishing for a Quint instead of a Quad, because I was really wishing I had a black eyeshadow to work with (there is a matte black color in the Tunisian Nights quad). As it was, I was able to achieve more depth by using the matte brown color all over the lid, blending out into the burgundy/bronze, and rimming the eyes with black eyeliner. The lipcolor is a mix of Cognac and Deep Suede, topped with a touch of the Canary Diamond lipgloss, all from the Supreme Color collection.
Finally, I got to do my favorite which is a simple but strong wash of the Emerald Green color blended out into the crease. For the lip color I believe I just used the Canary Diamond lipgloss.
And there you have it. Four distinct looks from one eyeshadow quad. I was definitely impressed and I would recommend it to anyone considering this for themselves or their kit. Speaking of “for your kit”, Fashion Fair is apparently hosting a booth at the upcoming Makep Show trade show, and the Sam Fine Supreme Color Collection will be available (no idea if discounted).
Many thanks to Gorgeous Digital for their fabulous photographic & retouching work and our lovely model Ja’Veonna for making this article possible. ALSO – if you’re wondering about the fabulous jewelry worn in this shoot, we had the pleasure of shooting this story in the store, Made In Earth located in Venice CA on Abbot Kinney. Proprietor/Creative Director and master Deisgner Bunny Bedi hones raw gems/earth stones and even meteorites (!) into one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. Due to the nature of honed stone, no two pieces are exactly alike. We were honored to be able to use his gorgeous creations in our photo-shoot. I became an instantaneous fan! (and yes, that is a “sand rug” on the floor of his store).
Made In Earth store, Venice CA / Tiger Iron pendant by Made in Earth
Fabulous Photography: Gorgeous Digital
Makeup: Tania D. Russell
Fabulous Model: Ja’Veonna
Fabulous Location: Made in Earth
Disclosure: I was given the Tiger Iron pendant pictured in exchange for work on a shoot we did for Made in Earth. (yay me!) All cosmetics used were PURCHASED by me for this story.
I have been involved with the most insanely frustrating conversation regarding makeup artists and rates. It’s amazing to me how many people want to be professional artist but either can’t or won’t get that if you do not value your self no one else will value you either. If you are truly a professional and not a hobbyist then you need to make a livable wage at what you do or you are not really a professional. Further if you keep working at these lowball rates not only will you perpetually be The Discount Artist, but undercharging/undercutting rates drives DOWN rates for EVERYONE overall.
Why anyone insists on calling themselves a professional but then does not insist on working for a professional rate is beyond me. I was so frustrated I had to make the following graphic. I can only hope repeating this lesson over and over gets it through to a few more people each time.
(c) G. Kessler for T Magazine/New York Times
If you are a style maven, you undoubtedly already know about the New York Times fabulous T Magazine. If you do not, grab a cup of tea and spend an evening with this outstanding resource of fashion, beauty and lifestyle.
As one might imagine, T Magazine has spectacular coverage of the New York Fashion Week shows, and all of the Fashion Weeks worldwide. One feature in particular that I just became aware of is the “Model Morphosis” series. In it, photographer Greg Kessler takes photographs of models before makeup and hair and after, and we the reader get to roll over the photograph and watch the model transform before our eyes. It’s pretty cool, and it is also a great reference to not only the makeup and hair looks of the shows, but the artists who created those looks.
Click here to check out Model Morphosis (Note – if you’re a Tablet user like me, you will need to either use a Browser with Flash capabilities or better yet, download the T Magazine app. The T Magazine app for iOS is fantastic.)
As it has been a while since my last post, it has been a while I have talked about product. This in no way means I have not been buying and using new product! Here are some thoughts about items I have recently tried as well as an ode to a dearly departed makeup kit staple…
Urban Decay Naked vs LORAC Pro Eyeshadow Palette
When Urban Decay’s Naked palettes came out I was resistant to buying them for a super long time because almost all of the colors are shimmery and/or sparkly. I can completely understand why a consumer would adore everything about the Naked palettes, the colors are beautiful, but for a professional a palette of All Shimmer All The Time is not entirely practical. I finally relented and purchased Naked 1 when a client all but told me that’s what she wanted me to use on her. Admittedly I do like Naked 1 very much and I use it more than I thought I would. Naked 2, I gave away to a friend who loves it (personal use, she’s not a makeup artist). Enter LORAC cosmetic’s Pro Palette. This takes the concept of the neutral palette one step further by being one row of matte and one row of shimmer. Why no one has thought of this before is beyond me but it is brillant and perfect perfection in a palette. Both brands of eyeshadow give great color/pigmentation payoff and both are creamy and smooth and blend flawlessly. The LORAC palette also comes with a trial sized tube of their eyeshadow primer which converted me away from the Urban Decay Primer Potion because the LORAC is just as effective at making the eyeshadow last long and resist creasing, but it is less drying on the eyelids and less grabby.
As it is, I am happy with both purchases and I do use them both. Had it come out first, however, I probably would have just purchased the LORAC Pro palette and been done. The winner in this round? LORAC.
Simple Beaute by Dedra
You may know Dedra Whitt from her star turn on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Camille Grammer’s friend and makeup artist), but I am proud to say I know her in real life as a friend and talented makeup artist. It is always exciting when a working makeup artist designs a makeup line because they bring in all of their real-world experiences of what has worked and what hasn’t in other cosmetics. After all, we work with a variety of product on a variety of faces and skins EVERY day, so we learn a lot about the Good the Bad and the Underperforming product in the process. To launch her line, Dedra has started out with the single most important element in creating a beautiful face: Foundation.
There really are not words for what a fantastic foundation Simple Beaute by Dedra is.
This foundation is so fab that I am not going to go into it right now, it deserves a full review with photographs which I will be posting soon. In the meantime, you can see the line at her blog, Simple Beaute by Dedra. While you’re there, go ahead and subscribe to her blog so you can read all of her tips insights into beauty.
Tom Ford Beauty
As you know if you are a regular Makeup to Go! reader, I do not base my reviews on the latest, greatest thing to come out. Firstly, I think there are several great Blogs – like Temptalia – that do that already. Secondly, as a pro makeup artist I base my selections on performance after I have had time to really use a product. The Hype Train came pulling into the station at full speed when Tom Ford Beauty came out and even though it costs upwards of $35 per item (meaning the least expensive items in the line start at $35), I have read all types of reviews from end-consumers, semi pros, etc. raving about the line. OK – I am not at all opposed to luxury lines, in fact I have an entire kit comprised of only luxury lines as opposed to my pro-line staples, but I’m saying any makeup product has to perform for me to get excited about it, particularly $45 lip glosses. Products have to wear well, look good in multiple lighting situations and possible lighting changes, and photograph well, etc. Reality Check: Not all luxury brands fit this bill. Most were made for personal, not professional, use. I went ahead and purchased a cream eyeshadow and an eyeshadow quad for my Luxury kit, and I have to say I am pleased and impressed, particularly with the cream eyeshadow. Cream Eyeshadows in particular are tricky; the right one can intensify color and help powder eyeshadow stay in place and last longer. The wrong cream eyeshadow will make color crease and slip off or fade away faster. I have used the Tom Ford Beauty Cream Color for Eyes alone and with powder shadow and it is beautiful, creamy, richly colored, and does not crease. #Winning.
Ode to a Brush
circled – a great makeup warrior #RIP
A few months ago at the end of a long shoot day I left my touch-up bag behind in the studio where we were shooting. Despite contacting everyone immediately, no one claims to have seen the bag. Didn’t really make sense, particularly since I knew exactly where I’d left it, but no biggie. No biggie until I realized the reality of the truth – the first Professional Makeup brush I’d ever purchased was in that touchup bag. As you can see by the photo, I owned that brush for a long, long time. It was a true workhorse. A throwback to a golden age in makeup where brushes were made TO LAST and this one did. I still remember buying that drug at Rexall Square drugstore on the corner of La Cienega and 3rd street back when they were open 24-hours and they were known for being a trend spot to get the latest and greatest in cosmetics. I do not remember the brand of the brush but I remember it was $35, which was not a small amount of money for me to invest in my kit at that point in my career. It was an investment, however, that paid for itself I do not even know how many times over. I used it on every job I had for over a decade, up until that fateful day this past August when she ran away from me 
I do not know who ended up with her, but I hope she’s found a new home with someone who can really appreciate her. To the day that I lost her, she never lost her shape, she never shed ONE hair, she held product beautifully and distributed it evenly. I hope whoever has her now can appreciate that even if you spend twice as much nowadays, you are in no way guaranteed to get a brush even half as good. Goodbye miss Purple Handle Powder Brush! You will always be an All Star VIP in my makeup career!
Last Sunday I tweeted the subject phrase and it seemed to resonate with several of my twitter followers. I know it resonated with me when it was first told to me by the “Empowerment Diva” Crystal A. Wright. How many times have you had a friend stop by and you wished you’d straightened up the house when you had time earlier in the day? How many times have you been invited to an event and you realized your perfect outfit needed dry cleaning?
How many times have you been called for a same-day job and you realized your brushes and kit still needed to be cleaned and organized?
As freelancers we do not have the luxury of taking time for granted. If you are just entering the freelance world you are getting used to the fact that you think you know, but you don’t really know, when your days off are going to be. And trust me it only becomes even more crucial as you progress in your career and you start travelling for work, etc. This means that you need to learn to be very efficient with your time. This does not mean never having downtime, but this means having everything in order so that you can really enjoy your downtime and know that you are ready to go when the next thing comes up. Here are some things that help me;
Wake up everyday like you have a job.
What I mean is this; unless you have decided to purposely take a day off – which is of course a legitimate option, particularly if work-life is going fine (other than writing this, today is a day off for me) – you need to act like a working professional everyday: Get up, get dressed, and be ready to go. Constantly sleeping in or laying around in your PJs is pretty much screaming to the Universe “I Am Not Ready”.
- Clean your brushes & re-organize your kit immediately after every job.
If someone called you and offered you a job shooting a name talent for a national magazine but you had to get to the location ASAP – preferably within an hour – could you do it? That exact scenario just happened to me a few months ago and yes, I was ready and I did the job. I know you’re tired after a long day but before you completely unwind just go ahead and do it.
- Do laundry, clean the house, do filing, get the car washed, etc.
I never leave this to chance anymore. I have learned this one the hard way too many times (manys the time I’ve had to hit the 24-hour laundromat. Not fun.). You look at your schedule, you think you have 4 days in a row off. You decide to chill the first day and then BAM! someone calls with a job for the rest of the week. Now you have to scramble like a maniac to “get ready” and invariably certain things will not get done. Spare yourself this scenario by just never assuming you are going to have extended days off.
- Return those emails and phone calls.
When you are working and/or traveling it really can be challenging to keep up with the constant input and naturally you will start to prioritize what communications need to be returned immediately and which ones can wait. You do not, however, want to wait indefinitely and/or not return calls/emails at all. That’s just rude. Etiquette is definitely taking a hit in the e-communications age.
- Keep up your promotions.
A lot of times when we are busy we do not do anything to promote ourselves and then when things slow down we are crying and wondering why no one is calling. This absolutely had to be one of the most difficult lessons for me to fully grasp but it is also one of the most true: effective promotion is constant promotion. Promoting every now and then or “when you get around to it” does not get it done.
- Now… Chillax
Nowadays I am so used to my freelancers lifestyle that I cannot fully relax until I know I have all my ducks in a row. I think a lot people get into the fantasy that being creative is all spontaneity and living a structureless, free-wheeling life. That may be true for folks hanging out in cafes calling themselves “artistes”, but I find that to actually work and make a living as a creative it takes a certain amount of self-discipline.
I also find that sitting with a friend at a cafe, shopping, or going out to dinner is all much more enjoyable once you know all your work is done and you Are Ready.
Thanks as always to Crystal A. Wright for being an inspirational catalyst early in my career!
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