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#MakeupMonday – 100% Pure Cosmetics

As I mentioned in my article on Bay Area Beauty, I was thoroughly impressed upon visiting the headquarters of 100% Pure Apothecary**. I already knew of 100% because of their fabulous, fruit-pigmented lip glosses as well as their great bodycare products (I’m a big fan of the Honey Almond Milk body wash, and the Dark Chocolate Mocha body scrub). I had no idea, however, how much they’d expanded their color line. Not only are the colors pretty and naturally derived, the formulations are creamy, the colors lay true and they LAST once applied. Here’s the scoopy-scoop on some of the highlights; Continue reading →

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Headshots and Promo Portraits – Follow Up

OK, so I got a couple of emails wondering “What was the deal” with my post yesterday. “You’re supposed to be a Beauty Blog”. I thought my post was fairly self-explanatory but fair enough, here goes….

My blog differs a bit from other beauty blogs because I’m speaking as a veteran media makeup artist. Therefore – while I always hope my posts are enjoyable for all makeup mavens whether interested in the makeup biz or just makeup for themselves – my focus is a little bit different and a goodly amount of my discussion will be industry related as this is the industry that I’m in. Likewise, my posts will often relate to services provided by Makeup to Go!, makeup for portraiture and Lessons for Performers being amongst those services.

Lastly Makeup to Go! s first service was Lessons for Aspiring Artists™, which teaches people the basics of becoming a professional, working media makeup artist. As someone who teaches aspiring artists – and having worked my way up through the ranks myself – things like headshots are most likely going to be where you start your career. Thus it’s important for new artists to know the difference between good and bad headshots, and what photographers who shoot headshots and portraiture are looking for so you can tailor your services accordingly and make yourself more marketable. Headshots pay nice money and keep you working in your craft.

I may not always talk about the latest lipstick or mascara, but I assure you my posts are always related in some way to the Beauty Biz. – Tania :)

makeup and hair by Tania D. Russell/Makeup to Go!

A great Portrait shot - © P. Fewsmith/Makeup and Hair by Tania D. Russell

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Headshots and Promo Portraits

One of the more important investments a performer can make is in really good promotional photos. Be it for an actor, individual musician or band, these photos say much more than what you look like. Seriously, the difference between a the difference between a good and bad promo portrait can be the difference between getting a job or not. Thus, while budget may be a consideration, your promos aren’t the time to go cheap. If you’re planning on getting photos done, fabulous LA portrait photographer Starla Fortunato makes the following recommendations. You’ll notice that Starla recommends investing in professional makeup. I agree. However, if that isn’t possible, you can arm yourself by learning to apply professional makeup for photography to yourself with our Lessons for Performers makeup lessons.

To read Starla’s article, just click image to go to full size ;

© Starla Fortunato

© Starla Fortunato Photography

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Each One, Reach One

I’m a big believer in community service and giving back in what ever ways I can. As a makeup artist, there are a lot of ways our skills can be used to benefit others and I am only so happy to do so whenever possible. Working and being creative and making a living doing what I love to do is it’s own reward, but there’s a different kind of reward that comes from using my talents and skills in service to others.

Today I am participating in the Graduation Ceremony for United Friends of the Children which provides housing, education and resources for young people in the Foster system. All of the young people involved in today’s ceremony have beaten the odds and have graduated HS and will be receiving scholarships for college. The makeup team will be providing 65 girls with make-overs, as they move forward with the next phase of their life journeys.

There are a lot of great ways that you can become involved with your community as a makeup and/or hair artist. Many hospitals across the country participate in the Look Good, Feel Better program, which benefits patients going through treatment for cancer. You can also search for organizations in your area at Volunteer Match. Volunteer Match lists a wide array of opportunities so if you don’t find something that suits you as an artist, you can find some other way to contribute.

Through donating my time to charitable activities as a makeup artist, I’ve met great people, made great connections and just further deepened my connection to the work that I do and why I do it. It’s been great for me and I encourage everyone to give it a try.

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#MakeupMonday – San Francisco Bay Area Beauty

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I was recently in the Bay for over a week for work and business (and some leisure ;-) ). While I was up there, I had more time than usual, so I decided to do something I’d thought about for a while, and that is to find the “happening” beauty spots in the San Francisco Bay.

Well. I tell ya. I was initially a little disappointed, particularly with San Francisco. Being the hip, “West Coast New York” that it is, I was expected to find my hip, funky little ‘off the beaten path’ stores. Instead, I was surprised to find mostly the same large beauty chains that one can find in most cities. I’m sure the hip little stores do exist and I’ll try finding them again on future trips. What I did find in visiting the big stores, however, was that these stores often carry brands and products that other stores in the chain might not. Here then is what I found on my first SF Bay beauty excursion; Continue reading →

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Makeup Mondays

I’m going to blame it on the fact that I work on-set most days, but I’ve just recently become aware of the Twitter phenomenon of Makeup Mondays. Apparently each Monday makeup artists, enthusiasts, beauty companies, etc. share their best beauty tweet tips. Makeup to Go! is always chalk full of beauty tips so look for our participation in this Twitter trend…

What? You aren’t following on Twitter? Well head on over to Makeup to Go on Twitter and join us for info on product, industry trends, upcoming classes and workshops, and more…

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Spotted: Face Atelier

Face Atelier is a great line with a great selection of product that is appropriate for both individual and professional use. Their cornerstone product, IMO, is their Ultra Foundation. Comparable to Armani’s fantastic foundation, I’ve been recommending the Face Atelier Ultra Foundation since I first discovered it a few years back. The only drawback, however, has been FA’s extremely limited color selection for women of color. They’ve always had a few somewhat darker colors in the line, but not enough to cover every shade in the rainbow. This is a huge problem for someone like me who not only works on clientele of every aspect of the color spectrum, but who is a darker-toned woman of color herself.

Well, I was just on the Face Atelier site to order another product of theirs I use regularly (the amazing Transforming Gel) when I saw an announcement on their website that coming this year they will have a full array of the Ultra Foundation for Women of Color! HAZZAH! Look for a review of it as soon as I can get my hands on it!

Face Atelier Cosmetics Ultra Foundation

Face Atelier Cosmetics Ultra Foundation

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Shu Uemura to Cease US Operations

In major “get it while you can” news, L’Oreal is apparently pulling the plug on the Shu Uemura line in the United States. When they changed the formulation of the Nobara creme foundation – which was one of the best foundations ever produced – and then when Mr. Uemura passed away, you just knew something was happening and it wouldn’t be long before the bottom fell out.

L’Oreal holds all of the international rights for the Shu brand outside of Japan. Presumably this means that the line will still be available abroad, and of course it will still be available in Japan. But us makeup mavens in the US will have to suffer as L’Oreal decides to focus on more pedestrian brands and the generally more profitable fragrances market.

I can’t tell you how much this pains me. While this is a major brand in the Asian market, for whatever reason Shu Uemura remained more of a pro and cult status brand here in the US. It is unfortunate that with the conglomeration of more and more brands under big corporate umbrellas, niche/specialty lines are squeezed out in favor of those that will appeal to the most broad consumer base. Would there was a way for big business to recognize the value of both.

Shu Uemura – whether recognized in the States or not – is one of the best cosmetics lines ever. As long as the product quality remains the same, one way or another I will find these products and keep them in my kit.

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Drugstore That Delivers

Black Radiance Starry Eye palette in Seductress

Black Radiance Starry Eye palette in Seductress

I recently had someone email me that I tend to turn my nose up to drug store cosmetics. This is a true statement. By and large drug store products are not as good as their more premium counterparts and certainly nowhere in the ballpark of professional products. This does not mean, however, that there aren’t a few notable exceptions. Here are some goodies that have made it into my personal and professional kit over the years.

1 ) Stating the Obvious – Maybelline Great Lash and L’oreal Volumizer mascaras. Let’s just get these out of the way. Every makeup artist I know has one or the other or both in their kit. I’m a Great Lash girl, myself. Yes it’s thick. Yes it can be goopy. Yes you have to work it. But the rewards are worth the effort and I think Great Lash is just one of the best cosmetics products ever, drugstore, prestige, or professional.

2 ) Sonia Kashuk Cosmetics – I’m always surprised how many people aren’t hip with Sonia Kashuk cosmetics. A high-end makeup artist (with clientele such as Cindy Crawford and Kim Bassinger), Kashuk decided to make a department store quality brand available in a mass market retailer (Target). By simplifying the packaging instead of the product, the Sonia Kashuk line was able to keep the quality where it matters most. Notable items in the line are the “How to Create a Smokey Eye” palette, and the mighty, mighty “Arch Alert” brow kit. Of the items I discuss in this article, the Arch Alert kit along with Great Lash are the two absolute must-have staples for my Kit.

3 ) Vichy – Skipping to skincare, Vichy is a fantastic line. I don’t know what’s happening nationally, but here in Los Angeles you can actually get Vichy at good ole CVS (which is like Long’s Drugs, Duane Reade, etc.). Vichy is particularly known for it’s hydrating products that are great for oily and/or reactive skin and it’s anti aging products. The rub – Vichy is on the higher end of drugstore in terms of pricing. Of particular note are the Normaderm Pro Mat Ultra Moisturizer and the Reti-C Intensive Corrective Care moisturizer. Vichy also used to make the best lip balm ever. I mean ever. And then they discontinued it. Why do companies do this???

4 ) Black Radiance and Black Opal Cosmetics – One of the things that makeup artists don’t like about drugstore brands vs. professional brands is that drugstore brands are usually not very well pigmented. Because of this the colors don’t read true, and the product wears off quickly. Want true colors that last? Look to brands made for black consumers. Due to the increased skin pigment, the makeup products made for black skin has to have more pigment or it just won’t show up. I mention both of these two brands because I think they both have their strengths. Black Opal has been touted by makeup artists such as Sam Fine and Dick Page for years because their foundations and powders are actually quite good (the line was initially developed by a black dermatologist). They also have a great selection of bronzers and lipcolors. Black Radiance has surprisingly good eyeshadows and eyeliners in all the bright, fun colors. They are smooth and creamy enough to actually blend (most drugstore brands are too dry and chalky) and again, they are pigmented enough where you can actually see the color.

So while I’ll always prefer premium makeup products, there are a nice amount of good quality drugstore/mass market brands to keep a girl pretty and chic. Look for future updates of the best products I find in the mass retail segment…

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Keeping Current

stock-makeup-2I recently had a lesson with an advanced student. She’s been a makeup artist for several years in the retail segment – working with “real women” doing makeovers, etc. – as well as being heavily involved with the business side of many makeup/cosmetics lines (being a corporate trainer, lunching lines, helping to develop product, writing ad copy, etc.). As such, she is involved with the Beauty Biz, but in a very different capacity than a media makeup artist like myself. Her primary concerns for the lesson were to learn some new techniques and incorporate some of the current trends into her retail business.

As anyone who has worked retail can attest, working with Jane Q. Public can be tricky. On the one hand the average woman wants to look current, and on the other she doesn’t want to change out of her comfort zone too much. Now clearly, I’m not talking about the hardcore makeup diva that buys all the new products, makes You Tube videos and Flickr albums of all her new looks, and spends more time in Sephora than I do. I’m talking about the average woman who just wants to look good – not too plain, but not clown like. Here are my tips for keeping your look current, or if you’re a makeup artist, nudging your client a lil’ bit out of her comfort zone. Continue reading →

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