Tag: OCC Makeup | Makeup to Go!

It is time for my The Makeup Show Los Angeles 2015 Wrap Up post. Gosh… where to even start? I had a fabtabulous time (yes, fabtabulous is a word 😉 ). But seriously I had an amazing time. Every time the Trade Shows roll around I am asked which one is “better”. Every time I tend to answer the same: they are both well produced, they both have good speakers and exhibitors, the vibe and the focus are just different so it depends on what you’re looking for, etc. etc. This is all true. But I’m going to go ahead and just say this: I like IMATS and I always enjoy it when I go, but I feel at home at the Makeup Show. I do not know that I can articulate what exactly the difference is. Well… real talk: It counts for a lot that at least here in Los Angeles, the Makeup Show is not open to the general public. You have to be at least somewhat qualified in the beauty biz (media makeup artist, bridal makeup artist, salon, student, something) in order to attend. Therefore while the Makeup Show is busy, it’s not crazy the way IMATS has become (other than on Pro night). Secondly… I don’t know…. the folks speak my language. I am not an FX artist, I will never be an FX artist, I do not like FX (I don’t like gore/monsters/zombies, etc.), I do not watch films or TV shows that involve a lot of FX (Tania D. Russell will never watch “Walking Dead”), that’s not my scene. IMATS was started by Union makeup artists and actually when it first started (I know cos I was there!) there was almost no focus on Beauty makeup whatsoever. So while IMATS has become more inclusive to Beauty for sure, FX/Character/Film & TV makeup are still very much its core. The Makeup Show is exactly the opposite. It was founded by beauty makeup artists and people involved with cosmetics brands on the corporate level. When it first started it had no FX, although in recent years they’ve added a little FX stage (which I did not even see this year. I remember seeing it a couple of years back…), and the type of artists **I** grew up admiring – the ones in the magazines doing gorgeous editorials or the ones creating bold and inventive designs for music videos – are center stage. I have been doing makeup full time professionally for a goodly amount of time now (I’d say around 16 years of people paying me for makeup full time), and I STILL get excited to be around that energy, which is awesome. 😀 (Note: this post is long, but it is largely pictures 😉 )

The Keynotes and Seminars

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Celebrity makeup artist Fiona Stiles

Finished red carpet look by Fiona Stiles

Priority #1 for all the folks in my crew was to NOT MISS celebrity makeup artist Fiona Stiles. I loved her talk and demo, not only because her work is amazing – which I already knew that – but because she was so down to earth and just very real about being an artist, working, and surviving and thriving in this industry. And it wasn’t just in my head, several of my students who attended the show said that there were a lot of similarities between things I’ve said in class and things she said on the stage. That always makes me feel good. Not only because I like to think I know somewhat what I’m talking about, but it’s also nice to know that even for artists at the highest echelons of success certain elements of working and the biz remain true. More on that later… Anyway, Fiona demoed a Runway look based on a look she’d recently created for actress Gabrielle Union. People were, of course, asking her what product she used (and she jokingly kept referring to herself as a “product slut” meaning she’s not loyal to any one brand and she’ll use anything from drugstore to the highest end as long as it works), but I really learned a lot from watching her and observing her technique. As with a lot of masters, she did not use a lot of product and it didn’t necessarily look like she did a whole lot (she did), but the finished application was flawless. You can see her work at her website, Fiona Stiles Makeup (click to go to her site). And you can follow her on all social media @fionastiles.

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Ellis Faas keynote. Nice picture, eh? I had a seat behind a pillar so I couldn’t see the stage except for on TV :\

Of course I wanted to see Ellis Faas speak. ~~I was actually hoping she would also demo, but she did not.~~ *** D’OH! Apparently I missed her demo. See comments below. Dagnabit!!! *** While she did discuss her path and her process as an artist, etc., much of her Keynote was actually focused on her eponymous cosmetics line. That proved to be interesting in its own way as well. Anyone interested in developing a line would have learned a lot from this Keynote. From packaging, to thinking about a brand both from a consumer viewpoint and an artistic viewpoint, to marketing, etc. It was fascinating because my earlier Ellis Faas encounter at the pre-party at Nigel’s earlier in the week was focused almost entirely on her artistry. But like most really successful folks, Ms. Faas is not on some “Oh I’m such an artist I cannot think about that other stuff…”, she really put a lot of thought behind every choice she made for her brand. To see her work and her cosmetics brand, visit Ellis Faas Cosmetics (click to visit site).

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Ellis Faas Icon Gallery

And then of course there was the “Icon Gallery” of her work. I bought her book and had it signed so I have all of these images, but basically the book – which all of the images in the Icon Gallery are from – is a compilation of the work she created to promote her cosmetics line, with the stories behind their creation. It is a very inspiring book.

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Artist / Illustrator Donald Robertson and Lori Taylor discussing their collaborations

Art by Donald Robertson

Like I said in my preview post, this was a WildCard lecture for me, but I am glad I followed my gut and sat in on it. Donald Robertson is not a makeup artist, he is a visual artist and illustrator and the Creative Director of Special Projects for Estee Lauder. As such he collaborates with the lines within that brand, including Smashbox Cosmetics. This Keynote was co-moderated by James Vincent (Director of Education for The Makeup Show), and Lori Taylor, International Artist for Smashbox. Many folks reading this may well be visual artists (painters, sculptors, illustrators, etc.) and as such you are aware of the similarities in the creative process with that of a makeup artist. If you are not a visual artist in any other medium – which I am not – I encourage you to pay more attention to the visual arts world. It will give you a new perspective into your own artistry. In addition to his own journey and process he also gave a lot of practical business advice on being your own brand, utilizing social media, and the like. He got his “big break” bringing his art to a wider audience via Instagram, and that aspect of his business has been a major part of his success (click here to read a NYPost article about his success). I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Donald after his talk and he seems like a warm and friendly Southern Gentleman. You can join everyone else in following him on Instagram at @drawbertson

Art by Donald Robertson

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MUFE rep Turner Floyd, Melanie Inglessis, William Lemon III and The Makeup Show Director of Education, James Vincent

Last but not least, on Sunday I caught artists Melanie Inglessis and William Lemon, III in conversation with Make Up For Ever’s Director of the Professional Business Division, Turner Floyd and the ubiquitous James Vincent. This lecture came about because not only is Make Up For Ever the Diamond Sponsor of The Makeup Show, but Melanie and William were both amongst the 30 artists with whom MUFE collaborated for their Artist 30/30 project. Melanie is a high-end celebrity/red-carpet artist (click to see her work), while William is known for his cutting edge work with largely music clients including (but not limited to) body painting and “skin printing” (click to see his work). Again, they both spoke primarily about their journey and their artistic process. While they both have backgrounds in visual art, it was very interesting to see how differently that background manifested into their careers. Another thing that is inspiring about coming to these trade shows to hear these artists speak is realizing that there is no one certain way to be an artist in this business. Except for being talented and skilled – which all of these successful artists have in common – there is no one way to get started, no one way to look, no one way to act, etc. This is not a cookie cutter industry with one pre-defined way of being a “real artist” (despite what you might see and hear online).

I mentioned earlier that certain themes of being a working artist kept coming up over and over. What were they? Well first of all on the practical level, they all talked about Social Media and good usage practices. So for those of you living on Planet X thinking that you do not need to engage with social media and that it’s for bloggers only, etc. Think again. Secondly, every single artist I saw (and some I did not, according to what my students said to me), mentioned being kind, being of service to your client, being a chill fun person to work with that people like. This is still a people business and nothing – not even talent – will move you along faster than being someone that people like to be around PARTICULARLY when you are first starting/on the come up in your career. So be nice, stay humble and work hard folks! Do not fall for the false prophecy of Internet Superstardom!

The Exhibition/Shopping Floor

My experience this year basically came down to attending lectures on Saturday, and wandering and shopping on Sunday. Walking the floor is always fun, I always run into a zillion of my friends in the biz and some of my current and former students (yay!), I get to see my vendor friends, I’ll take a look at what’s new (nothing new really grabbed me this year, honestly), and then if I actually need anything I’ll pick that up as well.

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I am interested in Smashbox’s new Photo Finish Primer Water but they were out when I got to their booth…

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the highly coveted original classic

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Makeup artist Valerie Hernandez assisted by MTG Fam, makeup artist Liza Macawilli Ramos in demonstration for Youngblood Cosmetics

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MTG fam, makeup artist Jennifer Naideth werking it out at the Ellis Faas booth…

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Melanie Mills, makeup artist and founder of Gleam Cosmetics at raffle time! (I did not win 🙁 )

The Haul

Many thanks to The Makeup Show for always bringing in such fabulous vendors and thank you to these vendors for these fab products. I had to really dig deep and NOT buy other fabulously that I just really do not need. I have such a grip-ton backlog of makeup as it is! Anyway, I love new product as much as the next artist, so can’t wait to dig into these purchases!

Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipstick in “Kiss of Fire”. Different artist friends kept talking to me about this line so I decided to try it out. A word of warning; this is strong stuff. Just trying it on my hand stained my hands and fingers for a bit.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Cream Color Concentrates. I actually purchased this at the pre-party at Nigel’s Beauty Emporium that I attended. Good thing, because the OCC booth was hella crowded both days of the show. Colors purchased are “Pleasure Model”(pink) and “Beholder” (teal).

Youngblood Sampler. Many thanks to the Youngblood crew for always sharing samples of some of their new items with me. What I need to go back to the website and get is the new TSA compliant 3-pack of their fab Minerals in the Mist sprays.

Dante Disposables brush cleaner: A true quick dry, disinfecting spray with NO SCENT.

Crown Brush “Syntho” line foundation and concealer brushes. Normally, I’m not a fan of the less-expensive brushes but the Crown Syntho line is quite good and that round duo-ended Foundation/Concealer brush is a nice “homage” brush of a Stila foundation brush which this Crown brush just happens to looks exactly like 😉

Bioderma Sebium H2O. The Bioderma Sensibio H2O for sensitive skin has been a kit staple for most makeup artists since forever. The Sebium is a micelle cleanser and makeup remover for oilier skin. I go this one for me! 🙂

Straight Pin Studio Mini Essentials Kit. Since I also do hair for my commercial clients, this is something I’ve been meaning to get for a while. I have had the pleasure of working with Straight Pin Studios co-founder, Lucie Doughty, who is an award-winning session stylist and Editorial Director for Paul Mitchell. As you can see this is not just another little organizer doo-dad for your hair pins/ties/etc. This is a filled KIT of pins, ties, etc. Each compartment closes separately so you do not have to worry about product flying all over the place, its compact and organized and perfect for a makeup/hair kit.

AJ Crimson Beauty Lipcheeque and S & M (sultry and matte) Lipstick. The AJ Crimson line – which I’ve written about before – is a line catering towards products for women of color. So if you are wondering where to get products for deeper complexions, check AJ Crimson Beauty out. He is now starting to roll out his color products (he started with skin; foundation, BB cream & powder) and they are GORG! I got one each of both the Lipcheeque (lip/cheek color pan) and the S & M (sultry and matte) Lipstick. The Lipcheeque color is “Say Whet?!” a bright, but wearable purple that can go from sheer to intense, and the Lipstick color is “No Explanation”, a deep berry/brown color. Yum! (we’ll see if “No Explanation” makes it to my kit)

That was my Makeup Show Los Angeles experience. Leave a comment below and tell me yours! 🙂

Makeupwerks Tinsel Tokyo Magazine

Magazine: Tinsel Tokyo

Photographer: K.Szatmari

Model: Addi Culler / Photogenics

Makeup (& Hair): Tania D. Russell

Time for another edition of #Makeupwerks which is where I feature a breakdown of some of my own work. For the editorial theme of this beauty story, I didn’t want to do something as simple as “glitter” or even “pigment”, I really wanted to play with the idea of Texture.**

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(Click to view larger)

Products Used:
Prep – Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water; Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre
Skin – Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics: TINT tinted moisturizer; Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Loose Powder
Eyes – Fortunate Face Cosmetics: IntensifEYE primer; Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCCMakeup) Loose Colour Concentrate Pigments: Dope, Crusing, Nevar, and Flawed
Lips – Who knows, sorry (I always mix several colors)

(Click to see larger)

Product(s) Used:
Lips –
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC Makeup) LipTar: Trick, Loose Colour Concentrate Pigment: Glisten; Whip Hand Cosmetics Pure Pigment Loose Eyeshadow: Dangerous

Eye –
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC Makeup) Loose Colour Concentrate Pigments: Crusing, Acacia; Whip Hand Cosmetics Pure Pigment Loose Eyeshadow: Colada, Grouch

(Click to see larger)

Product(s) Used:
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC Makeup) Loose Colour Concentrate Pigments: Nori (splattered on face)

(** As any artist does, I use a lot of different products and blend and combine to create the desired effect, but the products listed were the main products used in any given look **)

You speak, I listen. Amongst the requests I get most often for the blog is to see more of my work. As most freelancers I am all about shameless self promotion so I am happy to oblige! ;). Let’s start with a breakdown of my Bisous Magazine Metallics Editorial, currently in the Spring 2014 edition.

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This editorial is in the current (Spring 2014) edition of Bisous Magazine (click to go to the magazine). Clearly the theme for this shoot was metallics makeup. I wanted to keep the makeup looking like metal rather than going in a glittery direction so I used a lot of product in non-traditional ways. You can click around the photos for some examples of what I used and where. For the skin, I also wanted to maintain a creamy, “molten” texture. I worked primarily with liquids/creams to maintain the texture and not let the skin get matte but I also did not want the skin to fly into a shiny direction. From there Kate worked her magic by desaturating the skin/hair tones so that the focus stayed on the makeup. Hair was done by the amazing Caile Noble (represented by Jed Root). Funny Side Note: We could not book a manicurist for this shoot so guess who whipped out her trusty Black nail polish. This Girl! LOL!

Many thanks to all of the fabulous cosmetics lines I used for this shoot:

– KOH GEN DO Maifanshi Moisture Foundation
– KOH GEN DO Maifanshi Liquid Treatment Concealer
– KOH GEN DO Maifanshi Face Powder
– BECCA COSMETICS Shimmering Skin Perfector
– LORAC Pro Eyeshadow Palette
– ELLIS FAAS Ellis Eyes Lights
– STILA COSMETICS Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eyeshadow
– URBAN DECAY Eyeshadows
– NARS Eyeliner and Lipcolor
– GIVENCHY Magic Kohl Eyeliner
– DOLCE GABBANA Glam Liner Intense Liquid Eyeliner
– PAUL AND JOE Lipstick
– OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS Nail Lacquer
– A few other “secret products” I didn’t list in the magazine. LOL
– and good ol’ MAYBELLINE GREAT LASH Mascara cos that’s my favorite!

Tania D. Russell is a career media makeup artist based in Los Angeles and working throughout the West Coast. Her clients include WalMart, BCBGeneration, Toyota and Pottery Barn Teen and her work has been seen in publications such as Elle Sweden, Marie Claire UK, InStyle Magazine, TeenProm and Runner’s World. You can see her media makeup website at Makeupwerks.com , which she promises to update at some point this Millennia…

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Coral Lip colors. Love them love them love them. Yes, that was three “love them”s in one post. Oh wait was that a fourth? Yes. That is how much I love Coral lip colors. Why? Because it’s not orange, it’s not red and it’s not pink. It incorporates all three and because of that it is a wonderfully wearable color that works with EVERY skin tone. Now admittedly, there is a red or a pink for every skin tone as well but there is not an orange for every skin tone. Orange – despite its current popularity – is a tricky color for most skin tones. And this is coming from someone who, clearly, loves straight up Orange. If you’ve been wanting to jump in on that trend but have found it hard to do so, slide on over to Coral. Likewise, sometimes you want a hit of color without a Red statement. Again, slide on over to Coral. Want something pretty and feminine but slightly less predictable than a pink? Coral is the answer. Here are some of my favorites… (Note: For purposes of classification “Soft” colors are more sheer and “Strong” colors are more pigmented.)

Soft

CLINIQUE Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm – Heftiest Hibiscus
These Chubby Sticks (available for both eyes and lips) are easily the best color cosmetic product Clinique has put out in an age. The “Intense” Chubby Sticks are the perfect “in-between” formulation. Enough pigment for the color to show (the original chubby sticks are super sheer, barely there color), but still sheer enough for everyday wearability. Heftiest Hibiscus is a true Coral that can be worn by just about everyone.

SMASHBOX Be Legendary Lipgloss – Melondrama
I have written numerous times about my love for Smashbox’s Lip Enhancing glosses and how deeply saddened I was when the color line was downsized. Well, they have now been reincarnated as the “Be Legendary” lip glosses and I could not be happier. “Melondrama” was one of my favorite of the Be Legendary lipstick colors when it came out a couple of years ago. The lipgloss version is a sheer, shimmery, peachy coral.

THREE CUSTOM COLOR SPECIALISTS Light Brights – Danceteria
Three Custom Color Specialists has been a favorite of pro makeup artists and those “in the know” for many years now. I have mentioned my love for their lip colors in past MTG articles. The “Light Brights” collection is just what the name suggests: bold colors in lighter, more sheer formulations. These are not sheer like a lip gloss, barely there sheer. These are bold hits of color that let your own lip show through for a remarkable punch of wearable color. I LOVE these lip colors. Danceteria is a perfect True Coral color. I wear this myself often and it has flattered every model/talent I have applied it to.

BOBBI BROWN COSMETICS Lipgloss – Tangerine
Bobbi Brown has to be the master of taking color and making it safe for the masses. In this instance I do not mean safe as a put-down. Not all jobs allow for bright color but that should not mean a woman has to settle for a no-color nude all the time. Bobbi Brown Cosmetics lipgloss in Tangerine is a pretty, peachy coral that is soft and sophisticated. Honorable Mention: I also really love her new color “Nectar” which is a more pinky coral.

TARTE COSMETICS Power Pigment – Tipsy
Tarte cheek stain in “Tipsy” has been one of the Number One Products in my kit since forever, so when they introduced the Power Pigment lip tint pencil version I was all over it immediately. I am very pleased to say that it does not disappoint. This is the same formula of just the right amount of orange and just the right amount of pink to create just the Perfect Coral that I love about the cheek stain, in a moisturizing and shiny lip formula. The stick format also makes it easy to carry and to apply. This is the perfect “throw it in your bag” product.

DIOR Dior Addict Fluid Sticks – Mirage
If you have never tried them before, Dior lip colors are just…delicious. They are rich in color, creamy in texture, velvety in pigmentation. Yes they are expensive but yes they are worth it. Dior actually has quite a few Coral shades throughout their lip color collection, all of which that I have ever tried are gorgeous. The Fluid Sticks are a recent addition to the Dior Addict line. They are a lip lacquer product so they are lip gloss in feel but lipstick in color payoff. Mirage is a pinky-er (word?) Coral, slightly on the cool side. Honorable Mention: those wanting bolder color might want to check out “Artifice” which is a more in-your-face, near orange Coral.

Strong

STILA COSMETICS Color Balm Lipstick – Avery and Valentina
Color Balm lipsticks entered the cosmetics landscape within the last couple of years and became an instant “hit” due to their ease of use and wearability. They combine the best of a lipstick (full color) and the best of a lip balm (moisturizing, feels good on the lips) for a winning combo. Amongst my favorite Color Balms are Stila’s Color Balm Lipsticks. I love all of them but in keeping with our Coral theme, “Avery” and “Valentina’ fit the bill. These both fit my definition of “strong” in the sense of they are full pigment lip colors however strong does not have to mean Loud. “Avery” is a soft pinky Coral. This would be pretty on really fair skin tones where a bright Coral might be too overpowering, or if you are a darker skin tone like myself you can play with a high-contrast lip color by going with something this fair and pastel-ish. “Valentina” is for the bold. Stila describes it as “orange poppy” which to me equals Coral. It is my favorite of all of Stila’s Color Balm Lipsticks.

REVLON Super Lustrous Lipsticks – Coralberry
“Coralberry” is an absolute classic and for less than $10 you cannot go wrong. Like “Fire and Ice” and “Cherries in the Snow” it is guaranteed at least one female relative in your family owned this back in “the day”. While it has a distinctively retro feel to it, its peachy pinky Coral-ness is modern enough to make “Coralberry” one of Revlon’s most popular selling colors to this day. (Sidenote: I have “Coralberry”, “Fire and Ice”, and “Cherries in the Snow” in my kit. Always have, always will. They are fantastic lip colors.)

REVLON Colorburst Matte Balm – Audacious
If you haven’t guessed, it is my opinion that Revlon makes fantastic lip color products. They are easily some of the best you can buy at the drugstore level. What is awesome about Revlon is that even though they have been around forever, they are constantly introducing new products into their color line (without discontinuing the classics!). If you want to jump on the modern trend of Matte lipcolors, Revlon has you covered. “Audacious” is a matte balm, so where matte colors can tend to feel dry, this formulation feels moisturizing on the lips. As a bonus, the pencil style applicator makes applying a bold pop of color a breeze.

OCC MAKEUP Lip Tar Matte – Grandma
FACT: As a makeup artist, “Grandma” by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is one of two lip colors I probably use more than any other lip colors I own (the other is “Trick”, also by OCC Makeup). I do not necessarily use it straight (sometimes but not always), like many makeup artists what I love about the OCC Makeup Lip Tars is their versatility and blend-ability with other lip colors. “Grandma” is a pastel-y pinky Coral in the same vein as Revlon’s “Coralberry”. It has that same retro type feel (hence the name). However “Grandma” is a full frontal hit of color, not at all for the faint of heart. OCC Lip Tars were amongst the first wave of highly pigmented bold, loud color lip colors that are now quite popular. Not interested in wearing it straight? If you have a pink that you want to “Coral-ize”, a red you want a little less Red or a sheer color you want to add some “umph” to, try mixing in a little “Grandma”. Honorable Mention: “Queen”. When “Grandma” first came out it was a little bit more of a bolder, orange-y reddish Coral. “Queen” is the closest you can get to that original “Grandma” color. It is great for those on whom a pastel-y color does not work, or for those who want a TADDOW! Coral color.

HOURGLASS COSMETICS Femme Rouge Velvet Crème Lipstick – Muse
Hourglass is one of my favorite new cosmetics brands in fact look for a story on them coming soon. Their Velvet Creme Lipsticks are just that; velvety, creamy, lushly pigmented and gorgeous. “Muse” is a True Coral. What I impressed me about this product is not only is the color gorgeous but it truly feels different from a traditional lipstick. It is feather-weight and truly moisturizing. Lots of lipsticks say they are moisturizing but I still find myself reaching for that lip balm to wear underneath. This really did not feel like I was wearing lipstick, so if you are like me and hate the feel of lipstick give the Hourglass a try. And if you really, really hate lipstick, “Muse” comes in other formulations as well 😉

LIMECRIME Velvetines – Suedeberry
Like the original OCC Lip Tars, Lime Crime built its name on over-the-top, bold, pigmented lipsticks in unusual colors. As the line has expanded, more wearable but still boldly pigmented colors and formulations have been added into the mix. One of the best additions to the line, in my opinion, are the Velvetines which go on liquid and dry to a completely matte finish. “Suedeberry” is one of my favorite of the Velvetines. It is a bold True Coral in a matte finish. When you are dealing with bold color, not only is matte more modern but it is also a bit more flattering (exception being if you have a lot of dry lines around the mouth area, but there are ways to work around that…). Once set, these do not move or transfer and they are long-wearing. Perfect for a night out when demure is not the goal. Special Note: I absolutely ADORE this color on African American skin tones.

Everyday I receive a zillion emails from all the various cosmetics companies regarding new product releases, new collections, and new ways to entice makeup mavens like ourselves. Periodically I like to sift through the endless piles and highlight some things that particularly catch my eye. Here is the makeup I have my eye on February 2014 (and I’ll try to do these every couple of months or so…)

Make Up For Ever Second Skin HD Blush
– These cream blushes launched Spring 2014. The “HD” comes into play because the creams are supposed to blend into the skin, leaving the appearance of a natural flush and no visible texture.

Or they could just be another nice cream blush. We’ll see…

If you are thinking to yourself “…didn’t MUFE have an HD Blush already?”, you are correct. The liquid-cream in the pump tube was discontinued last year. If nothing else, these cream blushes in the more traditional compact should be easier to use.
(Side Note: at IMATS one of the things I missed but was interested to see was celebrated UK film artist Sian Richards presentation on HD makeup. A former student of mine went and reported that she demonstrated one half the face flawlessly for HD using “traditional” makeup and the other half all wrong using “HD” makeup. Translation: MUFE is an excellent brand and I’m sure these blushes are lovely, however “HD makeup” is on the verge of jumping the shark as a meaningless marketing term…)

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Plastic Passion Collection
– Another Spring 2014 launch, OCC launched a new series of LipTars and nail polishes in bold, vibrant colors. In reading the descriptions, most of the colors do not sound like they will be particularly useful to me (baby blue, lavender purple, etc) although I am interested in the new matte formula LipTars (original LipTars were pretty matte so I’m hoping for something similar). I’m a big supporter of OCC so I will at least go take a look (they hit online at occmakeup.com and sephora.com this past Saturday, February 1st. Hopefully they will land in brick-and-mortar stores soon).

THE OTHER LAUNCH from OCC which I love are the new Colour Pencils (pictured above, click here to see on website). If you were able to wade through the hoarding masses to make it to the OCC booth at IMATS, you were able to see these babies live and in person. Some colors are safe for lips and eyes, and some are just for lips but these versatile, creamy, highly pigmented pencils are a great new addition to the OCC Makeup line. I look forward to playing around with them.

Tarte Cosmetics
– Tarte is one of my favorite brands and they have a whole parcel of product releasing Spring 2014. Of particular note to me is the addition of new Cheek Stain colors (as well as new packaging for all of the Cheek Stains), and a new series of Lipsurgence pencils called “Power Pigment”. The new Cheek Stain colors are “Fearless” which is a coral-y pink color, and “Blushing Bride” which looks to be a **perfect** rose pink. “Tipsy”, a perfect peachy-pink, has long been my fave of the Tarte cheek stains so I look forward to seeing how these new colors stack up. The Power Pigment Lipsurgence pencils are “juicy”, glossy hits of lip color based on the Tarte Cheek Stains. Theres a “Tipsy” Lipsurgence. There. Is. A. “Tispy”. Lipsurgence. I’m telling y’all now – I’ll be getting all of the Power Pigments.

NARS Cosmetics
– So a funny thing happened a couple of weeks ago; I get a message from a friend of mine that NARS is coming out with a palette of eyeshadows called the NARSissist Collection. “NARSissist” is the handle of NARS highly popular social media feed (Twitter & Instagram) and if you are not a follower I suggest you rectify that. In any event my friend and I conclude that this palette will sell out quickly and we both order. Then the link disappeared. I went back not one week later to order one for a friend and the link was GONE. I email customer service, and I’m told the product is having a full launch in February. Last week I get an email from NARS that they are hosting NARSissist palette launches in the NARS boutiques. I couldn’t attend the LA event, I was traveling, but the event was Saturday, February 1st so I was expecting to see the palette back up on the NARS site shortly thereafter. Nope.

It’s looking like something changed and The NARSissist palette is now a Sephora exclusive, available here. OR if you are a Pro Card holder and want to buy these at your discount you can order from your local NARS boutique (as long as you are already in the database).

This is a gorgeous, gorgeous palette. I love the selection of wearable colors and the mix of matte, satin and shimmer. NARS eye shadows are beautifully formulated and are simultaneously nicely pigmented yet creamy and blend-able. To Reiterate: This is a simply gorgeous palette. In this the era of the “Neutral Eyeshadow Palette” which includes everyone from the LORAC Pro palette, to the Two-Faced chocolates palette, to the Smashbox palette, and of course the series that started them all Urban Decay’s Naked palettes, I have no doubt that the NARSissist palette will prove to be the One Palette to Rule Them All.

PS – There’s a NARSissist blush palette as well.
PPS – I did not include the Viseart neutral palette amongst those other palettes because A ) it predates those other palettes by a decade, and B ) it’s completely different and in its own category.

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