Beauty product reviews, makeup tips and news from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict.
August 11th, 2008 | Karen | Filed in: MAC Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To, News, Top Posts
Guess what? I decided to go back to school on Saturday. Yup, I attended a 2-hour MAC Studio Talk makeup class at Bloomingdale’s in SF, and, like the Chanel master class at Macy’s a couple weeks ago, it was packed with makeup tips and new product information.
Watching a video at the start of class
If you love makeup, brand-sponsored classes like these are a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I found out about the MAC Studio Talk class through the Bloomingdale’s website. Ask in the stores, as well (check with the counter staff), because other brands offer similar classes.
Makeup classes like these are often free, but sometimes stores or brands will charge a nominal fee. Classes are usually kept small (30 people or less), and in some cases hands-on (as was the MAC Studio Talk class), where you’re able to apply products on yourself. Other times, they’ll be more lecture-style. To reserve a spot in a MAC Studio Talk class through Bloomingdale’s costs $75, but that amount also applies toward the purchase of MAC products at the end of the class. If you were planning to spend some money on a new collection anyway, a class like one of these may be a fun way to couple your new products with some professional instruction.
Each student was given a choice to learn either a bridal look or a club-inspired look. I chose the club look, and the instructors described each step in the process. I picked up a few tips along the way.
When it’s hot out, store MAC Wipes ($17) in the fridge. It keeps them feeling crisp and refreshing against your skin when used to remove your makeup.
If you have red, splotchy skin, spritz Fix+ ($16) over your entire face before applying your makeup. Not only does the spray prep skin for makeup application, but it contains soothing chamomile as well.
Face primers are great for oily skinned ladies and gents. You won’t have to reapply your makeup as often throughout the day if you use a primer first. MAC has two kinds, Prep + Prime Skin ($23) and Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50 ($28).
If you have fine lines around your eyes or mouth, apply Fast Response Eye Cream ($28.50) to the areas before applying any of your makeup (even foundation). The formula contains optical diffusers to minimize the appearance of fine lines.
A little foundation goes a long way. It’s better to start with less and to build it up to the coverage you want. It’s easier to slowly add product than it is to take it away.
MAC Studio Tech ($29), a cream foundation in a compact tends to be lighter than MAC’s fluid foundations. I’m normally an NC 35, but Studio Tech in a slightly darker NC 37 provides great medium coverage and helps soften and diffuse lines on the skin.
Facial hair and fuzz tends to lie vertically on the skin, from top to bottom, so when applying foundation with something like a 190 Foundation Brush ($32), use downward strokes to and go with the “grain” of the hair.
For a natural look, top MAC Studio Tech foundation with MAC Blot Pressed Powder ($21). In the class, I dusted the Medium Deep shade on my T-zone with a 187 Duo Fibre Brush ($42).
When you apply bronzer, think of a capital letter E. With Refined Golden Bronzer ($21) and a 187 brush, start near the outer corner of your right eye, swiping down the curve of the cheek bone (under the apple of your cheek). Then, swipe back up the same way. From there, swipe over the right temple onto your upper forehead just below your right hairline. The overall shape you’re shooting for resembles a capital E on the right side. Do the reverse on your left.
When applying blush, grab a 187 duo fiber brush. Swipe it on the blush pan once or twice, tapping off the excess powder. Smile in the mirror to make the apples of your cheeks more prominent and apply with the blush using a small, circular motion. Repeat the process, moving the color up from the apples to the hairline.
If your brow hairs lie in different directions, Brow Set ($13.50) is a handy product to have around. It’s a gel that acts like hair spray for yours brows, keeping them in place. It even comes with a mascara brush. In a pinch, you can also use it to tame stray hairs elsewhere on the face.
Eye primer extends the life of your eye shadows. Painterly Paint Pot ($16.50) is a great multi-purpose eye primer. It’s a creamy, nude beige shade that goes with almost all colors. Apply the product over the entire eye using a flat brush like the MAC 242 ($23). You don’t need to use lots of product when it comes to Paint Pots; less is more.
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April 29th, 2008 | Karen | Filed in: MAC Makeup, Makeup, News, Top Posts
You probably already knew that MAC provides makeup and makeup artists for fashion shows all over the world, but did you know that MAC does makeup for music tours, too? If you have tickets to rapper Kanye West’s Glow in the Dark North American tour (April-June, 2008), expect to see MAC in action. The MAC team is creating the looks for several of the dancers, backup singers and accompanying musicians on the tour.
And Glow in the Dark isn’t the first MAC/Kanye partnership. They’ve been at it for years, with MAC working on a number of Kanye’s tours, special performances and videos.
To find out more about how MAC works with performers on large concerts and events, I spoke with MAC Senior Makeup Artist Jennifer Karsten. Jennifer worked on Kanye’s Touch the Sky tour, his 2007 MTV Music Video Awards appearance and the Flashing Lights video.
Jennifer did the makeup for the girl in this video. Yo, shuttle the kids into the other room before you watch this because the end is kinda graphic.
Unlike the full-time singers, dancers and musicians who travel with an artist on tour, MAC artists are usually assigned at each stop along the way. How do all these different makeup artists in different cities maintain a consistent makeup look throughout a lengthy tour? “We all communicate through the senior artists and global communications,” Jennifer says, “so everyone knows what the look is and to keep the continuity going.”
MAC artists working on high-profile music events face challenges that makeup artists working fashion shows don’t often face. Large concerts are complex productions. “When you’re dealing with someone more high profile,” says Jennifer, “you have a lot more channels to go through.” It can be more difficult or challenging to really get the look correct because you’re filtering an idea through someone else.
For one of his performances at the 2007 MTV music video awards, Kanye wanted a futuristic, glamorous, high fashion makeup look. The MAC team envisioned a glossy, futuristic cat eye (ooh, me likey!). MAC artists created a “test look” on one of the orchestra performers. It then took six hours, several calls, and pictures taken with cell phones to get the test look approved. That left the team with only 20 minutes to replicate the look on the rest of the orchestra.
And, ultimately, fashion show makeup isn’t meant to overshadow the clothing. That’s not always the case in a concert, where the makeup often defines the look.
March 6th, 2008 | Karen | Filed in: Beauty Tips, Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To, News, Top Posts
Genetics bestowed upon me wimpy, ho-hum lashes… and then made me so clumsy that I couldn’t apply false ones to save my life. Oh, the sweet eyelash irony! Enter the Shu Uemura lash bar, aka false eyelash nirvana, where the lashes are affordable and the appointment booking process couldn’t be easier. Whether you’re looking for a little lash extension, or you’re aching for crazy, over-the-top-lashes to overcompensate for many years of eyelash inadequacy (*ahem*), Shu’s got you covered.
Case in point:
Notice how fabulously non-wimpy these are. I done died and went to eyelash heaven, ladies!
Would you believe a trip to eyelash heaven is actually pretty darn affordable? From a Shu lash bar, all you do is purchase any pair of their false lashes, which run from $16 to about $50 a pair, and a Shu makeup artist will apply your new lashes (and answer any questions you might have about them) for free!
Gratis rules, but I know you work hard for your money, so to stretch those dolla-dolla-bills a wee bit further, here’s a great money saving tip I got from Jeccica, a Shu Uemura makeup artist and manager (and all around rad girl) at the San Francisco Fillmore store: buy a pair like False Eyelashes Luxe ($20) and ask the makeup artist to cut one of the lashes in half.
Ask the artist to apply each of the cut halves to your outer lashes only. It’s a simple way to get a sexy, yet natural-looking eyelash boost. Save that uncut lash for future use. Cut that bad boy in half and you’re good to go with a new pair. It’s like getting two sets of lashes for the price of one, yah?
February 19th, 2008 | Karen | Filed in: MAC Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To, Product Reviews, Top Posts
I finally got my paws on MAC Fafi yesterday, and all I have to say is MEOW! Love it. This morning I busted out a few things from the collection — Fafi Eyes 1 Quad, Nice Vice Paint Pot and the Not So Innocent Lipstick — and created this subtle gold and black smokey eye for work.
A few days ago, after the super-spy MAC Fafi swatch mission, I fell in love with Fafi’s Paint Pots (love Nice Vice!) and lipsticks but wasn’t floored by the eyeshadow quads. I changed my tune after playing with the Fafi Eyes 1 Quad ($36) this mornin’. The colors work with my skin tone (so far the shades “Hey” and “Vanilla” are my faves), and the textures apply like butter. If you love neutral eyeshadows, I think you’ll dig this quad.
Now, on to the look! New to semi-complicated makeup? Don’t despair. If you’ve ever worn at least two eyeshadow colors at a time, then you can certainly handle this. Yes! You! Can!
Products I used to create the look…
