Monday, August 31, 2015

Overhyped and Underwhelmed..... My recent disappointments

 

     The feels.... especially if you're one to watch a lot of YouTube or read many blogs. These beautiful makeup junkies get so excited about a certain product and you can't help but want to buy it for yourself. If only to look half as good as they do using it.
     A little over two years ago, I was well-invested in the YouTube beauty community. Watching hundreds of tutorials, monthly product favorites and reviews and in turn, watching my makeup collection grow from a modest desk top organizer to literally consuming my bathroom closet. And for those who don't know anything about the aforementioned: on YouTube, many people create beauty channels to share beauty tips and makeup instruction... or that's how it was back when it began. Now, it's become a career for many people. Millions of subscribers and hoards of "gurus" making bank off of marketing for makeup and skincare companies. While many are forthright with admitting they have products sent to them for review, they usually don't share the fact that some companies will only pay the YouTuber if the video is a positive review. And thus... the naïve are sucked into opening their PayPal wallets. And that's not the only way we get suckered. But I'm not here to bash anyone for paying their bills.... dude, I have YouTube videos and they make me money as well.
     Nor am I here to dis any makeup company, as for each product I have here to complain about, something else from that company is frequently used in my makeup kit. But the products listed below are personal fails because they didn't work for me, but might just be your favorite new find. So, "grain of salt".
 
 
     This woman is gorgeous... not up for debate... But damn, I can hardly use anything she's produced up to this point. Since I started with talking about YouTube, I'll roll out with the queen herself, Jaclyn Hill. I've been a fan since she first started, and in the few years she's been making videos, she's embodied the Cinderella story dream. She's great at what she does and how she can get anyone excited for a beauty product. She's also teamed up with a few makeup companies to create her own makeup products. Unfortunately, they don't work for me much. And that's what actually inspired this blog entry.

Personal Fail: Champagne Pop highlighter  
Here's the video in which Jaclyn introduces her new highlighter with Becca cosmetics.
Now, what gets me is her insistency that it will work for alllllll skin tones. Well, long story short, nope. Not for me nor any of my fair-skinned friends. If your highlighter is darker than your skin.... it's not a highlighter. And that's what I found to be true for us. Now, I will say, that when I use it on my medium to dark skinned clients, it's a total win. I've used it a lot on my competitors as well and loved it. The other issue I've had with this product is how powdery it comes off with a brush. I just can't use my fan brush with it if I want more than a sheer finish.
 
Alternatives:

NARS Albatross for intense glow
best for neutral to yellow undertoned fair to light-medium skin


MAC Soft & Gentile for medium to buildable glow
best for neutral to pink undertoned fair to light-medium skin
 
Girlactik Face Glow in Natural for subtle glow
best for neutral to pink undertoned fair to light-medium skins, especially those not wanting to enhance texture or fine lines
My Girlactik makeup haul video (no shame!)
 
 
Fail: Jaclyn Hill colab with Gerard Cosmetics
I'm not even going to call this one a personal fail because aside from the colors neither reading true in the above picture (these are lighter and with a softer pink hue than in person) or on my skin which pulls any warmth in a lip color to an orange hue, the formula itself is hard to wear. I find the lipstick to be very dry and often patchy, and the glosses to be incredibly thick and goopy. Also the pink shade of gloss, the packaging leaks to the point I've covered the gold seams with super glue, which only hinders the leaking. I fell like a rock for Jaclyn's hypnotizing excitement and beauty. I've kept Buttercup lipstick in my purse since purchasing but cannot wear it alone. I've given the Buttercream lip gloss an honest effort since gluing the packaging. I keep it with my daily makeup and often apply it in the morning to abandon it there. But when the other lip products didn't work for me, into my kit they went and have stayed unused but for once.
 
Alternatives:
Girlactik lip products. Human* and animal cruelty free plus they are one of the most-used in my kit as they are creamy, comfortable to wear and beautiful.
 
 
* I'll be covering fair trade, human rights, and slavery in the beauty industry in a future post.
 
Fail: Smashbox BE LEGENDARY LONG-WEAR LIP LACQUER
Patchy. Sticky. Stinky.
Thumbs down.
 
Alternatives:
NARS lip gloss
this color in particular Orgasm is used on 75% of my stage makeup clients.
 
Fail: Make Up For Ever Ultra HD
I've sampled this product a few times, really hoping that I just had it wrong upon first impression of the new formula. But sadly, no. And I've mentioned my disappointment for this new foundation in a previous post. It's thicker, dry and patchy compared to what I considered a flawless foundation with what MUFE gave us previously.
 
 
 
 

 Alternative: Marc Jacobs Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate
Although this product will not dupe the old MUFE HD, this foundation is beautiful one-step high end product. I prefer this way more than MJ's other foundation. I do recommend using a primer with this product, especially if your skin doesn't receive liquid foundations well. I can go without primer or adding my usual froo froo products if I use heavy moisturizer.
 
Fail: Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment
Simply doesn't seem to live up to the claims and it's ridiculously expensive. I never noticed an improvement in my skin clarity at all with this little over-hyped pot.
 
Alternative: I don't have a mask alternative. I have found skin care products in other areas that give me what I was looking for out of the above.
 
Personal Fail: NARS Ita brush
I bought this guy when it was near impossible to get your hands on it because of it's immense popularity. The hype was that THIS WAS THEEEE CONTOUR BRUSH YOU NEEEEEEDDD!
Uhhh, not really, in my opinion. I do still use it in my kit on client with more angular faces but it's a rarity still for a few reasons. I don't like sharp contouring on the face because it doesn't look natural. And though it's more easily achieved with this brush, it's not what I'm after. And mostly I dislike this brush because of the bristles. Constantly bleeding ink and have gotten very frayed in the short time I've owned it.
Alternative: ELF Blush Brush
This brush is nicely pointed like the Ita, although it's a completely different shape. The price point is also much more agreeable. $3 compaired to $55. I actually keep 4 of these brushes in my kit. ELF actually does brushes quite well for being so inexpensive. I have no complaints about this one. I also find it easier to defuse my shadowing with this brush compared to the Ita.
 
 
 

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Low-Key Gorgeousness for the Non-Makeup Girl

       Most of my clientele are "gym girls" who hire me for stage or photo shoot glamming. Frequently, I'm asked what I would suggest for girls who don't want to spend too much time on their makeup. Here are some of my best tips for pulling it together for an effortless-looking day face.

[Admittedly, there's a bit more going on in this transformation than a slick of mascara. But Danielle really shows how a bit of brightening and shine can wake up the complexion. Photo isn't edited, lighting darker in first photo because I seem to like to get in my own way.]

       Looking good doesn't require much more than enhancing your best features and using a few tricks to improve areas that need a bit of a boost. I'm going to cater all the following suggestions toward still being low maintenance whether you want to put more effort into it or less.

#1 Frame your face.


Brows, lashes and lips can go real far. Add some fullness to your brows on the daily or pump them up and give them structure for date night with gels or pomades.
Low-key: brow pencil or eyeshadow
Upgraded: gel or pomade

        If you're blessed with long, full lashes, all you might need is a few coats of mascara and a curler. But for us mere mortals, we need some heavy artillery to get the drama for a strong look. I've always noticed that combining two mascaras will give me my favorite look, and I've never found that paying $30 for a high-end brand ever gave me superior results.
Low-key: drugstore lengthening and volumizing
Upgraded: full strip lash or individuals/clusters for super easy application

         I'm as laid-back with my own lip goops as it gets. I very rarely ever fuss with lipstick because I'm frequently drinking water, so it just comes right off. So my quick fix is a pigmented gloss. But if I want to be more bold and still make my gallon-guzzling gains, liquid to matte lipsticks have great staying power.
Low-key: gloss and liner to add definition
Upgraded: liquid lipstick

#2 Hide discoloration: Dark circles under the eyes, little red friends, or hyper-pigmentation around the mouth or nose can be distracting and make you self-conscious.


Dark under-eye circles: For blue-toned circles, use a pink or peach toned color corrector. They come in cream and liquid forms. These goes under your normal under-eye concealer and do not replace them. If you have dark skin, play with more yellow or mustard orange tones until you find the right combination. It's important to note, that the darker your discoloration, the more pigmented you'll need your corrector to be. A sheer liquid will not give you full coverage of a deep, dark circle.

Hiding pimples: If you are using a cream foundation, it will double as a concealer for your face demons by adding a concentrated dot of it after you apply your base. This is my typical method when doing photo shoots. If you're using a BB cream or liquid foundation, use a slighty waxy or dryer concealer in cream or liquid form on top of your foundation and set with light powder to avoid caking. Same goes for hyper-pigmentation. I like concealer palettes because they give you lots of options for multiple issues. For example, if I'm hiding sun damage, I will play with pink and yellow tone combinations until the spot looks diluted but not ashy in color. Once the foundation goes on top, it should be invisible.

#3 Give yourself foundation options.


You don't always need a full-coverage foundation. I actually have rarely used a full-coverage product unless I need to completely change the skin color. Knowing how to use corrector and concealers appropriately will allow you to get away with a sheer or medium coverage foundation and avoid a heavy feel.
Low-key: Mix your favorite foundation with your moisturizer before applying and create your own BB cream that has your perfect shade, coverage, and ingredients.
Upgraded: Find your "winter" and "summer" foundation shades and keep both on hand. Mix thru the year as your skin color changes.

Favorite Skin Base Products (summer 2015)

First blog post!
Since I'm so frequently asked what my favorite products are, I figured I would start there. My favorite feature to focus on is skin. Whereas many people think of eyes or lips first when talking about makeup.... I feel like true skill and beauty is in the subtlties of texture and invisible layers of base products. And skin is unforgiving. Poor reactions between products against the wrong skin texture or tone, and it’s next to impossible to hide in person. So these are my staples, brought to every job and trusted to get the best look for any client!
 
[links to purchase on all product names]
 
[Skin products used for Nicole's look above: Embryolisse Lait Creme, milk of magnesia. MAC and NARS concealer, RCMA foundation for contour, MUFE HD Foundation. Hourglass lighting powders. MAC highlight and contour. Body Bling on body. All other colors are custom blends created by me. Above image is unedited or filtered! Ain't she just the prettiest little lady?]
 
 
We HAVE to start any great look with skin care. The following I am loyal to:
 
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Extra Strength Formula : used only if my client has flaky or tired skin. Instant rejuvination and game-changer for a perfect base for foundation.
Embryolisse moisturizers : I love the Lait-Creme Concentre for all dry and normal skin types. I use the Hydra-Mat Emulsion anytime I'm doing a more matte or long-wearing look. These are more often than not, the only primer/moisturizer I will use.
Milk of Magnesia : Yeah, of course not the intended purpose of the product, but it's absolutely my favorite way to block oiliness and makeup breakdown through stage, shoots, and long days. And though it drys to a white, chalky layer on the face... absolutely undectectable under makeup. 
 
Foundation/Base:
 
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation Illuminator : I blend Sheer Beige into any foundation to which I want to give a warm/mildly pink subtle shimmer glow. I frequently use it to thin my cream foundations as opposed to a standard oil.
RCMA Foundation : If I were to only ever use one, this would be it. Buildable, adjustable, longwearing, and beautiful. Having the palettes are great for my kit. I can do correction, color-matching, contouring etc for any skin tone.
Honorable mention for Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in the original formula. Since it's relaunch, which I've not found to be as creamy or blendable, I'm clinging to my stash! Another favorite for film and photography.
 
 
Conceal and Correct:
 
MAC Studio Sculpt Conceal and Correct Palette : Wishing MAC sold the light pink tone separately, I use it on myself everyday to hide my blue circles under my eye. It's also used on many clients as well.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer : If I need to give the skin a bump of light under the eyes or in the "highlight" zones, this product is smooth and lays beautifully.
MAC Prolongwear Concealer : It's a makeup artist's standard for a reason. It does the job and holds up well. I have noticed that one must pay attention to their moisturizing routine as well as skin hydration on the day intended for wear. This product can quickly emphasis dry undereyes and I would say I usually don't have to set this with a powder because of it's drier formula.
 
 
Contour:
RCMA Foundation: takes it again. Using the palettes and contour color wheels are all I need.
Kat Von D: I have two of these palettes. I think that says enough! I can easily make almost a whole face out of these shades.
Mac: These sculpting powders are soft and blend beautifully. I just wish MAC were cruelty free.
 
Highlight:
Soft & Gentile: This is a daily go-to highlighter on myself. Whereas the chunks of occasionally obvious glitter used to bother me, once I have my whole look blended together, they've been brushed away and you're left with a glow that looks a whole lot more expensive than it really is.
Mary Lou-Manizer: Go-to shade for my pale clients. No chunkiness. Also makes for a lovely eyeshadow.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette: Without a doubt more subtle than the previous two. But one of my favorites to give a full-face glow that doesn't look over-done. My favorite for more mature skin.
 
Setting Powder:
RCMA Translucent: Game changer. Mic drop. Show's over, folks. I call it my "bullet-proof" setting powder for any skin type.
Rimmel: I finish my daily face using this firm but light setting powder under eyes and in fine lines. Used with a flat-top brush, this gives me seemlessly blended skin.
 
 
Hopefully that was helpful and gave you some ideas for great products to add to your collection! Let me know what you think!