Ask the Makeup Doctor

NARS HOLIDAY - THE G-SPOT MULTIPLE

2011-11-03T11:25:35-07:00

The holidays are upon us! The makeup counters are wrapped up in their holiday glory, the newest colors twinkling and beckoning with their beautiful and glittering holiday palettes.

It goes without saying (me being me afterall!) that I've begun purchasing some of the beautiful holiday sets. I have SO much to write about, that I'm getting dizzy.

NARS HOLIDAY - THE MULTIPLE

First up for me this time is NARS Multiple in G-Spot. Ya gotta love NARS and his product names! ALWAYS gets your attention, doesn't it? You just have to be careful where you discuss your items - you don't want to be yelling "I FOUND THE G-SPOT I was looking for" when you are out with your friends at a holiday lunch. Or - maybe you do. Perhaps people around you might think you are in "Sex and the City" and filming a new scene or something! (Just remember - if that happens, you are ALWAYS Samantha!)

Rose With A Hint of Gold

The G-Spot Multiple is beautiful and is indeed the gold infused rose as described on the website. As with all the NARS Multiples, it is in a convenient twist up case, and easy to throw into whatever bag you are using that night. I love the NARS Mulitples because you can indeed use it as lipstick or blush - and that means less to schlep around in your tiny little evening bag that is meant to hold a stick of gum and/or a toothpick and nothing more.

On my fair skin, it gives a lovely warm rose with a hint of gold - just beautiful. It looks as though I just as if I just came in from a very cold night (which is a joke - does it EVER get cold when you are menopausal? I think not...) and looks as though I'm beautifully flushed.

This is a definite must have if you are looking for a creamy holiday red - that doesn't scream '"CREAMY HOLIDAY RED!" to the masses. You will just look beautiful - and better than that - you'll feel beautiful. And when you feel beautiful - there is NOTHING you can't do or accomplish.

Go and check it out - a beautiful red is waiting for you! And it isn't polite to keep it waiting!

Face Illuminator - Laura Mercier Strikes Glow!

2011-10-24T19:06:53-07:00

You know how when you look at the magazines and the actresses and models have that special "glow" about them? The kind that ALWAYS seems to elude us normal everyday folk? The kind that makes us go crazy in the search for the perfect glow?

Illuminating

Laura Mercier has done it again. I've been waiting with bated breath for the absolutely GORGEOUS Face Illuminator. I ordered it and then began stalking my mailbox, just waiting for it to get here.

Well - it's here. And I'm in glow heaven. THIS is what I've been looking for for SUCH a long time. Not only does it do the job - it is GORGEOUS as well. To be honest - I thought - "It's too pretty to use!" But use it I did, and boy, am I thrilled.

An Ethereal Experience

It gives just the right amount of sheen and glow. You don't need a massive amount at all. I used my Laura Mercier brush blush - the flatter one, and I gently pressed it onto the product, and then pressed it lightly on the areas I wanted to glow. It doesn't just "sit" on your face - it blends in and it looks like you are glowing from within. It isn't like a special color - and will glow differently on different complexions, I'd imagine, but the main thing is, you will look like you have a special and ethereal glow about you - that people just won't be able to put their finger on.

Laura Mercier's Face Illuminator will just add to your personal mystique.

The mysterious glow.....who doesn't love a little mystery?

Estee Lauder - Old School

2011-10-14T17:47:52-07:00

Hi! It's me again.

I frequent a great many beauty/blog sites as is to be expected, considering what I do.

Makeup Packaging

Inevitably, I read that Estee Lauder is the "old lady"brand, and most younger girls or women aren't excited enough about their packaging to use her product. What a shame to judge the entire product by the cover. Some of the cutest most impressive packaging have the worst possible products.

So interesting! When I was a young woman, 20 or 21, the only brands you could buy in the department stores were Estee Lauder, Lancome, Chanel, Princess Marcella Borghese, Clinique and the incredibly modern, Ultima II. We didn't have NARS, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, Benefit, Urban Decay and all of the other brands that are now considered "regular brands".

A Long Time Ago....

I remember going to the Estee Lauder counter at The Emporium in San Francisco. A saleslady (now they are beauty advisors, makeup artists, sales associates - but not one saleslady among them!) introduced me to Estee Lauder's eye cream at the ripe old age of 20. She was a good sales person, and she also introducd me to Lauder's pressed powder, and a love affair was born.

To this day, I STILL use Estee Lauder's products. Not exclusively because there are SO many different lines, but this line still has some of the best quality products I've ever used. My HG pressed powder is Lucidity Transparency. Perfection for a very fair woman as myself. In the 30 years or so since I first started wearing her powder, I've strayed, tried the newest big thing - and have ALWAYS gone back to that perfect powder. (They'll be back. They ALWAYS come back. What movie or book was that from?)

What's Inside?

Estee Lauder's line has reinvented itself many, many times since my first foray into her makeup line when I was 20 years old. She has a great line - love the lipsticks, the blushes, and still prefer "More than Mascara" to any other mascara at this point.

So Bright, So Shiny!

So - yes, there might brighter and shinier and really clever advertisements and packaging on the newer brands. Some lines are fascinating with their glimmer and shimmer and special effects packaging - like a 3-D movie. But - where's the substance?

Don't judge a book by its cover - think of all the beauty opportunities you are missing!

If you haven't tried anything of Lauder's you are SO missing out!

If she's been around this long - she obviously doing something right - and it ain't all smoke and mirrors!

Laura Mercier -My Continuing Adoration.....

2011-07-04T21:19:16-07:00

LAURA MERCIER

I know I've written about Laura Mercier's makeup before. But it is so worth writing about again.

Since I blog about makeup, there are very few lines I've not tried, played with, had crushes on, felt I was in love with - only to have to break up with them soon after we met. *cue violins*

Not so with Laura Mercier's makeup. I've strayed - it's my job. But, I always come back. I come back to her wonderful Kohl Liners (Black Violet - I cannot deny you!) and I truly cannot live without my favorite eyeshadow of all time, "Morning Dew" (hint to Laura - please, please NEVER let me see this on the Au Revoir list!)

Her newest collection is coming out, and I've already made my list. The Canyon Collection - check it out! Look at the blush or Cheek Melange as it is called? Oh my - I MUST have this!

In addition to the lovely color stories, Laura is my staple - I always come back to her eyeshadows - they simply just work. I use them on myself, I use them on my clients - I might start using them on strangers on the street if I didn't think that someone would call people that would speak to me gently!

Invisible Loose Setting Powder

My newest crush is on her new light and airy powder with the fan brush. (The real name is Invisible Loose Setting Powder, but I like my description!) Instant attraction - love at first sight. I tried it on myself (of course - that's what any makeup artist does first) and then I tried it on my clients - only to see their tail lights zooming down the street to go and get some for themselves. (Note to clients - could you at least say "bye!" before you go? Manners, ladies, manners!)

If you haven't checked out her collection recently - do yourself a favor, and drop by the counter and let a Laura Mercier artist work his or her magic on you.

We all need a little magic - and what better place than the Laura Mercier makeup counter?

Eve Pearl

2011-03-21T19:06:33-07:00

Well - hi again!

It's been another long while in-between postings, but my chronic migraines don't really seem inclined to be leaving any time soon, so while I send a pox to my migraines, I'm tapping at the keyboard once again.

Off-Broadway Brands

Many of us in the field of makeup know the regular brand names you see in department stores, as well as the pro-lines that are off the beaten path. Myself - I LOVE makeup lines that are off the beaten path - I love discovering new products and techniques. New to me perhaps - but many of these (what I call) off broadway brands have been around longer than I have, which always makes me happy!

Eve Pearl - The Book

Eve Pearl. Know that name? Heard that name? I happened upon Eve Pearls book "Plastic Surgery Without the Surgery" a few years back. I believe I had heard about her from "The View". Who can resist such a title? Plastic Surgery Without the Surgery? Nice. I'm all for no surgery.

This book truly is wonderful. I purchased it back in 2004 when it was released, and constantly referring to it as a skill refresher and guide.

Eve Pearl - The Concealer

A key product that Eve Pearl is known for is her salmon concealer. I FINALLY got my hands on the concealer a couple of months ago and it is outstanding. So outstanding, I was enthusiastically showing a client, and ended up giving her mine. (A client and a friend - she had a new job and wanted to look her best!)

This concealer is amazing, truly amazing. I purchased mine in "Light" and it is creamy and delightful, and does the job a concealer is SUPPOSED to do. My old undereyes (which will celebrate their 50'th birthday very soon) look spectacular.

Eve Pearl - the Makeup Line

I'm so sold on this line, that I just recently (last week) made a purchase of some staples to put into my kit. I can't wait to try out everything in this line, because if the concealer is any indication, I've entered into HG (holy grail) territory when it comes to product.

So - bottom line - check out this book, and check out her concealer. Read it - study it - refer to it. She covers everything in a very easy to understand and well illustrated way. I know you'll want to try this concealer once you've read the book. I've already given one away, so check out her site: http://www.evepearl.com

Happy reading, and even happier concealing!

Makeup Can't Help?!?

2010-09-22T12:34:08-07:00

Well, Hi!

Yes, it has once again been quite some time since my last post.

By way of a quick explanation, I've been suffering from chronic migraines which have made it very difficult to post on a regular schedule.

If you've ever had a migraine, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say it can be virtually impossible to do anything else when confronted with this disability. 3 trips to the Emergency Room a month can wear anyone down - even if she wearing a fabulous lipstick!

I'm doing my best, and have a backlog of makeup info to get out to you all - and I will do this - but it takes some time. But thank you all for hanging in there with me.

My next migraine treatment (and I've pretty much tried everything at this point) will be Botox. It has been ordered, and I'm waiting for the call that it is in.

My neurologist doesn't have high hopes for it, but I figure, even if I have a terrible ER Grade migraine, think just think how young I'll look! I'm sure the good folks in the ER won't even recognize me.

So, my posts may be haphazard, but I'm still in the makeup game.

Speaking of which - I've tried the new Burberry makeup line. And - I'm likin' this new Burberry makeup line...a little too much!

Laura Mercier Makeup

2010-05-17T12:50:02-07:00

Back in 1997, I discovered Laura Mercier's makeup line. It was pretty new, and available at Stanford's Neiman Marcus. (The only time I ever go into a Neiman Marcus is when I buy makeup or perfume. Same price, better customer service! Just sayin'...) Now you don't have to to Neiman's, Laura's line is at most major department stores, and Sephora.

What a fabulous line. This was one the first lines that I was truly able to say there was nothing I really disliked about it. This can be both positive and negative as when you find something you really love, you must HAVE ALL of it to satisfy the craving! In this post, I'll just go over a few things.

Concealer

I use Laura Mercier's concealers exclusively. These concealers are in both my personal and professional kits. I've (of course) tried hundreds of different concealers of many types and of many brands, and hands down, this is still my all time favorite.

The Secret Concealer in the pot - fabulous. I use this on myself and my clients for the under eye area. The consistency is creamy, it covers well, and a little dab will do ya!

I also like the Secret Camouflage Concealer for any other area on the face. You can mix the two colors together, and create the exact color you need for covering blemishes, redness or whatever your little heart desires. I love the fact that this can be mixed to your liking - especially since none of our faces are uniformly the same color all over. I can make my concealer exactly the way I want it for whatever it is or where ever it is I'm trying to cover. It can take some practice - but once you get the hang of it, you'll be in love. (I'd better be in love since I just re-purchased ALL 6 of the Secret Camouflage Concealers for my pro kit!)

Makeup Brushes

Another must-have in Laura's makeup line are her brushes. Again, makeup doctor/junkie/connoisseur that I am, I've dutifully tried almost every department store brand, and many pro brands as well, and I ALWAYS come back to Laura's brushes. I tell my clients, if they really want to excel at their makeup application craft, they MUST get some of my "go to" brushes from her line.

My first go to brush is her angled eye color brush. (Some of my brushes are from 1997 - and still have the original cursive writing on the handle.) The names have probably been changed as she increased her brush line.) This is the perfect eye color blending brush for the crease area. Perfect for the windshield wiper effect. I use this only for blending, and not to apply color. This is really one of my number one must haves.

My second go to brush is her smudge brush. I love this one. It is the perfect size to blend your eyeliner. Just smudge this little smudge brush along your liner, and voila! Perfection.

Eye Shadow for All

There are so many other items from Laura's line that I want to talk about. Along with her brushes and concealers, I also am in love with her eye shadows.

Ahh! Laura Mercier's eye shadows. There are shades for everyone - younger, middle aged, or on the older side. Several gorgeous matte shadows along with shadows with shimmer. Nothing boring about these shadows - a variety of different colors. You won't find the neon look with this line, but since I left my teens many (oh so many) years ago, neon isn't what I'm after.

Everybody wins when Laura Mercier's makeup is involved.

So - go and check out the line, and start or continue your winning streak!

http://www.lauramercier.com.

Illamasqua

2010-02-13T09:02:18-08:00

I was told about this line by a new friend I met at the MAC store, but had never heard about it before. Nope - not in ANY of the multiple makeup/fashion/celeb culture magazines or sites that I had read or visited. That alone fascinated me. I mean, since I peruse hundreds of makeup sites as one of the many things I do for a living, (and for a hobby) you'd think I would have at least HEARD about it.

I was simply buying makeup (gee - I hope you were sitting down - buying makeup is something I almost NEVER do!) and another makeup junkie was in the store and began telling me about the line.

Of course, I was immediately fascinated. Suddenly, I'm seeing articles about Illamasqua, seeing Sephora advertisements about it and soon it was available at Sephora. But only in the Sephora on Powell Street in San Francisco.

Being in a Sephora (as you well know) is a dangerous thing. Especially dangerous when there is a long awaited makeup line just sitting there - staring at me - no DARING me to try it. I don't generally go to the Powell Streets store and since Illamasqua isn't sold anywhere on the Peninsula, being the good makeup junkie that I am, I immediately purchased the liquid foundation, an eyeshadow, two blushes and a lipstick.

Many times, I will savor the makeup once I get it home. Look at the box, study ingredients, take note of the packaging and generally enjoy the experience, even as I take notes for my clients.

This time, I went for it. Opened every box that I purchased anxious to see, smell and study the texture.

Just Say Yes to Illamasqua

Impressed - very impressed. So much so that I immediately placed an online order for the pressed powder foundation in two different colors. (They were out of the cream to powder in my color.)

The liquid foundation is like nothing I've tried before - and believe me, there are very few foundations that I've not tried! (Again - hope you are sitting down!) The color was perfect - the texture was very thick and creamy - meaning a little dab will do you! With this type of texture, you want to make sure your skin is well moisturized, not only with a moisturizer, but also with a primer. Or, you can do what I do..add a little moisturizer to the foundation, mix in your hand and you are ready to go.

I'm still a makeup sponge user - though I also have and use foundation brushes on clients. I had no problem with the foundation coverage - it did what I want foundation to do - made me look like me, only better. The color was a good match, and it felt nice on my face. Even though the foundation is very rich, it didn't feel heavy.

I can also see this being used in theatrical makeup - and I've already begun to calculate how much purchasing all the foundations might cost!

So much to review in such a short little blogging amount of time.

To Be Continued.....

Eyebrows by Elke Von Freudenberg

2010-01-22T09:47:36-08:00

SCRUB, SCRUB

If you are anything like me, you exfoliate your face a few times a week. (Or every day.) I scrub, I mask, I do it all.

The one part of my face that I have frankly never considered to use a scrub on are my eyebrows. I don't know why I never considered them, since I spend so much time putting on eyebrow gels, pencils and colors - but I didn't.

Fortunately for me, I follow many, many beauty blogs. One blog I've always followed is Elke Von Freundenberg Eyebrow Specialist blog.

Elke - The San Francisco Bay Area is Waiting!

Elke is someone I want to meet some day, and have her shape these seemingly always out of control brows of mine. But, until then, I must keep them in good shape so that when I DO get a chance to meet her, I won't be embarrassed! (I've been trying to find a way to get her here to the San Francisco Bay area, but haven't been successful yet. All in good time, all in good time.)

Anyway, though I haven't had the opportunity to meet her, and have her demonstrate her products live and in person, I did have the good fortune to be able to sample her Brow Scrub.

It's a scrub specifically for your brows. Not only will this clean up your eyebrows, but it also encourages eyebrow growth! Use this daily for 2 to 3 weeks, and then once a week for maintenance. This product does a great job. I just rub it in a circular motion and it gets all the dead skin off, and in general, cleans up my eyebrows so that I have a nice canvas to work with the next day (without having to worry about old flakes of skin, color, etc. I've just grossed myself out.) In addition, anything that can encourage eyebrow growth is a friend to all. My eyebrows are very happy which in turn make me happy. Everybody wins.

EYEBROW PRODUCTS AND OTHER INFO

It's great. Run (don't walk) and get this product. Well - don't run - especially in this rain, instead, just click over to her site and order it!

Check out Elke's site - http://www.elkevonfreudenberg.com. Chock full of good information - and not only about eyebrows. I'm pretty sure there isn't anything this lovely lady does not know about brows and beauty.

Let me know what you think!

*Product submitted for review*

Trish McEvoy Makeup

2009-11-03T11:48:50-08:00

One excellent line of makeup you don't hear discussed very often is Trish McEvoy Makeup.

I was re-introduced to the line a couple of weeks ago at Saks Fifth Avenue in San Francisco.

Let me tell you something about this particular line - not only is the product superior, but the knowledge of the Sales Associates and Makeup Artists at this counter are nothing short of superb. These ladies and gentlemen KNOW their line of makeup, inside and out. They also really listen to what you are saying, and don't try to steer you to something you've expressly said doesn't interest you, or isn't what you are looking for.

Sak's was having a makeup event, and they had a guest makeup artist. Because I do makeup artistry, I very rarely get makeovers myself, but my friend insisted that I get one anyway. So, even though I know the sales gamut, I liked the MA, and sat myself down in the chair.

I didn't tell him I was an artist - not only wasn't there time, but it felt funny to say as I was sitting in his chair and he was going through his routine. I particularly liked his making up one side of my face, feature at a time, and then letting me do the other. Very wise, gets the client very involved, and you can learn so much about technique this way, what to differently, what you like, and what you don't. I was very pleased with his style and his listening to what I had to say.

Superior Knowledge of the Trish McEvoy Line

All of the people at this counter know their stuff. They know the product inside and out. They weren't just giving the fancy hard sell - which is a tough thing to avoid - especially given the pressure on makeup counters during these events. They were funny, kind and on top of it.

Another kudo to the Sales Associates in this line is their outstanding communication. You can opt to receive e-mails regarding upcoming events and sales. Though many counters take your information, I've never had follow up as I do with these lovely people. They unfailingly let me know when there will be specials or sales, or even color choices I might like. And again, there is never a hard sell - which is very important to me and my clients.

Trish McEvoy is known for her outstanding makeup planners. A zip around case that hold magnetized pages that you can fill up with her squares of eyeshadow, blush, powder, you name it. There are 3 sizes of planners, allowing for maximum or minimum storage, and you can play and mix and match colors to your heart's content.

Trendy - No - Classic - Yes

The eyeshadow colors aren't as "trendy" as a MAC or some others, but they are well pigmented, feel like satin, and no chalky texture. You won't have a problem dressing these up or down. There is a color wardrobe for everyone - and a classic wardrobe at that.

Trish McEvoy is also known for her outstanding brushes - and they live up to their hype. I have a couple I purchased years ago, and they are still going strong. I believe Trish was very well known for her brushes long before all of the other lines started carrying/pushing them. Hers are nothing short of outstanding - although a bit pricey. Pricey or not, they will last a lifetime provided you take care of them.

In short, check this line out. You won't be disappointed. If you are ever in San Francisco, you must stop by the Saks Fifth Avenue counter. The two ladies there - Greta and Kimberly are knowledgeable, courteous, funny and they know their stuff. This counter will neither disappoint or pressure you.