Face | a beauty loft

Entries Tagged as 'face'

Products of the Week 3.9.13

10.3.13

When compiling my group of products this week, I wanted to get outside the box a bit. We’ve covered eye creams, concealers, etc and they are fantastic, but today I want to show you some products that aren’t at your standard department store counter.

1. Make Up For Ever Aquarelle ($21 at Sephora.com).

This product is incredibly versatile. It is a liquid that can be used in a plethora of ways. I use it in my airbrush gun (for those fellow MUAs), I have used it straight out of the bottle with a liner brush, it can be used as eye shadow, etc. My recommendation: chose one of the lighter (or brighter!) colors and using your ring finger, dip your finger on the lid of the bottle and pat the color all over your lid, blending well. (Note: a LITTLE goes a LONG way, so start with a tiny amount). Then, using a liner brush, apply the black along the lash line to create a perfect winged cat eye. The color will last all day without touch ups!

Untitled 2 Products of the Week 3.9.13

2. Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in # 13- Warm Beige ($23 at Sephora.com).

The Aqua Creams from MUFE are one of the longest lasting products I have found to date. I keep this shade (#13) in my kit and use it as a highlighter for the entire face. My recommendation: Dip your ring finger into the cream and apply it to the top of your cheekbones, your inner corners of your eyes, brow bones, cupids peek (the top, middle of your top lip), and collar bones. The effect cannot be seen when looking straight at the face when close up, but when the light hits those places, it bounces off and you have the appearance of glowing skin. I use this on ALL my brides and often in photo shoots. The glow that is created is simply gorgeous.

3. MAC #217 Blending Brush ($23 at MacCosmetics.com).

When applying eye shadow the the crease, it is so important to blend blend blend. If you do no blend properly, you have a dark, crisp line just above your brow bone that looks messy. The solution? This brush! I do not use a lot of MAC products and tend to favor Make Up For Ever products, but when browsing my local MAC store, I cam across this brush and could not pass it up. My recommendation: Apply you contoured eye look as usual (lighter color on the lids, darker color in the crease, etc). When you have applied all your colors, use this brush (clean, with no product on it) and using a firm hand, blend all the lines until they are buffed to perfection. You will find many uses for this brush, but this is my favorite!

4. Ellis Faas Skin Veil Foundation SPF 15 ($65 at SpaceNK.com).

I am completely in love with the entire Ellis Faas line- the performance, the pigmentation, the presentation, the storage, etc. I love it! One product I absolutely cannot live without is the foundation pen. Now let me preface with $65 is quite a bit of money for foundation, but you do get a refill with it. So it ends up being twice as much as the pen can hold. Being that I only use the pen for under eye concealer, I have found it lasts me a very long time- months. I have used their concealer as well and I love it for blemishes and such, but there is just something about the Skin Veil Foundation that gives me the perfect coverage for my under eyes. My recommendation: pump once every two days (or two applications), drag the brush back and forth under your eyes to spread the product and then with your ring finger, blend. It melts into your skin beautifully and covers any hyper pigmentation under the eyes.

I hope you love these products as mush as I do! If you try them, please let us know your thoughts

New York Fashion Week- Behind the Scenes: Pamella Roland- Makeup with Matin Maulawizada for Laura Mercier

17.2.13

It is no secret that we adore the designer Pamella Roland so when I was asked to come backstage for her Fall 2013 NYFW Runway show, my response was “What time?”! We had a moment to hear Matin Maulawizada for Laura Mercier tell us about the look he created for Pamella’s Fall 2013 Show and where his inspiration came from. Matin, lead makeup artist for this season’s Pamella Roland show, was inspired by the designer’s collection, a visual narrative of the history of the Tzar and Russian Court. He developed a flawless makeup look that translated the simplicity of women’s beauty in tandem with the “opulence of St. Petersburg”.

Pamella always keeps her look so classy and simple, this goes for her hair and makeup too. Click on the image above to see the video.

To create the look:

Flawless Face- A fresh, “no makeup look” was key to balancing the collection’s bold accents

First, Matin applied Laura Mercier Foundation Primer ($32) to create the perfect canvas for makeup application.
Then, depending on the model’s complexion, he used Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Foundation ($50) or Laura Mercier Silk Crème Foundation ($43) to hydrate and protect the skin.
Next, he used Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage ($30) to perfect the skin, concealing any problem areas.
He applied Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($35) to set and finish the look.
To give the skin a healthy color, Matin brushed Laura Mercier Crème Cheek Color in Blaze ($24) and Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek COlor in Sweet Mandarin ($24) onto the cheekbones.
Matin then contoured the apples of the cheeks with the Bronzer Veil from Laura Mercier Bonne Mine Healthy Glow for Face and Cheeks Crème Colour Palette ($48).

Enchanting Eyes- Matin used varying shades of gold to highlight the eyes

Matin gently brushed Laura Mercier Illuminating Eye Colour in Gilded Moonlight ($24) onto the eyelid.
He then applied Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic ($38) to the eyelids, leaving them gleaming with a warm, natural sheen.
To complete the eyes, he swept on a coat of Laura Mercier Gold Mascara (created exclusively for the Pamella Roland show), to dramatically lengthen and define the lashes.
Laura Mercier Eye Brow Pencil ($20) was applied to define the models’ eyebrows as needed.

Lustrous Lips- Deep wine lips created a modern look that “tied all the colors together”

Matin applied Laura MErcier Lip Silk ($22) to the models’ lips to create a smooth and nourished base.
He contoured and shaded the lips using Laura Mercier Lip Pencil in Coffee Bean ($20).
Adding the final touch, he applied Laura Mercier Lip Pencil in Deep Wine ($20) to achieve a bold, modern look.

New York Fashion Week- Behind the Scenes: Makeup for Tracy Reese with Mally Roncal

13.2.13

We had the opportunity to go backstage at Tracy Reese’s NYFW show and speak with the always incredible Mally Roncal. She was warm and gracious and broke down her steps in creating her Tracy Reese’s exclusive look. Please click the image above to see our interview with Mally (NOTE: The video is loud and there is a lot of background noise… it’s loud in those tents! Please turn your volume down before playing.)

For Glowing Skin: Mally used her Glow Primer as a base and to create a subtle glow. She topped skin with her Diamond Unpowder which uses a unique moisture delivery system to keep skin looking fresh, fabulous and radiant all day long. Then, to give the skin even more glow, she used her Effortless Airbrush Highlighter on the cheekbones and used her blush Mally’s Baby on the apples of cheeks. Each model finished with her Evercolor Poreless Face Defender to seal in makeup without a cakey finish.

For a Bold Smokey Eye: Mally created an artistic smokey eye. For this, she used the black eyeshadow from her City Chick Smokey Eye Kit in Soho Silver all over the lid. Then, she bent a clean mascara wand to each model’s specific eye shape, before dipping it in her Evercolor Silk Eye Defining System in Jet Black to smudge it out on the ends of eyes.

For “Slept in Lips”: Mally started the look by applying her lipstick in French Kiss on the lips and then continued the rest of the face. Once each model was complete, she used a tissue and dabbed off the excess lipstick, so it looked like the model slept in her lipstick.

For Defined Brows: Mally filled in the eyebrows with her 24/7 Brow Express so they were strong and defined.

“She is the quintessential New York City girl. She’s confident. She’s fierce. Whether she has been out all night with her girlfriends, or just working the night shift, she’s out feeling as fabulous as she did when she left the house. Her skin is healthy, glowing, and artfully undone. The eyes are strong, which are the focus, and heavily smokey.”- Mally Roncal

I would like to extend a giant ‘Thank You’ to Mally, her entire backstage crew for allowing us to be in their faces for so long and her PR team for welcoming us with open arms.

Two Thumbs Up For Rae Cosmetics: A Great Find

29.1.13

Hello ABL readers!! I love being able to share new products with you. I’m happy to announce I am in love with a new face primer and mineral tint, Rae Cosmetics!

Inspired by minerals and pigments that exist in nature, Rae Cosmetics were designed to work with all skin tones and types, even the most sensitive. The micro-crushed blend of clinical grade nutrients and vitamins nourish the skin from the outside in and form a barrier to help protect the skin from the inside out. These antioxidants and non-chemical sunscreens guard against dangerous environmental elements, such as free radicals, pollutants and harmful sun rays, and even help to repair existing damage.

I was able to try the Surface Primer and the Mineral Tint. Two things I notice right away is that my skin looks flawless and the second thing is that I don’t feel like I’m wearing anything. I was never a foundation wearer so finding light weight formulas excites me!

These products are like air on your face and the greatest feature I think, is that they are heat and perspiration-resistant. Read on to find out more!!

Rae cosmetics Surface Primer is an SPF 20 weightless, oil-free serum which protects the skin, while evening out skin tones, visibly diminishing imperfections and the appearance of fine lines and large pores. This re-texturizing primer provides a smooth, matte surface for makeup application and extends the wear. This lighter-than-air formula contains moisture building Anti-oxidants, Vitamins A, C and D, helping to protect skin from “free radicals” by minimizing their destructive power. { Retail $38.00}

The Climate Control Mineral Tint is also SPF 20 and is a water-based foundation, non-chemical sunscreen and antioxidant moisturizer all-in-one. The water-resistant formula stays on all day, even when you sweat. Micro-crushed blend of minerals, pigments and potent anti-oxidants form crystals that overlap on skin forming a barrier that protects from free radicals, pollutants and sun damage, while allowing the skin to breathe and function normally, as if wearing nothing at all. Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, ginkgo biloba, chamomile and vitamins A, C and E protect, moisturize and heal even the most sensitive skin, while evening skin tones and masking imperfections. Light feeling and natural looking, skin looks fresh, clear and incredibly vibrant. Comes in 8 Stunning shades to chose from{ Retail $39.00}

As far as I can see its a very versatile line of products you can check more out at www.raecosmetics.com

Until next time!!

Danielle

Author: Danielle Minnella www.danielleminnella.com