Every year it seems The Makeup Show Los Angeles gets better and better! This year was no exception! In fact, it was the best to date!
Some favorite new additions – Kevyn Aucoin Beauty and GLAMCOR Professional. And of course we visited with our favorites; Stila Cosmetics, Inglot Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, Senna Cosmetics, Embryolisse, Yaby Cosmetics, Eve Pearl, Smashbox and TemptuPro - this show really is makeup heaven!
The Pros made a quick beeline for the Stila Cosmetics booth first because we had received an Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer the day before at the Blogger Event and we were so impressed with it that we wanted to see(and buy)more. It was time to stock up on Stila products because they are so versatile and many have dual purposes, which is so useful for professionals. Our Pro, Cathi Singh, works a ton in print and her only regret was not buying more of the Stila Convertible Colors! She did purchase Petunia, one of their top sellers, and loved its creamy consistency for the cheek and as a light stain on the lips and she has used it for every job since!
Another Stila product that "had us at hello" was the Prime Pot waterproof eye shadow primer. As Pros, we like options and have had some difficulty finding an eye primer other than Urban Decay. This one not only completely neutralizes any discoloration; it gives a smooth texture and does not let that eye shadow budge all day. Another "must have" in our professional opinion.
With Spring around the corner and bright colors popping up everywhere, Stila's The Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Indigo is a gorgeous shade of blue and the liner pen is extremely easy to use. But what sets it apart is the sheen it leaves - it looks like patent leather! Definitely an eye catcher. It also comes in black and dark brown. We snagged those up for our Pro kits immediately!
As freelance artists, working in different environments everyday, with different elements and accommodations, sometimes it’s nice to have a little music to get the energy going and keep the client happy and relaxed while in the makeup chair. Stila came out with The Makeup Player and we snatched up two! Created by Stila Owner Lynn Tilton, it’s a small makeup case big enough to hold a basic personal kit or necessities, with an iPod hookup and speakers on the front to play your own tunes! It is also compatible with the iPhone so you can watch your favorite beauty how-to videos while getting ready. The best thing is that it’s cordless so we can take it to each job and use it for makeup storage in transit.
Also, all of you Pro artists out there - be sure and take advantage of the amazing discount Stila has just launched for makeup artists. Go to www.stilacosmetics.com/proartists and sign up to receive up to 40% off products as a Pro.
As an Airbrush Tanning Pro, Cathi Singh, was interested to try out products from the South Seas line. She was given their tanning formula to try, as well as their bestselling coffee scrub to gently exfoliate the skin in preparation for a tan. Here is her review:
"I have to say I am extremely impressed with the quality and color of this line. I watched a demonstration and just seconds after being sprayed, the tan was completely dry - no stickiness at all! The color was flawless and had a nice scent, which is important to me. No one wants their client to smell like self-tanner!"
South Seas has been voted “Best of the Best” by Allure Magazine and is used on numerous film and TV sets such as; HBO, NBC, ABC, Disney, and Dreamworks. We highly recommend trying this product. If you want a quick tan for an evening out, try the Tahitian Tan Mist. It’s perfect for self tanning on the go, or touch ups in between spray tans.
During New York Fashion Week, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the Beauty Blender. Our Pros had seen them but never used one because we always used brushes and found reuseable sponges unsanitary. However, artists were using them on every major runway to apply foundation, cream blush, and highlighters on the skin and they were tweeting about how the sponge left a perfectly blended, no-streak airbrush finish. This sounded too good to be true, but we decided to purchase some at the show and give them a try.
Since then the Pros have used the blender on every major client and we are blown away by the results. Not only was it incredibly fast, but it did blend the foundation into the skin and gave a natural and flawless look. We are now huge advocates of the Beauty Blender and wish we had jumped on this train a long time ago!
Pro Tip: The Beauty Blender is a sponge which needs to be thoroughly cleaned after each use. It is somewhat delicate and does come with its own cleanser. However, another safe way to wash it is by using Dr. Bonners Magic Pure Castile Liquid Soap. It’s extremely gentle and won’t harm the sponge, but will disinfect it completely.
Pro Melissa Street, was quick to the TemptuPro booth this year, where she was able to pick up some much needed supplies for her airbrush. The Pro discount that Temptu offers all in attendance was so amazing that she was able to replenish her S/B Foundations, blush colors and purchase several Dura color packs without breaking the bank! Because Melissa is a beauty and SPFX artist, TemptuPro is one of the best tools in her arsenal, she says, "I can't imagine working without this product line - I have to be quick on my feet and sometimes my director will change a look or add an effect during filming and Temptu never lets me down. It is a must for tattoo work and wounds, but also I love the foundations and blush colors for beauty!"
The Pros also love our Eve Pearl Cosmetics and must stock up at every show! This year, our friend Grace Chun was working the booth and we had a great time watching her talk about Eve's new products! Melissa was gifted the Eve Pearl Lipstick Palette and if you don't have this, you must run and get it. All of the colors in this palette are wearable and look great on everyone! Rounding out our Eve Pearl purchases were Anti Shine and Eve's Cream Blush Trio.
Every year it is imperative that we stop in and say hello to our friends at Hakuhodo! These brushes are our favorite and the Pros add to our collection each year. The quality of the Hakuhodo line is impeccable and they are made out of the best hair for flawless application and blendability. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all at Hakuhodo and we hope that you are recovering from the devastating earthquake. Please take care! This year, the Pros purchased the following brushes; #290 Eye Liner Brush, B533BkSL Eye Shadow Brush pointed, 246 Eye Shadow Brush round and the Yachiyo Medium Purple.
We also stopped in at the Make Up For Ever booth because this was the place to restock our beloved MUFE HD Liquid Foundations. The Pros grabbed 115, 130 and 145 as well as replenishing our HD Powder.
Embryolisse was next on our list because it had been ages since we spoke with Michelle. She is always such a huge help when we speak with her about the skincare needs of our actors. This year, Embryolisse added a few new products to their line and we had to have them for our Pro kits!
You are all familiar with the iconic Lait Cream, but you should also check out Creme Onctueuse Raffermissante, which is a rich firming cream. Melissa and Cathi are getting ready to work with famed actress, Marcia Wallace and this cream along with the Anti-Age Re-Densifying Serum and Re-Densifying Eye and Lip Contour Cream will help to smooth her mature skin. These products reinforce, firm, plump and strengthen the skin.
Also, the Rosamelis Lotion Sans Alcool is the best toner we have found and our clients are totally in love with this product. Even our male actors ask for their faces to be spritzed before makeup application with this product because it helps sooth the skin and makes them feel revived!
Yaby Cosmetics is now a staple in Melissa Street's professional kit. This year she found herself making her own professional palette and seeking the advice from the incredible Victoria Stiles who was heading up the Yaby booth this year. Victoria schooled her on Yaby's line and Melissa purchased an entire set of neutral, matte eye shadow shades, eyebrow powders and cake liners. Powder and liquid foundations made their way into Melissa's bag as well and since the show, she has used this line exclusively on Season 2 of Vampire Mob. Here is her review, "at first, I thought that the tiny colors in the Yaby line would not pack enough punch to pick up on camera, but boy was I wrong! This line is so pigmented that a little goes a long way. I love how the eye shadow blends and sculpts the eye. They are affordable and of the highest quality!"
Our Contributing Writer Pro, Heather Wilson fell in love with Kevyn Aucoin products and purchased many to add to her kit. She was excited to get her hands on a few things that had been on her list for several months and since this was the debut of the Kevyn Aucoin line at The Makeup Show, she decided to really stock up.
She had been on the hunt for a super thin eye brow pencil and she found a great one! Here is her review, "this is a super thin retractable pencil that fills in, shapes and defines the brow. There are 3 colors of The Precision Brow Pencil; Basic Brown, Blonde, and Auborn. I have been on shoots playing with all the colors this week, and they are amazing! The Basic Brown is the perfect color for 9 out of 10 clients, and I had a red head in my chair and the Auborn color was perfect!"
She was also pleased with the quality of the Kevyn Aucoin blush line and says, "the blush colors are worth every penny! I bought every shade (but dont tell my husband that), and actually wish they had a few more colors! They go on so smooth, and blend so beautifully on the skin, you honestly would never believe that they are a powder! The bright pink color called Shadore and the color Natura are a beautiful combination on the skin. They work great for print as well as HD."
Another company debuting at The Makeup Show Los Angeles was GlamCor Professional. This product line is made for the professional by the professional. You must check out their stellar line of bags, brushes, rolls and get your hands on their lighting kit. They are running an artist special right now on their Classic Light Kit (LED, portable, no color distortion)for only $195. This booth was so popular that they sold out in the first few hours!
The education and hands on workshops at the show were packed with big names like Eve Pearl, Pati Dubroff, Eugenia Weston, Joanna Schlip, Orlando Santiago, Ve Neill, Kathy Aragon and John Hennessey just to name a few.
The Pros were able to sit in on a seminar about HD television and film work featuring a panel of artists that are the experts of the HD world. Along with sharing some of their expertise on how to work with HD filming, they each shared helpful advice on the other part of being a makeup artist, which is working as a team and how attitude has everything to do with it.
Ve Neill made a good point that not everyone is good at everything. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses and how to use them to attack the days on set.
Ve also advises for those just starting out, find a mentor. Work for free just to be in the environment and be surrounded by talented people. It not only shows your dedication, but you will learn and absorb so much so quickly.
At the show, you have the opportunity to be schooled by some amazing artists and when you sign up for the private classes, you get to sit with the artist while they tell you their private tips and secrets in a hands on workshop. It is a great opportunity to ask questions and get answers directly from a Pro.
Celebrity Makeup Artist to the stars, Joanna Schlip was giving red carpet tips and advice. She has done makeup for Christina Applegate, Ellen Pompeo, Eva Longoria, Megan Fox and Melissa Etheridge for the Emmys, Grammys, and Golden Globe events.
If you want to see and hear more from these amazing artists as well as Makeup Forever’s Dany Sanz, Cinema Secret’s Maurice Stein and more, book your ticket now for The Makeup Show in New York, May 15-16 at the Metropolitan Pavilion.
The Pros can't emphasize enough how important it is to attend The Makeup Show. We really feel that knowledge is power and as professionals this show helps us to stay on top of our game! Thanks to everyone behind the scenes and we look forward to next year!