I LASH OUT

OK, who does not want long full eyelashes? We all do!

I had short lashes most of my life growing up. I battled with promising mascaras and nothing worked.

 So, when the JAN MARINI product came out I had to try it. All my girlfriends in the makeup world were using it and told me about it. At the time it was a big fad and part of me did not believe in it, that is why I had to try it for myself. It was a little pricey at $160 but I thought if I do not try it then I will never know. I bought one anyway.

 For that money I was hoping it would work and it did. Three months later and with consistent use-well...I skipped a few times, too tired- I noticed a difference.

 

My lashes started to look longer and when I was applying mascara this time, the result was great. 

People started noticing and that was my sign. 

Jan Marini works, it worked for me.

 That of course was the original formula. I heard that the new formula is as good but some people experience an irritation with it. I have had friends try it and the results were equally great. 

Now, I heard about this new product LiLash at a lower price $139 and the reviews were great online but I have not gotten my hands on it yet. Although my lashes no longer need anything but mascara to look fabulous, I am willing to give it a try. If any of you have beat me to it, please let me know what you think.

 When it comes to eyelash permanent extensions I have another theory. 

I have not had them myself but I have had several clients that did and they were happy with them for the first week but for the price whether you can afford it or not, it is definitely not worth it. Eventually the lashes fall out one by one and there is really no way to pull the rest of them out yourself so you have to wait till their time comes. 

That leaves you with a few strands hanging on their own in an odd way since you can't control which one falls out first. 

When I had that happen to my clients and they had somewhere to go two weeks after the fact, I had a challenge to face. I had to go in with individual lashes at first to match the missing lashes and then put on a strip or more individuals.

 When I wasn't around to do that, my clients walked around on their daily life with a few long lashes picking out from their natural ones. Not pretty!

As I do not ever like to be negative about anything, this is hard for me to praise. 

I guess if you are getting married and want to have long lashes for the honeymoon or you are going to a short vacation with someone important then do it but get ready to face the down side soon. 

I personally would invest in a tube of Jan Marini 3 months ahead of time and when I  get to my results I would buy a nice lengthening mascara-I love L'OREAL TELESCOPE in black- and call it a day. Overpriced mascaras are also another overpriced fad, it is more of a status thing than a result thing. Save your money girls, there is always fake lashes if you are in a pinch.

Last but not least, I just read an article about permanent lash implants, that is used at the moment on people that lost their lashes due to chemo or burned victims. They are trying to bring it on the market for the rich that have a few thousands to spare and it is for life. It is a surgery though and it has a lot of down time and side effects, like infections. It is a drastic approach and it is mainly for people with absolutely no lashes. They take a hair sample from another part of your body that the hair resembles your lashes and implant it on your lash line, it takes a few months to a year or more to see the results and if it works then I guess it is permanent for life. 

We are talking extremes here though but I had to mention it since it is in the subject.

For the ones that are blessed with their own lashes though, short, long, straight or curly there is plenty of non invasive products out there that can do the job. Remember, anything that has moisturizing elements to it is good for the growth of your lashes, since it is hair. A heated eyelash curling iron is also a great investment or just blow dry your non plastic curling iron till it gets warm enough and curl away. 

So, do not fear, all the products you need are here. : )

MY FAVORITE GLOSS

MY FAVORITE GLOSS OF ALL TIME IS THE VICTORIA'S SECRET BEAUTY RUSH IN EVERY COLOR IMAGINABLE.

 I LOVE IT. 

I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY ALL OF THEM AND I LOVE THE SMELL, THE TASTE-WE ALL DIGEST GLOSS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER-AND THE WAY IT FEELS.

 UNLIKE ANY OTHER GLOSS OUT THERE, THIS ONE GOES ON SMOOTH AND FEELS SOFT AND MOIST. 

NO STICKINESS AT ALL.

 IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO LEAVE YOUR LIPS, WHICH I LOVE. 

WHEN YOU FINALLY WIPE IT OFF IT LEAVES LIPS SOFT AND SMOOTH, NOT DRY. 

I LOVE THIS GLOSS AND BEEN WEARING IT FOR EVER, CAN'T GET ENOUGH. 

I WANT YOU TO TRY IT SO BAD THAT I AM GIVING ONE AWAY AS A FREE GIFT. 

 TELL ME YOUR FAVORITE GLOSS AND ENTER TO WIN A FREE VICTORIA'S SECRET BEAUTY RUSH GLOSS. THE COLOR WILL BE A SURPRISE BUT TRUST ME YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH ANY OF THEM. GOOD LUCK! THIS GIVEAWAY IS RUNNING FROM :02/25/09 12:06 PM until 03/12/09 01:06 PM.

PRIVILEGED SEASON FINALE

How great is the season finale of an amazing show? Well...AMAZING! Ok, who did not watch it?

I hope no one. Regardless of how invested I am on the show since I was part of the making, I love this show because it is a good one. TV shows have taken a plunge since reality TV came to play, not that I am not guilty of watching here and there. 

Anyway, there was a lot happening on the season finale.

 Marco got married to Keith and we find out that Luis is a homophobic that does not attend the wedding and looses his girlfriend over it. Nice touch.

 Kathy Griffin as the wedding planner with a kick that only Kathy with her dominatrix bossy way of communicating can deliver, was fabulous.

Really funny!

Will broke up with Meghan over her cheerful hardworking approach to life that he can't relate to.

Only to call her the day after the wedding party to apologize and make things right, as she astonished by the call invites him over for a chat. Be sure he is coming over but...you might want to tell the naked guy on your bed that it's time to skat. Ooooops!

This is a show that has a vast audience in pretty much every demographic. 

I really hope it comes back since I would like to know what happens next. 

Is Will walking in to the happy couple in bed? 

Is Luis fired?

Did Rose finally made her flight? 

All these questions must be answered.  I can't wait for season 2.

OSCARS 2009

Celebrating the 81st Oscar nominations last night I have to say that I was very impressed with all the performances and all the winners.

Slumdog Millionaire as we all knew cleaned house by claiming 8 Oscars. Everyone in Bollywood is very proud for them. This will bring some attention in the exploitation of the Indian children and get the rest of the world involved.

Kate Winslet won for Best Actress for The Reader. I loved her speech. She said she used to hold a shampoo bottle and practice that very speech in her bathroom when she was eight years old.

Well, Kate you deserve it and I am glad this is the real Oscar and not a shampoo bottle this time.

Sean Penn won for Milk, Best Actor that is and let me tell you that he is another one that really deserves it, I love Penn for his outspoken personality all these years.

Unfortunately for Brad and Angelina they got nominated but did not win. I am sure they know how important they are in this industry and they are not disappointed.

Heath Ledgers family proudly accepted the Oscar for their family member. I have to say that I had to see Dark Knight several times and Heath really got in to the character and performed a great deal. It is very unfortunate that we lost him as he is a great actor. Everybody was crying in the crowd. It was a very touchy moment for Hollywood.

Hugh Jackman as a musical performer rocked the house. I loved his performance with Beyonce and the High School Musical kids. He definitely showed another side of his talents.

Hollywood is returning to its roots.

The stage looked amazing and I have to say I enjoyed last nights Oscars more than I ever had before.

SMOKEY...DOES HOLLYWOOD

Oh...the smokey eyes. 

Women have straggled for years to complete the look.

 We all know the rules, smokey eyes, pale lips. Magazines have given us tons of advice over the years and makeup artists all over the world have modified and brought it to the next level. 

What is really that next level though? Smokey eyes are smokey eyes. 

First of all if we take the definition smokey and think of its color, it should look like...well smoke, a faint black grayish hue, deepest dark at the bottom and fading as you go up to a lighter version, almost grey. Hhhmm!

When I think of smokey eyes, I think of Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Lauren and all the other gorgeous starlets that started glamour. Ageless beauties.
We, makeup artists and stylists have been copying them for ever. Those makeup artists that introduced these beautiful icons to the sexy smokey eye look are the ones that took it to the next level, the first and last level that there is.

So no, I am not here to alter things when it comes to the look. I- just like every other makeup artist ever since Brigittes and Sophias- have been copying and recreating that fantastic and very feminine design to this day but we have made it our own. We have changed the colors from a vast palette of hues resembling the rainbow, we have added glitter and crazy lashes and the list goes on and on, it is called being creative.

 That is what artists do.

We go into the zone of some weird foreign imaginary world and we get inspired. 

I know it sounds crazy but that is the only way to create something that has not been done or add something unique to a makeup that has been done too much.

I am going to share some of my very own views of the smokey eye today since I am a big fan of it. 

I find the look very sexy. 

It is the makeup look I choose to do on myself when I have somewhere to go. 

Eyes are usually what people notice first, of course with some exceptions... : ), so for me it is the most important feauture when I am working on a face. It is the first feature- after I apply the foundation- that I focus on. It is very importand that the skin is prepped and covered as flawless as possible at first. Everything looks so much better when your skin is glowing, doesn't it? 

SMOKEY EYES 101

1. Take a black kohl liner in pencil form and draw a nice thin line on your top eyelashes, as close to the lash as possible. With the same liner hold and lift the top eyelid to expose the inner part of your top lash and draw a black line on the inside rim of the eye. Be careful, the easiest way to do this is by laying a mirror on the table in front of you and look down in it.

Repeat the same with the bottom lash line. 

For the daring ones, I have used Indian Kajal eye Kohl for years. It is what the Indian culture uses to protect their eyes from air pollution. That is why you see Indian women always having eyeliner on but if you notice a lot of men do too in India. You can find Kajal in Indian stores but since it is not FDA approved and a lot of them used to contain lead, people are scared. Stila just made a Kajal pencil, so you can try that. Again for the daring ones you can find lead free Kajal even on Ebay.

2.Now you can pick your favorite liquid eyeliner and create a precise line over the top lash. I prefer gel liners, they are easier to work with but whatever you are comfortable with will work.

3. Take an eyeshadow brush and soak it up with black or any dark eyeshadow you prefer and start spreading it on your top lid starting from the lash line upwards. Saturate it close to the lash line. Don't try to blend it yet, just administer the color as deep as you want it.

4. If you want to keep it monochromatic, you could, I'll tell you how.

 Personally I like to use a couple of different hues of the same color family so at this point I will take the lighter version of my color and start blending it in to the main color starting from the crease of the eyelid. This would give it the illusion of fading out. 

Now if you want to use only one color, what I do is I take an eyeshadow or synthetic brush and wet it slightly, very carefully and softly I brush out and blend the color upwards.

5. I take a thinner brush that has been saturated with the darker color and I go over the bottom lash line, smudging and blending the the liner and the eyeshadow together in a harmonious effortless way. 

6. Sometimes you can add a little shimmer right under the brow bone but do not go 80's on me. Dip your index finger in the shimmer and dot it softly on the brow bone right under your brow. Sometimes I like to do the same right in the middle of the lid, just a dot of shimmer or glitter, looks fab!

                                                                .

7. Eyelashes are very important here, if your lashes a long and full, play  up the mascara, 3-4 coats. Trust me on this. If they get clumpy, get a lash comp and brush through it carefully, preferably before the mascara is fully dry. You can add lashes prior to mascara and curling is very vital for the look. It" opens" up your eyes, since the smokey eye look tends to "close" them up a little. 

Now you are ready to go out and get anything you want, since the world around you will not be able to resist or argue with you. 

If they do, you can give them a killer look.

Here is a version of one of my smokey eye creations.  

 This picture is from the movie "HOUSE BUNNY". Katharine McPhee has beautiful features and doing smokey eyes on her was a dream for me. Here we were doing a calendar shoot which never made it in the movie,  I was bummed but I got some snapshots of it. Since this was for a photo shoot we went with a double lash and some integrated glitter on them.

 Fun!

SLASH AND PERLA AT THE GRAMMYS

I am very proud of my creations every time I work with Perla Hudson. She has a beautiful face and exotic features. The best part of all that from a makeup artists point of view is that Perla is open to anything. She loves makeup and is aware of her features, so she lets me create on the spot according to her theme.

Here for the Clive Davis party, the night before the Grammys, she was wearing a very romantic flowing dress with a Latin flair. She is a big help when it comes to her makeup since she always knows what she wants, which gives me a direction.

For that look, which I wish I had a closer picture so you see the details, we used bronze and gold colors. I applied Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer allover her lid, prior to any shadow. This insures that she can go all night without having to think of her makeup, just enjoy herself. It is one of my main goals to send my clients out and have them feel confident throughout the full extend of their events. I used one of my favorite eyeshadow trios by DUWOP "CRUSH". I took a wet brush and dipped it in the burgundy red shadow and I went over her black eyeliner with it. We love Shiseido 1, black eyeliner for its deep black hue and it's staying power. We used a strip black lash and individuals toward the outer corners of the eyes for that exotic sultry look.












For Russel Simmons Grammy party, Perla had a fabulous young fresh new designer custom design her outfit. JnG! I will provide his website in a later moment so you get to take a look at his couture since he is a new upcoming designer with amazing talent and everything is original.
As a matter of fact he did all the beading on this dress, he is a perfectionist and it shows.

Unfortunately you can't see the whole look which is very unique and fashion forward on this picture but there is a lot of color on the legs, shoes and purse. I did a more colorful eyeshadow on her. Healthy bronzed skin and face with beautiful lavender/purple shadows, blended just enough to smooth all the colors together for a playful glamorous effect.

The colors came from the Bobbi Brown Eye Brights palette.

For JnG couture go to http://www.jngcouture.com/

THE GRAMMYS

Oh...the Grammys. The T-shirts under the suits, the Rock Stars and Rap Stars with their Bling, The more casual Glitz and Glory of the Oscars. Every year I have the opportunity to work on my beloved clients and musicians and somehow be a part of all that fun but this year I also had the opportunity to follow at the after Grammy parties. Oh...THE Glitz and the glory and the no parking anywhere on the Hills of Beverly since everybody that is anybody wanted to go to the same place we did. What is up with that?
Huge luxurious homes with caterers and bartenders and with a sea of people wanting to be photographed by the paparazzi crowding the streets while the valet had no more room to park any of our cars so we can also attend. It was crazy!
I mean...the thought was a fun one, when do normal non famous people like me get to attend those events? So I was very excited to be there. All the excitement drifted away when I had no were to park my car and had to walk in 4 inch heals for a mile to return to the event. Ok, so I was in with all those celebrities. Walking by John Legend, brushing shoulders with TI and observing Queen Latifah trying to also park her luxury vehicle while she is walking a mile back to the house. Only she was wearing jeans and boots, smart girl!
The funniest part of the night for me was when after I had an argument with the valet guy as to why he did not park my car at a little spot in the front, this white Bentley pulls up and he parks it right at that particular spot I was interested in. I was furious!
I expressed my disbelieve and disappointment as lady like as I could only to find out that the car belonged to the owner of the house that the party was taking place. Well...I took my lady like foot and put it in my lady like mouth and walked away half embarrassed. The other half was still pissed.
The interior of the house of that famous rapper, which I will not name, was a labyrinth. Too many people everywhere, the stairs, the patios, the rooms. Too many rooms. My delay resulted into me loosing my company and going on a hunt to find them through the mass of celebrities. Loud music everywhere, people staring, probably thinking that I was someones trophy girl for the night since I was like a fly in milk inside there. It took me only a few minutes to realize that I don't belong and got my lady like behind out of there. Meanwhile my company made their exit fast too and I got a text to the next location. After a mile walk back to the car with my 4 inch heals and rain, we made it to the next location. A Hollywood staple spot for famous people again. Parking was easier this time and as I am walking up to the door man with freezy hair and worn out heals, I made it known that I would go postal unless he lets me in. He let me in with no questions asked although I was not anyone famous. I think he got scared. : )
I needed a drink and my husband managed to get me one. Here we go again, trying to find our company that was sitting probably in a private booth. As I am walking delirious by now and trying to look at all the private booths in the dark to find my friends that mostly wore black I bump into someone and half spilled my drink. That's it! I turned around, ready to let someone have it since I was on my last straw and here I see this well dressed familiar face staring at me...not in a good way. Kid Rock. I knew the night had to end soon. I texted my friends a polite goodnight and exited after I inhaled my Gray Goose cranberry. I am calling it a night!
Grabbed my husband by his tailored suit and left.
As we got home that night, I realized how much more comfortable and great it felt to be wrapped around his arms in our warm silk bedding.
All that Glitz and Glory and famousness is great. I am very blessed to have great friends that find my company worthy of a night out in the Grammy party world but I enjoy them better while we hang around a dinner table able to hear each other speak.

AS SMOOTH AS A BABIES BOTTOM!

So ladies, today I am going to touch on a very "touchy" subject... shaving. Personally I believe in Laser and in waxing but sometimes the good old fashion razor comes in to the rescue. Maybe you are in between waxing or you have an important event to attend. Lets face it, for most of us Laser hair removal can be costly, especially in big areas such as legs. Being a European olive skin toned woman I have had my battles cut out for me with unwanted hair, in all the weird places. And Yes European women shave and wax and laser too. It is a misconception to believe in this day and age that we are far behind in the game. I think that the quote "European women don't shave" came from a man that was dumbed by a one of us old country vixens. We can get pretty tough with the boys, it is in our blood.

Anyway, getting back to what is really important here. Shaving.

If you have to shave your legs for some reason or if you are just a traditional woman and loves a good daily shave, here are some tips.

1. Take a long shower or bath and shave last. It softens the skin and offers a closer shave with fewer nicks and cuts.

2. Scrub before you shave if you have stubborn hair. This will help exfoliate the upper dermis and also help with ingrown hair.

3. Pick a good shaving cream. My favorite is the new Aubrey "CREME DE LA SHAVE". I love it. Super smooth shave in seconds, gets all the hair and helps the razor slide softly over your skin. No cuts, no nicks, great shave, smooth skin. As a matter of fact I just used this morning and I am so happy, I had to write about it. It is Organic, too. A much better alternative than the shaving creams at the drugstore which never really did anything for me but smell good. "Creme De La Shave" smells like almonds, very subtle.

4. Moisturize before you wipe all the water away. Basically keep your body moisturizer or oil near by and slather it on before you dry yourself up.

5. At last, pat dry the area since between all the scrubbing and shaving is very sensitive by now, so don't scrub it with the towel too.

The Aubrey "Creme De La Shave" costs $5.48 but you can also find it online at http://www.iherb.com/ for $4.66 and on http://www.luckyvitamin.com/ for $4.11 or wherever they sell Aubrey products like Wholefoods grocery stores.
Now go on and enjoy touchable smooth legs and for the gentlemen in your life, well, they can thank me later.

For the ones that do get ingrown hair and have tried everything with no luck, let me introduce you to a product that I have tested for years and it works wonders.

TEND SKIN. This would be the best investment you made for your skin whether you are a female or male, since Tend Skin works great for guys that get ingrown hair on their necks after shaving, too. I have recommended Tend Skin to a lot of my actors with ingrown issues and just days later, they show up with their face cleared up and happy.

You want to use TEND SKIN right after you finish shaving, apply on a cotton ball and cover the entire area or just the trouble spots. The product has a distinctive smell and it might sting a little but it works wonders. I am the Glam Reporter, I never lie.

TEND SKIN can be pricey so I searched the web and found a site that has it for half off.

It usually costs about $20 for 4oz and it comes in three sizes but if you go on http://www.beautyfii.com/ they have it for $10 the 4oz bottle which would be enough product to try and Thank me later again. :)

Behind the scenes at "Privileged"

Season 1 is over and it was an emotional day on the set of "Privileged". Here is some behind the scenes photos of the beloved crew that you don't get to see while watching the show and from our actors. The cast is the show but the crew is what makes it happen and come to you on the little screen. Enjoy!
Rina Mimoum, the creator of the show.


One of our first Ad's and crew in action. "Pappa" props.



Joanna Garcia, star of the show. Here with Brian halissay.

Peter Burell, our producer, here with Pete Wentz of Fallout Boy.

Kathleen Crawford, Makeup Department Head, Marianna Elias and Tijen Oshman taking good care of Ashley .


Romy Flemming, Hair Department Head, on location. Shooting in the Church.

The makeup station for Ashley and Lucy, At work on Lucy's cute face.

.

In the trailer, were the magic beggins.



Alan Luis, getting a wardrobe touch up before his performance.

The Mirror of Fame.



Aaron, letting us know that it is time to get to work.

The Makeup trailer and famous "Kathleens Tiki Lounge".
Stage 32 is one of our stages.



Kathleen Crawford, Department Head and Marianna and Tijen in a van to location.


Kristina Apgar in the same van to location, hooked on her "Crackberry" and as Glamour Queen

John Alan Nelson, playing Meghans father on the show.


Robert Buckley, the newcommer on the show.

These are just a few of the people on the show. We love the show and we are looking forward to it coming back. Enjoy your time off everybody.