makeup forever
Top 5 Favorite Looks From Miami Swim 2011
Make up Forever was the official makeup sponsor of Miami Fashion Week Swim 2011 this year! Key makeup artists, Lottie and James Vincent worked a total of 13 shows and produced amazing looks for the runway. Check out my favorite looks from the week!
1. Tyler Rose
The Tyler Rose runway was all about rosy cheeks and pink lips! Check out Makeup Forever’s HD Microfinish Blush #6 and #204 lipstick to replicate the look!
Key Makeup: Lottie
2. Mara Hoffman
LOVE this tribal inspired look at Mara Hoffman!! While the white dots may not be the most practical for chillin’ at the beach, the rest of the look is totally wearable. MUFE’s #502 lipstick was used on the lips, while #7 Aqua Cream was lightly applied to the cheeks!
Key Makeup: Lottie
3. Luli Fama
Luli Fama’s look was all about the dramatic purple, coral and gold smokey eye. MUFE’s Star Powder in #954 (purple) as well as Star Powder #953 (orange) were applied to the eyes, and a hint of Aqua Cream #11 was dabbed on the inner eye to make them pop!
Key Makeup: Lottie
4. True Religion
Super dramatic lashes and peachy nude lips at the True Religion show.
Key Makeup: James Vincent
5. Aqua Di Laura
The models walking in the Aqua Di Lara show were bronzed, glowy and gorgeous! MAKE UP FOREVER’S Aqua Cream #14 was applied to the outer corner of the eyes, #17 eyeshadow was blended into the crease and #930 Star Powder was dusted over the entire lid to create a bronzed shimmery lok. The lips were topped off with Facinating Lipgloss #16!
Key Makeup: Lottie
What Was Your Favorite Look?
10 Ten Things to See and Do at IMATS!
Guess what time it is Los Angeles??
IMATS, the International Makeup Artist Trade Show is happening this weekend! I love attending these trade shows because it’s a great opportunity to network with other artists, learn about and sample products as well as score some awesome discounts. You don’t even have to be a makeup artist to attend, as the show is open to all makeup artists, and makeup lovers alike!
If you will be in LA this weekend, here are the top 10 things to check out at IMATS! (Note: My top 10 list is more relevant to beauty makeup artists/lovers but also check out all the amazing FX stuff as well!).
Top 10 Things to See and Do at IMATS
1. Signed Here: A Panel Discussion of Agents from the Top Artist Agencies
This is a great opportunity to gain better understanding of agents and what they can do for you! They will cover building an effective book, getting signed by an agency, going out on jobs etc. There will also be an informal question/answer discussion which is amazing.
PLEASE do your research on agent/artists relationships at least a little bit before asking questions. Have you ever heard the saying “there’s no such things as a dumb question”? Well there is, and there were a lot of dumb questions last year lol. Respect the agents’ time.
This discussion includes Madeline Leonard from Cloutier, Charnelle Smith from Aim Artists, and Timothy Priano from Artists by Timothy Priano.
2. OCC New Lip Tars
I hear the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is launching 2 new shades of their amazing Lip Tar at IMATS! Get there early, because these babies go quick. Also check out their Loose Pigments!!
3. Alice in Wonderland Panel Discussion (Sunday 3:30-4:30)
Don’t miss this panel discussion from the makeup artists behind Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland! Christina Ceret, Shane Mahan, Lindsay McGowan, Mike Smithson and Patty York are all scheduled to appear.
4. Yaby Cosmetics
Love, love, love Yaby! Since you can usually only buy Yaby online, IMATS is the perfect place to check out the brand and sample some of their amazing products in person. I recommend their empty palettes, pearl paints, foundations, neutral eyeshadow palette.. ok basically everything! 
5. Dany Sanz Iconoclast (Saturday 2:30-3:30)
Dany Sanz is the creator of Makeup Forever and will be speaking on Saturday at the show! Also be sure to stop by the MUFE booth as they always honor the 40% artist discount.
6. Embroylisse
Be sure to stop by the Embroylisse booth and check out their Lait Creme Concentrate moisturizer (also known at 24 hour miracle cream)! I looove this stuff!! It makes your skin feel baby smooth and I’ve had models actually start clapping when I pull it out lol. Must have.
7. Kevin James Bennett Steps to Success (Sunday 2:15-3:15)
Don’t miss Emmy winning, Kevin James Bennett speak this year! He used to be Director of Artist Relations for Makeup Forever but I am excited to see him talk, now that he is not necessarily representing a specific brand. He is an amazing artist, has great stage presence and definitely knows a thing or two about success.
8. Crown Brush
Who doesn’t like cheap brushes?? While they don’t last forever, you can’t argue with the $1-15 price tag. This booth is definitely one of the more popular ones so be prepared to push, poke and jab your way to the front! It’s seriously a war zone, you should really start preparing mentally and physically right now lol. Try to get there early, choose your brushes and bounce before the crowds start piling up!
9. Eve Pearl- High Definition Beauty (Saturday 3pm-4pm)
Eve Pearl is an Emmy winning makeup artist who works on The Today Show and The View. I always try to pop into one of Eve’s classes because she is a wealth of knowledge and a great speaker. While you’re at it, check out her booth too and pick up some Salmon Concealer. She usually has great deals at the show!
10. Glimmer Body Art/Glitter Therapy
Ok, so I hate glitter and will not be visiting these vendors personally (in fact I will most definitely keep a safe distance from it haha) but people FREAK on these booths! Glimmer Body Art has glitter tattoos, while Glitter Therapy has individual glitter in all colors. One of the booths (can’t remember which one), has a product to make perfect glitter lips a la Christina Aguilera in Not Myself Tonight.
I’ll be there doing press for Last Looks Blog so if you see me, come say hi! 
Tickets Prices: 1 Day All Access $40
2 Day All Access $70
Exhibit Floor Only $20
Hours: Saturday 8:30 am – 5pm and Sunday 10am – 5pm
For more information check out their website www.imatsshow.com
A Look into the Makeup of “The Runaways”
The Runaways Makeup
I am dying to see The Runaways starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning! The movie was released on March 19th, and is a biographical drama about the rise and fall of the 70′s all-girl rock band, The Runaways. Kristen Stewart plays Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning plays Cherie Currie in the film! Robin Matthews was the makeup department head for The Runaways, and she used Makeup Forever to create the character specific looks for the girls.
.Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning at the premiere of The Runaways. Makeup by Makeup Forever.
Sephora has come out with a Runaway’s collection where you can buy the three essential products used to create Kristen Stewart’s smokey, smudgy look!
The Collection Includes:
-Makeup Forever Eyeshadow in Bronze 84
- Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes in Mat Black
- Makeup Forever Aqua Smokey Lash in Extra Black
Joan Jett Makeup Tutorial Created for Kristen Stewart
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Cherie Currie Makeup Tutorial Created for Dakota Fanning
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I found a great interview on Elle’s website with makeup artist Robin Matthews, where she talks about how she transformed Stewart and Fanning into rockstars.
“How does Joan’s makeup look transform in the movie?
Going off the pictures, she initially just used a brown eye shadow and that was it. Then that morphed into a smoky eye with brown eye shadow and black liner. She added blush and lipstick to it during her glam phase but eventually went through more of a punk stage where it was just harsh black liner everywhere. At the end of the film, we show Joan in the ’80s, where she really went into pinks—she’d wear a bright pink jacket with bright fuchsia lips and a pink-and-purple smoky eye. But that look was created mostly for promotional photos; once those promotional days were over, she went back to her basic black liner and brown shadow without any lip color or blush. And that’s the same makeup look she wears today.”
“How does Cherie’s makeup change over the course of the movie?
We did about 10 or so different makeup looks for Cherie. She was so all over the place with her makeup that I had plenty of choices to pick from. I sat down with the director and Dakota and we chose which looks we wanted to use because there were so many. Cherie was a real shapeshifter with her makeup. She did this brown winged eye shadow for awhile, and then she did this crazy silver shadow with glitter and thick black eyeliner with bright striped cheeks. She also did a blue-and-gold smoky eye which is really cool—I would’ve never thought to use those two colors for a smoky eye.”
Toward the end of the film, we really see Dakota’s look change as Cherie gets more and more haggard and tired. It’s a big, shocking look—very different from how Dakota Fanning has appeared in other films. So I’m waiting with bated breath to hear what people think because it’s a shocker. I can’t give away too much, but if you know about the demise of the Runaways, you’ll understand why Dakota looks the way she does at the end of the movie.
“Was there a universal product that you used on everybody?
Since the Runaways were all about accentuating their eyes, eyeliner was the most-used product. I went back and forth between different eyeliners, depending on what the scene was. The main one I used was Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes. The color range is crazy—most waterproof, smudge-proof eyeliners don’t come with the extensive color range. They have bright blues and silvers, which worked great for Cherie’s look. For the scenes where I needed the makeup to stay put, I’d apply that and smudge it quickly—because once it dries it doesn’t move. For other scenes, though, I needed the eye makeup to be really runny, like the band had been on the road for days—because this movie is about realism, it’s not a glossed-over Hollywood beauty movie. So in those cases, I’d use this kohl eye pencil by MAC that’s really smudgy and moves around a bit more.”
To read the entire interview on Elle.com click HERE
What Makeup Look Do You Prefer, Joan Jett’s or Cherie Currie?
The Makeup Show LA 2010
Overview Day 1: The Makeup Show LA 2010
February 28th – March 1st marked Los Angeles’ second annual Makeup Show hosted by The Powder Group!! If you’ve never heard of The Makeup Show, it’s a convention for makeup artists and beauty industry professionals. Tons of classes are taught by the industry’s top professionals and you can shop amazing deals from the all the pro brands.
It’s only the most amazing day of the year
Some of the classes I was able to make were taught by Eve Pearl, Kevin James Bennett, Victoria Stiles, James Vincent, Mary Erickson, Joanna Schlip, and an panel of makeup artists who work in reality TV. I love watching top makeup artists work and share tips!
At the MAKE UP FOREVER booth. They were painting him all day!
Left: Airbrushing at the Mehron booth. Right: I’m not sure who they were representing but they were really nice! 
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I spent sooo long at Inglot’s booth!! They are a Polish brand that are trying to transition to other countries. They have a store in New York but not LA.
They give you the freedom to make your own palettes! The palettes are all different sizes but they stick to each other because they are magnetic. It’s perfect for makeup artists because it allows a lot of space saving! I felt kinda bad for them because many of Inglot’s employees only spoke Polish, and they were having a hard time with all the questions! The brand seemed to go over well though, they were very busy all day! I bought a few things that I looooove. I can’t wait to try more.
It’s every (wo)man for themselves at the ALWAYS busy Crown Brush booth. Who can blame them? Brushes average about $5 but range from $1-$18!! SO Cheap. I always stock up.
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Check Out My New Goodies
-I was so happy to see the Embroylisse booth!! I have been out of their moisturizer for a few months now and I can’t find it anywhere! I use it on almost everyone.
-I needed more Beauty Blender cleanser, and went ahead and got 2 new Beauty Blenders. The ones in my kit are kind of old and could stand to be replaced.
-I’ve heard rave reviews about CoverFX’s skin primer so I picked one up. I tested it on my hand and OMG I can’t wait to try it out on a real face.
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-Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic debuted four new Lip Tars at the show!!! I bought 2, Hoochie and Demure. I also picked up one of their older colors, Hush.
-I finally was able to try out OCC’s pigments and they are incredible.
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MAKE UP FOREVER debuted a new addition to their “Aqua” collection that I am SOOO excited about!! They are called Aqua Creams and are waterproof cream colors! Think Flash Colors but budge-proof! You can use them on your cheeks, lips and eyes and the color selection is gorgeous. I tried a few on my hand and let me tell you, they work! I couldn’t rub it off for the life of me. I bought a really pretty coral color and can’t wait to get more!
-I also bought a clear Glossy Full gloss, Aqua Gel Liner, and and Aqua Eyes Eyeliner in a hot, deep green.
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I am seriously dying to use my new Inglot products!! I bought three lip colors and two cream blushes. The blushes are super sheer and very natural. I do a lot of commercial work and sometime need a really natural flush on the cheeks. These are so perfect, I can’t even tell you! The lip colors are really natural looking as well, and I’m loving the consistency!
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Crown Brushes from left to right: I bought two powder brushes, a small foundation brush, a blending brush, an angled blending brush, an angled eyeliner brush, two small fan brushes, a detail brush, a bent eyeliner brush, 3 lip brushes, a short blending brush, another large angled blending brush and a flat, bronzing brush.
The brushes with the purple handles were only $1!!!! I actually think they might be nail brushes, but I could care less. There are no rules in makeup
I will start posting swatches this week!! Check back soon.
Makeup Forever Eyeshadow #92 Swatch
MAKEUP FOREVER’S #92 eyeshadow has been taunting me for months. On one hand, I don’t work with a lot of colors (since I do mostly commercial work), so I question if I would ever use it. BUT on the other hand, it’s supposed to be mind blowingly gorgeous, which is reason enough to cave in.
And cave in, I did.
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The Hottest Purple Around
The color is SO vivid. Usually I’ll reach for pigments if I want such intense color, but as you can see, MAC’s Violet pigment doesn’t even stand a chance when paired with #92.
Holiday Gift Idea!
Best of MAKEUP FOREVER Set
I’m really excited about this gift set because MAKEUP FOREVER is one of my favorite cosmetics brands ever, definitely in the top 3. This Christmas, they have come out with an amazing gift set that contains 5 of their “best” products. If you’ve never tried Makeup Forever, it’s time to get acquainted!! Makeup artists swear by it and celebrities love it, but I’ve noticed that many women outside of the industry are not familiar with MUFE’s amazing products. The best of gift set contains an Aqua Eyes black eyeliner, their Smokey Lash mascara, the incredible HD powder, a travel sized HD primer and their Sens’Eyes sensitive eye cleaner.
MUFE’s Aqua Eyes eyeliners are amazingly creamy and uber waterproof! If you struggle with your eyeliner running or rubbing off, this pencil is definitley worth trying. They have tons of colors from metallics to mattes and can even double as a lip liner (in the right color, of course).
The Smokey Lash mascara great for va-va-voom eyelashes! It gives off intense black pigment while lengthening and curling. I’ve only used this mascara a handful of times but loved the results every time. Great to top of that sultry, smokey eye.
Their Sens’Eyes Sensitive Eye Cleaner is a fabulous product! It’s mineral oil free and contact lens safe! It’s a gel cleanser that wipes away your makeup easily and effecitively. If you have really sensitive eyes, this makeup remover is an awesome product to try.
MUFE’s HD Microperfecting Primer is the only product I have not specifically tried and tested. I have their green HD Primer (to counteract redness) and it’s pretty good!. When I was at the Makeup Artist Trade Show the year Makeup Forever released their HD line, I watched a live demonstration of their primers. They worked wonderfully and come in a line of 7 colors, all designed to correct or conceal specific problems.
Last but definitely not least, their HD Microfinish Powder is one of my favorite loose powders! It’s 100% silica powder and it gives an airbrushed, smooth look to the skin when buffed on. I love it because it does not make my models cakey looking at all and it’s invisible to the camera. Love, Love, LOVE.
I don’t know how MAKEUP FOREVER was only able to choose 5 “best of” products because everything they make is the best, but they did a great job with this set! It’s a Sephora exclusive and costs $49. Also, note that the products are travel sized.
