How to Fix a Broken Eyeshadow!

photo from: www.thebeautystop.com

I wanted to share this great tip from The Beauty Stop! For anyone who has ever tearfully tossed a beloved but broken shadow, rejoice! You will never have to go through that agony again if you follow these simple steps...

Summer Cocktail!

Momformation has again inspired me to write a blog entry!

Warm weather is upon us and I know lots of people who are STILL hiding their "winter legs" under jeans.

I have translucent, pasty skin and am prone to spider veins so I feel your pain, but there are ways to still rock a skirt or a pair of shorts.

(I don't personally wear shorts often, but skirts I can't live without!)

Don't hide your legs, add a touch of healthy color, moisture and glow instead.

Here is my personal favorite combination, although you can achieve a similar effect with any number of products that you may already have in your arsenal:

1. Dr. Hauschka Quince Body Moisturizer--two squirts
Quince is my absolute favorite both in the body lotion and day cream for the face. Even with the newest additions, Lemon Body Moisturizer and Rose Day Cream Light I still reach for the Quince. However, lemon is a great uplifting, fresh aroma for hot weather so I won't blame you if you use that instead.

2. Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate--this is the great part. This product allows you to completely control the amount of color you get. I do not go in for the whole 'sunkissed look' so I only add one squirt, but the color can go as deep as you like just by adding more concentrate.

3. Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing lotion in Diffuse--one squirt. Just enough to give some subtle sheen, not enough to head to the disco!

This can also go on the face, even the body lotion if you like or you can use your favorite moisturizer or even better, sunscreen.

During my good-skin days I only use TBC with the SPF 30 and a touch of loose powder and that's it. I have enough color from the concentrate to soften the white from the sunscreen and also to cover any redness or or inflammation in my skin tone.

Cream Blush

I love cream blush. Some find it to not be very long-lasting and it may not work well with very oily skin, but my skin is usually combination and it looks great and lasts all day. I normally wear powder foundation so I try to avoid piling on too many layers of powder. It catches and accentuates dry patches and tends to look too artificial. Every time I wear cream blush, especially when I add a highlighter (I'll write a post about my favorites next) I ALWAYS get compliments on my skin, even if I'm having a few skin issues at the time. Cream blush makes the cheekbones pop and the complexion come alive and for those of you who are hesitant to use blush, the fact that it blends so easily makes it almost fool-proof. It can be set with a finishing powder for an all-day matte finish or left alone for a dewier look.

SukiColor Pure Cream Stain in Nectar:

A natural, innocent pink that's great for most skin tones. Gives a soft, natural, healthy flush. Double as a lip stain. Downside: A bit sticky. $36.50 (Not suitable for vegans due to carmine and beeswax)

Ingredients:

organic sunflower seed oil, castor seed oil, non-gmo corn starch, candelilla wax, shea butter, beeswax, kaolin, organic rose hip seed oil, cetearyl alcohol, organic jojoba seed oil, carnauba wax, pure rose wax, organic mixed tocopherols, chamomile extract, tea tree leaf oil, fragrance (made only from pure, steam-distilled essential oils) [may contain: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, carmine]

Mychelle Blush Stick in Berry:

Rich, matte finish packed with antioxidants. Berry is a deep, romantic pink great for most skin tones.
$20.86

Ingredients of interest:

Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil: quckly penetrates the skin; powerful antioxidant; rich in flavonoids; inhibits allergic reactions; protects the skin's own collagen, elastin, & hyaluronic acid.
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil: antioxidant and skin brightener; a deeply penetrating light oil which gives skin a beautiful texture and glow; helps reduce appearance of wrinkles, spots, freckles, and acne.
Silica: helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and controls sebum for a smooth matte finish.
Silk Powder: high in skin nourishing proteins and amino acids, silk powder also gives a beautiful surface finish to the skin.

Ingredients:

Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Silica, Silk (Powder), Prunus Persica (Peach) Extract, Psidium Guajava (Guava) Extract, Passiflora Edulis (Passionfruit) Extract, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Lauroyl Lysine, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil and Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, [+/-: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Mica (CI 77019), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)]

*Eco-cert organic

GloMinerals gloCream Blush in Plumeria:

This color looks ridiculously bright in the compact, but it's actually a perfect punch of color that's fantastic during the Spring and Summer months.

Downside: The ingredients could be much cleaner than they are.
$25.00

Ingredients:

Isopropyl Palmitate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Nylon-12, Silica, Kaolin, Microcrystalline Wax, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Phytonadione, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extracts, Dimethicone, BHT, Vegetable Oil, Propylparaben

Be on the lookout!

Mychelle is well-known for their cutting edge dermaceutical line of skincare but now they are branching out with a line of cream-based mineral makeup. They will have a cream foundation, concealer, blush, eyeshadow and peptide-based lip colors and will be out in stores sometime next month.
They were debuted at a recent trade show in Anaheim, to enthusiastic response.
"This will revolutionize mineral makeup" said one show attendee.
I can't wait to try them, as a mineral makeup junkie I have tried every product I could get my hands on. I especially love cream products for cheeks and the careful formulations are safe even for oilier skin conditions.
The Mychelle website store is temporarily closed while they launch new packaging and updated formulations which include more organic ingredients.
I can't wait to see the new and improved Mychelle, complete with cosmetics!

This is What a Feminist Looks Like...

I have been told before that what I do for a living is shallow, superficial and un-feminist. I’ve always disagreed. There is nothing wrong with wanting to face the world looking your very best, healthy and beautiful.

As a makeup artist and esthetician it is my job to help women to become the best version of themselves and it is an honor to be trusted to touch someone’s face.

Everyone I’ve ever met has a love-hate relationship with their appearance and despite all the staring into the mirror; they often don’t see their own best features. It is great to tell someone they have lovely eyelashes or great bone structure or beautiful lips and see the look of surprise on their face.

“Me? They say? No…” But it’s true. They just can’t see past their flaws and see the good things that everyone else can see.

I am a Peacekeeper Cause-metics demonstrator which means that I get the chance to not only educate people on all of the wonderful causes PK supports but also help them choose the right color.

I find that the products tend to look slightly different in the tubes than they do on the lips so whenever possible I apply the colors for them. (After sanitizing the products and using a fresh disposable applicator)

Everyone is always amazed when they learn that 100% of after-tax profits are donated to human-rights issues. Like me, they thought they would get around to donating money to causes they believed in at some point…when they had more money. And also like me, they spend money several times a year to purchase new cosmetics.

With Peacekeeper, you can do both. Indulge your girly side and your activist side and know that they are both important and worthwhile.

Organic Wear Pressed Powder

It's taken me a while to post this review because my interest in this line waned quite a while ago, but I want to take the time to write about my experience with the Physicians Formula Organic Wear Pressed Powder.
I had high hopes for it initially, the price point is so low and the ingredients are great. I matched the color to my current compact--translucent medium seemed the closest. The wording of the colors threw me off, to my mind translucent means that it offers no real coverage, but is mostly used for setting foundation or concealer and creating a matte finish. I wasn't sure if Translucent Medium meant it would actually be a powder foundation or not.
It turns out that it was a powder foundation and the first time I used it, I was really impressed. It had a soft glowy finish and covered amazingly well.
Once I looked at it in natural light, however I saw how wrong it was. It was far to shiny and highlighted pores and fine lines. It was very similar to the finish I experienced with Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals foundation.
I used to work for BE and I would leave my house feeling beautiful only to find myself blending frantically once I checked my makeup outside in natural light.
However, they were the first mineral makeup I was exposed to and I still believe that minerals are the way to go. Bare Escentuals just isn't the right brand for me.
And it's no wonder they seem similar, here are the ingredients:

Organic Wear

MICA, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL*, ZEA MAYS (CORN) STARCH*, MAGNESIUM STEARATE, KAOLIN, CALCIUM CARBONATE, OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OIL*, GLYCERIN, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) OIL*, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, CINNAMIC ACID, SODIUM LEVULINATE, TOCOPHEROL, WATER. MAY CONTAIN: IRON OXIDES, TITANIUM DIOXIDE. * PRODUCED FROM ORGANIC FARMING


Bare Minerals

Bismuth Oxychloride, Mica, Iron Oxide
*Bare Minerals Foundation May Also Contain:
Titanium Dioxide


It is definitely the mica that gives it the bizarre finish. It is wonderful in highlighters and shadows but terrible as a foundation. BE recommends that you follow up with the corn-starch based Mineral Veil and *surprise!* PF has a corn-starch based finishing powder. Although mica is, again the first ingredient leading me to believe that there is just no way to avoid a waxy-shiny finish with the Organic Wear powder products.
Also, if you'll notice that the BE products have a much shorter ingredient list since they don't add the gratuitous organic ingredients. I call them gratuitous because they could have a very similar product without adding any of the small amounts of botanicals that they did, leading me to believe that they just wanted to have a line that they could call "organic."
I really don't want to use more than one powder product, not only do I not want to take the time but I live in a warm climate and don't want to pile on a lot of products. I am very happy with my Glominerals foundation and you absolutely do not need a finishing powder. It is three times as much as the PF powder but once you factor in using a separate finishing powder, it's not much of a bargain time or money-wise.

Bottom Line:

My overall opinion of these products isn't very high, but I still like that companies such as this one are making more natural options widely available, I think that is very important. This line may work beautifully for some people, and most definitely Bare Minerals fans will love this foundation and it is about 1/3 of the price.
When I returned the concealer and powder that I bought I was hoping to exchange for the tinted moisturizer, but it was out of stock. If I do try it I will review it on makeup alley and link it here, to avoid yet ANOTHER post about this line.

Rich Hippie

I've preached for years to anyone who would listen that natural doesn't mean having to give up beauty, glamour or esthetics.
This line, by Organic Pharmacy proves my point. It is gorgeous. Very, very sleek packaging, beautiful colors, and...a very high price point.
So if you're feeling flush after tax time, wander over and pick up a few new colors or try their Spring look kit which includes a Loose Powder, Nude Eyeshadow Palette, Liquid Shimmer Highlighter Silver Ice, Peach Blusher, Nude Lipstick and High Shine Lip Plump in Crystal.
As for me, the product that tempts me the most is the liquid shimmer highlighter
in Pink Ice.

*I could not find an ingredient list on their website.

Blend, blend, blend

Any makeup artist will tell you that the secret to great makeup is to blend, blend, blend. The trick is deciding what to USE to blend? Fingers are great because your body heat will help warm and blend your foundation or concealer, but sometimes I really do prefer to use a sponge. My favorite was the Glominerals finishing sponge, a great, soft flocked sponge. The problem with it, though is after being washed a time or two it splits right in half, and each half is too thin to really use alone.
Lately, I've been using a foundation sponge from Sonia Kashuk that I am really loving. I searched for a link to it but I couldn't find one. It appears to be part of the Spring '08 line for Target. It's a handy two pack and comes in a hard plastic case. They are non-latex and close to an inch thick. They are really great for both applying and blending mineral makeup and it seems that they would work well on liquid foundation as well.
Buying new sponges made me remember reading about the Beauty Blender a while ago so I decided to check it out online. It is tempting to try, however I don't use liquid foundation and it seems that this is what this sponge is best for. The price point is really outrageous, $20 which makes it both more and less appealing. If anyone has feedback about this sponge, contact me, I'm curious!

Glominerals and Mineral Fusion--What's the Difference?

When I started with Whole Foods in 2004, I begged them to carry Glominerals.
My job was to help build an esthetics program at their new flagship store and that included mini-facials and makeovers. When I was working in Berkeley I had the opportunity to bring Glominerals into Elephant Pharmacy and I really loved working with them.
The line did so well there that they partnered with Glominerals to create Mineral Fusion for Whole Foods Market. This is one of the things I am most proud about in my career as a holistic esthetician.
So what's the difference? You may notice that they have similar colors and are the exact same price, so why would you choose one over the other? Here is an overview of a few of their differences:

They both have added antioxidants to help protect and boost the health of the skin. However, the each have slightly different antioxidants:

Mineral Fusion:

• White tea – contains flavonoids - Boosts the immune function of skin cells and protects against the damaging effects of the sun (Ingredient name: Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract)

• Red tea – contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that work to tighten and smooth the skin. (Ingredient name: Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract)

• Antileukine 6® – a blend of phosphatidyls, lipoyl lysine vitamin A, E and CO Q10. Controls photo-aging, balances hydration and protects the integrity of DNA. (Ingredient name: Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract)

• Pomegranate – contains polyphenols and ellagic acid found in pomegranate are highly efficient in fighting free radicals. Also contains ellagic acid for healing the skin. (Ingredient name: Punica Granatum)

mineral fusion cosmetics offer flawless coverage while giving you the benefits of UV and antioxidant protection. All of our products are noncomedogenic and provide moisture balancing benefits, allowing the skin to function normally. mineral fusion™ is your solution for skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and hyperpigmentation, providing healing and calming benefits.

Antileukine 6

Antileukine is a proprietary blend of ingredients found in mineral fusion cosmetics.

It works to control photo aging, balances hydration, and protects DNA integrity. It is a blend of Phosphatidyls, Lipoyl Lysine, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and CO Q10.

• Phosphatidyls - strengthens the skin structure
• Lipoyl Lysine - moisturizing amino acid
• Vitamin A - helps to improve skin smoothness
• Vitamin E - improves water binding ability
• Co Q10 - prevents free radical damage

Results

• Prevents damage due to excessive sun exposure & physiological aging
• Anti-wrinkle
• Protects skin metabolism (BPF-Biological Protecting Factor)

Glominerals:

The Glominerals team team developed an exclusive formulation by selecting the best quality pharmaceutical-grade ingredients including antioxidants, vitamins C, A, K, E and green tea extracts to prevent free-radical damage and improve the health and condition of the skin

Another difference is the ingredients. Mineral Fusion does not contain parabens or lakes.
Lakes are coloring agents and can be either naturally or synthetically derived. This is why MF has a much more muted color-palette. This is also why you won't find every Glo product at Whole Foods, not everything makes it past their quality standards team.
I did hear a rumor that Glominerals was updating their ingredients and possibly taking out parabens but I haven't found any ingredient changes online, only the same ones that are used in the foundation I own:

Ingredients
Titanium Dioxide, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Zinc Stearate Zinc Oxide, Bismuth Oxychloride, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmate (vitamin C), Phytonadione (vitamin K), Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. May Contain Iron Oxides, CI 77499, Carmine. Vitamin C, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Vitamin E

*If I find out that they have changed ingredients, I will edit to add the new formulation.

The last difference is the packaging. They both come in loose and compact forms, but the MF loose foundation comes with an attached sponge-top applicator. I still use a brush with it, however, so that's not a huge selling point with me although it does look good.
The MF compact does not come with any kind of sponge while the Glominerals compact does. The MF compacts are sleek and flat and the Glo compacts are classically rounded. The Glo packaging is silver and black while the MF packaging is a coppery-bronze color.

Bottom Line:
I've been using Glominerals for a long time and I have a soft spot for them. I really do hope that their ingredients continue to evolve and I don't doubt that they will. Both lines perform similarly although I do like the MF tinted moisturizers slightly better than the Glo version. But for foundation and eye and lip colors I still prefer Glominerals.

I Am a Peacekeeper!

I first encountered Peacekeeper Cause-metics at Whole Foods Market here in Austin, Texas.
I purchased a lipstick for my mother-in-law and instantly regretted not keeping it for myself!
I was aware of all the great causes Peacekeeper supported but was not prepared for how incredible the products are.
They are as good if not better than the most professional and luxurious cosmetics I have worked with the past ten years.
There is literally a color for everyone in their line and the lipsticks are creamy and long-lasting. They don't always look the same on the lips as they do in the tube, though so they definitely need to be tried on to find the best match.
They also have glosses, nail polish and cuticle oil and they are all wonderful.

My favorites:

Paint me Wise lip paint: This is a beautiful creamy berry that has become my daily staple.

Paint me Empowered lip paint: Empowered looks scary and dark in the tube but it is not much darker than Wise and stays on forever. It creates a great blackberry stain when applied with the fingers and gently blotted.

Unifem gloss: Again, this color looks way different on than in the tube. It is a sheer burgundy and looks great on everyone. I love to put on either Wise or Empowered in the morning then touch up during the day with Unifem. It refreshes the color and adds a soft, not sticky shine.

Luminous nail polish: I can't for the life of me paint my own fingernails without it looking like a toddler applied the color so this is a lifesaver. It's a dewey silvery-white that is subtle enough for daily wear without being boring. It also dries really quickly.

*I love this line so much that I jumped at the chance to work for them. I love being able to talk to women about the products and have them get excited to help support such worthwhile causes. When do you ever basically get a free product for donating to a cause that you believe in?

"I call this look: I am ready to PAR-TAY!"

Top Left: Before! The rest: After
Thursday was my friend, K's birthday. We had coffee at Whole Foods and hung out a bit that afternoon.That evening she had plans to go out for drinks to celebrate.
I've never quite met anyone like K. She is contradictory by nature. She gets good haircuts at a trendy salon by a hot rockabilly guy and owns more vintage clothes and more shoes that anyone I've ever met. Yet she doesn't seem to think she is pretty. She is afraid of pants and refuses to wear makeup most of the time. If I could get her to throw on some lipgloss for work I'd be thrilled. She has gorgeous hazel-y eyes, great cheekbones and full lips but you will never catch her advertising this fact. I have been waxing and tinting her brows for about a year now and it makes a huge difference, if I do say so myself. I agreed to do her makeup' if she came over to my house before hitting the town.
She showed up around 8 (only half an hour late which, for her is good) in a little black dress and a push-up bra. Excellent. She wanted a smoky eye, but only 'if I thought it would look good on her.' *sigh*
So I got to work taking her from the clean-faced-just-got-back-from-the-farmer's-market look to flat-out smokin' hot mama. Did I mention she has great features? She had a patch of breakouts along her right jawline that she's been battling but the rest of her skin was smooth and freshly moisturized.
I used Dr. Hauschka Puncto concealer #1 (which I used to think was horrible but that worked like a charm. I used a brush with it when before I just tested it from the tube. Now I love it but it's discontinued) and Mineral Fusion loose powder foundation to cover the breakouts and faint undereye shadows and slight redness around the nose then toned down shine and primed the eyelid area with Dr. Hauschka translucent loose powder.
I then applied Bare Escentuals blush in Lovely on her cheeks. I highlighted with the nude color in the Smashbox highlighting quad and applied Glominerals fawn shadow as a base color on her lids. I then heavily applied BeneFIT Bad Gal chunky black liner along her the upper and lower lashline on the outer corners of her eyes.
She took this inopportune moment to look in the mirror. I had already smudged the liner but not cleaned it up yet. She looked (as I told her) like 'Courtney Love on a bender' which coincidentally was NOT the look she was going for. There is a moment in every makeup job where if the client looks in the mirror they would run screaming. The key to good looking makeup is blending and I had not blended yet. After blending, blending, blending with a smudger I took a sharp black thin pencil and applied it along the lashline and the inner eye to add depth.
Then I applied black shimmery shadow to the crease and highlighted her brow bone and inner eye with Nude Beach by Bare Escentuals. I went over the inner eye with Glominerals Peach liner, filled in her brows with Glominerals brow pencil in Brunette and applied Blinc Kiss Me mascara in black concentrating on the lashes at the inner corners. I finished up with a nude pencil and neutral shimmery gloss on her lips.
My boys were being super-cute, running around trying to imitate me by 'blending' her arms with brushes and sponge wedges. Alex also crammed several sponges into her super-exposed birthday cleavage. I thought she got them all out but she found out otherwise when she was getting undressed later that night.
So, she was happy with her makeup and so was I. It was my intention to show her that it is possible for her to look glamorous and foxy.Now all she needs is the confidence to back it up. Unfortunately I can't give that to her, but hopefully the above pictures and all the compliments she received that night will help!
I have been doing makeup for a long time and I know that for someone who is unfamiliar with all the products and techniques it can seem overwhelming. But even for the biggest novice, there are quick and easy tricks that are great for casual, everyday makeup-- if you are willing.

The Key to Flawless Makeup

"The most beautiful cosmetic you can wear is a healthy skin."
-Jane Iredale

Healthy skin is crucial to even makeup application. If you have skin irritation (redness), some couperose or hyperpigmentation or the occasional breakout to cover, that's fine but if your skin is chronically unhealthy and unbalanced or if you are using harsh topical products that cause peeling or dry patches then nothing you use no matter how "good" or expensive is going to give you the desired results.
I wear so much less makeup when I am taking good care of my skin and I don't miss it. When I spend less time on foundation application I can spend more time grooming my brows or applying interesting eye makeup. I also hear a lot of people say they don't want to spend very much money on skincare. If you use something that works for you and use it regularly then you will spend so much less in the long run. You won't be spending as much on foundation (which is not cheap) or on costly serums, exfoliants and even prescription drugs to "treat" the skin. Once the skin is severely out of balance, that is usually when you would do something extreme and pricey to try and fix it immediately.
The key to flawless makeup is well-hydrated skin. Drink lots of water, eat well, exercise, and take a good multivitamin and essential fatty acids. Your skin will thank you!

The Effects of Corporate Greed on the Beauty Industry

I've never really "gotten" MAC. As someone in the beauty industry and more specifically as a makeup artist I've always been aware that I was supposed to see them as the Holy Grail of cosmetics. Yet I never really have.
I'm not saying I've NEVER purchased a MAC product. There have been a lipglass or shadow here and there and the occasional nailpolish purchase. But I have never been interested in stocking my professional kit solid with MAC products, regardless of the "fact" that they are supposed to be for makeup artists.
After Estee Lauder acquired the company the quality and packaging went straight downhill. The difference, for me as a casual user was subtle. But for artists who were diehard fans, it was a powerful change--and a slap in the face. After freelance makeup artists began to look elsewhere for professional supplies the corporate machine kicked into high gear and began to manufacture their own "brand artists" to keep the buzz alive and make it seem as if everyone who was anyone still wanted to use the line.
I've seen this happen many times, as a fan of natural products. The holistic buzz is so loud, of course it has attracted corporate attention. So goods that were once created out of love for a pure, botanical product are now produced for profit first, quality second. And the yummy botanical ingredients gave way to cheaper synthetics and lower-quality essential oils.
The best thing we, as consumers can do to stop this is to simply stop purchasing these products. If a beloved company was sold to a corporate giant and the quality has suffered, refuse to buy them. That will send a message that this is not ok.
For me, natural cosmetics just jive better with my personal ideals. And natural products can now aggressively compete with conventional, even professionally. Products that were once 'weird and hippie-ish' are now smooth, beautiful and come in a wide range of colors. Packaging that was once offbeat and homespun is now slick and attractive.
A few of my favorite brands include: Jane Iredale, Glominerals/Mineral Fusion, and Dr. Hauschka.