Category Archives: artist

Makeup Mondays: Concealers

Concealer; a girl’s best friend. A great concealer can hide acne, scars, redness and darkness. There are so many choose from. What color? What formula? What brand? Stick, wand or cream? Why is this one green? Every pesky imperfection has a concealer made just for it.
Let’s start with the basics. Aside from the hundreds of flesh tone colored concealers, there is also green, blue, and yellow. On a color wheel, the colors that are directly across from each other cancel each other out.

You can see that green neutralizes red, blue cancels out yellow, and yellow cuts purple. Knowing what color you need is the first step to choosing your concealer. In most cases, a flesh tone is desired to hide mild discoloration, but corrective concealing will require green, blue or yellow for the best results. I suggest using a corrective color with a flesh tone on top.
Choosing a flesh tone concealer is where most people have confusion. It’s a common misconception that the lighter the concealer is, the better it will be at hiding discoloration. I can usually see where the concealer is on a face, and while it does hide the discoloration, it also shows where they are hiding it. Just remember this: You wear foundation to even your skin tone. You wouldn’t pick a shade lighter or darker than your natural skin or your neck would be a different color. Why would you choose a concealer that makes light or dark spots on your face? You should only go 2 shades max lighter than your skin. If it’s still not a good enough coverage, then you need a corrective shade of green, yellow or blue.
Concealing your eye area is a little different than hiding a blemish or sunspot. The eye area is more sensitive and the skin is less dense. It’s hard to brighten the eye area without caking on

the makeup. Of course, to neutralize red eyelids, use a yellow concealer like Lemon Aid (Benefit, $20). Something that isn’t shown on the color wheel is the magic of pink. I used to use yellow to brighten my dark circles and it always looked unnatural. Then I discovered pink eye brighteners. They do a much better job of cutting the blue and purple under my eyes than yellow ever did. It looks natural and

smooth. My favorite eye brightening concealer is Maquicomplet in the shade, “Brightener” (Lancome, $27.50). Just a tiny amount instantly and naturally brightens the inner corners and dark circles under my eyes. If you have fine lines and wrinkles, patting concealer over it (even if you use a concealer brush) will make the wrinkles stand out more. That why I use Ooh La Lift (Benefit, $22). This remarkable miracle in a tube brightens darkness without giving the

appearance of raccoon eyes or enhancing wrinkles. This cream, although the consistency is more of a liquid, has light reflecting pigments and cell protecting raspberry extract. If I’ve had a good night’s sleep, Ooh La Lift is all I wear. On a normal day, I will apply Maquicomplet on the inner corners and under my eyes keeping it below my fine lines. I follow with Ooh La Lift on top of the Maquicomplet, as well as directly under my lash line. Finish with a loose powder to set.

Concealing different things calls for different formulas. For acne, you want a concealer with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or tea tree. My

favorite is Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer (Clinique, $13.50). It comes in 3 flesh tone shades and green. For age and sun spots, birth marks and scars, a brightening flesh tone concealer would be best. Look for a radiant finish concealer like Airbrush Concealer (Clinique, $19.50) so light will deflect and scatter darkness. Airbrush Concealer is also great for under the eyes and as a flesh tone topper to corrective colored concealers.
As for applying concealer, I like to pat it on with my index finger after putting on my foundation. The ring finger gives the least amount of pressure, so it is ideal to apply anything to the eye area with it. After applying to target areas, smooth over with a concealer brush. Don’t stroke or it may look streaky. Just pat gently until it blends flawlessly with your foundation. If you use a powder foundation, apply your concealer first. Finish with a loose powder to set your makeup.

Blushing Bride

We all have pictured our dream wedding. Everything is perfect, from the cake to the flowers, and especially the Bride. Enveloped in the gown she had been dreaming about since she was 7 years old- her makeup is flawless, not a single hair out of place, and her skin… glowing.

So how do you get that seraphic radiance that everyone envies? First of all, I have to say, STAY AWAY FROM SHIMMER on your face as much as possible. Shimmer on your eyes is okay, but any on your face will translate into oiliness on camera. The best way to achieve a healthy glow is with primers and highlighters. My favorite wedding day primer is Spotlight Skin Toning Perfector (Estee Lauder, $32). Instead of using this primer the conventional way, I like to mix it in with a

long lasting, matte finish foundation such as Lancome’s Teint Idole Ultra (Lancome, $40). Mixing the formulas, I don’t have to sacrifice my La Base Pro, and radiance is optimal.
After smoothing your foundation and illuminating primer of your choice over your face (as well as concealer in choice areas), apply a liquid highlighter to the parts of your face that the sun would naturally kiss. Your forehead, cheek apples, nose and chin are the most common areas. I like to add a little to defined jawlines and cheekbones for a softer look. My favorite highlighters are the Up-lighting Liquid Illuminator collection by Clinique ($22.50). These highlighters come in 4 shades; Natural, Blush, Peach, and Bronze. Follow with a matte finish loose powder.


Now that your base color is set, you can proceed with blush, eyes and lips. Minimal shimmer blush in shades of light pinks or corals work best to enhance a natural glow. My favorites are Estee Lauder’s Silky Powder Blush in Peach Nuance and Rose Nuance ($26). These variegated pressed powder blushes are shimmer free and have buildable coverage. A soft natural lip and eyeshadow in demure shades of pink and peach give a pretty touch to dewy perfection.

Makeup Mondays: Pink!


Until a few months ago the color pink made me uncomfortable. It was so feminine, so demure, so “girly.” To me, “girly” was a bad thing. It meant giddy, air headed, boy crazy and shallow; everything I didn’t want to be. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I would tell people “no pink please,” in fear that she would inherit those traits by simply wearing the color. Well, just a few weeks ago I admitted to the Facebook world that I liked pink! What really triggered my admiration for the color was Aaron de Mey’s debut color line for Lancome, Pink Irreverence.

I was practically forced into liking pink. As I looked through my Lancome spring business planner, I stopped jaws dropped on the pages gushing with hot pinks and sparkly blacks. I could hardly contain my excitement…for pink? A couple months later the line launched, and I was surprised to find out that I actually looked good in it! I then declared that anyone can wear pink. It’s just a matter of finding the perfect shade for you.

I would go into detail about how to chose and wear the right pink for you, but cosmetiholic already interviewed me for this very subject. I was featured on her “Makeup Artist Monday” article back in June. You can view the blog here: http://cosmetiholic.com/2009/05/31/makeup-artist-monday-marissa-rhoades.aspx
Here are some of my favorite pinks:

Eye shadow:

Lips:

  • “Bamboo Pink” Long Last Soft Shine Lipstick by Clinique ($14),
  • “Rock Icon Fuchsia” Color Fever Lipstick ($25), and “Electric Pink La Laque Fever Gloss ($26) by Lancome
  • Posie Tint Lip and Cheek Stain by Benefit ($28)


Blush:

  • Iced Lotus” Blushing Blush by Clinique ($18.50)
  • “Rose Fresque” Blush Subtil and “Shimmer Pink Pool” Blush Subtil Shimmer by Lancome ($29.50)
  • “Thrrrob” cheeck powder by Benefit ($28)

Marissa’s Pick of the Week


La Base Pro by Lancome (www.lancome-usa.com, $42) is a must have for anyone who wears foundation. I have La Base Pro at home and in my freelance box. This silicone based makeup primer is oil free and has a satiny smooth texture.

Using a makeup base is important to keep your skin healthy. The benefits of adding this extra step to your makeup routine are worth the end result. Not only does this oil free formula help to reduce shine, but the silicone sets a canvas on top of your skin to prevent your foundation from absorbing into your pores. Think of La Base Pro as a shield filling in pores and fine lines so nothing can slip through the cracks. Your makeup color stays truer longer, while your skin stays protected.
Applying La Base Pro is very easy, but there are some tricks that will help you love this product even more. One pump is enough for your entire face. It may not seem like it, but its silky consistency spreads well.
  1. Pump the product onto one hand.
  2. Dip a finger from the opposite hand into the base only acquiring a small amount, then blot on your forehead.
  3. Repeat this again dotting your cheeks and chin.
  4. Using your index and middle finger gently blend the base with a light touch until you getthe coverage you desire. Try to be as quick as possible without rubbing too hard.
  5. Wait 60 seconds before applying the foundation of your choice.
If you see rolling ( the product collecting and rolling off your skin), there may be one of a few things wrong.
  • you are rubbing it in too hard
  • you are taking too long to apply the product and it’s starting to dry while you are still blending
  • you didn’t wait long enough before applying foundation
  • you didn’t cleanse tone and moisturize your face before applying La Base Pro
  • you need to exfoliate using a face scrub or pad
La Base Pro is safe for all skin types and great for all foundations (including mineral makeup). I use it on myself and all my clients. I personally would rather not wear foundation than wear foundation without a makeup primer.