Category Archives: artist

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Marissa’s Pick of the Week – Turnaround Concentrate

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I can’t stress enough how important exfoliation is for your skin. It clarifies, cleanses, and brightens skin better than just washing. What most people don’t know, is that for optimal results, they need 2 kinds of exfoliation: manual and chemical. Manual being an abrasive scrub or facial brush/towel/loofa, and chemical being a topical beauty product.
Clinique‘s Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer (39.50) has been a staple in my skincare regimen since it debuted in 2005. An improved formula from the original Total Turnaround cream, this serum penetrates deeper into the epidermis to speed up cell renewal. The result: clarity and radiance. Because Total Turnaround Concentrate continuously exfoliates from the inside out, your skin will look younger, fresher, and brighter. It even helps acne scars fade faster.
Apply twice a day under your moisturizer avoiding the eye area. Continue to use your manual exfoliator 3-5 days a week. I also like to apply this serum to my decolletage, for a more youthful looking neckline. You will definitely notice a difference within a week.

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Marissa’s Pick of the Week – Ocillation Powerbooster


I’m not a “mascara everyday” kind of girl, but when I do wear it, I go all the way. If I’m going to be suffocating my precious lashes, I want to make sure they have the best protection and nourishment. Oscillation Powerbooster (Lancome, $39) protects and enhances your lashes using the best ingredients and technology at a reasonable price. This first vibrating mascara primer separates and coats like no other primer on the market. With just one coat, your lashes are visibly longer and thicker. Another coat boosts the effects of your mascara dramatically. Other comparable products on the market average at $100 per tube, but they can’t boost the effects of your mascara like Ocillation Powerbooster.

Benefits:
vibrating wand – 7,000 oscillations per minute give better separation, wiggles out clumps, and coats lashes 360 degrees so you don’t have to apply a layer on top of your lashes.
Cresentia Complex – Lancome’s exclusive cocktail with ingredients like jojoba oil and Vitamin B5 strengthen and condition lashes. Fragile or damaged lashes are nurtured and protected, and less hair falls out during mascara removal.
How to use:
Holding the button down, start at the base of your lash line and slowly comb upward. Don’t wiggle the wand from side to side (as most women do out of habit) or you won’t achieve the best results. Apply 1-3 coats, then immediately follow with your favorite mascara.
You can also follow this video tutorial on how to apply the Ocillation mascara: http://www.lancome-usa.com/beautyschool/videos/oscillation.aspx
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Non-Pencil Eyeliners

I love cream, gel, powder, and liquid eyeliners. They last longer, glide on smoothly, and are easier to manipulate. “Unpenciled” eyeliners are perfect for creating shapes and effects such as cat eyes or smokey eyes. I generally use an angled liner brush for all these formulas (except liquid), but most companies have a brush specifically made for their cream/gel eyeliners. When it comes to liquid eyeliner, I prefer the foam tips as opposed to the brush applicator. It’s less messy and more precise. Here are some of my favorites:


Liquid eyeliner:

Artliner (Lancome, $28)
Liquidlast Liner (M.A.C., $16.50)
Metal Eyed Liner (Too Faced, $17.50)


Cream eyeliner:

Brush On Cream Liner (Clinique, $14.50)
Ink for Eyes (Urban Decay, $22)
Aqua Cream Liner (Make Up For Ever, $20)


Gel eyeliner:

Fluidline (M.A.C., $15)
Ink Artliner (Lancome, $23.50)

Powder eyeliner:

Carbon Eye Shadow (M.A.C., $14.50)

Brushes:

266 Small Angle Brush (M.A.C., 19.50)
Get Bent Brush (Benefit, $16)
Smudger Brush #10 (Lancome, $24.50)
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Makeup Mondays: The Matte Movement

Remember when the cool, special makeup colors had shimmer, and matte color was the normal boring stuff? Nowadays it’s the opposite. Of course shimmer and glitter and sparkle are everywhere! The girls love it! Supply and demand, right? I’d like to present a challenge to all you millennium kids: leave the shimmer behind. Don’t get me wrong, I love shimmer too, but there comes a time for change. I personally think matte makeup is more sophisticated and does a better job at defining facial features. Maybe it’s my inner goth, but deep merlot lips and black shadowed eyes exude seductive, mysterious and inviting. My softer side thinks matte neutrals are perfect for achieving a romantic, vintage look. The best brands I’ve seen for matte makeup are Make Up For Ever and M.A.C. Matte will probably be a new trend this fall, so keep a look out for limited edition matte makeup from your favorite brands.

My faves!
Eye shadows:
Carbon (MAC, $14.50) – the blackest black. I also use this as an eyeliner.

Orange (MAC $14.50) – the perfect orange.
Fuchsia (Make Up For Ever, $19)
Teddy Bear Colour Surge Eyeshadow Quad (Clinique, $25) – I wear this quad on simple days to brighten my eyes. It enhances a very naturally.
Lipsticks:

Plum (Make Up Forever, $19) – a deep burgundy
Rust (Make Up For Ever, $19) – warm nude
Pink Chocolate (Clinique, $14) – neutral warm pink
Diva (M.A.C., $14) – reddish burgundy; this is my favorite plum ever!
Viva La Glam I (M.A.C., $14) – intense cool red; %100 of the profit goes to M.A.C.’s AIDS find
Viva La Glam III (M.A.C., $14) – warm plum; %100 of the profit goes to M.A.C.’s AIDS fund
Sephora Flame (NARS, $24) – the perfect red for warm skin tones
Blush:
Peach Apricot (Make Up For Ever, $19) – a light coral for a natural look
Pumpkin (Make Up For Ever, $19) -orange for bright and kind of crazy
Dusty Pink (Make Up For Ever, $19) – warm dusty pink for a natural look
Fever (M.A.C., $18.50) – Intense reddish burgundy for a vampy look
Melba (M.A.C., 18.50) – soft coral
Foundation:
Teint Idol Ultra (Lancome, $40) – oil free, buildable coverage, and wears for 14 hours

Perfectly Real Makeup (Clinique, $23) – long wearing, light weight, natural finish
Studio Tech (M.A.C., 29.50) – compact makeup that diffuses light and had a powder finish

Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation (Make Up For Ever, $34) – oil free, controls shine, water-resistant
Dream Matte Mousse Makeup (Maybelline, $8-$10 available at drugstores) -super matte finish, light weight, buildable coverage
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Brand Spotlight: Make Up Forever


In the magical year of 1984, the Make Up For Ever cosmetic line was created by sculptor and painter, Dany Sanz. Since the 1970s, Dany’s Parisian Makeup Academy has taught makeup application that range from basic to advanced stage effects. Because of the quality of her makeup formulas and special techniques, her services as a makeup artist were high in demand. Later, she was able to create a line of quality cosmetics available to the public.

Why I LOVE this brand:
My career fantasy is to be a makeup artist for music artists and bands. I love to be creative and to transform people. Make Up Forever is perfect for photo shoots and television because they offer their HD Generation collection. This line of complexion perfection (includes foundation, primer, concealer and powder) makes skin look flawless on camera no matter how close up your close-up is. They also provide a large selection of matte colors for eyes, face and lips.
Make Up For Ever is also perfect for live gigs thanks to their long lasting, highly pigmented formulas. They carry the widest selection of waterproof cosmetics I’ve ever seen. Their Face and Body Liquid Makeup ($38) is a super light weight water-based gel is long lasting and waterproof. Their Aqua eyes eyeliner ($17) comes in 25 shades, Aqua Creamliner ($20) has 6 shades. Tested by professional synchronized swimmers, Pro Waterproof Eyeliner is only available in black at Make Up For Ever boutiques. To top it off, (as if their makeup wasn’t awesome enough already) Make Up For Ever carries a sealer for face and eyes.
All fantasies aside, I love Make Up For Ever because of the quality and selection. My favorite formulas of makeup to use are cream, gel and liquid. Major department store brands only offer a few colors of these textures. With Make Up For Ever, I don’t have to bounce around from counter to counter to get every color of cream shadow I want.
Here is a list of my favorite Make Up For Ever products:
Face:

Eyes:

Lips: