Have you guys heard that your sunblock could cause cancer? When I first read this, I practically fell off my chair. I have religiously practiced “safe sun” for as long as I can remember, applying sunblock every day. Then the other day I read an article stating that some common ingredients in sunscreen (such as vitamin A) can actually contribute to skin cancer. This seems so wrong and backwards, like diet food that actually contributes to weight gain. Oh wait a minute…
I took the photo above in the cosmetics section of my local supermarket. As soon as the news came out, every bad sunscreen on the market seemed to go on sale!
So anyway, I have thrown out all of my old sunscreens and am going to start fresh. My goal is to test as many safe sunscreens as possible and see which ones I love. I read through the list of safe sunscreens on the Environmental Working Group’s website to see my options. The first one I picked up is the Badger Sunscreen For Face and Body, SPF 30.
If you’ve tried some safe sunscreens on this list, let me know!
Posted 2 weeks, 4 days ago at 5:16 pm. Add a comment
Okay, how amazing was Betty White on SNL? That woman makes me laugh so much! At 88 years old, I find her completely inspiring for her energy and sense of humor.
Seeing her always reminds me of Golden Girls, my all-time favorite TV show. I loved watching Dorothy, Rose, Blanch and Sofia having so much fun as roommates in Miami. Even 30 years later, episodes of this show are still on cable. What is it that people love so much about these women? For me, it is the idea that getting older can be a joy. People stop being so self-conscious and learn to have more fun. What a major lesson this is, as many people waste years being inhibited instead of living in the moment.
Dougall and I recently returned from visiting our families in Florida. My grandmother-in-law lives in Naples, and is the picture of health at 94 years old. She lives in one of those beautiful retirement communities that are all over Florida. I love visiting her there because it reminds me that growing old can be fun. Water aerobics in the pool, card games with friends, and a non-stop buffet at the restaurant; you get the idea. My husband likes to make fun of me by saying that I’m looking forward to getting old, and he may have a point.
Now that we’re back in Los Angeles, I often meet people who are consumed with trying to look young – at any cost. I like to think of the Golden Girls as an example of how much fun getting older can be. So go put on some shoulder pads and tangerine lipstick in honor of the ladies, and celebrate life!
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago at 9:49 am. Add a comment
We finally moved into our new home! Dougall and I had been looking to buy a new place for well over a year in LA, which is way longer than we expected it to take. Who knew there were so many people in Los Angeles? We made four previous offers and got outbid on each house. So this time, I brushed off my ‘manifesting’ cap and started to visualize us living in our new home. I closed my eyes and pictured us sipping wine on the back patio, watching the sunset. I wrote down our names and the address of the home that we wanted about 1000 times. I even wrote ourselves a letter and addressed it to the house we wanted, with the intention that I would mail it to our new home the day that we moved. And you know what? We got the house!
In any case, after being up to my neck in boxes and packing tape, the dust has finally settled and I’m so happy to be home.
I have been surprised and delighted by our garden here, there are over a dozen rosebushes! Since we did not plant them, it’s been a complete surprise to see the color of each bush as it blooms. I’ve been completely inspired by the colors of each of them, in particular a soft pink (that’s a photo of it above). In fact, I’ve been seeing these roses in my head when I think of new makeup looks for clients.
With this in mind, I recommend one of my favorite blushes of all time. It’s a product called Blushcreme by MAC, and the color is called Ladyblush. If you’ve hesitated to try cream blush in the past, this is a great product to start with. You can just swirl your finger lightly on it and then blend right into the apples of your cheeks. It will give you a perfect rosy pink flush on your cheeks. Although I am a fan of a dewy blush, you can set this with a sheer powder blush if you want it to last longer (MAC blush in Cute is perfect for this) The added bonus is that you can also use it on your lips. Just top it with your favorite lip gloss and you’re done!
The Oscars are one of my favorite TV events of the year. An avid lover of quality films, I enjoy supporting the achievements of great actors and…oh, who am I kidding? I love to get together with my friends and talk about what people are wearing. It is so much fun to see the ladies in their elegant dresses and jewels. It’s even more fun to see the people who look ridiculous and have way too much makeup on. I say this even as I sympathize with the stylists who work incredibly hard on Oscar day.
As a makeup artist, I get to see how much primping that goes into making an actress Oscar-ready. Last year I arrived at the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills six hours before the Oscars. My Oscar-nominated client was already visited by her clothing stylist and jeweler. After getting her prepped and ready, I crowded into the elevator and ran into a few other stylists that I know. We all looked at eachother and giggled at the thousands of dollars and hours involved to create the image of a “perfect” woman. However, what most people fail to realize is that these women are often just as insecure as the rest of us. It’s enlightening for me to see that even the most physically beautiful woman can find something negative to say about her looks.
What makes me a good makeup artist is that I see beauty very easily. I meet with clients and am able to point out their best features and how to accentuate them. I tell my clients all the things that I think are beautiful about them, and if I do my job correctly then they will feel better about themselves by the end of the session. I do this with every client, whether or not they are nominated for an Oscar.
If I can offer any advice to you, it would be to see your own beauty. Look in the mirror and see the things that you like about yourself. Most people look in the mirror and do the exact opposite. So when you watch the Oscars on Sunday night, feel good about yourself and rest assured that those women did not wake up looking like that.
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago at 2:54 pm. Add a comment
What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without washing your hair? A week? A month? If you’re a makeup brush, the likelihood is that you’ve never been washed at all. I often do private makeup applications for people, and they love to get my advice about their makeup bags. It is always shocking to me when people will tell me that they’ve never washed their brushes before. Your brushes are likely made out of natural animal hair. And just like your hair, your brushes will get really dirty and nasty if you never wash them. Makeup, oils from your face, and dirt from your bag collect on your brushes and can make you break out.
The good news is that washing your brushes is incredibly quick and easy to do. It takes a couple of minutes, and there are many benefits. First, your skin will appreciate the clean brush and reward you with fewer breakouts. Your makeup will look better when you apply it; more like I did it for you! Your brushes will feel brand new and luxurious against your skin, and who doesn’t like that? And finally, it will extend the life of your brushes, which is usually the most expensive part of a makeup bag.
So go ahead and give it a try! Then put on some makeup, and go show off your hot self at happy hour.
Posted 5 months, 4 weeks ago at 12:20 pm. Add a comment
So I have to admit, I’m kind of a lip balm junkie. Ever since I was a kid and tried cherry Chap Stick, I loved the way that it made my lips feel smooth and slippery.
Picture it: I was in upstate New York with my family, where we had gone for a New Year’s skiing trip. Since I am a native Floridian, I had no idea that snow and cold weather can dry and burn your skin. I mentioned to my sister that my lips felt super dry, so she started fishing around in her puffy pastel ski jacket (it was the 80’s after all). She finally produced what looked like a piece of candy; a cherry Chap Stick, in a bright red tube with a plastic white cap. I was enamored, my lips were rescued, and the love affair with lip balm began.
As an adult, my tastes in lip balm have evolved. After many tests, these are three of my favorite lip balms right now:
This stuff is amazing. Made with grapeseed oil and many other antioxidants, it feels so good that I kind of want to make out with it. It has a creamy-velvety texture that I find intoxicating. At $12, it’s the priciest of my choices, but it feels like a luxurious treat for your lips.
This was a really nice surprise when I discovered it at my local beauty supply store. Made with shea butter and vanilla, it has a heavenly scent and makes my lips feel delicious. This stuff makes for a very tasty kiss, and it’s five bucks!
Can you say chocolate? This stick has a really yummy cocoa scent and makes your lips super soft. I actually discovered this by accident, through a pregnant friend who was using it to prevent stretch marks. It can be used all over your body to relieve dry skin, and it’s $3.49 at the drugstore. Just make sure that you buy the swivel stick and not their lip balm, which I don’t like nearly as much.
If you try one of these out, tell me what you think. Just remember; your lips don’t produce any moisture of their own, so help them out!
Posted 6 months, 1 week ago at 1:08 pm. Add a comment
Hey guys, I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve! My husband and I cooked a great meal, had a nice bottle of wine, and worked on our vision boards. Alright fine, we bought most of it ready-made at Whole Foods and drank more than one bottle of wine. Nonetheless, it was really fun! It’s become a tradition for us, because I don’t like driving on NYE. That, and it feels like there’s huge pressure to make New Year’s Eve the best night of the year.
So it’s 2010, a new year and a new decade. This is a great time to start positive habits. May I suggest using SPF? It’s such an easy way to care for your skin, and will prevent wrinkles! It’s never too late to start, even if you grew up doing that whole baby-oil-as-sunblock-thing. My favorite sunblock lately is Alba Green Tea SPF 30 Sunscreen. It can be purchased at many drugstores, and at under $10, is pretty affordable. I am not a fan of expensive sunscreens, because I think it makes me use less of it (in an effort to make it last longer). Use it every morning, and let it set in for a few minutes before applying makeup. Then blot with a tissue to absorb any excess shine.
I think 2010 is going to be a great year, I can just feel it! 2009 was a difficult year for many people, but I think some important lessons came out of it. The main lesson for me is to focus on what’s really important; love. My main resolution is simply to love myself and feel gratitude as much as possible. I wish the same for you, to love and be more kind to yourself. Just be happy and know that you are beautiful, with or without makeup!
Posted 6 months, 3 weeks ago at 5:09 pm. Add a comment
Winter is upon us! I love this season because of the cold weather and holidays. It must be the Miami native in me, because I never had a real winter growing up. Hot chocolate, a warm sweater, and good moisturizer are all very comforting to me.
I took the photo above when I was in New York for Thanksgiving. I find the leaves so peaceful and elegant. Rich coppers, tawny golds, and chocolate browns have even inspired the makeup I use on clients!
My favorite product this season is definitely MAC Lustreglass in Ornamental. A bronzey-coppery red, it is really flattering on almost all skin tones. It is a sheer formula, which means that it gives the impression of a warm-red lip without being too intense. I highly recommend this product paired with MAC blush in Gingerly. This is a soft bronze blush that manages to make you look both flushed and tan, which I think is a really sexy combination.
Posted 7 months, 2 weeks ago at 3:56 pm. Add a comment
On the topic of weddings, it is the makeup artist’s job to make sure that the bride looks flawless all day long. Since this can mean up to twelve hours of perfect skin, I need to work with products that will go the distance. For my last wedding, I decided to use MAC longwear lustre lipcolour. This liquid lipstick goes on like a stain, which means that it dries and leaves nothing but the color. For the rest of the day you only apply the attached gloss, no need to reapply the color!
The fun part about this product is that it doubles as a cheek stain as well! Just blend it out on bare skin, and your blush will last as long as your lipstick. Some of my favorite colors are Lishious (a peachy gold) and Boss Brown (a neutral bronze). Even though this is a perfect bridal product, it is also perfect for a day at the beach.
Make sure that your lips are completely dry when using the lipcolour, otherwise the product will not dry properly and end up peeling off (not pretty). Also, blend fast when using this as blush!
Posted 1 year, 1 month ago at 8:52 am. Add a comment
I am so glad to be back home in Los Angeles! I was in NYC over the weekend to do makeup for a wedding, which I love to do. It’s gratifying for me to be part of such an important time in people’s lives. It can also be stressful for the bride, which is why I’m glad that I’m a pretty relaxed person. I usually get to be with the bride in the last moments before she walks down the aisle, and keeping her calm is a priority of mine. Well, that and making her look gorgeous.
An important step in flawless bridal makeup is using a makeup primer. A primer is important because it fills in any lines or “textures” in the skin that you would like to cover with makeup. Primer also creates an invisible barrier between your skin and the makeup, so that it lasts longer.
My favorite primer nowadays is the Temptu Primer, which is what I used on my last bride. It is a very light lotion that I apply to the skin after using moisturizer (let the moisturizer sink in for 5 minutes first). It is silicone-based, which helps smooth out the skin and “primes” it for whatever you put on next (concealer, foundation). I find this product highly effective, and at $11, much more cost effective than comparable primers. Note: If you have acne, a silicone-based product may aggravate your skin. Otherwise you’re good to go.
Posted 1 year, 1 month ago at 3:43 pm. Add a comment
Okay, how amazing was Betty White on SNL? That woman makes me laugh so much! At 88 years old, I find her completely inspiring for her energy and sense of humor. 
We finally moved into our new home! Dougall and I had been looking to buy a new place for well over a year in LA, which is way longer than we expected it to take. Who knew there were so many people in Los Angeles? We made four previous offers and got outbid on each house. So this time, I brushed off my ‘manifesting’ cap and started to visualize us living in our new home. I closed my eyes and pictured us sipping wine on the back patio, watching the sunset. I wrote down our names and the address of the home that we wanted about 1000 times. I even wrote ourselves a letter and addressed it to the house we wanted, with the intention that I would mail it to our new home the day that we moved. And you know what? We got the house!
