I might have had the longest weekend in history. I flew (sick and disturbed due to my immense fear of flying) to Chicago for The Artist Summit! Three action packed days of beauty! I met a slew of people…hung out, partied, shopped, learned, interviewed (and froze), and it was fabulous. Here are my top 5 highlights, in no particular order!

1. Inglot Cosmetics- I’d never played with (or heard of) this brand before, but they had some intense products! They’ve got lipsticks, pigments, glosses, cream liners, you name it, they have it! They’ve got a cool concept, where you can place your products in a “freedom system”, a palette that includes and of their products. If you want shadows, blushes and glosses in one palette, it’s simple.

2. Crown Brush-Department store quality brushes that start at $2 a pop. I bought 6 brushes that I’ve never seen before…by any brand, for $18. Who can beat it? Plus, they accept Paypal! In depth reviews to come..

3. Alcone- The brand that creates the greatest makeup sponges and makeup wipes of all time were in the house. I walked right up to the booth, got distracted by someone speaking to me, and left them there! Seriously, Alcone is an industry leader, and their teeny tiny makeup store houses just about everything you’ll need as an artist!

4.Web Photo Master-The hands down easiest ( and visually rewarding) way to create a stunning portfolio online. ‘Nuff said.

5. Classes! I sat in on Kathy Aragon’s class on Camera Ready Makeup. I might be ready to tackle the daunting feat! She swears by many cult makeup faves, Face Atelier Foundation (plus, she uses the ultra sheer along the cheek for added dewyness), L’Oreal Voluminous mascara, the Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer and Make Up For Ever Star Powders.

MAC wasn’t going to let brands like Make Up For Ever, Cargo and Kryolon have all of the HD fun! MAC whipped up a new collection of products that have been on their shelves for years. This time, they’ve introduced them with a twist. To sum it up, MAC is basically saying that they’ve been ahead of the game for years! Ha! Face and Body foundation has been a MAC store exclusive for over 20 years. The first time I used it was during the Barbie collection. I had on a green sundress, and wanted to look flawless like Barbie! I moisturized with lotion, then used my hands to rub the N9 shade all over my arms, legs, neck and décolletage. Then, I set everything with pressed powder. Perfect, even skin. The main image above is a hoard of Face and Body Foundations from my dear friend Warren’s kit. Clearly, he swears by them. He used them on his model Julia at a photoshoot at Studio400. ( That’s a whole other blogpost, and it’s coming soon!)

Also in this collection are 8 Mineralize Powders, baked in an oven for hours and jam packed with over 77 minerals. The result? Naturally matte skin with substance. My friend and fellow makeup artist Niki told me that she uses these on every member of the bridal party, and they all rave over the finish. I love the effect of buffing it in over a cream foundation, the glow is out of this world!

That’s not it, though! Also in this collection are 5 new lipsticks and the infamous skunk brush duo, the 187 and 188. Stay tuned for the collection, on counter September 10th, 2009.

Emmy wining Makeup Artist Marie DelPrete gave MAC an exclusive interview about makeup for HDTV. Here’s a quick excerpt of what she had to say.

Q: If I were to open your makeup kit right now, what items would be down to the last drop (name specific
M·A·C items)?

Skin Care – Strobe Cream, Prep + Prime Skin, Blot Film

Foundations – Face and Body Foundation

Concealers – Select Cover Moisture

Powders – Invisible Set Powder, Blot Pressed Powder in Medium

Bronzing Powders – Matte Bronze

Blush – Blush Créme

Eyeliners – Penultimate In Rapid Black

Eyebrows – Eyebrows In Lingering and Fling

Mascaras – Pro Lash In Charcoal Black and Coal Black

Lips – Viva Glam V & VI

Tools – 190 Foundation Brush

Q: You’ve perfected the art of makeup – for HDTV and otherwise – with your envy-worthy application of
makeup. Can you share your top five tips for HDTV makeup application (eyes, face, cheeks, and lips)?

Brighten, don’t lighten. Use illuminating products to help bring brightness to recessed areas of the face. I
love using M.A.C. Strobe Cream.

Think satin. Powder the face to a satin finish. A matte finish is too flat and heavy-looking for HD, while a
dewy finish reads as too shiny. Satin comes across as a healthy glow.

Blotting Paper. It’s great for touch-ups, removing surface oils and helping to limit powder buildup. M.A.C.
Blot Film is the perfect product.

Good grooming. The high def camera will find all of those unsightly facial hairs, nose hairs, unruly
eyebrows, unibrows, ear hairs and peach fuzz. Beards and mustaches should be well-groomed.

Finish with a bronzer. Use a bronzer at the very end to put life back into the skin.

Nars rocks. I’ve been planning to purchase a few of their lipsticks (Shanghai Express, Afghan Red and Jungle Red). I always go into Sephora and swatch a bunch of colors that catch my eye, and these seem to be the ones that I always grabbing!

The Nars Bridal Palette has been calling my name for weeks now. Anywho, I own two colors in this palette, but I need it anyway. Granted, this palette has the word “Bridal” rammed into the title, but you don’t have to be a bride to be, nor a make-up artist to have it! The colors inside give you the option for a lovely day look or a deeper night look. For $65, you receive 10 colors. Yes, the colors are smaller than usual, but keep in mind that Nars isn’t cheap. Lipsticks are $24, and duo eye shadows are $32. This provides you with a great way to try and assortment of colors. Keep in mind that this set is now exclusive to Narscosmetics.com.

The contents include:
Eye shadows: Edie, Nepal, Night Fever, Ondine
Blush: Albatross, Orgasm
Lip Colors: Mitzi, Baby Doll, Sexual Healing, Roman Holiday

Generally speaking, using shimmer on the face is a “makeup no-no” when it comes to the wedding day. It can sometimes make your look dated, or make your photos look shiny or metallic for years to come. It’s a matter of preference, though. This is just what I’ve heard and learned over time. Wedding or not, I can envision some lovely FOTD’s with this palette!!! I’ll have all the details when I get it! Until then, check out Pink’s Youtube Video Review!

It’s here! Celebrity make-up artist AJ Crimson has started his segment where he answers your makeup questions via video on youtube! This is truly a genius idea! I know that I don’t have to keep telling you about the celebrities that he does. This is truly an awesome opportunity to get real makeup advice! To submit your questions, e-mail him at AskAJCrimson@gmail.com!

Hey everyone! Hope you had a fabulous Mother’s Day! Above you’ll find a video from Celebrity Make-Up Artist AJ Crimson . It’s very, very inspiring, I must say. He is one of the coolest guys I’ve met in a very long time. Can’t wait to link up with him and see the new colors live in action at The Makeup Show NYC! He’s also working on a new series where he answers your beauty questions, and sends you a free gift! More details on this soon!

No worries if you missed out on the last sale. There’s a brand new, even bigger, even hotter sale at Kissable Couture! Kissablecouture.com is having a 45% off your entire purchase or more on the site for the first 50 clients! All you have to do is enter the promo code “SB” at checkout. (Yep, SB stands for Scandalous Beauty! Yeah baby!) I CAN’T WAIT to try “La Fleur Collection!” It’s so pastel, so feminine, so gorgeous!!! It’s got my name all over it! EDIT: You can view all of the glosses that Kissable Couture has to offer here! I didn’t see this part of the website before! There are way more glosses than I thought!

Again, don’t forget to check out The Lipgloss Guide to see me in Chris and The Lipgloss Guide Part 2 to see me wear Tyler and Honesty. I’m off to plan my birthday extravaganza for later today: Starbucks, Oyin Handmade and Nordstrom!

Also, congratulations to the winners of The Makeup Show tickets, B and MynJuan! Check your e-mails ladies!

I could be alone, but images like this inspire me to be a better makeup artist. Since I am avidly building my kit, pictures like this give me insight on what the big boys and big girls in the game are doing. To the right you’ll find an image of some of Billy B.’s products laid out for use. This is thousands and thousands of dollars worth of product! Trust me, this is one twentieth of what is in his kit!

If you look really closely, you can see the Studio Fix compacts labeled on the outside for easy location. You’ll also find a bottle of Duo and hair extension glue (aka track glue, hehe), a pill jar full of lip colors (most likely broken-off lip sticks), sponges (I’m guessing they are made by Alcone, the best in the industry!) and Ben Nye and Iman loose powders inside MAC travel containers. Ooh, and over at the top, you will also spot a few tubes of L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara, Billy’s fave.

If you want to see the many faces that Billy uses these products on, check out his website at www.billybbeauty.com. And, don’t forget to check out the BEAUTIFUL salon that Billy created with Syd Curry in good ole Mississippi, BillyBBeauty & Syd Curry Salon. It’s just adorable!

Stretch Mark & Cellulite Repair

Finally, the truth on which promising products will actually help — and which are just money-wasting hype

Many of us are genetically destined to get stretch marks and cellulite. (Yeah, thanks, we know!) But thanks to expert help from two of the country’s most famous rock star-level skin gurus and 200,000 unbiased beauty product reviews from TotalBeauty.com readers, you can effectively prevent and minimize the appearance of these bummer issues. Get the real scoop here. Get the facts

Three Custom Color is a brand that we’ve begged and pleaded for!! One of the best features of this brand is that they custom make products. What does this mean? Remember that old tube of (insert your favorite discontinued or limited edition color) from (the brand that had the audacity to create the product and take it away from you)? Well, 3CC can remake the product for you!You can search their database of previous requests, or submit a sample to them. Or, if you would like to make your own custom gloss, lipstick, shadow, powder or anything of the like, they can handle that too.

I LOVE the Artists Concealer palette! You can custom make any color that you need to right then and there! I’ll be using this on clients, and I’ve used it on myself to highlight, contour and conceal. It comes with a mini spatula and concealer brush. I read on the website that you can use a damp sponge with it to create lovely foundation for the skin. Niiice. If you don’t need all ten colors, you can also order the trio palettes, or order a single shade. One of the products that I am working toward having in my collection is the Perfectly Pink Lip Palette. Oh, and the A Century of Red Lip Palette. Each case holds 10 vital shades that can be used time and time again. What a genius idea! Can’t wait to check out their booth at The Makeup Show! More details to follow…in May!

Luxe vs. Less Skin Care

Find out what products to splurge on and when to save your hard-earned dollars

You don’t have to spend half your paycheck on skincare products to stay wrinkle and pimple-free. That said, slathering household condiments on your face to avoid paying for the good stuff isn’t necessary either. Dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban and P&G scientist Mary Begovic Johnson helped us compare products with similar ingredients that are very different in cost. Here’s what we found. See products

Since I have a few gigs coming up, it’s time for me to add to my kit. This go round, I’ll be doing more Caucasian women, so foundations and powders are needed!

There are quite a few brands of makeup that are widely used by the pro artist community, but not necessarily by consumers. In a few months, I’ll probably purchase the Neutral Graftobian Hi-Def Glamour Creme Super Palette. I’m also interested in the infamous RCMA Foundation Palettes. Before I order, I will most likely order some samples of the products. I’ve never used anything from either brand, but I figure it’s worth a shot! I’m really loving Camera Ready Cosmetics, Pro Artist Mary Erikson caters to the individuals in the artistry field! You absolutely must check out her site!

Celebrity MUA Billy B. swears by Face Atelier Ultra Pro Founations. I have watched him use them on several models. After seeing the results, I was instantly intrigued. In a perfect world, if I was making CRAZY good money, I would stock up on every shade of Make Up For Ever HD Foundation. Too me, it’s the ultimate. ‘Nuff said.

As of right now, it is in my best interest to do what I thought of all along. I bought a wide array of MAC Concealers a few months back, including Studio Finish, Select Moisturecover, Studio Stick and today, Studio Sculpt concealers. I haven’t purchased Select Cover Up for my kit, I suppose because I didn’t like the way it looked on myself. For sure, Studio Finish runs my kit. I own 10 shades, because it is so very versatile, you can keep it full coverage, or thin it down for a more sheer coverage. It can cover tatoo’s, birthmarks, moles, and everything else!!! If you’d like to see how I use it as a foundation, check out one of my first video tutorials on Youtube : Flawless Full Coverage Skin!

I can’t even stress how excited I am for The Makeup Show NYC. Seriously, it’s going to be SUCH a great time. Every year that I go, I have such a fabulous time. Warren B. and I went last year, and it was just too good of a time. If you are a pro makeup artist, you just have to be there. Actually, that’s the only way you can be there. There are no other options! Brands such as Make Up For Ever, MAC Pro, Becca, Alcone, Graftobian and Smashbox will be there, amongst several others!

Let’s not even mention the slew of classes and workshops that are available! The official list isn’t available yet, but keep checking in for the list. Every year, I try to take the Bridal class with Johnny Lavoy and the Billy B. Beauty class. Here’s a list of classes and seminars at the LA Makeup Show last year, which will probably be very similar.

This That Beauty, Nessasary Makeup and Clumps of Mascara all went to the LA Makeup Show! I really wish that I could have met them!!! Check out the video above for more information, and all of the official deets (details) can be found at TheMakeupShow.com!

One of the questions that people always ask me is about makeup schools and classes. If you want to work with makeup, but can’t attend a school at the time, try a retail job selling makeup at Sephora. From what I have heard, they are more concerned with how you sell to people and your level of customer service, not your level of artistry. People always ask about me about the advantages of working at Sephora. Of course there is the discount, playing with makeup all day, and the chance to be able to attend Sephora University!!!

This sounds like something I made up, but indeed, it exists!!! This state of the art facility located in San Francisco, CA was created to further educate Sephora’s employees. This space of over 25,000 square feet includes five training rooms (that can be broken down to create two larger training areas), a cafe, spirit shop to purchase Sephora items, a library and get this, a museum!!! Who woulda thunk?!?!

There are more than 30 programs there, including “Science of Sephora: a week long class that educates participants on the science of skincare, haircare, color, fragrance, ingredients, and general beauty product knowledge, Encore Classes: an additional week long training session to become a skincare, color, or fragrance expert, and Leadership courses: to build management skills and determine learning styles such as DiSC, Situational Leadership, and Facilitative Leadership.”

Thinking about working at Sephora and becoming a pupil of Sephora University??? Here’s more information!