Archive February 2010
Review: MUFE High Definition Elixir
MAKE UP FOREVER HD ELIXIR
MAKE UP FOREVER’S High Definition Elixir is a relatively new product for the brand. I have been carrying it around in my kit for several weeks waiting and wishing for the perfect opportunity to whip it out and finally see what all the fuss is about. Lucky for me, I was given two opportunities this past week to test out the product.
What is it?
MUFE Elixir is a serum desinged to hydrate and brighten your skin.
What it Claims to Do:
MUFE says that their Elixir boosts the skin’s hydration levels up to 520% after 15 minutes, and lasts throughout the day (175% after 6 hours)!!! The unique formula is also said to restore skin’s radiance and leave a super smooth surface for the rest of your makeup.
Does it Really Work?
Yes, yes and yes!
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The Skinny
Test 1: On a recent photo shoot, I was working with a model who has been taking Accutane (an intense acne treatment), leaving her with extremely dry, flaky skin. Obviously, any makeup I put on her would not glide seamlessly if the canvas was not properly prepared. I began with the Elixir and applied it to her whole face using a foundation brush and I let it sink in for a few minutes. A little goes a long way!! It is very lightweight and it absorbs into the skin really quick. After the Elixir, I applied a heavier creamy moisturizer and finally, foundation. I kept a very close eye on her skin throughout the 8 hour shoot and it held up amazingly! I barely had to touch it up.
Test 2: During the same week on a commercial shoot, another model with dry skin sat in my chair. Her skin was not as bad as the first model, but she had flakiness in corners of her nose and dryness underneath her eyes and around her chin. I massaged MUFE’s Elixir into the dry spots with my finger tips and they disappeared completely allowing the rest of the makeup to glide on. There was no hint of dryness anywhere, and we were shooting in HD! HD sees EVERYTHING.
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I definitely recommend this Elixir if you suffer from dryness anywhere on your face. When your skin is flaky and dehydrated, makeup tends to get caught and gather in the dry areas. If you massage in a little bit of the Elixir, the dryness disappears! It’s not greasy at all and it’s oil free. I cannot say I really noticed a change in the overall radiance of the skin, but I usually work on brightening the skin with other products so maybe they masked it 
The only con about MUFE’s magical Elixir is the price 
At $38 a bottle, it might be out of budget for many customers, especially if you are already using moisturizer and primer in your skincare routine.
However, if you can afford to try it, I recommend that you do! You’ll be hooked.
Spring Trend Alert: CORAL
Hot Color For Spring 2010:
CORAL
Seen all over the Spring/Summer 2010 runways, coral is definitely the “it” color for next season! The gorgeous peachy-pink has been popping up everywhere, from new makeup collections (see Bobbi Brown’s Cabana Coral Collection above), to the faces of celebrities. Check out what all the hype is about, and how you can make coral your go-to color for Spring!
At her Spring 2010 show, Diane Von Furstenberg’s models (left) wore coral eyeshadow on their lids, that extended out to their upper cheekbones. At Anna Sui’s Spring show, makeup artist Pat Mcgrath used Covergirl’s Simply Ageless Blush in Plush Peach to achieve the coral cheeks seen (on right).
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Nail polish is an awesome way to subtly incorporate the coral craze into your life! Essie’s, The Art of Spring Collection 2010, has a gorgeous coral shade, and it looks amazing with a tan (fake, of course ).
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MAC’s Spring Color Forecast Collection is a compilation of the four hottest colors for Spring, and of course, coral is included. Looking for a bit of coral to add to your makeup collection?
MAC Recommends:
- Perky Eyeshadow (light, salmon pink)
- Hot Hot Hot Eyeshadow (mid-tone coral)
- Color Me Coral Lipstick (light frosty coral)
- Ember Glow Lipglass (creamy, light apricot)
- Ripe Peach Blush Ombre (light coral)
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Jessica Biel was recently spotted wearing a bright coral lipstick at the premiere of Valentine's Day on Feb 3, 2010.
How To Make Coral Work For You!!
Coral is a universally flattering color for any skintone, you just have find the right shade! Below is a small guide to lead you in the direction of finding the right coral for your skin.
Light
If you have lighter skin, pale toned, cooler corals will great on you! Try Vincent Longo’s Diamond Lipgloss in Coral Cabana, or YSL’s Pure Coral Lipgloss.
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Medium
Medium and olive toned skin look amazing in coral!! Try and aim for more warmer, apricot toned corals to brighten you up and make you look sun-kissed and healthy. Try MAC’s Mineralize Blush in Gleeful applied to the apples of your cheeks. Or YSL’s Golden Coral Lipgloss.
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Dark
Darker skintones are able to pull off brighter shades of coral! Although they might be intimidatingly bright in the pot, they will look perfect once properly applied. Try NARS Creme Blush in Cactus flower and Covergirl’s Outlast lip color in Coral.
New York Fashion Week Makeup A/W 2010 Day 6 + 7
New York Fashion Week Fall 2010
Day 6 and 7
The models walking in Max Azria’s show were given a soft orange lip. Makeup artists dabbed the color onto the center of the lips and lightly blended outward. If you look closely, the out edges of the lips barely have any color on them. The upper eyelid looks to be defined with a thin black liner, and a touch of mascara.
Key Makeup Artist: Charlotte Willer for Maybelline
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Kardashians for Bebe models were given a sultry smokey eye yesterday on the runway. The inner corners of the eyes were highlighted with shimmer and the eyeshadow was pulled out past the eye into a cat shape. Looks like a makeup look that Kim would definitely wear!
Key Makeup Artist: Nathalie Bechard for Sephora PRO
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At first glance, I thought the makeup at Nanette Lepore’s show simple and very glamorous. Looking a little closer at the lips, I realized that they are actually two toned, making the whole look extra unique with such a simple twist!! The top lip was painted fuchsia, while the bottom lip was made a brick red.
Key Makeup Artist: Makky for MAC
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Bleached eyebrows are officially a thing of the past! So many shows have been focusing on a fuller brow this season, including Narciso Rodriguez. Makeup artists filled in the brows making them look extra dark, even on lighter haired models. The rest of the face was left very bare with just a hint of nude lipstick on the lips.
Key Makeup Artist: Dick Page for Shiseido
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I love the makeup created for the Michael Kors show!! Very bronzy and warm, despite the fact that it was his Fall showing :) The cheeks were deeply accentuated with a golden blush and the cheekbones are highlighted to perfection. A taupe shade of eyeshadow was blended into the eyes and the lips were given a coat of peachy bronze lipstick.
Key Makeup Artist: Dick Page for Sheiseido
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There is never dull look for makeup at a Jeremy Scott show! This season, models were given extremely exaggerated double liner. The liner started about an inch from the lash lines, and was brought up into the winged, cat eye shape. The cheeks were heavily contoured and the lips were painted a rusty nude.
Key Makeup Artist: Val Garland for MAC
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New York Fashion Week Makeup A/W 2010 Day 5
New York Fashion Week Fall 2010
Day 5
The cat eyes seen at the Jill Stuart runway show were gorgeous! The eyes are rimmed top to bottom, and winged out into perfect points. The cheeks are swept with a peach blush, and the lips are a peachy/nude.
Key Makeup Artist: Charlotte Tilbury
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I feel like we’ve seen this look about 1,000 times this season! It’s ok though because I still love it. The bright red lip pops against a clean face at Monique Lhuillier. The models appear to be wearing just a wash of gold eyeshadow on their eyelids.
Key Makeup Artist: Val Garland for MAC
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SUPER smokey eyes at the Diane Von Furstenberg show! The eyeshadow was jet black with hints of a steel blue layered in. Since the eyes are so powerful, the rest of the face was kept nude and the lips were erased with MAC’s Pro Lip Erase.
Key Makeup Artist: James Kaliardos for MAC
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The model’s walking in the Donna Karen show were given glossy red lips. The cupid’s bow was brought into a sharp point, much like last year’s trend (here). A wash of grey eyeshadow was brought up into the browbone and topped off with a balm to make the eyelids glossy.
Key Makeup Artist: Charlotte Tilbury
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I love to unique twist to Zac Posen’s smokey eyes! Eyeliner was applied in horizontal lines, starting at the crease and ending below the lower eyelid.
Key Makeup Artist: Stephane Marias for MAC
New York Fashion Week Makeup A/W 2010- Day 4
New York Fashion Week Fall 2010
Day 4
I LOVE the fact the the standout feature on Thakoon’s models are their cheeks and brows! It’s a welcomed change, especially since lips seem to be taking the spotlight this season. Makeup artist’s used Douceur Blush by NARS (not yet released). The eyes were sparkly but in a natural “I just got 24 straight hours of sleep” sort of way.
Key Makeup Artist: Diane Kendall for NARS
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Herve Leger’s models were given gorgeous chiseled, orange-red lips. The rest of the face was kept very natural, except for a touch of mascara and liner to subtly define the eyes. Even the eyebrows were bleached to ensure that the the lips remain center of attention.
Key Makeup Artist: Lisa Butler for MAC
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This is not the first time we’ve seen the deep burgundy lips that walked the runway at the Luca Luca show. This seems to be a popular color this season! Nevertheless, it looks amazing. Aside from the lips, the models cheeks were given a lot of contour and a touch of highlight.
Key Makeup Artist: James Kaliardos for MAC
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The makeup at the Rebecca Taylor show was pretty simple, but very chic. Black eyeshadow was painted on the eyelid and extended a tiny bit past the outer corner of the eye. In a unique twist, the liner is smudged on the inner corner of the eyes, and stops 1/3 of the way out. The lips were completely nude.
Key Makeup Artist: Rie Omoto for MAC
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Behind the Scenes
New York Fashion Week Makeup A/W 2010 Day 3
New York Fashion Week Fall 2010
Day 3
Love this makeup!! The models walking in the Prabal Gurung show were given chiseled, fire engine red lips. Eyes and cheeks were kept nude to let the lips be the focal point. The cheekbones were contoured and the eyebrows were shaped, but not overpowering.
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Sepia colored cat eyes were seen on the Adam runway yesterday. The eye is strong but but still very soft as the shadow wings out, up toward the eyebrows! The top and bottom lids are swept with the same colored eyeshadow. The cheeks are given a bit of color with a peachy brown blush.
Key Makeup Artist: Romy Soleimani for MAC
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The reddish sepia/rust colored shadow seen at the Alexander Wang show has been a popular color this season! Makeup artists rimmed the entire eye with the shadow and topped it off with a balm or a gloss to make it look wet. It looks as if they may have skipped foundation and lipstick entirely!
Key Makeup Artist: Diane Kendal for MAC
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Twinkle By Wenlan’s models were sporting a very clean but modern smokey eye. Upper and lower lashes were rimmed with a black eyeliner and the eyeshadow was was a glossy black. The model’s temples and the hollows of their cheeks were bronzed and the lips were erased with MAC’s Pro Lip Erase.
Key Makeup Artist: Gianpaolo Ceciliato for MAC
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The look for Georges Chakra’s show was very similar to Prabal Gurug’s. The whole face is very bare, including the minimized eyebrows. The brows are not fully bleached, but it looks like they are covered with concealer. The deep crimson lips are the center of attention for this look, and rightly so!
Gregory Arlt for MAC
Behind the Scenes
Valentine’s Day Makeup Idea
Get the Look: Kim and Khloe Kardashian
Happy Valentine’s Day!! You might have your outfit picked out, but what about your face? Whether you’re spending the night with your significant other, or attending an “F Valentine’s Day” party, this look is perfect for tonight!
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What You’ll Need
Luminizing Foundation
Concealer or Under-Eye Brightener
Matte Bronzer
Black Eyeliner
Brown Eyeshadow
Black Mascara
Your Favorite Red Lipstick!
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Get the Look
1. Apply a luminizing foundation all over your face. One with a dewier finish (Face Atelier has an awesome one) will look best. If you don’t have another foundation on hand, mix a little moisturizer in with your current formula. It will sheer it out and give you that same glow.
2. Take a matte bronzer and lightly apply to your forehead, cheekbones, and chin. This frames your face and give you a healthy, sun-kissed look that compliments red lips beautifully.
3. Next, apply your under-eye concealer or brightener. Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Eclat is the most popular for brightening and illumining underneath your eyes.
4. Now it’s time for eyeshadow! In the pictures of Kim and Khloe, it’s hard to see what color eyeshadow they have on, but it looks like a matte beige/brown. MAC’s Soft Brown eyeshadow would be perfect for this, just to give a little bit of contour to the eyes. Sweep the shadow across your whole eyelid and blend well into the crease.
5. When it comes to eyeliner, you have two options: jet black eyeliner 
rimmed all the way around the entire eye (see Khloe), or a single black line on the upper eyelid (see Kim).
Tip: If you have small eyes, go for Kim’s look. Black all the way around will close in your eyes, making them look even smaller.
Kim: To get Kim’s eyeliner, draw a thin line on your upper eyelid with a black or brown pencil. Smudge out the line with a Q-Tip to soften. You can leave your lower lid free of liner, OR run your same matte brown eyeshadow under the eye with a small brush to give a bit of definition without creating a hard line.
Khloe: For Khloe’s look, take a jet black eyeliner pencil or gel and rim your entire eye. MAC’s Smolder eye pencil would be great for this. Don’t forget to line your lower waterline also!
6. Lashes!! Coat your eyelashes with 2-3 coats of a volumizing formula. for added drama, try false lashes. It will give your eyes a little extra oomph.
7. Last but not least, apply your red lipstick! With red lips, I always make sure to start with lipliner. It helps to keep the color from bleeding, and will give you a cleaner line. Kim’s lips are matte, whereas Khloe’s are glossy. The choice is up to you!
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The Scoop:
Khloe is wearing NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl with a gloss on top!
GREAT REDS I RECOMMEND
From Left to Right: MAC Russian Red, NARS Jungle Red, OCC Lip Tar NSFW
New York Fashion Week Makeup A/W 2010 Day 2
New York Fashion Week Fall 2010
Day 2
Although eyebrow bleaching has been the “in” thing to do on the runway lately, the Christian Siriano show took it in the complete opposite direction, a la Marithe e Francois Girbaud S/S 2010 (here). The model’s brows were thick and wispy, while the eyes remained clean and the lips, a beautiful, bold fuchsia.
Key Makeup Artist: Polly Osmond for Victoria’s Secret Beauty
Tom Pecheux is a makeup artist that can basically do no wrong in my eyes. Unless he is applying green and blue glitter to his model’s lips. Ew. Maybe I just hate glitter with a burning passion, but this new trend of applying it to lips needs to die. Not to mention, the fly-aways in the hair are enough to send me into cardiac arrest!
Key Makeup Artist: Tom Pecheux for MAC
The makeup at the Yigal Azrouel show was very clean and pretty. The eyes were given a hint of beige shadow and the lips were painted a warm coral. The eyebrows are definitely the focal point of this look, very full and neatly groomed.
Key Makeup Artist: Wendy Rowe for Bobbi Brown
What the hell is going on here?? At first glance I was concerned about the quality of the lash glue makeup artists at the Cynthia Rowley show were using. However, upon further investigation, I discovered that the eyelashes were being deliberately applied the the cheekbones. I don’t know why, but I really wish I did.
Key Makeup Artist: Val Garland for MAC
The makeup at the Nicole Miller show definitely reminds me of winter time. The rosy cheeks and lips paired with a grey smokey eye make the models look like they have been hanging out in a chic ski lodge all day long.
Key Makeup Artist: James Kaliardos for MAC
New York Fashion Week Makeup A/W 2010 Day 1
New York Fashion Week Fall 2010
Day 1
Gwen Stefani presented her L.A.M.B Fall 2010 collection yesterday. Her models wore a jet black smokey eye extended out into an extreme cat eye shape. The lips were a mix of crimson and burgundy lip color from MAC, with an overdrawn cupid’s bow, reminiscent of the 1920′s.
Key Makeup: Charlotte Tilbury for MAC Cosmetics
I am loving the florescent orange-red lips on Richard Chai runway!! The rest of the face was kept impeccably clean. Many of the models had their brows bleached, making the entire eye area practically disappear. It was all about the lips.
Key Makeup: Gucci Westman for Revlon
The models walking in the Ports 1961 show wore a neutral/muted look on their whole face. The eyes were lightly accentuated with bronze shadow, and the lips were given a touch of peach lipstick. Even the eyebrows were softened and made blonde.
Key Makeup: Romero Jennings for MAC Cosmetics.
The Vena Cava show was full of sun-kissed skin and bright red lips. The foreheads and cheeks were heavily bronzed, while the rest of the eye was kept pretty bare. Several coats of Pro Lash Mascara by MAC were applied, and the lips were filled in with MAC’s Red Lipmix.
Key Makeup Artist: Lloyd for MAC Cosmetics
The models walking for Cushnie et de Ochs were given a really pretty and unique red, smokey eye. White eyeliner was applied to the lower waterline, while the lips were kept nude. The skin was made dewey by mixing MAC’s Strobe Cream into the foundation.
Key Makeup Artist: Sarah Tanno for MAC Cosmetics
Sneak Peek Backstage
