Shazam!!

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!!!!  I am sooooooooooo excited about this!  MAC is launching their new Wonder Woman line in the spring.  It's adorable!  I can't wait to get to the store to check this out.  I want it all.  ALL!!  OK... I'm saving every single penny until I get to the MAC pro store in Orlando in March.  I know our vacation budget just got bigger.  :^)

Check it out!

This just in from MAC!

Banish any thought of being a Plain Jane: M∙A∙C and Wonder Woman have joined forces! For Spring 2011, take a trip to Paradise Island with a legendary line up of super-sized Mineralize Skinfinish, bold Eye Shadow quads, Pigment, Opulash, Lipsticks and oversized Lipglass, jumbo-big Powder Blush and Penultimate Eye Liner, Nail Lacquer and Lash inspired by the larger-than-life Bold Babe. Dashing and dazzling, the iconic super heroine reminds us that inside every woman is a Mighty Aphrodite full of courage, confidence and charisma. Kaboom! Mission Accomplished!

Wonder Woman has always known the importance of astounding accessories. For her collaboration with M∙A∙C, we’ve infused her sense and fantasy and wonder into a vivid collection of awe-inspiring accessories as fierce and feminine as the heroine herself. Bright, bold, superhuman designs in Makeup Bags – from radiant Red to Bulletproof Blue, Utility Belt Brush Sets, and exclusively online, the WW T-Shirt and Invincible Mirror. Shazam!

So... in my prayers tonight, I'll be praying for world peace, forgiveness (coveting), and of course the long list of WW products listed above.  Dear Lord Baby Jesus... please send me Wonder Woman lipstick... oh... and a golden lasso and wrist cuffs.

Lipstick kisses and eyeshadow dreams,

D.

I've hit blog gold!

Oh my gosh... I've hit gold.  I've just found a list of the ‎40 Best Makeup Artist Blogs on the website www.webdesignschoolsguide.com.  I am always a sucker for a new makeup blog.  I looooove reading about other makeup artists lives and living vicariously through them.  You know, there are even a lot of talented "non-professional" makeup lovers out there, too.  Take a peek at the blogs below this week for makeup overload.

PS: Stay tuned for some great maternity portrait work with Yorke Photography!  Coming soon!

Lipstick kisses & eyeshadow dreams!

Debby

40 Best Makeup Artist Blogs

A talented makeup artist can transform a person into someone or something completely different, whether it’s for beauty, costume or just for the sake of art. Their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, particularly in the movie industry, where the best are honored with awards such as the Academy Award for Makeup. Like with any form of art, it takes quite a bit of studying and practice to master the craft. The 40 makeup artist blogs listed below provide an abundance of information for those looking to enter the profession or just cultivate a challenging hobby.

Celebrity Makeup Artists
These makeup artists have achieved rewarding careers in the movie and fashion industries because of their unique talents.

1. Kandee Johnson: Kandee is a celebrity makeup artist who has worked for CBS, ABC, CNN, MTV and VH1. She spends her spare time sharing makeup tricks on her blog — her YouTube videos have garnered almost 60 million views.
2. Elke Von Freudenberg: With 20 years of experience as a top celeb and editorial makeup artist, Elke has plenty of wisdom to dispense.
3. makeup by Mario Dedivanovic: Mario’s impressive list of celeb clients includes Kim Kardashian, Eliza Dushku and Amanda Bynes, and his work has appeared in magazines such as Glamour, Teen Vogue and People.
4. The Makeup Blogger: Christina discusses new looks and shares her on-set experiences.
5. MiMi J.: Mimi J. looks at life as a makeup artist, providing behind-the-scenes footage of photoshoots and step-by-step tutorials.
6. emma farrell make-up artist: Dublin-based Emma shares her experiences, providing an abundance of pretty pictures along the way.
7. Lisa Eldridge Makeup: Lisa, a fashion makeup artist, has been "plying her trade" for two decades, and has worked with many notable photographers and celebs — such as Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore and Heidi Klum.
8. Inside the Life of a Glam Makeup Artist: Brandy blogs about her glam life as a celeb makeup artist in New York. She provides tips, including "How to Create a Classic Smokey Eye."
9. The Amy Face: Amy offers "random musings and beauty tips."
10. Audrey Mansfield: Audrey is the makeup artist for NBC’s Sunday Night Football — if she can make ex-pro football players look good, you know she’s a master of her craft.
11. A More Beautiful Makeup:Rosalina is a film makeup artist who covers cosmetic trends and all-things beautiful.
12. makeup + me: KJ is an Emmy Award winning celebrity makeup artist with lots of knowledge to share. Included on his blog is the helpful post "Saving Face ? Turning Beauty Boo-Boos into Makeup Must-Haves."
13. Terri Apanasewicz: Celebrity Makeup Artist: Terri’s work has been featured in magazines such as Allure, Vogue and Elle, and it has been lauded by her celeb clients.
14. Makeup Artist Victoria Stiles: The career of veteran freelance makeup artist Victoria is followed. Her lengthy resume is something to envy.

Other Gifted Makeup Artists
These makeup artists may have worked with celebrities, but aren’t completely immersed in the Hollywood scene.

15. ProMakeupBlog: Jessica studied makeup artistry in film and photography at the Make-up Designory in Los Angeles, and eventually earned her degree in communication from UC-Santa Barbara. Her blog is well-written with tons of insight.
16. amyopoly: Prior to starting amyopoly, Amy video-blogged makeup tutorials on YouTube, which earned her national recognition. She still does it, but now also focuses on regular blogging.
17. Andy Lee: Andy’s popular blog looks at beauty and makeup trends important to makeup artists.
18. Makeup by Ren Ren: Ren Ren’s blog is supplemented by her YouTube page, which features several online tutorials.
19. A Makeup Artist’s Blog: Gain insight into the work of a talented makeup artist in San Diego.
20. sian lidgate: Sian, winner of the Charles Fox Award for Makeup Artistry, specializes in fashion, beauty and editorial makeup.
21. Jessica Jean Myers: Jessica’s involvement with the Toronto fashion scene is a testament to her abilities.
22. Stephanie J Mazzeo: Stephanie’s blog is an excellent source of inspiration for her fellow makeup artists.
23. Spicie Style: Erin displays her work and highlights her inspirations.
24. FacesByFarah: Farah is a makeup artist and beauty editor who combines her talents by composing a fabulous makeup-centric blog.
25. FacesBySarah: Pro makeup artists Sarah mostly examines products on her eye-catching blog. Not to be confused with FacesByFarah.
26. mcmakeup’s blog: Mcmakeup examines everything from "The Ultimate Pro Makeup Kit Builder" to the "Best and Worst Fashion Hair and Makeup for the 2010 Emmy’s."
27. Makeup Artistry by Christy: Christy specializes "in airbrush and traditional makeup applications for weddings, proms, special occasions and photoshoots."
28. Makeup Junkie: Professional freelance makeup artist Joy has worked in television, runway, bridal and print, and blogs during her spare time in order to share "beauty reviews, celebrity style, and beauty tips."
29. JennySue Makeup: JennySue fittingly works in Athens and Atlanta, Georgia. Makeup is her passion and it shows on her blog.
30. Dvoradivine: Deborah documents her experiences, writes reviews and delivers news important to makeup artists.
31. rhia amio, make-up artistrhi: Rhia provides updates on her work, which is prominently displayed throughout her blog.

Product Focus
A talented makeup artist is nothing without a trusty arsenal of makeup.

32. The Makeup Artist Blog: Iris tries and recommends new products and provides tips helpful to all makeup artists.
33. EyeCandy Blog: Lynne provides "product reviews, top makeup tips, celebrity style and all general beauty news and gossip."
34. The Makeup Girl: In addition to product reviews, you’ll find how-tos and celebrity beauty reports.
35. Hooked On Beauty: Makeup Artist Carissa, also a self-described TV beauty expert, reviews a variety of beauty products. She’s 100 percent independent and believes her integrity is of the utmost importance.
36. Makeup and Beauty Blog: Karen’s growing blog is the place for "daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news."
37. The Beauty Brains: A group of cosmetic scientists — fittingly — explain cosmetic science so that you’ll know the real story on beauty products.
38. krasey beauty: Adina, a 20-something New Yorker and competitive dancer, dabbles in makeup artistry. She enjoy experimenting with different looks and products.
39. Beauty Logic: Editor Milly tests hundreds of products per month in an effort to find the best ones out there.
40. Pink Sith: "Makeup and product musings from an occasionally verbose, and often slack, product junkie."

Top 5 Favourite Youtube Makeup Videos

Today I am going to list a few of my favourite Youtube makeup videos from some of my favourite artists.  This first video is about a common problem that we all encounter from time to time... a broken eyeshadow.  I could spit nails when I drop my favourite shadow or blush.  It undoubtedly breaks as soon as it hits the floor and then you have a rotten mess to deal with.  Well, fear no more!  It really is very easy to fix a broken powder, whether it's eyeshadow, blush or any other powder form makeup.  Kandee Johnson does a great job of explaining the process.

  "Pursebuzz", Koren, Kandee & me at IMATS

 

My next favourite video is about how to de-pot a MAC eyeshadow so you can put them into a larger pro or Z palette.  There are many videos about this out there, but this is definitely the very best and easiest from Koren.  And... he's such a nice fellow, too.  I had the chance of meeting him  a few times in Toronto at the IMATS, International Makeup Artist Trade Show, last year.  Just look at that great picture of us all at IMATS.  They were so nice to crouch down for a pic with me... little cupcake that I am.  ;^)

 

This next video is by Michelle Phan, a remarkable artist who I haven't had the chance to meet yet, but can't wait to.  She has an undescribeable talent to create not only beauty but remarkable illusion as well.  Here's her video on how to do a Snow White makeup.  This kid is great.

One of the most common mistakes people make with their makeup is that they neglect to wash their brushes often enough...or Max Factor forbid...not at all.  I reccommend washing your makeup brushes a minimum of twice a month (if it's just you using them).  If you are applying makeup to other people, you must sanitize in between all clients.  Here's a great video for deep cleaning those brushes.  You've paid enough for them... make sure you take care of them!

The next video is from my mentor, Eve Pearl.  She's got a billion awards for makeup and her own makeup company...so you can bet that I hang on to her every word.  This is Eve and I at IMATS after she so kindly used me in one of her on stage lessons.  Someone...PLEASE... photoshop my double chin!!  This video of hers shows how to apply false eyelashes.  Everyone seems to be afraid of these.. but application is quite easy with a bit of practice following these techniques.

So gang... that's it!  My top five favourite Youtube makeup videos.  Let me know what your favourites are so I can include them in a future post.

Lipstick kisses and eyeshadow dreams... til next time.

Debby the Makeup Artist

Finally...my new desk.

MY SUPERFANTASTIC NEW DESK

Alright.  After scouring the kijiji ads, second hand stores, Staples, Walmart and every other gosh-darn store in Moncton, I have come up empty handed.  As you read previously, I was working on a new desk for my office.  The mission was cheap as possible and indestructible.  I have gone through three crappy desks in the past 2 or so years and I am sooooo tired of replacing them every time I turn around.  So... what I came up with was the old door/filing cabinet trick.  However, I was uninformed as to how much a filing cabinet actually costs...if you can even find one... in the colour and size that you need.  The closest we came was $137 at Staples and it would take about a week to get here.  

No.  That simply won't do.

The solution, dear friends?  A super-handy husband that figured out a way to bolt/screw/fasten/whatever the other end of the desk/door to the wall.  I now have a terrific, cute, sturdy, super big desk to work at.  And all for the bargain price of about $15.  The door (about 7 feet long and 2.5 feet wide) we found at a second hand building supplies store, "Happy Harry's", the file cabinet was ours to begin with, and the brackets and fasteners were about $5.  Not bad,eh!  I'm so happy with how it turned out.  

And... do you know what the best thing is about this desk?  I still have plenty of money left to place another MAC order.  ;^)

Lipstick kisses & eyeshadow dreams,

Debby the Makeup Artist

Oh Max...

Oh, Max.....  Heavenly Father of Makeup.... where have all the pretty makeup bottles gone?  I remember even as a child the makeup containers were prettier..more elaborate than the plastic crap that they market today.  I bet they never broke as easily as our flimsy pots and tubes do now either.  How many eyeshadow pans have lost their covers in your makeup drawers?  How many times has a lipstick tube come open in your purse?  Oh, Max... where have all the pretty containers gone?  The gilded lipstick cases?  The pearlized powder compacts??  It's enough to depress a girl.  

How many times have you found
one of these broken in your drawer?

Mark has been in tune lately with my whining and lamenting...well about makeup anyways... and for Christmas he jumped on eBay and found some beautiful vintage Max Factor compacts from what seems to be the fifties or sixties.  They are so pretty.  

Take a look.  

Why are we settling for this.....

My lovely gift from Mark.  Max Factor circa 1960.

.......when we really deserve this????

Max lipstick compact.

Max lipstick compact...inside.

I don't know about you...but I am yearning for the days when I could buy a pretty bottle of something and keep it forever on my vanity table.  Nobody ever just tossed out their packaging as they do now.  It would've been too much of a waste of such a pretty thing.  And didn't you just feel prettier when it came out of such a lovely vessel?

Max really knew that beauty indeed came from a bottle.

Debby the Makeup Artist

DIY Debby

This is how I feel.

What is it about a new year that springs up the professional home organizer in us?  Is it because we have a new calendar?  A new year?  New resolutions?  All the diets seem to start on January 1, as so do the advertisements for closet organizers.  I am getting on this bandwagon by organizing the mountains of paper in my office.  Upon the commencement of this endeavour, I soon realized that I have no place to put this Mount St. Helens of printouts, receipts and general crap that will soon erupt and kill us all.  So... I've come up with an idea.  I'm making myself a desk with plenty of file storage.  My office is on the smaller side and there is no room for another filing cabinet and I'm just too darned cheap to buy anything other than makeup lately... so Debby is going DIY.  

Stop laughing.

This is the plan.  I am going to build myself a cute little (well not so little...it's going to be 7ft!) desk from a door and two small filing cabinets.  I have one cabinet already and I'm pretty sure I can scrape up some materials for well under $100 from the second hand stores.  And really... it's no more than a little paint, a couple of screws and some praying.  We have been making do with a couple of old wiggly woggly substandard desks for too long...especially now that both my husband and I are frequently using the office area.  

This is a picture from Country Living website that I received my divine inspiration from.  It's a desk in a closet idea, but notice how they use filing cabinets and a simple plain surface as their work area?  I love it.  Now.. mine will be a black and white rendition of something similar but larger (go big or go home).  

I think it's going to look great.  Stay tuned for the real deal.  Photos will be up as soon as we complete the project.  Mmmm... I think I need to paint the walls now.  

I wonder how Mark would feel about Barbie pink?

Debby

Happy Holidays!

...and Happy Hanukkah!

Well, the holiday craziness is finally over and I've survived another one.  Did you?  I don't know about you, but I was a little "anti-Christmas" this year.  I couldn't help but think up new and exciting ways to maim elves, poison reindeer and maybe even slow Santa down a little bit with some "special" snacks.  Exlax brownies, anyone?  Ok... I gotta admit, any holiday where I'm able to receive makeup gifts can't be all THAT bad.  And even though I was a very, very, VERY bad girl, Santa still visited me anyways.  :)  Gotta love that little porker. 

Here's a super wonderful gift from my husband/Santa.  It's a window sticker advertisement thingy.  It even has little website stickers on the side windows.  (Can anyone tell me the real word??)  He had to keep it a secret for a whole month and find a way to get it in the garage overnight without me seeing it.  I thought he was keeping a pony or something in there.  I just love it.  I'm a walkin', talkin' billboard!  :)

Of course, you know I would put the brakes on Christmas all together if the Santa man didn't bring me at least a little bit of makeup. And he sure did!  I received tons of  new MAC eye shadows, eyeliners & lipsticks.  I can't wait to reorganize them into my palettes.  (Aren't palette's the best space saving invention out there??  Another day we will talk about my new Z-pallettes that I found at IMATS in Toronto in November.

OHHHH.... and a late Santa present to myself... zebra seat covers!!!  I love them!  After I saw the new car sign thingymajiggy... I was inspired to chickify * my wheels.  I was lucky I could find them in our little city... but the makeup gods (Kevyn Aucoin, Max Factor...etc) were with me.  Now... can anyone tell me where to find a zebra print steering wheel cover?

*Chickify:  verb. meaning to make girl-like.  To de-masculate a vehicle or other man like item.

Alright... another year is done.  Let's celebrate it with a video from Kandee Johnson.  :)  She's so awesome... I know she'd 

appreciate my zebra print.  :)

Happy Holidays, everyone!  

Hope you all have a great new year!  

Debby

Max Factor: The Holy Father of Makeup

Oh my... I read this book nearly all in one sitting.  I looooooooved it!  I found it on www.bookcloseouts.com and snatched it up for a couple of dollars.  It is now my favourite book of all time.  It told of Mr. Factor's tumultuous  life in Poland, Russia and eventually the US.  It was good enough to be fiction, but it wasn't fiction.  This was Max Factor's crazy life!  Please, somebody... make a movie from this bio!  Ron Howard, are you listening???


Here's the outline from the book "Max Factor: The Man who Changed the Faces of the World" by Fred E. Baston.


Not so long ago, nice girls never wore make-up - in fact, the word itself was taboo! Only stage performers and prostitutes painted their faces. But that was before a man named Max Factor revolutionized the concept of beauty. Born in Poland in 1877, Max Factor worked as a beautician and wigmaker to the Russian imperial family, the Romanovs. In 1904, a year after Czar Nicholas II ordered the Jewish pogroms, Max Factor fled with his family to America. He first settled in St. Louis, where he had an exhibit at the World's Fair, before moving to Los Angeles in 1908. There he opened a shop selling cosmetics and wigs. Located in the theater district, the store catered to stage actors. But the birth of a newfangled entertainment called the "movies" changed everything. As film technology advanced - from silent films to talkies and ultimately to color motion pictures - Max Factor created the make-up to keep up with it. Soon women everywhere wanted to look like their favorite glamorous stars, and Max Factor was more than happy to oblige. He invented false eyelashes, lip gloss, foundation, eye shadow, the eyebrow pencil, and -every girl's friend - concealer, among other things, and he began selling his innovative cosmetics to the general public. Make-up madness, like movie madness, was here to stay. The right to rouge was seen as a symbol of freedom from social restrictions. The father of modern make-up, Max Factor quite literally changed the faces of the world and created a cosmetics empire that launched the multibillion-dollar beauty industry. This is his extraordinary story.

Another year under our Santa belts...

Well, ho-ho-hodey-ho.  A big thank you to my makeup team: Tanya, Melissa and Lia.  These ladies were a huuuuuuuuge help at the Living Christmas Tree performances in the makeup department.  We had a total of 7 shows this past week and we ROCKED IT!!!  Everyone was makeup complete by the end of the first half.  Way to go, makeup divas!  It was such a pleasure to work with the cast and crew of the LCT, as well as our special guests: Elizabeth & Scott Rhyno and Jay Calder.  They are a fine bunch of people!  And talent! Boy did we have a talented bunch of cast and crew.. not to mention over 300 volunteers to make this thing happen.  Everyone... give yourselves a pat on the back!


This week:  I have a great bunch of folks that I'll be working on... a few Christmas party gals, a good friend that knows the value of good makeup ;^), and get this.... ELVIS!  Yep!  Thane Dunn and I will be putting our little noggins together and improving his Elvis look (makeup wise... you should see him... he's the real deal!)  for an upcoming concert.   Thane is an award winner and I will be pleased to work with him on this project.  (Can't wait to see his costumes, too!  They're totally fab!)


So... I'm off to slip into a post-Tree coma now for a few days.  If you are looking for me, I'm under a pile of makeup brushes waiting to be cleaned.  


D.

Living Christmas Tree Cast Makeup Schedule

CAST MAKEUP CALL TIMES


Please take note of your makeup time. If you miss your call time, you run the risk and responsibility of possibly not being able to get your makeup done for the performance. Please be respectful of your cast & crew’s time. Also, please be sure to come in with a clean face, this saves a lot of time. Thank you & we look forward to seeing you!


Pastor Buckingham  6:00
Don Ingersol  6:00 
Kathy Shanks Dummy 6:00
Paul Unger Ventriloquist 6:00 
Erica Murray Violinist 6:15 
Rebecca Gildart Mary 6:15 
Joel Gildart Joseph 6:15 
Jason Muir Guitarist 6:15 
Child soloist Solo/actor 6:15 
Jay Calder VIP guitarist 6:30
Kings (3) Three kings 6:30 
Nativity Shepards (2)  6:45 
Arabic drummers (5)  6:45
Elizabeth & Scott 7:00 

Makeup Heaven...

I believe that one day I am going to die.....And when I die I will go to heaven.....makeup heaven.  Makeup heaven will have Max Factor at it's gates waiting to invite me in.  I'll meet all my beloved artists and Kevyn Aucoin will be my guide.  Together we'll do makeup on the angels and create lip gloss that doesn't budge and mascara that will never flake or run.  

I just got back from "Burlesque" starring the statuesque Cher and the multi-talented and flexible, Christina Aguilara.  I loved it and it's the closest thing to makeup heaven I am going to get to this week.  The makeup was superb...the dancing and costumes amazing.  Cher's character even gave Christina's character a makeup lesson.  How awesome is that?  

Oh the sparkle... the shimmying... the sequins... this would make Max proud.

D.

So..... this is a blog.

Debby

So....... this is what a blog is.  Please everyone, welcome me to the 21st century.  If it wasn't known before, it certainly is known now that I AM NO TECHIE GEEK.  Can somebody say "obvious"??  In any case, this is where I am going to mouth off every day.  OK.  Let's be honest here, there's no need to lie on a blog... I'm probably not going to write EVERY day.  I tried the whole diary idea when I was ten, and if it didn't work out then, welllllll........ it's probably not going to work out now either.  HOWEVER!  I will do my best and TRY to post every day.  :)  There.  That's relatively honest. 

So... what will I be writing about?  Well, considering I am a professional makeup artist, I will be writing mostly about makeup.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MAKEUP.  I can honestly say it is what makes me smile EVERY single day.  Oh.. and you know... I'm super opinionated, so I'm pretty sure you are going to see some ranting and raving going on here as well.  You may want to just skip over that part. 

OK.  I'm done.  This officially concludes my first posting ever on a blog.  Somebody wish me luck.

Debby