am.

The Daily Face - June 6, 2012 - Liner for Shadow

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeshadow: NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Aigle Noir

eye brows: MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: L’Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara

lips: NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Baroque

For this look I used the NARS Shadow Pencil as an all over shadow, applying directly onto the lid and then smudging with my finger. I actually wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you use an eye shadow primer underneath it.  This product really creases in the eye so it’s probably best used as a liner and not over the entire lid, like I did.  I wish this product didn’t crease so much because it’s a really awesome color.

For the rest of the look I simply applied mascara and a berry lip gloss.

I love using liners as shadows but I think I just discovered that this is better done with Make Up For Ever products because they dry and don’t crease.

The Daily Face - May 10, 2012 - **SPECIAL GUEST FACE** - Amandalyn Ferri

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

face: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Bisque

eyeliner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

eyeshadow: Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow in Obsidian, NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Cordura

eye brows: Design Ebony Drawing Pencil

eye lashes: L’Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes

cheeks: MAC Powder Blush in Harmony

I’ve decided to incorporate some guest faces into the Daily Face routine.  Here is my first, my best friend from age 14, lover of pizza, founder of the hit website The Information Super Highway, Amandalyn Ferri.  I started our makeup session by asking Amanda what she wanted to look like, to which she responded, “A clown,” to which I responded, “No.”  Then she suggested “The lesbian from Nightmare On Elm Street Three,” which I also vetoed.  Finally after I told her to “Get serious,” she said, “Ok, I want to look BAD.”  Which I interpreted as “good.”  And so it began…

First I evened Amanda’s skin tone with a light tinted moisturizer and concealer under her eyes.  Amanda has nice skin so it didn’t take take much product to even everything out.

Next I applied MAC Blacktrack to the inner rims of her eyelids.  I also applied liner onto the lid smudging into the lash line.

Then I applied black shadow from the lash line to the crease.  The shadow is most concentrated by the lash line and blends upward so the shadow in the crease is light and diffused.  I also lightly blended the black shadow into the lower lash line.

Next I blended the dark brown shade in the NARS Cordura Duo into and slightly above the crease of the eye.  I don’t like bringing shadow all the way to the brow, but I did blend the shadow over the eye socket bone so it’s visible when Amanda has her eyes open.  I also blended this color around the eye and below the lash line.

The goal for the shadow is to have the darkest colors closest to the eyeball and then for the color to get lighter as it moves away from the eye.

I applied a small about of blush as a contour underneath her cheekbones and filled in her brows with an Ebony drawing pencil.  Ebony drawing pencils create a good shadow underneath the brows and work on almost any hair color.

I finished the look with mascara.

I think Amanda looks pretty bad, as in super good.

Amanda before:

The Daily Face - May 3, 2012 - Glasses II 

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: The Body Shop Pencil Liner in Brown

eye brows: MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

lips: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Red Square

Since my last glasses post I got contacts, like an adult!!! Oh boy, you should have seen me when I went in for my first contacts fitting.  The doctor was explaining how to get them in and I was all, “I’m a makeup artist, I’m suuuper comfortable with eyes, I got this…”  Fast forward to me 20 minutes later, still trying to get the first contact in, nearly on the verge of tears.  I have since become better at getting contacts in, but I still like to wear my glasses.

For my eyes I lightly lined them with brown pencil and applied a lot of mascara.

Again I focused on the lips.  I love statement lips with glasses because it creates a stand-out “look.”  I applied NARS Red Square, a red lip pencil with an orange base.  Orange-reds are bit more light, young, and casual than deep, blue-reds, but that’s not to say there isn’t a place for those deep reds too. 

If you are a glasses wearer try defining your eyebrow as a way to make your eyes stand out behind your frames.  Be careful not to over fill your brows though because ultimately you want them to look natural.  Use short hair-like strokes with an eyebrow pencil and keep your pressure light so the pigment isn’t too dark.

The Daily Face - April 30, 2012 

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

eyeshadow: NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Kuala Lumpur, NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Jolie  Poupee, MAC Eyeshadow in Blackberry

eye brows: MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

For this look I applied the light shade in the NARS Kuala Lumpur Duo to the lid from lash line into the crease and blended slightly above.  

Next I applied the darker shade in the Kuala Lumpur Duo into the entire crease from outer to inner corner.

I also blended MAC Blackberry into the crease.  This color can go very dark so start by applying lightly, you can always add more shadow for a darker effect.

Next I applied MAC Blacktrack in a small top lid wing and also to the upper and lower inner rims.

Then I applied the light Kuala Lumpur shade to the lower lash line and blended the shimmery purple shade from the Jolie Poupee Duo on top of it.

I finished the look with mascara.

The Daily Face - April 23, 2012 - Purple Haze

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eye liner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

eyeshadow: NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Jolie Poupee

eye brows: MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

lips: NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita

I used to hate purple in general as a color, but in the past year I’ve really opened up to it in makeup.  I still can’t bring myself to wear anything purple, but this is a simple way I can incorporate the color into my personal color palette.

First I applied the shimmery purple shade in the NARS Eyeshadow Duo to the lid from lashline to crease.  Apply this shadow generously, don’t be afraid to go really purple.  Blend the pigment slightly above the crease.

Next I applied Blacktrack in a 60’s cat eye style.  The black winged liner will help to balance the purple shadow so it looks like you’re making a retro choice (instead of looking like you just escaped from a psych ward and your first stop was Sephora).

If the purple shadow still feels too intense after you’ve applied your liner try blending a grey shadow into the crease.  Grey tones mute bright colors.

I applied a little bit of liner into my lower lashline on the outer edges.

Last, I finished the look with Mascara and NARS Dolce Vita Lipstick

The Daily Face - April 19, 2012 - What’s in My Makeup Bag

I have a lot of makeup, it’s no secret, but on a regular basis I actually wear very little.  I have a very small makeup bag (one of those silver lame zipper pouches from American Apparel), which fits everything I need for any occasion, formal, laid back, or even vacation.  This is a list of what I keep in that bag. 

1. NARS Brush #12

2. MAC Brush #263

3. NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Jungle Red

4. NARS Eye Shadow Duo in Bellissima

5. MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

6. Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in #225

7. Benefit Moon Beam

8. Tweezerman Eyelash Curler

9. NARS Semi Matte Lipstick in Heatwave

10. NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita

11. Tweezerman Tweezers

12. MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling

13. Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara

The Daily Face - April 18, 2012 - Natural Green

under eyes: NARS Eyeliner Pen

eye liner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

eyeshadow: MAC Eye Shadow in Club, MAC Pigment Powder in Golden Olive

eye brows: MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

For this look I started by applying Club shadow to the lid from lashline to crease.  Club is an odd color because it looks brown from some angles and olive green from others.  This dual tone gives it a lot of dimension, making it a great single color on the lid.

Next I applied NARS Eyeliner Pen to the top lid from inner to outer corner, winging slightly at the outer corner.  I also applied liner into the bottom lashes on the outer corner of the eye.

Last I applied Golden Olive pigment to the lower lash line from inner to outer corner and finished everything off with mascara.

The Daily Face - April 5, 2012 - Pinks

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeshadow: NARS Eyeshadow in Ashes to Ashes, Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Berber

eyeliner: NARS Liquid Eye Pen

eye brows: MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

For this look I used a combination of purpley-grays and golden pinks, an unusual color palette that somehow works together.

I started by blending NARS Ashes to Ashes to the lid from lashline to above the crease.  You want to be able to see the color above the crease when your eyes are open, but make sure to blend thoroughly up toward the brow so there are no hard lines. 

Next I applied Berber, the Illamasqua pure pigment with the small flat brush to the outer corners of the lower lid.  Pigments should be applied lightly at first since they can be very bright.  You can always add more if you desire a brighter look.

Then I blended a small amount of the pigment in the corner of the top lid.  This should add a little brightness to the Ashes to Ashes, but should be subtle.

Last I applied NARS liner pen to the outer edge of the top lid right along the lashline and a few coats of mascara.

The Daily Face - March 8, 2012 - Black and White; Glamour

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

eyeshadow: MAC Eyeshadow in Copperplate, MAC Eyeshadow in Gesso, MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon,

eye brows: Tom Ford Brow Sculpt in Espresso

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

cheeks: MAC Harmony

lips: NARS Lipstick in Shanghai Express

Here is my follow up to yesterday’s Black and White natural look; this one is a Black and White glamour look.  As explained in my post yesterday, makeup artists had to apply a lot of makeup just to achieve a natural look, so for a more glamorous look the amount of product used was out of control!

First I applied MAC Copperplate as my base shadow from lashline to crease.  Then I blended MAC Carbon into and above the crease, taking the shadow all the way toward the inner corner of the eyes and up toward the brows. Next I applied MAC Gesso as a highlight under the brow bone and Carbon as a drop shadow under the outer corner of the lower lid.

Next I applied a lot of MAC Harmony blush to the hollow of my cheekbones to create a sculpted look.  Make sure to use a matte blush (without shimmer) and something with a neutral brown tone as this will show up as a shadow in black and white.

Last I applied a lot of mascara and Shanghai Express lipstick.  When choosing a lipstick make sure it’s not too dark or it will come out looking black.

The Daily Face - March 7, 2012 - Black and White; Natural

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: NARS Eyeliner Pen in Black

eyeshadow: MAC Eyeshadow in Aqua, MAC Eyeshadow in Copperplate, MAC Eyeshadow in Gesso

eye brows: Tom Ford Brow Sculpt in Espresso

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

cheeks: MAC Harmony

lips: NARS Lipstick in Morocco

Do you love black and white films?  Because I do, especially anything by Hitchcock and specifically starring Ingrid Bergman.  Makeup for black and white films was almost a different medium than makeup for color film.  Today, if you want an actress to look natural you can put almost no makeup on her, aside from a little foundation to even out the skin.  However, in the days of black and white film a makeup artist had to pile on product just to achieve a “no makeup” look.  If you sent an actress to set with no makeup on, her face would look flat and washed out and she would most likely throw a fit when she saw herself on the reel.

Makeup for black and white film is different because color doesn’t matter, you are only working tonally to create values of grey which will add dimension to the face.  Because of this, makeup artists used all kinds of crazy colors, like blues and greens, to achieve tonal distance between shades.  Sculpting was extremely important so in lieu of blush makeup artists would apply a dark shading in the hollows of the cheek bones to accentuate the highlights and shadows of the face. If you saw an actress’s makeup in person she might literally look like a clown, but on film her face would look natural, dimensional and totally beautiful.

Here’s my interpretation of the natural black and white look, a la Ingrid Bergman in Notorious.

First I applied MAC Aqua shadow to the entire lid from lashline to crease. 

Next I blended MAC Copperplate into the crease from corner to corner of the eye and applied a drop shadow under the lower lid. 

Then I applied MAC Gesso to below the brown bone, blending into the skin to create a highlight.

Next I applied a very thin line of NARS eye liner pen to the top lid.

I blended MAC Harmony to the hollow below the cheekbones.  Use quite a lot of product here, you will feel like a clown, but in black and white it will show up as if you have perfectly sculpted cheekbones.

Last I applied a light sweep of mascara and NARS Morocco lipstick lightly to the lips. 

I feel super ready to engage in some espionage.

The Daily Face - March 1, 2012 - Tom Ford Red

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

eyeshadow: NARS Eyeshadow in Biarritz, NARS Eyeshadow in Blondie

eye brows: MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

lips: Tom Ford Lip Color Rouge A Levres in Wild Ginger, Tom Ford Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Lost Cherry, NARS Lip Liner in Jungle Red

There is no better red lipstick than a Tom Ford red, so I was super excited when the people at Tom Ford Beauty sent me some products to try and included the necessary ingredients to recreate the bold lips of so many Tom Ford ad campaigns.  Since I wanted the lips to be the main focus I kept the rest of the makeup simple, but with a 50s vibe.

First I applied NARS Biarritz shadow to the entire lid from lashline to brow.  

Next I blended NARS Blondie shadow onto the eye socket bone just above the crease.  You want to put this color just above the crease so it is visible when your eyes are open, just be sure to blend so there are no hard edges.  

Then I applied Blacktrack to the outer corners of the eyes and winged the liner very slightly.

Last for the eyes, I applied Haute & Naught mascara, using the light separating wand first, followed by the dramatic volumizing wand.

For the lips I began by lining the with NARS Jungle Red Lip Liner.  This color is a little darker and more blue than the Tom Ford red, but I often like to line red lips in a slightly darker color because it add dimension to the lips.  If you do this be sure to blend the darker liner down onto the lip so you don’t end up with an early 90s dark-liner-light-lip thing.

Last I applied Tom Ford Wild Ginger to the lip all the way up to and covering the lip liner and finished it off with Lost Cherry Ultra Shine Lip Gloss.

*Now I just need a pair of TF glasses I think.

The Daily Face - February 9, 2012 - Inspired by the Jason Wu for Target Collection

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: The Body Shop Liquid Liner in black

eyeshadow: NARS Eyeshadow in Night Flight

eye brows: MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: Lancome Hypnose Drama

cheeks: NARS Eye Pencil in Hollywoodland

Here’s another look inspired by the Jason Wu for Target Collection.  Since this shirt is very close in color to my actual skin tone I wanted to create some contrast with bold eyes.  In the photo this shadow appears black but it’s actually a very dark navy blue.  I used one color for the entire eye but controlled the shade with the pressure of the brush and the amount of product.  Heavy pressure and more product was used on the outer corners of the eye, while I used light pressure and light makeup toward the inner corners.  You’ll want to use your eye sockett bones as a guide for where your shadow should be, bringing the outer corners of the shadow just out and over the bones.

Next I lined the top lid with liquid liner from The Body Shop, as well as the upper and lower inner rims of the eyes.

Lash I applied mascara and a sweep of NARS Hollywoodland down the bridge of the nose and on the top of the cheekbones as a highlighter.

The Daily Face - February 8, 2012 - Inspired by the Jason Wu for Target Collection

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: The Body Shop Liquid Liner in brown

eyeshadow: NARS Eyeshadow in Night Star, MAC Eyeshadow in Tempting

eye brows: MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: Lancome Hypnose Drama

cheeks: MAC Cream Colour Base in Improper Copper

This past Sunday I went home to Connecticut it hit up a non-NYC Target for the launch of the Jason Wu for Target collection.  Even in Bethel CT it was crazy.  I got there right when it opened and everything was gone within 15 minutes.  I had my mom with me, who went into Olympic shopping mode and grabbed one of every handbag and all the XS’s I couldn’t get to.  We only had to threaten, like, 2 or 3 people.

Here’s a makeup look inspired by this amazing shirt in the Jason Wu Collection.  I went for something Spring-like and natural, with a cheek flush.  I began by lightly lining the top lid with brown liquid liner from The Body shop.  Next I applied NARS Night Star (a beige color with sparkles) to the lid.  Then I applied MAC Tempting against the upper lash line from corner to corner of the eyes.

Last I applied a generous amount of MAC Improper Copper to my cheeks to get a sun kissed look.  I’m very fair so this color works like a blush on me, if you have darker skin this may have more of a cream bronzer effect, still it’s brownish base makes it flattering on many skin tones.