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Makeup

MAC Cosmetics Spring 2012 Collection

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I had the pleasure of being invited to a MAC cosmetics sneak preview last night of the new collection. The line to get in the store was wrapped around the mall, all with eager MAC lovers waiting to get the first look at the new spring line. Once in the store amidst the cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were flowing and there were stations set up to look, try and see what will be available in a few weeks for everyone.

Photo Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

The new line is called “Shop, Shop, Shop and Cook, Cook, Cook” Spring 2012 Collection.  The color palette is bright, vibrant, fun and will catch your eye when it lines the store shelves.

The Shop, Shop, Shop collection is a Shop ’til you drop with a tongue-in-cheek collection that elevates the everyday into the extraordinary.

The Eyeshadow Quad Palettes are as follows:

  • Call Me Bubbles – cool-n-spicy coral eyeshadows
  • Shop & Drop – violet inspired quartet or eyeshadows
  • Colour Added – a mixture of teal, white, charcoal and yellow.

SHOP MAC Cremeblend Blush is creamy and easy to blend:

  • Optomistic Orange – a bright orange
  • Florida – a bright coral/pink
  • Restore Dazzle – rich plum
Photo Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

Spring Lips dish it up with these shades of color:

  • Innocence, Beware – light yellow pink
  • Watch Me Shimmer – bright pink-orange
  • Naughty, Saute – bright pepto pink
  • Quick Sizzle – bright pink
  • Dish It Up To Shop – berry pink
  • Runway Red – rich red blue

MAC Kissable Lipcolour has a creamy look and feel in five colors:

  • Enchantee – light blue pink
  • Woo Me – light pinky nude
  • So Vain – muted dirty coral
  • Scan-delicious – blue fuchsia
  • Flaunting It – grey mauve
Photo Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

COOK MAC Collection brings the gourmet glamor.  The recipe for kitchen kouture in savory shades for eyes, lips and dishy nail lacquers.

Fluidline Gel is a simple way to make a gourmet ling with a silkier finish than a regular eyeliner:

  • Midnight Snack – soft black
  • Added Goodness – blackened mauve
  • Wholesome – blackened brown

Tendertone Lip Balm is the next generation of lip conditioner that combines the look of a gloss and lip balm:

  • Tread Gently – soft lime green with yellow pearl
  • Purring – sheer tangerine with pearl
  • Hush, Hush – sheer gold with yellow gold pearl
  • Hot ‘n’ Saucy – soft cherry red

Not Yet Dishy Enough? Nail Lacquer will finish the look of in one of these three colors:

  • Al Fredo – bright acid green
  • Kid Orange – coral
  • Salad Dressing – midtone dirty aqua

As with all special edition MAC Collections these are limited and once they are gone they are gone.  So, if you find one you love don’t hesitate with purchasing, or you may miss out!

Makeup

Concealer That Does Cover Your Dark Circles

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I am constantly looking for an under eye concealer that really will cover the darkest under eye circles.  As a makeup artist I need something that will work on almost everyone, so that I do not have seven or eight products that I have to pick through with each client.  I need one product in several shades that will make my job easier.

While I have worked with and used several different lines and types, I have found that many of them are a yellow based concealer which only makes the circles look gray or darker.  I am also need a product that is not too thick so as too draw attention to what I am hiding.

While I was at The Makeup Show NYC, a trade show of classes, products and fun, I came across a brand line that swears by its concealer.  In fact, it is what has made their line famous.  Eve Pearl Cosmetics founded by Eve Pearl, who is a makeup artist for the entertainment industry.  Eve Pearl Cosmetics has a “salmon” concealer, that is lightweight, creamy and comes in shades to blend in to a variety of skin tones.  I was impressed by Eve and her company as the products are: cruelty free, paraben free, petrolatum free, oil and mineral oil free and fragrance free.

Photo Courtesy of Eve Pearl Cosmetics

I purchased a concealer trio and decided I would use it on all my clients as well as myself this week and really see what this concealer can do.  On myself, I noticed that the concealer blended well covered up my circles and finished off my look.  My clients this week have been impressed with my skills in covering there dark circles.   Which I know is a testiment to the product.  However, the best moment was I had a client this week who is severely sensitive to products and if she has a reaction she either breaks out into hives or her eyes constantly tear.  I used the Eve Pearl Concealer and she had no allergic reaction.
I am so excited with this purchase and who recommend this product to any consumer professional or makeup lover.  I love finding new products that hold up to the test.

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Red Lipstick: What Shade is Right for You?

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With the holidays around the corner and one of the fiercest makeup trends seen on the runways, television, movies and award shows here are some tips to help you find the perfect shade of red lipstick to rock.

Everyone can wear a red lip it is all about the shade that will compliment your skin tone.

If you have a warm skin tone with brown or hazel eyes, golden or reddish hair tones, golden skin the shade of red that is best for you would be a wine red.  Celebrities that are in this category are: Charlize Thereon and Lindsay Lohan.

If you have a cool skin tone with  rosy or olive skin, blue, green, brown or hazel eyes, and your hair does not have any golden or red tones.   The red lip shade that would look best is a blue based red.  A celebrity that is in this category is: Angelina Jolie.  A  great choice is MAC Russian Red or MAC Ruby Woo.


 If you are fair skin or often describe yourself as being pale, then your choice of red is a  Wine Red.  A celebrity that you relate to is Nicole Kidman. A great choice is NARS Tamango.

If you have olive  skin, then your choice of red is a Coral Red.  Celebrities that are in this category are Kim Kardashian and Penelope Cruz.

If you have medium skin then your choice of red is a Scarlet Red.  Both Jessica Alba and Paris Hilton have medium skin tone.  A great lipstick choice is NARS Afghan Red.

If you have a darker complexion burgundy shades and bright red look great.  Jennifer Hudson is a celebrity that wears both these colors well.

No matter what your skin tone or coloring everyone can wear a true red or a brick tone red.  Clarins Joli Rouge or Chanel Passion are two great choices for everyone.

Makeup

How long should you keep your makeup?

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I get asked quite frequently how and when should you discard your old products, or if lipstick has a shelf life. While I understand not wasting products and the money that you spend, your makeup can breed bacteria if you keep it past the expiration date.

Whether you buy top of the line makeup or hit the local drugstore for your products, they all have the same shelf life. Here are the universal guidelines of expiration on your favorite products. However, keep in mind if your product starts to look or smell off, then it is time to toss and have fun shopping.

Face Time: Cream or gel clensers (12 months); Concealer (12 months); Water Based Foundation (12 months); Oil Based Foundation (18 months); Loose Powder (3 years); Pressed Powder (2 years).

The Eyes Have It: Eyeshadow (3 years); Pencil Eyeliner (3 years – sharpen regularly); Liquid Eyeliner (2 years); Mascara (4 months).

Kiss Me: Lip Liner (3 years – sharpen regularly); Lipstick (1 to 2 years – if you notice that it is starting to smell off, then it’s time to toss).

Finishing Touches: Brushes (years with proper care – clean them weekly and the better the brush set, the longer it will last for you); Sponges (wash weekly, discard monthly); Nail Polish (18 months – shake regularly).

Makeup

Retro Makeup Looks for Your Wedding

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Every year as a makeup artist, I have brides (and other clients) bringing in pictures of Hollywood starlets or telling me that they want to look like a television or movie character. This Fall I have seen an increase in brides wanting a retro makeup look. Specifically, I hear “I want to look like Joan Holloway, Peggy Olson – or the highest request – Betty Draper.” These are characters from the hit show Mad Men.

I personally had not seen Mad Men, so I researched the characters by watching an episode to get a feel for the trend. After doing the looks several times, I can share some tips on how you can achieve them for your big day.

Joan Holloway is a character who is sassy, put together and sexy. When creating the face, be sure to keep the skin matte. Use a cream blush with is a little richer than powder, and place it on the apples of your cheeks. Smiling while applying makes it easy to place in that perfect spot. Liquid eyeliner is a must as it was in the ’60s, but only line the top lid. And of course false eyelashes, which help make the eye pop. For lips, choose a shade of coral or a pink red, keeping in mind that while you are emulating a look , it still needs to be the right shade for your skin.

Peggy Olson is a business woman who has what people describe as a ”barely there” look. This look is actually one of the trickiest styles as the technique requires flawless skin. The most time spent on this look is the foundation – put it on in several coats rather than one heavy liquid or swipe. By building and blending it will help achieve the flawless, barely there feel. Keep the cheek color in a more neutral shade, as well as the lipstick.

Betty Draper of Mad Men

Betty Draper is famous on the show for her daytime  housewife look and then her evening one. The evening look is a light cream eyeshadow, thicker black liquid liner or a gel line, lashes of course, a pinkish cream blush, and then a rich red lipstick to finish. When doing this look you are going to want to use a matte lipstick for a true ’60s flashback, so forget the shimmer.

Makeup

Summertime and the makeup is flawless

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As the Summer shows no signs of cooling and a warm Fall is on the way, there are products and tricks that can be used to help brides and bridesmaids keep their makeup looking flawless.

Anna was a bridesmaid for a wedding in Key West this summer. While I did not travel with her to the sunny – and humid – Keys, we had a makeup consultation and practice session so that she could apply her own makeup.

The bridesmaids were dressed in aquamarine color gowns, and the wedding took place on the beach. Anna wears minimal makeup on a daily basis and while she wanted to look great in pictures, she also wanted to go with a softer, natural look. I decided that we should go with a sun kissed look that would complement her coloring and fit the style of the wedding.

In order to begin the combat against the humidity, I used Smashbox anti-shine primer. This product helps keeps oil under control and foundation from running. It should be applied after moisturizer and before makeup.

I used a liquid foundation to match Anna’s skin and then opted for a bronzer – instead of a blush – to highlight her cheekbones and give her a sun kissed glow. The eye makeup featured a lighter smokey eye, only lining the top lid and not the bottom. I used several coats of mascara so the lashes would stand out. By going with a lighter eye, we could highlight her skin. The lip color was a combination of brownish pink that looks great and is more of a neutral tone. To finish the look (and my last step in making sure that her makeup would hold up), I used MAC’s Fix+ which is an aqua spritz that helps finish and set makeup.

After Anna came back from Key West, she sent me a note: “I was concerned about the heat and my makeup coming off, however the products were amazing! I just received the album and was pleased that my makeup stayed on all day and night. They are definitely products worth purchasing for any upcoming event you may be attending. Thanks, Tracie, for the tips!”

While this wedding took place outside of Virginia, the products are perfect for the HOT steamy weather of  Northern Virginia.

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Bridal Beauty from Makeup Artistry by Tracie

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“Christine’s wedding theme was elegant but casual, set outdoors in the late afternoon. Her dress was a cocktail length summer style with a red ribbon accent. The only makeup request she had was that she wanted to have flawless skin for pictures. I decided that for Christine’s look to complement the dress, the accessories and her hairstyle was to go with the “Luscious Red Lip” and highlight the red details in her wedding. I wanted to give her a dramatic look without overpowering the casual, elegant atmosphere she was creating.”

“Since I decided to make the lips her focal point, I went with a trendy version of the Marilyn Monroe style eye – a white shimmer eyeshadow, lining it with liquid black eyeliner on top and bottom, and tons of mascara. In the corners of her eyes I added silver white eyeliner to draw the brightness in, as well as making sure that the eyebrows were shaped and clean to keep the brightness of the eye.”

“As for Christine’s skin, I went with a touch of concealer one shade lighter than her skin tone and a liquid foundation. I did use a liquid under eye brightener to help conceal dark circles, making sure that underneath her eyes it was light enough to complement the brightness of the eyeshadow.”

“I lined her lips with a red pencil and used a strawberry shade of red lipstick to complement her fair skin tone. I then added a high intensity gloss to make her lips look full and pouty.”

To learn more about Makeup Artistry by Tracie,  call 571.201.5942 to schedule your consultation. (Photos courtesy of Kelli Expressions.)