Urban Decay Primer - BUY IT NOW!!!

As most of you do, I also work really long days and I’m typically only a few inches from my clients’ faces, one after another, after another and as a makeup artist it is super embarrassing when I can feel my face getting greasier and greasier by the moment, especially when you are teaching your client all the tips to a flawless face! I am such an ingredient Nazi that I will usually forfeit products that promise to be long wearing because they generally contain ingredients that clog my pores and over time, cause breakouts (P.S. Breakouts at 31… so uncool this far after puberty!) So I tend to pick the ones with the least offensive ingredients even if it means giving up a little effectiveness. On one of my recent south Florida makeup tours a fellow artist actually said, after several days of working side by side with me, “Kara, I can’t believe how many times you have to touch up in a day!” I had just come to accept being constantly shiny and took solace in the fact that oily skin stays younger longer… blah blah blah.

Since then I have been in search of a solution and I think I have finally found one!!! Urban Decay De-Slick In a Tube Mattifying Gel $28, I did some research and went to my home away from home – also known as Sephora and was pleasantly surprised at the reasonable price of this primer and the short list of ingredients. Today was day one with the new wonder product and let me tell you, I gave it a run for it’s money! We had an 80 degree day with full sunshine and I not only watered my garden, walked my dogs around the neighborhood then to a art festival, then hand washed my car at the heat of the day and cleaned my house (it was my first Sunday off in months!) and I am blown away by how well this primer held up! I DID NOT, I repeat, I DID NOT TOUCH UP ONCE all day! I applied it at 9am and wore my normal foundation over top so the only factor that changed was the Urban Decay product. Now, to be perfectly honest, it is 9pm and if I was going to dinner or something, I would need to blot now and retouch my makeup but nonetheless it lasted 8 hours longer than my usual primers so I’M SOLD! If you have oily, acne prone skin like me, girls it is worth every penny and I strongly recommend it!

PLUS there are No Parabens or Sulfates

Active Ingredients: Water, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Propylene Glycol, Allantoin

CREATING YOUR COLOR WARDROBE

CREATE YOUR COLOR WARDROBE: make your makeup bag easy to navigate. This means pairing colors (eyes, cheeks & lips) that all complement each other.

INVEST IN GOOD SKINCARE: keep it simple but use quality items that are an ideal fit for what your skin needs. All you need is a cleanser, moisturizer and a treatment serum (if your moisturizer doesn’t have SPF then add one in).

KEEP IT PACKAGED SIMPLY AND NEATLY: many cosmetic lines sell palette style compacts ($10) that you can refill yourself OR custom made ones pre-packaged ($50-200) that will make it simple for you to create a polished look in a reasonable amount of time.

Tip: a good time to find amazing deals on prepackaged kits is around the holidays. I suggest cleaning your brushes thoroughly once a month and at the same time, clean out your makeup bag too! You can keep a spray brush cleaner on hand for daily maintenance but remember that doesn’t replace a good shampoo cleaning.

NEW TESTIMONIAL

Kara is a GODDESS! From the start I was anxious about finding someone to do my make up for my wedding day. Being that our wedding was out of town, it was hard finding someone through referrals. Then there was Kara. She was recommended to me by my hair stylist. When I first met with her, I knew instantly that she was very knowledgeable in her field. Not only did she transform my wimpy eyebrows to super model caliber, she gave me exactly what I wanted for my special day. Not only can I vouch for her talent, but I can also say I am happy to call her a friend now. Anyone who has the pleasure of working with Kara, whether its for a special occasion, or an eyebrow fix, I can assure you that you'll be yet another satisfied customer.
This was the best thing I ever did for myself. I strongly suggest that every girl I know check them out, go onto the website, check on the photos, and BOOK!!! You won’t regret it!!!

Amazing job! They were so patient and willing to work with all our crazy demands (it was a bridal party after all) but beyond their amazing amount of professionalism, they were as sweet as can be. On top of all that, I can honestly say we've never looked better. I highly recommend them, you won’t regret it!

- Melissa Zurz Hyams

(due to complications with settings, please visit fb for photos of this bride)

TOP 5 TIPS FOR PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP ARTISTS

After 16 years in the field I have had the opportunity to work with countless other makeup artists and in doing so I have compiled a list of tips that will help you take your profession to the next level:

1. Always KEEP YOUR KIT CLEAN! In our business our brushes touch several faces in a day and there is no excuse to not be sanitizing them in between each client and giving them a complete washing when we finish a job. There are too many disorders that can be spread by a dirty brush - acne and pink eye, just to name a few, so in your clients best interest make it a habit of cleaning your brushes, sanitizing your lipsticks & liners, using disposable mascara wands and using alcohol on all of your containers periodically to make sure that your kit looks neat and is germ free at all times. Not to repeat myself but CLEANLINESS is KEY so keep the following items in your kit for your safety and your client’s. ALCOHOL, HAND SANITIZER, BRUSH CLEANER and DISTILLED WATER.

2. Stay on top of your game and USE THE NEWEST & BEST PRODUCTS on the market. If you are charging clients for applying makeup, you should be giving them the best available products. A few ways to stay on top of what’s new: stop by your local Sephora and ask the cast members what’s new and useful for the type of makeup you do, check the M.A.C website monthly to see what is new and exciting – chances are your clients will ask you about the most recent launch and it would be great if you could give them your insight on the latest products and lastly every year InStyle puts out their Best Of issue and it is safe to say that the majority of the products that win the coveted title should probably find their way into your kit.

3. Make it a point to UPDATE YOUR PICTURES in your portfolio every month. Whether you get prints of magazine work or have point-and-shoot snapshots, either way it will only make you look more professional to your clients for them to see a visual resume of your work.

4. USE MAGAZINES AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION and that doesn’t just mean other artist’s makeup work but also what inspires you? Flowers? Urban sky scapes? Asian artwork? Whatever tickles your fancy can be used for inspiration for your upcoming makeup jobs. Mimic color combinations that really got your attention or the strong/soft lines you love in a photo of the horizon… inspiration is everywhere!

5. BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR CAPABILITIES. This means if someone asks you if you do African American makeup and you have never been exposed to that complexion, say so because if you do a bad job and it is immortalized in a photo, you will have a bad referral and you would have single handedly ruined a very important day for your client. I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t challenge yourself to broaden your horizons but I am saying that you should practice on friends first so you can confidently do an amazing job!

What’s Your Makeup Style?

So you have a fashion style right? And the perfect hair style too? So what’s your makeup style? To help you define your style I suggest booking a makeup application at your local department store (usually complimentary with a $40-75 purchase) or a
Makeup Bag Makeover with FABULOUS FACES STUDIOS $85 SPECIAL (regularly $150).