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).

MAKEUP BAG MAKEOVERS

Is it just me or doesn’t anyone clean out their makeup bags anymore?!?

I have frankly lost count on the Makeup Bag Makeovers I have done for ladies who’s makeup bags are a dirty mess and I spend more than 30 minutes of our scheduled appointment cleaning each item so that we can begin to see what needs to stay and what needs to go. I am really surprised that women don’t periodically clean out the inside of their freakin’ bags! YUCK! So here’s a few tips on keeping your bags a little cleanlier:

If it’s broken = PITCH IT! *the only exception is if the color can be easily removed you can always pop a magnet on the bottom and insert it into a MAC palette (see the blog on DePotting MAC eyeshadows)

If it’s old = PITCH IT! *especially mascara… it gets super dry and flaky and like wearing socks with holes in them… it doesn’t the job but barely.

Don’t take your entire makeup bag with you everyday because it not only puts the contents at risk of getting broken with all the shuffling around but also breeds bacteria if the bag is left in the hot car for more than an hour. Instead, pack a small zipper bag with your lip color, lip liner, touch up powder and possibly a bronzer. These are all the items you may need throughout the day to keep your look in tip-top shape! If you are using the right primers under your foundation and on your eyelids there is no reason that you would need shadow, concealor, etc... for retouching so that stuff should stay at home.

REMEMBER: A messy makeup bag = A messy and unpleasant adventure retrieving what you need!

ARTiST SPOTLiGHT - Darlina Conto

Fabulous Faces Studios was recently asked to participate in an Artist Spotlight for Jaclyn Fraser at At Last Weddings and I thought it was such an amazing idea, I decided to highlight some of the wonderful artists that work with me.

Our first Artist Spotlight is with Darlina Conto, a talented hair and makeup artist and colleague.



Darlina is one of my Lead Artists and over the years of working together, I am honored to call her my friend. Below is a little interview we did and some spectacular images from her portfolio...


FFS: How did you get started in the hair and makeup industry?
DC: I got started in the business of making people beautiful in Los Angeles, California. I loved applying makeup and found that it could make me money!

FFS: What outlet did you gain your experience?
DC: Most of my experience in makeup and hair is from working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. My career was intense and I rose quickly from assisting to being a key artist in film and commercials.



FFS: In your opinion, what sets you apart from your competition?
DC: I think there are many great artists out there, but what sets anyone apart from the next person is their attitude and personality. I love being around people and I have a great deal of passion and respect for the creative process so I am a ball of light whenever I am part of a project. I think that is what people pick up on and keeps me being hired.

FFS: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far?
DC: My greatest achievement so far is just being able to do what I like to do and support myself doing it.



FFS: As a fellow artist I know I've gotten some interesting requests over throughout my career, what is the craziest request that you have been asked?
DC: The craziest requests are usually requests to look like a certain supermodel when the person hasn't any features remotely close to the model they aspire to look like.

FFS: What do you get asked most frequently?
DC: I get this question every single time: "What makeup do you use?" And my answer is that I use all kinds...whatever product gets the job done well.

FFS: What is the biggest trend in makeup right now?
DC: The biggest trend right now, and it will continue indefinitely, is getting skin to look natural and flawless.



FFS: What advice could you offer to brides and others that are looking for an artist for their special day?
DC: If you are looking for a professional makeup artist, please review samples of their work and if you can, have a trial run with them before hiring them for a job.

FFS: What brand(s) can be found in your kit?
DC: My favorite brand is MAC. MAC has a lot of wonderful products and has never really let me down. I use other brands, of course, but MAC is pretty good across the board.

FFS: There is a lot of hype about airbrush makeup right now, what is your take on it?
DC: I like applying airbrush makeup and I find that it is beautiful on camera because I am aiming for heavier coverage while trying to maintain a natural look. As for brides, I find I can create a beautiful look on the bride with or without airbrush, so it becomes a matter of personal preference.

FFS: What are some of your all time favorite products?
DC: Top 5 Darlina picks: Cinema Secrets foundation/YSL Mascara/YSL Touche Eclat/Kinerase Peptide Lotion/MAC eyeshadows.



How can people contact you?

Darlina Conto
Tampa Beauty Group
813.957.7516
www.tampabeautygroup.com
darlina@tampabeautygroup.com