Merry....Whatever

What it says. I'm glad it's nearly over. Then retail can go back to normal, and I'll have time to schedule shoots again, and new product will be released so that I have something to update with other then just my own goings on.

So yeah. Two days late, but happy winter solstice. Now the days are getting longer again. Or Happy Baby Jesus Day. Whatever your religion, I hope you eat lots of delicious food, (other then models, who should at least watch delicious food being consumed) and get that expensive new something or other that you wanted so badly.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled life.

A light in the dark

I admit right now, that this post has very little to do with makeup other than what inspires me to work with it.

I work in retail cosmetics, which as you might guess means that because of the winter holiday season, my soul is currently being sucked out through my eye sockets. This an excellent reason to feel inspiration flagging, with the economy in such poor shape; plummeting house prices, and skyrocketing gas prices. I like to think that what makes me different from a lot of the other drones who work in cosmetics these days is just this: I try to find ways to keep myself inspired.

This became clear to me when I was speaking with a makeup artist acquaintance of mine who happens to work for my favorite brand of all, NARS. Talking to her always makes me happy because she takes so much joy in what she does. I admit to being geeky and trying to find some of the movies that I know Francois Nars named some of his eye shadows after. This is because I wanted an idea of what inspired him to create those colors. Of course watching '70s French films like Night Porter and Emannuelle led me to find other interesting movies of a similar feel. I also discovered a Japanese film called In the Realms of the Senses, which reminded me that I needed to watch Memoirs of a Geisha again, which in turn led to that extremely long post on traditional Japanese makeup.

After a mention on the Imagist, I added many films directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini to my Netflix queue like Teorema, The Decameron, and Momma Roma. This led Netflix to suggest many of the films by Federico Fellini, many of which I have been meaning to watch for ages anyway, films like La Strada, La Dolce Vita and Nights of Cabiria. I've also made a pact with myself to watch as many Akira Kurosawa's films as I can as well, partially because I love most all things Japanese (Except Ichi the Killer; but that has nothing to do with Kurosawa) Knowing that I have all these amazing films waiting for me makes me incredibly grateful that Netflix was invented. NONE of these are available at my local Blockbuster.

I read the fashion and photography blogs too. I am not content to be what I am now, and as such I need to learn as much as I can about what I want to do. I have very little interest in doing movies or television shows, and three operas was enough for me. This may be egotistical of me, but it is rare that I look at a fashion spread and am boggled by the makeup. Not because it isn't good, but because I know that I could accomplish the look. What is more important then tehcnical is the one final quality: the inspiration to create the look involved. And so I flip though YouTube because often times people scan editorials and set them to music to watch like a small movie. After happening upon a Miesel work involving very shiny helmets, somehow this reminded me that Daft Punk had put out a new live album which I had to have.

While on that subject, did you know that Daft Punk's signature leather uniforms were custom designed for them by Hedi Slimane while he was working for Dior Homme? The duo also did the music for the SS08 Marc Jacobs/Louis Vuitton show, which should it interest you, can be seen here:



And for those of you who haven't seen Electroma yet... I enjoyed it but it was certainly hard to watch. It's as opposite from Interstella 5555 as can be.

At this point I'm just rambling. So I pound down endless energy drinks to go to work, and it is as my favorite comic book hero Spider Jerusalem said: "I do it to keep me here. To keep me interested." My point is this: Being an artist is just as much about what you take in as what you produce. I am an artist because I made a decision to be one, to educate myself on what I need to know, and to fill my mind with as much inspiration material as possible. That is what differentiates me from the other retail cosmetic drones.

Irritating

The only thing more irritating then working in retail cosmetics during the winter holiday, is knowing that places like QVC get all the new stuff first.

Click this link to behold Smashbox's new Spring Collection.

Create the best eyelashes possible

It seems to me that I have not yet said anything on the subject of mascara, and this is a terrible oversight on my part. I actually have a whole process that leads to people to ask which brand of false lashes did I use on that shoot? I didn't. Here's my process:

First I use the Paula Dorf Eye Definer brush to line the inside of the top eyelashes.I generally prefer to use the Stila SmudgePots for this purpose.
This is about when you bust out the trusty Shu Uemura Eyelash curler:
Next I layer on the Shiseido Mascara Base using a mascara fan or flat eyeliner brush to apply. Place a tissue under the closed eyelashes, and apply to the top, then have the model/client open half-way, and apply to the underside.

Finally here's the important part: what the best mascara? Some say it's DiorShow. I disagree- DiorShow clumps, the rose oil is irritating, the fibers can get into contacts lenses, and it dries out in 4 to 6 weeks.

Some say it's Benefit's BadGal Lash. This stuff is pretty great. Don't have any complaints about it, other then it too dried out a little faster then I would have liked, but is still a really good all around mascara. This will survive fights with boyfriends, still on the lashes, as long as you blot with a tissue and don't rub your eyes. This one is a very close second.

The number one spot goes to, undoubtedly, Fresh Cosmetics for their SuperNova Mascara. This is hands down the best mascara I have ever used. It lengthens, thickens, and yes, it even curls the most stubborn straight lashes.

Use the mascara fan, or flat brush again to apply in the same manner as the base, then comb out if needed. There you have it. My top mascara secrets. Do with them what you will.

Breaking News!

A post on ModelMayhem today was brought to my attention, and while I don't know the source for it, I hope it's completely true:

"MAKE UP FOR EVER DIRECTOR: Make Up For Ever LLC. has appointed Emmy Award winning makeup artist Kevin-James Bennett as Director, Artistry and Development US. His duties will include developing and managing relationships with the professional makeup artist community in North America, support of the Make Up For Ever Academy US, as well as overseeing an elite group of artists specially trained to represent the brand’s unique professional DNA. He will also serve as research and product development adviser to Dany Sanz, creator and artistic director of the Make Up For Ever brand in Paris. Based in New York, Bennett reports to Gilles Kortzagadarian, General Manager of Make Up For Ever, US."

Twas a cold winter's night...

And indeed it twas. Not cold by many people's standards, but when the wind is kicking, and you're on top of a seven story building, it goes right through your clothes. I felt rather bad for our model, as my hands were freezing. Luckily the actual makeup construction took place elsewhere where it was not quite so cold.

I am exceedingly proud of the work I did yesterday. It was certainly my most experimental work to date. My boyfriend/photographer watched the process, and when I had started laying the ground work, I could see the dismay starting to show. It wasn't till some time later when I had all the contouring in place, and the highlights blended out that I think he realized what I was trying to accomplish.

I had spent weeks planning that look, obsessing over it. It seems to me that makeup artists these days are all focused on lips and eyes. That's all anyone cares about these days, is advanced eyeshadow techniques. The look I created was all focused on this model's beautiful ethnically African cheekbones. And while that look included the eyes, their own contouring was simply an extension of what I was trying to achieve with her bone structure.

It seems to me also that when people think of makeup artists these days, they think of these black-clad, multi-colored haired, tattooed, and extremely heavily made up humans you see in the MAC stores. Now, don't get me wrong. I have tattoos and piercings. But at my job, I have to cover them. They are not part of our mise-en-scène. When I am on-set, I wear jeans, loafers, a t-shirt, and whatever layers I need to keep myself comfortable. I generally have my hair tied back in a bandanna. The only thing that separates me from an anonymous lighting assistant (which I have also been known to do) is the ever-present overloaded brush belt. I very rarely wear more then sunscreen, foundation, powder and eyebrows during these things. I am not, nor will I ever be the makeup artist clicking around in stiletto heels.

But seriously: What happened to skin looking like skin? Or using beautiful ethnic features to an artist's creative advantage? Why must everything be "corrected"? It hurts me so much when I see the plastic-looking PhotoShop employed on so much commercial work today. Skin has a texture. There are certain creases around the eyes and face that are not so much a sign of age, but the stamp of the character that makes the individual what and who they are. While I am certainly capable of applying makeup in a way that will speak to the person' strong points, I see no reason at remove all a person's "flaws".

Anywho. As soon as the photos have been finished, I'll post a couple highlights. Look forward to it.

Information Compilation: Portfolios

It's probably weird for me as a makeup artist to read the photography blogs, but as someone who needs to know the business side of things, I have no other resource. Much of the advice given can certainly apply to more then one field. Today's subject: The Portfolio, AKA The Book.

The consensus, from what I can glean from other blogs written by people who actually know what they are talking about, seems to be that it should be 11 x 14 inches made of leather, leather substitute, bookbinder's cloth or similar. For those new to this then even I am, that means the prints the book should be able to hold should be 11 x 14. It is also important that the book be sturdy, not too flashy, and not be ridiculously large. Purchase many extra sleeves, because if you are actually in a position where you are actually showing it to people who the difference, sleeve in bad shape reek of unprofessionalism.

Basically anything else I could say on the subject would be blatantly stolen from this blog post at What's the Jackanory? about "How to Stand Out in a Crowd" which should be followed by reading these entries at A Visual Society, Portfolios Part 1 , and Part 2. There is also Jackanory's responses to both A Visual Society and also A Photo Editor. I did not link the APE comments because they simply agree with a lot of what Jackanory and AVS have already stated.
I however, am not going to go with a standard black book. It's not going to be overly flashy or anything, I just want red acrylic because I think it's pretty. On the subject of my own book, we've re-booked the model for the shoot that has been canceled twice due to illness for tomorrow. Hopefully very soon I'll have enough really good images so that I don't feel like a lackwit when I do need to show my book to somebody.

PS: I really want this

This has nothing to do with the previous post at all, except that this too is awesome:
Click the pretty picture!

New Winner for Most Useful Thing Ever

I'm not sure how I didn't know this, but Smashbox Cosmetics/Photo Studios (The Home of LA Fashion Week) has a MySpace Video Channel. Well honestly, lately I've been fixated on Francois Nars- and while Davis Factor is amazing too (co-owned with his bro Dean, both descendents of The Legendary Max Factor himself), in the case of Davis... the Hasselblad is always in the way. In the case of photographers, the camera always acts as a barrier to me, even with my own boyfriend. When the Mamiya is in his hands, there is work to be done. But I digress.

The Smashbox MySpace Video Channel is 19 short videos of pure usefulness, regardless of skill level. I don't know about you, but when I finally see the photos of my work, I am never happy with it. I know the day that I can find nothing wrong that I have failed myself. There are always subtle tips and tricks that are wonderful to integrate into an already established technique, and sometimes the back to basics approach is what is needed. I've been taught five million ways to do a smokey eye, and god knows, I have my own way as well. This was perhaps the best one that I have seen yet:

The Smokey Eye

Add to My Profile | More Videos

I have several of the Smashbox brushes mentioned. I love them. I recently tossed aside two of my tried and true eyebrow brushes for the Smashbox #12. Twas worth it.

Have a look through all the videos. I promise you'll learn something.

AMP Cosmetics Part 1 of 3: Review

I had briefly mentioned my buddy Ralph Kacy's fledgling cosmetic line, AMP Cosmetics. It was brief only because I didn't know much about it, other then it had cool colors, the product was good sized, and they offered a good discount to working professionals.

So when I ran into Ralph at my "day job" last Saturday, I told him how I stared my own blog, and remembered to honor my buddy right away. I also apologized for having not been able to purchase any of his product yet, and as soon as I did that I would write a review for him. Lo and Behold: Guess what was in my mailbox this afternoon when I got home from work? A box with the AMP logo. Thank you, Ralph.

I tore into the box as soon as I made it in the door, and screeched when I got through the packing tape. The next ten minutes or so are a blur because I was frothing at the mouth in cosmetic glee.

I know I mentioned in the past that Mr. Kacy was on the Dior National Artistry Team, and currently is a National Artist and Trainer for The Balm (Best. Concealer. Ever.), so homeboy knows what needs to go into cosmetics to make them quality.

AMP's ten eye shadows and four blushes are certainly high pigment, but not to the point where they become unworkable. There is an excellent balance here between form and function, because they contain four ingredients that I love to see on a eye shadow label: corn starch, silica, nylon-12 and zinc stearate. These are all ingredients that are oil absorbing, helping those of us with oily eyelids to know that our eye shadow will not crease. The blushes also contain Kaolin clay, another oil absorbing stay-put indicator.

You will also quickly notice from a jaunt through the AMP website that all the colors are named after iconic rock songs from musicians like Blondie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joan Jet, Echo and the Bunnymen, Iggy Pop, and Guns and Roses. The colors are well represented by the names chosen for them. The lipsticks are all the fun colors that lady rockers wore in those music videos I grew up seeing on MTV. Everything is $13 each, and if you are a pro artist, contact Ralph though his website for information on his generous pro discount.

What are you waiting for? Everything is %40 for the holidays! www.ampcosmetics.net

Look forward to part 2, in which I extract an interview out of Ralph's tattooed hide, and part 3 in which my photographer boyfriend and I are planning a photo shoot so that you all may better understand the colorful awesomness that is AMP Cosmetics.

Horray for brilliant ideas

I know what you are thinking. It's just a pencil sharpener. How is this pencil sharpener special, how is it different from other pencil sharpeners? Why would you pay $11 for just a pencil sharpener? I will tell you what makes this particular one such a brilliant idea.

This is the DuWop Beauty Blade. Aside from the fact that its shaving catch is larger then most... The blades are anti-bacterial.

It can be a struggle to maintain proper hygiene standards while out on a shoot. This is just one less thing that you have to worry about cleaning, and also means you don't have to alcohol your pencils before sharpening them. Personally I do it anyway because it's so ingrained in my thought process, but that just means your models have less worry about contracting pink-eye and blaming it on you. So are all of you going to run out and buy one? Even if it's just for yourself, and not for your kit? I would, if I was you.

Because this is NOT okay

Okay, so I've talked a lot about what to do, and what to buy, and where to get it. It's probably time to talk about what NOT to do. I'm sorry y'all have to see this, but here's the horrible truth:

This is what mineral makeup does under flash photography. This is TV Actress Joan van Arc. Honestly, this is what ANY powder makeup rich in mica will do. It will make every line on your face stand out making the subject look older, and the face will glow with an eerie zombie-like pallor. The makeup artist (or herself) also tried their hand at corrective makeup, and put a darker color on her nose (which resembles B.E. "Warmth", methinks) to try and make it appear smaller. Her eyebrows and lower eyeliner were done with the same pencil. Her brows are far too harsh, and too red for her hair color, and the eyeliner would have been okay if someone knew what a smudge brush was or had a q-tip handy. Additionally, the "nude lip" is not for her. By that I mean she literally does not have any lipstick or gloss on at all. The nude lip is a notoriously tricky thing, because "nude" is different for every person, and relies heavily on their original lip color, and their inherent skin tone. She would have benefited a lot from a pinky-brown lip-liner to give her lips any shape at all, and sheer matching lipstick, as well as a subtle mauve blush. And her eyelashes need combing out. I seriously would have done plum shadows and grey liner for her.

Who knows? Maybe it looks okay in regular light, or even sunlight. But if the camera adds ten pounds, mineral makeup adds a hundred years. I.E. old enough to be a corpse.

/rant

Time Capsule: Traditional Japanese Makeup

This is an obscure subject, and one that I am nevertheless very interested in. I have an intense love of Japanese culture, and as such their traditional forms of makeup have always fascinated me. It is also something that is rather hard to find information on, and even harder to find the traditional products and brushes.

The application of geisha and kabuki makeup starts with cleansing of the face, and then the application of an oil called Abura. They also use a wax called Taihaku to block out the eyebrows. The white face color is then applied. It is called Oshiroi, literally meaning "honorable white" ( The "O" is an honorific, and "shiroi" is the word for white). It tends to be made of kneaded white rice powder, and several minerals including zinc and titanium. In the past lead was used (yuck!) and as a result many geisha developed lead poisoning. In geisha makeup the oshiroi is applied to just below the hairline in a very sharp line outline, on the ears and around on the back of the neck, also forming a very distinct shape like a giant "W". In kabuki makeup it is applied so that no skin is showing. In the era before theater lighting was developed and candles and oil lamps were used, this allowed the kabuki performers to be more easily seen from stage. In both kabuki and geisha makeup all visible skin including the arms, hands, and in the case of male kabuki performers, also the legs and feet.

From there, for geisha how the rest of the makeup is applied is based on the age and experience of the geisha in question. More information on this is located in this section of the Immortal Geisha Website. There is also a step-by-step guide available at the Mitsuyoshi Professional Cosmetics website

You may have noticed that the above website does not sell direct from their page. This got me down quite a bit because I have been wanting authentic brushes. NARS actually does carry domestic replicas of the Kabuki Botan foundation brush (Nothing like your standard mineral makeup kabuki brush- it's about twice to three times as large.), the Yachiyo brush, and two different sizes of the Ita brushes. All of you know of my NARS obsession, but I also wanted to know if the authentic versions were available on this side of the pond.

My search led me to the eBay store Hannari-Ya, based in Kyoto, Japan, home of the geisha tradition. They sell all the needed cosmetics and a few brushes individually. They also sell other geisha oriented items like the combs used in the fantastic wigs, geta sandals, tabi socks, and so on. They also sell a large kit for about $250 with shipping, of all the needed cosmetics, primers, and brushes.

For those of you who are not satisfied with the brush selection, even more of the traditional brushes are available through Violet Moon Works, based out of Australia. Considering the currency difference, most of their prices, except of the Botan, are very reasonable. The least expensive option for that remains the NARS replica at $75. The Hannari-ya authentic Botan is $99.99, and through Violet Moon works out to about $125 US. (I used www.xe.com for currency exchange rate) As far as I could tell, Violet Moon is the only place to get the brushes not sold on Hannari-ya.

Hopefully this has been a throughly educational post- I know I learned a ton when I was doing the research. If any reader has any better information please please please leave a comment!