How to get Holiday Pretty

Achieving a gorgeous holiday glow is certainly within the busy girl (or guys) grasp! Even in the season of rushing, stress, lack of sleep, not to mention cold temmps, and drying indoor heat sources. All these can sap our skin of moisture and it's luminosity. Here are a few simple steps to make that skin fall in line, and Glow like those twinkly ornaments decking your halls. (or glow like your Hannakah Menorah, or Kwanza Candelabra) you get the picture. 

#1 and this will always be my number one, drink water. period, finite' this will hydrate your skin from the inside out! It is neccesary, and life giving. Your body will shunt moisture to your vital organs first, and harsh weather will suck the rest from your skin- as will many artificial heat sources. I ADORE my gas fireplace- but oh boy- can I feel it literally sucking my skin dry! I love flavored sparkling selters- and they count with zero calories- so I indulge anytime- sans guilt!

To get this look:

Fortunate Face Minerals

Cheek & Lip  color in Cheeky Mixed into our Uncolored Cream Base

Bare Luster Highlighter on cheekbone

Romance All over entire lid up to brow bone

Conquered eye shadow on lid only & undereye. 

#2 Wear sunscreen. spf 30. Glare off snow and ice are strong!

#3 Consider changing the Type of makeup you use. if you are very oily- you may rejoice in the winter as your skin appears more "normal" But those who are combo, or dry- and especially mature skin- you may really feel the lack of moisture. Considering changin from a powder, or water based liquid foundation to a cream based, or liquid silicone based foundation MAY just be the change you need to add extra emollience- and create that, oft desired, dewey skin finish. Pairing ths with cream based blushes, creamy lip products- all tapped into skin with warm fingers- a makeup routine that can feel luxurious.

#4 Use thicker creamier moisturizing products. And look for hyuralonic acid as one of the ingredients. hyuralonic acid holds 400x it's own weight in water- and packs it up against your skin cells. it temporarily plumps lines and wrinkles- and with consistent use can dramatically approve ther appearance.

#5 Exfolliate. Be gentle. Use a Clarisonic, or your favorite scrub, even sugar mixed into a creamy wax/oil based moisturizer (works great mixed with a lip balm for a lip scrub too!)

Clean Skin Makeup

One of my favorite things that happens, and I am lucky enough that it happens a lot, is when in talking to someone, and they find out I am a makeup artist, and cosmetics company owner; and they immediately say "I need you, I love how- you are obviously wearing makeup (I ususally do my eyes pretty smokey), but your skin looks amazing, and like you dont have heavy makeup on!" I love this for two reasons.
One, naturally being I am a makeup artist- and this speaks to my skill. My personal face is one of my primary canvases. If I cannot do my own makeup well, and in a flattering manner, how could anyone think I could do thers well! I may even wear more makeup than someone else would like- i.e. that aforementioned smokey eye, BUT if it is executed flawlessly, and enhances my features rather than overwhelm them- people can SEE a great makeup job- and not necessarily just focus on the makeup itself, but rather the overall effect achieved BY the makeup. Which is the point of makeup on the everyday woman.
But reason two is even more gratifying, and this is the secret that I know- good makeup- particularly a high quality foundation is going to give you coverage, and smoother appearing skin without looking heavy or cakey- it will just look like skin!
We all have been introduced to the idea of HD cameras the buzz has been around for many years now- well guess what? Life is an HD camera! Our eyes are HD cameras! We can all see when someone's makeup is heavy and sitting on top of the skin, when it is very thick, pasty, the wrong color or texture, and when it is uneven, streaky, or unblended. It is why your foundation choice is so important, and where I tell women to not skimp on foundation- after all it's called FOUNDATION- and is the foundaton of the rest of your makeup look.
If you have perfect skin, or very minimal discoloration- you cna get away with very little on the skin- perhaps a tinted moisturizer, or een just a dab or two of a concealer here and there- blend out gently powder and voila" perfection! for those of you with this skin-Kudos (and I hate you a little)
But for those of us with much more to cover (and I am right there with you ladies and  gents) we need a full coverage foundation- period. You need to find one with a high level of pigmentation which will give the coverage with less product- and that in a nutshell is what will keep you from needing to slather on a thick coating. Typically the well pigmented products are ones you will find in a pro makeup artist kit, and have names you have probably never heard of. I carry many of those in my kit as well- because they are amazing, and I love makeup and I WANT IT ALL *BWAH HAHA *insert manical laughter here.
But, truthfully, I use my Fortunate Face Minerals in Medium Dark Warm, day after day- this is always what I am wearing when I get those compliments. It is what I was wearing on my on-air tv segment when, after it aired, a gentelman hunted me down and hired to me to teach his fiance how to do her makeup because "I love her with no makeup but I'd seen you on Mass Appeal and you looked great and it didnt look like you had a mask on your face. Sorry but most women look like its Halloween 24/7." 
High praise- I did indeed teach his beautiful fiance how to achieve this, and she was happy, and also purchased the products that I had used on her. 
It happened again last night at a grand opening event for one of my FFM vendors where I heard "your skin just looks like skin, so perfect" 
I will let you in on a secret- I have discoloration, a lot of sun/age spots (from zero sunscreen until about age 25-if I only knew!), broken capillaries next to my nose, large pores, and I still get blemishes here and there. But I know to use the right foundation, and the magic that it can bring-the right color, the right type and texture, and the right level of pigmentation for my needs. Get up close to a mirror- do it! and see can you see skin? some pores? Yes. Those few fine lines? Yup. It's not meant to erase them. Blur them? diminish them? Absolutely! but if you are seeing nothing but a thick layer of makeup? You need a serious do-over.
My most significant suggestion? Try it- before you buy it! samples are great way to see if youa re getting exactly what you need. Most counters, and websites will offer samples- sometimes free, or usually at a deep discount. Then try them, as many as you need to to get exactly what suits your needs best! With so many great lightweight formulas out there now- you CAN find one to help you achieve amazing clean skin makeup!

FFM Medium Dark Warm

Some of my personal faves:
Fortunate Face Minerals (obviously)
Face Atelier
RCMA 
Cover FX
Temptu
I hear good things about Maybelline Fit Me line- but cannot speak from personal experience
Chanel Vitalumiere
Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Fellow Mua- Blogging about FFM!

I have an amazing friend- Yisell who is one of the most talented makeup artists I have yet to meet. She has been signed by one of the top agencies in the country- and done some truly breathtaking work! She is also funny, nice honest- and has been a fabulous critic for me and for Fortunate Face Minerals. So i was very excited, and proud, and a little overwhelemed when Yisell asked if she could include IntensifEYE primer in her Must have Blog posting!  naturally, I said yes- and am honored to have one of her favorite, never to be without products! You can read the blog posting here: Yisell's Babbling Blurbs

IntensifEYE Primer

Doing A Happy Dance!

Exciting happenings are underway- The New website has been transferred over to new hosting, and the new design is about a week or so away from being ready! Amazing people have been instrumental in helping me create something that is more functional, beautiful AND finally can include ALL of my products and COLORS!  Thank you specifically to David, my web designer for all your labor! Also to Michael & Linda- who are starting their own amazing Biz, Sugar Rush,
for all of the gorgeous new product Shots!!!!

I am also supremely thrilled that many pros- have been raving about many of our products- from our new IntensifEYE eye primer, to Our Women of Color Products, Correcting Concealers, Our ever popular Foundation- AND our Uncolored cream base! Hearing things like Love It" "Will never be without it!" and "You're stuff is magical" never gets old really.
Launching into another new store- is always another exciting event for us- and I am happy to welcome
www.betterlifewholefoods.com/- to the FFM family! Our products should be available there by the 3rd week of September 2013.

Clean:Brush Shampoo

I am always so happy to give a positive review about a product- because that means said product has met or exceeded my expectations- and that is exactly what this brush shampoo has done! All I can say is WOW!
In the interest of full disclosure, I know the owner, Jessicca Ochs. Fellow makeup artist, Jessicca, and I had never met, but were mua aquaintances on Facebook.  Once I heard she was starting this product as an Indie Beauty formulator I made a point to introduce myself and offer any advice or help I could- as I believe strongly in Indie Formulators mentoring one another.  We spent a bit messaging back and forth- and Jessicca truly put her all into the creation of this all natural product. Her Passion was palpable, even through the computer screen. I felt I had met a kindred Spirit- because any of you who know me- know that is JUST how I am about MY Makeup Line! We got to officially meet Last week at the New York Makeup Show- where we handed each other samples of our products for each to test out. The ONLY Stilpulation? Honest, constructive feedback. It is THE single most valuable service others can pay to my business, and I wanted Jessica, and Clean: Bruch Shampoo, to have mine.
So- here it is. I gave this brush cleanser several different tries- on several different days, to be sure results were consistent, I also used many types of bristles or sponges, and various types of makeup as well.
Overall this products rates as a- MY KIT WILL NEVER BE WITHOUT THIS! and frankly, yours shouldn't be either.
Jess- gave me both the olive oil based, and the goat's milk based- I washed half the brushes in one, and half in the other- eveny distributing them into equal types, and levels dirty. They performed exactly the same- so, in this instance, it will come down to personal preference- (Mine is olive oil simply due to diary allergies)
She also scented mine with Lemon essential oil, as citrus is always a big win for me- if you're thinking uh oh, fragrance? never fear- as she offers unscented- but the fragrnace is so light- and does not linger on the brushes at all- it merely adds a pleasant trace of aroma to mask any unpleasant wax or oil smell that some people don't care for.
Now, for the cleaning itself. I love the nice sturdy jars they come in- and she opted to go with the wider mouth so even large brushes can be swirled in without potential damage. I pre-wet the brushes- and added some water to the top of the soap in the jar- swirled- and worked it into brush and rinsed. I would then risne the top of the soap as well if needed. For mildly dirty brushes this was it- done- clean! super fast and my all time favorite aspect? Super clean rinse- I hate any residue feel left on brushes and these rinsed SO clean- But at the same time brushes were softer feeling- almost as If I had conditioned them- bonus! and it was all the hair types, badger, synthetic, taklon, Sable...and beauty blender too!
Now, I had a few uber dirty brushes (these were all my personal brushes)- several having thick cream makeup, or red goopey lipstick, and several w waterproof liner.- again- holy amaezballs! It def took more than one cleaning- but that is to be expected with brushes this dirty- I can say the less dirty ones cleaned up first try- and- a little tip for the super dirty ones? Wet brush, run through soap, work it in, let sit while you clean others- then come back to it. Letting the soap sits helps to emulsify any cream product worked deep into the brush- and cleans up even faster!
Once I was finished I rinsed the top of the soap, right in the jar, dried with a tissue, and capped to store.
Lastly, because of the all natural formula, which contains no harsh surfactants, no sulfites, and no alchohol- it doesn't strip brushes. The only thing anyone may notice is, due to milder surfactants, it may suds less, - but I will tell you, that is because it is working! Just like shampooing your hair- it doesn't suds up as much on dirty hair- that's because it is WORKING on cleaning the hair! I tried re-washing a clean brush and it sudsed right up- so this is also a pretty good indicator of when your brushes are clean!
All in all- I give this such an amazing thumbs up! Jessicca will be officialy launching her product on Monday, May 13th. You can find it here: and local FFM users will be glad to know that Fortunate Face Minerals will be stocking some as well! (especially since you all always ask me what to use!) Her 2oz will retail for $10, and her 4oz (pro Size) will retail for $15, and will be offered initially in Unscented, Lemon, & Lavender- Find it here: http://www.cleanbrushes.com and soon at Fortunate Face Minerals!

In the Pink!

New pink shades will be appearing soon- (with uber cute names like Capricious, Cheeky, Breathless)....as will our new updated website! Pictures of all our eye colors have been shot- and the rest will be completed by next week! So excited for you all to see the new shades- and have a more interactive, user friendly site. We're also excited about new vendors that are in the works - and there are a few more fabulous announcements to come. Lipsticks have been launched in 3 of our vendors sites to an amazing response- so much so that i may have to  step up my game and get them out to all the rest of you!