Tag: Cosmetics

The Makeup Show LA 2015

k150_26heel iconThe Makeup Show returned to Los Angeles for a full weekend of makeup artistry, brands showcasing their best products, demonstrations, makeup tips and business advice for those working to make a career in the industry.

Taking place at California Mart downtown, the show drew cosmetics enthusiasts as well as professionals to take it all in, many of whom come as walking advertisements for their style and best makeup looks. Of course, I had to put a cute outfit together for the occasion, with my new Unique Vintage dress featuring faces all over it. I always enjoy the makeup demos and a chance to check out the best of the brands that are hoping makeup artists will take advantage of the show discounts to load up their kits and bloggers like me with try something new to write about.

The Makeup Show LA

The show was packed for both days and it seemed everywhere you turned there was another exciting makeup demo taking place from classic looks to airbrush art to over-the-top editorial looks.

The Makeup Show LA

I caught a few demos including one from Shanna Cistulli for Cinema Secrets working her magic on my pal Doris Mayday (also known as model manager for Pinup Girl Clothing.) The demo also included some words of wisdom from Makeup Artist Legend/Cinema Secrets Founder Maurice Stein who stressed the importance of cleaning makeup brushes after every use! I caught up with Maurice after the demo and asked if makeup artists really don’t clean their brushes – he said some reuse brushes on SEVERAL clients before cleaning them. YUCK – can you say breakouts and illness!

The Makeup Show LA Cinema Secrets Demo

On Sunday, I caught a great demo by Helen Philips for Sephora using Sephora’s impressive collection of colorful eyeshadows that come in different finishes from matte to shimmer to mirror to glitter. She also gave a pro tip for makeup goofs – if you use makeup remover to fix a mistake and have a hole left in your foundation – use primer to fill it. I tried this a few days later and it works like a charm!

The Makeup Show Sephora Demo

Out in the booths I checked out Sephora’s eyeshadow and blushes that can be easily take out of their packaging and put in a customized palette. I also liked the T3 Micro’s line of curling irons and hot rollers that promise to leave hair shiny and smooth with bouncy curls. And I caught up with the Besame booth to find out what lipstick is seen on my new favorite show “Agent Carter.” Her secret weapon? Besame’s Red Velvet!

Besame's Red Velvet Lipstick

Check out more pix from the scene:

The Makeup Show LA

The Makeup Show LA

The Makeup Show LA

And now for my Makeup Show haul! I came home with lots of exciting new products to try including:

MakeupShow16

The Makeup Show takes place in cities including LA, New York, Orlando, Dallas and Chicago as well as pop up shops, throughout the year. Check the website for the next one near you!

For the love of makeup,
Kastle

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Tag: Cosmetics

Depotting Sample Size Eyeshadows

k150_25heel iconLadies, how many times have you received gifts with purchase of mini eyeshadow palattes only to have them pile up in your makeup drawer unused?

I had loads of little black compacts, mainly from Lancome because I’m a regular buyer of their fabulous eye cream that’s so expensive I only feel justified in splurging on it when they offer a gift with purchase. As a result, I have a rainbow of eyeshadow colors I rarely use because I never have time when I’m getting ready to break open all those little black compacts to see what’s inside.

blackCompacts

So while at the beauty supply, I picked up a couple of Z-Palettes and magnets and decided I’m going to depot those babies so I’ll use them!

I’m a newbie to depotting so for other newbies like me, I thought I’d share how my experience went. Depotting is basically pulling out the makeup pan from the packaging, putting a magnet sticker on the back of it, and then putting it into a Z Palette compact which has a magnetized back panel and clear top so you can see what you have. This cuts down on amount of space loads of tiny compacts take up in your makeup drawer, lets you see all of the makeup you have so you can use it all, rearrange the colors however you like them (grouping mattes and shimmers or by color shade etc.) and put the ones you want to take in your purse or traveling into a small Z Palette compact.

Here’s what you need, click the image to *shop:

Z Palette Large
Z Palette Large
Z Palette Compact Size
Z Palette Compact Size
Z Palette Small Square Magnets
Z Palette Small Square Magnets
Z Palette Large Circle Magnets
Z Palette Large Circle Magnets
Z Palette Depotting Tool
Z Palette Depotting Tool

 

I went to YouTube, my go-to source for learning everything, and viewed a couple of videos on depotting. Most recommended putting the compact on a piece of wax paper and setting on a heated flat iron for a few minutes to soften the glue that holds the pans into the packaging. I’ll admit I was a little impatient and skipped this step. I found most of mine lifted out of the packaging pretty easily and the glue residue just helped the magnet stickers stay on better. Also note, I bought the small square magnets that worked perfect for these sample-size makeup pans. The magnets are also available in larger circles for full-sized shadow products such as the kind purchased from MAC, which incidentally are cheaper in the refill pan than buying MAC shadows with the full packaging!

 

Z Palette sells a tool that helps with depotting that can get into the tiny space between the pan and packaging. I had a thin, pointed nail file that worked pretty well. A small Swiss Army knife would work too. I found the biggest challenge was being careful not to accidentally stab the cake of makeup while trying to get into the tiny space or stick my finger in the makeup cake and break or crack it. The whole process of depotting about 15 little compacts took roughly an hour.

There were a couple of compacts I had trouble getting onto so I decided to save them for later or just keep them in the packaging. But I was really happy with my new big palette of eyeshadows. I decided to group my colors by the palette they came with in the packaging since it prompts me to try the color combination intended by the makeup designer.

Depotted Palette

To celebrate I came up with this new shadow look using Lancome shadows of light and medium shades of blue shimmer on the lid, a matte rust color shadow blended in the crease and pearl shimmer on the crease to brow area.

Lancome Eyeshadow Look

And I’m really excited to use what feels like a brand new eyeshadow palette to try new looks in the coming days and weeks!

It’s hot to depot!
Kastle

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Tag: Cosmetics

Fifty Shades of Grey: Get Ana’s Look

k150_25heel iconIf you’re one of thousands who went to go see “Fifty Shades of Grey” opening weekend, like I did (read my review), and you want to get Anastasia’s look, Makeup For Ever has the collection for you. From the barely-there makeup look of a college girl to a more sultry, bold look of the woman Anna begins to transform into, this collection was created specifically from the looks used in the film.

See the behind the scenes video about the collection from “Fifty Shades of Grey” makeup department head, Victoria Down. Click the images to shop* the collection:

Give In To Me Kit

Fifty Shades of Grey Makeup Forever Collection

Desire Me Cheek Set

Fifty Shades of Grey Makeup Forever Collection Tease Me Lip Set in Nude

Fifty Shades of Grey Makeup Forever

 

Tease Me Lip Set in Berry

Fifty Shades of Grey Makeup Forever

Oh my!
Kastle

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Tag: Cosmetics

Makeup For When You’re Sick

k150_25Stiletto_City_heel_iconSZDThere’s no getting around it, I’ve been down with a cold. And not just a cold, a sinus infection on top of it. And I’m not the only one. The cold and flu season has been particularly bad this year – my family, friends and coworkers have been dropping like dominos with an insistent cold that has lingered for two weeks or longer.

But life must go on and at some point you have to get out of bed and back into the world, even if you’re not back to feeling – or looking – your best. So I thought I would put together some tips on how to fake it, until you feel it. Click the links to shop* the products.

SickK

Moisturizer

Being sick can dehydrate you, drink lots of water and use a good moisturizer, one with an illuminator, such as Stila’s Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer, can help you look radiant when your skin is drab from the illness. You may also want to reach for an eye cream to help with puffiness. Benefit’s Puff Off cream even has a little “iron” applicator to smooth out delicate skin around the eyes. Bonus tip – put your moisturizer in the refrigerator so it’s cool when you apply it, it will feel invigorating when you put it on and help with any puffiness.

Stila Illuminating Moisturizer Benefit Puff Off

Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20

Benefit Puff Off

 

Foundation

You’re going to be blowing your nose – a lot. So keep foundation light so it doesn’t show when you wipe off most of it from around your nose and mouth with the hundreds of tissues you’ll be going through. If you’re like me and have to go on antibiotics, at least there is one perk – it clears up blemishes so you won’t need much cover up! NARS Sheer Foundation provides just enough of a base and a bit of a glow to freshen up your complexion. But you may want to add a peach-tinted concealer under eyes to deal with dark circles such as Bobbi Brown’s Color Corrector.

NARS foundation Bobbi Brown Color Corrector

NARS Sheer Foundation

Bobbi Brown Color Corrector in Peach

 

Lipstick

Now is not the time to be workin’ a heavy lipstick that’s going to smear every time you raise a tissue to your mouth and nose. Your lips are likely chapped from the “fun” of sleeping with your mouth open because your nose is stuffed up. So go for a moisturizing tinted lip balm. My faves are Sugar’s Lip Treatment and Clinque’s Chubby Sticks.

Sugar Lip Treatment Clinque Chubby Stick

Sugar Lip Treatment

Clinque Chubby Stick

 

Blush

When you’re sick, you’re pale. Fake a healthy glow with a cream blush such as Stila’s Convertible Color, which can also be used on lips. A few sweeps of bronzer such as Benefit’s Hoola will also combat the pastiness a cold can bring.

Stila Cream Blush Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Stila Convertible Color

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

 

Eyes

Your eyes may be runny and puffy so keep makeup light and natural. A dark brown eyeshadow in the crease can help counter the puffiness and a dab of a light shimmery color in the inner lids and corner can brighten them up. Benefit’s Big Beautiful Eyes palette has everything you need. A brightening eye-lid primer such as Benefit’s Lemon-Aid will also help. Top with a waterproof mascara that won’t run when your eyes do.

Benefit Lemon Aid big beautiful eyes benefit

Benefit Lemon Aid

Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes

Get well soon!
Kastle

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Tag: Cosmetics

Pinup Girl Boutique: Video Interview with Micheline Pitt

k150_23SZDheel iconThe classic pinup look is defined by the bold statement it makes with makeup. With roots deep in the era of 1950s glamour, modern pinup makeup features porcelain matte skin, bold, highly-arched brows, and topped with a cherry of red lipstick. Nobody knows pinup makeup better than makeup artist Micheline Pitt who works for Pinup Girl Clothing. There, she transforms their catalog models and Beauty Bar clients into perfect pinups. As a model herself, she often shows off her makeup artist talent on her own beautiful face.  She is known as the “Queen of Eyebrows,” sporting her own incredibly-shaped brows and giving her makeup clients, “The Micheline Treatment.”

We caught up with her at the Pinup Girl Boutique to talk about how she became a makeup artist and what goes into creating the pinup makeup look, including those fab brows! Check out Part One of our video interview:

Tune in next week for Part Two with Micheline Pitt featuring an eyebrow makeup demo!

Pinup Girl Boutique video series filmed and edited by Secret Agent Mojo Würkin

Stay beautiful,
Kastle

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Tag: Cosmetics

Last Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

k150_23SZDheel iconMoms, we gotta love ‘em. They might make us crazy once in a while but they gave us so much, like that little gesture of bringing us into this world. This Mother’s Day, treat your mom to a gift to make her feel like the beautiful creature that she is. I know my mom always loves skin care and makeup products and is always asking about the latest things I’m using. So I thought I would put together a few gift ideas to get that special lady in your life – or add it to your own wish list for Mother’s Day!

All items are available at your local Sephora or click the image to shop online* (great for when you need to express ship to moms who live elsewhere!)

FRAGRANCE

What mom doesn’t like to smell pretty? These fragrances will look lovely sitting on her dresser and she’ll think of you every time she glances at them and puts ‘em on.

momDay_frag2 Screen Shot 2014-05-05 at 7.26.24 PM

MAKEUP

Every lady loves to play with makeup. This gift palatte from Sephora guarentees she’ll never run out of options to try. And if you mom is anything like my mom, she can’t get enough lipstick! She may not have heard of the long-wearing Lip Tars from OCC that have recently gone from a pro makeup artist’s secret to the mainstream, so get her this perfect sampler set.

momDay_makeup1 momDay_makeup2

SKIN CARE

OK, admit it, you may have helped put a few lines on your mother’s face. Time for payback for all the worrying and squabbling. Get her these skin care sets to care for her skin and fight the aging process.

momDay_skinCare momDay_antiaging

Now go tell you mother how beautiful she is!

Happy mother’s day!
Kastle

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Tag: Cosmetics

My Favorite Makeup Foundations

k150_23SZDheel iconFinding the perfect makeup foundation is always a challenge. It has to be right for your skin tone, your skin type and perform in the way you want – giving you the desired amount of coverage and lasting through a long work day or dancing the night away.

And now, with Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, we all have cameras pointed at us all the time, so we need to be camera-ready just like a model or actress. The current focus is on HD Makeup – high definition beauty products, so the camera doesn’t pick up that you’re wearing makeup.

With so many expectations in one little bottle, how to do you know which ones work? I’m here to share the ones that work for me. Check out my video review of the best makeup foundations:

Products mentioned and where to buy them:

Stila Stay All Day® Foundation & Concealer* 

Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm (w/o SPF)* 

Clinique SuperBalanced Makeup* 

Make Up Forever Mat Velvet* 

Lancôme RÉnergie Lift Makeup SPF 20* 

CoverGirl AquaSmooth Compact* 

Let me know what foundations work for you in the comments below!

Picture perfect,
Kastle

This video is not sponsored. Products were purchased by me. Links above are affiliate links.*
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Tag: Cosmetics

Take Your False Eyelashes On-the-Go

k150_23SZDheel iconPacking up your beauty products to get ready for an event on-the-go or for a trip can be stressful. Some products are bulky or fragile and just plain require putting them into a different container to take with. One of those products is false eyelashes.

I love wearing false eyelashes for evening events but I find when I have to get ready somewhere other than at home, I leave them behind because I struggle with how to pack them. But I recently found this super cute container from Lady Moss. It’s a gorgeous girly pink and holds three sets of eyelashes and a small tube of glue. It’s great for loading up with your favorite lashes and dropping into your to-go kit. Then you have a choice of what lashes to wear for the night. And it protects them from getting smashed.

closed

 

open

TIP: I found it helps to put a small dot of lash glue in the center of each lash to stick into the container so the lashes don’t slide around or get stuck to each other. When your night is over, just stick them back in place and put them to bed in this cute-as-a-cupcake storage compact!

I could also see this being great for makeup artists to take a variety of lashes for their clients.

Here’s lookin’ at you,
Kastle

Product purchased by the author.

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Tag: Cosmetics

bareMinerals: BeautyCon Look

k150_21heel iconAt BeautyCon last weekend I was excited to see Leslie Blodgett, creator of bareMinerals, a unique makeup line I’ve tried off and on, and recently began re-incorporating into my beauty routine as I’m trying alternatives to talc-based products. She offered her words of wisdom, admitting that at age 50, she was older than the other YouTube Gurus she shared a panel with and had plenty of advice from her years in the beauty biz. She and the other panelists discussed taking your day dream to a dream job and encouraged beauty entrepreneurs of all ages to stay true and work hard and be grateful for every opportunity to work your passion. The one thing she said was that she’s always loved communicating with her customers, which she has done since the chat rooms of the ‘90s and now with social media.

It’s clear, because bareMinerals offers some beloved products and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take home a BeautyCon goodie bag of bareMinerals products*. I had been wanting to try their eyeshadow compacts since I’ve been loving their face products (particularly the “Warmth” powder and “Mineral Veil” finishing powder.)

Here’s a look I created from my goodie bag gifts:

bareMineralsLookSZD

bareMineralsLook2SZD

Products include:

BMproductsSZD

Stay tuned for a full report of BeautyCon’s Industry Night!

Kastle

*Makeup samples provided by bareMinerals. See disclosure

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Tag: Cosmetics

The Perfect Red Lipstick

k150_21heel iconAlmost every girl I know is always on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick. Every time I hear of a new long-lasting lipstick, I want to try it and the first color I buy is red. Well ladies, I think I finally found my perfect red.

While at the PHAMExpo last week, I purchased a number of Stila products, one of them was their Stay All Day® Liquid Lipstick in the color Beso.

I was pleasantly surprised when I applied it. Drying to a velvety matte finish, the color is a deep, true red and highly pigmented. I applied a little bit of Stila Lip & Cheek Stain in Cherry Crush underneath to keep lips red but I don’t know that it was necessary because the lipstick stayed strong for hours. And a bonus, it doesn’t transfer! That means I can give my boyfriend (light) kisses and not get red all over him!

kiss

However, because it’s matte, it might feel a little dry to some. I applied some lip gloss over it and I have found most other matte lipsticks break down and get gummy or slide off when you do this. Not my Beso, the color seemed to rejuvenate and kept going!

A tip on application – a little goes a long way and the sponge wand applicator isn’t the best way to go.  Dab a little on the back of your hand or a palette (I use a small plastic plate from Target) and use a lip brush. The lipstick is thick enough to line your lips with, but I like using a separate liner. I found Sephora’s Real Red Liner to be a perfect match.

kiss1

So go get your red on!

S.W.A.K.
Kastle

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