Be Maui Brown! Body and Hair Oil

by Maui Vegas Inc
. made in Las Vegas, this natural blend of 15 oils is made right here in Vegas. The smell is clean and simple, wonderful for men and women. Originally made for tanning beds this is the best oil I have ever found. What it does for my hair and body is fantastic.

Aromatics Elixir perfume from CLINIQUE.

One of my favorite perfumes of all time. I have been wearing it since High school. I never grow tired of how the scent smells on me or someone else. This perfume is wonderful on its own or layered with another scent.

Mac Prep and Prime Skin Foundation Primer.

I love this primer for many reasons, but the biggest is there is no waiting time between applying the primer and the application of foundation. Many of the other primer’s on the market must have time to set or liquid or cream foundations will pill upon application. I love the light diffusing properties to the primer diffusing imperfections before foundation is even applied. 





MAC Graphblack Eyeliner.

I love this eyeliner because you don’t need a sharpener. The pencil is water resistant so it is safe for the waterline. The pencil is soft so the application is easy with no tugging.

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly 
Eye Shadow Base

One if not the most important part of doing your eye shadow application is the product you use underneath to hold the shadow on, prevent creasing and give vibrancy of color. Using a powder as a base for powder eye shadow will not achieve the professional look, using a cream base is always your best bet. I love painterly because it’s a neutral matte. Paint Pots set in 10 seconds, are water resistant and give up to 14hours of lastablilty on shadow.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Face Powder

This is one of my favorite powders of all time. Used alone or on top of your foundation, this is a triple jet milled powder. This powder can go on sheer or build to a medium finish. This powder just looks like skin, no matter how much you put on, it never fails me.

My mother would drop me off at CVS and I would grab a candy bar (cause I was an emotional eater; and I love candy) and a diet coke and spend two hours sitting in the isles looking at products, reading ingredients. I wanted to understand how this product was going to make me beautiful, that was the promise; so how.

Over the years I have found that one important part of makeup is skin care. Clients expect makeup to take years of bad skin care, no sunscreen, bad eating habits, no moisturizer (which is insane) and wish it to magically be concealed with one product alone.

Makeup can only do so much, ladies and gentlemen. Makeup can do quite a bit, but one fact is true, Makeup is only as good as your skin. That is so simple, slightly harsh but the truth. Women ask me all the time”can’t makeup hide my wrinkles and blemishes”. Unfortunately, no it can not. Makeup can only hide color and/or discoloration. Makeup can actually enhance the look of wrinkles and blemishes if you’re not careful. Only professional lighting and camera tricks can hide wrinkles, pimples and scars. So if you not walking around with a full lighting and camera crew, you must take care of your skin.

Cleanse, exfoliate, tone, serum, moisturizer, eye cream and spf to keep the skin in optimum condition. If you don’t, failed attempts at corrective makeup can make you look older and enhance the look of problem skin. In the advances of makeup and skincare there are some products that can help smooth out the skin and simulate improved skin temporarily. Try products that go on before makeup to smooth the surface so that makeup looks more even.

Primers can help smooth out skin because of the Silicone content. Silicone based primers also help foundation stay on for hours. Primer can coat a blemish or scar so foundation or powder glide over the top easier and don’t grab onto texture. I really like MAC’s Prep and Prime Face, but I truly love MAC’s Fast Eye Response Cream. Fast Eye was made for the de-puffing and smoothing of the eye area but it works better than almost any primer I have ever used. Caffeine (reduces swelling), Silicone and light diffusing particles make for the perfect primer, patted on top of a scar or blemish to help smooth the appearance, fantastic. I use Fast Eye Response as a primer daily.

One of My favorite TV channels is HSN. Go ahead and laugh, many have before. Home shopping networks are not what they used to be in the days where you imagine little old ladies sitting at home in flowered muumuu’s ordering fake diamonds and porcelain cat figurines. Now you are able to buy top quality products with no middle man. Sure, you may find less attractive packaging but only on exchange for fantastic values. One of my Favorite hosts on HSN is Adrienne; under Signature A. (Adrienne has been a makeup artist to the stars for years and use to carry her products in all major department stores) Adrienne develops fantastic quick fix products for women. My favorite of all time Signature Club A by Adrienne Secret C Rapid Lift. This product is a face-lift in a bottle. It pulls back that double chin, or “turkey neck” and smoothes out those wrinkles under the eye. It literally hides dropping lids and mouth lines. This is temporary but while it is on it will make you appear younger and for makeup artists, their job easier by smoothing out the canvas we work on. I have tried dozens of products that claim the same results, NEVER! Some don’t work well with makeup on top and some flake. Secret C Rapid Lift also is great under makeup as primer. Make sure to smooth on and massage back and in an upward motion as you want the face to look. This will assist the serum in lifting properly.

Last but not least, another favorite product of mine is Erase Those Fine Lines, by Model Co, This product also can give you the temporary appearance of a face lift. This product has amazing long term benefits it’s a bit pricey, however the temporary lift is worth it.

That is all for now. Here’s to hoping the next Cosmo we order gets us carded.

Have a happy day
JC

Skin

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
This is the best foundation I have worked with, on photo shoots and in everyday life. This product is always by my side. Luminus silk foundation from Giorgio Armani, It has an amazing finish and you can choose your coverage.

Tip-apply a small amount for sheer coverage or build the product for a fuller coverage.

Eyes

Yves Saint Laurent False lash Effect in black
This is by far the best, longest wearing and most beautiful substitution to wearing an actual false lash. A must have for luscious lashes that stop traffic!

M.A.C. Fluidline in Blacktrack
I also have to say I couldn’t live without M.A.C.’s  Fluidline in Blacktrack; this is a gel liner that dries like a liquid. It is so easy to control and you can also use it to create a quick Rockin’ smoky eye.

Tip- For a quick and sultry smoky eye, apply Fluidline over entire lid stopping just at the crease then sweep directly under lash line and blend blend blend!

Lips

M.A.C. Dazzleglass

My favorite list in this category changes like the wind. I’m always involved in a new affair with lip gloss. This month I’m obsessed with dazzleglass by MAC. They come in a handful of tones and provide the perfect wash of sheer color with tons of glitter. I love the Holographic 3D effect on the lips.

Dazzleglass is super shiny and super bold, definitely not for “plain Jane” type. My personal FAV tone is Sugar Rimmed. In fact I’m wearing right now.

Till next time!
Megan M