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Want the tricks professional makeup artists use without going to makeup school yourself? We went to a makeup academy and got the goods — see our cheat sheet now. You could say that I have a love/hate relationship with makeup. Some days I enjoy playing with all the different colors and get excited when my smoky eye turns out perfectly.
Celebrity Makeup News and Blogs:
By Sarah, Makeup Artist
Sarah Cormier is a self-taught makeup artist in Cincinnati, OH. She mostly does wedding makeup but also has experience working on various photo shoots, fashion shows, and films. In addition, she is a freelance artist for her favorite line, MAC!
When she isn’t busy with makeup, she teaches Spinning classes at her local gym, and also attends Body Pump, Pole Fitness, and Cardio Kickboxing classes. Her other hobby is shopping, favorite stores are Nordstrom, the MAC store, Lucky Brand, and White House Black Market. Sarah is happily married to her wonderful husband of two years, Nate. Check out her blog, Sarah C. Makeup and sarahcormier.com.
Photo by Parker Michael Knight
But first, many of you are probably wondering, ‘who is this girl?’, so let’s get acquainted shall we? Here is a little bit about me, summed up by the top 5 beauty products and tricks that I simply can’t live without:
Because I am a perfectionist and huge fan of long wearing products, MAC Paint Pots ($16.50) are a staple in both my kit and personal stash. There are lots of excellent lid primers on the market but paint pots are my preference because they can be used as either as a primer or as eye shadows. They keep products looking perfect from morning until the wee hours of the night. They can also offer a natural look that can be played up with a little contouring and/or dramatic liner. As most of us know, paint pots come in various finishes, but I prefer the crème variety (Soft Ochre, Painterly, Quite Natural, and Groundwork from MAC’s permanent line are examples) because they are the most versatile.
Because I like to save money, I love Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes ($17.69) for removing makeup at the gym and before I cleanse my face at night. I also keep a pack in my kit for use on clients. You read that right friends! I first learned this years ago from a makeup artist friend and have since read several articles that advocate alcohol-free baby wipes to remove makeup. I like Pampers Sensitive because they are soothing, alcohol-free, and unscented. Makeup remover wipes range in price between $5 to $25 depending on brand and quantity. Pampers Sensitive are basically the same thing but cost between $2 and $7, and you can often get coupons in the Sunday paper!
Because I adore saving time, money, and space in both my kit and personal stash, Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Sticks ($18.00) are my newest obsession. $18 at Sephora gets you this long lasting crayon of joy. Available in an array of versatile and relevant shades, they can be used as an eyeliner, eyeshadow, or blended out to create a smoky eye. Aside from being a true triple threat, what I dig most is how easy they are to apply and blend, before setting to a truly waterproof finish that will not budge. They are especially handy on jobs, where time is usually very much of the essence. All I have to do is grab one of my trusty Buxom Eye Sticks to create a runway ready look in under five minutes.
Because my eyes are my favorite feature to play up, lining the upper water line will forever remain in my back pocket as the best way to make lashes look longer and eyes more vibrant. If you haven’t tried this little trick yet, you must! Just first make sure to use a waterproof liner that is approved by for the waterline by the manufacturer; Aforementioned Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Sticks work great!
Because I believe that a flawless face is the most important makeup element, I cannot live without the MAC 187 Brush ($48.00). Commonly referred called the “the skunk brush,” it consists of a perfectly balanced blend of natural and synthetic fibers. Together, these two elements create maximum and even product distribution, which I particularly like because it minimizes waste and extends the life of my foundation. When used with circular and sweeping movements, this brush effortlessly creates a flawless and even finish. I often cannot tell the difference between foundations applied with a 187 and an airbrush, because it is just that good. An added bonus of this brush is that it can be used for any type of face product, blush included, in just about any formula including powders, crèmes, or liquids. If you like the idea of the 187 but find it to be a little too much, try its smaller counterpart, the 188.
Celebrity Makeup News and Blogs:
By Kathy, Makeup Artist
Kathy was born a long, long time ago in the Sonoma Valley in California but grew up in the South, which is where she resides currently. Her passion for makeup goes back to when she taught her babysitter to curl her eyelashes at the ripe age of six! When Kathy was 13, she received her own makeup set–she says she looked like a cross between Stevie Nicks and Rocky Horror, but “it was the 1970s, so no one noticed.”
I’ve decided that I have just one mission in my makeup writing life: to make makeup accessible. To do this, I’d like to start by giving everyone a list of handy tools. I use these every time that I do my own makeup or anyone else’s. I guarantee that everyone has some of them, though probably not all, so I’ll give some sources if you’d like to get them.
These are so useful that you’ll wonder how you got along without them. They can clean a work area, spot clean brushes, and even correct makeup mistakes. They don’t contain enough cleanser to remove more than a stray liner mark or tighten up an outer eye, but they also won’t bleed through your skin’s natural lines and destabilize what you want to keep while removing what you don’t. Get the ones for sensitive skin or the all-natural ones at your local grocery or drugstore.
Ever wonder why your makeup gets caked partway through your day? If you use foundation and concealer, you’ve added a lot of moisture to your face. This will combine with your natural facial oils and your setting powder to make a makeup mud pie. Try this instead: after you put on your concealer or color corrector, split a tissue into 2 plies and place one onto your face, folded in half, running your fingers out from nose to ear. Now, without removing it, take your hands away. If it’s still sticking to your face, flip it over and do the steps again. Don’t forget to separate the layers: most tissue is 2-ply and you only need one of them. Get these at any grocery or drugstore.
How can you not love something that does fine detail work, lines eyes, lines and fills in lips for $1? I’ve even used one to put glue onto a lash strip and cleaned it afterwards and it was still usable! Come to think of it, the one thing that I don’t use the ELF Concealer/Detail Brushes for is concealer.
Have you ever tried to conceal under eye circles or a really vicious blemish only to have its color still show through? Put down the regular concealer and pick up the corrector! Makeup artists like them because it allows us to fix a problem instead of covering it up. You can get these anywhere from the mall to the drugstore. I got my Graftobian Color Wheel for $12.50, but the HD version is $23.99.
Have you ever been running late and, as you put on your mascara, your lashes gathered into thick clumps of lash unhappiness? Running your lashes again and again with the mascara wand will deposit more and more product, which only compounds the problem. Instead, allow the humble spoolie brush to assist you. Just pick it up and run it through the gloppy mascara and you, too, can get separated lashes. Get these at anywhere from Sally’s to Sephora!
Celebrity Makeup News and Blogs:
As the holidays are nearing, Eva Mendes shares with us her favorite must-have beauty products to ensure that party goers everywhere turn heads this holiday season! Makeup Eva’s style is as glamorous and fun as we would suspect. She loves to flaunt a makeup look that is feminine, sexy and easy to achieve. Her ideal [...]
Celebrity Makeup News and Blogs:
Does your makeup routine change during the winter? Not skin care but makeup! If so, how so?
I reach for bolder lip colors, more lip balm (that’s not really skin care, is it? hmm!), and I take care to make sure I never look powdery, since my skin sometimes gets drier in the winter so my normal powder usage might look off!
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