I opened my inbox this morning to see a email from MAC, debuting their much anticipated holiday collection.
What stood out for me were all the palettes MAC is offering this holiday season. Palettes for the face, eyes and lips fill the collection, but I was most excited to see the Possesed by Pink Lip Kit, $22.50.
These luscious berry shades were made to be worn on deeper skin tones! From caramel to cocoa, I guarantee that any brown skinned babe will look amazing in these fabulous colors! I can't wait to get my hands on this adorable kit. I'll be wearing it out with the girls, to holiday parties, and everywhere in between!
Photos: MAC.com and Temptalia.com
MAC Posessed by Pink Lip Kit
Mizani Botanifying Shampoo & Moisturefuse Conditioner
Um, where have I been? My dream shampoo and conditioner have been sitting under my nose for years and I never bothered to try them out! What was my problem?!
At the insistence of my friend and personal hair guru Monica (check out her fab open letter blog here), I decided to give Mizani a try after all these years. I mean, I had nothing to lose. My current shampoo and conditioner weren't hitting it, and my dry, color-treated hair was starting to look a mess.
Mizani has quite an extensive line-up, so I went for the Botanifying Conditioning Shampoo, $8.80 and the Moisturefuse Moisturizing Conditioner, $9.99. The Botanifying shampoo got my hair really clean without stripping it of its natural moisture. My hair had lots of slip and actually felt moisturized! I followed up with the Moisturefuse conditioner and was equally impressed. After leaving it on for just a few minutes my hair felt like it had received a deep conditioning treatment. My hair is now shiny, soft and healthy and I couldn't be more pleased! Who knew all this could come from a shampoo and conditioner?
I also love the affordability of these items, plus they're easy to find at your local salon or beauty supply store. Definitely give these a whirl when your hair is craving moisture. You'll thank me for it!
Hit The Stage With Queen Latifah and Cover Girl!
Queen Latifah is one of my Hollywood faves and she's been on fire lately with the release of her new fragrance and upcoming album "Persona". Now she and Cover Girl Queen Collection want you to get in on the fab! Check out the deets from the press release!
Queen Latifah fans – get ready for your chance to make it big! The superstar is hitting the road for her latest tour to promote her newest album “Persona” and she wants to find five talented women who have what it takes to be her opening act. The lucky five will also have the opportunity to star in a national print ad for COVERGIRL Queen Collection. Females over the age of 13 can log on to Cover Girl to upload a one-minute video performance featuring anything from rapping to singing. Along with a video, entrants will be asked to submit an essay that describes in 250 words or less why they deserve to ‘Ignite Their Persona.’How fab is that! Not only do you get to share the stage with the Queen herself, but you get to glam it up in a Cover Girl Queen Collection ad! To enter or for more info, visit this link! Good luck!
Skin Saver: Renee Rouleau Skin Care
I recently had the opportunity to test out some products from boutique skin care line Reneè Rouleau. I first heard about the line from beauty blog ThisThatBeauty, where the Editor Felicia adores the products. My curiosity was piqued, so when I had the chance to try out some items from the line, I jumped at the opportunity!
Two products really stood out for me and made a real difference in my skin. The Micro Crystal Cream, $37.50 and the Glycolic Serum 17%, $41.50. The Micro Crystal Cream is probably the most gentle, but effective, scrub I've ever tried. The aluminum crystals provide a microdermabrasion-like exfoliation, but they're cushioned in a gentle cream that keeps them from being too harsh.
The Glycolic Serum 17% is also amazing. I apply it at night, and I swear I wake up with clearer, less congested skin. Any visibly clogged pores I have are diminished overnight and I wake up with more even toned skin.
The only downside to the products is that they are a bit pricey and the sizes are rather small. Fortunately, discount codes are offered regularly, so I would sign up for the email list and follow Reneè on Twitter (@ReneeRouleau) to keep updated.
Together these products are like a one-two punch for my skin, and get me glowing in no time! I loved these products and I know that my skin will only get better with continued use. Give them a try!
The Artist Summit 2009 Wrap-Up
I'm back from my amazing weekend at The Artist Summit Chicago, presented by The Powder Group! The people I met and the things that I learned are so immeasurable, I don't know where to begin!
The Artist Summit is all about education for makeup artists of all levels, and they certainly didn't disappoint. I was able to take classes on everything from eye lashes and airbrush makeup, to makeup detailing and building a pro makeup kit. Even the business aspect of the makeup industry was covered, as well holistic methods to keep sane in an often insane business.
Not only were these classes unlike any beauty education I've ever experienced, but they were taught by the BEST makeup pros in the industry. I was able to take classes with artists like Danessa Myricks, Daven Mayeda and Crystal Wright to name just a few. I was pleasantly surprised at how open and accessible these artists were. It was extremely encouraging to encounter artist of their caliber being so willing to share their knowledge and expertise. So, I'd like to introduce you to some of the key people I met at The Artist Summit.
I had the extreme pleasure of meeting and taking classes from The Powder Group founder Michael DeVellis (at left). A former Executive Director of Artist Relations at MAC, Michael left MAC to create The Powder Group. His passion for the beauty industry and makeup artists was palpable, and his passion was infectious. Michael's classes were truly inspiring, and each time I left him I felt empowered to make bolder, stronger business decisions for this site and my career as a makeup artist.
I was thrilled to meet and take classes from phenomenal makeup artist James Vincent. James is not only a key makeup artist for Make Up For Ever and Lead Artist at The Powder Group, but he is also a celebrity makeup artist whose work has been seen recently on Lady Gaga, Liv Tyler, American Idol and tons more. He was a veritable wealth of information, and was as kind as he was knowledgeable.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Kevin-James Bennett of Make Up For Ever. Kevin is the Director of Pro-Business Development & Artist Relations at Make Up For Ever, and is the mastermind behind many of their innovative products.
I swoon for Make Up For Ever (you know how I feel about their HD Invisible Foundation!), so it was great to spend time with Kevin. Be on the lookout for a review of their newest HD product that I scooped up at the summit in the coming weeks!
The best part of the weekend for me was getting to meet some of my favorite beauty bloggers. I admire these women and what they've accomplished, so it was a real treat to spend time with Lianne of The Makeup Girl, Patrice of Afrobella and Felicia of ThisThatBeauty (at left). They were incredibly sweet and open to sharing their experiences as pro bloggers. I hope to see them, and all the other bloggers I met, again at The Powder Group's next event!
Overall, I had an amazing time at The Artist Summit and I strongly encourage any aspiring or working makeup artist, beauty blogger or makeup enthusiast to attend the next summit. I guarantee you that you will walk away with more than you ever anticipated!
I'll be posting more of what I learned, who I met and what I purchased at The Artist Summit over the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
