Products of the Month - October

Recently, IMPO Pro Melissa Street went to Europe for 14 days to work with a very special client.  During her European tour, which closely resembled the National Lampoon Chevy Chase movie, she experienced several filming challenges, including weather that went from sweltering (in Tunisia) to freezing rain (Marseilles, France) and everything in between.

So, which products did this Pro turn to help conquer travel dehydration, sleeplessness, dry and frizzy hair, perspiration issues, skin irritations, chapped lips and one or two swanky dinners with a cruise ship captain?

Ladies and Gentleman…The Products of the Month for October:

Jan Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF 30 – Melissa knows she preaches about this product, but it is only because it really works!  This is a non-greasy sunscreen that is actually good for your face!  Melissa uses this personally, professionally and in place of primer.

Embryolisse Exfoliating Care Cream – this product gently removes impurities and dead cells leaving the complexion fresh and radiant.  Perfect for travel and to revitalize tired, dehydrated skin.

SAMPAR Prodigal Pen – this product will treat and reduce the appearance of skin imperfections such as pimples/blemishes, irritations, bacteria and assists in healing insect bites, razor burn, etc.  A makeup artist must have!

Bed Head Let’s Get Tropical – this body oil treats and rehydrates the skin after long exposure to the sun.  Contains coconut, avocado and sunflower oils, as well as aloe vera.  Gives skin an amazing all-over, healthy glow.

Tara Smith Base Coat Serum – you prep your face with primer before makeup, so prime your hair before styling!  Totally organic and vegan, this product helps protect your hair, hydrates and provides a nutritional supplement for a good hair foundation.

L’Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray – this product is the legendary hairspray of choice for red carpet events, photo shoots, film and television sets because it is so fine that it will disappear at the stroke of a brush.  Won’t way the hair down and has amazing holding power!

Prairie Dawn 100% Natural Lip Balm – this lip balm is more like a lip treatment!  Goes on smoothly and keeps lips moisturized.  Great to use as a lip primer prior to application of lipstick.  Comes in 4 luscious flavors!  Melissa’s favorite is Sweet Orange.  Psst! Check out IMPO's first contest thanks to Prairie Dawn! Details below under Pro Contest (scroll all the way down to the end of the post)!

Hakuhodo Brushes – renowned in the beauty industry as the best in brushes, this line features premium bristles and first-rate craftsmanship.  Melissa refuses to work without this brush line.

CoverFX Big Cover Up Set – traveling with multiple products in individual packaging can be frustrating, but the geniuses at CoverFX have solved that problem!  This 5- piece kit not only achieves total coverage of minor to major complexion issues, it comes with a foundation brush and instructional DVD too!  Melissa used this kit on stage, on camera and for all personal appearances!

CoverFX Conceal FX Camouflage Concealer – this product instantly erases under eye circles and dark spots as well as, redness, sun damage, tattoos, birthmarks, trauma and moles.  A little goes a long way and because it comes in 6 shades you can easily find your exact skin tone match!

Youngblood Cosmetics Artiste 2 Nude Awakening Palette – as a Pro MUA travel is a must, but Melissa hates packing individual colors, it’s just impractical and can be very messy if something breaks.  This palette has all the essential colors for day and night!  It’s a one-stop-shop!

Smashbox Brow Tech To Go – IMPO raved about this product last month, but this product is worth another mention.  Brow Tech is so longwearing and waterproof that it lasted all day through long hours of filming and into the night for a personal appearance and dinner! No need for touch up!

Senna Cosmetics Lip Sync – this is a Pro MUA’s dream!  Lipstick and coordinating lip gloss all in one component!  Gotta love Eugenia Weston for inventing this amazing product!  Incredibly pigmented with tons of staying power, these lip colors are all you need.  Melissa’s favorite colors:  Stunning and A La Mode, but the good thing about owning all 4 sets is that you can mix and match.  Oh and did we mention that this product is formulated with collagen?  Excellent lip plumping power!

MAI Couture Blotting Papier – this product is incredible because it is a bronzer and a blotting paper in one.  Gives a light shimmer while controlling and absorbing oil.  Leaves a warm, sun-kissed glow on the skin.  Melissa also used the Rejuvenate Oil Blotting Papier in Lavender scent for removing excess shine without adding more makeup to her client’s face.  The soothing lavender scent is very calming and refreshing without being overpowering.

Lifewave Y Age Glutathione Patch – Melissa uses this product personally and was introduced to this technology through a client.  Daily, Melissa is asked about her personal skincare regime and because she feels that having good skin is not just about the products she uses on the outside, it’s also about how she treats her body on the inside, she felt it necessary to share this patch technology with our readers.

Here is a little information; Glutathione functions in our body as a master antioxidant that prevents damage to important cellular components caused by free radicals.  Basically, this patch technology slows down and can help improve the signs of aging by neutralizing free radicals that cause skin damage.  It has been clinically proven to help minimize fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improve overall health. As we age, Glutathione levels start to decline and many scientists now believe that how long we live is directly proportional to how high our Glutathione levels are.

In all fairness, Melissa is a distributor with Lifewave, but for the sole purpose of purchasing these patches at wholesale cost.  If you would like more information, feel free to click on the link or visit Suzanne Somers' website at www.suzannesomers.com.  You can also read about this incredible, nontechnology in her book Knockout.  This is a personal product of Melissa’s and is not sold to any business clients on set, nor is this mention intended to generate distributors for the Lifewave organization.

Pro Contest:

Thanks to Prairie Dawn Natural Body Products for providing us with our first IMPO/Twitter contest!  Be our 1,500 follower on Twitter and the Pros will send you two of each flavor of Prairie Dawn’s Natural Lip Balm (8 lip balms total)!  Click here and start following – Good Luck!

Photo credit: Makeup by: Ayami - Photography by: Rankin for Sightsavers 

Backstage Pass!

Professional makeup artists are always asked the same question…”which beauty products do you think would work well for me?”  And that question is usually asked within 5 minutes of meeting the makeup artist for the first time, before the Pro has the opportunity to properly evaluate the skin issues, tone, etc.

Personally, I get asked that question several times a day, whether I am working or in a social situation meeting a new friend for the first time.  They all want to pick a Pro’s brain, but truth be told, I offer the same advice or recommend the same products for most people.

Incredible skincare is key, along with a good foundation, concealer, powder and some “pretty” color cosmetics!  All of those will enhance a face, but you must know how to apply them and that my friends, should be the real question! “How do I properly apply my makeup?”

My friend and fellow Pro makeup artist, Victoria Stiles, has partnered with three amazing manufacturers to bring an incredible new webseries called Flawless Faces for All Races to YouTube!

CoverFX, Sigma Makeup and CARGO Cosmetics collaborated with Victoria and the video series will premiere on September 13^th.  Portlight Productions professionally filmed and edited the project and Victoria will show you quick and easy makeup techniques in a series of 6 online videos.

No matter your age or ethnicity, Victoria will demonstrate proper makeup application that will be easy to replicate and solve many common skin issues!  Using her tips and tricks and introducing you to CoverFX, Sigma and CARGO products, you can overcome many of your makeup fears!

About Victoria:

Victoria Stiles is a makeup artist from Washington, DC working in New York and worldwide for commercial, print, editorial fashion, red carpet events and weddings.  Victoria’s client roster includes celebrities Roberta Flack, Jordin Sparks, Real Housewives of New York’s Jill Zarin, and publications Glamour, O Magazine, Vogue, Surface, Virginia Living, and Washingtonian.  Real Simple, Women’s Health, American Baby, Washingtonian and Northern Virginia Magazine showcases and quotes her knowledge in makeup and labels her an industry leader.  In addition, Victoria is a presenter for The Powder Group, an organization uniting makeup artists worldwide with relevant industry information and career guidance.  She has presented seminars at The Artist’s Summit in Miami and Chicago.

Read more about Victoria Stiles by visiting her website/blog www.makeupartistbackstage.com.

About CoverFX:

Since 1985, Lee Graff, A Corrective Makeup Specialist at the Cosmedic Clinic at a leading Canadian hospital has worked with thousands of patients with various skin conditions.  Together with Chemical engineer Jenny Frankel, and leading dermatologist Dr. Neil Shear, Lee began the development of CoverFX.  For 25 years, Lee has taught her patients to use makeup to effectively cover rosacea, acne, scars and many other imperfections.  She encourages everyone to “take control of their appearance to enhance your self esteem and confidence to face the world!”  Her dream was and remains to help men and women with skin conditions overcome their issues and offer them makeup products with therapeutic benefits that would perfectly match their skin tone, be affordable, well tolerated by even the most sensitive skins and achieve a perfectly natural, flawless effect.

Read more about CoverFX by visiting their website www.coverfx.com.

About Sigma Makeup:

The Sigma Makeup brand is synonymous with quality and functionality.  Their products are handmade and were developed to satisfy the highest quality standards.   They offer a complete line of professional brushes specifically designed to highlight eyes and face.  Each brush is individually tested for performance, resistance and durability.  Sigma Makeup brushes are available in different kits to attend to your specific needs.   You can also acquire individual brushes to customize your own kit.  A brush roll specifically designed to hold and maintain your Sigma Makeup brush collection is also available.

Read more about Sigma Makeup by visiting their website www.sigmabeauty.com.

About CARGO Cosmetics:

In 1996, CARGO founder Hana Zalzal set out to create a professional color cosmetic line that top makeup artists would covet, yet would be easy enough for all women to enjoy.  Working with some of the most talented makeup artist in the business, CARGO launched a multitude of award-winning products, never-before-seen packaging and groundbreaking formulas.  It wasn’t long before CARGO became the one to watch on the beauty scene.  Product innovations such as OneBase, the Essential Eye Palette and the blue_ray High Definition Collection are perfect examples of how the brand’s breakthroughs make scoring professional results easy.  That’s why CARGO’s tried-and-true favorites have become staples in beauty kits everywhere and star in some of Hollywood’s most prestigious good bags from the Oscars to the Emmys to the Golden Globes.  CARGO is celebrated as one of the best professional brands in the biz and is the go-to brand on the top Hollywood sets.

Read more about CARGO Cosmetics by visiting their website www.cargocosmetics.com.

Here is a video of Victoria being interviewed about her upcoming webseries venture:

To subscribe to the Flawless Faces for All Races webseries, click “here!”

Here is a “Must Have” list of products the Pros love from CoverFX, Sigma Makeup and CARGO Cosmetics:

CoverFX – The Big Cover Up Kit – this is complexion perfection in a 5-piece kit!  Achieves total coverage of minor complexion issues, regardless of skin tone.  CoverFX has made it easy to find your perfect skin tone match too!  Visit their website and find yours, plus you will receive an instructional DVD with your purchase.

CoverFX – Conceal FX – the Pros can’t work without this concealer!  It instantly erases under eye circles, redness, dark spots, sun damage, blemishes, moles, tattoos, birthmarks, fatigue and trauma!  Self-adjusting pigments evolve upon gentle blending to offer you custom color correcting tone.  This product is hi-definition approved and was developed to be very camera friendly.

CoverFX – Matte FX – incredible oil absorbing and blotting powder that won’t settle into fine lines!  This anti-shine powder forms a layer between skin and makeup to absorb excess oil and sebum.  Totally translucent, mattifying blotting powder that keeps the skin feeling dry, fresh and matte throughout the day!

Sigma Makeup – Small Contour F05 – this is the perfect brush for contouring!  Ideal to apply, blend or contour powder products. Softly rounded dome tip that will smoothly blend color into the face!

Sigma Makeup – Tapered Blending E35 – this brush is the best for blending the crease of the eye!  So incredibly affordable, the Pros keep several of these brushes on hand at all times!  Fluffy, long-bristled with a tapered tip.  Fits perfectly in the crease area and softens harsh edges instantly.

Sigma Makeup – Travel Kit Naughty in Black – this kit contains 7 essential brushes to achieve a flawless look on the go!  The Pros use this kit personally and keep it in our travel bag for quick application and touch-up during the day or night.  Also great for on-set touch ups and compact enough to keep in each of our “actor” bags without having to take brushes from our makeup room or trailer!

CARGO Cosmetics – The Reverse Lip Liner – this liner was created for lip gloss lovers everywhere!  This is a unique, natural colored pencil that adds definition and fullness to the lip line and locks color in place (bye, bye bleeding and feathering).

CARGO Cosmetics – DailyGloss – hello???? How genius is this product? A 30-day supply of lip gloss packed in individual tear-away pouches.  Each sealed bubble (three shades/10 bubbles each) is filled with CARGO’s signature lip gloss formulation that provides sheer, long-wearing shea butter and vitamin E-enriched color without any stickiness!

CARGO Cosmetics – Essential Eye Shadow Palette – your makeup application woes just disappeared!  This collection of four graduated, neutral eye shadow shades are embossed with each colors “functions” to ensure proper application.  Plus, this palette combines matte and satin finishes, which is all you need to create the perfect sculpted eye.  Gorgeous!