Call It Beauty is Back With Bobbi Brown! (+ A Little Makeup Artistry Update)

I'm baaaaack!

Firstly, I must apologize for the ridiculous (and unannounced) hiatus... I can't really talk about it, but let's just say my personal life required all of my attention. But I decided that I've worked too hard on this blog to let it fall by the wayside; so here I am, trying to slowly make my way back into the world of beauty blogging! I do apologize for falling off the radar without any notice on the blog -- I promise I won't let it happen again. (But in case I do, a little slack would be appreciated :p)

Thanks for those of you who checked up on me via twitter, your concern was definitely appreciated and it warmed my heart. :)

But now, onto the review!

A few months ago, I started looking for a long-wearing foundation that did not have as much coverage as my go-to: Estée Lauder Double Wear. My reasoning was that I wanted my skin to look more natural on the regular and save Double Wear for performances and special occasions. Everyone totally has a special occasion foundation, right? :p

I was recommended Bobbi Brown's Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation by the lovely Becca from The Beauty Sample and since I pretty much love her blog and everything she's featured on it, I knew I had to give it a try. Now, before I continue, I must say that this foundation has been discontinued and replaced by the Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation (which promises an even longer wear time). So why am I reviewing it? Well, because it's still available for purchase in some counters and because I want to! :p

Wearing Bobbi Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation with no concealer.

What I love about this foundation is that, as the same suggests, it looks very natural. It gives great coverage and I require very little concealing (under my eyes and on blemishes); basically it makes my skin look great without looking overly great. Plus, it doesn't break me out or cause any reactions, which is always a bonus. It's a great colour match for me, though it did become too light when I tanned up a bit during the Summer -- nothing a little bronzer couldn't fix, though!

The only thing that would've made this foundation that much better is if it had better oil-control. I did find that my face gets oily before my regular work day and it definitely fades quire a bit after 8-9 hours (without setting powder). This is probably what Bobbi Brown improved on with the release of their new long-wearing foundation, so if your skin is on the oilier side, I would definitely try the Long-Wear Even Finish foundation first.

That said, now that the weather is much cooler, I find that this foundation definitely sticks around for at least 9 hours. So I'll definitely be reaching for it more often during the Fall and the Winter.

This foundation is definitely a no-fuss foundation -- you can apply with a brush or your fingers, it still looks good. It's perfect for those days when I want to look polished and want more coverage than a tinted moisturizer/BB cream, but want less than EL's Double Wear foundation.


In other news...

I've started my Fashion & Photography Makeup course!

This has been THE course I've been itching to take since the very beginning and I am so happy that I'm finally taking it. Of course, I love doing your everyday, regular type of makeup; but there's something so thrilling about being more creative.

The two photos are above are 2 of the looks I've done so far. The first was something I came up with when prompted by the words fall and jewel tones. I wasn't initially very happy with the second look because a lot of my other classmates really went all out with their appliqués, but I've learned to appreciate it because I really like how the makeup aspect turned out. I was also relieved to see that my eyelining skills had not deteriorated.

This was definitely my favourite ever class assignment!

My instructor told us that we needed to: 1) "create" a runway collection. 2) create a makeup look for the runway show. And 3) create an inspiration backstory for both. It was so much fun because I was able to incorporate my creative writing skills into the assignment.

Pretty much the highlight of my (very short) career so far is doing a photoshoot for a YWCA awareness campaign. A friend of mine works as a copy writer for a local advertising agency and is working with the YWCA on the campaign. She posted a status on Facebook asking for any makeup artists who would be willing to do makeup for a photoshoot "pro bono," so to speak. Of course, I jumped at the chance to be part of this campaign. I mean, what an opportunity, right?

The shoot itself was a lot of fun and was a great learning experience. I can't wait to do more work!

Happy Wednesday, lovelies!

IMATS Vancouver 2012! (Or Dani's Second IMATS Experience)

Ahhh, it seems like only yesterday that I went to IMATS for the very first time... A year later and my life has gone in a new direction -- that of makeup artistry. I was definitely much more prepared this time around. My decision to go to last year's IMATS was a bit of a whim, so I didn't do any research; I kind of just... went. 

Anyway... This year, I decided to show up 30 minutes before the doors opened, which was at 8:30am. I was probably one of the first 20 people there and I only had to wait about 20 minutes before going in.

I may be mistaken, but I think there were less exhibitors this year than there was last year. Vancouver gets less exhibitors than all the other cities, in general, so to have even less this year than last is really disappointing. There were a total of 28 exhibitors present this year and only 22 of them were selling merchandise. Some booths also didn't have a lot of products available for purchase, which was such a let down. Naimie's Beauty Centre and CoverFX were the biggest disappointments; I think they must've had maybe 15 products at their table and that was it. I was really looking forward to purchasing the Matte FX powders from Cover FX, but they were only available in a kit and it only came in one shade. From a logistical standpoint, is it really feasible for them to come to Vancouver if they're not selling much of their products?

I'm sure there are many reasons why a lot of the brands that are available in Toronto, New York, and LA aren't made available in Vancouver -- perhaps there's not enough people attending IMATS in Vancouver and brands can't justify coming all the way here. But as a beauty blogger and a (baby) makeup artist, I still can't help being disappointed. Hopefully, as the years go by, IMATS Vancouver will grow to be as amazing as the shows in other cities.

Still, I had a great time and it was most definitely worth it for me to come again. I was able to get nearly all of the products I wanted to get to stock my kit, namely -- BRUSHES (and a lot of them!). My biggest concern was getting to the Make Up For Ever booth, as it is always so busy (unless you're one of the first, which I was!); I wasn't even able to get anything from MUFE last year because I was too impatient to wait in line for ages. But I made sure to rectify that this time around!

It's always lovely seeing other artists work, so I make sure to stop and stare appreciate the workmanship that goes into each look that's being created. That last photo was definitely my favourite... That gentleman from Blanche Macdonald actually had a little audience gathered around him, watching him work. It's just so editorial and high fashion -- I can easily see this model walking down the runway at a Dior show. I wish I could've watched him work for longer, but the line to Nigel's Beauty Emporium took me around a corner and I couldn't see him.

This year, I decided to take advantage of some of the talks that were going on. I chose to go to the Once Upon A Time Discussion Panel because I wanted to hear more about what it's like to work as a makeup artist in the film & tv industry, and the Camera-Ready Beauty Make-up session with Courtney Frey because I wanted to see the Ben Nye MediaPRO HD Sheer Foundation Palette at work. Unfortunately, because the two sessions overlapped, I missed the part that I  was looking forward to the most :p.

The Once Upon A Time Discussion was... interesting. I'm toying with the idea of getting into film & tv eventually, so I was really looking forward to hearing about the makeup artist's experiences with working on that show. There were 3 makeup artists and 2 actors in the panel, so we got to hear about makeup artistry from two different perspectives. That said, one of the actors kind of hijacked the panel... Don't get me wrong; as a performer, it was definitely valuable for me to hear what it's like for him to be in the makeup chair for hours at a time. BUT, I was really there to hear what the makeup artists had to say, and I think that because makeup artists are not usually in front of an audience (and speaking into a mic, at that), they were probably unaccustomed to the experience and didn't feel comfortable taking control of the situation.

I also wished that there was a question and answer section at the panel. There were things that I wanted the makeup artists to touch on... What is the collaborative relationship between makeup artists, actors, and production staff like? How far ahead do you get scripts in order to conceptualize makeup designs? How do you experiment with new technologies, textures, and formulas before using it on set? How do you build rapport with the talent on your chair? These were all things that I wanted to know, and it would've been amazing if I had the chance to ask that.

As for the Camera-Ready Beauty Make-up session, it was kind of difficult to see what Courtney was doing on the model at times because of the set up. But that can't really be helped as she was onstage. There were monitors on stage right and stage left, but the clarity of the image onscreen was not that great. What I really liked though, was that Dana Nye (son of Ben Nye) was on hand to speak more in depth about the various products Courtney was using. Since Courtney was doing makeup on her model, she understandably could not put too much of her focus on talking about the products; so it was really awesome to have Dana there as well. Plus, they gave a little package of 2 contour powders to the people who went to the session. Huzza (and all that jazz)!

*Fun Fact: Ben Nye was a makeup artist on The Sound of Music. <fangirling> How flippin' cool is that?!? </fangirling>

And there you have my second IMATS experience in a... What's the opposite of nutshell? :p

If you made it through this unnecessarily long and ramble-y post, then I commend you!

Stay tuned for my haul post!

Have you ever been to IMATS?

Making Up Is Hard To Do: The End Of Evening & Bridal

Well, that's another course done!

Evening & Bridal, unlike Makeup Artistry Fundamentals, breezed past in a flurry of various makeup looks. Seriously, it went by so fast, I was slightly dumbfounded at the end of my last class on Wednesday night.

If you follow me on Twitter, then you'll know how much I fretted and worried over my final exams. Hair and makeup in 90 minutes is a lot of work and for someone like me, who isn't a proficient hairstylist, it was a cause for concern. 

This is the look I did for my Evening Makeup final. My model is the utterly gorgeous Missy, who I've been friends with for about a decade now. 

I was feeling quite confident about this look because I had done it twice on her already: once during a practice run and another for a show. The last time I did this look, I was pressed for time and did the makeup in under 20 minutes; so I knew exactly what to do. On the exam itself, I finished just in time and was pleased with how it turned out (and with my instructor's repeated murmur of: "ugh! This is gorgeous."). 

For this look, I simply curled her hair and backcombed the roots for a more voluminous style. For the makeup, I did a dark, smoky eye with a bold red lip. I used the Estée Lauder Pure Color Blush in Wild Sunset that I reviewed recently on her cheeks and it looked absolutely fabulous.

Each student got to choose which look she wanted to have photographed by a professional and I chose this one. The photographer showed me some of the shots in her camera and they look really good! I can't wait to show that to you guys!

This was the look I did for my Bridal exam. I wanted to go for something more glamorous and was originally going to go with a red lip; but since I went with red for the last exam, I decided to switch it up.

Both practice sessions for this look didn't go well. I went overtime on the first one and for the second, I stopped right at 90 minutes but hadn't done her lashes or styled her hair (beyond curling). My problem was that I was spending way too much time curling her hair. So I decided that I was going to focus curling the front parts of her hair really well and just rush through the back parts by curling bigger chunks of her hair... It worked! Not only was I able to finish all of her makeup, but I still had ample time to style it in a one-shoulder style. I really wish I had remembered to take photo before Missy removed the pins and the hair accessory so you could all see how it looked.

As for the makeup: This was what I did for the second practice session. I actually don't remember what I did in the first session, but it certainly wasn't this :p. I did a flick on her eyes but decided against that on the day. I told myself that I'll just line her lash line with pencil and smudge/smoke it out. I did do that during the exam, but I wanted a more solid definition, so I ended up doing a flick anyway.

I'm really proud of this look (described by my instructor as "very Eva Longoria"); partly because I seriously though I wouldn't be able to pull off everything in 90 minutes, but mostly because it finally earned me a perfect mark. *victory lunge*

So what's next for me? 

Well, I'll be taking the Fashion & Photography course, which starts in September. I also have a few definite gigs lined up: a graduation ceremony, a maternity photo shoot, an engagement photo shoot, and two weddings between now and the end of July. There's a possible wedding in December, as well (the wedding itself is definite, it's my participation that's up in the air :p). I also have been approached by a few others for other work, but those are not set in stone. 

I'm also considering taking some more hairstyling classes in the future so that I can do both hair and makeup for clients. Our course only had two classes of hairstyling, which is really not enough for me. I'm not exactly comfortable doing hair for people at this moment, so hopefully I can eventually learn how to do all sorts of updos. 

I'll be starting up a website as soon as I have a few photos that I can upload; I've already decided on a domain name and the web platform I want to use, so I'm really excited to have that set up. Also, my friend Missy, who is also a talented graphics designer, has designed business cards for me, which will go to print after my website has been set up. Exciting times up ahead!

It's funny how when I first started this journey, I wasn't really sure where it was going to take me... To be honest, I was slightly nervous that this venture would prove to be a massive waste of time. But now that I have Evening & Bridal under my belt and these upcoming gigs to look forward to, I find myself really excited to see how this career will go.

Anyway, once my website is up, I'll be sure to let you guys know. I'm excited to share that with you guys! And if you've actually read through this ramble of a post, then I thank you! Here, have some cute puppies for your trouble. :D

Have a great weekend, lovelies!

Making Up Is Hard To Do: History Of Makeup & Skin Analysis

It's been four weeks since I started classes for Makeup Artistry and I've been having such an amazing time!

Last time, I wrote about my struggle with the Seasonal aspect of Colour Theory, but I think I've gotten the hang of it. I also aced my test! Which isn't saying much, actually, since it was probably the easiest test known to mankind :p. We were supposed to have another test last night, but it was postponed to next week for some reason.


History of Makeup

We had a rather fun assignment on the History of Makeup, actually. We were all to pick an era to write about and I chose the 1950's. As I wrote in my "paper," I absolutely adore the understated glamour that is 1950's makeup. The strong brows, the winged liner, the statement lip; so simple, yet so elegant. I think it's probably my favourite look.

I also love the dresses! I was in a performing arts company that did a Hairspray number a few years ago and I enjoyed twirling my dress around way too much. If I could wear dresses like that every day, I totally would...

History of Makeup was actually quite interesting and I would've happily spend another class learning about it. It was a pleasure to read and hear about trends from decades past and even what lengths women would go to to achieve a certain look. I'm not going to go into detail because that will be the topic of my next article (which will be posted tomorrow *ahem*), but it was definitely fascinating!

But back to the 50's... Can I just say that researching photos for this assignment has been way too much fun? I cannot get over how beautiful the stars of that decade were! Seriously, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn had absolutely perfect faces!

Skin Analysis

We touched briefly on skin analysis during last week's class. It's simple enough, really; at least on paper, it is. I'm sure I will become more knowledgeable with experience, but the thought of using my own products on a client kind of worries me. So many people have reactions to so many ingredients nowadays. I guess I'm just a bit scared of using something that will cause a reaction or cause the makeup to not perform as well as it needs to.

Ahh, well! If there's one thing this series of posts will tell you about me it's that I worry about pretty much anything :p.

I've also successfully colour matched and applied foundation on two of my classmates so far. Our makeup kit only comes with 5 foundations: 3 Face & Body's (definitely not my favourite) and 2 HD Foundations, so I'm constantly having to mix them up to get the right shade. 

The first classmate I did base on is 18 years old and has the skin to prove it. The only issue she has is a few dry patches here and there and dark under eye circles. I can't say I concealed them well enough, but my instructor says I did =/. Did I mention our classroom has rather harsh, fluorescent lighting? Definitely don't like this. Apparently it casts a green hue... That can't be good for applying makeup, can it?

Last night, I was able to apply foundation on another classmate, as well as contour and blush. She also has rather nice skin but the texture was a bit rougher and she has some redness on the cheeks and the forehead. Again, I don't think I was able to conceal the redness as well as I would like (I have a feeling mastering the art of concealing will be a struggle for me). It was rather hard for me to see how products looked on her right away because she would get all flushed, which would change the colours a bit. But once her skin calmed down, it would look better. 

Still, I'm pretty proud of myself so far! I've booked "appointments" with two of my friends this week because I want to get more practice in applying makeup on different skin tones and skin textures. It's times like these I wish I lived close to my fellow Lipstick Bandits... I'd love to have a go at their gorgeous faces!

<Tangent>

Have any of you watched Downton Abbey? I absolutely love this series! After watching (and re-watching) the second season of Sherlock, I needed another British Television fix. 

This show is basically about the Crawley's (an aristocratic family who live in North Yorkshire) and their plethora of servants. The acting is superb and you really find yourself rooting for certain people and wishing for the demise of certain others (*cough* O'Brien and Thomas *cough*). Though I must say, Carson, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Bates and Anna have a special place in my heart :). 

Anyway, you guys simply must watch this show! If not for the acting and plot, do it for the costumes:

Aren't they divine? 

</Tangent>

What's your favourite era for makeup looks?

Making Up Is Hard To Do: Intro's, Colour Theory & Makeup Kits

I remember a few years ago, my brother and my mom both suggested I go to school for makeup artistry. I was a bit taken aback, to be honest; I really never thought that a) it was something I could do well and b) it would be a viable way to make a living...

But then, I started blogging and watching makeup artists on YouTube create and recreate different looks. I was inspired, to say the least. As I continued to blog and exercise my own creativity through the various looks I've done, I gradually fell in love with makeup artistry.

It took me a few years to finally take that step. I was really nervous about taking this road; in fact, I still am! It's always a bit daunting when you deviate from a current path, no? But last Summer, I decided that I was done putting off my future and I was finally going to enrol in some classes.

As I've become more familiar with the beauty industry, I realized that there are so many avenues one could pursue as a makeup artist. I think that's part of why I love it so much. Yes, you're basically painting skin, but there are so many different experiences that go along with it. Each job is different from the next and for an artist, that is priceless! Going into this class, I decided that I really wanted to do editorial (for the creativity) and freelance bridal (for the money), with a smattering of tv and film (for the gorgeous actors experience).

Hopefully, you'll join me on my journey to becoming a makeup artist! :)

Here's how my first two classes went...


Intro to Makeup Artistry Fundamentals

I thought it was really interesting how a lot of my classmates are in non-creative fields. A fair number of them aren't exactly sure what they would like to do with their knowledge of makeup artistry, but I think it's so cool that there's such a huge range of professions represented in the class. It also proves how important it is to have a creative outlet.

In this class, we talked about the different products and tools makeup artists use and the differences between them. Nothing completely new to most of us in the class, but it's always nice to hear what a professional makeup artist has to say about certain products. Also, I really love hearing our instructor's stories about his previous jobs. I think one of the most valuable things I'll take away from this class is the little tidbits that you don't find in a handout or curriculum. All the things my instructor has learned along the way have been filed in my brain and written down on a notebook so I can refer back to it later on. After this class, I became even more excited for the next 9 weeks. I can't wait to actually get started on the practical stuff!


Colour Theory

I knew from the get-go that this was going to be my toughest class. I understand the colour wheel, but there's this part of the lesson that involved seasons. Depending on somebody's hair, skin colour/undertone and basic overall colouring, one can either be a Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn. The confusing part is that while I think of seasons according to makeup trends (Spring = cool, Summer = warm), it actually is contrary to what I would presume (Spring = warm, Summer = cool).

Apparently, changing one's hair colour or tanning oneself up can turn you from one season to another. For example, if you're a Summer and you dye your hair dark brown, you instantly become a Winter. But what if you also tan yourself up? Are you then a Winter or a Spring? What determines your season? BAH! /flails

Then, there's the fact that I apparently cannot tell if someone has olive undertones or not. I don't have that problem with light or dark skins, but skin with medium colouring? Forget it! There is an Asian girl in my class who is darker than me and she's considered a Winter (winter = cool), while I'm considered a Spring (warm). I just don't understand -_-'...

I just hope I don't completely flunk my Colour Theory test.


Now for what you really want to see...

Yes, you're reading that right. Our kits are from Make Up For Ever.

This bag is pretty awesome! Very professional looking.

I love that there's a lot of space for all your products and tools.

Ta-daaaaah! <3

There are two removable compartments that are velcro'd to the bag.

We received 9 brushes. 

A waterproof black liner, 2 lip liners and a Glossy Full Lip Gloss were also part of the kit,

Aren't they glorious? Previous classes didn't get such a nice selection. We got some pretty vibrant colours, whereas past classes only got neutrals. I'm actually missing #75, which is a BRIGHT pink, though I should be getting it in the next class. 

I'm really excited to get my hands at these foundations! The concealer palette is also quite fantabulous.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to actually do makeup on people! I've only ever done makeup on people with similar colouring to me; but there's a wide range of skin shades and undertones in my class, so I'm quite eager to do makeup on them.

That said, what I'm really excited about is seeing where this path will lead me. Two years ago, I never would've thought that I would be going to school for makeup artistry, who knows where my life will be two years from now? Ahh, life! 

Have a good weekend, lovelies!