Which Team Are You On?

The Jenner sisters are often used as an example of what Editorial and Instaglam makeup looks like side by side.

I’ve mentioned this topic in some blog posts and Allison Barbera Beauty Facebook statuses, so it’s time to explain myself. Or rather, explain the current division between Editorial makeup and Instagram makeup. I’m not going to disclose which team I’m on right now (but a quick glance at my work would clue you in). My goal is to make this post as objective as possible and help clearly explain the differences between the two types. This will probably be most helpful to beginner makeup artists and Cosmetology and Esthetics students. You’ve got to know your craft, my friends. Types of makeup might be referred to by a client, photographer or director–either as something they want or do not want–and it’s your job to know what they are talking about.

Before social media, editorial makeup was really the only reference. For the purposes of this post, editorial makeup encompasses not just what you see in magazines, but runway and red carpet makeup as well. I would also include most feature film and non-reality television makeup. If you love the work of Lisa Eldridge, Pat McGrath, Billy B, Mary Greenwell, Val Garland or Charlotte Tilbury–all veteran professional makeup artists with decades of experience–you’re on Team Editorial. Not sure what Editorial makeup is? Let’s break it down in everyone’s favorite list format.

1. I’m Focused, Man. Editorial makeup typically focuses on one feature. There may be a “supporting actress” feature as well–the peachy cream blush that compliments the smoldering, beachy, bronzey eye–but that generally means the rest of the makeup is downplayed. (Think a sheer foundation and muted lip color with that bronzey eye and peachy cheek.)
2. Do You. Editorial makeup takes the individual into account. Their coloring, skin type, features, eye color, etc. are all taken into consideration when the look is created. Even on the runway when each show has a certain look, one model may have, for example, the yellow eyeshadow that is the focus of the look winged out a bit to flatter her eye shape.
3. For Real. In this type of makeup, skin looks like real skin (or it did before some overzealous retoucher got a hold of it). You may see some freckles, pores, evidence of the eye sockets most people have, texture of the skin, etc.
4. Texturize. Not only is there balance between the focus put on each feature, but the textures used. Unless it is to spotlight a trend, you don’t see a fully shimmery or a fully matte face. So you may see a matte wine colored lip but the foundation has a glow to it or the eye is glossy. Or in that bronzey eye example, the lip is probably if not matte, at least not glossy or shimmery. Mixing up the textures “anchors” the face.

Below are some examples of editorial makeup.

A look created by Lisa Eldridge on Alexa Chung. The focus is on the winged blue eyeliner, which is complimented by glowing skin and a natural lip color.

A look by Pat McGrath. The wine color lip is the main focus, but the lashes play a secondary role.

This cat eye look was created by Charlotte Tilbury. Yes, you may notice some contour and the light lip, but it’s clear where the focus is.

Instagram makeup, aka Instaglam makeup, encompasses both Instagram and many YouTube tutorial looks. It tends to be the domain of newer or younger makeup artists and product junkies. There are also “beauty influencers,” who are usually not trained makeup artists, but people who create and post looks they’ve done on themselves. If you’re on Team Instaglam, you may follow people like @amrezy, @iluvsarahii and @mac_daddyy. Want to know the basics of Instaglam? Read on.

1. I Just Can’t Choose! Instaglam focuses on several features at once. Looks featuring full coverage foundation, heavy contour, strong highlight, a majorly shimmery or cut crease eye, winged liner, thick brows, overlined lips and matte lipstick seem to be the norm.
2. We’re All One. Instaglam makeup tends to assume everyone has the same face shape, skin type and features. So contour is often placed under the cheekbones, jawline and down the sides of the nose regardless of bone structure and face shape. Brows are typically thick and stylized, with less fill in at the front. Highlight is normally very generously applied to the cheekbones, Cupid’s bow and tip of nose. The Instaglam lip that I see most often is matte, ombre and overdrawn to varying degrees. A grayish lilac shade seems to be popular, but reds and deep or intense colors are big too. Winged eyeliner is prevalent with Instaglam makeup and false strip lashes are usually included. Foundation is matte and full coverage (regardless of skin type) and “baked” with powder, disguising the skin’s natural texture.
3. Photo Ready. Instaglam makeup is meant for Instagram. These looks are created with the sole intention of being photographed, so the creator can influence lighting and posing, as well as retouching and filters. I’ve read posts where Instaglam beauty influencers were interviewed, and they’ve said they don’t wear the looks they do in “real life” because it doesn’t translate well. It’s similar to theatre makeup, which looks fantastic on stage but crazy town in person.

These are some examples of Instaglam makeup. I’ve chosen popular photos on Instagram which best illustrate the things I’ve mentioned.

Glittery eyeshadow, heavy liner, strip lashes, filled in brows, full coverage foundation, visible highlight and contour, slightly overdrawn lipliner and ombre matte lips on this look by @nikkifrenchmakeup.

In this look by @kaseyrayton, full coverage foundation, highlight, contour, a cut crease, strong winged eyeliner, stylized brows, false strip lashes and a matte overdrawn lip are featured.

A look by @amrezy showcasing full coverage foundation, highlight, contour, a cut crease, dramatic winged liner, stylized brows and light lips.

Hopefully you now understand the differences between Editorial and Instaglam makeup. Feel free to comment with questions.

Have a beautiful day 🙂

 

Product Review: Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution

I wear a lot of eye makeup and I don’t care who knows it. But at the end of the day, it has to come off. All of it. Sleeping in eye makeup can lead to puffiness and irritation and can cause the lash follicles to become clogged. Those clogged follicles can then form styes, which everybody loves. And if you don’t regularly remove your mascara, that can make your lashes brittle, in turn causing breakage.  Breakage means that your eyelashes become short and stubby, something that no mascara can remedy.

Have I convinced you that your eye makeup needs to be removed every night? Good. So let’s talk about the best way to do that.

My personal process is to first cleanse my face using an oil cleanser. This both removes the makeup and cleanses the skin. If I have a lot of makeup on, I will occasionally double cleanse with an oil cleanser, or I’ll use an oil based makeup remover followed by a cream cleanser. I don’t apply the oil cleanser or makeup remover to my eyes, but I do splash water onto them as Phase 1 of the eye makeup removal process. During this process, I also hold a warm washcloth up to each eye to help break down the eye makeup. Some of it comes off just with water, so this is a good start.

After I pat my face dry, I put some Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution (formerly Bioderma Crealine H20), a makeup remover, onto a cotton ball and hold it over one eye for about 30 seconds. (Some people prefer to use a flat cotton pad for this.) That gives the Bioderma a chance to break down what’s left of my eyeshadow, liner and mascara. I repeat the process on the other eye. I put more Bioderma on the cotton ball and use it to very gently remove any traces of makeup left on my lids or under my eyes.

I know this is technically a product review, but I couldn’t do this particular one without my how-to. Because if you buy this product based on my recommendation but don’t know how to properly use it, you’re not going to love it and you’ll think I’m a jerk. And I am sometimes, but never when it comes to beauty tips. I take your face very seriously.

So let’s talk about the star of the show. I refer to this gem as “Bioderma,” which is the company name, not the product name. But I feel that we are good enough friends to give each other nicknames. It is a micellar water, which has tiny molecules of cleansing oil that attract dirt and oil but don’t dry out the skin. Micellar water has been around for a long time but didn’t become mainstream until a couple of years ago.

Bioderma is the OG of micellar water. Because it’s so gentle on the skin, it’s been a staple for makeup artists who need to do quick makeup changes on set or for the runway. It removes face and eye makeup without leaving any residue, which allows an artist to quickly do a new makeup look. I would bet money that the true makeup artist pros–Lisa Eldridge, Pat McGrath, Charlotte Tilbury, Mary Greenwell, Billy B, etc.–all have a  bottle of Bioderma in their kits.

That being said, I wouldn’t recommend Bioderma as an everyday face or waterproof makeup remover. It does not fully remove foundation or waterproof mascara (I know you don’t wear waterproof mascara every day though, right?). But for quick makeup changes, it’s ideal.

I think Bioderma’s best use is as an everyday eye makeup remover. It’s gentle so it’s ideal for sensitive eyes. I don’t consider my eyes particularly sensitive–that’s kind of my stomach’s thing–but I have tried many eye makeup removers that made my eyes sting, burn or water up. I’ve been personally using Bioderma for years and it has never even slightly irritated my peepers. When the skin around eyes gets irritated, it can get dry and cracked, which is not something that makeup can cover (and may even further irritate). So using a gentle eye makeup remover is key.

As gentle as it is, Bioderma is also a thorough eye makeup remover. As mentioned, it doesn’t remove waterproof mascara but it removes non-waterproof makeup like it ain’t no thang. And as you now know, sleeping with eye makeup on is bad, bad, bad and you will never do it again.

I buy my 16.7 fluid oz Bioderma on Amazon where it is usually around $15. That size bottle lasts me a good six months. If you have suffered from eye makeup remover irritation or your current eye makeup remover is doing a crap job, check out Bioderma.

Have a beautiful day 🙂

 

My Makeup Idols

In my world, the true celebrities are the makeup artists whose talent and creativity inspires me. They create looks that are beautiful, or interesting, or iconic (sometimes all three). I appreciate that kind of talent in many different artistic fields, but of course the work done by other makeup artists is easiest for me to relate to.

Below is a list of the makeup artists I love:

Samantha Chapman & Nicola Haste, aka the Pixiwoos. Sam and Nic are two sisters from England, and besides working as freelance makeup artists, they do makeup tutorials on YouTube (on the Pixiwoo and Pixiwoo Madness channels), and teach classes. Sam also has a makeup brush line, Real Techniques, (the brushes are awesome). I have watched every single one of their Pixiwoo and Pixiwoo Madness videos and I consider them to be my makeup instructors. I have learned more from them than I did in any of my formal makeup training. I think they Pixiwoos tutorials are an excellent resource for makeup artists, but also for makeup “civilians.” Their tutorials are clear, easy to follow and full of great product recommendations. Several of the products in my kit are products I first heard of from Sam or Nic. Both of the sisters are immensely talented, and after watching 500+ videos, I feel like I know them! I don’t have television, so I consider their videos my education and my entertainment 🙂 I am thrilled that they have had so much success over the past few years and I look forward to watching and learning from their next 500 videos.

Lisa Eldridge is another British makeup artist I watch on YouTube. She is well known in the industry, and has been doing runway and editorial looks since the 80s. She makes makeup artistry look effortless, and her poise and humble personality makes her shine. Lisa creates gorgeous looks and recommends products in all different price ranges. She is a true professional, and I have gotten many helpful tips from her.

Charlotte Tilbury is from–guess where?–England. I heard of her a while back and have always loved her work and when she did a tutorial on Lisa Eldridge’s channel, I got to see how she does it. Charlotte has her own channel now too, which makes me happy. She does makeup quite differently than I do, which I love, because watching her inspires me to try different methods. Every brush stroke, every color choice, every shadow placement works perfectly. She has so much talent and experience, that it almost seems like she is winging it, but it always looks amazing! She’s not pretentious, which makes her even easier to learn from.

Kevyn Aucoin was one of the best. You can’t be a makeup artist and not be familiar with his work. He truly knew how to transform a face, and if you have ever looked at any of his gorgeous makeup books, you know what I mean. Although he could transform people so that you wouldn’t recognize them (Google “Lisa Marie Presley as Marilyn Monroe”), he was also a huge proponent of bringing out a woman’s natural beauty. You can clearly see that in his work with non-celebrities/models. He had an eye for seeing which features would look best enhanced, and he brought that out in a way that no one else could. His death in 2002 was a huge loss for the beauty industry.

Billy B is the only one of my makeup idols who I have seen in person. I took a class with him several years ago at a Powder Group event in New York. It was not a demo or hands-on workshop, it was a lecture–although it felt like more of talk from a friend. Billy told us about how he started, gave some valuable insider tips and answered questions. He was extremely inspiring, and especially at the start of my career, that was what I needed. I emailed him on Facebook after the class to thank him, and he sent me a very nice response (I was starstruck!). He seems like a genuine person and his work speaks for itself. Love him.

Pat McGrath was one of the first makeup artists I paid attention to. I don’t remember how or when I “discovered” Pat, but before her, the only MUA name I knew was Kevyn Aucoin. Once I knew who Pat was, I started seeing her work everywhere. She does runway and editorial and as far as I am concerned, she kills it every time. Pat is from England-another one!–and had no formal makeup training, like many of the successful artists in the industry. She seems very down to the earth, which a quality I admire in people. For years, I had a quote taped up on my wall from a magazine article Pat was interviewed for. “I believe in black in clothes, color in makeup.” I agree!

Alex Box is the creative director of cosmetics company, Illamasqua. She is insanely talented and her work is beyond unique. She went to school to study Fine Art, and I think that every look she creates is a masterpiece. Alex does not create your typical makeup looks. Everything is so different, so strangely beautiful and so inspiring. She is a makeup genius, and of course, is from England. I might as well just move there.

Dany Sanz is the founder of Make Up For Ever, one of my favorite cosmetic companies. She got her start in the 1970s, as a painter for film sets. She made the transition into makeup and used her skills to transform cabaret performers, drag queens and eventually, the cast of Cirque Du Soleil. Dany created Make Up For Ever because the products she was using were not meeting her needs. As I see it, MUFE is an extension of Dany’s artistry. There are products that can create the looks that Dany is known for–dramatic, colorful, bold–but there are many products that work for the everyday woman. Because Dany has been in the industry for so long–as an artist, instructor and founder of MUFE–her work and her products reflect the fact that she really knows what she is doing.

There are other artists whose work I admire–even people I know and work with personally–and I look forward to discovering more artists as I continue my career in makeup artistry. I love that there are so many different ways of approaching makeup and creating looks, and I don’t think I will ever get bored learning about them.

Have a beautiful day 🙂

Reason 7,678 Why I Love My Job

When I checked my mailbox after work, all I had was bills. Booooo. But when I walked up the stairs to my apartment–wohoo!–there was a package.

I didn’t recognize the return address and I’d received all of the orders I placed recently, so I had no idea what it was. The words “anthrax” and “explosive” crossed my mind, but so did “surprise makeup package.”

I took the risk and opened it.

It was a surprise makeup package! t was from the new Pat McGrath collection from Cover Girl. Pat is one of the most talented makeup artists in the industry, so I have high hopes for this collection. I’ll review it asap, but until then, here’s a peek at what they gave me:

• Cover Girl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer
• Cover Girl LiquiLine Blast Eyeliner in Brown Blaze, Silver Spark, Green Glow, Violet Voltage, Black Fire, and Blue Boom
• Lash Blast Fusion Mascara in Black
• Outlast Lipstain in Saucy Plum, Scarlet Pucker, and Nude Kiss

I don’t know which guardian angel of makeup sent me all of these products, but I thank them.

Have a beautiful day 🙂