I love my clients

For a few years now, I've been working with a latin cosmetics company, Cyzone.  These are always jobs that  I look forward to.  The energy on set is always fun and even though we have a lot of work to do, it never feels stressful or like 'work' I thought I'd post some of the results of different shoots over the past few years.

All photos shot by the wonderfully talented Grace Huang.

The first two shots are of one of my favorite models to work with, Kate Upton.  We never stop laughing when we work together.  Good thing she's a pro and can keep it professional in front of the camera.

Can't stand the cling

It's still cold and dry here in NYC.  And one of the things I hate about cold dry weather is what is does to skin and hair.

I especially can't stand static cling in the hair.  Some of my best bets to escape the clings are a natural bristle hair brush.  Synthetic bristles tend to add the problem.  My favorite and a must have in any hairstylists kit is the Mason Pearson.

Brushing your hair with a Mason Pearson activates the tiny oil glands at the scalp so that the oils distribute evenly and lubricate the hair.  Which prevents hair from being brittle and dry.  And dry hair is a major cause of the cling.

A great product to use in your hair while styling is Ojon's Hydrating Styling Cream.  It is infused with palm nut oil to help smooth and hydrate hair.   You hair is less likely to cling if it is well hydrated.  And this leave in product does just that.

When blow drying your hair, I suggest using a negative ion hair dryer.  These dryers use less heat and do less damage to your hair.  Check out the T3 Tourmaline Professional Ceramic Ionic Hair Dryer.   It will cut your hair drying time down in half.

And a great trick for when you experience the cling while on the go is to use a dryer sheet.  Run a sheet over your hair and the static should be controlled.  You can usually find small sized boxes to toss in your purse.

If you're like me and most girls, you can't stand clingy men or clingy hair.  :)

Get 'em before they're gone for good

Stila is selling their discontinued product at up to 50% off online now.  Check it out at Stila Cosmetics.

I love their

Lip Glazes

Eyeshadows

and Smudge Pots.

They are also offering free shipping on orders over $50.  Hurry and get em before they're gone.

Five For Free...

Lancome.com has a special going on now through the end of February that gives you 5 full sized lipsticks when you spend $35 or more on their website with the code FEBBDAY

Four of my favorite things from Lancome are  

the Effacernes Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer.  This has to be one of the best concealers on the market today.

Their Definicils High Definition Mascara

Their Dual Finish Fragrance Free Versatile Powder Makeup

And their Juicy Tubes Ultra Shiny Lipgloss.  A nice pop of color and not horribly sticky like most ultra shiny glosses.  Now it should be fairly easy to spend that $35 to get the five full sized lipsticks.  Enjoy!

another great deal

20% off of Tarte's 'best of' winners....

The cheekstains are a must have!

great deal....

One of my favorite things to do when I am actually home, is to go the the Brooklyn Flea.  About 3 years ago I discovered an amazing jewelry designer there and have been collecting his pieces ever since.  Most of my pieces that I have from him are vintage chandelier crystals that Martin has reworked to become works of art that I hang around my neck.   But he has other amazing one of a kind pieces that he has made from Italian, French, Icelandic coins that I might just have to start collecting as well.   Not to mention many other lovely things I seem to need.

For Valentine's Day this year, he is offering 20% off everything in his etsy shop through Monday February 14th.  His prices are great, as is the quality.   Also, the customer service he gives can't be beat.

So I recommend taking advantage of this deal and collecting some of his work for yourself.  Or if you are thinking of buying me a gift, Martin's esty shop is a great place to start.  ;)

Amazing Drug...

store find.  ;)

I am a sucker for red lipsticks.  I love wearing red lipstick myself.  I love it on others.  I also seem to feel the need to buy every red lipstick made for my kit.

I rarely use drugstore lipsticks for one main reason.  I can't test the color and staying power on my hand. (Please when you are testing lipsticks, never actually apply the lipstick to your mouth.  You have no idea who has tried it before and what illnesses, infections they have.  You could end up with some serious nastiness going on in your mouth or worse  EEK.)

But I found a display of Cover Girl Lip Perfection Lipsticks at Ulta.  The sleek packaging and color teasing me at the bottom of the tube was something I just couldn't resist for $6.59.

On a recent shoot, the styling director had requested red lips for a shot, so I brought out the Cover Girl and applied it to one of my favorite models.  To my surprise, it glided on smoothly, was extremely pigmented and looked beautiful on.  I worked with the same model, Sarah Ruba, the next day and she said she had a hard time getting the red off.  So I know it has some serious staying power.

I think I might just have to stock up on some more of these Cover Girl lipsticks.  Since it is a good idea to throw out lipsticks after a year, maybe two, I have even more of an excuse to go shopping.  :)

Also, check out Sarah and her husband's band, New Look

Mile High Club part deux

Well, I fell asleep on the second leg of my trip on Sunday.  I think the massage and facial relaxed me too much.  Oh and maybe the bloody marys I had on the first flight might have added to that.  ;)

Which leads me into the next part on how to stay hydrated and treat your body and skin right while flying....

Don't drink alcohol!  Especially in the air. This is also true for coffee and tea. Doing so dehydrates you and will lead to bloating.  Swollen fingers and toes are not cute.  Especially when you're headed somewhere for a vacation and can't fit into your favorite Jimmy Choo's for a week because you had a couple of cocktails in flight.   Stick to water.  Myrick (my favorite flight attendant) gave me a Smart Water as I was deplaning.  I guess the electrolyte enhanced water is even more beneficial than regular water.  Also don't be afraid to ask the flight attendant for your own bottle of water when they roll the cart by.  I've never had one say no.  That little cup they serve you is not enough for anything over a 45 min flight.

A good eye cream is a must.  And if you're going to drink in flight I suggest something depuffing.  My favorite is Korres Quercetin and Oak Age Reversing Instant Lift Eye Cream.  The Korres website claims

"Revolutionary technology stimulates cell growth and protein synthesis to dramatically reduce eye wrinkles, significantly increase skin elasticity and reduce puffiness and dark circles. 
Skin is instantly lifted, rejuvenated and returned to its youthful state."  

What I do know from experience is that is does help with puffiness and it plumps up the minor wrinkles that I do have.  And it's not too heavy to cause millia.  I, and quite a few of my friends, can experience this if we use too heavy of an eye cream.  And it's not pretty.  

It's also a good idea to remove your contact lenses if you do wear them while flying.  The low humidity levels in the plane can dry out your eyes, throat and nose.  If you don't want to remove your contacts, I recommend the Refresh Rewetting individual eye drops.  I use these in my kit at work for sanitary reasons, but they are also great for that quart sized baggie since a couple won't take up much room.

And lastly I really enjoy the Evian Brumisateur.  It's actually great to set makeup. But I love to use it to refresh my skin after napping on the plane.  If I do happen to be wearing makeup while flying, this doesn't disturb it.  Sephora carries a carry a TSA approved size for around $12 for 2.

I am also interested in trying out compression socks for long flights.  If anyone has used these, I would love to hear your opinions on them.

Extreme Sheep LED art

This has nothing to do with hair or makeup or fashion, unless you count sheep dressed up in LED lights as fashion.  ;)  But I got a kick out of it and hope you do to.  

by Baaa Studs

Mile High Club

Okay, so I don't really belong to the mile high club.  But I am currently writing this post while 35,000  feet high in the sky.

This made me think of my favorite carry on sized products to keep moisturized while in flight (and even on the ground)  Probably the one product I cannot do without is the Nivea Creme for my hands and body.  I also use it on beach shoots in the hair. ;) I first discovered it in Greece about 10 years ago and I have yet to find anything that compares for the price.  The great thing about this is that it is a thick yet absorbant moisturizer and you can find a mini 1 oz tin at your local Duane Reade, Walgreens or CVS for usually around $1.

My new favorite flight attendent, Myrick said his top two favorites are the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with Natural Colloidal Oatmeal and the Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion.  The tube he just showed me is perfect to fit into that quart size ziplock baggie with a ton of room to spare for your other items.  And if anyone knows how to stay hydrated while flying it is a handsome flight attendent.  

Of course I have to have something for my face.  I am a die hard fan of Decleor Aromessence Neroli Oil

The full size bottle that I use at home is still the perfect size to carry on.  This is best used after toner and under a moisturizer.  But if you're like me and have combo to oily skin this is usually enough under my sunscreen.  The great thing about this product is that it it 100% natural.  And even though the price may seem a bit high for the size, you'll be surprised how long this will last you, as just a few drops are all you should need  (Unless you are my roommate, a model, who would love to use a bottle a week on her skin)

But in the cold winter and windy months I need a little something extra to put on top of the oil while in the sky and I usually reach for my Embryolisse 24 Hour Miracle Cream.  They offer a 1oz tube, and they do offer a 2.6 oz tube.  But by the time I am ready to board I have rolled down the top like a tube of toothpaste that TSA has never said anything my tightly filled bag.  This cream can be used as more than just a moisturizer.  You can also use it as a gentle makeup remover and shave cream.  It's even safe enough to use on babies.   Although it can be hard to find, Make Up For Ever carries it as does Alcone and Ricky's.  And if you would like to order it online, I've seen it on Amazon.com

As for my lips I generally use Korres Lip Butters.  I don't like heavy balms on my lips, but I do need some moisture.  And one of my favorite things about these are the different shades they offer.  Since I don't wear makeup while flying, this adds a nice pop of color while keeping my lips from drying out.  You can also use this as a cheek stain.  And when you are limited to what you can carry on, a 2 in one product is a dream come true.  

Since it is almost time to land, I will have to finish this post on the next leg of my trip.  I have a layover in the ATL airport and am scheduled for a facial.  If you ever have a layover in ATL make sure you hit up the XpresSpa in the C concorse.  You'll be pleasantly surprised.