Candy Glam Girl

Lately I've been busting out of my neutral zone and incorporating color into my life - from my wardrobe to my makeup. Last week I was at Macy's and I can't explain it, but before I knew it, I was clutching a richly patterned plum and gold dress as I made my way to the cash register.

A nearly purple dress may not be a shocking purchase for some of you, but for this girl who most times grabs charcoal gray or black, it was a little off beat. But I like it. It's a new me. Cue up Diana Ross's, I'm Coming Out.

And just in time for my brighter, bolder image, Candy Glam, a line getting buzz for their bold, in-your-face all over glitters and brightly hued shimmer shadows, sent me a goody bag. How do these things coincide?

Who cares? I'm loving the colors. And to add to the beauty of it all, they're mineral! I snatched the High Definition Eye Color in Plum and left the rest for you ladies. Wasn't that sweet of me?

So, this giveaway consist of Candy Glam's High Definition Eye Color in Aqua - a wonderfully bright sea foam inspired color that can be applied wet or dry.

AND you'll also get three of Candy Glam's Sparkles - loose, finely milled body, hair and face glitter. I have Lilac, Green Briar and Miss Muffet (a red/pink tone) to pass your way.






If serious glitter is not your thing, then you must know a teen girl who would do anything to get her hands on these goodies. Tell her to come over and enter to win.

All she (or you) have to do is 1) publicly follow this blog 2)comment at the end of this post so I can enter you in the drawing. Easy. I'll be picking a winner on Tuesday, June 30.

Good luck!

Rest In Peace, Dr. Nielsen

A decade ago, I received a call from my agent asking if I could fly out immediately to do makeup for a story for Newsweek Magazine. At the time, my career mercury was rising. I'd worked at Fashion Week, done Mariah Carey's makeup and booked a six day shoot in Iceland with Elle Magazine.

My dreams of working with celebrities and reading my name in the fold of a fashion magazine as "makeup artist" were finally coming true.

So what was this Newsweek gig?

"You'll be working with a doctor who was rescued from the Antarctica - the story has something to do with her cancer," my agent said.

Hmmm. Definitely not my usual fashion job, but I'm a closet reporter (I still think I should have studied Journalism in college), who gets high from listening to the adventures of others. I figured if nothing else, this doctor would be an interesting person to meet.

A few hours later I was in a cab jetting to a tiny airport in Jersey where I was whisked onto a plane that seemed barely bigger than a Hyundai Sonata. Are you kidding me? While fastening my seat belt, I counted six other passengers and about 14 empty seats.

Our plane bobbed and dipped from Jersey to Pittsburgh where we switched to a smaller plane that whisked us to Ohio. The Newsweek staff met us at the airport and drove us to a private home with a photo studio attached.

The setup was very "high school portrait studio" - nothing like the giant white boxes flooded with daylight where I normally worked in the West Village. The photographer who flew in with me from New York was "borrowing" a local photographer's studio for the shoot.

I was given a simple stool and a light on a stand to work my magic. Dr. Nielsen was a little nervous when she realized I was there to do her makeup. She'd not been told this would be "so fancy." She informed me she didn't normally wear much makeup.

As I prepared her for the shot, I worked at calming her nerves. I asked to hear her story. She gave me sound bites as the crew was hovering, waiting for me to be done so we could all hop back on planes bound for New York.

After a quick shoot, Dr. Nielsen turned to me and asked, "Are you hungry? Would you all like to go out for something to eat?"

Thankfully the photographer had the same curious gene I did. I saw the sparkle in his eye. He wanted to hear her story, too. We packed up our stuff in a flash then drove for fifteen minutes in the rain until we came to a rundown, Italian restaurant with checkered plastic tablecloths.

We ordered spaghetti, ziti, garlic bread, etc. When I said I'd never had Italian Wedding Soup, Dr. Nielsen insisted I try hers. Loved it.

Then the discussion began. Dr. Jerri Nielsen had been the only doctor assigned to a scientific expedition in the Antarctica when she found a lump in her breast. She performed a biopsy with the help of those at the research base with her - not a single other person had any medical experience.

She taught them what they needed to know by practicing on a raw chicken! After the news got out, it was determined that Dr. Nielsen needed to get out of her current position so she could get home for treatment. In the meantime, Dr. Nielsen administered her own chemotherapy.

Dr. Nielsen recounted to us how a brave crew flew into the Antarctica ("almost blind because of the weather!") to get her. Her gratitude was apparent.

I leaned across the table and asked, "What's it like to do what you do?" OMG. How glad am I that I asked that question? For the next two hours, Dr. Nielsen shared with us the crazy, wonderful life she led. She recounted stories about her world travels, the people she'd met and helped and all of the amazing things she still wanted to do.

Every now and again, she'd stop a great story to say, "Are you sure I'm not boring you guys with this stuff? You work with such glamorous people normally."

NO! We were anything but bored. As I listened to this woman, I couldn't help but think, I hope I live my life as fully as she does. And I pray that at her age I embrace my challenges and my joys with the same attitude that she has.

Our talk with Dr. Nielsen was so fascinating we lost track of the time. We missed our plane back to New York. But as the photographer and I sat in the airport on stand-by with a big commercial airline (thank God), he turned to me and said, "It was worth it."

I totally agree.

Yesterday Dr. Nielsen died. Her breast cancer, after many years in remission, spread to her liver, her bones and her brain. She was only 57. She will be missed. You can read more about Dr. Nielsen here. To check out the movie based on Dr. Nielsen's experience (with Susan Surandon in the lead role) click here.

Cover FX Winner!

Happy Monday! I know. Most people say, "Happy Friday," but I figure if I try hard to make all days happy, I'll have a better attitude all around.

And for me, this was a happy Monday. My agent called earlier today and put me on hold for six days for a national ad campaign. Thank God. Advertising (the real bread & butter of my business) has been so slow in this economy. The pay will enable me to take care of some pressing family matters and return my life to normal.

I'm very thankful.

I also signed up at a local gym today. I'm a size six, so I'm not trying to lose weight, but it would be nice to build some muscle before I don a bikini on my birthday and head for the beach.

As a friend said earlier, who wants to go to the beach and hear, "Would you like some fries with that shake?"

But enough about my fat thighs. Now on to business. Today's the day I put your names in a drawing for the Brite Prep FX primer and guess what???

Sonora Sage won!

Congrats, Sonora. You need to email me at makeuptheory AT verizon.net with your mailing info so I can pop that in the mail to you.

Thanks to all of you who entered. I have a stash of color products to give away later this week.

Until tomorrow...

Deals, Giveaways and a New Summer Collection

It's the weekend (yeah!!!) and I'm going to catch a student concert at the local music academy. But before dashing off, I want to fill you in on two fun happenings in Indie Makeup Land.

Eve Organics, a natural line I used for my Mommy Makeover, is offering their gorgeous Amethyst mineral eyeshadow for FREE when you order $25 or more from their line. Get free shipping with an order of $75+.


Try their Balance skincare collection for combination skin. It's packed with organic ingredients like South African Rooibos Tea (an anti-inflamatory) and naturally derived DMAE. They make beautiful eyeshadows and blushes, as well. I use their Sangria eyeshadow as a blush (applied with a whispery fan brush) and I LOVE it.

At just $7.95 for eyeshadows and $13.50 for blushes, you can experiment with a whole new look for under $50. But you'd better hurry. The free Amethyst eyeshadow is only available through June 30. Be sure to use the code June09 at checkout.

Priia Cosmetics, my makeup crush, has launched their Endless Summer Collection. It consists of two new cheek colors (Melon Sorbet for light skin and Mocha Spice for dark tones), three luscious new About2Pout lip glosses and a beautiful Satin Complexion Enhancer that adds a subtle glow to any skin tone.


Become a Priia VIP Beauty Plus Member (it's free) and you'll get your own updates on what's new at Priia. And you'll get a chance to win $50 worth of free products. Go to Priia's homepage and scroll to the bottom to fill in the VIP form.

Last, but not least, my Brite Prep Giveaway is still going on. This is a new primer from Cover FX stuffed with age-fighting ingredients and SPF 50. This product makes foundation look GORGEOUS. It's a $45 value. Only 7 women have entered to win so far. You can still get your name in the drawing, so hop over to the post, follow this blog and leave me a comment (at the bottom of this post). I will pick one of you on Monday evening.

I'm off to the concert!

Just as a side note: No brands mentioned on this site pay for advertising - EVER. Lines simply send samples and if I like the products, I tell you about them. If I don't, I skip doing a review. No need to be negative.

Who Makes the Best Mascara?

As a makeup artist, I've had heated debates (with other artists, of course) over who makes the world's best mascara. Well, as in most cosmetic debates, there are three categories to consider: high end, affordable and natural - often broken down into department store brands, drug store brands and indie brands.

I unashamedly endorse Lancome for the best high end mascara makers in the world. Every one of their creations are wonderful - from Definicils to L'Extreme. When I want to treat myself (they are a bit pricey), I'll pick up one of their products.

As for drug store mascaras, I don't think anyone comes close to L'Oreal's Voluminous. It pumps up skinny lashes and accentuates length perfectly. And if scandalously dark lashes are your thing, carbon black is the color du jour. I'm wearing it in the above picture. $7.95, ladies. Go, L'Oreal.

Yeah, that's right. I said L'Oreal. I know I'm going to get heat about this from all of the Maybelline groupies out there. What is it about that little pink tube that elicits such ardent devotion? The mascara flakes, people. Get over it.

Moving along...I've yet to find a natural mascara that I like. I've tried quite a few and always walked away disappointed. Their performance has been minimal at best. And they don't stay put. I look like a raccoon three hours after application.

So, I wanted to get an expert opinion from someone who hand crafts natural makeup. I contacted my fave mineral cosmetic formulator, Kelley Maddison from Priia Cosmetics, to ask her what's the deal with natural mascaras.

"They don't have lengthening or thickening abilities. They only coat the lashes with color. Without polymers and acrylics (plastics) the product doesn't adhere to the lashes."

She also advised me to be careful of natural mascaras because their usage life is going to be shorter than mainstream mascara because they don't have preservatives. Sounds like an eye infection waiting to happen if you're not careful.

Thank you, Kelley.

But hold on. My girl, Milan, over at AGrlCanMac swears she's found the perfect organic/natural mascara by Physician's Formula. I hopped over to the the Physician's Formula site to check it out. They claim their Organic Wear mascara is 100% Free of Harsh Chemicals, Synthetic Preservatives, Parabens, Clumping, Smudging, Flaking, Fibers & Dyes. AND that it makes lashes look five times thicker and longer.

All of this for $9.95. I have to admit, I'm a little skeptical, but I haven't tried it - yet. Milan says it's wonderful. And she's a makeup girl all the way, so I should trust her assessment. I looked through the ingredients list for Physician's Formula mascara and saw that they've included beeswax. Could that possibly help with adherence? I don't know. I'm not a chemist. Just asking.

Any of you tried a good natural/organic mascara? What's your fave mainstream mascara (go ahead, Maybelline people, have your say now).

Brite Prep FX Giveaway

Hey Ladies,

As you've probably noticed, I've struggled to keep up my daily writing because, well, the weather is so darn nice now. I've been out like crazy enjoying the parks, theater and a new lounge in our area that has the best music and the friendliest staff ever.

My life is in transition right now (hugely personal family stuff that I can't get into in detail) as I am rediscovering what I like to do and who I like to spend my time with. But my cyber family is important, too.

So to make up for my sluggish typing habits of late, I have a GREAT giveaway for you ladies. I know. You're probably all sick of giveaways by now, right? No? Phew. I was concerned I was boring you all. LOL

This new giveaway came via a gift from Cover FX just for this site. I use Cover FX products frequently on shoots because of the great coverage their foundations and concealers offer.

This giveaway is a brand new Cover FX product that was launched just last month: Brite Prep FX Brightening Foundation Primer with SPF 50. As always, I wanted to use the product before offering it as a giveaway.

I used it on myself for the past week and I have to say my powdered mineral foundation went on really well. There were no spaces where the powder looked thinner than others and I seemed to need less on my brush thanks to the primer. Everything looked flawless. My skin had a luminous glow, as well.

BUT on my brown skin, the SPF turned purple (this is common with most SPF products) and created a cool hue to my foundation, making it slightly more blue than yellow.

When I tried the brightener on white skin, it looked great without shifting the foundation color. I'm not sure if the shift in tone on brown skin would be particularly noticeable to an untrained eye, but in my line of work, I notice the slightest shifts.

This product would be great simply as sun protection, even if you're not wearing foundation over top. It has some pretty impressive science behind it that offers state-of-the art age fighting and cell regeneration.

A customer on Sephora.com wrote a review saying she found the product to be greasy. I didn't notice this at all. I think overall, it's a great addition to an already fantastic line.

So, you want to try it for yourself? It's a $45 value, by the way. All you have to do is 1)Publicly follow this blog (see the Keep In Touch button to the right)
and 2)leave a comment at the end of this post telling me you'd like to win.

A week from now, on June 22, 2009, I'll do a random drawing and pick one of your names.

Good luck, ladies. And get out and enjoy the good weather!

DHC Skincare

I have a friend, Rachel, who works in the office for a direct-mail skincare line called DHC. It's a big deal in Japan, but I have to admit, I'd never heard of it until she started working there.

Recently, Rachel began sending me product catalogs with small samples inside. My indie brand radar didn't like this new intrusion. DHC's packaging was too "polished" for my natural/organic sensibilities. I couldn't pronounce all of the ingredients like I could with my hippie brands. And besides, I was already happy with what I was currently using.

Fast forward three more catalogs and one empty jar of my regular face cleanser. As I struggled to squeeze the last of my organic cleanser out of the jar I thought, What the heck. I'll try one of those little packets I saw attached to the catalog Rachel sent.

The Deep Cleansing Oil was recommended as a face cleanser. The main ingredient is extra virgin olive oil. Hmmmm. I tend to have dry skin in the winter, but during these warmer months, my skin can have quite an oily layer to it. I wasn't so sure about sticking olive oil on it as a cleanser.

But without anything else, I really didn't have much of an option. I opened the packet and poured the golden liquid into my palm. The packaging said to apply with dry hands on a dry face and rub.

Okay, I totally expected to be grossed out by oil. Just being honest. But actually, it had a smooth, light consistency and a killer cleaning power that broke down my makeup (even water proof mascara) in a split second.

I rinsed it off and looked at my skin in the mirror. My makeup was really gone (no toner necessary) and my face looked great. It didn't feel greasy or weird in any way.

So now my curiosity was piqued. I flipped through the catalog and found other foil wrapped samples. DHC's Coenzyme Q10 Cream was the next product I tried. It's formulated especially for dry, aging skin. Supposedly the coenzyme Q10 is found naturally in human skin and helps the skin keep its elasticity. Cool.

I liked the cream, although I suspect I'd use it more in the winter months when a heavier face cream is optimal.

There's an eye cream in the line that is made with Q10 as well. I'm an eye cream junkie, so I hopped on that in a minute. I can only speak of the texture (soft and light weight), but not the age fighting results as I only had one small packet to test.

My favorite product I sampled was their portable film cleansing sheets. These paper thin soap sheets produce an amazing amount of lather and include the same age fighting ingredients as their other products. Great for travel or the gym.

Now I'm excited to try some of their more innovative products like their Revitalizing Moisture Strips for the eyes. They are half moons of paper saturated with a gel containing mulberry, olive and soy. You adhere them to your under eye areas while you sleep to reduce puffiness and soften crow's feet. Nice.

Have any of you tried (or even heard of) DHC before this post? I'd love to hear if you've used it and what your results were long term.

My Stint as a Redhead

While we're on the wedding theme (see the post just before this one), I remember a pivotal point in my natural products journey that all started with a wedding invite.

Last year around March, I found out my friend Cheryl was getting married - in June. As usual, I stuck the invite in a drawer and said, I'll figure out what to wear closer to the event (I'm a horrible procrastinator at times). March passed as did April and May. When June arrived, far too quickly, I hadn't done anything in preparation for my friend's wedding.

I hadn't bought a gift. I didn't know what I was going to wear to the event and I wasn't inspired to shop. Yeah, I can't believe I said that last line either.

I should add here that I was going through a particularly hard time concerning my personal style.

As I no longer worked in the fashion industry, getting the inside scoop on the season's hottest looks, I was suffering fashion withdrawal something awful. And when makeup clients asked, "So what's the beauty look for summer?" I'd stand before them with a blank stare. I had no idea.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, I hated my hair. For no particular reason. I just did. I was tired of it. As a die hard, no-relaxer-is-ever-touching-my-hair chick, I wasn't about to murder, I mean, straighten my hair. But what?

I had an idea. Before the wedding, I'd dye my hair. As already stated, my natural instinct is to distrust chemicals. I would normally be the last person to consider a permanent hair color. But I was in distress.

Here's where it gets really bad.

I went to the grocery store (I can hear you all gasping now) and bought a boxed dye because, "How hard could it be to color my own hair?"

I was going for a warm brown with reddish highlights. It would be sort of like my natural color, but improved. It would be so pretty.

Two hours later as I stood before the bathroom mirror (the same day as the wedding!) watching my hair turn a rather bright copper tone, I vaguely remembered something about a strand test.

And then there was the smell. It sort of reminded me of the lingering scent of chlorine bleach. A little voice inside my head said I should, maybe, wash the color off NOW - a whole ten minutes earlier than the box suggested.

This was the results.


To say I was upset is an understatement. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked in the mirror at my hooker red hair color. Now don't get me wrong. I think natural red hair is GORGEOUS, but mine didn't look anywhere near natural. It was blazing, screaming BOXED HAIR COLOR. So not me.

I called two friends who were hair stylist and asked them to help. At their instruction, I stuck a wig over top (which I ran out and bought 25 minutes before the wedding!).

The next day I tried to color correct it. Nothing worked. And none of my clothes or makeup looked good with almost orange hair. Finally, I bit the bullet and bought an all natural black hair dye from the health food store. I hate my hair black, but it was better than red/orange. This was the result of the natural hair dye.



The natural black dye washed out gradually over the next month leaving me with a dark brown color. I then took the time to learn about body art quality henna. It's pure henna without color accelerators. I order it online. I also make my own natural hair rinses - teas made with fresh organic rosemary, sage and hibiscus flowers.

I simply make a big pot of the tea and use it as a final rinse each time I wash and condition my hair. It keeps it brown with cherry tones that are only visible in the sunlight. Something like this:



Perfect. I've never bought a boxed hair dye again.

Wedding Style

Yesterday I was with a friend discussing everything and nothing really, while sipping tea in the breeze on her porch. Somehow our meandering topics landed on a woman my friend knows who recently married.

Like all brides, this young woman wanted her face and hair to look great for her special day. As someone who's style is "nature girl", she knew she'd need help. A few weeks before her wedding, I'm told she went to a salon to do a trial for her hair style, but passed on the offer to have a makeup trial (WHAT???)

So, the day of her wedding arrived. Her hair came out precisely as the bride had requested, which makes sense considering the stylist knew exactly what the bride wanted. They'd already met to discuss it.

When it came time for the makeup, the unsuspecting bride was handed over to an artist who who knew exactly what he wanted to create. Because there were a few skin issues to address (blemishes and such) our (inexperienced) makeup artist decided the foundation needed to be extra thick - all over.

Next, he envisioned a black smoky eye and several shades of eye shadow that would compliment the colors of the wedding. A pair of fake lashes and a deeply lined lip (can someone say music video circa 1995) filled in with a much lighter lipstick finished the look.

The young bride, remember, barely wears makeup. Can you imagine her response at seeing her wedding day face? Yeah. She went home, in tears, and asked her bridesmaids to help her wash it off.

From what I understand, it took four girls to scrub the last of it off. As sad as this story is, it's incredibly common. Sometimes I get calls from brides, two hours before their wedding, tears streaming - "I got your number from ______________ and she said you could fix my makeup!"

These scenarios can be fixed long before the tearful phone call.

For some reason, in certain parts of the country, hair styling is the holy grail of grooming and makeup is the oft forgotten ugly stepchild. This, obviously, is not the case in major cities like New York and Miami. In NYC, brides booked me before they did the wedding venue! Looking good is a much sought after art form in NYC. *sigh* I miss that.

Anyway, back to this post.

In case no one has said this before, I will. Makeup application is as important (in some cases more so) as the wedding day hair style. I've known brides who had a certain fashion flare with a very modern twist who didn't go for that up swept, lacquered hair look. They threw in few cool hair clips with some messy tendrils hanging down and called it a day. They looked amazing.

But they still hired someone to do their makeup because they wanted their faces to look knockout gorgeous in their photos. But, and this is a big BUT, they always did a trial first.

I don't care if you're hiring Bobbi Brown, pay for a trial before the big day. Here's why: A makeup artist could do the most amazing pro job on your face and you could still hate it. It may be her/his vision for you and not yours.

I think whoever does Christina Aguilera's makeup is sheer genius, but I wouldn't want to get married with that style of makeup. It's just not me.

If it's important to you to look like yourself, but better, here are some tools to help you find the right makeup artist.

1) If you attended a wedding and loved how the bride looked, ask her who she used. Not just the name of the salon but the name of the makeup artist. Call the salon and make sure that person still works there and then book your trial. Make sure to book at least a month before your wedding to insure nothing gives you an allergic reaction close to your wedding date.

2) For your trial, bring magazine pages of models in makeup that you like. This doesn't mean you are asking the artist to copy that look onto your face, but it gives her/him an idea of what you like.

3) Bring a picture of your gown. This shows the artist the style of the dress and the wedding - traditional, modern, etc. Makeup style should compliment the overall style of the wedding.

4) Let the artist know how you will be doing your hair (and if you'll be adding highlights, lowlights, etc). I always take this into consideration because the shape of the face visually "changes" according to how the hair is worn (and the colors in the hair). An updo may reveal an overly prominent forehead or accentuate amazing cheekbones. This all comes into play when I'm decided what to emphasize and what to downplay on a face.

5) Do your face the way you normally do it for your trial. This gives the artist an idea of your comfort level with makeup. He can simply have you wash your face in the salon for the trial. If you're willing to go much heavier with your makeup than usual, say that. Otherwise make it clear that you don't want your family and friends to think you just came from a stint as a clown.

6) Let your artist know if you plan to tan for your wedding day. If so, you may want to tan for your trial. Not all artists are experienced enough to shift the makeup hues correctly for a darker skin tone (but keep the look you originally wanted). Colors that look great on ivory skin do not work on bronzed skin. Another note: Please do not fake tan until you are orange. This is a hard skin tone to compliment, no matter how good of an artist one is.

7) Do not ask the artist to explain what she's doing and teach you to do it. A trial is not a makeup lesson (that costs more than a trial). Sit back and let her do her craft. If after you've tried to convey what you want and she's not catching your vision, thank her and look for someone else.

8) Book your makeup appointment AFTER your hair appointment. Hair spray leaves a shiny residue on foundation if the hair stylist isn't careful with application. The only exception to this is if your hair style is going to be down around your face. Then go for hair last so each strand is in place just the way you want it.

Some general pointers:

Any artist who tells you makeup has to be much heavier for pictures/video, doesn't know her craft. That's just not true anymore. Unless you're shooting your wedding with throw away cameras, you should be fine with normal, natural looking makeup.

Digital photography tends to make reds more intense. Remember this when using bronzer, red lipsticks and purple/blue colors around the eyes.

If you're trying to cover breakouts and blemishes, get a heavily pigmented pot concealer that matches your skin perfectly and a nylon brush. Brush over the spots until you can't see them. Apply a sheer foundation on the rest of the face.

Are you getting married soon and you'd like makeup tips? I'd be happy to answer any questions.


The picture above is shot with a model and it appeared in Wedding Belle Magazine. I did the makeup and wardrobe styling.