I <3 Hollywood. Even though I live about 30 minutes away (when the traffic decides to behave) and have been there plenty of times, I still get a little starstruck whenever I have the occasion to travel to the land where so many famous careers have launched.

So, when I got a message from April Chaney bright and early in the morning, inviting me to visit her as she represented L’Oreal at an Oscars gifting suite, there was no way I could say no. The Oscars? The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce? Uh, so there!

Driving up to the event, I had to make a slight detour off of Hollywood Boulevard, as the Oscars have officially taken over. The Kodak theater is fully blocked off and ready to go!

The dino around the corner has the best view, doesn’t he? Da Fonz sure thinks so.

I finally made my way around the traffic block, and I happen to have my first two celeb sightings of the day! OMG, you won’t believe who I bumped into! Huge, huge celebs!!!!

Hi Darth! Hi Mario! They sure look taller in real life.

I am a big believer in signs, and you won’t believe where I happened to park … right in front of John Stamos’s star on the Walk of Fame!  The Universe is trying to tell me that at some point in my career as a blogger, I shall bump into Mr. Stamos at some event and we will fall madly in love with one another. Right? Um … moving on to the acutal event ….

Around awards season, a variety of companies provide complimentary services and information at gifting suites that happen all around Los Angeles. It’s an exciting time in the year, and lots of fun to check out some new and exciting things.

Before spotting with April, I met the people behind “Brides Night Out”, a company that provides packaged and customized bachelorette parties. Very cool!

I also met the people behind Spa Luce, which is located at the penthouse level of the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood and Highland. I cannot imagine the superb views from that area!

And FYI for all you Bliss Spa fans, there’s a location in the brand spanking new W Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard.

And then I turned around the corner and see THE biggest celeb of the day ….

… and I could barely believe it was a wax figure from Madame Tussauds. The resemblance to real Morgan Freeman (at least the one I’ve seen in the movies for years) was eerie!

Around the corner from wax Morgan, I finally see our Expert blogger and good friend April. Along with L’Oreal artist Aliehs (That’s Sheila spelled backwards – how cool!), April was providing makeovers and makeup touchups to event attendees.

April at work.

Waiting for lash glue to dry.

What a nice way to get pampered! In addition to the free makeup, participants also walked away with a free goodie bag full of L’Oreal’s Everpure shampoo and conditioner. Nice!

I had the chance to speak with L’Oreal representative Will Armstrong, and asked him for some thoughts on L’Oreal’s involvement in the awards season. He said that L’Oreal is all about seamlessly taking glamour and translating it to everyday life. They love participating in events like this so they can show women how to get the glamourous celebrity experience in their own homes.

I love that sentiment!!!

Did you know L’Oreal is on Facebook? It’s the fastest and easiest way to get information about what’s new and exciting with this cosmetic industry great – check them out at  www.facebook.com/lorealparis.

Here’s the best part of this adventure … thanks to the awesome people at L’Oreal we have TWO sets of Everpure shampoo and conditioner to give away to you! You’ll have your choice between the set for Regular hair or for Color-Treated hair.

This is a quickie contest, so enter by leaving a comment below telling me about your Oscar night plans. Will you be watching? Going to a party? Having a party? Going to the actual Oscars?

Contest ends Tuesday, March 9th at 12 noon P.S.T.

Good luck!

Unable to resist any kind of drugstore lip product that is a) cheap ($3.99), b) from a brand I trust, and c) pink, I picked up N.Y.C.’s Lippin’ Large Lip Plumper in shade 472A, Strawberry Mousse while at Target on a diaper run.

Oh, those seemingly innocent trips for diapers at  Target! I always swear I’m there JUST for diapers, but something/s always  manage to catch my eye, and, well … the next think I know I’m writing a review about them! 

Promising to plump , hydrate and soothe with cinnamon, ginger and Vitamin E, the gloss does impart a tingling sensation on the lips right away; it doesn’t burn, which is the good news. You know you’ve tried those lip plumpers (ahem, ahem, I’m talking about you Lip Venom) that make you feel like you’ve actually put some kind of radioactive chemical on yourself.

The color itself is gorgeous, and it indeed smoothes and feels moist on the lips. As for any plumping properties? I’m not so sure. Here’s a picture of me with just a regular, old lipbalm – you be the judge of that!

For the price, it’s a great buy, and I happen to love this particular color  … just don’t expect to have any major lip plumping action happening.

Have you tried any lip plumpers that actually plump the lips?

Unable to resist any kind of drugstore lip product that is a) cheap ($3.99), b) from a brand I trust, and c) pink, I picked up N.Y.C.’s Lippin’ Large Lip Plumper in shade 472A, Strawberry Mousse while at Target on a diaper run.

Oh, those seemingly innocent trips for diapers at  Target! I always swear I’m there JUST for diapers, but something/s always  manage to catch my eye, and, well … the next think I know I’m writing a review about them! 

Promising to plump , hydrate and soothe with cinnamon, ginger and Vitamin E, the gloss does impart a tingling sensation on the lips right away; it doesn’t burn, which is the good news. You know you’ve tried those lip plumpers (ahem, ahem, I’m talking about you Lip Venom) that make you feel like you’ve actually put some kind of radioactive chemical on yourself.

The color itself is gorgeous, and it indeed smoothes and feels moist on the lips. As for any plumping properties? I’m not so sure. Here’s a picture of me with just a regular, old lipbalm – you be the judge of that!

For the price, it’s a great buy, and I happen to love this particular color  … just don’t expect to have any major lip plumping action happening.

Have you tried any lip plumpers that actually plump the lips?

 Last weekend I was lucky enough to be apart of The Makeup Show LA, both as a presenter, and as a beauty editor for On Makeup Magazine.  My work with The Powder Group has introduced me to some of my closest friends, and connected me with makeup artists that are inspirational, generous, and ever so talented.  I am one lucky gal, who is now very exhausted from such a long (but well worth it) week of makeup and education. 

I have oodles of new products to review, but would first like to share with you some of the best makeup tips I heard during the show. The artists below are the top in the industry, and their advice is simple, and straightforward. Enjoy!

Jenai Chin: "when begging an airbrush application, always start with a soft spray of air onto the skin with your compressor"

Myles O'Reilly:  "use a spoon to curl lashes, and a small fan brush for perfect mascara application."

James Vincent:  "as an artist, understanding color theory will help you understand the proper color correction"

Jon Hennessey:  "developing a trust and close relationship with your photographer will help to create a seamless shoot"

David Klasfeld: "A PSI level of 10-12 is perfect for face,  while 12-18 is great for body work. Always use a dual action  airbrush."

Maurice Stein: "having a metal artists palette is essential for an artist to have in their kit."

Orlando Santiago:  "start off your face with a moisturizing mist, such as Youngblood Recharge and  the go to color for blush and lips is Makeup Forever HD blush in #6. leaves the perfect stain "

Mary Erickson: "always work your foundation down the neck, even to the collarbone for a seamless look. Matching the neck/body"

Orlando Santiago: "use slanted tweezers to apply eyelashes, and to press your lashes and the false strip together. Always be patient"

Val Hernandez: "always start with a light application, then slowly build the product for a fuller coverage.  Layering is key. A great primer is the first step to flawless looking foundation, and minerals create the perfect glow" (she uses Youngblood cosmetics)

Koren Zander: "to make a colored mascara, mix liquid seal with any color mineral pigment" (he used Naked Cosmetics!).

Kathy Aragon: "Face Atelier Ultra Sheer #2 is a great subtle highlighter for red carpet beauty"

Jon Hennessey: "use a soft peach highlight to pop the cheekbones and outer corners of the eye." (he used INGLOT)

Eve Pearl: "Learn to work on real women and bring out their individual beauty. be a consistently good artist. To be a good artist , you need to speak to your clients with respect and treat them as your friend."

*The Makeup Show is coming to New York May 16-17th.  Please join me and my fellow artists there!

… for Nelly Furtado’s makeup in the video for Morning After Dark with Timbaland and SoShy.

Look at her, gorgeous! The glowy skin, winged out liquid liner on the eyes, lavender-pink lipstick … it just WORKS.

To acheive this look, I would start out with a well-moisturized canvas and use Stila’s Illuminating Foundation, with MAC’s Mineralized Skinfinish to to set. I’d use some of MAC’s shimmery Skinfinish in Gold Deposit on the cheekbones, and use NARS blush in Sin.

The eyes are very intense … I would use a primer, of course, and then put MAC’s Carbon in the crease and smudge out the liquid liner with the Carbon as well.

The lips might be MAC’s Sweetie lipstick with Lovechild lipglass on top. What do you think?

One thing you need to know about me is that I’ve  been a ginormous fan of Nelly Furtado since Whoa, Nelly, her debut album. She’s around my age and something about her songs have always spoken to wherever I am in my life. I also happen to be highly addicted to this video! Love it!

Have you seen any celeb makeup looks lately that you’ve fallen in lust or love with?

Yesterday’s recap was a general overview of The Makeup Show L.A., and a peek at some of the industry luminaries I saw at the show. Today, a recap of the cosmetic companies I talked to and a look at some exciting products that are coming out.

As I mentioned yesterday, I saw two major trends: multi-functional products and foundations that mimic the skin. By multi-functional, I mean products that allow the makeup artist to not have to carry around a huge makeup trunk, like one of these.

Instead of the big, huge trunks, companies are coming out with palettes that can be customized and are compact, and with enough pigment that there is no need to carry around a ton of product. These little makeup cases are genius, and they were selling like hotcakes!

Of course, this is something that very easily translates over to the average Jane makeup consumers. Companies like UNII and Z-Palette are coming out with customizable products that make it easier for you to carry your makeup kit around. For busy people  (like me) who don’t want to carry around a fully-packed makeup bag, this  trend is genius.

So, here’s a peek at some of the products I found.  

Walking around the show floor, I spent some time talking to companies and finding out what’s new and hot in the cosmetics world.

Revitalash:

Revitalash has a new brow product, unique because it has a sponge tip applicator which facilitates application of their fantastic product to the brow area. This product is different than the lash-specific product with added peptides and vitamins.  Also new is a mascara with a lush, creamy formula and a special wand that slightly curves in the middle and helps build lashes.

MUD

I was soooo excited to finally get the chance to see MUD makeup products. MUD is short for Makeup Designory, which is a huge makeup school in Southern California and also New York. This is where people go to learn how to not only achieve a gorgeous beauty look, but to make masks and prosthetics that are used in film and television.

Reiva, the lead makeup artist in New York, explained to me that the makeup line was originally designed in the late ‘90’s for MUD students, but over time they started selling to consumers, offering them an “educated approach to makeup.”

The colors in their line are incredible with some of the most ridiculously pigmented shadows I’ve ever seen.  You can buy their products at their schools, or find them online at mudshop.com.

Reiva’s favorite products are their lush brushes, and also their foundation palettes, which are full coverage but can be thinned out with a primer for lighter coverage.

Smashbox

I spoke with Laura, a trainer from Smashbox, about their upcoming Spring collection, and she shared a couple of goodies with me!

First, they have a fantastic liquid liner pen coming out that will put all other liquid liners to shame. This pen is unique because the tip stays strong and doesn’t disintegrate over time, which is one thing I’ve never liked about liner pens!

Next, they’re bringing out a Halo bronzer. I’ve never used their Halo foundation powder, but I’ve heard the raves and know that it’s a truly spectacular product. Now they have this bronzer that has all the properties of Halo – including 24k gold! – and is a great general shade that would look good on anyone.

Korres

The gals at Korres were really excited about their upcoming Antiaging Primer. Fortified with Quercetin & Oak, this is a silicone-free primer that is coming out later this month (March 2010) and that they anticipate to be their biggest seller ever.

I did not know this about Korres, but the company started out fifteen years ago with one product, which is their Wild Rose moisturizer. You learn something new every day!

I’m a big fan of Korres, so I can’t wait to try out the new primer.

MKC Beauty Academy/I Nuovi

Two booths in one! A makeup school AND fantastic makeup, AND  I got to meet a makeup industry legend!

Way, way back in the day when Kevyn Aucoin used to write a column for Allure magazine, he used to mention I Nuovi cosmetics. I always wanted to try them and remember seeing the line at Sephora for a time before it disappeared.

Well, they’re back. In a big way. Although the line has been sold outside the US for many years, creator, longtime celebrity makeup artist and author Margaret Kimura is bringing the line back to the States.  Meaning “the new” in Italian, it’s billed as “intellectual makeup” that works for everyone. It’s a full –line and the colors are gorgeous. I have some shadows that I will be reviewing soon.

I think the trio on the right is the perfect bridal set!

In addition to the line, there is also the MKC BeautyAcademy located in Los Angeles that Margaret heads. For aspiring makeup artists they offer a 16 week program that is M-F, 9 am to 5 pm, as well as a fast-track five week program held during the summer in the evenings for people who might not be able to attend the regular program.

In addition to all of that, Margaret is also the author of Asian Beauty, and she’s promised to talk to us more about that subject very soon!

BREAK TIME FOR SHEILA!

Break over! Back to the floor!

Eve Pearl

The Emmy, the Emmy! I have to admit the Emmy is what caught my eye and had me taking a peek at the makeup line created by the makeup artist of Kelly Ripa and the ladies of The View.

What’s unique about this line is the salmon colored concealers (above), as well as their duo foundations, which are genius because you can custom mix them to match your skin. Not everyone has the same skin tone, right?

Eve’s products are great because they packages contain several colors in one, which is great because you can again customize the colors to your liking.

There were a couple of super cool products in the line, one being a waterproof, and smudgeproof liquid liner pen, and a lip liner that is creamy enough to be used as a lipstick; on one end is the liner, and on the other is a brush that you can use to blend the liner. Fantastic!

Model in a Bottle

Brand new from the creator of my favorite makeup sealer EVER is a lip conditioner and sealer in one. Fab! Also quite fab is the coupon code you can use if you order from their website. For 20% off of your order, use the code FF20 at checkout.

Kett

One thing I know is that Desiree will be allllll over this post … are you reading, girl? You know you love the airbrush!

Oooh, look at those EYES! Can you believe that this is partly due to an airbrush?!

I got the chance to meet and talk to another woman named Sheila (there are so few of us out there!), Sheila McKenna, company founder.

More than just airbrush makeup, Kett makeup is based on the belief that you can mix airbrush makeup with traditional makeup techniques. It is possible to create a gorgeous, long-lasting makeup look that layers airbrushed and traditional makeup.

There are several foundation types in the line, and many colors to choose from and with skincare properties, including glycerin and vitamins a, c and e. In April Kett is releasing an amazing new airbrush machine called the Transformer that is 1.7 pounds, and is unique because it can be used with single or duo action.

Sheila also showed me an ingenious brush holder called the Cozette Vessel made by her business partner, Roque Cozette. This is awesome … you can use it to carry and hold the brushes and it can also be used as a container to wash your brushes in without damaging the integrity of the plastic.

Mai Couture

This is what’s called ingenuinty. Such a unique product and something that I predict is going to go big places! Wanting to create blotting papers that don’t leave you pale and ashy, Mai Tran developed papers that are BRONZY! Awesome!

What a fantastic idea, and I love that it comes with a protective wallet since I hate seeing my blotting paper cases get crumbly. This is going to be perfect for brides and every other woman! There’s also a blush blotting paper, and that is so great because it eliminates you needing to carry around a brush and blush container in order to touch up.

Both the blush and bronzing papers come in varying tones, and there is also of revitalizing blotting papers.

Great job on these inventions, Mai. I’ll have a full review on these coming up soon.

Vancouver Film School

For those of you who want an intense experience and want to get your hands fully into the makeup industry, the Vancouver Film School offers a 12 month full-time program in makeup design for aspriring makeup artists. Vancouver has a bustling film industry, so this is a fantastic location for those who want the chance to break into the industry.

Stan  Edmonds, head of the Makeup Design for Film & Television programwas present and I watched  him demo his aging technique. It was fascinating to watch him. It’s a lengthy process involving lots of layering and changing of tips and raising and lowering psi, but it’s effective and realistic at that.

They also had awesome Canadian accents. I love Canadian accents, eh?

Youngblood

From one of the first big-named mineral companies on the market, Youngblood debuted a new primer that has vitamins a,c, and e and is perfect for stressed skin. I’ll have a review on this coming out soon.

Also coming out from Youngblood are new high-def powders, moisture tint foundations, and lip glosses with a new formula that promises to plump and maintain lips over time.

Embryolisse

You always read about Embryolisse in magazines, and it’s one of the most common products I see in makeup artists’ kits.

Having heard so much about Embryolisee though the years, I was excited to try out the products and learn more about the company and their U.S. distributors. The company’s growth was truly a grass-roots effort and grew so much over time that they’re releasing some more products that perform just as well as the original moisturizer.

One very interesting product is a rinse-free cleanser that removes all traces of makeup and does not require the use of water. I’m looking forward to testing and reviewing this one!

Yaby

A line for makeup artists, this line is marketed directly to makeup artists with packaging that is small and intended to cut down on having to bring endless amounts of products on set and also for environmentally-conscious reasons. The pigmentation is truly amazing in all of the products, and what’s really cool are the palettes you can customize.

I’ve never seen anything like this lipstick palette – you can remove the metal pans and fill them with whatever lip color you want. Of course that would work for any product you’d like to put in the palette. You can use an empty palette, or one that is premade.

Yaby is definitely a company to watch – I love their unique ideas.

Phew! As long as this post was, this was really just the tip of the iceberg! I didn’t get the chance to talk to a few other companies, but here’s who else I spied …. 

Shadow Shields ,with a gorgeous display

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

Makeup Forever

Temptu

Inglot – brand new from Poland, one of the busiest booths – they were in a mad rush the entire time!

Becca

And that’ll wrap up the recaps! Hope you guys enjoyed the peek into some new and exciting makeup products!