Halloween Made Easy: The Women of Mad Men

Halloween is tomorrow and no matter what’s on your agenda – party or parade – the killer style and flawless faces seen on AMC’s ‘Mad Men’ would be the perfect costume (simple, feminine and beautiful!)

To get the look, try snagging a vintage dress from your closet or the closet of your mom or grandmother. Accessorize it conservatively with classic pearls, diamond studs, matching mid-height heels and a chic clutch.

For the makeup, start with a powder foundation (I like the one from Michael Marcus Cosmetics ($40) as it creates a close – to – flawless complexion.)

Next, apply a thin line of cake eyeliner and add a soft, neutral beige eye shadow from the lash line up to the crease.

For the lips, go with a classic, matte red! If you don’t already have a red in your makeup arsenal, try MAC Russian Red ($14) or Michael Marcus Debbie ($24). For a camera-ready pucker, make sure that lips are exfoliated and moisturized before applying a matte lipstick. Bobbi Brown recommends using a warm washcloth to exfoliate!

Voila, you’ve got Mad Men style!

Happy almost-Halloween!

Must Have: Sephora Glitter Eye Shadow Brush

My favorite eyeshadow for fall is undoubtedly MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Young Punk, from the recent Style Black collection.  It’s a stunning smokey, sparkly purple but for some reason, even with a primer, I experienced some major glitter fall out while wearing it.

That’s why I’m excited to see Sephora’s new Glitter Eye Shadow Brush ($13), a silicone tipped applicator that helps sparkly shadows stay put. To apply your favorite loose or pressed glitter shadow, press the powder into your lid with the flat side of the applicator to maximize the staying power.

Remember, when it comes to flawless makeup application, you need two things in your arsenal: a nimble pair of fingers for blending and some top notch brushes. This one seems to fit a unique niche, so I plan to pick it up this fall.

To shop online, visit www.sephora.com.

Dark as Night: MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash

There are black mascaras and there are BLACK MASCARAS. MAC’s new Zoom Fast Black Lash falls firmly into the latter category.

This carbon-black formula deposits an intense amount of pigment on lashes, adding length and even a bit of volume.  While I’ve got long lashes to begin with, I’ve received more than a few “What mascara are you wearing?” questions while wearing Zoom Fast Black Lash. For the record, that’s DEFINITELY a good thing.

While I love the formula and the results, I will just warn that it requires a little extra care for complete removal. I usually use a makeup cleansing cloth by Neutrogena or L’Oreal before cleanser and it takes two to remove all of this pigment. Crazy!

Snag yours for $13.50 at a MAC counter near you or www.maccosmetics.com.

Beauty Tips from Designer Rachel Roy

Designer Rachel Roy is as well known for her flawless appearance as she is her great style and design sense, so when she offered up some beauty tips, I knew Makeup Minute readers would want the scoop!

Check out Rachel’s tidbits below and if you have any questions or comments, please share!

Rachel says:

• I feel a great mascara can open the eye and instantly make you look as though you’ve have a good night’s sleep, even when that is not the case.  I use 2-3 coats of Lancome Fatale on the top, bottom, and also on the back of the top lashes.
• Because of my Indian ancestry, I love darkly rimmed eyes – a messy eye adds a sexy yet natural look to a classic outfit.  To make the eyes smoky, I use Revlon’s Luxurious Color Kohl eyeliner in Black Truffle on the inside of the lids.
• Bright lipstick is a way to quickly pop an outfit and freshen up a look a la Ava Gardner in “The Barefoot Contessa.”  My favorite bright is MAC’s Morange lipstick – it’s a great way to add a twist to a classic look.
• Another way to make your face pop is to fill in the eyebrows.  I use Bobbi Brown’s eye shadow in Navajo.

Lady Danger, Where Art Thou?

This week is a VERY special week in the world of fashion and beauty as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicks off in New York’s Bryant Park.

I’ll be attending the Spring 2010 shows (it’s my 5th season covering backstage beauty and runway style!), as will countless other beauty journalists and bloggers, so stay tuned for daily updates here on Makeup Minute.

I have to say that undoubtedly my fave part of New York Fashion Week is the inspiration that it provides me for months to come.  Exhibit A?  The Twinkle by Wenlan look below, created by Gregory Arlt for MAC Cosmetics at the Fall/Winter 2009 show.

This classic, yet somehow spectacular look makes the model’s lips the star, using MAC’s stunning Lady Danger, a true orange red lipstick. Let’s be honest, it’s 6 months later, and I’m still not over Lady Danger.  In fact, I find myself wondering what THIS season’s “Lady Danger” will be.

What do you hope to see on the runways this season?

Makeup Minute How To: Store Your Makeup

I can only speak for myself but it seems that the more makeup I have, the more makeup I WANT! So, it makes sense that storage and organization becomes issues.

First and foremost, before organizing your makeup, make sure that you’re holding on to items that you really love. I know that we’re all prone to hoarding gorgeous colors or special packaging – and that’s okay. But if you don’t love it or it’s not useful to you, it’s a waste.  Try passing along what you don’t use to a friend, selling it on eBay (must be new) swapping it on Makeup Alley or donating it to a battered woman’s shelter (again, they usually accept new products only.)

Now that you’ve narrowed down your makeup to products that you use and/or products that you love, (hopefully there’s some overlap in those categories!), pull out all of the basics that you use every day, be it black eyeliner, translucent powder, your favorite lip gloss, etc. Put those in a makeup bag and store in a cool, dry and convenient place. If you can afford to have duplicates for your purse/car or office, even better.

Now, I have a lot of products that I like to keep on hand for everyday, so I use MAC’s Carry All Case for storage on my vanity, in addition to a sweet Paul & Joe printed makeup bag for the very basics.

If you have the luxury of a vanity or a dresser with some extra space, you may want to consider leaving some of your products out for ease of use (and let’s face it, it’s fun and girly to see them on display!), I dig the Large Acrylic Makeup Organizer from The Container Store:

The compartments let you stay organized and the plastic is super easy to clean in the case of any spills.

Hopefully, you’re not quite at the need-an-intervention stage like me, but if you’re truly at the point of excess, pick up one of these nifty Stor-n-Slide Underbed Boxes.

They’re enormous but allow you to keep things hidden from view, in space that would probably go to waste otherwise.

Do tell, what are your makeup storage solutions?

Balmy Days Ahead: MAC SunTints Lip Balms

Steamy summer days call for a lot of SPF and a light hand with makeup. MAC’s new SunTints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balms have you covered on both ends.

Released with the Baby Bloom collection late last month, these balms comes in five shades:

• Just a Smidge: Soft Pastel Yellow with Multi Colored Pearl
• Lilt of Lily: Soft Creamy Pale Pink
• Pink Tinge: Clean Bright Yellow Pink with Gold Pearl
• Full of Grace: Soft Sheer Rose
• Moist Plum: Light Lilac with Very Fine Pearl (my personal favorite!)

The color payoff here is slight but the real benefit is in the emollient rich texture, which  moisturizes lips beautifully and leaves the perfect amount of shine.

Though I’m not averse to sticking my fingers into a pot of gloss (it makes me feel like an artist some days, inexplicably, I do admit), I have to say it’s nice that these are packaged in sanitary squeeze tubes – no danger of sand contamination at the beach!

Snag a tube of your own at www.maccosmetics.com for $14.50/each.

Christian Siriano Does Makeup

I don’t know about you but Project Runway Season 4 was hands down my favorite. I  loved hilarious Jack Mackenroth and smoking hot Rami Kashou but most of all, I loved the uber-talented (and uber-sassy) Christian Siriano, the season’s winner.

Siriano was the first Project Runway designer to really hit it big – since winning, he’s dressed countless celebs (including fashion icon Victoria Beckham), shown in the tents at New York Fashion Week and created a line of footwear for Payless. So, what’s next for this pint-sized powerhouse?

That’s right – makeup!  Siriano has collaborated with Victoria’s Secret to create a beautiful line of color cosmetics, which is available now.

Packaged in chic pyramid gold compacts, the collection includes Lip Gloss, Eye Shadow and more but the real star of the show is DEFINITELY this lovely ruffled makeup bag, which retails for just $12!

It’s my favorite because a) I love a good ruffle! and b) Ruffles are a design signature for Siriano, so if you can’t splurge on one of his gowns (I definitely cannot), this is a nice way to get just a small taste of his style.

Shop the full collection at Victoria’s Secret!

Fall 2009: Bobbi Brown Forest Shimmer Ink

Bobbi Brown’s new Ivy League Collection for Fall 2009 includes a fresh, new spin on fall’s strong eye: Forest Shimmer Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner.

If you’ve never tested Bobbi’s gel liners, you’re in for a treat. If you use the right brush (I dig MAC’s 210), they’re super simple to apply and leave the perfect swipe of long lasting color.

The Forest hue in particular is stunning, in my opinion –  it’s a deep green and golden pearl that really makes hazel and brown eyes pop!

You can pair this with one of the two new pearlized eye shadows for fall –  Autumn Shimmer Wash and Bash Metallic – for the a fall appropriate smokey eye.

Snag the Forest Shimmer Ink for $21 at www.bobbibrown.com.

Makeup Minute Asks:What Do You Travel With?

Last weekend, I took a quick weekend jaunt to Nashville for a pre-birthday celebration with a girlfriend. (Yes, my birthday. Let’s not talk about which # it was.) 

As I packed my bag that morning (at the very last minute, of course), I found myself being very selective about the makeup I was taking – I wanted to bring only the bare essentials.  I also thought long and hard about makeup that could be applied with my fingers, as opposed to tools (hence the cream blush!)

Here’s what I was able to pare down to for three days away:

Packed into my Paul & Joe makeup bag was:

Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector in Rose Shimmer (applied under tinted moisturizer, this brightens and evens skin tone to the naked eye)

Dermalogica Sheer Tint Moisture SPF 15

Prescriptives Groom Stick for Brows 

Tweezerman Animal Print Tweezers

Revlon Brow Scissors

MAC Technakohl Liner in Brownborder

Prescriptives False Eyelashes Mascara (GWP size shown)

Estee Lauder Pure Color EyeShadow in Petal

Le Metier de Beaute True Color Eye Shadow in Mulberry (a taupe-ish purple)

Vox Angled Crease Brush

Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Maximum Coverage Concealer in Light

La Prairie Cellular Radiance Cream Blush in Rose Glow

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

MAC 169 Brush (no longer available)

MAC See Thru Lip Color in Secret Crush (no longer available)

Neutrogena Deep Clean Oil Free Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths

So, that’s me! Now that it’s all typed out, it actually FEELS like a lot though when I shared the picture above on Twitter, everyone said I was a makeup minimalist!

I’m curious. What makeup do you travel with?  Leave a comment and share!

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