Today was the exclusive blogger preview of The Makeup Show - which is open tomorrow and Monday at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York.

The Powder Group founder Michael DeVellis kicked off the festivities with an intro before handing bloggers including the gals from Butterfly Diary, Beauty Blogging Junkie, The Art of Accessories, Krasey Beauty and The Beauty of Life over to makeup artist extraordinaire James Vincent for a hands-on walk through the space and introductions to many of the brands participating.

Several of my old favorites are at the show, of course - Stila, MAC Pro, Make Up For Ever, Mario Badescu (skincare is, after all, the foundation to a gorgeous face) and many more along with some potential NEW favorites. 

Brands that you might want to keep an eye on include Embryollise (a moisturizer that makeup artists SWEAR by), Luminess (I’ll review their new Airbrush Tanning System in a future post) and Long-Island based- Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (with a unique gloss/lipstick formulation called Lip Tar and some super bold bright nail lacquers seen below):

Of course, it’s to be expected that you’ll see a few misses in the mix too.  Two brands NOT on my must-try list? Mommy Makeup, a multi-tasking line of cosmetics designed for, you guessed it…moms.  The founder claims that it’s designed for those among us who want a dose of reality in their beauty routine.  No thanks, I’ll keep the fantasy, thank you very much. 

I was also thoroughly non-plussed by the Nuskin booth. Check out this claim:

Apparently, the Galvanic Spa System (approximately $300…gosh, what a deal!) is clinically proven to help you “live longer”? I don’t think so, folks. And as long as you’re buying a product that chooses to market itself with such claims, you’re supporting falsity in advertising. 

Stay tuned for a bit more scoop and if you’re in the beauty industry and would like to check out The Makeup Show yourself, you can grab tickets at the door! Click here for the address and more info.

In addition to running  luxury nail care brand Perfect Formula, Shari Gottesman’s other post is at the helm Perfect Formula’s parent company, Cosmetic Coatings Corporation, a global industry leader that has been creating nail color collections for some of the most well known beauty companies for nearly two decades. While it’s just spring, Shari and her clients have already determined the key trends for Fall/Winter 2009.  Read on for the scoop!

“If there has been an overall theme for Fall/ Winter 09, I would say it has been something like ‘anti-color.’” says Shari.

“The direction our clients have given us has been varied as ever, but one predominant theme has been for colors that I would call dark, dirty, gritty, strong and even industrial. We are seeing very few of the bright, whimsical colors we saw last year.”

The top three trends for Fall/Winter, according to Shari, are:

Nude… to neutral taupe… to light gray. These creamy shades come off more as “anti-color” than soft, natural or overly feminine, as traditional nudes usually do. There is a harshness about these cool, minimal pigments.

Medium to dark violet and blackberry. These are deep plummy black shades, some of which have a chunky violet shimmer. They stand right on the cusp between classic sophistication and avant-garde high fashion.

Dark, dull metallics. These metallic, yet almost matte, blues, greens and grays are very gritty and post-modern in feel and make strong, deliberate statements. These are very “car like” colors.

“Some people think that the prolonged period of uncertainty has sparked this dark beauty mood, while others I know say that the trend signifies irreverence, strength and a refusal to go down quietly,” says Shari. “I don’t think anyone can say with certainly how a particular trend in fashion or beauty develops, but I don’t think there’s any doubt that the overall national mood is one obvious ingredient. For me, the cultural influence on fashion and beauty is one of the most fascinating aspects of this business.”

Will you be rocking any of these hues come Fall?

Exciting news from the world of beauty today. L’Oréal Paris announced that actresses Freida Pinto and Evangeline Lilly are the newest world spokespeople for the brand.

“On the eve of the Cannes Festival, to which I want to reiterate our attachment, L’Oréal Paris is delighted that these great stars of world cinema have agreed to represent our brand,” states Jean-Jacques Lebel,President L’Oréal Consumer Products, of the announcement.

Freida Pinto is best known for her performance as “Latika” in the Oscar winning film, Slumdog Millionaire.

Evangeline Lilly is best known as “Kate” on the hit show LOST. Her performance on the show has earned her a nomination for the 2007 Golden Globe Awards as Best Actress in a Drama Series.

What do you think of Frieda and Evangeline for L’Oreal?

Images via Zuma Press

Renowned designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana commissioned legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath to collaborate and consult on the development of the NEW and luxe color collection Dolce & Gabbana The Make Up. To celebrate the on-counter launch, McGrath will be appearing at Saks next week - read on for the deets!

Who: Pat McGrath will innaugurate the anticipated collection’s U.S. debut at the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship location in New York City.

What: McGrath and her team of fashion week artists will conduct personal consultations with customers to illustrate beauty tips and application techniques focusing on the naturally enhancing and transformative elements of Dolce & Gabbana The Make Up, as first seen on the runway during Milan Fashion Week.

When: Saturday May 16, 2009
One-on-one consultations by appointment only: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Where: Saks Fifth Avenue
12 East 49th Street at 5th Avenue
Dolce&Gabbana The Make Up Counter, First Floor

Ladies, schedule an appointment STAT by calling: 212-940-4949!

Image via TeenVogue.com

Stepping out into a deconstructed-chic 1930’s vibe at the last night’s Metropolitan Museum’s Annual Costume Institute Gala, Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr “wanted sultry, smokey and a sensational eyes” said make-up artist Meredith Baraf. 

To get her look, Baraf used five simple tips anyone can do at home: 

1. Prep: To begin, Baraf always preps the eye. Using products from the new VS Make-up PRO line she applied VS PRO Lasting FX Eyeshadow Primer all over the lids and under the eye, helping to create the base for a perfect, long-lasting, smooth eye.

2. Liner: Baraf used VS Make-up Eyeliner in Extreme Black. Applying it on both the upper and bottom lash line. “The key to the smokey eye is to smudge, smudge, smudge,” says Baraf.

3. Eyeshadow: Baraf used VS Eyeshadow in Fierce and blended it in the crease of the eye as well as VS Make-up in Champagne in the inner corners to make the eyes pop.

4. Skin: “Since Miranda is a Victoria’s Secret Model skin is very important! I wanted her cheeks to glow, so I bronzed her cheeks with VS Bare Bronze blush in Copabana.”

5. Lips: To finish, Baraf used VS Lipstick in Sweet Nothing. “A light, pinky, long-lasting lipstick, so Miranda wouldn’t have to keep applying all night.”

What do you think of Miranda’s look?  Would you rock something similar for a big night out?  For the exact products mentioned above, visit Victoria’s Secret.

Image courtesy of Victoria’s Secret.

Private Practice star Kate Walsh rocked a fresh peach palette at last week’s 2009 GLAAD Awards. To compliment Kate’s sleek hairstyle, celebrity makeup artist Elaine Offers added a pop color to enhance her natural beauty.

Inspired by Kate’s modern beauty and sophisticated taste, Elaine was determined to create a look that highlighted these elements while incorporating key spring makeup trends. She selected a peach palette to give Kate’s skin an overall warmth with a punch of seasonal freshness. To create dimension and luminosity, Elaine stuck to a range of burnt-pinks and tangerine-bronzes.

To get Kate ready for makeup application, Elaine prepped her skin with a selection of BeingTRUE antioxidants and calming anti-inflammatory products to ensure keep the makeup in place smooth out her canvas. For a dewy glow, Elaine layered BeingTRUE Powder Blush in Peony over the Cream Blush in Peach. Last but not least, Elaine applied BeingTRUE Sheer Lip Shine in Dreaming to give her lips a smooth, fresh color to compliment the peachy palette. These glosses have a delightful minty essence, and a slight plumping effect to make her pout stand out.

What do you think of Kate’s look?

Image via InStyle.com

Are you ready for tomorrow’s premiere of the new HBO movie Grey Gardens? I know that I can’t WAIT! Makeup artist Vivian Baker worked with stars Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange to create the ’50’s era look seen in the film and she recently sat down for a chat with a Sensai Advisor to recap the experience: 

SENSAI Advisor: You worked exclusively with Drew Barrymore who plays “Little Edie Beale” in the film, correct?

Vivian Baker: Yes, I was her makeup artist, and I also oversaw the use of prosthetics for the movie. You know, most people don’t realize that prosthetics can be used to achieve many different effects - they’re not just for monster movies! We used them delicately to age Drew and Jessica Lange. I wanted to maintain their inner beauty throughout the process, and not make them appear too made up. These are beautiful women!

SENSAI Advisor: How did you achieve the aging process?

Vivian Baker: We created four distant stages of aging for the actresses from young to old and developed looks that were appropriate for each age. I wanted the makeup to appear natural enough that the look had their own hand; it had to look as if they had applied their makeup throughout the looks. I think one of the most elegant and exciting look was the iconic 1950’s look for Drew, where you really see her radiant beauty.

SENSAI Advisor: What made the look iconic?

Vivian Baker:  The ‘50’s were all about the eye brow…the arch, the strength and the subtleness…those brows said so much about the women who wore them. They were soft yet defined, sexy yet strong.

The 1950’s look was also meant to be beautiful, iconic and indicative of where the character came from. It’s interesting what we know about women and their makeup—just like any woman, Little Edie found her place and her look at an early age, and she held onto it. I wanted those brows to be that charcoal grey and I knew it would be a thread for her character through her later years. The arc of the character was important to the look, to what she created—I loved the color. The SENSAI Colors Eyebrow pencil provided just the right depth of color and movement for the brow line—it was a terrific tool to work with!

I had to move Drew through the ages of the character, none of which she as a person actually was, and I did it through the brow. I looked at her character through her face, and worked with her brows–which really express so much about a person–at all the different time periods and ages we had to take her through.

SENSAI Advisor: You worked with other key items from SENSAI on the film as well?

Vivian Baker: Yes, the Translucent Powder was also evident in the 1950’s look, it provided a nice dewy yet matte look. With the mascara—I chose to use the SENSAI 38 Degree’s Mascara. I had a lot of makeup to get on and off of her everyday. I needed a mascara to stay on and get off easily—38 Degree’s does just that, it doesn’t budget until you want it to.  

SENSAI Advisor: What was the experience like for you as an artist?

Vivian Baker: Drew is absolutely amazing and committed! I couldn’t have asked or wanted or dreamed of anything better. I felt honored to be a part of this production! The entire team brought their A game, it made each us bring our best to the table–everyone was remarkable. The movie is so powerful, it moved me beyond my own experience on the set, and I was looking at the film last week in a screening—for the first time I was able to watch a film I worked on and be enrapt by the movie and the performances, and not just be drawn in to my own work on it—it is a remarkable film with amazing performances!

Tune in to Grey Gardens tomorrow, Saturday April 18th, 2009 at 8pm EST on HBO. 

Image via IMDB

Did you catch the 2009 Country Music Awards earlier this month? If so, I bet you caught a glimpse of Miley Cyrus looking grown up and gorgeous. Here’s the proof in the pudding:

The performer’s look was created for the show by celebrity makeup artist Mai Quynh using all mark products.  Of the look, Mai says:

Miley’s Monique Lhullier dress was hunter green and with her hair pinned up you could see the jeweled detail of the dress on the shoulder, so we decided do a sheer wash of hunter green on her eyes.  I started by applying mark Winkstick Hook Up Eye Shadow Stick in Envious from the lash line to the crease using a flat eyeliner brush to help blend and distribute evenly.  Then I added  I-mark Custom Pick Eye Shadow in Retro Peacock from the lash line to the crease using an eye shadow brush.  I then took an angled contour eye shadow brush to blend everything on the lid, leaving the lash line with the majority of the color.  I finished by applying two coats of mark Make It Big Lash Plumping Mascara in Raven.

To finish the look, apply the Just Pinched Instant Blush Tint in Nude to the cheeks and the Shinetubes Hook Up Lip Gloss in Sugared Almond.

What do you think of Miley’s CMA look?  Tell me in the comments!

To shop mark, visit www.meetmark.com.

Image courtesy of mark.

All hail the blogosphere!  Lancôme is the FIRST big beauty brand to launch their own blog, dubbed (appropriately enough), The Lancôme Blog.

The blog is written by Kerry Diamond, the brand’s VP of public relations and a former beauty editor herself - talk about an unfair advantage! Check out the site now for some great behind-the-scenes scoop AND a giveaway of Génifique,  Lancôme’s newest skincare innovation.

If you’re part of the Twitterati, you can also follow Lancôme on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lancomeparis - and while you’re at it, follow me too - http://twitter.com/eye4style!

Are you going to add The Lancôme Blog to your list of daily reads?  Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

Image: Lancôme

My wonderful beautiful readers of Makeup Minute. I have been procrastinating on this post for a few days now. I tell you this with great sadness in my heart, but today is my last day writing Makeup Minute. It was a tough decision, but there is a lot going on in my life right now and I can only focus on so many things, some being my 4 beautiful sons and own blog A Girl’s Gotta Spa! which brought me to this great company in the first place. I know that whoever will be taking my place will fill this blog with many wonderful makeup reviews and tips, I hope you will welcome her with open arms.

I remember when I was first approached by b5media in the summer of 2006 to write a makeup blog for them. I was beside myself. Makeup Minute officially launched in September of that year and from the start my readers were from all around the globe and just as enthusiastic about makeup as I was. You became a part of my life and I thanked God everyday for such a loyal readership. So many of you have been with me right from the beginning. Getting more exposure as a writer helped me land a really great job at a PR firm that I am eternally grateful for. The more I get involved in the beauty industry, the more requests I get to go speak and teach beauty brands about social media…so readers, if you find yourself at Cosmoprof North America this summer, I will be there speaking.

Writing Makeup Minute has been such a blessing in my life and a great outlet to share my love of makeup with people who understand the need to have 15 lip glosses in their handbag at all times. And maybe a compact. And some blush. And a mascara or two. But I digress…

I will surely miss you all and my family at b5. I am eternally grateful to both. Thank you for the sunshine for the last 2 1/2 years.

Much love (and lipstick),

Shannon Nelson