Despite having one of the flights from hell, I managed to get into town in time to attend the Total Beauty and Aveda dinner at Koi at The Bryant Park Hotel. We were served several courses that came out appetizer-style/family-style, in the sense that you picked what you wanted from a main plate, as compared to having your own individual plate. Koi is an upscale Japanese restaurant with flare and originality. I met numerous other bloggers from the beauty sphere, which was really great as I could put names and faces to blogs. I sat near Shannon from A Girl’s Gotta Spa, Michelle from All Lacquered Up, and Lianne from The Makeup Girl Blog. They were all such great company! It was a lot of fun to gab with some fellow bloggers, as well as meet our friends at Total Beauty like Stacey and Kristen. Thanks to them as well as Aveda for hosting such a fabulous dinner party!
After getting back to the hotel at 2am, I hurriedly unpacked, checked some email, and tried to catch some zzzs. But I was up bright and early, and I snapped a few shots before heading into Mara Hoffman.
We were fortunate enough to be able to ask celebrity makeup artist Vanessa Scali, who did America Ferrara’s SAG look earlier this week, some burning beauty questions!
Temptalia: America has a very full, natural brow – is there a way for women to mimic this or accentuate what they have? So many women have thin brows in a season where natural is becoming the trend. Vanessa: You can give the appearance of a fuller brow by using a brow pencil or a brow shadow (applied with an angle brush). Using a shade a touch lighter than your brow, subtlety fill in / shade the top of the brow. It is important to do this on the top because shading under the arch can close in the eye. Where you start shading depends on the shape and fullness of your brow. Very thin brows may want shading from end to end. Medium density brows can generally start at the arch and extend out to the end of the brow. Finish by brushing your brows up into the newly shaded area.
Temptalia: What is the best way to get a long-lasting lip color that requires minimal touch-ups? Does lip liner really help it to stay in place longer? Vanessa: There are certainly some great long wear formulas and methods. Which you choose depends on what look you want. Because America is young and has beautiful full lips, I wanted to give her mouth intensity while maintaining a certain lightness / transparency — nothing heavy and dated. I used the Lip Coloring Stick in Raisinberry all over the lip to “stain” the lip in a semi-sheer wash of color. The lip coloring stick is creamy enough to glide over the entire lip, dry enough to stay put, and has a very clean feel on the lip.
Temptalia: What do you have to pay attention to or what additional products do you use to make America camera-ready, especially with the detail picked up by high definition? Vanessa: High definition TV picks up every detail. This means clean make up. Especially the skin. I use foundation and powder only where it is needed and very sparingly at that. To avoid powder buildup, I supply her with blotter papers for touch ups.
I would like to cordially invite you to a Temptalia Reader Meet and Greet at the MAC Pro store in New York City (7 West 22nd Street) on Saturday, February 2nd, 2008 at 2:30pm. You are welcome to come alone or with friends! We will be very fortunate as the NY MAC PRO store recently relocated, remodeled, and reopened–with an amazing format and store layout. It is perfect for us beauty addicts! I would love it if you would RSVP if you plan to join us for some beauty gabbing and drooling, and you can do so just by sending me a quick email at temptalia@gmail.com. Hope to see you there!
Please note the time and date change! I was informed by two people that MAC Pro is not open on Sundays (I wish the MA I spoke with would have mentioned that when I said I was coming on Sunday, sigh!). Thank you for hanging in there with me as I readjusted my schedule.
Lancôme has been kind enough to invite Temptalia and its readers to their Boutique in Short Hills Mall in New Jersey on Friday, February 1st. You will be able to snag much the anticipated Christopher Kane Juicy Tubes that will not launch officially until mid-March. This is your chance to feel like a Fashion Week model as you can get catwalk ready with Daniel Martin, Fashion Week and Celebrity Makeup Artist extraordinaire. Get ready to meet Melissa Walker, author of “Violet on the Runway” as well as the Lancome Backstage Makeup Team and spokesmodel Selena Breed.
WHEN: Friday, February 1, 2008, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm WHERE: Lancôme | The Boutique | 1200 Morris Turnpike Short Hills, NJ 07078
Gift Bags, Mocktails and Cupcakes! Enter to win a luxurious prize!
RSVP: cschramke@lancome-usa.com (Please include full name, phone number and that you are RSVPing for the New Jersey event, and make sure you tell her you’re a Temptalia reader!)
Be the first to: Get your hands on limited edition Juicy Tubes created by hot London Fashion Designer Christopher Kane. Read Melissa Walker’s newest book “Violet by Design.” Get the hottest beauty looks for spring, straight from the artists who worked backstage. Receive a complimentary copy of “Violet by Design” and an official Lancôme Backstage t-shirt with any purchase of a limited edition Christopher Kane Juicy Tubes and a Lancôme Mascara.
I really wish I could make it, but unfortunately I will not be able to as I will be flying into NYC that day. I know we have some New Jersey readers, so I hope a few of you can attend (and of course, tell us all the details!). Have fun dolls!
Here are breakdowns of a few of the red carpet looks from SAG! We have the details for America Ferrara’s makeup, Ellen Pompeo’s hair and makeup, Cate blanchett’s locks, and Eva Longoria’s tight curls.
Learn how to look like a Red Carpet-approved celebrity… Continue reading →
I’m a first time New York Fashion Week goer! I’m definitely not a pro, and of course, I’m a little nervous about it all. I am thankful I attended San Francisco Fashion Week this past August, even though I’m fully aware of how very different the two are–but it does give me some idea of what to expect as a baseline. I am a planner, first and foremost; I even enjoy the planning that goes into things. Unfortunately, getting a firm schedule is a nightmare, and I only have a few things carved in stone at this point. So since I can’t exactly force my schedule to come together yet, I can at least plan the other details about my visit!
WEATHER poses a significant “problem” for me, as I have been a California girl for just over fifteen years now. My teeth chatter as if hypothermia were imminent at about 50 degrees, let alone at 20. As a result, I am honestly more anxious about facing the brutal east coast weather than the designers and tents!
Goal #1: I decided I needed to purchase the following items to hope to cope with the low temps: wool coat, boots, gloves, and long underwear.
Result: Considering winter is still in full swing, it did not occur to me that winter wear is already on the outs! Alas, I could not find a single pair of boots in my size that did not offend my [limited] sense of fashion. Instead, I bought a pair of black Alfani loafers, which I fully intend to break in over the next week. Pray they don’t kill my feet. I bought two black wool coats, but one fits me much better than the other one. The only problem is there is belt sewn from the back that gets tied in the front that just looks awful! I’m hoping my mother can unsewn the sucker so I can rejoice in my lovely new coat! Better I take it to her than try to DIY it myself!
Pending: I’m hoping to save some money and get gloves and long underwear (I don’t care if it’s not sexy nor high fashion, nobody will know!) from my mom.
Goal #2: I will double and triple check that I have these warming items with me at all times: thick socks, sweater, and a scarf. If I could wear a hat without looking like a robber, I would!
BUSY BUSY is the very nature of Fashion Week, so I need to make sure I take adequate precautions to prevent dehydration, starvation, and overall exhaustion.
Goal #3: I will bring at least one bottle of water with me in my bag (Evian is sponsoring FW, so I expect to get more water there!) for emergencies. I will also keep a bag of Goldfish crackers for snacking and a makeshift lunch–plus some sugary sweets for quick boosts of energy.
LOOKING GOOD while attending is always desirable, and to do this, I have to make sure I take the right kind of makeup with me.
Goal #4: I don’t intend to check any bags, so I have to be conscious of how many liquid products I take with me–this means light on the glosses, lipsticks, and creams. Good news, though, because MAC recently launched an extended accessories line, which includes many empty containers, perfect for travel. I also want to make sure that I do not take too much makeup, for fear of breakage or it being lost/stolen.
Eyes: Two quads–one with neutral colors (Ricepaper, Goldmine, Rye, and Bronze); one with darker colors (Carbon, Vex, Cranberry, Velvet Moss); Feline kohl power; Blacktrack fluidline; Plushlash mascara; sample of mixing medium; Gold Dusk pigment
Lips: One nude, pink, and red lipstick (Cherish, Mari-sheeno, and Queen’s Sin); one nude, pink, and red gloss (Trifle, Bait, Red Romp); Pink Treat cremestick liner
Face: Studio Fix Fluid in NC30; Dior SkinShimmer in Amber Diamond; Sculpt sculpting powder; Margin and Don’t Be Shy blushes; Daisydust beauty powder; sample of Moisturelush; travel size cleanser
Brushes: 219, 239, 249 for eyes; 129, 182 x2, 194 for face
DON’T FALL BEHIND in school, as I will for sure be missing one day of classes. Since I’ll be busy the whole weekend, I need to make sure I manage to keep up with the reading for my classes upon my return.
Goal #5: Print out all the cases I need to read for my classes for week and read them on the plane ride to/from NYC. MUST. READ. I used go on weekend trips all the time during undergrad, and I would always bring some school-related reading… but would never do it. I must use all my will power to not fall into that bad habit!
SET UP A NYC GET-TOGETHER for my very lovely Temptalia readers in the area! Now, I know I asked about interest in a SF PRO meet up, but I didn’t know I’d be heading to NYC. Since I’m not exactly a jetsetter, I think it’d be great to take it as an opportunity to meet any interested readers while I was out there. Since my schedule is still up in the air, I can’t give you details, other than it will either be February 2nd or 3rd (and probably during the day). I apologize for how last-minute it is and will be, but hopefully a few of us can gab and talk shop for a bit.
Now it’s your turn to help me! Am I missing something that I totally need to make sure I bring with me (either to NYC or to FW)? Advice for facing the cold, harsh winter of the east coast?
