Confession: I LIVE for Vegas Summers. Where out-of-towners liken our heat to sticking ones head in an oven, I live for soaring 100+ temps. And after spending nearly thirty years in the sweltering Vegas heat, I’ve learned a thing or two about keeping your makeup in place well past margarita-hour.

The key to any water-resistant makeup is…wait for it… silicone. That’s right, silicone! And if not silicone, oil. Sounds strange, I get it, but hear me out. I know right now you’re picturing something like bacon fat in a frying pan, grease slowly dissolving under the heat into a runny mess. But let me ask you this- what would happen if you put salt water in that bacon grease? It would just bead up, right? Please don’t go slather your face in Crisco, just trying to give you a visual here. Silicone-based makeup is the sexier, savvier version of the old oil-based products. And it also happens to be the base of choice for most professional artists. We can use it for traditional application and airbrush application; it blends beautifully and leaves a silky but matte finish. Sweat and tears just bead up on its finish and roll right off.  Eureka! Thankfully professional line Makeup Forever has the ultimate collection of silicone-based foundation, and Temptu has some stellar product as well. For home use, I suggest the Makeup Forever HD line.

The other not-going-anywhere product you need to have to survive our summers is eye shadow primer. Unlike other parts of your face, the eyes always have some kind of friction going on. Open, close, open, close. The lid of your eye is constantly rubbing on your crease. If you’ve ever come home and seen that unattractive line of makeup where all your carefully applied shadow has migrated to, you know what I’m talking about. Enter primer to save the day! Primer acts as a kind of adhesive, although it’s not. It locks the shadow in place from underneath, so that all those come-hither looks you’re casting about don’t skew your makeup.

Finally, the thing you need to take with you, your go to, your touch up maven, is blotting paper. We can put anti-shine on you, we can use silicone-based makeup, we can use primers, but there is absolutely nothing we can do about your oil and sweat glands. You WILL get shiny. Blotting papers lift the moisture from your face without moving your makeup underneath. In a pinch, those toilet seat covers in public bathrooms work wonders. (Unused, please.) Unless your day exceeds 10+ hours, resist the urge to take powder with you. Oil/sweat plus powder creates an icky, cakey looking finish on the face. Gross. Far better to appear a little dewy and smooth than to look like water and flour had a fight on your face.

xoxo,

Amelia C & Co

Jersey Shore has scarred us for life. That bronze, golden tan we once coveted now gives us nightmares about skin cancer (tanning beds) or Snookie reincarnations. Well, my dear pale girl, this is your guide to glowing goodness without fear! Really read this blog and commit it to memory. It’s not much, but what I’m about to tell you will give you a tan and keep you from getting Tanged. (You know, that orange powdered drink thingy.)

Side Note- you know we do spray tans, right? Yup! We will come to you and hose you down for that wedding, event, or just because. And every single time, without fail, we get asked “I’m not going to look orange, right?” First of all, even if you were going to come out orange, if we are selling this service we sure wouldn’t say so, would we? “Why yes, you will. We call it the Oompa Loompa special.” No darling, you will NOT turn orange… IF you do EXACTLY as we say. If something goes wrong with your tan, 99% of the time it’s because you did not follow our instructions or complete our waiver form honestly. (So far, we haven’t had any orange tans, but we sure have heard about them!)  Alright, time to get those fears under control! Top three ways to avoid a bad spray tan:

1) Be honest about your typical tanning abilities.

The most important factor we look at to determine what level of solution to use on you is your typical tanning abilities. For example, if your so fair that you burn to a crisp in the sun, we need to know that. You may think that if you tell us you “sometimes tan” or “always tan, never burn” that your going to get the darkest solution possible. And your right! If you tell us that you tan easily, we are going to assume that your skin is capable of handling the high levels of DHA in darker solutions, and will use those. Using too high of a DHA level for your skin is the number one reason why tans go orange.

2) Have squeaky clean pores and follow our preparation instructions to the letter. 

It is. If you use deodorant prior to your tan, or didn’t full scrub your underarms, your going to turn green. That’s right, swamp green. Here’s why: DHA is actually a sugar that oxidizes. Think of an apple, when you bite into it, the sugar oxidizes and turns brown. So, when we spray this sugar-derived product on your skin, it will penetrate that top layer and turn your skin brown. If you have any other chemicals, such as aluminum very often found in anti-perspirants, that sugar is going to react to that product for a lovely moss hue. Lotion and perfume will act as  a barrier on the skin, and the product won’t be able to penetrate. That’s why some tans can be splotchy. If you want an even colored tan, you need to start with squeaky clean pores.

3) Know the post-spray care, and stick to it religiously till the tan starts to fade.

Most tans take up to 8 hours to fully penetrate and work. Getting wet by showering, sweating, or cleaning before that is a quick way to ruin a perfectly good tan. Once your tan is showered off, life as normal can resume but with a few precautions: No soaking in tubs, no lazy long swims in chlorine, no scrub-a-dub dubbing for about a week. Spray tans usually start to fade about a week after (though some of our clients have said our product, Bronze Body, lasts a good two weeks.) Your tan will fade quickly if you do any of the above, because all those things exfoliate the skin. Since tanning solutions only penetrate the top layer of the epidermis, if you scrub or soak that layer off it’s going to take your tan with it.

It needs to be said that this is not a total and complete list. There is a chance you could do all of the above and still end up orange, depending on what product you use and who your tanning technician is. Here at Amelia C & Co, we use Bronze Body products because their base is olive-colored, and therefore very unlikely to turn brassy on us. But, if something does go wrong, chances are there’s something amiss in the common areas we just covered.

You glow girl!

xoxo,

the ‘Co

It’s the season of thanks, the season of gratitude. Most makeup artists carry hundreds of products in their professional kit at any given time, but among the masses of cosmetics there are a few precious things we are especially grateful for! Here’s our list of can’t-do-without’s and gotta-have-its. Find some deals on Black Friday and you’ve got yourself a double dose of pretty!

Two Faced Primed and Poreless

This velvety, creamy, oh so smooth primer is a must have for nearly everyone. Just applying this alone evens out sheen on the skin an minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines. When used prior to a foundation, the effect is so flawless that hardly a dusting of powder is needed!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar

Few things get a makeup artists heart racing faster than a sexy, vibrant collection of lip hues. Lip Tar’s deep pigment colors go on like paint, last longer than one martini’s worth of conversation, and come in colors that gives us butterflies! Not to mention, the ultra rich color concentration means one little tube lasts and lasts and lasts… this is definite one cosmetic that doesn’t just give lip service to value!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Perversion and Demolition

UD has always created top-notch pencils for both lips and eyes and we didn’t think it was possible for them to top themselves, but they did! The intensity of the newest black eyeliner, Perversion, is exactly what’s called for when a glamorous night out is in order. The rich new brown hue of Demolition delivers the perfect true-brown shade with depth, and no weird reddish undertones. Both pencils are made with the same signature formula of the 24/7 Glide On collection which means it goes on creamy but stay’s put. And oh, how grateful we are for that!

Sexy Hair Products Powder Play

Hair powder has come a long way from sickly-sweet scented dry shampoos, and this particular product packs a punch! An absolute must anytime you need to do some serious back-combing. Sprinkling a bit of this powder on your roots prior to teasing will give your clip-in extensions something to hold on to when your dancing like no body’s watching. This little goody also will add texture to your hair when trying to get that piecey, tousled look. Tip: A little goes a long way! Try it on a home-day first, because if you over use it the only way to fix it is to cleanse your hair.

What’s the one cosmetic you are the most grateful for?

A long long time ago in a blog far away, I wrote about this rather uncomfortable subject. That blog has since gone the way of the dodo bird when the new site launched, and for a while it was forgotten. Two recent incidents have prompted me to resurrect the subject and dust it off once more: the sudden crop of “weekend warrior” makeup artists undercutting legitimate companies giving women a false idea of the value of a professional makeup application, and the recession that forced all of us to take a look at what we are buying.

While I can’t speak for others, I can say with absolute confidence that our rates accurately reflect our passion and performance in our craft. Doing makeup is just so personal… not only do we work with makeup, but we also work with peoples insecurities, their personalities, their opinions. I’m here to say that there truly is no better feeling in the world to give a client the mirror and have her   tearfully tell me that she’s never felt more beautiful. To be able to create that feeling, that emotion for a woman… you can’t put a price on that. It’s the best gift I can give to this planet, it’s what I believe I was put on this earth to do.

There is no more of a sensitive subject than money. While we casually dish up the details of our sex life over cocktails with our girlfriends, we guard our financial picture with fierce secrecy and vagueness.. as we should! Your finances are no ones business but those whom you share an account with (and let’s face it, the IRS). So to talk so bluntly about why makeup artists charge their rates is not to offend others by raising such a taboo subject, but rather, to help you understand that makeup artists (generally!) do not command exorbitant prices “just because we can”, but that there really is a method to our madness.

On any given job, I likely have approximately $5,000 worth of product with me.

My exquisite, top of the line Ninja Jet Airbrush Compressor ran me $230 (with a coupon.) My gun was an additional $60. Then I paid $350 (the DISCOUNTED rate) for a one-day, Master HD Airbrush Makeup Class. Before I airbrush you into smooth, velvety perfection, I’ve already invested $640. That’s not even counting the actual foundation. I’ve invested in the highest quality equipment and products, and then invested again in my skill set to make sure I was using my fancy new stuff correctly. Every artist that works for our company has a similar story, from 6 month academy training to week-long intensive classes. This high price doesn’t just apply to my airbrush- every artist on our team has a minimum of three different foundation lines with them at any given time. My favorite line is Makeup Forever in HD, a professional line from Paris that runs me $28 a bottle after my professional discount. The best liners on the market are by Urban Decay, and only a couple months ago did they start offering a professional discount. Before they ran us $22 a piece. I have about 3 eye liners and about 5 lip liners with me at all times. And of course, you can’t use pencils for every look, so I also keep a gel and a water-proof sealant with me as well… I could go on and on cataloging everything in my kit, but you get my drift. Makeup and equipment is extraordinarily expensive, education is expensive, and we need plenty of both to be a seasoned and prepared artist.

Advertising is for BOTH of our benefits

Being a great makeup artist doesn’t do our clients or our company any good if they can’t find us. Advertising is generally thought of in terms of being a boon to the company, and it is! But it is equally a boon to the client! Think about a time that you really needed something but couldn’t find exactly what you were looking for, so you settled for something less. The worst is later, you found out that so-and-so knows of this tiny little place that she just happened upon and got exactly the thing that you searched so long for! This is exactly why advertising doesn’t just benefit us, and why you NEED us to advertise. It isn’t cheap to buy ads or listings on websites, and that cost has to be taken into account when we price out our services. Part of what your paying for when you book us is the luxury of having found us in the first place.

We have to remain competitive with companies and artists of the same caliber.

Remaining competitive and in the same price range of companies or artists of the same caliber is absolutely essential to our success. While the gamut of pricing may run from  budget artists all the way to luxury artists, by placing our pricing in the same bracket as other companies whom we feel offer comparable services, we remain competitive and yet reasonable at the same time. Also, this helps prevent unethical strain on business relationships, and improves the industry overall.

Rates vary with the region and cost of living

A makeup artist living in California will likely charge substantially more than our Las Vegas-based company does. That is completely reasonable, considering that the cost of living in California is equally more expensive. Quite simply, a dollar goes a lot farther here than beach-side.

Your paying for both time AND skill

Recently, we had a client explain to us that she needed a lower rate because many of the extras we include in our standard service did not apply to her. The reason we were not able to offer this lower rate is because although she may not have wanted her hair pinned up, it took the same amount of time to blow-dry and curl it as she requested. She may not have wanted false lashes, but applying lashes only takes about five minutes and therefore does not drastically impact the overall time of her services. What I’m trying to say is this: We won’t sell our time for less simply because the perception is that the skill needed for it is less.

A pretty penny…

We aren’t crying poormouth- I positively loathe when companies and professionals do that to justify their rates. We make good money and are not ashamed to say so! Any professional who invests in their career and passion is absolutely entitled to charge accordingly. A professional makeup artist, from her kit to her skill, is worth every pretty penny you’ll invest… and a cheap makeup artist will almost always cost your much more than dollars in ruined photos, last minute cancellations, and unprofessional products.

xoxo,

Amelia C

Amelia C & Co resident makeup artist and ultra-Riaz fan, Gina M, give’s you the details you’ve been craving on this luxury new  cosmetic and brush line, as well as her must-haves from his uber-svelte collection. Feeling generous, she also included some pro tricks on how to wield these sexy pieces once you own them.

Meet the man behind the brushes, Claudio Riaz

This 20 year beauty veteran grew up with a houseful of women- seven sisters! Fascinated at a very young age, he would sit and watch his mother and sister applying their makeup. It’s no wonder he was destined to become a celebrity makeup artist and now the creator of the most fabulous brushes on the market. His brush collection has been available for four years, and most recently he launched a new cosmetic line sold exclusively at Barneys. Identifying every woman having unique features and independent spirit, his cosmetic collection boasts slim and beautiful empty pallets for each woman to custom design her own color scheme. Silky creme lip colors, high shine glosses, retro cake eyeliners and a rich eye shadow collection accent his full-face line. He designed his brushes and cosmetics to make the every day woman apply her makeup quickly and effortlessly in a fraction of the time.

 Gina M’s MUST HAVES from the Claudio Riaz Collection- Available Exclusively at Barneys New York

Instant Smokey Eye Brush

These brushes were designed to help you apply your make up with ease. Each brush is unique in its shape so that you can apply your makeup and be out the door in as little as 4 minutes. The instant smoke eye brush was created to give you an instant smokey eye. You dip it into your Claudio Riaz shadow, apply it right above the lash line and wiggle the brush- in just moments you have the sultry effect hours of tutorials have been trying to teach you.

Contour Liquid Liner Brush

This is the liner brush that every girl needs. Especially when you want to create that pinup look or that Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn eye-line. It’s a synthetic brush and it’s bent neck helps you to create that perfect line with a single motion. It’s a must have! The ideal brush for his signature cake-eyeliner pallet.

Instant Face Pallet

The instant face pallet was designed to work with is predecessor, the instant face brush. Swipe two times up and down the palette, tap it once on your hand and then make the figure 3 swiping across your forehead temples cheek & chin and swipe the top of your nose. It gives your face a flawless complexion with the most beautiful glow that every woman and girl want. It’s that red carpet glow and that glow that every bride desires.

You can find the entire collection exclusively at Barneys or on the Claudio Riaz Online Store.

I wrote an article just like this about five years ago, at the height of my anti-airbrush parade. I paraded up and down these cyber alleyways loudly explaining why I just loathed this trendy makeup application, and let me tell you I had good reason! I had seen just so, so many terrible airbrush makeup applications, thing gone wrong, streaks and smears… I even had photographers who used our services because they hated having to retouch it. And then, on Feb 11th of this year, it was like the clouds parted and I finally GOT it. This super-fantastic uber-artist came to town and offered a Airbrush HD class. The wealth of information I obtained was well worth the price of admission, and now I can gracefully end the parade knowing I’m savvier for it.

**NOTE: Airbrush makeup is NOT to be confused with Airbrushing in Photoshop. It often is.

Now I tote my compressor and equipment with me wherever I go, but I don’t use it on everyone. Let’s start by going over the myths:

Myth: Airbrush Makeup will make me flawless.

Any makeup can make you the prettiest version of yourself you can be, it doesn’t have to be airbrush and there are many times it isn’t. The correct application for your own personal needs is more important. (Read: It’s much more important that you hire a great aritst than an artist soley based on if they airbrush or not)

Myth: Airbrush Makeup is waterproof.

Well, there are a few makeup lines that are water resistant, but it has nothing to do with weather or not is comes out of an airbrush gun. And, when makeup is water resistant, it comes with it’s own set of problems.

Myth: Airbrush Makeup is good for bad skin.

No. Airbrush makeup is WAY to thin to be used as a foundation for acne, scarring, fine lines, wrinkles, or dry skin. At best, it may be used as a fine finish on top of a traditional foundation simply to give it a finer finish once most of the work has been done.

So why all the hype?

1) You see this flawless model in a magazine whose been airbrushed. (Makeup or Photoshop?)

2) Airbrush makeup got a water-proof repuation, mostly because retail-lines promoted it that way.

3) There are some cases where airbrush is not only suitable, it’s IDEAL, especially with High Definition camera’s becoming the norm.

Bottom line:

Airbrush makeup is a much finer product, thinner than a traditional foundation. Because it comes out as a spray, it very closely mimics the way cameras see your face. Think of it as tiny little pixels being applied as opposed to a big block of color. Also, it makes blending a breeze! Carrying it down to the neck and decollete is smooth and seamless. The caveat is that because it is so fine, it only works best on skin that is already in pretty great condition and should never be applied heavily.

Traditional foundation is more opaque, and has a richer coverage. Also, because the finish is in hand-blending, you can work the product into skin that may have some texture issues, filling in all the nooks and crannys. It allows you to be more involved, more detailed, because you don’t have to worry about ruining a finish since the finish is largely contingent upon your skill as an artist and not a machine.

For those wanting a water-proof application, keep this in mind: Makeup that is best water-resistant is not super dry, it’s actually still got some viscosity to it. The water beads up on the skin, as opposed to re-wetting it, kind of the way a freshly-waxed car would bead up against the rain.

Our preferred foundation line is Makeup Forever in HD. This particular product can be used either as a traditional foundation, or combined with a mixing medium for airbrush application. Either way, we know our clients will be camera-ready and all-night-long fabulous!

xoxo-

Amelia C

Long Lasting Makeup Tips from the Pro’s

If you’ve ever come home from a fabulous night out only to look in the mirror and gasp, this is the post for you. Your carefully applied makeup has not lasted, and you’re not even sure when it all went wrong. What KILLS me about it is that half of the time, your friends are snapping camera-phone photo’s of you for those real-time Facebook updates that you will have to untag your self in RIGHT NOW- and not one of them said anything to you! The WORST of it is when your eyeshadow is reduced to nothing but an oily line in the crease of your lid… something only appropriate in a Lady Gaga video, and let’s face it, that broad has the funds to look however she pleases.

As professional artists, half of our battle battle isn’t just making our clients beautiful, but making sure that they look that way for hours to come. Now granted, makeup can only hold up so well under the following circumstances: excessive drinking, cliff diving, skinny-dipping, and those who are so ugly on the inside that Kevyn Aucoin himself couldn’t help them. However, for those of you not taking up extreme sports or libations, you can arm yourself with the right tools and techniques that will leave you regret-free at 2 am.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in ZERO 

Who doesn’t love a good smokey eye? It’s totally appropriate for a GNO, date night, or general cavorting around the town. However, most pencils with the creaminess to create the look lack the stability to have it stay in place. This bad boy delivers the best of both worlds… uber creamy and decadent, but when it sets, it SETS. The pigment payoff is superb, so your going to get that rich, intense look your after too. Well worth the price of admission, even if it is “just a pencil”.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in EDEN

Can you tell I’m a fan? I make it a point to diversify my kit so that I don’t get sucked into the “one line” only way of thinking, but UD does eyes so very well. This should be your daily primer whenever you want to wear shadow. Use your fingertip to dab a little on the lid, blending ALL the way up to your brow bone and into the inner and outer corners of your eye. A little goes a long way, so order the smaller tube because it will last. Allow to dry for just a few moments then get to work. Note: Have makeup-remover wipes handy because I’m telling you, this stuff does NOT come off without them.

Makeup Forever HD Foundation

Drinking, sweating, and club-lights do not make for a premium photo op! Not to mention the unflattering flash of a camera phone. Give yourself a fighting chance by wearing the best foundation possible, and I’m here to tell you, this is it. The best part about it, besides the fact that its super long wearing, is that you can build up the coverage where you need it. Glooping on heavy concealer (or any product for that matter) is a recipe for disaster. Those with oily skin like me can rest easy knowing it dries to a matte finish. NOW- that being said- I do have to use blotting papers if it’s a long day or night. I don’t care how miraculous the product is, nothing you put on top of your skin is going to stop what’s going on underneath, and if your oil glands are having a party your just going to have to work around that. In a pinch, the (unused, please) toilet seat covers in most public restrooms double nicely has a blotting tissue.

Course, there’s a bunch of other stuff that I schlep around on a regular basis, but I’m pretty certain without these three things I’d be at a loss when I showed up to a job. This is where you want to put your money for a look that will last longer than the effectiveness of your Sugar Free Red Bull. (That, and a good bronzer, because only Oompa Loompa’s look good orange. But that’s another post.)

xoxo-

Amelia C