Good Read: Robert Jones’ MAKEUP MAKEOVERS

There are a lot of makeup books and tutorials out there, but none that I’ve seen can compare to the sage wisdom Robert Jones shares in Makeup Makeovers. For those who are unfamiliar with his work, Robert Jones is an amazing celebrity makeup artist; he’s worked with one of my personal favs, Cindy Crawford (remember what she taught me about eyebrows) and done makeup for all the major magazines. For those who want to simply take my word for it, the man knows what he’s talkin’ about, Willis.

The book is divided into three parts and consists of a collective, twelve chapters. Part one is a bit of a vocabulary lesson and focuses on the meaning behind makeup terminology. What different cosmetics do and how to apply them– and what purpose the tools serve. Part two discusses the individual and is where the book really heats up. He neatly describes skin tone classifications and the contrast between warm versus cool tones. In addition, the book discusses face shape and contouring with simplified diagrams. During the third part, appropriately titled, “Putting it all together,” Jones discusses how the reader can take what they’ve read and apply it to their specific face.

The book is somewhat repetitive, but this angle works well for the purpose of a how-to. His consistency assures the cosmetic novice and inspires makeup savvy girls. Although Jones’ writing is clear and helpful, the greatest testament to his skill is in the before and after photos. Amazing. The women in the before photos could be Walmart, Publix, or Dollar General shoppers. The results, however, reflect a sophistication projected by women in the media. The faces depicted are “real” people. That proves how good “we” can look and showcases Jones’ skill. And, of course, he shows how gorgeous ridiculously, pretty women (models) are when all glammed-up.

I hungrily blew through Jones’ book in an evening and enjoyed his perspective. His take on natural beauty is refreshing–and so is his makeup style. Wether you’re a working Makeup Artist, like myself, or are newly curious about cosmetics, Jones’ methodic book offers a strong education.

Darth Vader learns to share.

Halloween is a very special time for children and is also a time I was not allowed to participate in as a child. Yes, I was the “freak” whose mother wouldn’t let her trick-or-treat, dress up, or even color worksheets related to what she called, “the devil’s holiday.” There was only one other child, in my entire elementary, whose mother was as mean as mine. Together, Larissa and I watched episodes of Reading Rainbow in the Media Center, while our classmates got to participate in the school’s hay wagon ride and play the games comprising the Fall Spooktacular. When I complained to my mother that all my classmates got candy and that Larissa and I missed out, she offered to buy a bag at the grocery store. It wasn’t the same; I hadn’t earned my candy.

Today, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and my belief system appears inverted. I view the holiday as harmless–and fanatical parents (such as my mother, who NOW agrees that a little trick-or-treating really wouldn’t have hurt anything & if she had it to do over, she’d let me be a heathen for one night out of the year) as in cohorts with the devil. It’s a strange paradox.

When my boyfriend mentioned the trunk-or-treat event, hosted by a local school, my eyes lit up excitedly. “Do we get to dress up!?”

He said, “No, it’s for the kids only. Parents and adults don’t dress up.”

“Are you sure? I think we need costumes too.”

“No. The twins aren’t even dressing up. Just Will.” The twins, Annsley and Makayla, are thirteen. Will is seven.

“Fine.”

Twenty-five minutes before it was time to leave for the trunk-or-treat, the girls toyed with possible last-minute costumes. I suggested they put on their fleece onesies and go as big babies, but Annsley decided she couldn’t be seen in public like that. Makayla suggested that she and her sister wear matching outfits and go as twins. So they did. Mike offered to put on a pair of blue jeans and a cowboy hat to go as a shirtless cowboy, but it grossed out the kids (although I liked his idea).

When I asked Will earlier in the week what he was going to dress up as, he said, “That one guy. Luke’s dad.”

“Darth Vader?”

“Yes! That’s him.”

Darth had just chopped off my neck, so I was trying to look horrified.

I would like to point out that I am NOT wearing a costume, but rather the warmest sweater I could find in my closet. I will also mention that upon arriving at the trunk-or-treat, most of the adults WERE dressed up. Darth Vader’s costume was, by far, the most impressive of any other boy’s garb.

He made several laps around the candy circuit, but Mike and I only made it through two. During Darth’s travels, he made sure to snag a Reese’s cup for my mom and a box of Nerds for me. However, as any Star Wars fan knows, there’s a limit to Darth’s generosity.

Upon arriving home, Darth said, “One piece per person and that’s IT!” He meant it. The dark force was strong with that one– two meltdowns over the loot had proven it so; no one was up for a third challenge.

In the morning, however, Darth awoke with a certain change of heart. As I walked into the living room, to call the kids for breakfast, I noticed Miss Annsley pawing through the candy bag. I eyed the  bag nervously.

Darth had apparently gone through an overnight transformation. He said, “I told her it was OK [to go through my candy].”

I said, “Darth Vader has learned to share.”

THE MORAL OF THE STORY: Parents, please don’t turn your children into the school-wide dubbed freak over a little superstition. Although Darth stormed the galaxy for a night, he resurfaced as our sweet, little Will by morning.

Ombré Hair: The Hottest Recession Special.

I’ll probably catch a ton of heat for saying this, but I feel the ombré trend, currently sweeping the nation, is utterly heinous. The only thing separating Khloe Kardashian’s hair from that of trailer trash is a flat iron and a keratin treatment. And, because Khloe is my favorite Kardashian, this is said in love.

However, despite the fact that I miss Khloe’s rich locks, they look way better than other ombré supporters. Jessica Alba’s “womens’ correctional look” is obviously influencing the hottest mugshots in the United States. Check out these other hot ombré looks found through FL inmate searches and mugshots.com.

This woman speaks with her eyes, Just like Jessica, but her hair isn’t quite trashy enough. Jessica’s face framing tresses reflect the color of washing with untreated well-water. This woman is obviously just sporting recession hair–or is it ombré– and having an even harder time as she’s just been arrested.

Lake County, Florida’s Sarah Jessica Parker look-alike totally rocked her mugshot! Mascara? Check. Baywatch tank top? Check. It’s like she sat in her hairdresser’s chair, one Spring Break, and demanded a color that would last through hurricane season. 5 months of growth looks gorgeous– this ombré look is a must-have if you want to look amazing while being booked.

This girl is so dedicated to trendy hair that she seductively whispers, “ombré” as the officer snaps her mugshot. The peek-a-boo brown strands, in conjunction with the bleach blonde, and ash roots makes this a classic ombré look; one almost forgets they’re staring at a booking photo and believes they’re glancing at a designer perfume advertisement.

These USO performers are obviously hot, but blondie’s roots indicate only 7-12 weeks of hair growth, in comparison to Jessica’s 6 months. Nice try. However, the girls win bonus trashiness points due to the Lindsay Lohan resemblance. Nice try.

Seriously, though, my point is, I find it ridiculous that the new hair trend is to try and look trashy–when there are plenty of poor people in the world who would kill for a dye job to cover their whole head. Imagine a woman who is down on her luck and doesn’t even have the money for job interviewing attire (or clean clothes, period), let along to have her hair fixed. Don’t you think she probably wishes she had the cash to look good and project confidence? Choosing and paying to look unkempt seems a little wasteful and silly…

*If you live in the Orlando, FL area and would like to donate job interview attire to women in need, check out the Dress for Success webpage. Finding locations outside of Florida is easy as most states are in participation; US & international participants are listed here.

*If you live in the UK and also want to help those in need, otherwise, click here for several options & an informational article.

P.S. Ombré Honey Boo Boo Mom.

Photo Shootin’

Sorry I’ve been MIA, y’all, but I’ve been busier than a one-armed paperhanger!

I had two, major photo shoots within a week of each other–on top of regular work and preparing to move. One was for model comp cards and to christen Greenhouse Production’s new studio.

Planning the last-minute model shoot turned into a production home-week/ reunion. Creative ideas circulated. Choosing, or finalizing, the location came about much like a dare. Production agreed that although the ideas that come from Kim and I are often crazy, moving the shoot from the beautiful studio would give the photos the edge needed. And so, we shot in Floridian cemetery from the Victorian Era.

Around two in the morning, Kim and I met with the model and our salon entourage: model mothers & makeup interns. We prepped the model’s skin and she tried on a zillion outfits that she looked absolutely stunning in. Then we began the makeup.

A cemetery, especially in the middle of the night, creates an eerie atmosphere which ultimately translates through photos. We wanted the look to be edgy, but I worried dark eye makeup would push the model into a realm too extreme to market. I’ve been dying to really play with red eyeshadow and was pleased with the effect; she appears beautiful and dangerous as opposed to to unnerving and psychopathic.

Around three thirty, production met with us to pick up the dress and the rest of the props. That’s when we noticed the meteor shower raining sparkles in the sky.

At four, we pulled into the cemetery and began setting up the shoot. In the above photo, the model’s makeup actually exhibits rosy hues. However, casting blue, red, and white lighting reflects alternate tones.

Despite sleep deprivation, we shot until the sun came up and the model still looked gorgeous. I always enjoy working with Chris Fletcher and Greenhouse Productions, but this venture was especially fun for us all. I can’t wait to see the rest of the pictures 🙂