Every season, fashion and beauty magazine editors and bloggers ask me “ What are the top 5-10 things every woman must have in her makeup bag?”

My answers vary slightly, depending on the age of their readership, but overall I’m known to favor keeping makeup rather simple and timeless.  To me it’s always been about enhancing ones’ features, which can be done with just a few simple products.

Please don’t mistake my short list of musts for a lack of support for those of you who want to experiment with wild eyeliner hues and bold, trendy lip color. I’m a big fan of that sort of thing, as well. But first I think it’s important to iron out the basics, and find what works best to enhance your favorite features, keeping your every day look as fresh-faced and minimally made up, as possible.  Once that’s established, playing with extras is a breeze.

In writing this post, I’m assuming you’ve gotten your skin care regimen down, and are starting with hydrated, nourished faces. This is not such an easy feat for so many of us, and if you’re having difficulty in this venue, the good news is, there are countless treatment options in the green beauty world for every skin type. It just takes some research and often a bit of trial and error.

So… what do I think no woman should live without (I really don’t feel that you couldn’t live without makeup – or things in general – but I think you know what I mean).

1. A good eyelash curler. My favorite has been the one by Shu Umera because of the texture and shape of the pad, and overall shape and sturdiness of their handle and the part into which the pad fits.
2. A creamy, neutral eyeliner. Depending on your hair and eye color, as well as your skin tone, and personal preference, this could be a pale taupe, a deep brown, a medium gray, or a deep, dark black.  Keep some cotton swabs on hand to smudge the line you draw, buffing it out ever so slightly.
3. A mascara that gives the look you favor, whether that’s longer, thicker, darker, or all of the above. (I prefer all of the above)
4. Tweezer. I can’t emphasize the benefit of a good tweezer enough. Shaping your brows and whisking away unwanted hairs from other regions of the face where they begin to show up – it’s  a necessity.  I’ve been a fan of  the Rubis for years, but it’s really all about finding one that feels right in your hand.
5. Two cheek colors: one that makes you look warm and glowy, and one that mimics the color your cheeks turn when your heart rate has been pushed. I generally favor creamy cheek colors, but this is a personal preference thing.
6. Two concealer shades: one with a bit more peachy/orange undertone to cut the purple inherent in under eye circles.  Then, one concealer that matches your skin tone and texture perfectly to cover spots as needed. I always like to finish a concealer/tinted moisturizer/ foundation application by pressing a slightly dampened beauty blender sponge into the skin to ensure that the texture of the product matches the texture of your skin. Don’t skip this step if can help it.
7. 3 lip colors. Most women I know have many more than this, but honestly, if you have limited funds, a desire to keep your purse as light as possible, or become overwhelmed at the thought of keeping up with lip trends, three shades is perfect. I’d start with a sheer, tinted lip balm in a color that’s pretty similar to your lips, add a similar shade in a proper lipstick formulation that’s somewhere in the satin range – moist, not matte, yet not glossy, and finally, a color that you love, and that gets smiles from others when you wear it – could be a bright pink, an orangey red, or a deep berry.
8. A sheer gloss. I lied – having a fourth lip product that feels good and has a bit of a moist look is always a good idea. This can be layered over any of the above, or worn alone when you’re feeling glossy.
9. An eyebrow brush/pencil/powder/gel: When we’re young, our brows are usually at their fullest. You may want to brush them into a lovely shape in the morning and forget about them. As we age, however – even as early as in our early 30’s, our brows may start to look a bit less full, particularly towards the tails. Finding a brow pencil or powder that looks super natural is the way to go. Light strokes, mimicking the hair growth pattern is all you need, along with good lighting, to create a frame for your face. I’ve just recently found Eco Brows, a richly pigmented brow gel product in a pot, and really like it. I also love the fine point and ease of use of the brow pencils from MAC.

There you have it.

Here are some of my current favorite all natural products you can use to create this very pretty, basic look I did on my friend, the gorgeous model, Michele Alvez:

• On her eyes:  Vapour Organic beauty liner in black, smudged, redrawn, and smudged again.
• On her cheeks: Alima Pure matte bronzer in Mauna Lao, and  Ilia Beauty in Tenderly cream cheek color swirled onto the apples of her cheeks
• On her lashes: W3LL People mascara in black
• On her skin: Kjaer Weis foundation compact, used sparingly as a spot concealer.
• On her brows: MAC eyebrow pencil in Brun
• Under her eyes: Mineral Fusion peachy concealer
• On her lips: Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Peony (particularly on her cupid’s bow and middle of her bottom lip, topped with a light coating of Burt’s Bees Lip Gloss in Ocean Sunrise.

Every year the iconic designer, Diane Von Furstenberg, throws an awards event to provide recipients with the exposure and resources needed to extend their critical efforts on behalf of women’s causes. Four individuals are honored who have displayed leadership, strength, and courage in their commitment to their causes, and this year, the beautiful Olivia Wilde was a presenter. I’m always happy to get clients ready for a red carpet event, but when it’s for a cause that’s so near and dear to my heart, it makes it all the better for me.

When I got to Olivia’s apartment about two hours before she had to leave for the event, she showed me the gorgeous black pants suit she and her stylists had chosen, and said: “I don’t know, I was thinking we should play up my eyes”.  On my way to her place I’d been looking at photos of her from previous red carpet events -which I do before meeting with every client – to see which looks I liked her in the most. Olivia usually goes for a dramatic black liquid cat-eye or a rounded, very intense dark smokey eye, and in the moment she said “let’s play up my eyes”, what felt like 500 images of fun things I could do flooded my head. As her hairstylist began running mousse through her hair, I stood staring at the shadows and liners I’d laid out on her dining room table, trying to decide which colors to swirl around her eyes, and in what shape.

I knew I needed a minute to come to a decision, so I did what I usually do, and started with a face oil massage to get her circulation going, and to zone out on her face while she had her eyes closed. Within seconds it came to me, and I saw the completed look in my head, even before the oil had time to absorb.

The glowing skin is ultimately courtesy of Olivia’s genes, of course, but I also always give a lot of credit to the base layer of hydration I lay down before I draw and paint on the skin, and in this case, Lina Hanson Global Face Serum made for a truly glowing-from-within look. Plus, the aromatherapy this oil provides to my clients (and to me) during the face massage has made it a mainstay in my kit (and my medicine chest). The scent is incredible, and the viscosity is perfect.

As for her beautiful eyes: I used three simple products:

1. a pale, sheer shimmery slate gray,
2. a medium dark matte smokey graphite gray, and
3. a black creamy eyeliner.

First I mapped out the overall shape I wanted using the pale gray. On top of that I precisely placed the medium/dark matte gray along the crease and outward, extending slightly up from the outer corner of her eye, and then I blended the hell out of it so there would be no apparent edge between the two shades. Then I went in with a black liner and thoroughly applied it on the inner rim of top and bottom lid, as well as dotted in between lashes. To complete the look I smudged it into the lash line on both bottom and top lid using a smudge brush.

I really love how this look turned out… and it’s just like I saw it in my head during the face oil massage!

One final note: since everyone always wants to know the answers to these two questions about my clients,  I will tell you: Olivia is incredibly nice, and super beautiful in person without a lick of makeup.

photo: Tim Bell

This is my beautiful friend, Mini Anden.  To have a conversation with her, you’d have no idea she was born and raised in Sweden because she doesn’t have a trace of an accent. We’ve known each other for a number of years now, and I absolutely adore her. She’s really intelligent, we have the same sense of humor   (I love it when she cracks us both up while I’m doing her makeup), and she’s a great listener and advice-giver. All of that mushy stuff aside, she’s an incredible model, and at just under 6 ft tall with a body that she subjects to intense workouts including a fusion of pilates and boxing known as piloxing (she has serious abs that I’ve actually tried punching just to see how strong they are – and they kinda hurt my hand!), she’ll have a career in front of the camera for as long as she wants.

She’s also a totally natural beauty. I really prefer how she looks mostly bare-faced, unless she’s been made up for an editorial photo shoot in a magazine with really intense makeup. Her eyes are incredibly blue, in that almost unreal, is-she-wearing-colored-contacts? way.  She’s also a perfect freckle-face, with tons of cute dots all over, although the size of this photo doesn’t let you see just how intense they are.

We shot the photo above after a long day on set, after she’d taken off most of the makeup I’d put on her for the day’s shoot. As you likely know from the makeup I do, I like to accentuate the beauty that already radiates from each woman, rather than drawing her a new face on top of the one that exists. In Mini’s case, I wanted to show how just a little eye makeup and slight skin perfecting makes for a polished look.

We did a very basic touch up before putting her in front of a window, against a white wall with no fancy lighting or makeup tricks used.

The products I used were:

Toning Mist, Kahina Giving Beauty: I had Mini close her eyes, and on her freshly washed face, I generously sprayed this mist to help replenish moisture and calm her skin.

Facial Lotion, Kahina Giving Beauty: I’d already given Mini a face massage with oil earlier in the day, so for this photograph I opted to use a less dew-inducing option, while still offering great hydration.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler:  I know many people are scared to curl lashes once they’ve been coated with mascara, but if you do it carefully, and just barely tap the curler when you’re holding it just at the root, you’ll be fine. NO TIGHT SQUEEZING here, please. You’ll take off the mascara where the metal touches your lashes and have a blank space that no amount of recoating will really help cover.

‘Cloud Nine’, Kjaer Weis Eye Shadow: This is one of those really flattering (for fair to medium complexions) champagne/ivory shades with a pearly finish that does a great job of illuminating the eye without leaving behind those horrible bits of glitter. Using this MAC brush I like to place the eyeshadow in the inner corners of the eye, in the very center of the lid, and trace a bit underneath the bottom lashes. I then use my clean finger tip to gently blend the shadow into the skin in the inner corner, and generally I’ll use this brush from Laura Mercier to buff the shadow into the lid.

Black Eyeliner, Vapour Organic Beauty:  Just a light smudge of an eyeliner swiped and pressed into the under side of the outer edge of the top lashes, and then wiggled in between the lashes, and maybe even just a teeny bit smudged on top of the outer edge of the upper lash can do a lot to emphasize the eye without making it look made up.  Depending on the shape and color of your eye, you might find your eye looks best with the entire inner rim lightly darkened, but for most almond shaped eyes, accentuating the outer upper lash line is just enough.  You can try this look with a brown, gray, taupe, or even purple or navy liner to see which you like best.  Different colors will accentuate your eye color ; for me a dark purple liner will not so much read as ‘she’s wearing purple!’, but will simply make the green of my hazel eyes pop.

Very Black, Lash Blast Mascara by Covergirl: I love dark black lashes, even if it’s just a light coating. As I’ve said countless times, this mascara is super black (whereas so many others are more of a light black, almost gray), and can be layered for a more intense look. If you read my blog because you’re looking for only ‘green’ beauty recommendations, I apologize – this isn’t one of them!

Concealer, Mineral Fusion: I like these concealer duos because similarly to the much acclaimed Laura Mercier secret camoflauge duos, you can blend different amounts of the two colors together to get the exact shade you need for the specific part of your face on which you’re laying the product. Under your eye, for example, you’ll want to use a high concentration of a peach/orange concealer to combat the purple – trust me, it totally works. I’ve used straight orange pigment to cover super dark circles under the eyes of women with very deep complexions with great success. Then you blend the more skin-colored shade over top and pat with your ring finger to create a seamless cover on the skin.

On most faces I concentrate on coverage under the inner 1/3 of the eye (never put concealer under the outer 1/3 of the eye unless you want to accentuate your fine lines and wrinkles!), underneath, and around the outer edges of the nostrils, and on any spots or redness/discoloration you may have, but only if you ensure you’ve blended both the color and texture into your skin so that you’re not just highlighting the spot.  For small blemishes, using a really tiny brush like this with a concealer that matches your skin exactly can be helpful.

Bone Beige, MAC sculpting powder: I often swirl this underneath and on to cheekbones as a sculpting powder and I like it, as well, as a non-shimmering bronzer. On Mini, I lightly underlined her cheekbones with Bone Beige using this contour brush.

Freja, Luminous Shimmer Blush, by Alima Pure: I’m usually against products with particles of glimmer, but in this case, they’re really very small, and the color and glimmer combine nicely to give a very-barely-there-pink to the apple of the cheek.

Honey Lip Balm, Burts Bees: Mini put this on herself, as per usual. Ever since I can remember, I’ve seen Mini with this little yellow tube in her pocket, purse, or hand. I can honestly say, it does her lips right, and I’ve never seen them chapped!

Just for fun, here are two shots of Mini that I love that really show how transformative a little makeup/hair/styling can be. Note her dark eyebrows in the first one. They look incredible for this photo, but would look shocking if you ran into her at the grocery store looking like that.

One last endearing thing I’ll leave you with about Mini is that she and her husband, Taber, have a house full of dogs. Mini tweets pictures of them in various positions that make me laugh and laugh. I took an immediate liking to Gus, the skinniest, long-nosed munchkin in the center of the first photo; i think it’s because we resemble one another.

Thank you, Mini, my love!!!

Susan is one of those women who is constantly busy doing interesting things, with interesting people, for interesting causes. I always learn something about the humanitarian efforts around town and around the world when I see her. I can’t say I’ve learned how to be a great ping pong player since I’ve known her, but I have tried my hand at it while at her well-known ping pong club, Spin.

One thing I have learned (through some trial and error, I’ll admit) is to use about 80% cream makeup products on Susan, relying on powder only for eyeshadow – which is always blended well and smeared along the edge with my finger or a q-tip -and the teeniest little bit of translucent powder on her T-zone to set her foundation. This months’ Allure Magazine has a great article complete with makeup tips and tricks from makeup artists on how to look your most youthful, which aren’t really applicable to the youngest models with whom I work, but for anyone in their very late twenties on up, I think these are some good rules to follow.  I see Susan again next week and I’ll try to do a different look on her and blog about it soon, complete with a product shopping list. Did I mention that my mom and Susan bear a striking resemblance to one another?

This is what I used on Susan in the picture above:

Darphin Organic Jasmine Aromatic Care Oil (Smells delicious!)

Darphin Predermine Densifying Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Normal Skin (seals in the oil I just applied)

(I allow the above to settle into the skin for a few minutes before starting the foundation)

 Armani Face Fabric Foundation, SPF 12, This stuff will not settle into fine lines. I apply it very sparingly  – starting in the middle of her face and tapering off the further I get from the center – first with Armani’s natural bristle foundation brush, and then lightly tapped into perfect submission with the Beauty Blender, a perfectly textured and shaped sponge (that was just thoroughly soaked and squeezed dry in a towel)

MAC eyeliner in Teddy – one of the best in brown/black/gold (smudge-able and long wearing). Drawn along both top and bottom lashes and dotted inside the lash line, and then smudged with a thin synthetic brush to create no hard edges.

Lancome Color Design Quad Eye Shadow in Showstopper Style (this is the best set of shadows I’ve found that works well on so many different skin tones). I generally don’t use the lightest shimmery shadow in this quad (four different eyeshadow colors in one palette) on women over 45, as the highlight in the corner of the eye often looks overdone. Instead I use the tan shimmer all over her lid but not above the crease, as well as very softly under the bottom lashes before the liner, smudged with a q-tip.

Lancome Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow Smooth Hold Matte in Mochaccino, which is a soft taupe-brown, which I use lightly along the outer edge of the lashes and gently fade towards the outer corner of her lid

Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara in Very Black – enough to seriously coat the upper lashes

Kjaer Weis Cream Blush in Blossoming (one of the most incredible all natural  – 95% organic – makeup lines on the market. added bonus: beautiful refillable containers) I like to apply with a soft synthetic brush and then blend with the sponge in small taps.

Laura Mercier Lip Liner in Baby Lips – I first line her lips, and then fill them in with the pencil to help the color stay longer and appear more intensely.

Laura Mercier Creme Lip Colour in Tea Rose

Dr. Haushka Lip Balm in a pot, applied on top for a little added shine without any of the stickiness or reflectiveness sometimes inherent in lipgloss.

I’m new to working with this beauty. I loved how other makeup artists painted her up for last year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards and for the Golden Globes, and I wanted to make sure the makeup I gave her held up to their  high level of artistry. So far this week none of the public appearances I’ve readied her for have been quite so glamorous, but I work from the mindset that no matter what my client is going out to do, they’re going to walk out that door looking incredible.

This makeup look is from an event the Mad Men cast attended last night, and it’s pretty simple: liquid and gel black liner, lots of mascara, a perfectly flushed cheek and a pink/rosey lip bring a soft edge of femininity to this look that’s complete with slicked back hair, a boxy-shouldered Helmut Lang blazer and grey leather skinny pants.

What’s most stand out to me is just how radiant her complexion is – she’s neither shiny nor matte – and appears to glow from within. Granted, the lighting was pretty great in this photo, which isn’t always the case in these kinds of ‘okay, line up celebrities, we’re going to take a million pictures of you at this event now’ photos, and sometimes I’m devastated by the way a makeup look that appeared flawless in person looks in some of the red carpet images I see the following day. However, with January, a large part of that comes from the beauty she has within – I can tell you that with certainty – but just in case you were wondering, here’s what I used to get her skin to reflect that inner radiance:

Tata Harper 100% Natural Hydrating Floral Essence: This spray smells incredible and is infused with scents straight out of a flower garden… the one at Tata’s farm in Vermont! The scent of jasmine, tangerine and grapefruit add to the intoxicating aroma, and the hyaluronic acid (don’t be scared of the word acid – this kind of acid is really beneficial!) make it great for retaining moisture. It’s good for use on your entire body as well as your hair, and I often spritz it all over myself instead of/in addition to wearing perfumed oil.

Tata Harper Replenishing Nutrient: This really light, super fragrant blend of oils is one of my top favorites of all time. I have yet to encounter someone who doesn’t love it. I won’t go into all the good stuff it imparts in your skin here – I’ll save that for another post, but for now, just know that oils like this are rare (one of my other three favorite face oils right now is one from Kahina Giving Beauty ,and I used it on her today and her skin loved it, as well). When you use a face oil, just like when you use as a serum, make sure you take the time to really – but gently – massage it into your skin. Try to forget they’re your own hands and pretend you’re getting a spa treatment!

Tata Harper Reparative Moisturizer: Once the Replenishing Nutrient Oil had been absorbed, I gently added a little touch of this light, fragrant lotion to January’s skin to hold in all the moisture.

One thing that I love about Tata’s line is that she uses no preservatives, so there are no nasty extra’s you don’t need getting in the way of all the good stuff. What that does mean, however, is that you MUST abide by the use-by date on any product that has an emulsifier in it – i.e. the moisturizers and serums. That means enjoy using your products every day and don’t be stingy and think you can make a bottle last longer than advised- your face won’t benefit nearly as much!

Now I acknowledge that this isn’t a skincare line for someone who’s on a tight budget, but it’s definitely one of the best – and i don’t just mean that it’s one of the best on the natural beauty market – i mean it’s one of the very best on the skin care market as a whole, with Tata overseeing everything that goes in to her products (read her story here), and also, it’s your face – something you present to the world every single day, and the skin on your face goes through a whole heck of a lot with all the talking, laughing, yawning, crying, and sneezing we do, let alone all of the harsh elements it comes in contact with, and the way we don’t always eat or drink what we should (regardless of what products you slather yourself with, if you don’t eat or drink healthfully, your skin will likely show it). Don’t worry, though, there are less expensive lines that are working hard to compete, and I’ll post about some of them in future entries. I promise!

Now back to January: Don’t you agree – she’s glowing?