On the heels of my first televised interview (I’ll post a blog with the video in it soon) describing how I made my way from my previous career as a social worker to the world of makeup, I thought it fitting to share with you this bit of my back story… as well as what I’m currently carrying in my own personal makeup bag, as I told it to Sarah Howard, of beautybanter.com. 

“My first real intro to makeup started when I was 8. I was going to a friend’s house for a sleepover party, and out of the blue, my mom gave me a big ziplock bag of all sorts of products from the back of her makeup drawer. The ones that still stand out in my mind consist of a super shimmery grey eyeshadow, electric and pale frosty blue eye shadows, intensely pigmented peachy pink liquid cheek color, and an orange lipstick in a gold tube that I doubted she ever wore. I packed that ziplock full of tricks in my overnight bag and I was the hit of the party.

Soon thereafter it was my birthday and my mom invited her friend, who I vaguely remember was a makeup artist – maybe at a local department store counter – over to do makeup on all my friends. We still have the photos, and it was the first time I saw my blonde/red eyelashes with mascara – and I LOVED it. I couldn’t believe I had eyelashes like everyone else’s- dark and thick and framing the shape of my eye! That was the beginning of me begging to wear makeup, and my interest in all things beauty.

I got sidetracked for most of my early career-life, devoting my time to being a social worker  – which couldn’t have been the furthest thing from the world of beauty or fashion- my own wardrobe not excluded. The one thing that I did insist upon was introducing ‘beauty days’ to my clients – particularly around special days like mothers’ day, or valentines’ day – where I’d either collect products to pamper them, or bring in makeup or hair artists to give on-site makeovers to the lovely ladies who came in to my office for help.

I had the most gorgeous clients – of every skin tone, hair type, and ethnic background. I remember there would be times when I was floored by the beauty of a mother and daughter from west Africa, both with amazing skin, draped in gorgeous fabrics of rich color, or the stunning Latina clients with deep dark eyes and features that women pay plastic surgeons to recreate on their own faces. I was also really lucky to work with a large transgender population, and in particular, male-to-female transgendered folks who frequently dressed as women. It was from those clients that I learned the fantastic transformative power of makeup, and I knew I wanted to make a switch to try my hand at the beauty industry full-time.

I didn’t know enough to be scared, so I marched into all the different agencies and eagerly told the agents who would speak to me that I was willing to work for cheap, and that I wasn’t a kid who would screw around on set – I was there to work! It all happened so quickly, and after assisting some of the best for about a year, the agency that I love – The Wall Group – offered to sign me as their first makeup artist on their brand new emerging talent board.

That was nearly 6 years ago, and I can’t believe how far I’ve come, and how much I love this industry. I began my career in social work helping women feel better, and I love that I still get to do just that, every single day. I’m extremely passionate about the burgeoning green beauty component, and love finding out about new products made with ingredients that are safe enough to eat.

This year I decided to leave NYC and spend awards season in LA, rather than flying back and forth. Plus, I hate the cold so it wasn’t a difficult decision. Award season is full of excitement for me. I love working with the beautiful and funny Isla Fisher, and got to switch up her look a lot for the Golden Globes (pictured) – and she loved it. Doing makeup on the gorgeous and talented actress, Amanda Seyfried, is always such a treat as well. I like doing all kinds of makeup, but what I like most, is making a face we’re all familiar with really dazzle on the red carpet. Nothing is better for me than when I hand my client the mirror after finishing creating her look and seeing her eyes widen and a smile spread across her face as she takes in her reflection.

• My makeup bag is from Kahina Giving Beauty. They make fantastic products and give back so much to the Berber women in Morocco who make them. The products in my bag are simple but contains exactly what my staples are when doing a red carpet look.
• Dr. Alkaitis Universal Mask: I carry the sample size in my purse just in case I travel and forget to bring the full size! This green mask is truly therapeutic – it soothes, nourishes, and calms my skin when it’s inflamed or broken out. The key is to keep it damp while it’s on your face – spritzing with water or hanging out in the shower, letting the steam keep it damp.
• Vered Organic Botanicals Balancing Face Oil: It’s an herb infused oil that contains anti inflammatory and anti bacterial components. My skin is so sensitive, and I love that this one never irritates it and I think, calms my breakouts. I use it day and night, and I’m never stingy with application. I only use oils on my clients, too which I know is why they always glow on the red carpet.
• Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler: Simply the best. Change the pad every 6 months, and get a new one every year, if you use it daily. Clamp it as close to the roots as you possibly can and your eye will instantly open. Every actress I work with knows I’ll be curling the hell out of her lashes.
• Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara Very Black: I’m obsessed with lashes. This is my favorite, despite it not being a ‘green’ beauty product. I don’t care – it does the job and gives long, thick, lush lashes that stay all day- and I use, like, 10 coats.
• Kjaer Weis Lip Tint in “goddess”: I love this deep rich color, and that it’s sheer while still well pigmented. I love to use it on my cheeks, too! It looks awesome on so many skin tones, as well, and the color is totally buildable.
• Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Sweet Violet: this is my go-to for every day, all day. I have a zillion of them. It’s 100% natural and such an awesome color. It’s also what I like to give my clients for the after party when I know they’re not going to be interested in keeping up their precise lipstick look that I created for them. This is easy, moisturizing, and full of color, and there are a number of other colors, so I can pick the one that matches each client best.
• Zoe Organics 100% Organic Everything Balm: I use this delicious little stick on everything – scrapes, rashes, bites, rough cuticles- you name it. I have one in my work makeup kit and use it all the time when I want to moisturize shoulders and upper arms, but can’t risk getting any oils from lotion or cream into the hair (or the hairdresser will kill me!)
• Ilia Beauty Balmy Days Lip Balm: When I don’t feel like having any color on my lips, this is my favorite. It’s full of coconut oil and feels delicious. I give them out to clients to use at night leading up to red carpet events because they’re so penetrating and rich – they get a pout ready!
• Tata Harper Aromatic Stress Treatment Roll-On Oil: I keep this with me at all times, both to bring immediate relaxation to myself and my clients. I always roll some on my wrists before I start a makeup application so my client can enjoy the effects of aromatherapy – particularly before stepping out onto the red carpet. They generally ask to have some put on their wrists before leaving the house, too!
• Roots Rose Radish: The pretty little open shell on the right of the photo is another scent that I love from a really cool company started by a woman who’s a trained herbalist – and a doula! – and she makes everything she sells. This one is freakin’ delicious: rose, franinscense and patchouli – but not *that* kind of patchouli. It’s warm and earthy and rich and makes men go nuts in the best way when they smell it!
• Celsius Bio Intelligence Scar Cream: My friend Spirit, of the best ever green beauty product website: spiritbeautylounge.com, gave this to me to try when I told her I’d gotten a bad burn on my finger. It’s full of healing ingredients and is all natural… and it worked! I keep it on me just in case anyone has a healing cut that needs a little TLC.”

You know when you find a product, or a few products from one company, that with barely any effort on your part, make you look GREAT? Great, in the way that everyone who sees you asks if you’ve been on vacation, or if you’re trying something different with your hair… that way in which you look so naturally good and polished that no one can tell what’s different?

Well, Vapour Organic Beauty’s multi-use cheek and lip color has been that for me for quite some time, now.

About two years ago I was lucky enough to receive some of their best selling cheek and lip stains and multi-use cheek and lip colors. I sorted through them, picked out my favorites for me and few friends – all of us with different coloring – and immediately put Courtesan 213 on my cheeks.  I looked like I’d just been in an hour and a half yoga class – alive, glowing, and somehow peaceful and happy. That’s a lot to ask of a cheek color, but I kid you not – that’s how I felt, and as the days (and now, years) have passed, I continue to get that positive reinforcement from those around me when I wear it – so I know it’s true.

I know that many of you are hesitant to use a cream cheek color. I know this because I get emails about it, and people will often ask me when I teach classes or am interviewed for articles: how do I apply it? Will the color stay throughout the day? Will it make me break out?

All great questions, and after many years of using cream cheek colors (from NARS’ multiples to 3-custom color sheer cheek stains, to those from the natural brands that are taking the cosmetic world by storm: RMS, Kjar Weiss, Revolution Organics, Isa’s Restoratives, and of course, Vapour), I know that cheek creams across the board are my personal favorite, both for work and on my own face.

I encourage you to try it on a well moisturized face (but let your moisturizer or oil sink in for a few minutes before applying your cheek color), with clean fingers, and just press the color into the apples of your cheeks – the part that perks up when you smile. Use your fingers or a brush or a sponge to tap and blend so that you can’t see the edge where the color begins to fade off your apples. I often set the cheek color with a sheer application of a corresponding powder blush if I know I (or my client) won’t have a chance to look in the mirror to refresh. That’s the only complaint that I have heard about cream cheek colors -particularly about those from the natural brands – that color tends to fade as the day wears on. My response: it’s a good thing we carry purses! Reapplying is not a bad thing! We should be looking in the mirror half way through the day to see how we’re presenting ourselves to others, no?

On the lovely Chelsea I used a very sheer application of Vapour’s Aura Stain in ‘Impulse’, and I applied it with my fingers to her very well moisturized cheeks, and then I used a brush to blend the edges seamlessly. Impulse is a very intense color and if you apply it from the tube, or more densely with your fingers, you’re going to get a lot of color deposit. My friend came over the other day wearing it as a lipstick and it was amazing – and very intense! It’s all about how you apply it, which is cool because you can personalize it, and create different looks with the same product. Two treats (or more) in one!

I topped off the center of each cheek with the most sheer application (this time applied with a wispy brush) of Vapour’s shimmer cheek color in Whisper. As you may know, I’m not much of a fan of anything with shimmer for real life, but in photo shoots, out at night, and on the red carpet, it can look awesome when applied sparingly, and camera flashes pick it up quite nicely.

One quick story: the day I received the package from Vapour about two years ago was a long and exhausting one, but when I got home from work around 10pm, I couldn’t help but open the bag and start trying everything. By midnight I’d sampled each piece, and I found myself doing something I don’t think I’d ever done before: I looked up one of the creators on Facebook and messaged him to tell him how much I loved the products. I sent him, essentially, a love note, at 1am! After I sent it I thought: he’s going to think I’m looney. Lucky for me, he must be a night owl, because I got the nicest message in response from him – at 2:30am!  Since then, I’ve had the pleasure to have spent time with the co-founder and formulator, Kristine Keheley. She’s one of those women who knows everything about ingredients, knows how to explain what she knows for the average person,and is both scientist and artist.

It makes me feel so good to have respect for, and actually like the folks behind the brands I use.

I remember when I first met NYC-based makeup artist, Rose Marie Swift, the brain and heart behind  RMS Beauty. It was at an intimate talk put on by the Environmental Working Group, geared towards makeup artists,  to educate us about their skin deep database (a site that rates cosmetics for safety based on their ingredients, and is truly wonderful, groundbreaking…and should be used as just one tool with which to determine the safety of the products you use).

I sat as close as I could to Rose Marie so I could hear everything she said. I was really impressed by all she added to the conversation, and by the really to-the-point, smart questions she asked. Of course I went home and read up on her online, and soon after, went to a party (I can’t remember if it was the launch of her line?) she hosted at which I got to play with all the fun little coconut-oil based, rich and creamy, densely pigmented pots of color. I was hooked, and since then, have turned many of my clients and my friends on to them.

RMS recently launched two new colors that I LOVE. The day I got them I used the gold on Christy Turlington’s eyes, and have been having fun experimenting with the truly unique and beautiful gray/dark brown/blackish cream eyeshadow pictured on the left. It’s great for a smudgy, unstructured smokey eye. I also love the purple and brown eyeshadows that have a great reflective quality. With all of these you can choose to use your finger or a brush to apply, and Rose Marie assures me – a serious germs-in-my-makeup-ophobe that due to the absence of water, and the coconut oil base, and with the presence of vitamin E and other essential oils, bacteria is unlikely to grow within the product. I still choose to use super clean fingers (and often a super clean brush) for application, but I see others using fingers straight into the container.

I’ve been wearing RMS cheek colors in modest and smile for quite some time and I love them. A creamy cheek color or highlighter on a well-moisturized face is my favorite look. I’m not big on glitter, and I’ve not been disappointed by any of these shades, as even the shimmery ones have small enough particles of what makes them shimmer, that you really don’t see them, you just see a luminous effect.

One last thing: I’m always a fan of a cream cheek and eye. Cream products are easy to apply and kind of fool-proof if you blend well (remember: no hard edges!). Plus they allow healthy skin to continue to glow. It’s my go-to for women of color, in particular, as I’m often disappointed by powder products that can look chalky and not as intensely pigmented as they do in the package, once applied to dark skin tones.

The only drawback to cream products that I’ve found is that on most people, the color will fade more quickly than you may like. I’ve found this to be very true for pretty much all cream cosmetics that go the natural ingredient route. The good thing about RMS Beauty is that it’s actually super good for your skin, so reapplying during the day adds hydration and glow to your face and will never look cakey or dry.

RMS beauty just launched on QVC. I’m so happy for Rose Marie for all of her success. She’s a clearinghouse of knowledge about all things in the ‘green’ beauty world. I’m anxiously awaiting a new lip color that’s in the works. It’s super good.

WHAT’S IN THOSE LITTLE POTS?
Minerals that make the color, the best organic coconut oil, organic cocoa butter, organic shea butter, organic bees wax, organic jojoba oil, organic castor seed oil, organic argan oil, sunflower oil, propolis, non-GMO vitamin E, organic rosemary extract, Centella, organic vanilla

Checkout her faq section and scroll down to the question about preservatives to educate yourself about the options she uses, and how and where to store your RMS for best results. While you’re on her site, spend some time reading everything she’s written – it’s all really informative.

WHY GLASS CONTAINERS?
They’re fully recyclable and it’s important to RMS to avoid plastic packaging which she says has been shown to leach into the products they encase.

WILL THEY MAKE ME BREAK OUT?
It’s not likely, but those of us with super sensitive skin never know about these things. I have incredibly sensitive, acne prone skin, as do so many of my clients, and I’ve never had a breakout from an RMS cheek or eye color, nor have I heard from any of my friends or clients that they have. It’s generally synthetic oils that make faces break out, and luckily this product contains organic virgin coconut oil that has antibacterial properties to protect skin, jojoba oil that’s most like skin’s natural oil, and the organic argan oil and cocoa butter are unlikely to cause an outbreak. That’s saying a lot.

note: the candle is just a cute addition to the photo, and not a part of RMS Beauty packaging. I figured you knew that, but thought I should include a disclaimer, just in case.

Without some product and a little time and focused attention, my hair is super dry and frizzy. In humid climates it expands. When I’m by the ocean or in the jungle, my hair curls right up into frizzy little ringlets and sticks out all over my head. I hope someone will remind me of this the next time I fantasize about cutting my hair to chin length again. I’ve learned that keeping the length of my hair past my shoulders is a must if I don’t want to put three ounces of product in it to weigh it down every morning.

There are so many ‘green’ hair care companies on the market today putting out great products that really do the job of cleansing and smoothing without any of the harsh chemicals that our scalps and ultimately our blood streams and water ways just don’t need. You can take your pick from shampoos that make the most of every hair type- from thin and fine, to thick and coarse, as well as conditioners made to keep colored hair looking vibrant longer and unruly hair in-check. I love the scents of all-natural hair care. I was always really turned off by the highly synthetic floral and fruit fragrances available from mainstream brands. I can smell them now a mile away.

Early on in my journey down the natural section of the shampoo and conditioner aisle,  a friend and I were discussing how unhappy we were with how our hair looked, sharing that we each felt so sad that our once silky and shiny locks were no longer so vivacious.  We had a good laugh when we simultaneously blurted out which shampoo and conditioner from our local health foods store we’d both been using for the past month- it was the same one, and we both hated the results!  I promptly switched mine up and saw a big difference. It’s really all about trying a few until you find one that’s right for your hair type. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past few years, and I will admit that on occasion, I’ll stray from the all-natural world of conditioner if I feel that my hair looks less than optimal, even after I’ve sat with coconut oil coating my tresses for an hour.  A little silicone from any one of the mainstream conditioners, and my frizz is usually back in check for weeks to come. Says a lot for the lasting power of silicone, right?! Kind of scary, kind of wonderful.

My current all-natural favorites are:

• John Masters Organics Evening Primrose Shampoo for dry hair: I love the way this smells and how moisturizing it is. For those who have more fine hair, John Masters Organics makes a great shampoo for you, as well.
• John Masters Organics Citrus and Neroli Detangler: I love the fresh scent of this light conditioner. I’ll often use it as a leave-in conditioner, if I’m low on the leave-in Alaffia Enriching Hair Lotion.
• John Masters Organics Lavender and Avocado Intensive Conditioner: I’ll often use this every day when the weather is cold and the air feels dry. It keeps my hair so smooth and shiny.
•  Alaffia Shea and Virgin Coconut Enriching Shampoo, Daily Hydrating Conditioner, and Enriching Hair Lotion: The scent of this coconut-infused line is enough to keep me buying it again and again, and lucky for me, both of the main ingredients are wonderful for dry hair. Alaffia makes a number of types of shampoos and conditioners for a variety of hair needs, and they all smell delicious. I haven’t yet tried any of their skin care, but I’ve heard it’s wonderful, and their humanitarian-focused business structure makes my heart sing. Check out how cool their company is here. 

The two main things I keep in mind when evaluating which products in my beauty routine are the most important for me to keep as free from harmful chemicals as possible are:

1. Will I be using this on a daily basis, and
2. Will this come in contact with a large surface are of my body

Because shampoos and conditioners are first massaged into the scalp and then essentially coat the entirety of the skin (our largest organ!) as they’re rinsed off, they are at the top of my list of must-go-green items.

Next in line to try: Intelligent Nutrients, and Rahua. I’ll keep you posted! As always, if you love the products you’re using and want to share, please drop me a line.

My first introduction to ILIA lipsticks happened last year while poking around ABC’s apothecary section (I think that ABC, in NYC, is one of the most well edited, well curated stores, both in content and aesthetic.) In addition to a ton of beautiful things for the home, they carry the best of the best when it comes to non-toxic hair/face/body products. When you’re in NYC you have to check it out. It’s beautiful, you’ll want to own everything, and you’ll be bummed that so much is so expensive. That said, these well designed, sleek little silvery tubed lipsticks caught my eye, and were reasonably priced compared to other high-end lipstick lines. When I gave one a try on the back of my hand, I was surprised to find how well pigmented the color was, and how smoothly it went on. The only down side was that there were only 6 or 7 different shades available.

I came home and wrote to the ‘info’ email address from the ILIA website and asked some questions. Almost immediately I got really thorough answers back from owner and creator, Sasha Plavsic (who hails from Canada, but now calls LA home). She explained to me that she’s learned  a cosmetic can still be completely non-toxic, even though it contains a very small percentage of synthetic color.  Synthetic doesn’t mean bad for us, just as all-natural isn’t always good for us.  Without allowing for that teeny percentage of synthetic pigment, she explained, there’s no way to achieve the rich intensity of the colors we love in favorite lipsticks from MAC, NARS, and Tom Ford, to name a few. So the base into which she mixes the color is all-natural, organic, super nourishing, healthy for the lips and perfectly healthy for the rest of you – which is important since we all eat and absorb our lipsticks into our bodies every day.

Sasha worked diligently to create a product that would meet the Environmental Working Group’s strict guidelines (if you aren’t familiar with the EWG, please check them out.) They are highly informative and influential as an online encyclopedia for ingredients found in cosmetics and rates their levels of toxicity. I will absolutely write about them in their own post this month, and found a way to offer all the intensity of bold colors like orange, pink, and red, that have been missing thus far from all-natural lines. Then Sasha put them in great-looking containers. I’m a sucker for packaging, and this woman knows what she’s doing, with her strong background in design and marketing within the branding world.

The best news ever is that ILIA just launched a new collection, complete with 14 lip colors – 6 are highly pigmented, and the other 8 are still well pigmented tinted lip conditioners.  I’ve been wearing ‘Nobody’s Baby’  and ‘In My Room’ the past few days, which look like my lips, but better. I also love the hot pink lipstick shade ‘Neon Angel’. In addition Sasha’s also come out with some cheek tints and highlighter creams in a tube that look wonderful. (highlighter creams are for cheekbones, eyelids, bridge of the nose, cupids bow, etc.)  I’ll give them a try over the next few weeks and report back.

Finally, I really love her no-color lip balm. It’s one of my new favorites for sure.

My only request: ILIA, can you work on coming out with a a bright orange-red for your next edition?  I’d proudly wear it every day.

*note about the photo above: this is how much of a beauty product nerd I am – I got the products from ILIA on Friday around 6 and I decided to call off my plans that night so I could stay home and play with them, and play with taking pictures of them for the blog. Don’t they photograph beautifully?  Thanks, ILIA!!!

ILIA is sold at a good number of locations across the country and around the world (GO ILIA, GO!), see here for specifics as well as online at www.spiritbeautylounge.com