image source: me with my HTC ONE S

This is Melissa, Singaporean model/actress represented by Looque in a behind the scenes photo that I just had to share - I mean - look at that lip colour! I'll get there...

On Melissa's already flawless skin:

Skin: Prepped with Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream and IPSA On the Peak Eye Aesthetics - an amazing eye cream (why am I sharing this with the models - note to self: covet)

Foundation:  A combination of Dermalogica's Covertint in Medium with FACEatelier Ultra Foundation #1

Cheeks: Again with a combo, in order of application: MAC Cosmetics Posey Cheekblend Blush , Bobbi Bown Shimmer Brick Bronze in the hollows and Jemma Kidd All Over Dewy Glow in Iced Gold as a highlighter.

Eyes:
based with black|Up Cosmetics Intense Radiance Eye Shadow in ME04 from lid to brow bone and Mono Eye Shadow in MP04 at the top & bottom lash line
Tom Ford Onyx Eye Defining Pencil in the waterline
NARS Hollywoodland soft touch shadow pencil on the inner corner
Revlon Photoready 3D Volume mascara in Blackest Black

Le BIG finish:

Lips: GOSH lipliner in Pink Peony with Tom Ford Flamingo lipstick

The past couple of days I've been shooting with globe-trotting photographer David Dobson - his work is gorgeous AND he's a nice guy. See, fashion isn't just full of bitches... I kid.

Speaking of... 

Here's another behind the scenes I took from our shoot with members of [the] Collective - left to right: Angelique Nicolette Teo, Linda Black and Mohini Sule.

I know - I work with really ugly people. sigh

Happy New Year! [It's the 5th so still ok to say this for 2 more days.]

Now that we got 2012 out of the way it's time to plan getting out of hibernation for our Spring makeup hauls! Living in Singapore makes it a little easier to visualize warmer weather makeup because it's tropical here and summer all year 'round. *bragger alert!*

Yesterday I was on set with Cosmo Singapore for a March fashion story - since it's not a beauty shoot I can show you the makeup that we were all loving! *pats self on back*

image source

This is the lovely Oksana S with Upfront models Singapore. I predict, like a few other models that I have worked with recently, that she is going places.

On Oksana I used:

Let's start with the lips since that colour is gorgeous!

1. I based her lip with Givenchy lip pencil #4. Givenchy has the best lip pencils on the market. The colours are lush and apply smoothly - zero tugging! I line and fill in so you don't end up with the harsh lip lined look which is very Soccer Mom *shudder*
2. I then applied the OCC Lip Tar in Cha Cha. I have a love/hate with OCC Lip Tars. I find that they are a little messy - you have to use them extremely sparingly otherwise before they set the colour creeps into the teeth - but once they set OCC Lip Tar is going no where. I find they work great as a primer since anything you apply over top goes on like silk.
3. I finished with FACE atelier's Lip Glaze in Paradise. Totally digging this combo.

Now we can rewind from the start:

Face

Dermalogica - I know - quelle surprise! Everyone I doll up gets Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream [  [{$39.00 USD at Ulta] on their skin as it gives me that best skin texture to work with. The key to great makeup is the skin you are starting with and I find the smoothing cream helps in giving me a smooth base... can I use smooth one more time in a description? Urgh - can you say thesaurus?

Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35- Light  $42.00 USD Barneys New York mixed with a little FACE atelier Ultra Foundation #1


Savoir Faire Concealer $46 SGD - I didn't use the powder - not a fan of powder under the eyes unless you are trying to look older - not many of us are... just the 15 year olds trying to get served.

Eyes

On the lid I used a MAC colour that of course, is discontinued. sigh I have a habit of that - but you could use MAC Gorgeous Gold - that's close to what I used.

Soap & Glory Solar Powder £11.00 at Boots I used this both as an eye contour and a cheek contour.

I used Onyx (middle colour) top and bottom at the lash-line from the Bobbi Brown 'Extreme Party' Eye Palette (Nordstrom Exclusive) $75.00 USD at Nordstrom

At the brow bone and inner corner of the eye I used NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Hollywoodland $24.00 USD at Sephora

I filled in her brows with a Brunette MAC brow pencil from their new brow line which has recently launched! The Strawberry Blonde brow pencil is perfect for me so those who ask me in person if my hair is brown can stop... clearly I am a redhead - temper and all.

MAC 'In Extreme Dimension Lash' Mascara (Premiering at Nordstrom)  $20.00 USD  at Nordstrom I LOVE testing out new MAC products. This mascara is amazing - zero clumping, no smudging and holds a curl.

Cheeks

As I mentioned above - I had sculpted Oksana's cheeks with Soap & Glory's Solar Powder first.

MAC Powder Blush in Supercontinental $20.00 USD at Nordstrom with its satin finish it has a light-refractive sheen-style finish adding subtle highlights to the skin - but I love a good highlight so I added more with two products - the NARS Miss Liberty and...

Jemma Kidd makeup School DEWY GLOW in Iced Gold £18.95  at Zalando - I have heard the rumour that Jemma Kidd is going under... anyone have the full scoop?? I hope that's not true but if you haven't added this to your beauty arsenal then hop to it Beauty Bunnies as this is a LUST HAVE.

TIP! Apply this FIRST before you add any powder product - you can layer the Dewy Glowy over powder but powder finishes will get a little disturbed so best to layer your creams and liquids together before your powder products.

Oksana's behind the scenes selfie. You can follow her on Instagram.

Monique Péan Rose Cut Diamond Necklace $117,915.00 at Barneys New York From the Monique Pean Atelier collection, recycled 18k white gold necklace set with 29.64ct antique white rose cut diamonds.

Or if that's a buck or two out of your budget, try these:

Mini Body Gift Set by REN A great stocking stuffer featuring four travel size bottles of REN's best-selling body products, including the zesty and uplifting neroli and the relaxing and luxurious rose . Features - Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash 50ml - Moroccan Rose Otto Body Cream 50ml - Neroli and Grapefruit Body Wash 50ml - Neroli and Grapefruit Body Cream 50ml 

For that shoe addicted friend of yours Heels Diva are shoes accessories jazzing up simple heels. Shop online here. [Great stocking stuffers too!]

Tangerine Vert Eau de Parfum 100ml, Miller Harris £90.00 - Sicilian green tangerines share a fragrant basket with grapefruit and lemon, seductively muted with herby marjoram, geranium and orange. A base of cedar, moss and sweet musk ensure equal appeal to both sexes.

Now I used to think that fragrance was a useless gift. How do you know what scent to buy someone?? Ok - sure - if you know what they wear then fine, easy peonesey BUT then what? I met up with the ladies at Escentials and picked up a few tips on buying perfume for others:

• Do they have favourite everyday scents? If your wife/GF/sister is cutting a lemon does she express how much she loves lemons? Note that!
• Whatever she enjoys doing could have a say in scent. Is she active? Love the outdoors? Fresh cut grass? Note that!
• Is she a clean freak? Always cleaning - likes things fresh? Believe it or not - note that!

Escentially take note of any possible hint at what she loves to smell or even taste as these can be the making of a fine scent.

Bobbi Brown 'Extreme Party' Eye Palette (Nordstrom Exclusive)  $75.00 USD at Nordstrom or $129.00 SGD at Tangs. Tangs has an estore but not everything is available from their site which they don't seem to tell you... this palette is available in the stores.

*If you are buying for a makeup junkie then the holiday palettes are a great gift idea. There are so many and they do have different price ranges. FYI, holiday palettes are usually seasonal so she is guaranteed not to have it... unless she is a shopaholic.

You can give the gift of a two hour makeup lesson with a makeup artist or a wardrobe revamp with a fashion stylist but this I caution you: MAKE SURE SHE WANTS IT. No woman wants to be told by way of a gift that she needs a makeover - save that to submit her to be on a makeover show!

On the topic of education - why not gift a class?

Image source

You can learn to ReStyle your furniture by DIY'ing some furniture updates.

Learn how to do basic manis & pedis for fun or for a side business.

Cooking vacations!?! Sure I'd love to learn how to make pasta... IN ITALY!  [HB... hint] of course you can check locally if a flight to Italy isn't in the budget after that schwanky necklace purchase (see above). Many local restaurants are offering hands-on experiences with their chefs.

Whole Foods offers workshops too - for those lucky enough to have Whole Foods in their city.

NM Virtual Gift Card, $1,000 at Neiman Marcus of course there is always the gift card [cop-out] option in which case the dollar amount shows how much you really care... Available in other amounts.

I have so many ideas for us gals so this will be a bit of a series. Stay tuned for part 2!

Have a guy to buy for? Check out my gifts for him

I've said it before: I love a makeover; especially when I am in control. *wink*

Therese has a fabulous blog, articulate and interesting. We first met when I had a Twitter giveaway for MINX nails.

Therese popped by my petite studio for another go in the beauty hot-seat.

Luscious locks right? A hairstylist's dream to be given carte blanche. Thanks Therese!

With all the mirrors covered Therese could only guess how silly she looked at this point.

After cutting the perimeter and point-cutting her layers with my scissors I wanted to add a little texture with my razor.

NOTE: Don't shy away from a hairstylist's razor as the effect can be quite cool. I love it for added texture and volume for free-style hairstyles. You just need to make sure your stylist's razor is sharp otherwise your hair will split. I put in a new blade minutes before cutting Therese's hair. Need a middle-woman for your hairstylist? Take my tips with you.

The big reveal...

Ta da!!!

The colour breakdown: I put 2 shades of foils in her hair, cinnamon and dark mahogany; leaving the top of her hair and hairline her natural colour. Why? Her natural shade is beautiful. Asian hair has a tendency to absorb light without dimension so my goal was to create dimension and a low maintenance but fun style for her. Find more Asian hair colouring tips here.

Prepping for makeup. One of my favourite things that I have found in Singapore is this dohickey velcro hair thingy. It works great for keeping a fringe (bangs) swept out of the way without a clip mark left in the hair when you remove it. Beauty Geek loves these too!

Another fave of mine: Shadow Shields, they catch the eyeshadow fallout. I do have some for sale if you live in Singapore and want some. DM me for details.

The finished makeup.

What I used:

FACEatelier Ultra Foundation #5

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP [I constantly give them love and no one from Benefit has ever tried to reach out to me so I mention them out of pure love for the product with zero industry perks. Translation: it's THAT good.]

A light brown Ben Nye eyeshadow in the crease or you can get Wedge by MAC Cosmetics, same thing.

Bobbi Brown Gel liner in Bronze

Mascara on top of Therese's beautifully permed lashes! OMG - totally seeking eyelash perming now... I WANT!

Lips were glossed with a bronzey-lipgloss I got in one of my BellaBox boxes. Beauty subscriptions are such a fab idea!

The new Therese!!

I blew out Therese's hair with a medium size round brush using Marc Anthony's [no, not the singer] Anti-Aging leave-in treatment and the Strictly Curls spray for loose bounce and waves.

We had soooo much fun. Click to see Therese's blog about her makeover experience.

Who's next??

Image: Zurina Bryant, grooming on the dear boy (said with a Brit accent) by Andrea Claire (c'est moi) using Dermalogica and FACEatelier, a great base for boys on film. (You must get that spin of Duran Duran... yes?... no?)

Oli Pettigrew is a TV host here in Singapore. I met him briefly at the launch of [the] Collective and then I had the pleasure of appearing on Cash Cab Asia's celebrity episode alongside TV host Anita Kapoor. We were playing for charity... I learned that we aren't as smart as we look. Anita: agree? LOL

Image: Zurina Bryant, hair & makeup: Andrea Claire (c'est moi encore) using an array of Dermalogica, FACEatelier, Bobbi Brown, Benefit, MAC, Urban Decay... I think that about covers it... Not that I'm saying Linda needs THAT much...

Texas transplant Linda Black, a former model turned TV host and you know why - girl can keep up with her husband's banter and then some. (PS her HB is Oli, if you haven't figured it out)

The quick-on-their-feet TV power couple are always a joy to see on screen and off.

Check out [the] Collective to see what other company they keep.

Oli's Twitter

Linda's Twitter

Zurina's Twitter

You may remember that my daughter Sage and her friend Vivien made an appearance on my blog when they went to prom and suckered me into dolling them up then. Well, congratulations to them both! They have made it through the year a) remaining friends and b) graduating high school!!!

And as with prom, Sage and Vivien took advantage of me again to get them ready for their grad photos.

Dear All Young Ladies: Keep in mind these photos are forever and mainly for your parents to celebrate the inevitable; you're moving out!!! You are not going clubbing so keep your makeup simple and clean.

First in my hot seat: Vivien.

Vivien uses Proactiv on a regular basis which has left her skin very dehydrated. I based her skin with Dermalogica's Skin Smoothing Cream and Multivitamin PowerFirm under the eyes. I advised Vivien that she needs to exfoliate and take care of her skin. Overly dehydrated skin will show aging prematurely; it is important to Age Smart. If you don't exfoliate regularly your skin will look dull and makeup won't apply as smoothly as it could.

Makeup on Vivien:

Dermalogica's Treatment Foundation in 1G layered with FACEatelier #4.

High Definition Liquid Concealer $20.00 at Smashbox

NARS Bronzing Powder, Casino $34.00 by NARS at Beauty.com

M·A·C Powder Blush in The Perfect Cheek (not as shown) $20.00 by M·A·C at Bloomingdale's

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner $19.00 by Benefit at Bloomingdale's I know, quelle surprise - I use it all the time.

RMK Ingenious Natural Eyes in #7

I layered two mascaras:

L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes $8.99 by L'Oreal at Target

Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Waterproof Mascara $7.99 by Revlon at Ulta

Clean & Clear Lip Balm

Sage's skin is smooth because she steals my Dermalogica on a regular basis when she runs out of her own. I based her with Dermalogica's Active Moist and Multivitamin PowerFirm.

Makeup on Sage:

Bobbi Brown's new BB Cream in Light

For Sage's massive dark circles Armani Beauty Master Corrector-2 $36.00 by Armani at Barneys New York

NARS Bronzing Powder, Casino 34.00 by NARS at Beauty.com layered with

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick - Pink Quartz $39.00 by Bobbi Brown at Sephora

Urban Decay Naked Palette $50.00 by Urban Decay at Macy's

I gave Sage the same mascara and lip combo.

School Photo Tips:

• Don't over-do it. You aren't clubbing. [ I know I said this earlier so I'm just driving the point home]
• Check your teeth, inner eyes for goop, comb your eyebrows and tame flyaway hairs
• Look for your light - the photographer will guide you but keeping in mind, the soft box of light will have diffusing effect on your skin, an added benefit to hide imperfections.
• Powder your t-zone only as the glow to your skin is pretty.

Now go get a job or a UNI degree!

My favourite shot. I wrapped loads of coloured hair extensions around her ponytail. Easy peasy pretty.

Hard to see in my scans but the little detailing I did on the nails with MINX Nails

If you want to see the full story you'll have to head to a magazine rack and purchase it.

Flying around the world certainly changes your outlook on many things and your thoughts tend to broaden... and well, some close. Those who travel know what I mean.

Sri Lankan Airlines was my mode of transportation this past weekend; I was off to do hair and makeup for a wedding party in Galle, Sri Lanka. Schwank.

At the airport check-in I asked for an aisle exit row or bulkhead seat (seats that are immediately behind business class with extra legroom. ) Also known as 'bassinet' seating when traveling with infants they are very helpful; cots are fastened to the wall so you can place your babe in there for naps. Tip: Want these seats? Get to the airport early to request them!! They are very helpful for the long haul flights if you are at the back of the bus.

Anywho... The check-in counter girl pleasantly promises me that I had a great seat. Now since I don't have the seating plan memorized for any aircraft I just had to go by her guarantee. I board the plane, find that I have crappy seat and notice that 1/2 the bulkhead is still available and same with the exit rows... Um...? I despise this type of ‘friendly but do nothing’ customer service. She obviously knows where she put me.

Once the plane takes off I plan to ask the flight attendant if I can move. I know many people who don't ask and just reseat themselves but I try to be courteous of the staff... Well, when the time is right I ask if I can move. The flight attendant walking down the aisle cuts me off mid-question and as she is still walking, waves her hand at me saying 'yes, yes, yes' over her shoulder. There is no way she heard my question, very dismissive. I am so adamant on great customer service that maybe at times I'm a little tough but then once you fly with some of the other Asia-based airlines you know that seamless in-flight service is not difficult to maintain.

Sigh. I move.

Food comes. As appetizing as the 'fresh' fruit looks I turn my nose up on hairy fruit. Ok so there was ONE hair... still a hair that never shed from my head. Frankly, hair or not, airplane food is never amazing.

Overall, Sri Lankan Airlines is quite comfortable and I'd fly them again, but not in economy. I was on an airbus A320, which means absolutely nothing to me. No matter how much I nit-pick SLA they will never be as bad as the crabby ladies on Amercian who need a makeover and a retirement home in Florida.

[I do want to point out that flight attendants do go beyond the duty many times. For example: This flight, as I was in line for the toilet, a male flight attendant checked the conditions prior to another passenger using and with a horrified look came out and asked who had just used the toilet. A glamorous looking elderly woman was ushered back to the toilet and asked to clean up her 'mess'. The flight attendant then spent another 5 minutes cleaning after she had cleaned it. Fast forward another hour, it had happened again after a male patron used the toilet! It always amazes me the condition of public toilets. There is a fairly simple rule that the masses of the world seem to have a hard time following: Don't be a pig!]

Kudos to the attendant that further cleaned the toilets, I would have quit my job on that spot. Customer service is important but I don't think one should take shit from anyone, nor do I think you should have to clean it up either.

Travel math. Know what I am talking about? Time zones and currency exchanges. I cannot grasp them. I have called my husband when he has been in other countries and the first thing I say is "what time is it there?" or I will google "current time in [insert the country]" before calling him. Usually I just call and he grumbles that it's some ungodly hour and can I please workout the time zone change. Whatever Dude, you married an artist. Deal.

If you see my itinerary showing travel to and from Columbo from Singapore, one can guess that there is a time difference. The flight out was to touch down in Kuala Lumpur for an hour but they changed it to a direct to Columbo; take off was 7:10 arriving at 8:40. An hour and 30 mins! Easy flight!! Return schedule 11:00 pm landing in Singapore 6:05 am... 7 hour flight. Wait... What?? Maybe we fly a figure 8 around mountains a few times or.... maybe I'm a dumbass.

When shopping I constantly ask my HB: “How much is this in U.S again?" I don't know why I ask for it in the U.S currency either since I am Canadian and we live in Singapore.

Clearly I'm an idiot.

While in Sri Lanka my HB has asked me not to venture much on my own. I thought it was out of jealousy that I'm hitting a country that he hasn't been to yet. Maybe concerned of his wife's safety from naivety? As I think about his request, I'm thinking it's more due to the combo of my math skills, money and markets. Oh well, there's always duty-free!!

Sidebar: After I decided for 2012 to not buy makeup for a while and use up the thousands worth that I have in my kit...

My duty-free trove this trip: Bobbi Brown. $400 Singapore dollars. [I'm a Shimmer Brick diehard]

The wedding went off with only one hitch... I'll give you a minute... [come on... that's a good one!]

While after the wedding, sipping champagne a guest flourished me with compliments on how "fabulous" the bridal party looked, me beaming proudly: ‘Thank you!’ He then added how great I was and 'cheap'… um… what?!

Dear Brit Event Planner: Sweetie, never call a woman ‘cheap’ in any conversation and since you never booked me you clearly have no sense of my rates.

I was elated by how lovely the ladies looked, how kind the family was and how amazing The Sun House in Galle was as a venue. The 2.5 hour car ride to the airport [pleasant driver but still a long car ride] mixed with memories of the flight into Sri Lanka led me to the decision that this cheap girl was bookin’ up into business class. [An upgrade to business class was not that much and since the bride had covered all my other costs on top of my fees, this was really nothing]

Well... Long story later, I’m sipping' bubbly in the lounge and told the flight was delayed... I kept asking and when I saw the 'now boarding' sign, the attendant on the desk assured me: "M'am it's just economy boarding we will come get you" I went over and asked 3x. Same answer each time. Well, I have travelled a lot and I was getting increasingly suspicious... Finally I saw 'gate closing' ahhhh... What?!?! I go over and the same woman ushers me out the door, says she had been looking for me (no, she hadn't) and that the gate was closing... Oh... And I was to run!! I race to the gate to meet up with a rep who is rushing me through the line saying that they were calling my name in the airport...well, if they were, they weren't calling in the lounge where I was the whole time. As she is rushing me through I tell her that I had asked numerous times and that the attendant was obviously lacking in her job. No apologies. She just smiles and says 'Never mind'.

Sure.

Never mind cuz Singapore Airlines flies to Sri Lanka.

As seen in Wedding & Travel, Asia.

Photography: Brendan Zhang

Styling: Furqan Saini

Hair, makeup & nails: Andrea Claire using Bobbi Brown, Deborah Lippmann and Oscar Blandi

See more of my bridal work here on my Canadian agent's site or here on my blog.

My lists for Best Hair and Best Skincare were kept at a list of 10ish; I fear this list will be longer so I will break it down into sections. Bear with me. [A sampling as to why you should believe me here.]

Primers

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer $30.00 USD at Bergdorf Goodman

Laura Mercier's foundation primer was the first I used and although I have tried and liked many others, hers is by far the best. Creating the ultimate canvas for foundation and makeup. Apply over moisturizer or onto clean skin before a Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer or foundation.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 $17.00 USD at Sephora

Another Primer that I have tried and like. The price point is more affordable than Laura Mercier and really, there isn't a big difference in results.

**Use Primers sparingly as some formulations if you use too much it will cause foundation to pill. You only need a pea-size for your entire face.

Foundations: I give you my top 3 as I can't settle on just one.

FACEatelier Ultra Foundation. I bet you saw that coming. I first used this since 2004 on Stylin' Gypsies and have been hooked ever since. Excellent coverage that still looks like your skin and not heavy.

Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer Oil-Free SPF 20 $32.00 USD at Sephora

A lightweight, tinted moisturizer infused with protective SPF 20. What it does: This oil-free, water-resistant tinted moisturizer helps skin look softer and younger with micro-fine light diffusing pigments. Perfect for daily use, it creates a sheer wash of natural color and helps diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Rae Cosmetics Climate Control a semi-sheer foundation with SPF that is heat and sweat-proof. Developed by Austinite Rochelle Rae in the heat of Texas. You have to work to blend quickly as this foundation sets pretty fast but once it's on it ain't goin' nowhere.

Concealers / Under-Eye Brighteners

These to me fit in the same category and not because they are the same thing but because if you have very little baggage under your eyes you may just require an under-eye brightener. Or if you look like you have excess then you may need to dab some brightener on top of your concealer.

By Terry Touche Veloutee, $55 USD is a new find for me. I LOVE it. Makeup Artist, Terry de Gunzburg developed YSL Touche Eclat [which is meh for me; I find the texture chalky] and now has her own line. If you are an Eclat-fan then the transition is a must for you. If you were like me and meh on the Eclat then this is definitely a no-brainer.

Amazing Cosmetics A Little Amazing Light Golden 0.2oz $28.00 USD at SkinStore

This concealer erases dark circles, blemishes, broken capillaries, sun damage and redness with only using tiny amounts of product.Called the ""magic eraser"" by beauty insiders, Amazing Concealer will transform your skin... into Amazing skin.""

I've tried this once feeling and seeing the results immediately. So - keeping in mind that I just bought it and haven't thoroughly tested it yet - but the results at first sight were amazing.

Soap & Glory Trick And TreatmentTM Double-Action Under Eye Dark Circle Corrector $18.00 USD at Sephora

It features a special yellow pigment mix to neutralize dark purple under eye circles. The formula also includes soft-focusing spheres to instantly minimize fine lines and clinically-tested levels of HALOXYL™ dark-circle -lightening peptides. What else you need to know: HALOXYL helps mobilize sluggish, dark under-skin pigment. It works by slowly attacking the root of dark circles while instigating a quick cover up.

Yup. It works. One shade though... any darker skin lovelies care to comment?

Master corrector $36.00 USD at Giorgio Armani

Corrective concealer in four color-balancing shades designed to target specific complexion concerns. Exclusive micro-fil technology allows for targeted correction, visibly concealing imperfections while light-reflecting pearls impart a halo of light imparting a seamless, flawless facial canvas. Corrective concealer shades include:

• 1. pink: counteracts sallow, dull skin and effectively corrects yellow and olive pigmentation.
• 2. orange: targets olive or darker skin tones to conceal under-eye circles, freckles, dark spots and hyper-pigmentation.

**Normally at this stage you would lightly powder. I'm not a powder fan. My opinion: it's the most over-used makeup. If you want to age yourself use powder. It accentuates fine lines and makes the skin look dry. I use FACEatelier's Translucent powder SPARINGLY.

Bronzer

Sheer Bronzer $48.00 by Giorgio Armani at Saks Fifth Avenue

Great for sculpting! Create the glow of sun-kissed skin with Sheer Bronzer, a soft micro-fine bronzing powder. Copper and bronze hues warm skin, creating a sculpted glow with shimmering, honey highlights. All skin types.

Soap & Glory Solar Powder cheap and cheerful at 11 pounds... which is what in USD?? $22- ish? [insert Barbie beauty math here]

This comes with a subtle highlighter too so easy-peasey for scuplting. Subtle, blends as you apply so you won't look like an aging 80s rockstar.

LOVE Soap & Glory products. Every one I have tried I have kept in my box o'beauty.

Blush

FACEatelier Facade is a beautiful blush that blends out to a wash of colour. Great blendibility so you aren't playing beat the clock trying to blend.

NARS Powder Blush Cheek Color, Orgasm $27.00 USD by NARS at Beauty.com

Um. Yeah... as the name would imply... a beautiful just got laid colour.... If only there was a hair equivilent... Ladies, you know what I mean; show of hands if you actually have had sex with the intention of getting that look... come on... don't be shy...yay, me neither. *wink*

If you are lucky you can grab a limited edition NARS Danmari All About Cheeks Palette $65.00 USD. Long story but I have 2 - that I paid for, NARS shows me no makeup artist love. All of these colours are wearable for everyone and a must-have for beauty pros. If you do a lot of bridal makeup click order now.

EYESHADOW

Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner $19.00 USD at Benefit

The only downfall with this product is there are not enough colours. I love it. The texture is sheer but you see it. Benefit's cream shadows are a great base for any eye makeup too as it can act like a bit of a primer. I can layer many colours on top and they don't flake or crease. The most used item in my kit is my Benefit Creaseless Eyeshadow in Birthday Suit. Need a smoky eye? Here.

M·A·C Eyeshadow $15.00 USD by M·A·C at Nordstrom

With a plethora of colours you can't go wrong when looking for a new shadow hitting the MAC counters. One of my FAVE colours of all time is SHROOM. A great champagne colour for the inner eye, brow arch and anywhere else you want a smidge of a highlight.

Yaby Cosmetics has many wonderful things in their line and this is one of my favourite palettes. The pigments are so powerful and look so gorgeous on anyone that I work on. A must for any beauty addict.

I'm still on the search for a great black intense shadow, Any suggestions? The ones I have tried are either wimpy or shimmer. I want a great intense, I'm a goth-type black shadow. Trust me, I have tried a lot and I'd be surprised if someone can come up with one that I haven't tried. Oooo, a challenge! :)

Eyeliner

Powerpoint Eye Pencil $15.00 USD at M·A·C

I have so many of these. I love them. They are easily blended and stay-put.

L'Oreal-Voluminous Mistake-Proof Marker Eyeliner $6.99 USD at Ulta

L ́Orèal Voluminous Eyeliner Mistake-Proof Marker has an exclusive Slanted Applicator that provides a flow that is controlled and continuous allowing you to line your eyes perfectly every time.For a soft look, use the pointed tip to draw a thin, fine line.For a more dramatic look, use the slanted side to draw a thick, full line.The fragrance-free formula is water-resistant and won¿t smudge, fade, or smear for all-day wear, up to 12 hours.Ophthalmologist and allergy tested, this eyeliner is suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.Removes easily with eye makeup remover. (.056 oz)

D) All of the above. It's amazeballs. Buy it.

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner $21.00 USD Sephora

Get the precision of a liquid liner with the ease of a gel-based formula. The eyeliner glides on smoothly and precisely, then quickly dries down to a long-wearing, water-resistant finish. Also an Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner.

Mascara

L'Oreal Voluminous Dramatic Volume Building Mascara $6.99 USD at Ulta for bold and beautiful lashes, with dramatic volume.

I first tried this when I was the L'Oreal Paris lead hairstylist for Canadian Idol. L'Oreal was uber generous with their products and I could have opened up my own shop with the product they supplied us for Idol [I led hair for L'Oreal Paris Fashion Week in Toronto for 3 seasons too] I came away with much love for L'Oreal Paris and this mascara is my kit staple.

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara

$5.99 by Revlon at Target

I have been trying this mascara lately. I have the brownish-black - normally I wear black as I find the brown/ brown-blacks not intense enough, This colour has depth and when I wear it I don't feel the urge to grab my black mascara. Easy to apply and zero under-eye bleeding or smudging. I love the volume I get too - much needed for my aging lashes. *sigh*

Majolica Majorca. Good luck finding this is North America as I don't think it's available there. Anyone?

I love the brush - you can get right to the roots with no fuss.

Lip Liners

Yes - they can look harsh but they do have a purpose especially with the red lips trending right now.

Givenchy Lip Liner

$24.50 USD by Givenchy at Sephora A long-lasting, waterproof lip liner pencil with sharpener. Literally glides onto lips without feathering as it provides a precise line. Enriched with vitamin E, the formula protects lips while skin conditioners retain moisture.

Honestly Givenchy, you need more colours. You have the best lip liners but I need more colours!

MAC Lip Pencil $14.00 USD at Dillard's

Where Givenchy fails in colours MAC wins! Everyone knows MAC for their vast colour range. I find the pencils a smidge dry, I'd like to see a reformulation with some slight added moisture then they would be perfect!

Lipstick

The best neutral goes to Bobbi Brown for the lip colour in Beige. It is wearing out from my 1991 Anniversary palette. One of her original colours so happy to know that it's not a limited edition and I can snag a full tube anytime. A great colour wearable for so many women.

Julie Hewett Noir Lipstick $22.50 USD at Anthropologie

This double-pigmented formula is blended with healing camellia oil and essence of rosebud, for color that will stay on your lips for hours but never dry them out.This claim is so ridiculously true. These lipsticks are genius. I don't know how she did it but the pigments are so vivid and stunning. I use them on shoots, brides and myself. They last longer than the Energizer Bunny.

Highlighter

Jemma Kidd Makeup Dewy Glow Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme, Iced Gold $30.00 USD at Beauty.com

Hands-down the BEST highlighter I have ever used. I have tried others that come close but this one I will cry if Jemma Kidd ever discontinues it. A little goes a long way. When you apply this turn your head slowly in the light to see how it catches the light. You want to see it as you turn not when you are static. If you see a lot of highlight staying still then you have applied way too much and then you will just look sweaty Betty.

XO

There's my list!

What are your faves?? Anyone hate anything on the list? Not sure who could possibly but if it doesn't work for you tell me why - maybe it's your technique and I can happily help correct it.