I know you all think I am writing this because I love to see myself in print...okay, you're right.
But, I want to present you with expert views from a variety of sources. My first collaborator, fittingly, is one of my oldest, OLDEST friends, Brian Thibodeaux. Brian has been a hair stylist and colorist for over 25 years (way, way over) and discovered soon into his career that his true art and passion was in hair color. One can learn technique, but true talent can only come naturally.
He has worked with most of the famous names in our business and has styled and colored the hair of celebs from singer Shirley Manson of the band Garbage to Jennifer Lopez. He has also worked with designers from around the globe, naming Paul Smith and Adrienne Vittadini as 2 of his favorites. Brian was a national Educator and Platform artist for both Matrix Essentials Color and Logics International Color for 6 years.
So, here in ( mostly) his own words, the man called "the best in the biz" by the Dallas Observer gives us the "heads up" - groan! Sorry, couldn't stop myself- on what he sees as the strongest trends for the season:
Anyone who has paid attention to everything from NY Fashion Week to HGTV has noticed that color is BIG...brighter, more shimmer, more intense.
At this point, allow me to interject that while I love to check out these trends, I am a strong proponent of the idea that many of us will follow these as if God himself is sending them down the mountain on a stone tablet by Moses, and that is not a good thing here. There is a fine line between being "fashionable" and becoming a "fashion victim". (Robert - PLEASE read this last line twice - there is a reason we call it "slave to fashion". That is not a compliment!)
But, there are some trends with hair and hair color that I believe may be worth taking a closer look. Deeper, richer tones in the hair are a huge trend right now and that translates for most of us into color that enhances the skin tones instead of washing us out.
YES, even if you are a highlighted blonde. Keep reading...
When highlighting hair, it isn't the hair you highlight that is important, it is the hair you don't highlight that has the most influence on your overall look.
It is the contrast that makes your blonde hair appear even lighter, but at the same time, adding a rich undertone and depth that will make your skin and eye color look brighter and healthier! Many women are afraid of red and/or gold in the hair but these tones are not only a fashionable addition to hair: they are a necessity for the majority of us if you want beautiful hair color. Very, very few of us look good in only cool tones...as a matter of fact, they quite often wash us out and make us look old and tired. So, without warm tones in our hair, it will begin to appear as grey and lifeless. Not a good thing. ( Robert - very true. I put a blue/mauve pencil on an actress' lips once for a TV movie - she was supposed to look as if she was being poisoned - worked great!)
As far as style, we will continue to see fuller hair that has some movement ( no jokes about Dallas "big hair" - it wouldn't move in a tornado). The "flat iron every strand to death" is finally taking a (much-needed) break. Even clients that have been getting the Keratin or Brazilian straighteners, are choosing to at least use the lighter version - often referred to as the "24 hour" on the first few inches of the new growth, then the regular strength through the shaft and ends. This allows the hair to be smooth and shiny, in addition to having movement and lift at the roots. I, for one, am happy to see that trend coming into vogue. (Robert - I agree. Volume and softness do very "kind" things to the face).
Thank you, Brian for giving us all your expert opinion on what we have been seeing. It sounds to me like these are all things that most women can benefit from - after all, who doesn't want hair that looks healthy and beautiful, not "tortured"?
I'll let Brian finish this in his own words. those of you who know me well, will understand why we are friends:
"Quite often, even now, it just doen't feel like work at all...more like hanging out with friends, but friends who apparently don't mind that I charge them to make them more beautiful! That seems like a fair trade, right?"
Brian Thibodeaux can be reached at Sola Salon Studios in Dallas, TX. 214-502-0188, http://www.solasalonstudios.com/ or at hairsaviour@me.com
until next time...
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Observations/rants about some of the Fall runway trends...
Here are a few I think we will see on a lot of people and a few others I hope to never see!
Ralph Lauren: Asian inspired looks paired with a red lip - not the brown/mahogany reds we have seen for several seasons, but a true RED . When paired with minimal blush and a clean lined eye it makes me think this is the top holiday trend.
DO NOT put this red lip with bright or really dark eyes unless you want to look like you are playing dress-up. If you are a drag queen, you are allowed to ignore this.
FYI- If you always wear a soft lip and have done the rest of your makeup to work with that color, just going in to a store and putting on a red lipstick is asking for trouble. Why would you expect it to look right? It is all about balance, so a better idea would be to wear a soft eye and try it on with that. When trying on a lipstick in a store - if the artist doesn't clean the lipstick with alcohol prior, you should ask for alcohol on a tissue, clean it yourself and let the store know that their makeup is not being kept sanitary. Don't be embarrassed,they are your lips and a dirty lipstick is about as dirty as it gets.
Prada: Another soft look, sparked with black liner in the inside rim of the eye. This trend showed up a lot this season - an easy way to take it to the real world would be to use a dark brown pencil (not shimmery) instead and keep the black for after 5. Waterproof pencils should NOT be used inside the eye - why would you put a waterproof product on a wet surface and expect good results? The only thing I would have changed is the pale, almost gone mouth. It always seems like a good idea, but really just ends up looking like you either forgot to do your lips or ran out of time.
Miu-Miu: Red eye shadow all over the lid? Ewwwww!!! Let's hope this doesn't catch on. Looked like an allergic reaction. A bad one. This was on the runway at numerous other shows - I'd name them, but they are all people we've never heard of. Wonder why?
Gucci: Warning! Don't try this at home! Ultra-pale skin with heavy black glittery liner/shadow and invisible brows and lips. The models looked like aliens, and I don't mean the pretty blue Avatar kind. I thought heroin chic was dead. Oh wait, it is.
Another trend that we are seeing and hearing about is purple everything: eyes, lips, nails. Literally everything. Although purple can be hard to wear for a lot of skin tones, there is almost always a way to incorporate it into your wardrobe. Polish on the toes is a no-brainer, even I could get away with that. But just because it is a hot color doesn't mean you have to put it on your lips or eyes or even worse, both. Don't let it overpower you. Pick a place and own it.
Can we PLEASE let go of these 2 (old) trends?
1. Hideous nail colors? Grey/green nails have to be the ugliest thing I have seen in ages! Obviously created by some male executive who hates women (it is so ugly, it has to be a joke). If you insist, at least use one with some frost - this helps a little. Very little, but a little.
2. Piling on the mascara! If done correctly, one or 2 coats is enough. I hear women say that it "opens" the eye, it makes their eyes show up, lashes look longer, etc. What it does is bring all the attention - both good and bad - to the eyelashes, not the eye and certainly not to your overall look. In a really bad case, it looks like 2 burn holes in a sheet! You may think it makes you look glamorous, but don't forget Tammy Faye Bakker and Courtney Love thought the same thing. Not good.
Oh well, so much for not offending anyone.
Until next time...
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Here we go again...
First, I'd like to thank all of you who read my initial blog post and left such nice comments on my Facebook page. Now, I would like to ask you to comment on the blog page, as well. If you loved it/hated it/wish my laptop would explode, whatever - let me know what you think. I would like this blog to be interesting and funny, and for that I want to enlist your help. Please ask questions, make suggestions on what you would like to read about and feel free to let me know if you don't agree ( I may not care much, but will certainly act like I do).
I would like to use today's post to discuss some of my feelings about makeup and beauty. Makeup has been my passion for many years. I knew I wanted to be a makeup artist when I was 14. I had skipped school and was home watching TV, when world-famous makeup artist George Masters came on, took a guest on the show and in less than an hour had transformed her from drab to pretty fabulous. The hair part didn't interest me, but I loved the transformation I saw from the makeup. I knew then that I wanted to do that. However, it was 1969 (don't hurt yourself counting, I'm 56) and I was in Alabama, so I thought I had as much chance of doing that as I did running away to Oz w/Dorothy - my back-up plan. BTW - red glitter shoes w/a blue gingham dress? Were there no gay people on that set?
Fast forward to the late 70's - I had moved to NYC, worked in a makeup shop on Madison Avenue, started to get some celebrity clients, etc. But I missed the South, so I moved to Atlanta. While working in a salon there George Masters came to do a personal appearance. I was finally going to meet the person that inspired me to choose this as a career. Little did I know that his assistant would quit and George would ask me to take his place. Duh, yeah! We traveled and worked together for several years until I decided there was more to life than hotels and airports. So, I settled in New Orleans in the 80's and fell immediately in love with this crazy, amazing place. This is home.
People ask where I went to makeup school. I don't think there were any when I started. I learned at the side of one of the all-time greats. George taught me things that I have never seen anyone else do and for that I will always be grateful. I would love to thank him in person, but he passed away in the mid 90's. Through my time working with him, I learned to love clean, simple makeup that focused the attention on the face, not the products. That has not changed. He also taught me how important the brows are to a face and the huge difference you can make by shaping them correctly. It is quite possibly the single most important thing you can do to improve your look. Discuss among yourselves.
OK, let's talk about some makeup,eh? I carry many products in my shop; there will be times that I include some of them in the discussion(s) and there will be times that I do not. I will always let you know if I sell something, just for the sake of full disclosure. First, let's all say how much we love YSL's Touche E'clat. I don't agree with the company's selling it as a concealer, to me it is more of a highlighter. You can hide darkness several ways: by covering with a color that matches your skin as closely as possible ( I use and sell Keromask, which we will talk about another day), color-correct/highlight with powder - Shu Uemura's M100 shadow is the greatest for this - just brush under the eye after everything else is done; or reflect back a brighter, "lit-up" surface by highlighting w/ a sheer, creamy formula - Touche E'clat. If you take this product and dot under the eyes, on the top of the cheekbone, up to the hairline, those hateful lines between the nose and mouth and in a "T" down the center of the face, then blend w/your foundation brush (you'd better be using one!), you will create a glow that looks really fresh and healthy. Again, I don't feel it takes the place of concealer, but when some of your darkness is due to bone structure, as with a recessed eye socket, adding this is the way to go. It appears to bring forward any areas you highlight with it. This is a technique (Chiaroscuro) that has been credited to both Leonardo Da Vinci and Michaelangelo - light comes forward, dark recedes. It is why we find black and white photography so beautiful...the play off of the dark and light along with the countless gray areas. Makeup is the same way - that is how we "re-shape and balance" a face. Just remember, as with almost all good makeup, a little goes a long way, you can always add, removing when you've put too much is an entirely different thing.
Today's Wisdom:
If you only choose to do a little makeup, concealer, lips and mascara, for instance, please get things that match well. If you're just going to wear a few products, all the more reason for them to be the right ones.
Hope you got something out of today's post. Let me know.
Until next time....
I would like to use today's post to discuss some of my feelings about makeup and beauty. Makeup has been my passion for many years. I knew I wanted to be a makeup artist when I was 14. I had skipped school and was home watching TV, when world-famous makeup artist George Masters came on, took a guest on the show and in less than an hour had transformed her from drab to pretty fabulous. The hair part didn't interest me, but I loved the transformation I saw from the makeup. I knew then that I wanted to do that. However, it was 1969 (don't hurt yourself counting, I'm 56) and I was in Alabama, so I thought I had as much chance of doing that as I did running away to Oz w/Dorothy - my back-up plan. BTW - red glitter shoes w/a blue gingham dress? Were there no gay people on that set?
Fast forward to the late 70's - I had moved to NYC, worked in a makeup shop on Madison Avenue, started to get some celebrity clients, etc. But I missed the South, so I moved to Atlanta. While working in a salon there George Masters came to do a personal appearance. I was finally going to meet the person that inspired me to choose this as a career. Little did I know that his assistant would quit and George would ask me to take his place. Duh, yeah! We traveled and worked together for several years until I decided there was more to life than hotels and airports. So, I settled in New Orleans in the 80's and fell immediately in love with this crazy, amazing place. This is home.
People ask where I went to makeup school. I don't think there were any when I started. I learned at the side of one of the all-time greats. George taught me things that I have never seen anyone else do and for that I will always be grateful. I would love to thank him in person, but he passed away in the mid 90's. Through my time working with him, I learned to love clean, simple makeup that focused the attention on the face, not the products. That has not changed. He also taught me how important the brows are to a face and the huge difference you can make by shaping them correctly. It is quite possibly the single most important thing you can do to improve your look. Discuss among yourselves.
OK, let's talk about some makeup,eh? I carry many products in my shop; there will be times that I include some of them in the discussion(s) and there will be times that I do not. I will always let you know if I sell something, just for the sake of full disclosure. First, let's all say how much we love YSL's Touche E'clat. I don't agree with the company's selling it as a concealer, to me it is more of a highlighter. You can hide darkness several ways: by covering with a color that matches your skin as closely as possible ( I use and sell Keromask, which we will talk about another day), color-correct/highlight with powder - Shu Uemura's M100 shadow is the greatest for this - just brush under the eye after everything else is done; or reflect back a brighter, "lit-up" surface by highlighting w/ a sheer, creamy formula - Touche E'clat. If you take this product and dot under the eyes, on the top of the cheekbone, up to the hairline, those hateful lines between the nose and mouth and in a "T" down the center of the face, then blend w/your foundation brush (you'd better be using one!), you will create a glow that looks really fresh and healthy. Again, I don't feel it takes the place of concealer, but when some of your darkness is due to bone structure, as with a recessed eye socket, adding this is the way to go. It appears to bring forward any areas you highlight with it. This is a technique (Chiaroscuro) that has been credited to both Leonardo Da Vinci and Michaelangelo - light comes forward, dark recedes. It is why we find black and white photography so beautiful...the play off of the dark and light along with the countless gray areas. Makeup is the same way - that is how we "re-shape and balance" a face. Just remember, as with almost all good makeup, a little goes a long way, you can always add, removing when you've put too much is an entirely different thing.
Today's Wisdom:
If you only choose to do a little makeup, concealer, lips and mascara, for instance, please get things that match well. If you're just going to wear a few products, all the more reason for them to be the right ones.
Hope you got something out of today's post. Let me know.
Until next time....
Friday, November 4, 2011
First post on my blog
This is the first post in what I hope will be a long line of rants/raves/observations about makeup. I will try not to offend anyone (but I won't lose any sleep over it). Most blogs that are makeup-focused are all about NYC, LA, pseudo-celebrities or all the above. We all know that fashion - clothing, makeup and hair is greatly influenced by the Fashion Week shows. But that size 1, 6 foot tall 14 year-old would look good in anything. And some of the makeup that is shown...really? Really?!? It seems that a lot of the makeup designers and artists have lost touch with the 85% of the country that doesn't live in NYC/LA.
My customer base ( and most likely the readers I will have) are professional women who want to be as pretty as they can be, not shocking or over-painted. And certainly not in a futuristic/avante-garde makeup that looks costume-y. Halloween comes but once a year ( disclaimer: here, during Mardi Gras we think that purple, green and gold go GREAT together. Go figure.)
So...I will let you all know my thoughts on the trends that I see as important, as well as the ones that I feel we should let die a quiet death. I will try to showcase products that I think are interesting and worthy of at least a second look.
Please feel free to contact me and let me know if you have questions you would like answered, or anything related to makeup that you would like to hear my thoughts on.
Postings will probably not be every day, but I have a lot of opinions and will be sure to put them all out there.
To finish off my first blog post, I would like to list a few things never to say to a makeup artist:
1. I don't want my makeup all caked on (variation: I don't like my foundation to look cake-y).
Seriously? Do you see any trowels in my brush roll?
2. I don't want to look like a clown.
Clown makeup is considered a "character" makeup and is extra.
3. I'm in a hurry, can you just throw some makeup on me?
No, but I will throw some at you if you like.
4. Do you do free demos? Is this included?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
There will be more of these...don't want to use all the good stuff the first time.
Beauty is not magic. It is a very personal thing and should be uniquely yours. Desperation is not pretty - it is more healthy emotionally to come to grips with the fact that we change as we age and deal with it.
My customer base ( and most likely the readers I will have) are professional women who want to be as pretty as they can be, not shocking or over-painted. And certainly not in a futuristic/avante-garde makeup that looks costume-y. Halloween comes but once a year ( disclaimer: here, during Mardi Gras we think that purple, green and gold go GREAT together. Go figure.)
So...I will let you all know my thoughts on the trends that I see as important, as well as the ones that I feel we should let die a quiet death. I will try to showcase products that I think are interesting and worthy of at least a second look.
Please feel free to contact me and let me know if you have questions you would like answered, or anything related to makeup that you would like to hear my thoughts on.
Postings will probably not be every day, but I have a lot of opinions and will be sure to put them all out there.
To finish off my first blog post, I would like to list a few things never to say to a makeup artist:
1. I don't want my makeup all caked on (variation: I don't like my foundation to look cake-y).
Seriously? Do you see any trowels in my brush roll?
2. I don't want to look like a clown.
Clown makeup is considered a "character" makeup and is extra.
3. I'm in a hurry, can you just throw some makeup on me?
No, but I will throw some at you if you like.
4. Do you do free demos? Is this included?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
There will be more of these...don't want to use all the good stuff the first time.
Beauty is not magic. It is a very personal thing and should be uniquely yours. Desperation is not pretty - it is more healthy emotionally to come to grips with the fact that we change as we age and deal with it.
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