Reflections of A Decade

Is it me or did the 2000's just fly by? The last 10 years of my life were indeed some of the most memorable and life changing. A decade ago, I was a young 20 year old trying to find my way in this crazy world. I don't know how many careers I've had in the last ten years, but at least the uncertainty has led me to discover what I really want out of life.

Highlights of a decade: married my best friend, have an incredibly bright and adorable son, met so many people along the way, and still have my family and old friends to lean back on. What more could I ask for?

One of my life-changing highlights has of course been Makeup Junkie. When I first started it, I had no idea where it would lead me or to who I would meet (or the many beauty products I'd be able to try!). I've been so thankful for the many fantastic opportunities I've had and for the many readers I've been able to connect with.

The past year has been a tough one and the reason for my lack of posts. I think along the way, I lost sight of why I started this blog in the first place: to gab about my favourite beauty products and share my beauty tips! After my feature in the March 2009 issue of Lou Lou Magazine, I was so stoked but felt incredible pressure to make it bigger and better. With barely any spare time, I became overwhelmed by it all.

The lesson I've learned in all of this? Do what you love and not worry about what everyone else is doing. I think it's mind-blowing how big the beauty blogger community has become - I'm just happy to be apart of it. To all you amazing beauty bloggers out there - I raise my mascara wands to you all!

Here's to another decade of amazing memories! Have a safe and Happy New Year! Much love! xoxo

My Makeup Junkie Highlights:
Makeup Junkie Featured in Lou Lou Magazine March Issue!
Toronto IMATS
Why I Love Makeup Artist Hung Vanngo!
Makeup Artist Corner: Billy B. Workshop
Up Close and Personal with April Jacob of Pink Beauty Cosmetics
My First Interview with The Powder Group's Michael DeVellis
Great Tips For Makeup Artists
Fall Beauty Trends With Makeup Artist Andrea Claire
The Lipstick Queen Poppy King
Makeup Junkie Top Editor Picks for 2008!
Makeup Junkie Readers' Beauty Stash Awards 2008!
My First Toronto Fashion Week
My First "TV" Appearance
These two posts are still the most popular posts on Makeup Junkie:
Makeup 101: How To Apply Eye Shadow For Asian Eyes
Makeup 101: Creating the Perfect Smokey Eye

What have been your favourite highlights of the past decade?

Beauty Feature: J'Adore Balmshell Lip-Glosses

Makeup Junkie loves a good story that involves true passion and the love of cosmetics! Canadian brand, Balmshell, created and founded by identical twins, Jennifer Lees and Fiona Lees, is truly for the lip gloss junkie. With their love of gloss and the desire to bring out a woman's "inner goddess", Balmshell was born and has created quite a cult following.

When I received a sample of You Give Me Fever ($20 CDN), a sheer rosy cheek pink, I was delightfully giddy because it's more than just a gloss. Each gloss comes with a cute float art design to match the name that can be later used as a key chain once the gloss is finished.

I absolutely love this rosy pink! The shade was inspired by a gal's flirty flush. It gives your lips the perfect kiss of pink. I adore the balm-like texture. My lips felt moisturized hours after application. The glosses contain jojoba oil, lanolin oil, and are paraben-free.

Even with the sheer texture I found the colour pay-off was pretty good and even left a nice stain once the shine wore off. The hint of natural vanilla flavour is an added bonus!

Top to bottom: Ah...the Classic, Yummy Mummy, and Weekend In the Hamptons

I love the mini versions that were sent - now I'm hooked! The colours are absolutely gorgeous and the stories behind each name are so fun.

Ah...the Classic is a sheer raspberry sparkle. This is your accessory to that LBD. The pop of raspberry is a nice alternative to the classic red.
Yummy Mummy is a light mocha brown. I can definitely appreciate this colour! This is truly a universal shade that any yummy mummy - including those that are just yummy - can wear!
Weekend In the Hamptons is a sheer taupe sandy beige. A colour that will take you from city to the beach, it's a pretty nude that works well with a heavier eye or over top of your favourite lip colour.

With so many lip glosses that look the same, after a while a gloss is just another gloss. Balmshell went the extra step - they've given gloss junkies a special keepsake. I've definitely become a fan! As something to be considered as a collector's item, $20 a pop is definitely worth it.

Balmshell isn't just for lips anymore! They've just launched Smear Campaign, a cheek and lip gel stain! Oh, how you tempt me so!

Balmshell is available in Canada at select Shopper's Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques and Sephora. For international locations click here.

Have you tried Balmshell Lip-Glosses? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

www.balmshell.com

Beauty Feature: Makeup Junkie Holiday Gift Picks

"One for you, two for me", might be your shopping mantra this holiday season! The beauty goodies that come out for the holidays are always packaged so pretty -it's hard not to buy one for yourself.

Makeup Junkie wants to make your shopping a little easier which is why we've listed some must-have items that we were lucky enough to sample! Whether you're shopping for a gal pal or sister, make all her beauty-full wishes come true with these unforgettable gifts!

1. Julie Hewett Lip Lush Trio ($49 USD): These gorgeous gifts are for the glam girl in mind. Julie Hewett has to be one of my all time favourite makeup lines! Created by celebrity makeup artist, Julie Hewett, this line is truly for the makeup lover who loves beautiful packaging and wants to achieve the perfect red-carpet look.

Trio includes three best-selling glosses: harlow (sparks of red and gold), mimi (perfect sheer pink), and nude (24k gold shimmer).

2. Julie Hewett 6-pc Noir Collection ($100 USD): Imagine unwrapping this on Christmas day? Julie Hewett lipsticks are in heavy rotation in my makeup bag. This collection features the 6 original noir shades: belle, coco, femme, nude, rouge and sin.

Packaged in a luxe gold tube, these lipsticks are a special treat on the lips. Infused with the essence of rosebud and camellia oils, your lips feel hydrated and colour is long-lasting.

3. Benefit Celebutante Personal Stylist Kit ($34 USD): Benefit Cosmetics is known for creating pretty palettes fit for Hollywood’s elite. This A-lister kit includes everything for creating that perfect red-carpet ready look! I love all the mini size products - perfect for stashing in those small holiday clutches!

4. M.A.C. Miracles Happen Viva Glam Lip Kit ($27 CDN): Feel good beauty is always a great gift! M.A.C.'s best-selling Viva Glam lippies are included in this sleek dotted-design compact. Every cent goes towards M.A.C. Aids Fund for men, women, and children living with aids.

5. Kat Von D True Romance Eye Shadow Palette in True Love ($44 CDN): Kat Von D’s tattoo-inspired eye shadow palette is for the fashionista who likes to be creative with her makeup. The shades are ultra edgy and highly pigmented. You can create so many looks with this fab palette!

6. The Sartorialist by Scott Shuman ($31 CDN): I don't know any makeup junkie that isn't a fashion lover. “The Satorialist” is the must-have coffee table book for fashion lovers everywhere. Scott Shuman's street images of real people with personal style have inspired many people around the globe.

7. Stila The Makeup Player ($69.90 USD): Save this one for your "bestie" or for yourself! Awarded Beauty Innovation of the Year, The Makeup Player includes: Pro artist makeup case to stash your fave Stila products, One Step Makeup, Eye shadow trio, Convertible Color, #7 brush Eye shadow brush, Lip Glaze, and Beautytube DVD & instruction card.

8. Alicia Silverstone by ecoTools Train Case ($19 USD): We all have a friend that's lucky enough to jet-set all around the world! Animal and environmental activist, Alicia Silverstone, has teamed up with, ecoTools, to create a gorgeous line of eco-friendly traveling bags made with a natural hemp material featuring a floral design. The large compartment will hold all her beauty staples and comes with a handy removable clear case!

9. Zoya Holiday Color Lock Set ($7.50 USD): DIY mani's are always in especially in this economy. This mini set has all the essentials for the perfect manicure: Zoya Remove, Armour Top Coat, Anchor Base Coat, and HurryUp Speed Dry Drops.

10. OPI Mini Merries ($14.95 CDN): Accessorize your gal pal's tips in the hottest shades for the holiday. OPI lovers will squeal over this sample set of 4: Comet Loves Cupid (classic red), All A-Bordeaux the Sled! (luscious Wine), Holiday Glow (charcoal grey with silver) and Shim-merry Chic (glimmery bronze).

11. Tarte Three Carats Mini Cheek Stain Set ($25 USD): Diamond-inspired makeup are a girl's best friend! I adore these mini cheek stains for the flirty glow they leave on your skin. I especially love using the bronze shimmery shade as a highlighter! Tarte products are good for the skin and contain no parabens, phthlates, and other toxic chemicals.

12. Tarte Crown Jewels Lipgloss Multi-Gift Set ($39 USD): This is one stocking stuffer that is a sure winner! The geniuses at Tarte know that girls love their gloss. This set comes with 3-boxed sets of glosses to be gifted anyway you want! Their sample sizes are much bigger than last holiday's gloss set too. What was that beauty mantra again??

What are your hot items for gift giving this holiday? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

Beauty Feature: Cover FX

Cover FX is a popular brand amongst many of my friends and clients. However, this Makeup Junkie had never really tried the line. When I tell people this, it's usually followed by a gasp and "Really? You've never tried Cover FX?". Take back your gasps people because I finally know what the buzz is all about!

I visited the Cover FX booth at the IMATS show in Toronto. The first person to greet my friend and I was Derek Selby, makeup artist for Cityline and Cover FX. I've spent many Fridays watching Cityline's makeover shows just to see Derek beautify some lucky ladies! Wanda Longo, International Communications Director for Cover FX, was also at the table colour swatching some Cover FX fans.

Pictured up top is me with President and Co-Creator of Cover FX, Lee Graff! We chatted briefly about beauty bloggers and Cover FX recognizing bloggers as an important part of media. Lee's background as a corrective makeup specialist for patients with skin disorders and burn victims are what prompted her to start Cover FX.

Cover FX products offer a wide range of full coverage cosmetics that offer therapeutic benefits and environmental protection while being completely free of irritants. Wanda was super helpful and offered to test the products out on our skin. As you can tell in the photo below, I happily agreed (eww profile shot!). The lovely people at Cover FX sent me a few samples that were used on me at IMATS.

1. Cover FX Natural FX Water Based Liquid Foundation SPF 15: I prefer a lighter texture of foundation and was absolutely happy with the results. The foundation feels light on the skin yet covers redness and blemishes flawlessly while still looking natural. I also found it lasted all day with no touch-up required. Tip: even though it is a liquid a little goes a long way. I only needed to dab in the areas that required coverage. The product blended seamlessly with the rest of my skin so no dark outline!

2. Cover FX Setting FX Translucent Loose Mineral Powder: Wanda used this powder to set my foundation for longer-lasting results. I've been using this for the past week now and love how luminous it makes my skin look.

3. Cover FX Bronzing Powder in Golden Peach: This mineral based bronzer not only gives you a healthy glow but is good for your skin. The Golden Peach is gorgeous and definitely a universal shade. It just gives your cheeks that extra pop of colour! Tip: Derek used this bronzer as a shadow!

If you've ever shopped for a Cover FX foundation then you know it can be a little daunting if you don't know the way the colour range works. I've gone a few times with my best friend (pictured above) to shop for a Cover FX foundation and failed each time. The colours we chose were a little - ok alot off. Thankfully, Wanda gave us a little Cover FX colour lesson.

B Series: "Think Beyonce." Golden brown to Ebony undertones
C Series: Primarily Pink undertones
E Series: Neutral meaning Pink and Yellow undertones
M Series: Yellow and olive undertones

Can you guess which ones we are? Christine and I both ended up being M60! Click here to see an in-depth guide.

The gang at Cover FX were a lot of fun and extremely helpful! Thank you to Lee, Derek, Wanda and Melissa for chatting with Makeup Junkie!

Have you tried Cover FX? Makeup Junkie wants to know what you think of the popular line!

www.coverfx.com

Beauty Feature: yaby cosmetics and Liz Yu

One of the great things of being a part of a makeup artist community and attending events for makeup artists is meeting and learning about other brands. I had learned of yaby cosmetics a few years ago from other makeup artists in the industry. When I realized that Toronto makeup artist, Liz Yu, was the genius behind the brand I knew I just had to meet her.

Well, it took us almost 3 years to officially meet in person! I had the awesome pleasure of finally meeting Liz at Toronto IMATS this year. With all the success she's had with yaby cosmetics and as an artist, her sweet and absolutely down-to-earth personality was refreshing!

The concept behind yaby and the reason the line is so popular are for the customizable and compact palettes. Liz was searching for solutions to condensing her growing kit and decided if you can't find it make it yourself! These handy palettes not only save on space, but the planet as well. Every shade comes in a refillable pan!

A swatching frenzy began when I visited the yaby booth at IMATS. The range of colours were just beautiful and highly pigmented. The top swatches are of a bronzer and some blushes. I fell in love with the bronzer - the colour was so rich and deep. My other faves were the pearl paint shadows (swatch below)! The texture felt like a cream but had a powder finish. The shadows are also saturated with colour so what you see is what you get - very important when working with photography or video.

The palettes come in a range so you can customize to your needs. One palette can hold up to 40 eye shadows - a makeup artist's dream! Sigh...if I ever get back into makeup full-time I will definitely be snatching up a few palettes!

yaby, created for the makeup artist but is perfect for makeup junkies who have a love for makeup and are tired of overflowing makeup bags! Thank you to Liz for stopping to chat with Makeup Junkie!

For more information on the products and pricing, visit www.yabycosmetics.com.

Have you tried yaby cosmetics? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

For more coverage on IMATS, click here.

Highlights From Toronto IMATS

Makeup lovers crowding around brushes and makeup accessories

Yes, IMATS (International Makeup Artists Trade Show) has come and gone in Toronto and my post is over a week late. Better late than never?

I miss doing makeup. I miss the smiles and the happiness my beautiful clients would exude after I was finished their makeup. Life has a funny way of working, but I believe everything happens for a reason.

IMATS was an event I definitely could not miss. Being amongst makeup artists and some of my favourite beauty brands was exactly what I needed. As soon as I entered the building, I was hit with a buzz of creativity, excitement, and community. It was like I was seeing an old friend again. We picked up exactly where we left off.

Highlights:

Messy me with cutie Hung Vanngo

One of my main reasons for going to IMATS was to meet celebrity makeup artist, Hung Vanngo, who I've admired for many years. We sent each other random emails here and there, but had never officially met. He was exactly how I thought he would be; super sweet, gracious, and utterly adorable!

Makeup gurus Jackie Shawn and Hung Vanngo

To top off the night, celebrity makeup artist, Jackie Shawn, was sitting right beside Hung! I totally scored. Seriously, I get more excited meeting makeup artists than I do Hollywood celebrities! Jackie was so down-to-earth, super bubbly, and had amazing skin!

Yay! Self-shot with Jackie!

I'm a year late, but I've finally joined the Twi-hards as lame as that sounds. It was just a few weeks ago that I decided to see what all the fuss was about - Robert Pattinson. I'm not normally into extremely pale, blood-sucking men, but his mysteriously enticing character, Edward Cullen, made me want to give up my soul if only for just a moment.

Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen

Meeting Norma Hill-Patton, makeup department head for New Moon, for some reason made me a nervous, blubbering fool! Maybe it had something to do with her touching the face of a certain dreamy pale face. Yes, she would be the closest I would ever get to touching Robert Pattinson. Thankfully, she politely looked past my stuttering and blabbering and smiled for the photo anyways.

Nervous me with New Moon makeup artist, Norma Hill-Patton

There were mixed reviews of IMATS with some feeling more underwhelmed than anything else. Many expressed that IMATS seemed smaller compared to last year's Canadian Makeup Show and not enough vendors were present. Despite these details, I felt renewed and energized again. As much as I love makeup, this year's IMATS was more about reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones.

The fabulous Debbie Bondar, founder and CEO of FACE atelier Cosmetics

Me (excuse the messy hair) with yaby Cosmetics owner and makeup artist, Liz Yu

Cityline's Derek Selby and makeup artist and International Communications Director, Wanda Longo both for Cover FX

Left, Monica, founder of BeautyParler.ca and Cover FX PR rep, Melissa

Old makeup artist friend, Lucien, from my Red Earth days

Stay tuned for my in-depth makeup reviews from yaby, Eve Pearl, Cover FX and many more (not to mention my makeup haul)! Read more about Toronto IMATS from around the blogosphere!

www.beautyparler.ca
www.lipstickrules.com
www.facesbyfarah.blogspot.com
www.anjalihanda.blogspot.com
www.jessicajeanmyers.blogspot.com

Beauty Feature: Joy's Top Ten Makeup Products

I was asked to list my top ten makeup products on the official ChickAdvisor blog, Chick Lit. Being a guinea pig has its drawbacks (like horrible outbreaks!), but it's all worth it when I fall in love with some really great beauty finds. Here are my daily go-to products that are overflowing my makeup bag! Click here to read more.

What are your top ten makeup products? Did any of my top ten's make your list? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

Beauty Review: Joe Fresh Beauty

Makeup Junkie always loves a good deal when it comes to makeup. If you’re looking for affordable yet quality makeup products, Joe Fresh Beauty is worth checking out. Read on to see which products we tested and what we think about them.

Cheek Tint ($4 CDN): Creamy cheek tint blends easily, leaving your cheeks with the perfect hint of color. Available in berry, bronze, nude, cherry, peach, and pink.

I tried these in Cherry and Nude. I love both colors. Cherry appears to be a very bold red at first glance but when applied it’s actually pretty sheer. It’s great if you want that nice rosy glow on the cheeks. Nude is a beautiful shimmery natural color and is also pretty sheer. I’ve been using Nude as a highlighter above my cheekbones to add more definition to my face. It really makes my cheekbones pop!

Matte and Sheer Lip Crayon ($6 CDN): Matte or sheer lip crayon formulas glide on smoothly for a dramatic or sheer finish. Available in pink, candy, apple, bare, berry, brick, cherry, cinnamon, malt, bordeaux, plum, and wine.

I tried these in Apple and Plum. Apple is a sheer lip crayon but the pigmentation is amazing. I love that it’s creamy which is great for hydrating my dry lips. I would recommend using this alone and not as a base for lipstick. Plum is a matte lip crayon and not as hydrating as the sheer crayons. The pigmentation is also amazing and it goes on smoothly as well. This can be used alone or as a base to your lipstick. A great color for the fall!

Brow Powder ($6 CDN): Shade and shape your eyebrows with powder that allows for soft, natural looking brows! Available in blonde, auburn, brown, and black.

I love powder when I fill in my eyebrows but I found that this was a little too chalky for my liking. You may experience a little bit of fall-off when you put it on. The pigmentation was really good and I did find that it made my eyebrows look soft and natural. This can also be used as an eye shadow. I'll admit, I’m a little on the fence with this one but for $6 you really can't go wrong.

Have you tried Joe Fresh Beauty? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

Check online for a store near you!
www.joe.ca

Beauty News: IMATS Comes To Toronto!

Makeup pros and lovers will have the chance to attend Toronto's first ever International Makeup Artist Trade Show (IMATS) this weekend November 21-22. The makeup event of the year will be full of industry pros, resources, classes, and lets not forget...MAKEUP!

You can be sure Makeup Junkie will be there giving you the 411. If you'll be attending the show this weekend, Makeup Junkie highly recommends the following:

• Alcone: Loved by many in the industry, Alcone is a makeup artist one-stop-shop. What we love: Alcone Non-Latex Sponges and Alcone Makeup Remover Cloths.
• Beauty So Clean: Makeup and hygiene go hand in hand. We've tested this spray on our powders and lipsticks and we are loving the results so far. Looking forward to learning more about this brand.
• Cover FX: If you have problematic skin, Cover FX is the brand to turn to. Amazing coverage, doesn't clog pores, and offers a wide range of colours.
  
• Crown Brush: Makeup Junkie discovered this line of brushes at last years Canadian Makeup Show and we fell in love! You'll find every brush you can think of at unbelievably affordable prices!
• Eve Pearl: We'll be honest, Eve Pearl Cosmetics doesn't really appeal to us. But we sure love the makeup artistry genius of Eve Pearl!
• FACE atelier Cosmetics: If you've been a reader of this site for a while then you know Makeup Junkie is a huge fan of Canadian brand FACE atelier Ultra Foundation! Not to mention, CEO and founder, Debbie Bondar, is a super sweetheart!
• Make Up For Ever: Need we say more? Backstage members will receive 40% products!
  
• Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics: We are dieing to get our hands on OCC's Lip Tars!
• yaby cosmetics: Makeup Junkie actually hasn't tried any products from Canadian line yaby, but we've heard rave reviews from makeup artists all over!

Must-See Key Note Speakers:

Hung Vanngo, Saturday, Nov. 21 4-5 pm Main Stage: We've had a little crush on Hung for quite some time (click here to read why). This Canadian celebrity makeup artist is now based in NY and his work has graced the covers of Allure, Glamour, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, InStyle, Interview and most recently i-D Magazine!

Make Up For Ever presents Kevin-James Bennett, Saturday, Nov. 21 12:30-1:30, Main Stage: Durable Beauty - Creating Looks That Last.

Norma Hill-Patton, Sunday, Nov. 22 10:30-11:30, Main Stage: Twilight fans will be running to the stage to hear her experience as makeup department head for The Twilight Saga: New Moon (opens tonight at midnight!).

Details:

Where: Heritage Court inside the Direct Energy Centre, located at 100 Princes’ Blvd.
When: November 21 and November 22
Time: Saturday, 8:30-5 pm, Sunday, 10-5 pm
Ticket Information

www.imatsshow.com

Beauty Review: Zoya Hot Lips Glossy Lip Balm

Zoya is famously known for their wide selection of nail polishes and we at Makeup Junkie are huge fans! Now I've fallen for Zoya's Hot Lips Glossy Lip Balms and all I can say is that they are the bomb! There are 50 different shades to choose from and they come in these cute short fat tubes.

The only thing I didn’t like about the packaging was the round applicator at the end of the tube. I would have preferred something a little more angled. If you want even coverage then I would recommend using a lip brush.

The colors I tried them in were Resolution (raspberry red), Wink (light copper), and Paparazzi (shimmery nude) and all I can say is that I was very pleased with them. The coverage is pretty sheer but you can build it up by layering and applying more. I have pretty dry lips but once I applied this on, right away they became moisturized. The gloss is long lasting and throughout the day I found my lips to be more soft and hydrated. The gloss is also slightly sticky but not so sticky that it feels like gunk on your lips. These are worth checking out and stocking up on!

Have you tried these uber cute glossies? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

Zoya Hot Lips Glossy Lip Balm retails for $6 USD.
www.zoya.com

Beauty News: Beautylicious Bloor-Yorkville Event!

Makeup Junkies, the beauty event of the year has arrived! Spas and salons in the Bloor-Yorkville area in Toronto will be offering services at a steal during Beautylicious, happening October 28 until November 7. If you're in a need of some serious pick-me-up, perk-me-up attention then this is the time to do it!

What is Beautylicious?
"Beautylicious" is a celebration of beauty and wellness inspired by Toronto's popular Winterlicious and Summerlicious culinary events. Over 100 salons & spas will be participating and offering a variety of hair, spa, and health and wellness service packages available at 3 price points: $25, $75, and $125!

Packages are available in three “Beautylicious” categories: Hair (hair colour/cut/style); Spa (including massage and/or facial, and/or mani/pedi); Skin (non-invasive procedures including Botox, Juvéderm or chemical peels); and Health & Wellness (nutrition services, dental, massage services). These specially priced packages will not be available at any other time during the year.

Hurry and book your appointment before it's too late!

For complete details on participating businesses, available packages, and information about Beautylicious, go to www.bloor-yorkville.com/Beautylicious.

* I definitely recommend Stillwater Spa, but not too hot on the Marc Anthony Salon.

Makeup Artist Corner: Q&A With Michael DeVellis

The adorable Michael DeVellis, founder of The Powder Group and The Artist Summit Miami and Chicago, took some time to chat with Makeup Junkie about the relaunch of On Makeup Magazine Fall/Winter 2009. If you're a makeup artist, On Makeup Magazine is a must-have resource. Even if you're just a makeup lover, this magazine is full of the latest in beauty and features stunning editorials. One of our favourite sections is Kit Focus - see what all the beauty experts are using in their kits!

Makeup Junkie: What is On Makeup Magazine?

Michael DeVellis: On Makeup Magazine is a unique kind of trade publication for the professional makeup industry. We focus on makeup, makeup artists and makeup artistry. The art of makeup and the perspective of the artist is the primary focal point. Everything from tv and film to beauty and fashion is covered even special FX! But we don't get into hard-core FX like aliens and gore - that's just not who we are. We like to say we are "Monster-Free"!

MJ: What is the story behind the magazine?

DeVellis: I've been fortunate enough to be in the pro-makeup industry for nearly 16 years and one of the things i always thought was missing was a magazine for the pro-community that was focused on the art of makeup. When I launched The Powder Group 6 years ago, the magazine was something i knew i wanted to produce. There are so many gorgeous fashion magazines with amazing beauty and editorial makeup, but nothing for the pro makeup artist or focusing on makeup exclusively. There are salon magazines that focus on hair, and one or two other publications that are focused on makeup but they take a more film/fx direction and are not driven by the aesthetic beauty that is intrinsic in makeup artistry. That is our focus.

MJ: What is the creative process behind publishing the magazine every season?

DeVellis: We try to allow the most creative freedom possible to the artists, writers and photographers who work with us. They are given the opportunity to create their ultimate beauty story or interview, within a few parameters. When we are determining what the next issue will look like, we look at the artists who we have relationships and see what they are working on, and how we can work that into the issue. We also look at new productions in TV, film and theater, and see what looks interesting to take on a broad array of perspectives on makeup. We try to maintain some type of overall energy to each issue, but there is no "theme" that we stick to. We want to be sure that we are always coming across as fresh and new and try to throw new ways of thinking about beauty and makeup into each issue.

MJ: How many people work on each issue of On Makeup Magazine?

DeVellis: It may be surprising that there are so few people behind putting the magazine out but there really are only a few of us working on it. It has been a pretty intense learning curve given that 18 months ago I didn't know what an FTP site was and now I design and set up pretty much every page of the magazine myself. James Vincent, our Director of Artistry, manages most of the photo-shoots for our product features as well as special features like Beauty Queen - along with a thousand other things he does for the magazine! He is amazing. We work with an amazing (and very patient!) technical graphic designer, Theresa Petruso, who does some of the set-up, and all the tech-stuff to make sure the files are okay to print and uploads everything. Kelly Hushin is our copy editor - and is amazing and fast and always very kind about the fact that we give her no notice on things and she gets it all done so quickly! Then we have a team that help make sure everything gets out to the subscribers, retailers and schools. Plus of course the dozens of writers, makeup artists and photographers who contribute to each issue.

MJ: What have been some of your favourite features?


DeVellis: There have been so many favorites in our short time publishing. I think that one of my all-time favorites was the James Vincent Barbarella beauty story. James is such an amazing artist and we decided that we would go outside of our normal format for this story. He really created an amazing visual piece, with the most gorgeous makeup I think we have ever featured. I also love our Reality Check feature - where we talk to people on the street and ask them each the same question, like "what lipstick are you wearing?" From a personal standpoint though I think that our Icon and Giving features are really special as we look at beauty and makeup from the perspective of creating something more than pretty faces and giving back to the community and the world at large.

MJ: What do you want people to take away after reading On Makeup Magazine?

DeVellis: I hope that our reader is inspired to look at makeup and makeup artistry in a different way than they might expect. We have tried to create a resource for artists to not only learn about makeup technique and new products, but to explore other paths within makeup artistry.

MJ: What's next for On Makeup Magazine?

DeVellis: Well our next big project - The Artist Summit Miami and Chicago - is a big deal for On Makeup Magazine on a lot of levels. We are doing a really cool opportunity for anyone attending the Career Night on the Saturday of The Artist Summit, where we will choose one artist in each city to have a photo story featured in the next issue of On Makeup Magazine. We are really excited about that.


We also will be doing a special, additional Summer issue in 2010 called On Styling Magazine that will approach the art of hair styling in the same way as we work with makeup for On Makeup Magazine. You are the first to hear about this!

MJ: Where can people buy On Makeup Magazine?
DeVellis: Well since we are now publishing only two issues a year, we have moved away from retailing the issues in stores, but they can be picked up online at thepowdergroup.com on our SHOP page. We also offer four-issue subscriptions globally, so it can get delivered right to your door. The Fall issue just arrived at our office and our next issue comes out early next year so new subscribers would want to purchase an issue online. Past issues are always available online as well.

www.thepowdergroup.com

Makeup Artist Corner: The Artist Summit Chicago

The latest pro-makeup artist event from the producers of The Makeup Show, The American Beauty Tour and Evolution. A three day educational summit for the professional community. Featuring dozens of seminars, panel forums, and hands-on workshops from the most inspirational educators in the pro-makeup industry. Introducing The Summit Shop - a unique new pro-retail experience.

When: October 10-12, 2009
Where: River East Art Center
435 E Illinois St
Chicago, IL
Time: The Artist Summit education program runs from 9:00AM - 6:30PM Sunday and Monday
The Summit Shop is open Saturday 4:00PM-7:00PM and from 10:00AM - 6:00PM Sunday and Monday
Career and Industry Night at The Artist Summit will be held at The Summit Shop on Saturday from 4:00PM - 7:00PM.
Ticket Information: Visit www.theartistsummit.com

www.theartistsummit.com

Happy Birthday ChickAdvisor!

Makeup Junkie would like to wish ChickAdvisor a Happy 3rd Birthday! To celebrate, ChickAdvisor is doing a give away worth over $750 of beauty products and gift certificates! If you want to be apart of the draw, click here for contest details!

Beauty Feature: Benefit Cosmetics the Latest "It" List

Benefit Cosmetics is one of the few brands that make me glee with girly giddiness. Everything from the packaging down to the cheeky names make this brand stand out from the crowd of black sleek packaging. Makeup doesn't have to be all business and no play to be a good product, a philosophy that founders Jane and Jean Ford had in mind when starting their cult brand.

I've been meaning to write about some of my latest Benefit faves, but as always time just gets away from me!

1. Benefit Lip Gloss ($18 USD): I'm really glad Benefit decided to revamp their glosses. The original formula was really sheer and didn't last too long on the lips. The newest versions (available in 8 shades) are everything you'd want in a gloss: perfect amount of colour, smooth texture, and high shine. The soft cusion paddle really helps hug the lips for a flawless application. Lovely shades: Fresh Squeezed (pink grapefruit), I'm With the Band (golden pink shimmer), Who Are You Wearing? (passionfruit pink), and Almost Famous (copper penny). Like the old formula, their signature apricot-lychee scent is a delight!

2. Benefit Velvet Eye Shadows ($18 USD): These new shadows have amazing pigment and a velvety soft finish. The finish is very shimmery so I would use sparingly during the day or mix with a matte shadow to soften. You can use dry for a sheer finish or layer over their creaseless cream shadows for high drama. The range of colours are gorgeous especially new launches for Fall, Where There's Smoke (smokey pewter) and I Cannes and I Will (golden mulberry).

3. Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner ($19 USD): I am all about quick and easy to apply shadows that stay put and double as a liner! They come in a soft shimmer finish ranging from soft to dramatic shades. These work great under powder shadows as well. I love using Honey Bunny (terracotta nude) as a base, Samba-dy Loves Me (champagne gold) to highlight, and Strut (smokey denim) for a smokey finish.

4. Benefit Crescent Row Eau de Toilettes ($36 USD): How ridiculously adorable is this packaging for Benefit's new fragrance line, Cresent Row? Laugh with me LeeLee is a naturally feminine scent with classic girly style. Something about Sofia is a lovely fruity floral scent and one of my favourites. My place or yours Gina is a seductive woodsy oriental scent and my other favourite.

5. Benefit Automatic Eyeliner Duo Pencil ($20 USD): Lining your eyes is the only way to give your eyes definition. The automatic liners are nice and thin so you can get right to the base of the lash. They also glide on smoothly and automatically sharpen on their own. I love that it comes with a smudger on the other end - helps diffuse the line or create a sultry finish. My favourite comes in Wink o' Ink, a metallic charcoal grey.

6. Benefit "hello flawless!" Custom Powder Cover-up with SPF 15 ($34 USD): Benefit is all about functionality while still looking cute. All you MAC Studio Fix fans will love Benefit's powder foundation. The powder goes on silky smooth, covers flawlessly, and makes your skin look radiant. I love that it comes with a sponge for heavy coverage and a brush for lighter coverage. And if you want to spot conceal all you have to do is conceal with the sponge and blend with the brush! My only issue is that the line definitely needs a wider range of colours - I'm no. 6 the darkest shade!

7. Benefit One Hot Minute Sexy in Seconds Face Powder ($30 USD): Who knew you could find sexy in a powder! I love using this rose-gold loose powder for adding a warm glow to all my "sexy" areas lol. This looks great on its own or layered over your favourite blush. Use on areas you'd like to highlight like your cheekbones and decolletage. The fan brush is actually the type of brush I like to use when I want shimmer to look more natural, like you're glowing from within.

8. Benefit Smokin' Eyes Palette ($36 USD): This awesome palette for eyes and brows has everything you need in creating the perfect smokey eye and brow. The kit includes: eye bright for highlighting underneath the brow bone, 3 smokin' eye shadows: pink highlight shadow, pewter base shadow, and deep charcoal shadow, smokin' liner, brow zings shaping wax, fluff/shadow hard angle brush, tiny tweezers, and a lesson to walk you through each step! This handly palette was perfect for a bride I did a few weeks ago.

Over the years I've found you really get more bang for your buck with most Benefit products. And it's why I just can't get enough! Stay tuned for more features including Benefit's holiday collections and more!

www.benefitcosmetics.com

Beauty Review: L’Oreal Infallible Never Fail Plumping Lipgloss

Pucker up ladies! If you’ve always wanted fuller and luscious lips L’Oreal Infallible Never Fail Plumping Lipgloss ($9.99 USD) can help you achieve it. I was skeptical to use this product at first because I was afraid it would burn or irritate my lips like so many other plumpers. I felt a slight tingly cooling sensation and no burning at all! The tip of the wand is tear shaped with a hole in the centre. I thought that was a bit odd but as it spread the lipgloss across my lips it applied it smoothly and evenly. The gloss isn't too thick or heavy but I think that’s because the wand applies just enough product onto the lips. It definitely plumped up my lips! After 6 hours of wear the shininess had faded but the color had surprisingly lasted. And above all, my lips were still plump! I could even feel a bit of the tingly cooling sensation that I had felt when I first applied it. I would highly recommend this product because you get the same results as some of the more expensive lip plumpers for just a fraction of the price!


Colours that are a must try are, Plumped Pink, which is a pretty pinky nude color, Plumped Rose; a natural everyday wear color and Plumped Red; classic bold red. L’Oreal Infallible Never Fail Plumping Lipgloss definitely didn’t fail me!

www.loreal.com

by Donna Marie

Beauty News: Murale Article in the Metro Quotes Makeup Junkie!

The new Murale store is creating quite a buzz. Janine Falcon, former beauty editor for Canadian Living and founder and editor of her beauty blog, beautygeeks, quoted moi and founder of ChickAdvisor.com's, Ali De Bold, in her Murale feature in today's Metro newspaper! Thanks Janine! Check out the article here!

Beauty Review: Makeup Junkie's CoverGirl Face Off!

Makeup Junkie decided to put a couple of CoverGirl products to the test by doing complete makeup looks. Check out our must haves and our can-do-without products!

Must Haves:

Cover Girl TruBlend Liquid Makeup

I really liked this foundation. I found that it blended well into my skin. It’s lightweight and gives pretty good coverage without the cakey feel or look. All I needed was one pump to even out my skin tone. One thing I should mention is that it’s fast drying so you have to work quickly when applying. If you’re someone who likes the matte look then this is a great foundation for you.


Cover Girl & Olay Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush

I love love loved this cream blush! I would definitely recommend this product. It goes on smoothly and it blends nicely into the skin. It’s great especially if you like that glowy dewy look. Colors I tried were Rich Cinnamon which is on the peachy side and Lush Berry which is more on the reddish pink side. This is a definite must have!




Cover Girl Eye Enhancers 4-Kit Shadows in Crystal Waters

These colors are amazing! The pigmentation was great and even greater when I applied the Cover Girl TruConceal as a base to my eyelid. The texture is like satin and very smooth, making blending effortless. This is great for a blue/green smokey eye. I used this palette to do a night look and I loved how it looked on my eyes. It’s also not to shimmery which I like. Beautiful colors!

Cover Girl Eye Enhancers 3-Kit Shadows in Café Au Lait

Again, satin texture and smooth application. I’d have to admit the color payoff wasn’t as great as I expected but it was buildable. This is a great everyday palette for those who like the natural/neutral look. It has subtle shimmer and gave me a glistening eye every time the sun touched my face.

Can-Do-Withouts:
Cover Girl Continuous Color Lipstick

This lipstick has a very moisturizing texture. However, I’d have to disagree that the color is lasting. After only an hour or wear, my lipstick had already came off and it left a pink stain. I tried this lipstick in Classic Red but I found that the color was more on the dark pink side and I felt that the color wasn’t suited to my skin tone. If you have dry lips like me, then this is great for you but if you want lasting color I’d apply lip a lip liner first.


Cover Girl TruConceal Concealer

This is probably not my favorite concealer. It had a thin but creamy consistency, however, it failed to cover up my dark under eye circles. Although, I did find that it was a good as a base for my eye shadows. It was also good for spot concealing and covering up any blemishes, but I can do without this concealer.

Cover Girl TruBlend Pressed Powder

Initially I found that the product was a bit on the heavy side no matter how much or how little powder I put on the powder puff. So I decided to try a powder brush instead of the puff and the product ended up crumbling and making a huge mess. Instead I placed the product on my face with the sponge and because it still looked heavy I ended up using a duo fiber stippling brush to blend it into my skin. The results were flawless, however, I wish I could have skipped all those steps and just used the sponge it came with.

Cover Girl Brow & Eye makers Pencil

I’m a fan of eye shadow when it comes to filling in the eyebrows, and when I tried these I realized even more why I prefer eye shadows to pencils. I found the pencils to be a little too stiff when applying on my eyebrows. I had to press really hard and even then I didn't get enough colour.

www.covergirl.ca

by Donna Marie