What do you do when you find yourself going through a major life change? Why, start a makeup line of course! Meet Debbie Bondar, the genius behind Canadian brand FACE Atelier. I was lucky enough to have a conversation with her recently and I’m so excited to share about this line with you all!

She embodies the kind of woman we love here at P&P: educated, intelligent, tenacious, business savvy, and able to rock lipstick while doing it all!

 

 

Debbie describes starting FACE Atelier as her post divorce reinvention. With her life shifting gears, she found herself evaluating her beauty routine and realized that despite being in her forties, she had yet to find her perfect foundation match, “I have a basic olive complexion. If I can’t find a good shade then who can?”

So she took her experience and education (did I mention her background is in journalism and law?!) and launched a brand full of not-so-secret weapons that you’ll find in the kits of many celebrity makeup artists.

 

 

FACE Atelier prides themselves on their universal appeal and was designed for consumers while still meeting the needs of professional makeup artists. Debbie shared a simple but very real truth, “Artists and consumers want the same thing: High performing easy to use products that help them look their best.”

 

 

The brand has a less is more vibe, with no-nonsense packaging and multitasking products rather than having a multitude of products for singular needs. Products that are developed by listening to the feedback and needs of the artists and people who use them? You bet…function and performance are in mind when items are launched, not trend.

 

 

Debbie shared the impact she feels cosmetics can have, “Healthy self esteem is exceptionally important…I’m a mother of daughters. So much illness starts from within! Makeup can be an important tool in a woman’s toolbox to help her feel better if she so chooses.”

 

 

As far as those specific “tools” goes, stay tuned in the coming weeks on Instagram and here on the blog for some product breakdowns and favorites from FACE Atelier! Oh, did i mention the line is Peta and Leaping Bunny approved?!

“I always believed there was magic in the bottle,” we do too, Debbie!

Cheers to Makeup, Multitasking, and Magic in the bottle,

 

Beauty, Beauty Spotlight, Celebrity, industry professional, Makeup, Product review, Products, Shopping

June 17, 2015

FACE Atelier: The brain behind the brand

Last week I had the immense pleasure of attending a class with celebrity makeup artist Scott Barnes hosted by The Working Artist Company!

 

 

 

Scott is known for his expertise in complexion and the famous faces he works on…in fact he created that infamous glow that Jennifer Lopez is known for!

 

 

 

 

A lot of people call themselves makeup “artists” but Scott embodies the true essence of the word. His background in fine arts painting shows from the way he handles his tools to the way he sweeps and blends the product… It is mesmerizing to watch his human canvas transform.

 

 

 

 

His approach with makeup is much like how he painted. His attention to light and shadow resulted in the monochromatic look he’s famous for.

 

 

 

 

The glow…the contour…this approach essentially birthed a movement within makeup.

 

 

One thing that Scott said that really resonated with me was, “A good artist knows when to stop.” He demonstrated this by his minimal use of product and impeccable blending. Something we all should take a cue from with the recent contour craze that has swept beauty trend!

 

 

Reading something in a book, seeing pictures online, or even a quick video is helpful but nothing compares to being able to see things in person…and having the ability to ask questions!

 

 

 

 

Along with all of the amazing tips and techniques he demonstrated came a huge dose of inspiration!

 

 

 

 

Attending this class reminded me yet again of a very important truth: Education is not a destination, it is an ongoing journey. And a true professional never stays still.

 

 

 

 

So the question is, makeup artist or not, how are you moving forward in your education?

Cheers to Education, Art, and Always Moving Forward,

 

Beauty, Bridal, Celebrity, industry professional, Makeup

May 7, 2015

Celebrity Makeup Artist Scott Barnes

Life can be tough. Circumstances can be shaky. Here is what we are certain of though…

1. Lipstick can cure just about anything.

2. But how we look on the outside does not define us.

3. Everyday is a fresh chance to be a new you. Is the day half gone and its been terrible so far? You can start your day over anytime you choose! I had a teacher in junior high say that all the time and it stuck with me…I use this pearl of wisdom regularly!

4. Knowing how to do something properly is very powerful! And while an expertly executed smoky eye may or may not land you Ryan Gosling, it will boost your confidence and make the day seem brighter!

5. Everyone deserves to have their moment to shine. You may not be a celebrity, but you can feel like one once in a while! (That’s where we step in!)

6. Others actions can affect us, but ultimately your personal choices will be the rudder that steers the ship of your life!

7. You can always count on being able to tag along with us! Beauty Adventures are best shared with a friend…and sometimes a little pretty is the perfect escape!

Cheers to Circumstance, Certainty, and New Chances,

 

Beauty, Bridal, Celebrity, DIY, Fashion, Health, industry professional, Makeup, Musings, Personal, Photoshoot, Product review, Shopping, Trend, Tutorial

September 9, 2013

7 Things We Are Certain Of

Anyone who has had the pleasure the meet Beck Morgan will agree with me on these two things: He is a master at what he does. And he is passionate about what he does. It’s impossible to not catch his enthusiasm when you’re around him!

Beck is specifically an expert on MAC product having been a MAC educator for over five years, training groups of up to 700 people on the latest trends and how to create a flawless look. He loves giving people the skills to get the exact look they want!

As a MAC Cosmetics artist for the past 10 years, he has worked with clients ranging from new brides to celebrities, “Some of my favorites have been Naima Mora and Caridee English of America’s Next Top Model, The Raiderettes, The B52’s and Cyndi Lauper!” Beck is sharing his top 7 must-have MAC products with us today, so grab a pen and add these to your weekend shopping list!

 

    

 

1. Viva Glam VI Lipglass: A beautiful lipgloss with a bronzy base and raspberry shimmer. It looks fab over any lipstick and has enough color when worn alone.

2. Engraved Powerpoint Eyeliner: This liner won’t budge. You can sweat, cry… A bridal must have!

3. Radiant Rose Highlighting Pen: The secret to the Karsashian glow underneath the eyes and to pop the cheekbones that works on everyone.

4. Warm Soul Mineralize Blush: This soft pink and gold blush has the perfect amount of shimmer. Try it, I promise you’ll love it!

5. Extended Play Mascara: This is like Lancome Definicils on steroids. At $16.00 you cant beat it for a department store mascara.

6. Natural Radiance Face Primer: It brightens your complection and makes your foundation glide on like silk. One pump massaged into your skin before foundation, and your skin looks fresh all day!

7. Give Me Sun Mineralize Skinfinish Bronzer: Universal non-shimmery Bronzer that’s gives a golden (not orange) glow any time of year.

“If there is one part of makeup I love most, it has to be beautiful foundation. I always say ‘Skin is who you are, makeup is who you want to be!'”

Well put, Beck!

Cheers to Makeup, MAC, and Beck Morgan,

Beauty, Beauty Spotlight, Bridal, Celebrity, industry professional, Makeup, Musings, Product review, Products, Shopping, Trend

February 21, 2013

MAC Must-Haves: Meet Beck Morgan

This week I had the immense pleasure of attending the VIP Adesign Brush Party at The Specialists Salon in San Francisco hosted by Erica Carr! Not only was I there to experience and review the Adesign Brushes as an artist, but I also was invited to cover the event as a blogger…if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you saw a bit of the play by play of the night (You don’t?! Let’s change that! @polishandpout). Here’s a peek into how this amazing night went…  

The soiree was in one of my favorite places…San Francisco! Red carpet? Yes please!

 

Clockwise from top left: Me and fellow beauty blogger Renee Hamilton, New friend and fellow artist Trisha, Pre-party toast, Cheers!

 

Bubbly is nice and getting to see other artists is always fun…but the main reason we were there was of course for the brushes! We all had the chance to try the Adesign brushes out first hand on each other.

 

Two of the brushes there for our review have not even hit the market yet! One face and one eye brush…such innovative shapes! How incredible it was that Adesign wanted to include the artistry community in their product development! If the feedback is good…we may see these brush shapes hitting the shelves!

 

Adesign Brushes is a private label brand. They develop brushes for companies like Smashbox, Sephora, and Laura Mercier. I went home with around 7 brushes and cannot wait to use them extensively this month and give a full in-depth review soon! So stay tuned!

 

  From the left: Beauty Director for Adesign Brushes Shana King, our hosts Erica and Lulu, and Anisa herself (the President of Anisa International, the company who owns Adesign).          

 

Yum! The appetizers were divine! Such a fun night…having so many amazing artists in one place is a rare treat! I am so thankful for the new friendships and connections that were made last night!

 

Me and Beauty Expert Shana King…she is lovely yes? I must say, her complexion was immaculate!

 

 Cheers to Bubbly, Beauty, and Brushes,

 

Beauty, Celebrity, Fashion, Haul, industry professional, Makeup, Musings, Pro event, Product review, Products, Shopping, Trend

August 24, 2012

VIP Adesign Brush Party: San Francisco

Meet Gina Scheiber, makeup artist extraordinaire! Gina studied makeup and special FX at Make-Up Designory, and you’ve seen her amazing work on music videos, commercials, TV (like a little show called American Idol) and has collab’d on major motion pictures (like Pirates of the Caribbean!)!

She can do everything from monsters to movie stars!

I am honored to have her on P&P today and excited that she is letting us take a peek in her makeup bag! Here are the things she cannot live without…

 

 

 

 

Gina’s advice? “Know your tools. The better they are, the better your application will be. You’re only as good as the tools you use, so spend a little extra on durable high quality products!”

 

Cheers to Makeup, Movies, and Monsters,

 

 

Beauty, Beauty Spotlight, Celebrity, industry professional, Makeup, Musings, Product review, Products, Skincare

April 3, 2012

What’s in My Makeup Bag: Hollywood Artist Gina!

The Makeup Show is an annual pro-only event put on by The PowderGroup (if you’re a makeup artist, do yourself a favor and google TPG!) Last year was amazing so I knew I could not miss this year!

The show is in a handful of major cities (NYC, London, etc) and luckily Los Angeles is one of them! So I took a roadtrip with fellow artist Maya and fellow beauty vlogger Tree!

The body art and special fx were amazing!

Of course with all of the shopping I was on cloud nine! Clockwise from left: shopping at the Inglot booth, Tree examining part of her loot, even though I knew I’d be buying more I couldn’t resist packing a decent amount to go with me, you never know right?

I was able to meet some amazing artists: clockwise from top left: Alex, me, and MJ meeting celebrity makeup artist Troy Jensen (who’s worked with a ton of celebs including JLo, Rachel Bilson, Megan Fox), Me and Momma Makeup Sharon Gault (has worked extensively with Lady Gaga), Me with the lovely Lori Taylor from Smashbox (I just LOVED her sequined jacket!), and legends Byrd Holland and Maurice Stein (They’ve worked on legendary actors and movies including Jimmy Stewart and Planet of the Apes).

It was so incredible to hear from all of these artists, and the perspective of the last older artists was invaluable! Hearing about how Byrd motioned and fought for female makeup artists to be allowed into union and industry gave me chills!

Snippets from the trip, clockwise from top left: Mario Dedivanovic (Kim Kardashian’s personal artist), the big wall of FB statuses (I had to add Polish and Pout to the wall!), our room at the Marriott, me and Maya striking a pose!

One of the highlights from the weekend was hearing from artist Bill Corso. You know his work from Lemony Snickets, The Grinch, and recently John Carter. He explained the creative process behind the makeup in John Carter, even showing us the concepts that got tossed! Clockwise from top pic: sketches of the tattoos drawn onto the actors, the princess of Mars before and after makeup, the artist himself speaking.

The show has a heavy educational focus, which I love! So much information, advice, and ideas swirling in my head now! So this week I will catch some time on the beach to process it all!

The plan is to attend next year in NYC! I cannot wait!

Cheers to Makeup, Movies, and the Marriott,

Beauty, Beauty Spotlight, Celebrity, Haul, industry professional, Makeup, Musings, Pro event, Products, Shopping

March 22, 2012

Roadtrip: The Makeup Show LA!

Hair is so much fun and I love doing my hair in new ways…the same down with curls look gets old! And honestly I only wash my hair once or twice a week (that’s better for your hair!) so learning new ways to wear my hair up is necessary!

When I saw Nicole Richie on the red carpet at the Golden Globes with this amazing hairdo I felt super inspired!

Then, when I saw the character Rebekah on Vampire Diaries with a very similar do I knew I just had to create my own version of this look! Is it a ponytail? Is its faux-hawk? Who knows! I guess I’ll call it a punk ponytail…

So here’s what you’ll need:
A hair-tie, a comb or brush, a few bobby pins, and some hair spray

Comb out your hair and either straighten or curl it. Mine is left over wave and texture from the previous day. Create a deep, defined part on one side. Section the top portion of your hair to create your faux-hawk.

Tease the top portion of the hair that you sectioned off and smooth over the front of the hair. Take your comb and slick back both sides of your hair. Secure with bobby pins (like your doing some up/some down) and spray.

Your hair will now look something like the left picture below. The top teased hair is left out on top separate from the slicked back sides that you’ve secured. Gather all of the hair, except for the top section, into a ponytail and secure with a hair-tie.

Arrange the top section of hair so that it lays over the back ponytail and slightly swooped toward the side opposite of the deep part. Tease more if necessary. Spray the heck out of it!

And there you have it!

Side note: If your hair is all one length, then the top portion of hair that you teased will lay over your ponytail with that “cascade” effect that Nicole Richie’s hair had. In that case, be sure to hairspray the underside of the teased hair generously. My hair is layered and the top layer quite short, so it barely grazed the top of my ponytail.

So Cheers to Hairstyles that looks good on the Red Carpet, on Vampires, and on Regular People too!

 

Beauty, Celebrity, Hair, Trend, Tutorial

March 7, 2012

Punk Ponytail Tutorial

I’d like to introduce you to my dear friend MJ

MJ is a professional makeup artist living in LA. She’s worked for many amazing makeup lines including Dior, Laura Mercier, and MAC. She has done everything from bridal to red carpet and from runway to film. She even has worked with the D-O-Double G himself!(Umm that’s Snoop I’m referring to haha)

Most recently she worked backstage at NYC fashion week! So she is giving us the scoop today on what it’s like backstage!

MJ: I was running on not a lot of sleep! It was a very looong day flew in and hit the ground running the morning! Early call times! But then really, who sleeps during fashion week?

I was backstage for 2 days with 3 shows per day so it was a lot of work! The shows I worked on were at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC. Bebe, EMU Australia, Theia, and Malan Breton were among the designers I was able to work with.

Beauty Control was the beauty sponsor so they provided the makeup, skincare, foundation and all the color to use on the models! (Which she got to keep! Jealous!)

It was very intense…station prep, demo from the Viktorija Bowers (the lead artist) and then everyone just attacks the models…I always had to make sure that I had someone in my chair. Everything gets done at the same time: hair, nails, makeup. So you have to be focused and quick! No time for stargazing. Ahaha.

I was able to actually watch most of the shows!

There was barely any time to sit but you don’t really notice until your done because the energy is so high! Theia was my favorite show…everything was on point and perfect. After that particular show, they received a standing ovation…some people even had tears in their eyes…I thought: this is the reason I do what I do…moments like this…its not always this way but I felt so lucky to experience a moment like that…everything was perfect and I was able to be a part of that!

I was fortunate to be partnering with a great team, which really can be attributed to the lead artist… She was so down to earth and encouraged us all to not be afraid or hesitate, that we are good artists, that why we were there so just trust our skills and go for it!

Here’s a video backstage at a show MJ worked at! Can you spot her?


BC NYC Fashion Week 02.12 Recap from Jason Smith on Vimeo.

Did you spot MJ? She was at the :42 mark! Stay tuned for another post from MJ as she gives us the scoop on the beauty trends she saw on the runway!

Cheers to Fashion week, to NYC, and to Perfect Moments,

Beauty, Beauty Spotlight, Celebrity, Fashion, industry professional, Makeup, Musings, Trend

February 23, 2012

Backstage at NYC Fashion Week

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! If there ever was a day to feel pretty, today would be the day! Whether you have a hot date, or are going to hang with friends, or if you (like me) are actually going to be sitting at home alone <<insert violin music here>> a good makeup look will make the day and night even more pleasant.

You know what else will make today great? Chocolate! I had the privilege of doing a guest post on a cooking/crafting blog today so you have to go check out my post and tell me what you think! I blogged the recipe to my mom-in-law’s chocolate dipped macaroons! Yum-O!

lydiaphotgraphy.com

Don’t they look tasty?? Click here to get my recipe or just click on the picture of the macaroons! It’s not Valentine’s Day without a little chocolate!

So I planned a Valentine’s tutorial and then lo and behold Adele’s Grammy look was almost it exactly! So I made a few slight changes to match what she did!

Don’t you love her? Amazing talent and full of confidence…definitely doesn’t fit the normal Hollywood mold! So grab your brushes and red lipstick and settle in for a Valentine’s makeup look!

Ok, so if you’d like to do Adele’s look from her actual Grammy performance here is what you do:

They built on top of her red carpet look…so do the look in the tutorial, then add additional deep matte bronzer (contour) underneath your cheeks. She appeared to have a soft pink gloss on her lips so opt for that over the red lip. Since she did have a bold matte red lip on the red carpet it is more than likely that her lips had a slight stain when she removed her lipstick and that she put a neutral or clearish gloss on top! Then take a matte black shadow with your crease brush and work the color into your crease and into the outer third of your lid (that “v” area). That’s it folks!

Cheers to Valentine’s Day, Macaroons, and the lovely Adele,

 

Beauty, Celebrity, Makeup, Trend, Tutorial

February 14, 2012

Valentine’s Day Makeup: Adele’s Grammy Red Carpet Look