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,

 

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,

 

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,