My Make-up: Public School. Jersey City, NJ.

I’ve been learning how to skateboard.

So far so good, although I must admit it’s definitely a slow process. I’m getting more comfortable with it every day, but I can’t go THAT fast yet and I can only turn to the left – And even my left turns are still a bit wonky. Don’t even get me started on my right side turns. That’s a disaster and I usually just jump off and kick the deck to the right and jump back on. Eh…Baby steps.

So anyway, I’m out skating around the other day and my roommate and I go right pass this super cute store called Public School. It’s full of crazy kicks and really dope t-shirts – Definitely my kind of store

Last night (sans skateboard) we stepped out for a little JC jumpie at the store and I copped the cutest pair of sneakers from Greedy Genius!  I love them so much that after I put them on for this photo, I wore them out of the store.

Now, as You may know – We’ve been having a really random heat wave around here.  90 degrees in April is really weird and not even close to normal, and it was hot last night.  Normally when it’s super hot I don’t like to wear too much makeup, but my skin is really angry at the heat that came on all fast and furious – And I have some weirdo prickly heat rash all over my face.  I love the heat, and usually I’m very pro inferno…But, I was feeling a little awkies stepping out with that kind of a face sitch last night – Especially since I knew Mel would be there taking photos (He took the one featured on the left).

Thank the make-up Gods for Bare Minerals…I did a heavy coating of that stuff all over my face (F the swirl, tap and buff instructions – I popped the top off of this baby and dunked my brush in until I covered it with product), and in pictures you cant even tell my face was a red bumpy mess.  The great thing about BE is that it’s an amazing product for sensitive skin and didn’t  further irritate my skin even when it was in a state of crisis.

I’m also wearing Benetint, with a bit of apricot blush from Rimmel on my cheeks;  Posie Tint on my lips with a Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker over it; BadGal Eyeliner applied with a really heavy hand and then smushed around to give a smudgy/smokey look on my eyes; Plus 3 or 4 coats of Avon Supershock Mascara (This stuff is good).

Tags: Avon, Bare Minerals, Benefit, Greedy Genius, kicks, Mel D. Cole, Public School, Skateboarding, Skin Disaster

Behind the Scenes: Princess of the Posse

Tags: fashion, Marley Kate, Me, Princess of the Posse

Become A Fan!

Just incase you don’t know…

I have a page on facebook, and if you join you’ll be able to keep up with all of my latest work, as well as receive news feeds about my latest posts on this blog.

See below for a link to join!

Tags: facebook, shameless self promotion

Bye Bye Binders

Back in the day (Ok, really just up until a month ago), I was working off a binder system.

INSPIRATION BINDERS.

Lots of people keep these – Or at least they’re pretty common with creative types.  Personally, if I came across makeup that I loved in a magazine, I would rip out the page and slide it in to a clear plastic sleeve and put it in one of the many binders that would take up way too much space around my room.  It was a system that served me well for a time, but after almost a year of ‘inspiration binder’ keeping…Things got a little out of control.

I also got a little bit lazy, and towards the end I would rip pages out of magazines and never put them inside the binders at all.  Then there were occasions where I’d find myself sorting through these binders for a reference, and I’d end up removing pages while shaking my head trying to figure out why I even thought I liked some of the images in the first place.

In any case, that antiquated system is DONE.  I’m over it.

The timing couldn’t be better since just the other day, photographer and friend, the fabulous Miss Marley Kate put me on to something much more efficient.  Gone are the days of tearing out pages from books and magazines!  A little site called Image Spark is changing the game and making it much easier to organize and refer to images that may inspire you.

Now all I have to do is upload the images that I like to my very own reference library.  I can even create moodboards for specific styles that I want to separate from the rest of the pack.  If you use firefox, there is also a plug-in that takes things one step further by allowing you to click on any image you come across while perusing the web, and automatically uploads it to your Image Spark library.

The best part is that the site is still pretty young, which means that it’s still possible to get a user name that actually is your name.

Check out Image Spark and search for me under (what else?), Jillian.

Tags: Geeky Stuff, Image Spark, Inspiration, Marley Kate, Organization

The New KareemBlack.com!

A year and a half ago when I decided I wanted to be an editorial make-up artist, hardly any of the good photographers would shoot with me.  All of my previous experience had been in television, and not many photographers were willing to take a chance on me without knowing if I’d be versatile enough to transition from television to print.  Kareem Black was one of those photographers.

I met him at a party, and for months I would ask him if he would work with me.  The answer was always ‘I’ll think about it.’  It wasn’t until he approached me one day on IM asking if I had any recommendations for places he should send his book to, that he would actually consider using me for a shoot.  When he posed that question to me, I LOST MY MIND and proceeded to explain to him that I knew NOTHING about the editorial world, and that I’d been the one asking him for a little help – So why should he bother asking me?

I guess he likes a little back talk, because a week later we were working together on a video spec he was directing for Kiser NY.  Fast forward a year and a half later, and I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on shoots for Verizon, LRG, Interview Magazine, Bust Magazine, CITY, Big Shot Magazine – In addition to some really dope side projects.

This month he’s launching a brand new website, and I encourage all of you to check it out!

Tags: Kareem Black

More Nathaline @ Wilhelmina

Here are a few more pictures of Nathaline @ Wilhelmina.

For this shoot I created a look for her, using boot black liquid liner applied in the crease with a dusting of black shadow applied with an angled liner brush to set.  Nude lips were created using Bare Venus (limited edition and no longer available), and her cheeks were contoured using powder blush in Blushbaby.  All from MAC.

Photos: Marley Kate.  Hair: Billy Keith.  Styling: Contessa.

Tags: Billy Keith, Contessa, MAC, Marley Kate, Test, Wilhelmina

You, Me & 5 Bucks

I’ve been under the weather this past week.  Living like a recluse, curled up on the couch watching way too much T.V. just waiting for the worst to pass.  Antibiotics are such a drag – All I’ve wanted to do is sleep.

You know you’re really sick when after 3 days you’ve watched everything of interest on DVR and on Demand.  By Thursday night I’d really run out of options, and had begun scrapping the bottom of the T.V. barrel, watching things like ‘Dress My Nest‘ and ‘Snapped.’

But I was desperate for entertainment.  I mean, what else do you do when you’re sick?  I guess I could have read a book or something, but when I’m not feeling well I really do prefer to be mindlessly entertained.  So, I’m home…With my ass planted firmly on the couch…And ‘Reality Bites’ comes on.  My first instinct was to change the channel.  I HATED this movie when my sister took me to see it in the theater in 1994.  I just didn’t get it.

Now, post H.S. and college…I swear I thought I was watching a different movie.  Suddenly it all made sense, and I was sitting on the couch nodding my head in firm agreement that reality does in fact, sometimes, bite.

If you don’t remember this movie, here’s the trailer:

What I loved most about this flick were all the varying shades of red lipstick worn by Winona Ryder and Janeane Garofalo.  I especially LOVE the matte red color on Winona Ryder in the bar scene when Ethan Hawke’s character does a horrific cover of the Violent Femme’s ‘Add It Up.’  Her lips are 90s matte, grunge perfection.

Here are my favorite shades of red lipstick – All under 5 bucks

Wet ‘n’ Wild Silk Finish Lipstick, Hot Red ($1.29)

Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaSlicks Lip Color, Passion Fruit Pink

($2.99)

Milani Velvet Lips Lipstick, Red Carpet 214 ($4.49)

Disney Red Apple Lip Balm SPF 15 ($5.00)

Tags: Budget, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, Reality Bites, Red Lipstick, Winona Ryder

Shhh!

I’ve been keeping this one to myself for a while.  As a makeup artist, and a blogger I do feel a certain responsibility to let my clients and readers in on the latest and greatest in all things beauty.  Then, sometimes I stumble upon something that is such a find, that I just want to keep it to myself.

I am totally the product of my mother in that way.  For example:  I once had this AMAZING colorist.  I mean…AMAZING.  He moved to another country, so now no one in the U.S can have him.  But before he moved, he made me all sorts of shades of blonde that were all equally fabulous.  My hair was so perfectly colored that women would stop me on the street daily, desperate to know the genius behind my luscious locks.  Whenever they would ask, I would respond with ‘Oh this, this is just some box color.  My friend did it for me.’

LIES.  And all of the curious women who asked totally knew that I was lying.  But, my mother always said ‘DON’T GO TELLING TOO MANY PEOPLE ABOUT AMAZING THINGS JILLIAN, BECAUSE THEN EVERYONE WILL HAVE IT AND THEN IT WON’T BE AMAZING ANYMORE.’

I sort of agree.  I also feel kind of guilty for holding out on all of you.

It’s just that now I’m torn.  I WANT to tell you about this amazing beauty find, because it’s what girlfriends do – They share information on beauty and other girly stuff.  Then there is a part of me that wants to keep this to myself, so as not to ruin it.  Once this catches on it’s going to be huge…Like…Sephora…Only, NEXT LEVEL.

Ugh.  Ok. (Let me catch my breath).  Here it is. (I can’t believe I’m sharing this – God, I am SO GOOD TO YOU ALL).  It’s called…

SASA.

Sasa is kind of like Sephora, but they only have standing locations throughout Asia.  Thankfully, they have a website, and they do ship internationally.  The thing that makes Sasa the next level Sephora is that they have things you have never heard of in the U.S.  Products that are rare and amazing…

Looking for Bird’s Nest Eye Mask?  Yeah.  They’ve got it. (P.S.: It’s edible.  Not sure why you’d want to eat it, but just in case you feel compelled to do so – It’s safe).

Or, maybe you’d like to try hairspray for your EYELASHES.

Dying to try Bai Cheong Lung pills?  They have them!  Don’t know what Bai Cheong Lung pills are?  No problem!  Apparently they moisturize the body, give you energy, help with absent mindedness, and post-partum!  Seriously, why isn’t everyone taking this???

Desperate for that wide eye’d doll look?  Try Sasa’s Super Dolly Powerful Mascara guaranteed to give you dolly eyes that will be the center of attention everywhere you go!

I could go on and on…But I think you get the idea.  Basically Sasa has EVERYTHING.  Things that you can’t even imagine.  Things that you would never know that you needed or even wanted until you realized they were realistic options.  Sasa is all the brands that you already know (Olay, Loreal, Dior etc.), PLUS hundreds of foreign brands that you never even knew existed.

The best part is that they always have sales! I’ve even found products that are carried at Sephora on the Sasa website – FOR A DISCOUNTED PRICE! Before you let international shipping turn you off from trying them out, you should know that you get free shipping on orders over $75.00.

What are you waiting for?  Explore Sasa today!

Tags: Discounts, Mascara, Sasa, Sephora

Beauty That Gives Back: Trees for The Future

I know there are lots of people out there who think the beauty industry is shallow and meaningless and only for those that embrace their narcissistic side.

I completely disagree. Beauty is a powerful thing, and it does have the power to effect change.  Just ask the good people at Smashbox.  To celebrate Earth Day 2009, they’ve come up with a limited edition eco- friendly palette available exclusively at Sephora stores nation wide.  The palette contains 4 shadows and a blush – All of which are certified organic (organic makeup = simple, healthful, and as close to nature as beauty gets). Plus, everything is housed in a recyclable compact and carton made from sustainable materials and printed with eco-friendly ink!

The color ways are suitable for all skin tones, with the neutral tangerine hued blush being a must have for everyone! Additionally, all the shadows are super blend-able so you can mix and match the perfect shades for you.

Bonus: With each purchase, a tree will be planted by Trees for the Future, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating sustainable environments through forestation throughout the world.

This is organic beauty at it’s best – Beauty that gives back!

Get yours for $45.00 just in time for Earth Day on April 22nd at Sephora.

Tags: Earth Day, Eco-friendly, Palette, Sephora, Smashbox

CORRECTION: twitter.com/MAKEUPARTIST

If you were on my email blast yesterday, then you may have noticed that I provided an incorrect link to my twitter page.

My bad.  I try my hardest to spell check and proof read…And, in general, make sure that everything is perfect.  But, it’s not easy running a one woman show – You feel me?  Occasionally things get stupid and complicated on my end: Like when my contact list loads with quotes around every single email address, which makes it impossible to send any emails unless I go in and manually remove each of the random quotes.  Yesterday, that task took me an hour, and my eyeballs felt like they might fall out from ‘quote removal’ OVERLOAD, and I totally made a gaffe. I’m human, and sometimes it happens.

Anyway, I made an oops and wanted to make it right by providing the correct link to my twitter page.

Follow me – For real this time!

Tags: correction, oops