Fifty-cent Head

Hi-Def, like a brightly lit bathroom mirror. EGADS!

Hi-def TV. What does it mean, besides a lot of extra money the next time you need a television set? Basically, hi-def tv is digital and extra, extra precise, making the viewing experience much more vivid. Were you watching the evening news in hi-def and the anchors weren't wearing great makeup, you'd know who missed a few hours of beauty sleep and who was having a break-out from ratings stress. Imagine letting the whole world into your bathroom every morning with a magnifying mirror, and you now understand why stars and tv personalities have been running to Sephora and/or hiring better makeup artists!

What ever is to be done? Well, naturally many cosmetics companies have stepped up to the plate to give the entertainment and news industries something blur all of their imperfections. Can we non-performers benefit from these new technologies? I'll have to pose the question to The Beauty Brains - if I can manage to find a functioning contact form on their site.

Take a look at CARGO's blu_ray collection:

blu_ray products are  designed, like most of the hi-def products on the market, to give full coverage without looking caked-on. After all, you want your hi-def makeup to cover a multitude of sins while still looking like radiant and healthy skin! Well, since these are from CARGO, you know they're good.

The line uses "photochromatic pigments" which are meant to self-correct and look good in any light. I picture tiny little magical perfect raindrops covering the skin, glinting their perfection in any situation. But I may be a little drunk at the moment, so don't mind me. (just kidding)

The products use microfine particles that don't really sit on top of the skin the way older makeup might (this microfine particle thing is becoming the norm in quality makeup, by the way). Light diffusers, also common in some other makeup, are a particular friend of mine because they gently and softly diffuse light, minimizing the appearance of imperfections while also adding a bit of radiance .

The lip products are also smoothing, thanks to hyaluronic acid and peptides, making fine lines less visible.

Above are, from left, the CARGO blush/hilighter (it's oil-free!), $27 USD; lipgloss palette (4 neutrals, endless possibilities for blending!), $29 USD; powder, $32 USD; mattifier (use over or under makeup), $24 USD;  and mascara (strengthens and conditions with no clumping), $20.

blu_ray is available at sephora.com.

Other ways we can learn to look better courtesy of the hi-def phenomenon:

• lighting is key! | check your makeup out in different lights- you may not realize it, but makeup applied in the wrong lighting can turn insta-tranny in another environment!
• get into a skincare routine |stars flock to their estheticians for facials more than they ever had, because makeup won't hide bumps. sign-up for regular facials, if it's in your budget, or invest in good skincare so you can cleanse+exfoliate+tone+moisturize your way into flawless skin. let all new skincare systems work for about 3 months so you can see if they work (clearly discontinuing earlier if you're having a negative reaction!). i also recommend the Clarisonic brush to help make sure you're spending enough time really getting your skin clean.
• drink it up! | drink your water and stay hydrated from the inside-out, please.
• ditch the bad habits | smoking is bad for so many reasons (i'm a former smoker, myself). if your health isn't enough to make you quit, maybe you'll quit because i tell you this: smoking makes your skin dull and wrinkly and some people even have skin discoloration from the daggone nicotine. besides, it makes you stink, which has nothing to do with hi-def tv, but someone had to tell you and it might as well be me. even though you think you don't stink, i promise you: if you smoke, you stink of smoke. ew.
• get up and move | i need to take my own advice here, i'll admit it. exercise gets the blood pumping and is overall better for you, which will naturally show in your complexion.
• stop the madness, stop the tanning!  | please. you know this. you think it's cute, but you're wrong. tanning is damaging and aging and ultimately has a dangerous potential for death. and frankly, leathery skin is not attractive in person or on hi-def tv.

Interview: Ramy, brow guru

I had the distinct honor of interviewing Ramy Gafny, known as "Manhattan's Brow Guru". His spa is on East 31st, between Park and Madison, and his line of cosmetics is growing steam in the industry.

Not sure you've heard of Ramy? You may have seen this makeup artist, whose theme is "minimum makeup, maximum impact," on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Entertainment Tonight, or E!. Or perhaps you read about him in Vogue? In Allure? InStyle? Shape? Self? Town & Country? (I'm a confessed magazine junkie, so that's how I first heard of him) He has worked with Britney, Lindsay, Nicole, Halle, Regis, Ivanka, Naomi, Mariska, and a bunch of other folks whose names you'd recognize even if I do have to use their last names!  Hullo, Katherine Heigl, Liev Schrieber, Rhianna, Emme, Carol Burnett, Julia Stiles, Ray Romano - random much? - Barbara Walters, Debra Messing, Renee Zellweger and the Queen of the Red Carpet: Joan Rivers.

Now that we've established his credentials, let's talk philosophy. He believes that women don't need tons of products that languish in their cabinets or drawers. (He would shudder at my makeup collection, no?!) Ramy beauty therapy - that's the name of his line - was created to give women multi-purpose products that will give them a quick way to enhance their natural look. And he also believes that brows are important - so important that he's picked up that moniker: Manhattan's Brow Guru.

So here's what he had to say. Hopefully I'll have some Ramy product reviews for you soon...

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How did you come to be known as a specialist in eyebrows?

I was hired to be Makeup Director at a top Fifth Avenue salon and they said "You're going to be in charge of eyebrows too" and I said "OK" and started practicing on the staff. It turned out that I had a natural eye for brow shaping and people started lining up. Then the salon started booking me clients and next thing I knew, I was written up in Vogue as New York's Best brow shaper!

Are there trends in brows? If so, what is the next trend you see on the horizon?

The current trend is having very full, strong brows that look polished and arched. I happen to think this look is classic and that brows should be classic and not trendy. You don't want to see a picture of yourself in ten years and have to say, "That was the trend back then" I think brows should always be as full as possible with a nice arch. The next trend will probably be too go a touch thinner - which will then lead to overly thin brows and come back full circle to the full brow.

What is the worst faux pas one can commit with her brows? What about for men?

 Making the brows too thin or creating the dreaded hook shape (or both!) are horrible and common mistakes. No one should ever wax, but men especially look overdone and like drag queens when their brows are waxed.

How do you feel about brow color? When one changes one's hair, should the brow color change as well? 

Your brow color can be up to two shades lighter or darker than your hair color, but no more than that. Your brows do not have to match your hair color exactly, but you don't want a huge discrepancy, like black eyebrows with blonde hair or blonde eyebrows with red hair.

 
What's best: waxing, threading, tweezing? Why?

Tweezing is best because it's the most precise method that offers the most control. Waxing is the worst as you're just indiscriminately removing rows of hair and one wrong move means "bye-bye eyebrow". Waxing is also aging and bad for the delicate skin around the eye area. Threading is what was done before tweezers were invented and its a trend. I hear it's more painful than tweezing and that sometimes hair breaks instead of being removed from the root, so it may not grow back in a uniform manner.

Advise us on how to fill brows in for a most natural look, please. And tell us what products you like for this task.

You can use a pencil, a powder or a pomade to fill brows. As a rule, choose a color a shade or two lighter than your brow color. Lighter looks more natural, darker, more artificial and heavy. When in doubt, choose taupe. Whatever you use to fill brows, always brush it through to remove excess product and blend. This leaves you with a natural looking borw, not a made up looking brow. My favorite products are my Miracle Brow Compact ($28.) which has two universal shades that work on most everyone, my Neutral Impact eyeshadow, and coming in April, My Perfect Brow Wand, which will be a double ended pen witg a neutral brow filler on one end and a highlighter on the other!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, I'd like to ask about my own brows. They used to be full but are more sparse now (overplucking, age, and a touch of trichtillomania). What's the best way to encourage them to grow back, or is it too late? Do I go in stages or just not touch them for a few weeks/months? 

The fastest way to grow them back to former glory is to touch NOTHING for up to three months. Really go back to square one. Be sure to take a good multi-vitamin to ensure your body has all the nutrients it needs for optimum hair growth and try a product like my Eye GROW Brows! which can be applied nightly to help hair grow faster and fuller.

 
Is there something you want to tell the world about eyebrows?

Having your eyebrows professionally shaped is the fastest way to improve your appearance without plastic surgery. A proper shaping  can make you look younger, more sophisticated, and generally more perfect!

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Thanks to Ramy for his time and expertise!

Cute Fafi for MAC tutorial!

Here, on Specktra.

Many apologies for the lack of posts over the last few days...

...I've been felled by a major cold! And that got me to thinkin': how do you hide the symptoms of your cold? For example, my nose is dry and red, as is the skin around it. My lips are chapped all to hell. My eyes are red and puffy. I'm quite pale (more so than usual). I'm glistening, thanks to the cold sweats.

Read on for my tips for hiding all signs you're sick...

Do You Fake It?

 

LASHES,  folks... I'm talking about lashes! Geez...

False lashes are the key to making this winter's looks really work! The (clickable) images below are dramatic... I don't think those lashes are terribly wearable, but they are fun to look at. There are some great lashes out there that give you a lovely variety and let you add some oomph to your own lashes or really rock it out and get costume-y.

Read on for rundown of how to apply the suckers! Tomorrow, a guide to choosing lashes...

 

Artist Tips - How to “design a look”

I often get asked about how to choose a full face look so that everything is flattering, and everything "goes". In other words, folks want a cohesive look, but may not be really sure how to go about it. Here are some tips...

1. Start somewhere. You can pick either an overall look (for example "bronze-y" or "focus on the eyes") or select another starting spot. Maybe you know you want to wear that perfect brown shadow or a magenta lipstick? You need to start somewhere!


2. Work with colors that flatter you, not necessarily colors that match your outfit. The aquamarine sweater may look nice, but do you really need that color on your eyes? Choices you make for your clothing or accessories aren't always the best choices for your makeup.


3. Analyze the makeup colors or "look" you picked out. Figure out what colors will coordinate and complete the look. One trick is to decipher whether your choices are warm, neutral or cool colors. If you're using a red-orange lipstick as your focus, you will want to consider warm tones for cheeks and eyes (browns with yellow undertones, oranges, golds, tans, etc...); if you are using a pink on the eye, consider cool tones for cheeks and lips (berries, pinks, roses, etc...).


4. Once you have the colors picked out, you want to think about what types of finishes to choose. For example, if you are using a matte lipstick, you may want to consider a shimmer somewhere else- on the eyes, on the cheeks? If you have a heavy shimmery or glittery eye, you may want to tone down the cheeks and lips and make them matte. If you want a very dressy or high-fashion type of look gloss on the lips and shimmer on the eyes will get you there, but I don't advise shimmer everywhere on the face. It looks a bit dated...


5. The last thing to really think about is intensity of shade. Part of that plays into where your focus will be. For example, if your eyes are heavily done (think blacks and greys adding up to a very smoky eye) you will probably want to downplay the intensity of the lips and cheeks so as to avoid looking like you learned about makeup in the 80's (hence the nude lip trend right now). If you want a very bright red (and trendy!) lip, keep the eyes muted or even nude, with just a bit of liner.

Those are the basics on how to get a balanced look! Keep the questions coming...

Up next in Artist Tips: understanding the basics of the color wheel when selecting makeup colors.