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