Product Reviews

Makeup Trends from Los Angeles Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and Tips from Lori Taylor, Smashbox Makeup Artist

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles was last week. So maybe you weren’t hanging with Paris Hilton in the front row at the shows this year … but hey, neither was I! We’ve always got next year to look forward to, right?

This year Smashbox sponsored the makeup. To absolutely nobody’s surprise, the flawless skin trend we saw at the San Francisco and New York shows was a big theme this year on the L.A. runways, too.

Want to get the look at home? Here are a few tricks from Smashbox makeup artist Lori Taylor, who was nice enough to share a few backstage tips with Makeup and Beauty Blog.

What was the biggest makeup trend we saw at the LA shows this year?


Perfect and Flawless skin. During the shows we used tons of High Definition FX Foundation and Function 5 Self Adjusting Foundation. Also, smoky eyes of colors such as metallic green and purple. And bright lips with lipstick, not gloss!

What tips can you give women who want to re-create these looks at home?

Apply a sheer wash of color on the eye in black or brown, and then use metallic burgundy; soft, sheer purple; or taupe metallic shades. Use a ton of mascara and a liner in color. For the lips use a velvety lipstick or a sheer color.

When you’re working backstage, what are your can’t-live-without Smashbox products?

High Definition FX Foundation, Function 5 Self Adjusting Foundation and Photo Op Under Eye Brightener. We were all fighting for it backstage!




What is your favorite part about doing makeup for runway shows?

I love the fast and chaotic pace as well as the responsibility of being the head makeup artist.

Least favorite part?

My least favorite part is that I’m not so much hands on anymore. Once I create the look the other artists take over.

A pic of Lori Taylor with Smashbox Founders Dean and Davis Factor

Toner-o-Rama with DHC Rose Toner and Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion

I like to blog about whatever beauty and skin issue is plaguing me at the moment. The big problem du jour right now is my skin. I’ve been breaking out and getting dry patches…so NOT cute.

When my skin goes nuts it means it’s time to review my skin regimen. I just switched to a cleanser which I’m starting to really love, Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple. The next step? Finding a complementary toner that both moisturizes and fights the good fight against pimples.

(Side note: I don’t believe that you have to stay with one skin care line, because IMHO that’s just marketing-schmarketing. I always end up using a mix of brands because I haven’t found a line that I love enough to be solely devoted to.)

Toner…Not Just for Copy Machines

Toners are liquid products that you use after you cleanse your face, and you apply it with a cotton ball to your face and your neck. The purpose is to take off the last traces of makeup and prep the skin for moisturization. Some toners also have other benefits, like fighting zits (yes!) and moisturizing (yessss!). I must confess; I’m not always an avid toner user. Sometimes I don’t feel like my skin needs it and sometimes I’m just plain lazy. If I can skip a step I’ll leave it out, ya know?

But when my skin is going nuts like it is now I’ll make the extra effort to really baby it. Here are two toners that I’ve been test driving: DHC Rose Toner and Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion.

DHC Rose Toner Smells Divine, Fights Zits Like a Champ

DHC Rose Toner is lovely-smelling toner made from distilled damask rosewater for ladies (and gents) with blemish-prone skin.

The benefits:

– calms overactive, stressed complexions
– controls excess oil
– tightens pores
– all-day oil control

What I liked about it:

– smells fantastic, like I’m wandering around in Oprah’s rose garden
– cute packaging!
– excellent oil control

What I didn’t like about it:

– dried out my skin

When I was younger my skin was really oily, breakout prone and tougher than Tina Turner on a world tour. If I was ten years younger then DHC Rose Toner would be right up my alley. The dry patches on my face are a new thing for me, so unfortunately this toner was a little too drying to use over my entire face. However, Rose Toner did a fantastic job of drying up my zits. I’m going to use it as a spot treatment in the future, rather than an all-over toner.

You might like it if:

– you have younger, oilier skin that can tolerate stronger toners
– need lots of oil control

A 3.3 fl. oz bottle is regularly $21.00, but is on sale for $15.50 until November 30, 2007 on the DHC Web site.

Also … a lil’ birdie told me that there’s a full Rose skincare line available in Japan but not in the US. It’s a DHC best seller and apparently the entire line is phenomenal. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that they make it available in the US soon!

Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion, Where Have You Been All My Life?

Before I buy new skin care products, I read other beauty blogs and check sites like makeupalley.com first. I like to do background research on a product because it gives me a good idea of what it does and whether or not it might work for me.

I got the idea to try Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion from the skin care board on makeupalley.com and all I gotta say is PRAISE JEEBUS! This stuff is the sh*t!

Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion is a gentle exfoliator that contains salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid. It’s moisturizing, doesn’t have an offensive smell and is so far doing a great job of clearing up my skin.

The benefits:

– exfoliates skin
– moisturizes, yet doesn’t leave a weird, sticky film behind

What I liked about it:

– texture (it’s thicker than a regular liquid toner but not as thick as a gel)
– doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight
– doesn’t contain alcohol
– has salicylic acid, which penetrates skin to exfoliate pores
– very gentle
– doesn’t break me out

What I didn’t like about it:

– absolutely nuthin’! Love, love, love all around

You might like it if:

– you have combo skin
– you need a non-drying salicylic acid treatment
– you have sensitive, acne-prone skin

I wanted to add a salicylic acid (BHA) treatment to my daily skincare routine because I’ve read that for some people, the combination of benzoyl peroxide with a BHA works wonders to keep skin pimple-free.

How do these two work to keep breakouts at bay? BHA is a chemical exfoliant that keeps pores clear, and benzoyl peroxide kills acne bacteria present in the pores. So far this combination has been working for me quite well. My pimples are starting to clear up, and my skin doesn’t feel as dry and tight.

If you go to the Clinique counter to buy this don’t let the MUA talk you into any other toner. I went in after work one day and I hadn’t blotted in a few hours so my skin looked really oily. The makeup artist tried to push the “oily skin” toner on me. I’m glad I stuck to my guns because Mild Clarifying is a new skincare staple. I love, I love!

A 6.7 oz bottle is $11.00, available at Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Sephora.

But Paris Says the Stars are Blind…

I’ve been having a weird few days.

Weird as in:
– I go to the local Punjabi Burrito place (I’m so not kidding) in Marin to buy a Punjabi Burrito and find out when I get to the counter that they don’t take credit cards; it’s cash only. And of course I only have five bucks on me and the Punjabi Burrito costs $7.50. And of course I’m hungry enough to start gnawing on my arm.

Weird as in:
– Every night for the past few days I’ve been waking up at 3:00. No rhyme, no reason. The clock hits 3:00 and there I am. Ready to knit, do calculus, build a better mousetrap, blog. You name it, I can do it at 3:00 in the morning because I’M WIDE AWAKE.

Weird as in:
– Random neighborhood cats have been wandering into my apartment. The weather’s been hot so I’ve been leaving the front door open when I write. The cats come in. They sniff around the random beauty products strewn across the floor. They meow. They leave. They always leave. I feel cheap and used.

I dunno, maybe it’s mis-alignment of the planets or perhaps something is in retrograde.

Anyway, I hope that your week’s been going well and that it’s going by fast. Hey, at least we’re halfway there!

Rock on…it’s all we can do!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen