Tata Harper

I am so happy that I get to share this skincare line with you. Tata Harper Skincare is, quite frankly, amazing!

Tata Harper created her all natural skin care line to help people get beautiful skin, but not have to lather their faces in chemicals and non-necessary products.

          "Tata Harper Skincare was founded by Tata Harper on the essential idea that women no   longer have to sacrifice their health to look and feel beautiful. In Vermont on a 1,200 acre farm, she manufactures 100% natural and non-toxic, premium skincare products made from the World’s most sought after ingredients. Some of the ingredients are sourced from around the World, but many are grown on the farm.  All research and development, formulations, packaging, marketing and distribution are done in-house, allowing Tata to control every step of the process, from formulation to shipment to a customer.

Clinical trials and enthusiastic feedback from thousands of health-conscious women confirm that TATA HARPER Skincare offers stunning results without causing harm to women’s bodies. We provide sumptuous, high performance products that women love to use. TATA HARPER is proven to improve vitality, foster radiance, and inspire an overall sense of well-being.

And our Mission continues with you. Join us in this positive, forward-thinking revolution. Read labels and get active. Spread the word about TATA HARPER and the natural and non-toxic skin care movement."

I have had the honor of not just meeting Tata, herself, but to be trained on her line by her. She is one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She's beautiful, smart, and very passionate about her line. The training session didn't feel like I was back at school and bored like I have with some other lines, it felt like we were just sitting around chatting, like a book club, but for skincare.

There are 2 of her products I am thrilled to share with you.

Rejuvenating Serum:

I have been using this serum for about 3 months now, and my skin feels amazing. I use it only at night, but it can be used day and night. Even after months of using it, I am always surprised at how great my skin feels, not just when I wake up in the morning, but I feel results in minutes. My skin feels softer, more supple and smooth.

The serum has 29 active ingredients, and no filler products, so everything in the serum is helping your skin, not just filling up the bottle.

The second product I want to talk about isn't just one product. I think this is genius. Tata Harper has a Sample pack of her whole line.

Deluxe Beauty Set:

Is a great idea for people wanting to try the line, let's be honest, her skin care is amazing, but it's not cheap. So if you're looking to see if it really works for you (and trust me, it will!) This set is for you. 

In the set you get deluxe samples of Regenerating Cleanser, Hydrating Floral Essence, Rejuvenating Serum, Rebuilding Moisturizer, Repairative Moisturizer, Replenishing Nutrient Complex, Resurfacing Mask. Plus it come in a cute little pouch.

 One tiny tid bit I want to add about her line, if you're on her website and you're not impressed by the packaging, don't worry, the photos on her website are her old packaging. The current packaging is SO MUCH better, it comes in green glass containers. I know packaging shouldn't be a deciding factor in buying a product, but let's be honest, we want the products to look good on our vanities. 

I get my Tata Harper at Kiss and Makeup in West Vancouver.

 

Halloween Preparation

'Twas the month before Halloween, and all through the house... Ooops, wrong holiday.

Anyway, it's almost Halloween, and for you die hard Halloweeners, you're in full swing planning your
costume, and for those of you who leave it all to the day before (or day of) I hope this will light a fire under your tushies.

We all know makeup can make up your look (pun intended!) or it can destroy a well thought out idea. That is why having an amazing makeup artist is key to winning any costume contest or being the envy of your friends.

Just like in any profession, the best is hard to get, so make sure you book early, to ensure you get a spot.
How do you know you're getting a good makeup artist, and not just someone who shops a lot at MAC?
ASK!

We makeup artists are a very proud bunch, we love sharing our work, and tooting our own horns with all our accomplishments. If you have someone who has no photos of their work, and no experience as an artist, run away!

Finding a makeup artist is easier then you may think, we advertise everywhere, Facebook, Twitter, Caigslist, Model Mayhem, and any other social media or advertising outlet you can think of.

Don't expect a makeup artist to barter or make a deal either, we fill up fast, and a lot of artists think they're airlines, and over book, knowing someone might flake out. There may be a lot of artists out there, but there are a lot of people wanting their services, so if you cause a fuss or try to be cheap, you'll just get passed.
You don't want a bargain on a surgeon, and Halloween is no time to skimp on your makeup.

We may be magicians with a makeup brush, but we're not psychic, so be VERY clear with your vision, bring in pictures, and give a good vision to the artist when you book them.

And now a shameless plug... I am now taking bookings, so call Kiss and Makeup to book with me (Trevor)  on October 31st. 604.922.6292 or email me!

Book soon, or you'll end up looking like Terri Hatcher, and no one wants to be the makeup fail at a party.

Videos

Well there I go, forgetting all about my blog for way too long.
I am back, and I swear I'm going to try and write on here much more often.

Today I knew I was going to write something, but I had no clue what, so I decided to go through some YouTube makeup tutorials for inspiration, and it dawned on me, my inspiration would be the topic.
I want to share with you some YouTube Makeup videos I really liked. These people inspire me, so I am certain they will inspire you too.

We begin with a video blog that I love, and this blog kind of introduced me to the world of blogging. MakeupByEman is a great blog, and I start with her, not only because Eman is a very talented and knowledgeable artist, but because she is a friend of mine, and someone I have had the privilege of working along side.


The next blog I like to check out is Michelle Phan, she always has such interesting and imaginative looks.
I'll be honest, I don't think her technique is perfect, and I have no idea how she can work with such crazy bejeweled nails, but none the less her looks are always very original and in the end, look great.
Michelle not only does makeup looks, but a lot to do with the beauty industry like nails, skincare and hair as well. It's nice to see someone so passionate about the industry sharing all the tid bits she learns.

Next up, is a blog I haven't seen before, but one I stumbled upon tonight while surfing through the videos, and I can't even begin to describe how amazed I am at this video. I'm not even sure what made me click on it, but boy am I glad I did. Diamonds and Heels 14 gives a very personal look into her makeup routine, which you think won't be that exciting... oh look another pretty girl doing her makeup, oh yay!... but this girl not only showed her routine, she showed her insecurities, and went on camera without any makeup, something I would not be brave enough to do.

There are a couple other Youtube channels I like to watch every now and again, but I think these 3 should be a nice start for all of you, and if you're like me, you'll watch one, and then click on a suggested video at the end, and 4 hours later you realize you've just spent way too much time on the computer.

Right now would be a totally great time to put up a forth video, and have it be the launch of my Youtube career, but sadly I have been too lazy to start that. It is something I have thought about, and have wanted to start, so keep your eyes peeled, because I'm hoping to get that going very soon.

Face Charts

Hello make up lovers.
It's been a while since I've posted, and my deepest apologies for neglecting you, but I am back and have a great topic to discuss with you today.

As the title alludes to, I'll be discussing face charts.

I love face charts for so many reasons, they are great to help you practice your techniques, they're great ways to plan out looks before you apply them on someone, and they really help you perfect your blending, because blending on paper is more difficult than on skin.

 Now you're probably wondering, where do I get face charts?
They are very easy to find, they're all over online, just google search face charts and hundreds of them pop up, from all types of makeup companies.
You can also head to your favorite makeup counter and ask to see theirs, they're very willing to part with a blank one for you to copy, but don't be greedy, just take one and photocopy it, don't ask for 100 charts, cause then they will probably tell you to buzz off.

What makes a good face chart?
I'm glad you asked. What I like in a chart is when the face is straight on, that way the angles and proportions are symetrical, and you don't have to be a physics wiz to calculate proportional placement.
I also like when the face has a jaw line and face that is on both sides, that way it's  easier to have a more even contour and blush placement.

That's pretty much it, just have fun and play.
Remember practice makes perfect and with face charting you'll be a star in no time.
And don't forget to sign your charts, you want everyone to know who the artist is, and don't want anyone else taking credit for your work.

Now just for fun, here are some face charts I've done over the years...

Brow Blocking

Brow blocking can seem tricky, and like a lot of work, but it really isn't. There are several ways and techniques that can be used to block eyebrows, and depending on why you're blocking brows, some may be more effective than others.

A technique that a lot of drag queens, and theatrical performers use, that is quick, easy, and inexpensive is using a water soluble glue stick, that is the way I will be describing for you here.

All you'll need for this technique is a water soluble glue stick (I like Uhu brand glue).

Loose powder (Covergirl loose powder is my favorite. Baby powder is another great, inexpensive option),

Foundation (I use Make Up For Ever's panstick foundation, it is a caster oil based cream foundation stick, with great coverage.

You will also need a powder puff, and a foundation sponge.

Now for the fun part, the application.
*First make sure the brows are clean and dry, wipe out any products that may be on the brow, moisturizer, etc.
*Take your glue stick and place glue through the brow, going against the natural hair growth direction (from outside, in.) This will make sure the brows are fully coated in glue and stick down a lot easier.
*Now go over the brows in the opposite direction (nose to ear) and flatten the brown against the skin. It helps to add pressure while you're applying the glue, the pressure helps press down the brow, and keep it flat against the skin.
*Once the brow is coated in glue, take your loose powder and powder puff and lightly press on a generous amount of powder to cover the glued brow, and help set the glue quickly, right after lightly pressing, re powder the puff and press quite firmly against the brow, getting the hair as flat against the skin as possible, and make sure all the hairs are set down. I like to lightly run my finger back and forth over the set brow to see if there are any hairs sticking out or glued areas that haven't been set.
*I usually do 3 layers of glue and powder, to ensure that the brow is securely set, but how many layers you do will depend on how full of a brow you are working with.

^ One layer of glue and powder.

^ 3 Layers of glue and powder.

Once you have both brows glued, powdered and set, now it's time for foundation.

If you're in a hurry, like I often am, you can foundation the rest of your face in between layers of glue and powder, it helps speed things up, so that by the time you're setting your final layer on the brow, all that's left to cover in foundation is the brows.

Once you have covered the brows with foundation, take your foundation sponge and blend in the foundation over the brows to blend in with the rest of your skin.

*NOTE* do not use a sweeping motion to apply foundation over the brow, that will stretch out the skin, and can cause the glue to crack, use a patting motion to apply the foundation to the brow area.

Once the whole face is covered in foundation, take your loose powder and powder the entire face, making sure the brow area is well powdered, so that it is very well set, and stable for you to work with drawing on a new brow, and doing eyeshadow.

Once you've successfully blocked the eyebrow, you may notice, especially if you have dark colored hair, you can still slightly see through the block and foundation, not to worry, eye shadow, lashes, and any other makeup you're using on the eye will help to completely hide your natural brow.

If you're going for the blank canvas look, and not applying shadow and such, you'll need patience to layer foundation and powder to successfully camouflage the brow.

Best of luck, and remember, practise makes perfect!

PS. Don't worry about struggling to wash this all off, because the glue is water soluble, it washes right off. I use a makeup/baby wipe to remove all the makeup, then wash my face, with a little scrubbing on the brow, with my regular face wash, and it comes right off. No special removers needed.