Vanessa Melanson: Makeup & Hair

Photos: New Models

2010-02-28T13:54:00.001-08:00

As promised, here are some images of some of my most recent makeup work in the studio for January and February.

Personal: The past month

2010-02-26T09:31:00.000-08:00

Well! Hello again! I have to apologize for not making any entries in this blog, but things have been a bit hectic to say the least.

After finding some full time work at a cosmetics counter, I stayed on for three months only to be let go at the beginning of this month. What can I say, I guess I'm not a salesperson. My numbers weren't good enough. Despite this, I'm not upset at all (well, other than the fact that there was no regularly scheduled money coming in, of course).

To compensate, I've been doing a lot of studio work for new models' agency comp cards, which has been keeping me busy. In addition to this, I am planning my own shoots, as well as shooting with other photographers to keep expanding my book. Some good work coming up soon, from both agency girls as well as new photographers, so you can stay tuned for those.

I also have a friend visiting from Tokyo, Japan, who is staying with me for a couple weeks before moving on to Montreal and Boston, so there hasn't been much time for updates... Hell, there hasn't been much time for being on the computer at all for ANY reason lately! Ha!

I'de gotten the chance to work with the TCHAD crew again back in December, which I had mentioned in a past entry in this blog. The magazine should be hitting the shelves very soon, so you will all get the chance to see the images when it comes out! (I will post them here of course!) More tears have been coming in via assisting Ivy Lam, who is such a sweetheart and so great to work with! I definitely think there is a lot that I can learn from working with her. So all you starting artists out there, think about assisting other artists on shoots, as it's a great opportunity to network and to learn new skills, products and techniques.

I'm also getting involved with a filming project! Along with Jeff Hui, JayPhotoWorks, and Bayview Ming, I will be one of the main core "characters" on a small internet series of behind-the-scenes photoshoot footage, compete with interviews, complete with guest models and stylists. I got to see the first video last night, and it looks just fabulous! We will be doing more work on these mini-movies, making them bigger and better. It's a project that I'm so excited to be a part of! But more on that later, as I will post the video once it's out for viewing!

So keep checking up, as big things will be happening!

Photos: Qidi

2010-01-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

Earlier in January I had arranged a shoot with Qidi, who was back in Toronto for a while before going back to uni, and Jeff, who shoots most of my stuff. I had been wanting to shoot with Qidi since I met her through a pageant back in the end of last year's summer. Our schedules had finally matched and made the shoot possible!

We started out with a soft feminine look in tones of apricot and peach, lit softly with bounced back light. Very pretty and sweet, but it still held up to the harsher lighting in the first image, which we decided to try out after our first set of headshots.

Since we also had a skirt on hand sent to us from a designer who needed good clean shots, we ended up kicking up the drama a little bit and give Qidi's second look a sophisticatedly vampy, yet still glamorous look.

I think the shoot with Qidi and Jeff Hui went well and yeilded beautiful images! Here were my favorites.

How To: Creating a smokey eye

2010-01-06T10:28:00.000-08:00

This is a great look for anyone who loves dramatic eyes! You can also play with different color families, but for this look, it's best to keep use a dark and medium version of the same color.

If you're looking to create a look that is darker and mysterious, you could try this more dramatic smokey eye look. It's better to stick with neutrals for this eye look, as too much color will make too much of a statement. For those of you that can carry off such a dramatic look, this is great makeup to wear on a night out.

Article- Building a starter kit

2009-12-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

Time and again I run across the question of how to set up a starter kit for new artists on a tighter budget. Artists who have been practicing with what they have and who are ready to make the jump to a professional kit.

There are a few places you can go to get great starter kits that will range from $500-$1000. These are great choices for someone who don't have a lot of product knowledge yet but who wants to eventually add to it as they go along. I think the best bang for your buck that I've come across so far in this case would be Camera Ready Cosmetics premade kits. At $400-$550, they come at a great price, and have everything you will need to get yourself started, which include eye and lip colors, foundation, concealer, mascara, blush, powder, brushes and cleaner and disposeables, all enclosed in a black train case.

If you happen to be very product loyal, many cosmetic companies have kits for sale, ranging from $300-$1000 (depending on the company). For example, for artists on a budget, NYX has starter kits priced at $300-$600. I find these kits to be nice for people who have a favorite line, but I also find them to be not quite as comprehensive or practical as the kit I mentioned above. Mostly because of the lack of experimentation with other products as well as the fact that these company kits are not stored in palettes, which will end up taking a lot of space.

From what I have tried so far, I have made a list of things I would choose for a starter kit on a budget if you are looking to be able to customize and pick and choose your colors. Many of the products can be ordered through camera ready cosmetics, and in some cases, you may be able to get a pro discount once you submit the required information.

Foundation, Concealers and Powders
- Graftobian Creme Foundation palette- $65 each (I have the neutral palette, but depending on your clients you can choose a cool or warm palette.)
- Face Atelier's Ultra Foundation Pro sample sizes. Yes, they send sample sizes, priced at $1 each. I ordered the entire set in sample sizes and with the shipping it cost me $20. Each sample gave me enough to do 3-4 faces. You can replace them as you use them up with either another sample or the full sized version. They are also great when mixed with the creme foundation.
- Kryolan Dermacolor mini concealer palette. Small sizes of their various concealers, which you can also replace with the full sized version later once you use it up. A little goes a long way here. Go by what you do the most. If you mostly do colored women, you will only need the ethnic shades, with maybe one additional color or two for Caucasian or Asian faces. At $28 each, they are a great bargain.
- Graftobian 12-Color Dual Finish Foundation Powder Palette I can't stress enough how much I love this palette and the powders inside them. This will cover you for any situation. At $117, it's a very decent price. If you don't think you will need as many colors, you can choose your favorite colors for $8.50 each (for the pans. You will need a palette to keep them in)
- For a treat and a little extra, try out Smashbox's Artificial Light.Use this to highlight the skin and to give skin a nice glow. $24 each

Total cost for face base (not including shipping):
$140 (For set of both foundations, one concealer palette, 3 powders)
$225 (For set of both foundations, once concealer palette, powder palette set)
$275 (For set of both foundations, once concealer palette, powder palette set, 2 artificial light colors)

Blush
- La Femme blush palette is currently one of my favorites. Priced at $50 it's a great starter blush, and the pigment is amazing! One dab of the brush gives you enough product to start working. For the same price, you can order the empty palette, and choose your own colors to fill it with.
- Camera Ready's creme blush quads. It comes with 4 different colors, priced at $11.

Total cost for blush (not including shipping):
$50 (For La Femme Palette)
$61 (For La Femme Palette and CRC creme blush quad)

Lip colors
- Graftobian Super Palette -Lip Colors or the Yaby lip palettes are a great bargain. Priced at $65-$69, each will give you 18-20 colors, which you can also blend together. They are seriously all you will need to start out with lips, along with a clear high shine lip gloss.
- NYX slim lip and eyeliner pencils. NOT the best pencils out there, but very very good for their price ($1-$2 each). These you will eventually replace with better liners, but they will serve you well in a starter kit. They are bright and vibrant, and with proper use will last you quite a while.

Total cost for lips (not including shipping):
$65-69 (For graftobian or Yaby Palette)
$75 (For graftobian or Yaby Palette plus clear gloss)
$90 (For graftobian or Yaby Palette plus clear gloss, plus 15 NYX pencil colors)

Eye colors
- Again, here NYX's eyeshadow palette will server you well. At $25 it's a great starting price, and you can gradually replace most-used colors with a better brand later on. Works wonderfuly with a good primer, and displays vibrant colors. I still use a lot of NYX eyeshadows in my kit, and I have never been disappointed with them yet. If applied with a sponge applicator, it goes on strong, vibrant and concentrated. Get the palette or choose your own colors from what they have available on the site.
- For a better quality shadow, look into Yaby's eyeshadow palettes, priced at $110-$135 each.
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Seriously the BEST eye shadow primer I have ever used, and I tested the crap out of it. Well well well worth the $17 cost.
- NYX slim eye pencils At $2,50-$3 each, the price can't be beat, and they are the same you would expect from their lip pencils. Gradually replace them with better liners over time.
- Maybelline XXL mascara and Great Lash mascara. $7-10 each
- Stila Smudge Pots A great cream liner for those cat eye or liquid liner looks. $20.

Total cost for eyes (not including shipping):
$115 (For primer, cream liner, 10 eye pencils, one eyeshadow palette, 2 mascaras)
$210 (For primer, cream liner, 10 eye pencils, Yaby Best of Both Worlds palette, 2 mascaras)

SO! Here we have our bases covered in cosmetics and makeup for a starter beauty/fashion kit. These options will range anywhere from $425-$700 (after taxes and in SOME cases, shipping) and will offer you more variety and customization than a premade kit. As you can see the cost of going this route is still a bit more expensive than trying a premade kit, especially after we finish up with brushes, disposables, cleaning products and a case. But if you like to have fun with variety, check out some of the stuff I mentioned, as well as the brushes review in my post below.

Happy kit building!

Personal: TCHAD editorial

2009-12-28T08:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's shoot with the TCHAD crew was a blast and went well. Tonya was a sweetheart, very personable and chatty and warm, George's leadership and direction was great and Khalil's hair work and personality were fantastic. Great location and great wardrobe. Everything came together very well.

I find that I really like working with the TCHAD bunch, and it's great on-set experience, as well as great tears.

I got to play around with some of the stuff I got at IMATS, and was most notably impressed with the MUFE HD finishing powder, as well as my new brushes from Hakuhodo. The powder worked wonders in keeping our talent matte and fresh for longer periods of time, and a little goes a long way. Keeping in mind Nicole Kidman's recent makeup problems and the speculation that it was caused by a silicone based finishing powder, I made sure to buff it into the skin well. The brushes were divine! I used the angled finishing brush from the basic series the most, followed by my round flat blush brush, as well as my eyeshadow brushes from the Kotukan series. Thoroughly impressed! These are by far the best brushes I have ever used. I will make sure to take great care of them as they are a bit of an investment, but completely worth the price! The blush sat on the end of the bristles of the brush, and didn't travel deeper into the brush when I applied the makeup. They are soft and densely packed.

Speaking of brushes, Royal & Langnickel's SILK series are also worth looking into if you are looking for something on a lower price point. Very nice and soft from what I was able to see at IMATS. Check out the SILK brushes here. For an even LOWER price point with very decent quality, check out Crown Brushes. The italian badger series as well as the Studio and Backstage series are among the ones I use the most.

I will be sure to let you all know when the issue comes out.

NEWS- Sephora boxing day sale

2009-12-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

Just to give everyone a heads up, Sephora is having their first ever boxing week sale, with discounts ranging from 20%-40% off. Only in store. Their website is having a %20 off sale for those who prefer online shopping. It's rumored to last until January 3rd 2010.

Article: Choosing the Right Foundation

2009-12-25T18:01:00.001-08:00

As you've probably guessed, choosing the right foundations relies on more than just matching your foundation to your skin color. In this article, I'll discuss the basics of choosing the right foundation for your needs.

Why do you want a foundation? Do you want to wear it for nights out on the town, dancing till dawn? Do you want to wear it daily for your everyday work makeup? Figuring out how you will wear it can help you go a long way to deciding what kind of foundations to get! It all comes down to one thing: coverage. Different foundations offer different coverage.

Topping the list are the cream foundations. These little guys are packed with pigment, feel almost as thick as a concealor, and usually come in pans instead of bottles. They're thick, and will offer full coverage for long hours. They are also a bit tricky to use, and require a little bit of finesse. This would be a great choice if you want foundation to go clubbing, for photo shoots, and for some bridal work. They usually stand up well to very oily skin, and in most cases, leave you with a more matte or velvety look.

Next we have liquid foundations. They can offer a wide rage of cover and finish. Let's divide them into two section: Water based liquid foundations, and silicone based liquid foundation. Water based foundations are versatile, work well with normal to slightly oily skin, and offer light to medium (or slightly more) coverage. A medium coverage liquid foundation would be a great choice for bridal and shoots, and will outlast a night of clubbing for those who don't want to bother with a cream foundation. A light liquid foundation is great for day to day makeup, and for women who prefer a more natural look.

Silicone foundations are usually a bit thinner than some water based liquids, but are buildable, which means you can layer it in the places you want more coverage. They offer light to medium coverage, and leave a slightly dewy, or moist look to the skin. They can work well on textured skin, as the silicone helps the makeup to float over the skin.

Last but not least come the tinted moisturizers. These provide a hint of color to the skin while they work as a moisturizer, and offer very light coverage. This is great for women on the go who just need a little warm glow to their skin, or for days at the gym or the beach.

Once you've chosen the right foundation type for your needs, you can start testing out colors! Remember, when choosing a color, swipe the foundation on your jawline and neck. Some people have faces that are a different shade than their neck and arms, Find the one that most closely matches your neck and jaw. If there is a big difference in color between the neck and face, aim for a foundation that is a happy medium. Another thing to keep in mind is that your skin color will change with the season! In summer, a lot of people get darker, and then go paler in the winter months. Most people need two foundations. Use the same process in the winter when your skin is paler to find your right color.

Your skin's undertones will also be a deciding factor in your foundation color. Look at your skin! Is it more on the pink side? You will want to choose a COOL color foundation. These have more pink tones to them and will match your skin's undertones. If you skin more on the tan or olive side? Stick with NEUTRAL foundation colors. Are you more golden or slightly orangy in color? Aim for WARM foundation colors.

As a finishing touch, you will want to set your foundation with powder. Setting it causes less creasing when you smile, makes the foundation last longer, and can tone down shine. There are two basic powders you can choose from. The first is loose transparent powder. These pale powders are loose and need to be applied with a puff or blush brush, and usually go on transparent or colorless. Pressed foundation powders can be applied with a blush brush for sheer coverage, with a flat puff or sponge for a little extra pigmentation and thickness, or they can be applied wet for fuller coverage. You have to match these powders to your foundation. A good rule of thumb is that you won't need a pressed powder if you are using a heavy coverage foundation. Transparent loose powders work great with heavy to medium coverage, and pressed powders work well with light to medium coverage foundation.