I actually had a few phone calls and emails from you guys, asking me what #7 is. I love that everyone is enjoying this list so much. I didn’t want to make you wait any longer, so here it is, Vancouver makeup artist’s #7 favorite product.
Have you ever wondered why when you are watching T.V. why all the girls skin looks so flawless? It’s not just the skin on their face, but their arms, legs and even their backs have such a beautiful glow. Well, that is because we put that glow there! Whenever an actress has a part of her skin exposed, we use body makeup or lotions on it. There are a lot of different lotions and body makeups to choose from, but “Scott Barnes Body Bling” is my all time favorite. It is different from the lotions with some shimmer in them, because it is also a body makeup. For those of you who don’t know who Scott Barnes is, he is most popularly know for being JLo’s makeup artist and is originally responsible for giving her the “glow”.
Body Bling works to help even out your bodies skin tone, while giving it a little shimmer. If you are trying to achieve a smooth, glow to the skin on your body, Body Bling is the way to go. Body Bling has a bronze tint and a luminescent shimmer to give your skin a sexy highlight. I find that it goes on evenly without heavy streaking and can be washed off easily if you apply too much.
Unfortunately we have to remember is it makeup and it can rub off on your clothes if you are not careful. Even though it looks best against white or other light colored clothes, I wouldn’t recommend wearing them together, unless you are okay with a little staining. When wearing it outside during the day, you have to remember that the simmer acts like a magnifying glass just like lipgloss does, so you must wear sunscreen underneath it. In fact I never use it on actors and clients if they will be outside in the daytime. I recommend you limit wearing it to your fabulous evenings out.
For some strange reason the body bling was discontinued for a short time, but is making a relaunch soon. For those of you were are interested in getting your hands on this body bling, it can be found on ebay. I will also let you know as soon as it is relauched.
Hope you found this useful. If you have any questions or comments on this or any other product, feel free to click “comments” above.
-Vancouver Makeup Artist
Earlier today my husband and I were talking about the difference in my before and after photos for the eyelash extensions. He asked me a great question. He said, “why are eyelashes so important? Why do they make such a big difference?” 
If your lashes are already long enough, but you wish they were darker to help frame your eyes, you have two options. If you don’t really like wearing mascara, then perhaps you should try tinting your lashes. Of course this should always be done by a professional! 
If you feel your eyelashes are too short for you, in this case I would suggest some sort of an extension. If daily maintenance doesn’t bother you then after curling your lashes and applying mascara then you can add a few individual clusters to the corner of your lashes. This gives you some length without the false look you can get from strip lashes. If you feel like this is too much work for you and you wanted something that requires no makeup and much less maintenance, then I would definitely recommend to semi-permanent extensions. You can learn a bit more about them on my 
I can’t believe how many people are asking me to cheat and tell them what the next product will be on this list. I can’t ruin the surprise for you, now can I? My #8 favorite product is something I use on myself almost everyday. Working as a makeup artist in the Vancouver T.V and film industry, continuity becomes important, so for nails that always look fabulous, we use O.P.I Nail Envy. Not only do I use it on my actors, but I personally use this product almost everyday. For those of you who have never heard of this Nail Envy I will tell you a little about it.
I have always known about Nail Envy and have used it for clients and celebs for years now, but having acrylic nails myself, I never had the chance to use it. About 4 months ago I decided to take a break from having my nails done and did my natural nail felt so painful. They had been ground down so much under the acrylics that it hurt me to run my hands under water. I thought “I am gonna have to put the nails back on pronto. Until I get a chance to go back I will try some of my Nail Envy from my makeup kit.” It was amazing! I always knew it was a great product, but didn’t realized how strong it was. I decided that I wouldn’t go back to the acrylics anymore.
concerned about, but rather the drying time. Granted it does seem to dry quicker than most strengthening polish’s and works a lot better too. How many of you have 30 minutes each and everyday to do your nails? I know I don’t, so I tend to not use it exactly as directed. Not using it as directed does not give you the same results, but I find it works well enough for me. 
I love these little tissues. I also like the ones from Clean and Clear, but I picked the Mac ones because they are slightly larger, which gives you more use out of one paper. Working as a makeup artist in the Vancouver T.V and Film industry, the number one thing we have to watch out for is too much shine. Under the hot lights the cast gets very shiny very quickly. You can imagine how quickly the powder can build up. Especially now with high definition television over-powdering is more noticeable that ever. This is why I always keep a pack of mac blot tissues in each cast members’ bag.
As well when working with brides, I always recommend they keep a pack of these in the maid-of-honour’s purse. Brides are extremely busy on their special day so I am sure they don’t get a lot of chances to go the bathroom and re-apply their powder. The last thing a bride needs is to get her wedding pictures back from her photographer and realize she was a soggy mess.
Like I said all good things have an opposite side as well, so lets look at the con’s. Mac blot tissues are more expensive than the other tissues, about $15 CAD. The clean and clear wipes are a little more cost friendly, they go for about $7, but like I said they are smaller so sometimes you have to use two at a time. Also if you don’t always have a garbage can handy you will have a whole lot of oily wipes in your purse (gross!). As good as these tissues are they are not nearly as strong as powder, so for people with oily skin they will have to carry both in their purse. 
Did you know that the very outer layer of your skin is actually dead skin cells? Your skin forms new layer of cells and the dead ones on the surface come off on their own. Whether you realize this or not, your skin does this everyday. Over time you can start to get a build up of old skin on the surface of your skin, resulting in skin that appears dull. Often this also leads to clogged pores, which causes the skin to breakout. This is why getting rid of the dead skin is essential to have healthy looking skin. Lets talk a little about the different forms of exfoliating.
Make this part of your skin care routine by using a mechanical exfoliant once a week. This will ensure your skin stays healthy looking and maintains that natural glow. Remember not to limit your exfoliating to just your face. Exfoliating can benefit all areas of your body. By removing the dead skin on your feet they will stay softer, smoother and be less likely to smell. Exfoliating the elbows and knees can help with eliminating the dry rough skin on them. So don’t forget to love the rest of your skin with a weekly mechanical exfoliant.
Vancouver Makeup Artist answers– Is lipgloss related to lip cancer?
As a makeup artist in Vancouver one of the products I use most regularly is lip gloss. I have an obligation to keep up with current literature, and know about these studies pass on that info and keep actors and clients safe. Just like before applying foundation you would apply a good sunblock, you must do the same for your lips. Find a lip balm with SPF 30 and apply that to your lips before you apply your gloss! Most people assume that this should be done only in the summer when then sun is out. You always need to protect you lips, as there are harmful UV rays all year round, even when the sun is hiding behind the clouds (in our dreary Pacific Northwest winters). Be smart and wear SPF balm!
Being a makeup artist in Vancouver I have seen all sorts of things. Keeping our makeup kits clean is probably the most important part of our job. Every makeup artists worst nightmare would be to hear, “You gave this to me!” So we do our best to make sure everything in our kit is keep sanitary. My question is do you do that for yourself? I have noticed that most of you don’t do that for yourselves. The misconception is that if I am not sharing your makeup with anyone else then that is clean enough. That is just not true. I am gonna give you ten steps to keep your makeup and equipment clean, so that you can do your best to avoid unnecessary breakouts, infections, and even lessen the changes of getting styes.
grows everywhere, so clean your brushes at least every week. Brushes that are used in wet products such as Foundation, concealer and lipstick should be washed everyday. There are three ways to clean your brushes, a) brush cleaner, b) soak them in 70% alcohol or c) shampoo them and lay them out the dry. I hope this helps you ladies. 
I am sure many of you struggle with the question “How do I get rid of those little red bumps on the back of my arms?” I have the answer to your question. First let me start by explaining what those bumps are.
