I have a question about matching foundation with my natural skin colour. I test the colour of foundation on my jawline (at least that's what I always thought - correct me if I'm wrong). I have a foundation stick that matches perfectly with my jawline, but when I apply it to my cheeks and other areas of my face, there is a marked colour difference. It's much too dark/orange and doesn't match at all. Is it common to have areas of your face that are different colours? Once I blend in the foundation stick and use a finishing powder, everything looks fine (in my eyes anyways). Should I be switching to a lighter foundation that matches more with the rest of my face, and disregard colour matching with my jawline?

A: Great question! Yes, you are correct - the best place to test foundation is on your jawline so that it matches closely to the jawline and the colour of your neck. It is very commonplace to have different areas of the face with different tones, as pigmentation can vary (and usually the sun hits the top of the forehead moreso than it does the rest of the face!) But that's the whole point of foundation - to give coverage, even out the tone and make our skin look flawless without looking like we have anything on!

You won't need to switch foundations if it blends and matches with the neck properly. If you do go a shade lighter, you may risk looking too light and the foundation application suddenly becomes visible (and that defeats its purpose!). Basically, you want the colour to flow between these two parts of the jawline and neck - otherwise, you'll look like your head is detached from the body! A foolproof way to tell if the colour is right is to evaluate it yourself in the daylight with a mirror. You'll know the colour's right if you don't see it (no lines of demarcation here!). Hope this helps!

TIP: When shopping for a foundation, don't buy and settle on the colour before walking out of the store and evaluating the colour under natural light. (Natural light is the most harsh, so if it looks good in daylight, it will look great under any lighting!) If the salesperson really believes the foundation is the "best", then he/she will have no hesitation and encourage you to look at it under natural light before closing the sale. Test out the colour that best matches your skin, one shade lighter than it, and one shade darker. Don't blend the colour in completely so you can still see it a bit. Once under natural light, choose the shade that disappears into the jawline.

While we're on the topic of kit cleaning, remember if you have 6 empty MAC product containers - hang on to them! You can bring them to a MAC counter for recycling and in exchange you receive a free lipstick! Gotta love it.

You can find out more info on the Back to MAC recycling program here.

With the recent indulgence in make-up shopping, it was definitely time to do a kit purge and re-org. While rummaging through my kit, I came across a bunch of near-empty lipstick containers that were taking up unnecessary space and weight. Lipsticks seem pretty weightless individually, but adding 10 lipsticks to the kit means extra weigh-down, especially when there are alternate (and more efficient!) forms of transporting them! I did a recent post on the benefit of using palettes for aspiring make-up artists, but this tip is not limited to make-up artists only!

Rather than giving up on the near-empty tubes, here's a tip on how to maximize the product to the very bottom. You don't need to buy a fancy and over-priced lip palette (that has maybe one colour you like and three colours that are ok) when you can make your own! Just head to your local drugstore or even the dollar store to pick up a pill box. Yes, it's not as presentable as a blinged-out Christian Dior palette, but it's perfect for travel and ensures that even if you misplace it - no biggie - you still have the rest of the tube at home!

Ok, back to cleaning!

I attended Saturday's installment of the Canadian Make-up Show and had a fab time! I was thrilled to have the pleasure of meeting Michael DeVellis of the Powder Group. Michael is an industry veteran having (among other accomplishments) worked as Executive Director of Artist Relations for a little known company named MAC. Yeah, I know - he's kind of a big deal, right?!

Among other endeavours, Michael now runs the NYC based Powder Group, which offers resources for make-up artists and make-up lovers alike. The Powder Group brings current industry professionals to locations continent-wide to hosts workshops on everything from professional development to make-up techniques. The Powder Group will be back next weekend in Toronto, and I believe there were still just a couple of spots for the workshop being held at Industry Cosmetics (if they weren't scooped up already on the weekend!).

Another one of Michael's recent projects is On Make-up Magazine, a mag that focuses on the artistry of make-up with many of the professionals of The Powder Group as its contributors. Despite having so much on his plate, Michael's energy and enthusiasm was still constant and infectious. You could tell he really loves what he does, and that's always something to aspire to and be inspired by. Thanks, Michael!

To read more on the Powder Group, click here. Here are some shots from Michael's labour of love at the CMS this Saturday:...and of course the day wouldn't be complete without doing some damage of my own. These photos come courtesy of Crown Brushes, FACE atelier and my subconscious refusal to incorporate the words 'beauty budget' into my everyday vocabulary(!) :
A huge special thanks to Joy of Make-up Junkie for setting up the day and the quality time with Michael! Blogger high-five!

I'll certainly be posting shortly about these products and other tips I picked up from the seminars so stay tuned!

For me, there's no better way to start off a weekend (or a day for that matter) than doing make-up! Early Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of working with Gabriela, who was in town visiting Toronto from NY to attend a family wedding. Gabriela is a full-time portrait and fashion photographer and she said she wasn't used to being on the other side of the lens--but please--she's a natural!! Even though it was our first time meeting, she was very warm and friendly - we talked everything from fashion to family to Obama!
I hope to see you again soon on your side of the border - thanks Gabriela!