Eve Pearl Magic Salmon Concealer Wheel

Ok, admit it, how many of you knew I would be posting about this particular product any day now? Many people that know my artistry in any way know that I am a “Salmon Concealer-a-holic” but it’s with good reason! For those of you not in the know about this dream product yet, let me have the honor of introducing you to one of my “Kat’s Kit” specialty items:
Eve Pearl’s Magic Salmon Concealer.

I first learned of salmon concealer when sitting in a workshop at the International Beauty Show years ago, before getting into freelance makeup full time. As the esthetician of my family’s spa, I was in gear to pick up some extra makeup education during my trip to the show. I sat in on an incredibly in depth and inspiring makeup class and it wasn’t until after I became a fan of the presenter that I realized she was 5 time Emmy Award winning makeup artist Eve Pearl herself. I would go to see her present every year and was amazed at all the new tricks I would learn each time I went. I also became very impressed with this special Salmon Concealer she talked about during the demo that just seemed to whisk away darkness under the eyes.  Every year I would vow to buy the salmon concealer by the end of the show day and every single year I would get back to her table to find the concealer was GONE. Snatched up. Sold out before I was able to get my own hands on some!

Gone are the days of running after what I was starting to believe was a mythical product. I started working for CNN a couple of years ago and was ecstatic to see that they used Eve Pearl concealer on all their guests and talent! Every man and woman who came in to get made up for TV would have Salmon Concealer under their eyes as one of the first steps of the makeup process. In fact, we went through tons of this product  on a regular basis as you may  be able to see from the photo I took of our low stock. It was no wonder I soon picked up the phone and called Eve’s studios right away to order my own concealer wheel for my own kit.

We always have backup stock at CNN!

There are four reasons that I flock to the Magic Salmon Concealer before any other which is what I like to call the “Four C’s”.

The Four C’s of Eve Pearl’s Magic Salmon Concealer:
Color, Consistency, Compact, and CosmeNutrients^TM!

Color
The Salmon Concealer boasts a peachy/orange hue in various shades from light to dark and now includes a new deep color which can be purchased separately or in another wheel which I will explain soon. The reason behind the color is a simple one,  yet for some reason is not as widely adapted by many other cosmetic lines. That reason is one of basic color theory.

Does anyone remember the color wheel in art class that looked (kind of) like this?

Basic color theory states that if you mix equal parts of two complimentary colors (colors opposite each other on the color wheel) that the result will be a neutral color. Take a look at the orangey red side on the above wheel. If you go down to the tint (where white is added) you will notice colors that are close to what you find in Eve Pearl’s Salmon Concealer wheel. If you go directly opposite of those colors you will see what is reminiscent of the blue-purples that can show up under our eyes naturally. When the concealer is added to the under eye darkness it starts to neutralize and blend right into the natural skin tone of the rest of the face.

Growing up I was always told to use a yellow based concealer under the eyes or one that matched the skin color exactly. Problem is, unless you have truly purple shadows under your eyes, that yellow will just make give your blue/purple shadows more of a green hue. The trick with Eve’s concealers is to pick a concealer that matches the intensity of your undereye darkness, not your skin. If you have pale skin and medium to dark undereye circles I would try the medium concealer. If you have medium to dark skin with deep under eye circles I would go with the dark shade. The majority of the women I work on fall into the light to medium shade. If you are a makeup artist of course you just get the wheel that has all the shades to be used alone or mixed to get the perfect shade.

Consistency
This concealer is very creamy but has holding power.  I don’t know how to explain it better that Twitter friend @Tracey_MUA did after recommending it to her: “It went on so creamy, like buttah!!”. Haha! My sentiments exactly. I can use this very sparingly or I can  put it on heavier and either way it will warm up and blend right down into the skin without unwanted cakey or thick texture showing on the surface. Sometimes I buff it in with a fluffy synthetic brush, sometimes I will just press it in with a finger, sometimes I will use a traditional flat concealer brush to apply it. No matter how I do it, it looks great! It’s consistency stays, well, consistent!

Compact
Not only do I use this word to describe the convenience of having three of the most used shades in once slim case like the ones pictured above but I use the word to describe the options of the actual compacts themselves. There are some serious options for everyone from the at home user looking for their one perfect color to a serious pro artist needing a color for everyone they will ever work on. Eve’s concealers come in 1,2, or 3 shades to a compact in different shade combinations.

I personally carry two of her wheel compacts with me to every job (aside from my other Eve Pearl products). I have the Magic Salmon Concealer Wheel with the three colors Light, Medium, and Dark but I also carry her HD Foundation Cream Blush Trio that includes a deep orange color that is absolutely beautiful used as a concealer for dark pigmentation and undereye shadows on deep skin tones. Between these two compacts I can easily mix and match to cover every range of undereye darkness that I come across. Oh, and I have beautiful cream blush on hand to compliment any skin tone. Score!

HD Foundation Cream Blush Trio

* CosmeNutrients^TM
Last but not least, Eve has put her stamp on the makeup industry by offering a blend of staple beauty products- that give results!- with loads of nutrients that Eve originally developed for her own sensitive and dry skin. She has marked this winning combination as CosmeNutrients^TM. Here is how Eve’s website describes all the goodies her products contain:

* CosmeNutrients^TM: Cosmetics infused with nutrients. Combining the unique blends of vitamins, minerals, proteins, peptides and anti-oxidants into multi-functional cosmetic formulations. This luxurious makeup line provides a light, non-greasy yet smooth application, allowing skin to breath. The nutrients nourish, help protect, restore and renew the skin’s texture and elasticity. It also reduces the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles.

You can also find more benefits of the Eve Pearl active ingredients here.

Now I do realize that this is a lot of info on what seems like it would be one little product rave, but I don’t love a product just to love it. I love it because it is worth it and has more to it than meets the eye. For this reason, Eve Pearl’s Salmon Concealer: You are a “Kat’s Kit” Spotlight Product!

Tags: color theory for makeup artists, cosmenutrients, Eve Pearl, international beauty show, makeup class, salmon concealer

Skinprep FX Primer by Cover FX

In yesterday’s post I mentioned I used an extra primer for skin that needed a bit more help in the texture department. I sometimes find myself finding my moisturizing/primer in one (Embyolisse) is just not enough for my mature clients. That is when this stellar primer steps in: Skinprep FX by Cover FX.

I ran into this gem at the Chicago Artist Summit I was teaching a workshop at. I was asked to do a class on “Makeup for Mature Women” and I ran right over to the Cover FX booth to find a particular foundation but ended up talking to the reps at the booth about this baby. I started to play around with the consistency on my hand and added it to silicone based makeup to see how it could thin some of my favorite products out. Kevin, from one of my favorite lines, even came over (his booth was across there’s!) and started showing me why this primer was considered “Liquid Gold” in the makeup artist community. I mean seriously, when you have people coming from competitor’s booths to show you something that says a lot!

I went ahead and snatched some of this product up and used it in my demo as well for many faces I had worked on shortly after. I am not even exaggerating when I say this stuff makes such a difference in the appearance of foundation, not just for mature skin, but for all skin types! Being a makeup artist I do have different primers “just in case” that I hoard in my kit, some I will talk about in a separate post, but this primer makes it out for my normal/mature/sensitive/dry/extra dry… you get the ideal, it makes it out for just about everyone.

I definitely challenge anyone who has a silicone based foundation, who wants to thin down the consistency for a different look and feel to their product, to try mixing this “liquid gold” with it. I have tried it with their own Cover FX cream foundations, Yaby foundation, Make Up For Ever HD, and have loved every result.

Also, don’t even get me started on their ClearPrep FX Primer! That really deserves it’s own post since it is a primer to help mattify and smooth oily skin while helping to prevent/heal acne. YUP! I said PREVENT and HEAL acne- in primer form!  That is basically unheard of these days, but I will have to save that for another love letter, ahem,  post one day.

SkinPrep FX Primer by Cover FX: You are a“Kat’s Kit” Spotlight product!

I’ve found through reading various blogs that there are different types of product reviews. There are reviews of products that one has thoroughly tested for wearability, texture, coverage, and all the other elements that goes into making a beauty product great. It’s tested for the day and then decided upon whether the product is fantabulous, okay, or something you give to your kids to do art with. There are also the reviews that have come from the writer truly knowing the product thoroughly and who has fallen in love with it enough to use it on a daily basis. Those are the beauty products that will be featured in “Kat’s Kit Spotlight” . I have a number of products that I have used and abused on every shoot or event because of it’s reliability. When I use these products I know that it will do precisely what I need it to do which makes the job that much easier. I’m sure over time this section will be condensed more and more to being affectionately known as a “KatKit” product, but for now I introduce you to my first official product spotlight.

There is no better place to start than with one of my basics I use to prep most the skin I work on for print and events: Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre also known as 24-hour miracle cream.

Embyolisse has always been one of those products, for me, that everyone else had and sounded intimidating enough for me NOT to try. I’m a simple girl. Give me some Cetaphil or something that says moisturizer on it and I’ll be A-Ok. Well, when I noticed this moisturizer in artist’s kits backstage  (at- every- show- I -ever- worked- on!) I started to wonder if maybe I wasn’t giving it enough of a chance. I decided to pick some up at  The Powder Group’s NY Makeup Show and see what all the fuss was about.

This cream is seriously lovely! I will say upfront, it’s not for everyone as I wouldn’t go straight for this cream on someone oily, but I would go for it for just about every one else. If someone is only dry around the nose, I will massage this cream around the dry patches until the skin is smooth. If someone is tight or dry on the whole face then this too will go on the whole face. It has a medium thick consistency and you are able to instantly feel irritated and/or dry skin relax.

The neat thing is that this product also has multiple uses. Besides moisturizing and calming irritation, Embryolisse can also be used as a moisturizer/primer in one and a makeup remover!  I will use this as a moisturizing primer for everyone from normal to dry skin. I will only use a separate primer after if I’m working with more mature skin that needs more filling in of fine lines.

I have been very pleased with Embyolisse Lait-Creme Concentre even if for the life of me I still can’t pronounce it. I’ve been in luck though as it’s amazing how the makeup artists in the industry know exactly which product it is when you just call it Embryolisse, even when a whole skin care line is available through them. I have dabbled in some of their other products and do love the eye cream (which I have stolen from my kit for myself) and the lip moisturizer. The whole family uses the lighter version body lotion called Lait CrèmeConcentre Fluide Hydratant. It overall is a fantastic line but to keep it simple…

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate. You are the “Kat’s Kit” first spotlight.

Tags: Embryolisse, embryolisse lait-creme concentre, Kat's Kit, moisturizer, product spotlight, the makeup show, The powder group