Category Archives: Tutorials

Gretchen Mol’s Hair and Makeup for DC’s Premiere of “An American Affair”

I had the pleasure of working with Gretchen Mol this week for the Washington D.C. Premiere of her new movie “An American Affair” out tomorrow, the 27th of February.

Gretchen is a classic beauty that has a look reminiscent of the iconic roles she tends to play. She was Bettie Page in HBO’s “The Notorious Bettie Page”  and you may recognize her past role as Roxie Hart in Broadway’s “Chicago”. In her new movie she plays a character (a mistress possibly?) that has a relation to JFK in the time leading up to his assassination.

Regardless of the complex characters Gretchen tends to play, Gretchen herself is an amazingly down to earth, talented and beautiful actress as well as proud mother.

For her movie premiere I decided to add some waves into Gretchen’s naturally fine and curly hair. I included her input in the whole process and together we decided on a hair and makeup look that would set the right tone for the evening and would work with her classic Jason Wu dress, whom you may know as the designer of Michelle Obama’s Inaugural Ball gown.

I set her hair in medium sized pin curls while doing her makeup and when we released and lightly finger combed through the curls a form started to take place. I kept more of the formed curls in the front, left the hair pretty loose and carefree on the sides and pinned any extra length up in the back, allowing some of the hair to fall naturally out of the pins.

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Inaugural Makeup “How-To”: DC Modern Luxury’s Inaugural Cover

On my most recent cover shoot for DC Modern Luxury Magazine, we decided a Brigitte Bardot-esque look for someone attending an upcoming Inauguration Ball would work perfectly with the stunning J. Mendel gown she was wearing. I immediately thought that Makeup Forever Cosmetics would fit the bill and the Ball! I wanted to give the skin a flawless look without too much shine while putting all the focus on the eyes.
DC Modern Luxury Cover/ After Dark Inaugurla issue. Makeup by me. Photo by Sota Dzine.

DC Modern Luxury Cover/ "After Dark" Inaugurla issue. Makeup by me. Photo by Sota Dzine.

Here are the particular products I used for the shoot and how I used them:

I first used Makeup Forever’s HD Invisible Cover Foundation (in shade 115- Ivory) spot touched where needed. Mostly around the nose, under the eyes, and on the cheeks and around mouth. There are dozens of shades to pick from so there is a great chance one will match you exactly.

I then used Makeup Forever’s HD Microfinish Powder just in the T-Zone and only when needed.

Makeup Forever’s Powder Blush in Pearly Peach #153 went on the apples of cheeks.

Makeup Forever’s Eyeshadow in Black Matte was applied over entire lid, extending slightly past eye and blended out to create an almost oval “V’ like shape on the outer corner. I went ahead and brought down some of the shadow to the outer corner of the lower lash line. Blend like the dickens!

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