3 Products I Should Have Purchased Sooner

So this time of year is always so retrospective. I've been looking through my portfolio of all the things I've done and realized there are a few products that I've stumbled across this year that I can't live without. In no particular order,

Mac Fix+

This is one that recently I haven't been able to live without. Back in the day I read so many reviews ranting about how it's "just water in a bottle" and how it doesn't fix makeup and how it's generally useless. Maybe I'm reading all the wrong reviews, but this is something I've come to love dearly.

Things I use it for:

• Combating too much powder - This works great for taking away the ashiness and cakey look from an over-powdered face. It also works great in conjunction with powder foundations, such as Mac's StudioFix Powder - simply buff it on heavily, and spray it away with some Fix+!
• As a medium - I find it works better than water or other mediums for applying eyeshadows wet or using them as cake liner. Just spray down your brush with one or two pumps, and apply as usual! The color will be more concentrated, darker, and more vibrant than you thought possible.
• Refreshing - Models I've worked with love this stuff. No one knows better than them how uncomfortable it can be to sit under hot photography lights for a few hours. While powdering in between takes, I spray them down with a few pumps of Fix+ to tone down the powder as well as give them some much needed refreshment. 

Things I don't use it for:

• Fixing Makeup - That's the only misleading thing about the products title - it doesn't work well as a makeup fixant. For looks that need to last and require a fixant I lean toward Ben Nye's Final Seal, or most recently Skindinavia's finishing spray. (Thanks to GossMakeupArtist)

Urban Decay's Primer Potion

Here's another one that I know a lot of you are thinking, "Wait. What? You've seriously never used this stuff?" The answer is no, not until recently. As a theatrical and fx makeup artist slowly delving into the world of beauty makeup, a good primer has never been extremely high up on my list. 

Things I use it for:

• Priming the eye - Dab a little on the eyelid, rub it around and go! Eyeshadows will last all night and be twice as vibrant.
• Finishing the eye - Especially on male clients! The thing I love about this stuff is that it's a nice neutral flesh tone, and can be used by itself to simply remove discoloration and even out skin tone. 

Kryolan Bruise Wheel

I sent a friend to pick up a few things from a local theatrical supply company, one of which was my trusty, rusty Ben Nye bruise wheel. This is what she came back with. At first I was frustrated and ready to go back and exchange it, but then I decided to play around with it. The effects I can pull off with this one are simply stunning! The colors are much more muted and natural than then Ben Nye wheel and require far less blending and muddling to get them to look right. Also they are far creamier than the Ben Nye colors and go on like a dream.

Things I use it for:

• Bruising - I think this one's pretty self explanatory. Work with the red/blue/purple colors in the area, being careful not to over blend, and work in some of the green/yellow/beige around the edges. 
• Everything - Lately I've been using this a lot, especially the blue and burgundy tones. Mix them in with lip color to achieve a great oxblood lip.

What are some products you've gotten this year that you can't live without? Leave them in the comments below!

As always, follow me on Twitter, like me on FaceBook, and visit my homepage at jaydhagberg.com!

2012 in Review: Favorite Mac Blushes

Blush, especially in the colder months, is a must have for any December look. Here are three of my favorite Mac blushes for December. From top to bottom:
Pink Swoon
A great bright pink in a sheer tone finish. This color is especially great for darker skin tones. In the pan it comes off as a very bright pink, but it's quite sheer on the skin and is great for adding a hint of flush to the skin.
Melba
A long time favorite of mine, this peach-coral toned blush looks great on just about anybody! It's great for neutral looks or adding a hint of color without drawing attention away from a dramatic eye or a bold lip. I love e corals, both on the lips and on the cheeks, which is why this is probably one of my favorite blushes.
Mocha
No where near as brown as it sounds, this shade is a beautiful dusty rose. It's a very natural shade, but does a fantastic job of adding that just out of the cold flush that we Minnesotans know all too well. ;)

Favorites: Dark December.

Here are some swatches of a couple of my favorite dark shades by Mac. These three are all very popular shades, and are all indispensable in my kit. All three shades are shown from top to bottom: applied with fix+, over Urban Decay's Primer Potion in Original, and by itself.
Carbon
This matte black is invaluable when it comes to creating the perfect dramatic smokey eye or setting eyeliner. Carbon has been getting a lot of flack recently for not being the "blackest" black out there, which I tend to agree with. However, I feel that anything darker is too inky and doesn't have enough definition to work on the eye.
Satin Taupe
This is one of the few shimmer shades I find myself reaching for time and time again. It's great on the lid blended out with some Espresso, or even lighter browns like Kid or Soft Brown. The gorgeous purple-grey undertones work great with golden-brown eyes.
Espresso
Also another favorite of mine when it comes to smokey eyes. This shade work great for adding definition to the crease and even used as eyeliner with a little bit of fix+ and a push liner brush.

The merits of matte.

This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine as a make-up artist. Todays rant is brought to you by:

SHIMMER EYESHADOW



Now, I know what you’re all thinking. “He’s a queen, what could he ever have against glitter? I was under the impression he live, eats, breathes, and poops that stuff.” That may be true, however the real girls out there, especially those from the land of Caucasia, need to learn to embrace mattes, and when to and when not to indulge in those gorgeous shimmer shadows you find rampant at just about every cosmetics counter in the world. Allow me a few moments to take you through some basic concepts.

Firstly, let us discuss why we wear eyeshadow. Eyeshadow, paired with a multitude of other eye-related cosmetics, serves to define, contour, and draw attention to the eyes. Now you might think, “Hey, glitter is eye-catching; it’s SPARKLY! Doesn’t this draw attention?” To answer that question, yes, yes it does, but not for the right reasons. The aim isn’t to simply draw attention to the eyes, but to accentuate and make them appear their biggest, brightest, and most well-proportioned. 

Secondly, I want you all to stop and think next time you’re shopping for cosmetics. I know that powder in that pan looks like molten gold and sunshine and rainbows, but how will it look on you? There are several factors that one should take into account when they’re thinking about which of these colors to get. One of the most important is color. A good rule of thumb is to lean towards colors opposite the color wheel from your natural eye color, so as to accentuate your eye’s color and make them seem brighter and more vivid. RobertJonesBeauty on YouTube has a fantastic video explaining this concept here. Go watch it now. I’ll wait. 

Another important factor, and the focus of this rant, is finish. Now there are many different finishes marketed by many different brands, but they all really boil down to three: shimmer, satin, and matte. Glitter is something different all together, but for the sake of arguments, we will group it in the shimmer category. 

SHIMMER
Shimmer eyes shadows are just that; shimmery. They sparkle and glitter and are all sorts of pretty. These shades are GREAT for the lid. They add interest and dimension to the lid and high points of the eye. 

SATIN
Satin finishes sit comfortably in between shimmer and matte shades. They don’t sparkle so much as shine slightly. These shades are great on the lid, as well as used as a brow highlight.

MATTE
Oh glorious matte, how wonderful thou art. They’re just what they sound to be; matte. No sparkle. No shine. Just velvety rich color. This is the finish that you need blended into your crease. Shimmer or satin finishes will help define the crease, but when the light catches their shiny-ness, all your work will be for nothing and your eyes will turn to two un-shapley rice balls of glitter. Another point I wish to make, is how you can create a gorgeous look entirely out of matte colors, whereas an all shimmer look is hard to work. 

Thusly, I implore you to go out and get matte colors back into your collection. If you do one thing, get a good matte brown, a few shades darker than your skin tone. Blend it into the crease with a Mac 217 or similar brush and voila, instant definition! Favorites of mine include Cork and Espresso by Mac, as well as Raisin by Ben Nye. You will thank me later.

Lastly I’d like to include a formula for a great eye. It’s not so much a tutorial, because I won’t be including specific shades and colors, but it’s a set of guidelines that will never let you down. I should stress now that these are guidelines: make-up has no rules. So if you want to ignore everything I’ve just said, be my guest!

Step 1: Apply a shimmer shadow of your choice all over the lid. Pay attention to the color concepts mentioned above, but anything goes really!

Step 2: Using a matte neutral color eyeshadow blend out the edges and into the crease. Apply heavier to the outer corner and smoke out slightly in circular motions. 

Step 3: Using a satin shade no more than two shades lighter than your natural skin tone, highlight under the brow bone. Use this same shade in the inner corner of the eye.

Line, mascara, and voila! Instant wearable eye.