Voicing All Over It...

Well this was more fun than you could shake a stick at!

Last week I had to go to Illuma Studios to record some voice overs. (Those of you who have done voice overs etc might want to go file your nails or something, for the rest of you, its a kinda cool little behind the scenes deal...)

Illuma is a full service television studio. They shoot TV programs, commercials etc in there. They also have a completely fabulous makeup room.
I hadn't been in the audio room there before, so it was fun getting to scope it out.

Behind me you can see the recording engineer, Jeff Ocheltree. He is sitting at the sound board, and that big window infront of him actually looks into the studio itself. That way the engineer can be watching the goings on on set while twirling all those fun dials.



The pinot colored squares behind my mike are tiles made of this absorbant stuff that stops my voice from bouncing off the walls. It feels really odd & porous. (I probably shouldn't have been touching it, but couldn't help myself.)




If I'd known there'd be pictures involved I would have done something about the hairdo...

Kelly Capelli and I had client meetings to go to immediately after this, so she came along with her camera and sat in, and we were able to head out afterwards together. And going anywhere with Kelly is always great fun!

I think this studio only does voice/speaking-type audio. I dont think they record music there. Could be wrong though...
There were big headphones for me to put on, but in all honesty, I find the sound of my own voice nauseating and would have been way too distracted.

I didn't get my script until it was time to record it. Like most scripts it was being re-edited and re-written right up til the last minute. There wasn't even time for a read through before we started tracking it.

I absolutely love doing things like this, but I don't get to do them very often. I have an unusual accent, and that gets in the way of most voice opportunities. I don't sound like other Kiwis, don't sound like a Brit, don't sound American. I just kinda sound like me. Which, for the most part precludes me from lots of advertising, and which also means lots of people dont necessarily understand me that well. Especially if I'm speaking fast. (so I mess with people at every opportunity!)




Anyway, here is Jeff hard at work. He has all kinds of cool stuff at his fingertips, and that screen that he's looking at shows the audio patterns as I'm speaking. The green lines are my voice. Its cool watching him at work. His hands are flying all over that board doing things, and he's not even looking at them.





I only read through the script about four times, then picked up key phrases and said them a few different ways, so that the client had some options. The whole thing was very quick.
I had my back to him, and couldn't see if Jeff was paying attention or not, so I threw in some naughty words here and there just to keep him on his toes! haha! (of course he had to edit them out later).





Oh wow! Naughtier than I had originally thought...!
It was pretty cool watching the playback on the screen, and seeing the patterns that voices make when they're just speaking.

Oh, and the t-shirt? I told you I'd end up wearing it a hundred times over!
I just love it. I got it from Elusive Cowgirl and it says: "Love Comes Without Warning". Its got what looks like a tattoo heart on it and some bling too.
No doubt you'll see it again soon - I've been wearing it to death.

I've got some cool stuff to tell you about this week, so make sure you keep checking in.

Hope you're having a gorgeous day,

xo

C

Breezy In The Caribbean

Here we are again, its Friday, and I'm working tonite, so wont be out doing anything fabulous. Furthermore, here in sunny Phoenix its 113 degrees. The air smells like it is burnt, opening the door is like stepping into a furnace, the air conditioning in my car can't cope, and right now the arctic circle sounds really, really enticing.

So I decided to look through some travel magazines at pictures of places that I'd rather be this very minute, and I'm torn between St Thomas and St John.



This is St Thomas - doesn't it look lovely?


A couple of pages on I found this picture of delectability. And I think it might just be what I would order right now, if I were on a beach in St Thomas....



The Caribbean Bay Breeze

1 oz Bacardi
1/2 oz Malibu Rum

Pour them over a glass of ice, then top off with 1/2 pineapple juice and 1/2 cranberry juice

I bet its super refreshing. It even comes with a sword!

Have a safe and fun Friday night,

xo

C

Bend Those Lashes, Shape Those Brows...

Wow! What a hectic day!

I was in the recording studio this morning, recording some voice overs for an advertising thing (will blog about it next week, cuz it was pretty cool!). Then meetings with entertainment lawyers and producers for some upcoming projects. Tonight I'm working too, so today's blog is once again, the shortness and the sweetness!


First up a couple of cool lash accessories that you hardly ever find a makeup artist without:


The Japonesque Precision Lash Curler
This is a great little lash curler when you need some intense precision. You can do the entire lash line with it, or just get some bend and lift in the ends.






If you're into standard lash curlers, there is no better product than Shu Uemura's. You'd be very hard pressed to find a pro artist without one of these in their kit.
It gives the best shape, and actually enables you to curl and not crimp the lashes.
I can't stand the look of lashes that bend up at a 90 degree angle as though they got caught in a vice. This lash curler will give you gorgeous, everytime!

And secondly, brow products.
Your eyebrows are so crucially important. They define the dimensions of your face - I think of them as punctuation marks on your face. No look is complete until you've tended to your brows.

In my personal aresenal, I use this Smashbox Brow Duo every day.

One side is a powder color to define your brow with, the other is a wax to set any stray hairs that don't want to play the beauty game.
The color choice is superb too.

If you're not quite so confident about shaping your brow, check out Anastasia's Brow Express Palette.




You select the color grouping that's right for you, then use the stencil that comes in the kit to guide you as you fill in your brow.
Anastasia has built an enormous business in brows, and most of Hollywood go to her to get their's tended to.

Lastly I wanted to show you this fab product from MakeUp Forever




Their brow corrector is waterproof, and comes with 2 brushes to help you style and create the perfect brow. This line was entirely created for Makeup Artists, so it has a far higher performance level, but is also available to the public so everyone can benefit.

I've been using it for the past few weeks, and am completely hooked!
In fact, I'll be using it tonight...

Gotta run!

xo

C

How To Clean Your Brushes Video Tutorial

So here's the last part of the How To Clean Your Brushes series, and it is the You tube video format.

If you haven't seen the makeup tutorial videos they are on my you tube channel, which is CorinnaBmakeup.

Enjoy and have a fabulous day!






xo

C

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes #2

So I've shown you how to do the Parian Spirit clean, now we're going to do the other form of deep cleaning your brushes, which is actually washing them.


Here are my beautiful CorinnaB Badger hair makeup brushes at Studio5, waiting to be shot. You can get them at www.CorinnaB.com


My personal brushes at home I wash every week or so, or as they need it. My brushes in my kit get a wash after a big job, or as needed.

I actually do mine under gently running lukewarm/tepid water, but for the sake of the pictures I've used bowls.


First up, get your brush fully immersed and wet. Sometimes you'll need to work the water into the more densely packed brushes.



Next lather gently with a very gentle soap. I use Dove or Saddle Soap. Dont use fragranced soaps, soaps with borax, or soaps that leave a soap scum film - they will break down the hairs on your brushes and leave a film on them too.






Next up, rinse the brush out. I separate hairs and see if there is any sign of soap or soap bubbles left in there, and rinse until clean.



Now you want to help remove excess water from your brush. I press the brush gently with either a paper towel or a clean hand towel.

I keep telling you to be gentle with your brushes, because I am always seeing people be really rough with them. You want your brushes to last forever, so you have to be gentle with them.
Some of the brushes in my kit are 20 years old, and still in mint condition, because I've taken good care of them. And they get used half to death too...


OK, so now you need to reshape your brush. This is very important. Reshape it, and slick down any stray hairs that are trying to do their own thing. One of the most important features of a really good makeup brush is the angle upon which it is cut, and the actual shape of the brush. You will maintain its integrity by taking this step.


So here is our brush all clean and reshaped.



Now you are going to lie the brush flat on a clean folded towel. Never, never, never stand a damp brush up vertically.

Inside the ferrul (thats the metal bit) the hairs are bound together, and there is adhesive holding the wood, the ferrul and the hairs all in place. If moisture is rolling down inside there it will break down any adhesive and binding thread, which will make your brush fall apart. Also it can trap moisture within, and create an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.

If the air is really moist I'll lay a second towel over top for a while to help wick away the moisture in the wet brushes, but I live in very low humidity, so that doesn't happen too often.

So now you have the total picture on cleaning your brushes. If you buy quality brushes and take care of them they will last you forever, so it is well worthwhile!




Here is the wonderful Kelly Cappelli.
She shot this photo story for me (and for you).
I thought I was so clever and so artsy-fartsy getting this shot in motion, and was so proud of myself! Then I found out that Lea took it on her iphone during a shoot! Hahaha! Guess I'm not as clever as I thought I was!!!

Have a gorgeous day!

xo

C

P.S did you spot that cool necklace I have on? Its my most favorite thing! Its a peace sign, and the center part is a guitar neck. Its by d lynan designs and you can check these killer pieces out at www.dlynan.com
I happen to know that there are some super celebs with these in their possession, including Jennifer Garner, Cameron Diaz and Anne Hathaway (just to shamelessly namedrop a few).
There are other cool designs too, so go have a look....

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes #1

The CorinnaB.com brush line.


Today I want to tackle the serious business of taking care of your makeup brushes.

If you have bought quality brushes they will last you forever, so long as you take care of them properly.
To show you how to do this the right way, Kelly Cappelli and I shot a couple of brush care and cleaning tutorials for you, and this is the first one.

When I'm on a shoot and need to clean brushes in between people, or if I'm at home and want to do a quick color change, I use Parian Spirit to clean and disinfect my brushes.
Parian Spirit is an environmentally friendly cleaner that dissolves all makeup products and disinfects, while conditioning your brushes at the same time. It's made from citrus spirits, has no artificial colors or fragrances, and it wont damage the wood on your brush.
I'm not sure that I've ever seen a pro makeup artist ever not use Parian!

You can probably buy it at Ulta or Sephora etc. I buy huge bottles because I go through so much of it, but you can buy little bottles too.






The super speedy way to use it is to put some on a folded kleenex,



and gently paint your brush through it. This method will dry really quickly, and you'll be ready to use the brush again within a couple of minutes.


The second way is more of a deep clean, so you want to mostly be doing it this way.
Pour some cleaner into a small non metallic container, them gently swirl the brush in the parian spirit. You'll see the color coming out of it!


Next you need to gently paint the brush across a folded tissue, until the color stops coming out. Hold the tissue in your hand rather than laying it on the counter, as this will make sure you are gentle with your brush.




Don't scrub or push the brush hard - always be gentle.




Next you need to re-shape your brush. Gently re-mould it to its original shape.




Finally, I lie my brushes flat on a folded towel to dry. They may take several minutes to dry, and a towel or paper towel will help to draw out the moisture.



Never, never, never stand a damp or wet brush up vertically. The moisture will roll down inside the ferrul (thats the metal part of your brush) and eat away at the thread that ties the hairs together, and the adhesive that keeps the wood and the ferrul bound together.
Always lie them flat!

Once my brushes are dry I store them vertically in a glass vase at home (because it looks pretty!) or in a brush roll in my kit.

Keep and eye out for "How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes #2"

Have a gorgeous day!

xo

C

If I Were Going To Happy Hour...

Well its Friday, and while all the hip young things are out and about being fabulous tonight, I will be working. (if you can call being paid to do what you love 'work'!)
And after the enormous work week I've had - gotta love the new season's crazy busy-ness , I'm not going out on the boogie after work tonight, instead I'll be crawling home to catch up on some sleep.

Savagely uncool, I know, but I have early call times this weekend, and have to be on my toes...

However, I have been thinking about what I would be drinking if I were going out tonight, and I'm thinking a Cosmo-tini sounds kinda fab.





So here's the easy, peasy recipe:

Cosmopolitan Martini

2 oz Grey Goose Vodka, chilled
1 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
lemon twist.

Mix all ingredients in your cocktail shaker, then pour into a martini glass and garnish with the lemon twist.

Told you it was easy!

Don't forget to check out the Racing Fashionistas Happy Hour segment...

xo

C

New Season's Nars-o-licious....

I'm supposed to be doing many different things right now, but instead I'm sitting here playing with some of the new season's colors from Nars.
On some level I could probably say its work-ish, except that we all know its not - I'm just playing.

But lets have a little look at the objects of my affection...

First up I am loving the Silk Road eye shadow duo. Fall/winter can get so caught up in heavy, dull shades, so these are a breath of fresh air. The colors are soft, pretty and feminine. I'll be using them to do a subtle, beautiful, slightly opalescent eye, maybe bringing in a little depth to the outer corners with something a little moodier, like Night Fever. (eye shadow single)
Maybe I should do an eyeshadow tutorial with these?




The next thing isn't even remotely new, in fact I've been using it in my kit for years, but it does deserve a mention here. Once our bronzed up, glowy summer skin surrenders to the gloomy fall wind, rain and overcast skies, we tend to bury our skin under heavier bases and powders.
I am a big proponent of gorgeous, dewy looking skin, and one of the products I use to create this with is Nars The Multiple in Copacabana.
This versatile stick can be used in many ways, anywhere on the face. I love using my fingers to blend a little into the upper cheekbone, outer forehead, sometimes high on the nose, to create luminosity and glow to the skin.
Copacabana makes dull skin look alive and bright, which translates to young and gorgeous. And who doesn't want that???





One of these days I'll learn how to resize pictures. But until then...

Now of course I am still obsessing about the Stella McCartney over the knee boots that have now become the screensaver behind my lids when I close my eyes, and I was thinking about what makeup would be great to offset a killer pair of boots like that.

These boots are all about being fierce, fabulous and sexy, so the soft & juicy mouth that I love both to create on others and to wear myself isn't necessarily telling the same story as the footwear, so I'm thinking a bold, take no prisoners mouth. And wouldn't you know it? Nars has this darling piece of decadence that is exactly perfect! Even the name - "Fast Ride" is calling you to badness!




Its beautiful, bold and powerful, can be muted down to a stain, or worn full force.
The combination of these three products is just fabulous. Soft eyes (I'd throw a strip of lashes on for emphasis), glowing skin, and a full mouth. Hmmm - maybe we will have to shoot this look for you.

And the Stella's....



You just know its a match made in heaven!


xo

C

These Boots Were Made For Struttin'!

Its 108 degrees today here in sunny Phoenix, and instead of getting aquatic and smelling like Coppertone, I'm busy reviewing winter makeup and fashion trends for some upcoming shoots. Quite the crazy juxtaposition, mais c'est ma vie!

The one thing that has me excited beyond delirium for this coming season is the over-the-knee boot. So sexy, so raunchy, so crazy cool!!!

A lifetime ago when I was a makeup artist living in super trendy London, I had a pair of black suede thigh boots that I wore all the time. They were the absolute most dynamic thing I ever owned. I would wear them with short skirts and this big black faux fur russian hat that I bought in Moscow. I felt like the coolest thing on wheels when I slipped those badboys on, but in all reality, London was so full of models, supermodels, and just outright super funky, edgy, sexy- cool girls that I probably blended in with the wallpaper.

But in those boots I felt like a million dollars.

I worked with tons of Ethiopian and Sudanese runway models at the time. They were all over six feet tall, exquisite and long and lean, and could move like panthers. I adored them! And they taught me how to walk in my thigh boots.

And not just walk, but own it in my thigh boots, with this fantastic hip and pelvis roll that was both languid and powerful at the same time. It was fierce!

I've often wondered where life took all of them, and also where it took my thigh boots! I don't have them anymore, but am so totally overjoyed that the look this coming season is just possessed and dominated by the thigh boot!

So lets have a little look at some of my favorites...





Stella McCartney's boot is too die for! She is completely amazing and innovative. I could possibly get away with the pair above on the streets of Scottsdale, for sure the streets of NYC.

The Stella's below are fierce, but I think I would suffocate in them. But I'd give it a go!










Sexy Gucci boot, not over the knee, but still delectable! And more expensive than the average house payment.


And of course, the red soled master himself...


Hello lover!



Christian Louboutin, purrfect everytime!


That first pair of Stella's had me at hello...

So now I'm going to put on my huge sunglasses, big hat and SPF, and go stretch out by the pool, but behind those black lenses I will be day-dreaming of thighs boots in winter.

And maybe I'll send my friend Cynthia in Atlanta a telepathic message about red soles (haha!),
because when I'm thinking Louboutin, she always seems to hear me!

Strut it sisters!

xo

C

Good Morning TV-land!

Every so often I do makeup segments on various breakfast television shows. These segments tend to be under 3 minutes, and are really just a quick demo or chat about whats happening in the world of makeup and glamor. (the glamor part was something I just thought up - they really only want to know whats happening in makeup!)

To make it more fun, it means a 3 am or 4 am wake-up call, so you can be camera ready and get to the studio, or what ever location you're shooting at before the morning program goes live.
That means some serious under eye drama and repair work!

Will and I were on breakfast TV this morning doing out thing, our on-air time being about 2 minutes. And believe me we worked those 2 minutes up one side and down the other! And, might I add, with his new goatee thing going on he looked devilishly handsome! But sadly ladies, he is completely unavailable to any of us!

I told twitter-world last week all about a breakfast shoot (as it was happening no less), and here are some behind the scenes stills. If you're on twitter you can follow me @Corinnamakeup, or click on the icon over there on the right.



I never remember to think up what I'm going to say beforehand, and only realize it as the camera light goes on, so I'm always hoping I say something coherent...





Theres nothing quite like seeing yourself on camera to make you think all about the squats and lunges that you've been meaning to do, but haven't quite gotten around to!

This one was all about trends in wedding makeup.
It was a fun shoot, as they normally are. If I can get any footage from youtube I'll post it later this week.

Have a gorgeous day!

xo

C

Brush me up baby...

What makes a makeup brush special? There are tons and tons of makeup brushes out there - synthetics, pony, sable, goat, squirrel - the list goes on and on.
So how is a girl supposed to figure out which brushes she needs, and how to choose amongst all the different brands, styles, price points etc?

Here is what I do. If you are buying online, have a really good look at the brush, if you are in a store, pick it up and really feel it.




How densely packed are the hairs? If there aren't enough hairs, and they're not packed together well, then you will have very little control over the product you're trying to work with.
If it is packed too tightly, it will create lines as it moves across your face.

Do the hairs fall out as you play with the brush? If so the quality is not good enough. Also its a complete nuisance to have to keep picking hairs off the surface of your makeup.

What is the brush made from?
I recommend synthetic brushes to move wet products, like foundation, concealer, cream shadows etc, and hair brushes for use with dry products, like powder shadows, blushes etc.

Many brushes out there are made from dyed fiber or dyed hair. These dyes can come away into your product, can irritate your skin, and generally leave you with a brush that breaks down very quickly. You want the brush to maintain its shape years down the line, and not wind up in the junk pile a couple of months in.

I avoid dyed brushes at all costs.

Top quality brushes don't have to be extremely expensive either. You can buy makeup brushes at a medium price point, and get quality that lasts and lasts. Some of the brushes in my kit are 20 years old. They didn't cost any more than other brushes do, they've been worked half to death, all around the world, in all kinds of environments, and they still keep chugging along.

When I was building my makeup brush company, that was actually the main part of my mission statement - brushes that last and last and still deliver up the goods years down the line.

I'll get into discussing shapes of brushes, and how to build your personal brush collection over the next few weeks, but today I'll introduce you to my Powder Brush.

Its made from Badger Hair. The hair is packed just right, so that you can transport powder, and not just be flinging it around.
Some people use a powder brush to apply powder, I normally use it to sweep down the face after powdering, and again at the end of the makeup application to make sure that all excess is removed.
Its a beautiful looking brush, doesn't shed hairs everywhere, is nice and soft, so it doesn't irritate your skin, and being Badger Hair it picks up and moves product like no other!



Isn't it gorgeous?

You can check out my brushes at CorinnaB.com

If you're not buying my brushes, just make sure that quality is your main criteria with whichever brushes you are buying.

xo

C

The Reign In Spain...

I have been so crazy busy lately with shoots, and believe me I love it!

I've been using all kinds of fun and fab products, and one of my absolute die-hard favorites at the moment is the regally tantalizing Reign Collection from Smashbox.
I use a lot of Smashbox products in my kit. I love the quality, I love how the products wear, and I love how they work on camera. And remember, anything that looks gorgeous on an HD camera looks fantastic on us girlies in the real world.

So lets have a little look...

First up the jet set waterproof cream liners. Smashbox always gives sensational color options, and with these four shades you can cover a lot of bases. I put them up first, because Smashbox's formulation is such that you can actually use these as a cream shadow, as a base for your shadows, as a definer and as a liner. I use them in many different ways and have loads of little pots of these in my kit.



Next up there are two shadow sets with both matte and shimmer shadows in them. This one is called Monarch, and the other called Majesty. (Majesty has a more mulberry hue).
Both to die for.
You can use these both wet for more intensity, or dry. You can make a huge, bold eye, or a much softer eye. I love the versatility of them, and again the colors are just beautiful and majestic.



This next piece of gorgeousness is great for everyone, and especially brilliant for the blue and green eyed crowd.
This is the DNA mascara in plum. Plum is such an amazing color around the eyes, infinitely flattering, warm and beautiful. With the Reign Collection it ties everything together for an exquisite finish. For the blueys and the greenies you'll find that a plum mascara will bring out your eye color like nothing else - it'll set your eye color off and really make them 'pop'. (BTW, I can't stand that terminology, but you get what I'm saying...)



Lastly, when you are doing a big, expressive eye, you want to offset it with a soft, luscious mouth. I can't get enough of the new nude lip liners. Use them to either outline, or fill in a perfect soft mouth, then top it off with one of the fabulous Smashbox glosses.





I'll be posting tutorials on the Reign Collection in the next couple of weeks, so you can get a step by step guide in how to maximize the magnificence.

And you can create your own Monarchy, and the boys can kiss your beautiful toes...

xo

C

Elegant Wedding From Victoria Canada Weddings and Events

Style Me Pretty, a national Wedding Blog, posted one of my weddings from last year, and in keeping with the bridal thread that I've been running of late, I thought I'd show you some of it here.
You can click on their link to see more.

The bride used the amazing Victoria Canada, nationally acclaimed event planner. Victoria is just sensationally talented, and does huge events all over the country. I love traveling with her to work on big events! I love working with her here too!

This wedding was at the beautiful Royal Palms resort in Scottsdale AZ, and was shot by photographer Holly Schumacher (her fantastic talent speaks for itself in these pictures).

The bride, Laura, and her bridesmaids, family and friends were an absolute joy to work with!










Please do go to the Style Me Pretty blog, and see these pictures full sized in all their glory! There are all kinds of fabulous details and many more pictures from the event on their blog.

xo

C