As always I’m looking to improve the quality of the contents in my Pro Makeup Kit. You know when you’re working with a client face to face personal hygiene is a MUST! While combing through the Ulta app looking for a good blow dryer and flat iron I found this little item called ev32 Breath Beauty.
I ordered directly from the company. I ordered the variety pack which costs $30 . You get 40 packets total. 4 different flavors. 10 packets of each flavor. The mini boxes come in a magnetized keepsake box. I really like the packaging idea, kind of has an element of luxury.
Now I’ve been a faithful Listerine user for years from toothpaste infused, the mouth wash and the breath strips (my favorite on set and in the kit bag).
When my clients are about to do scenes where they have to get close I would always break out a listerine strip for them out of their personal set bags. But sometimes in really close situations you want to get at the root of what may be causing a sensitive moment (which can be embarrassing).
Normally when you brush your teeth you not only clean the teeth but the gums, tongue, under the tongue, inner cheeks and roof of the mouth.
Now like most human beings I’ve been caught out there too (and it is embarrassing) mostly because I didn’t have any of my usual products handy.
I love my personal hygiene products but, sometimes I’ve had to go without my faves and opt for lesser quality items that simply just don’t have that special element.
Not to mention I’m a sucker for packaging but, ummm did I mention that? No? Well I’m a sucker for packaging!! I also am willing to test products out and, when I find one that really works I stick with it.
Well, looks like I found a product that I will stick with in this brand. So far, so good and no weird aftertaste with this one it’s kinda straight forward.
It reminds me of the candy Pop Rocks. Remember those? You put them in your mouth and you get this big flavor and that powder you put on your tongue starts literally poping!! Like a firecracker in your mouth!! It’s crazy!!
Swish crystals in mouth with saliva for 60 seconds.
Rub the crystals against teeth with your tongue and cheeks.
Swallow and enjoy sustained fresh breath!
Use as needed.
Well this is how I use mine. I usually do my regular cleaning routine (flossing, brushing, mouthwash gargling, then rinsing).
Usually the liquid gargling takes a two separate capfuls for me. First capful I gargle in the back of my throat and then the second capful is overall mouth washing. I wait a bit and then I go in with the beauty breath.
This way usually works best because you don’t have any food particle leftover in your mouth and the product just works to the max this way. Not that it wouldn’t work without it but it just makes it that much better if you can.
Written by NZINGHA for TheGlamSquadFiles
If you know anything about me you will know I love to travel and am always learning about various cultures. I’m interested in the beauty rituals of various cultures and today was a day spent in Korea Town in NYC. I felt just like I was in Korea. Funny how you can do the escapism travel to other countries right here in New York City! New York is totally multicultural! Truly the only place in the world where this occurs and occurs successfully.
I met some lovely new friends along the way at a Korean restaurant I stopped to have lunch at called Miss Korea BBQ. My new friends are visiting from Ohio!!! I took them to a few of my Korean makeup spots! We went into two of my fave haunts The Face Shop and Nature Republic (which I absolutely ❤️💛💚). Now as I’m shopping I’m keeping in mind as we are dining we are listening to the best of Korean Pop music. I’m entrigued! Seems the focus is on all the current boy bands singing their latest tunes and looking hot in their music videos.
There’s my friend Erin there on the side on her phone!! Just look at this spread on the table…there’s beef and pork ribs, kimchi, seaweed soup, marinated cucumber, ginger eggplant, baby white new potatoes, on the grill is zucchini and white sweet potato. The food is being prepared on our hibachi’s!! And boy is it smelling good! Hibachi’s really aren’t a Korean or Japanese tradition but it’s for excitement for foreigners tastes….and it works every time!!!
So after we eat we’ve gotta walk off all that sumptuous food and get our metabolism going. Well talk about shop till you drop…my ladies made a killing today! Not only did they get items for themselves but for their young daughters who LOVE MAKEUP AND COLORS!!! Me…mmmm I was a bit conservative. I was focusing in on all of the products whose main ingredient is ALOE VERA.
I’ve been seriously vibing on three ingredients this season…ROSE, COCONUT OIL and ALOE VERA. At home we’ve got gigantic Aloe Vera bushes everywhere! And as we all know the ancient Egyptians taught us through their early medicine ,Aloe Vera has numerous properties but the main one is healing. When used as a beauty treatment you will find it heals burns, cuts, scrapes, dark spots and a myriad of other skin ailments in a flash.
This product I didn’t purchase at Nature Republic but at a small sidewalk shop. I’m loving it! It’s got a super light fresh herbal scent not overpowering at all. And doesn’t leave you with that sticky feeling you get with most lotions! It’s light and moisturizing and really has a soothing effect…you will hear more about this product from me soon.
Now I’m going to have to be honest about this product…I’m sure it kills germs but it leaves my hands SUPA DRY!!! The fragrance is amazing!! And the petit size is perfect for your travel size purse. I’ve been using it on the regular now because I will not do the germ thing! I have opted to use it along with my Aloe Vera Soothing Gel (which also comes in a convenient travels size as well). So I’m okay to use this hand sanitizer. Buy 1 for $1.50 and 3 for $3.50
The Hand & Nature Clean Hand Wash OLIVE is amazing! Most times I have really dry hands because they are always in water. I can always feel the drying agent in hand soaps and this one I don’t feel it at all! Just like soft water and moisturizing and you get a full size bottle 8.45oz for $4.40!!!
While on my spree of course there’s a soundtrack happening the whole time. The music of course is Korean Pop and there are literally numerous groups out there. I’ll share a few with you. Here’s a K-Pop group I like by the name of Super Junior. The group is a 13 member Boy Band!!!! 13???? Yep 13 group members and they are all talented in their own right.
This Skin Smoothing Body Peeling Mist is AMAZING!! It’s not a hoax about the peeling effect. It does work. The more you use in succession you will see that the peeling on our first go round is a lot of peeling. Then the second you will have a bit more peeling and by the third time you may have very little peeling. One WARNING…do not use this if you have hairy arms and legs!!! Why? Because you will have pulling of the the hair in trying to use this product. Now I use this product in the shower (to wash away the peelings and dead skin) and I use it with my sugar body scrub…skin soooooooooo soft even my problematic super dry elbows.
The samples of this Collagen Cream I got at the check-out at Nature Republic is also AMAZING!!! I have used it as an overnight moisturizer and can I tell you my skin is even more flawless! I have been using it 3 nights in a row. The Cream is light and transparent like an Aloe Vera Gel. I’m definitely going to go for the large sized bottle upon my next visit. I’ve not tried the mask as yet and this was also a free sample item I get at check-out.
These lashes I got from The Face Shop for $4.00. I will be using in my next shoot. I think I’m going to stack them for maximum effect. They come with a small vial of glue.
F.T. Island, short for Five Treasure Island, is a South Korean pop-rock band consists of five members,
All I can say is my hair smells divine! Just a little spritz as I’m breaking out the front door or turning in in for the night! I’m smelling lovely hair!
Charcol Beauty Cleansing Puffs $6
I’m loving this cleansing puff/eponge!! My skin for the last 3 days has been truly flawless! I’ve been using this with my Boscia Detox Charcol facial cleanser, talk about major lather factor…YES INDEED! Go out and get one for yourself and you’ll see what I mean.
JJCC is the first K-pop idol group to be formed and reared by Jackie Chan.The name of the band is derived from the name of Jackie Chan and the group’s aim
Well as I bring this post to a close I have one thing that I have noticed in my jaunt about Korea Town is that Korea has a serious handle on skincare! Skincare reigns supreme in this cultures beauty regimen. I’ve never seen such smooth skin as I have seen on display today. Even the men have flawless skin! And I noticed that the men really stood out in the advertising mmmmm….all of them look sooooo incredibly…dare I say it pretty!!! Pretty flawless bump free skin! I mean just look at the young men in the featured videos (I see a strong African American influence in the music and male fashion styling) and in the advertising.
As I was shopping I saw just as many men as I did women wanting to take care of their skin! One man I saw was really in the mirror fixing his hair and had a basket full of products!! And can I say he was really handsome! WOW! Well…after all your skin is the largest major organ! So, in closing…take this season join me in getting a hold on your skincare regimen. Xoxo from Korea Town NYC!
I❤️this product!!! When they said EXQUISITE, that is the truth. This power bank is a beautiful sight for one who likes fine items. What’s the big deal about having a power bank anyway? That’s what you’re thinking right?
The big deal is…I’VE BEEN CAUGHT OUT THERE WITH NO PHONE!!! Yes, no phone! Why? Because the phone died (because I’m on it all day!) Not only did the phone die but ummm we’re on location with no outlets anywhere to be found! We’re going to be out here for a minimum of 10 hours shooting on set today.
Has this ever happened to you while you were on set? Have you ever gone into a store a bought a quickie charger (what a waste of money!) they’re flimsy and don’t charge up worth a darn!
You’re spending more time charging up the charger to charge up your phone! It’s senseless and I simply put an end to the nonsense and invested in a real solid power bank!
You can’t even tell if the power bank you bought is charged up or when it’s dying!! Not this one! And I’m glad I got it! The color of the crystal on top of the power bank changes colors to let you know when the bank is in use.
Red (1-25% charged)
Orange (30-50% charged)
Green (50-100% charged)
Blue (self timed photo shutter)
Clear (charger is off)
It only takes an hour to charge up your phone (which would be let’s hypothetically guesstimate on 1-3%), now if your at 50% you will be up and running at 100% in about 20-30 minutes!
One thing you will learn in today’s world is that everything has to be portable and lightweight. We’ve got smartphones and tablets that perform in every capacity to help Artists create. I love GADGETS and taking pictures. In fact I consider myself an amateur photographer and tech lover.
Over the years I’ve learned a few tricks in working with some of the most famous photographers in the world. And you’ll be surprised at how even the most famous use simple things to achieve great things. Lighting techniques I still use to this day that I’d learned from Photographers like Herb Ritts, David LaChapelle, Marcus Klinko, Annie Leibowitz, Ruven Alfanador, Daniella Federicchi, Wayne Mazur, Steven Meisel, Eric Johnson, Marc Baptiste, just to name a few.
Watching them work in the studio was always an amazing trip. I would watch the film crew set up the lights, camera and audio on just about every set that I have ever been on. Fashion shoots, Music Video shoots, Film & TV shoots all work differently yet still have similar shooting elements to them…EQUIPMENT!!!
So as a Makeup Artist how does the way THEY work effect the way YOU work, you’re asking yourself?
Well, it most certainly effects everything you do in makeup! Because if you don’t know what the lighting is on a set or the colored gels the DP/Photographer is using; can really alter your makeup on a client. For example: anytime you are working on a hot set and let’s say the DP/Photographer is working with a primary colored gel.
A primary colored gel like RED, BLUE or YELLOW. And no other light source to counter those colors…be prepared for your makeup to look like a black and white film!!! All colors will be washed out and fall into the category of varying gray and black tones. BOOM! Betcha didn’t know that but, if you did good on you and now you’re on your way to understand film lighting.
Lighting is a very important element in how your makeup will read on film, any kind of film. There was a time in makeup where the makeup had to be done with a certain technique by the Makeup Artist that was readable for film, TV and even daylight. When you see most people on the Red Carpet you are seeing them in raw daylight along with what may be camera flashback and no filter or gels on the paparatzzi’s cameras light.
One lighting technique that has always been used to create beautiful and timeless looking beauty makeup is what is called a RING LIGHT. A ring light is usually put before a subject to distribute soft even lighting that can give the skin and makeup the look of a perfect finish and fresh glow. It also is known for creating a halo look in the eyes that makes it look bright and clear.
Here some gadgets I recently purchased from Amazon to heighten my portable filming experience. I always like to test the makeup first before I send my client out to perform. So I take test photos so I know where to tweak the makeup and see it in various lighting set ups. So I purchased:
A beauty light selfie stick that has a mirror attached to it so you can check your subject or yourself before you shoot the picture.
A mini ring light that has a camera lens and clip to attach to your smartphone or tablet the lens is a zoom lens that can be adjusted
A set of interchangeable camera lenses in combination lens, wide lens and micro lens. All are amazing!
A mini handheld photo shutter and smartphone charger in one! You can use the shutter to take continuous snapshots on your phones camera. And when you’re done with that if your gadgets batteries are running low on power you can easily plug them in and keep it moving!
A mini microphone to record great sound on your memo’s, YouTube voice overs, Skype and FaceTime. The mic has a mini stand and even a clip to latch onto your phone or tablet for recording.
A portable photo studio. Yes it’s got a fold up portability if you are taking photos of product in your home studio and can fit on your tabletop. It’s even got its own lighting to shoot your subject with perfectly even lighting. It also has interchangeable backdrops.
Mini Duel Plug Outlet Charger that I can take with me to set up at any station I call mine while in the makeup room or anywhere else I may go.
64G USB Flash Drive for both your computer and your smartphone! If you’re like me and have loads of pictures on my iPhone and iPad I use this baby to back up my files…who needs a damned iCloud??
Solar Panel Smartphone Charger just in case you really get caught out in the woods somewhere shooting on location! You never know what challenges you may have to face while shooting on location. Trust me it’s happened to me before and it’s a lesson learned. The lesson…BE PREPARED!!
So, this week has been pure geek week for me! All about the gadgets I’ve stumbled upon to help me work smarter not harder!! And if you are like me I coordinate all of my gadgets in color and finishes. And for me the optimum color, tone and finish is GOLD! And I was looking for a lightweight keyboard for my iPad Mini 4 and yes I found it!! Its manufactured by Brydge Keyboards ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have had my keyboard for 2 weeks now and I absolutely ❤️it!!! BIG YES to Brydge Keyboards! Not only does it match my iPad but it’s the same size and is really lighter than my actual iPad! The keyboard is easy to read and handle.
I also know exactly when my caps are on because I push the button and a little green light goes on in the backscreen of the keyboard. The keys are light and spring back easily. The backscreen has a 3 level light setting which you access by the lightbulb key and each time you press it it goes dim, medium and bright!!❤️❤️❤️
The brand even has a larger one made for your new iPad Pro! I can’t sing the praises of this keyboard enough. Only thing is I’m mad because I wasted my money on another keyboard before I found Brydge! Do you think I can return the other one? Mmmm maybe it’s too late it’s been months! Anyway I’m in love with this brand (and no I’m not getting paid to review this product, I purchased it on my own).
So, I love this product so much that I wrote them a letter and guess what they responded!! OMG! I totally did not expect that but WOW talk about customer service then!! They are so spot on to reply so quickly!! I mean I’d already paid for and been using the keyboard when I got a response from them.
Now guess what??? They were so happy I reached out to them with my review that they gave me a a code to give you so you can purchase one too!!!! Unreal huh?
All I can tell you is I’m please with mine and you need to get one too. Why? Because I’m one to share my good news and not be selfish and keep the goodies all to myself.
Working on TV and film with contemporary styling requires a bit more effort and watching the latest trends. Well how does a manicure play into your being a Makeup Artist? Honey you have to have everything in your Pro Kit!! If you can get the kitchen sink in your kit , put that in there too! No seriously, I have a kit that is solely a manicure kit! Yes a mini manicure kit!! And in that kit I keep over 80 mini bottles of nail polish in contemporary shades as well as traditional shades. So you can imagine my glee when press on nails can be used!
But the drawback with most press on nails in the stores is that they all require you filing them into the latest stylish nail shape….ad right now STILETTO and designs with rhinestones and, LaBoutin is the heat! One brand kills in the department of contemporary styled press on nails and that is Static Nails. They are definitely THE BEST on the market right now and they have a variety of styles to choose from. They fit perfectly into my Mini Mani Kit!!!
I first stumbled onto Static Nails while browsing the isles at The Makeup Show. They only had one style left because all the enthusiast had swiped them all up! Yes, I did get the last pair of black leather spiked nails. the weren’t super long and just a bit over the natural free edge of the nail. They were simply scrumptious and I didn’t even have to work heard to get them to look good! They stayed on all day while shooting and never budged or needed any nail glue.
Of course if you need to size them to your clients nail beds then the kit has a file included for you to get the perfect fit. I absolutely love that there’s no nail varnish smells or having to wait for the nails to dry into a perfect gloss! All the intricate handiwork is already done so I can concentrate on doing the makeup! The Static Nails brand definitely is a permanent choice in my Pro Makeup Kit
Th first time I used PRTTY Peaushun was working on the set of the Starz Network TV show POWER season 2. I like to think of myself as a bit of a body glow expert. I’ve got everything from sprays to lotions. I usually like the sprays better BUT the only problem with that is the potential for the tiny oil particles to get on the DP’s camera lens!!!
So how does it work? Simple with wifi connection and your cell phone or tablet. I think for Pro MUA I this is great as a hard copy for your work and is instant! Like the “Vintage” Polaroid film that we used for our continuity books in film and tv projects. I used to use the smallest instant Polaroid camera Polaroid used to make called The Captiva! I loved that camera! It was my go to all throughout Thee 90’s when I was on tour and all my music videos.
Trust me this is the updated even more mini version! I’m such a gadget geek and always have been. I love to see what’s new and innovative in the tech industry as it can change the way my work as a Makeup Artist looks and even functions visually. I tell all the young and upcoming MUA’s we all have to learn a little bit about photography , technology, camera and especially lighting and editing techniques.
It’s small enough to be on your makeup station without taking up a whole lot of space. I still use my Cannon Selphy because it’s also small and tabletop.
On the box it says:
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