The CEW Beauty Insider Awards are held in New York every spring and bring together the best in beauty for an incredible luncheon and awards ceremony. I have been a member for a long time and one of the duties and pleasures of membership is the ability to test and vote on all the new and hero products that are released every year!

The luncheon is fantastic, with the ability to rub shoulders with the biggest names in the industry and to be there when cosmetic history is made! The greatest thing about being a part of this is the ability to really keep your finger on the pulse of what is emerging in the industry, and be able to test the products, and speak with the manufacturers/marketers behind them.

I started my day off at SoulCycle  on East 54th, which came in handy, as the amazing chocolate mousse they served at lunch was not to be missed! After a great networking session and catch up with old friends at the cocktail welcome, we took our seats and the ceremony began!

Big winners included Clinique (one of my favorites!), Sonia Kashuk, It Cosmetics, Glamglow, Urban Decay, and St. Tropez (another super fave!).

It truly is the greatest industry - and I am so lucky to be able to take part in this event!  

You DO get to take home a pretty fab gift bag, as well - and this leads me to my review of the two in-shower moisturizers! Scroll past the photo below!

hoto courtesy of BeautyStat.

Nivea Vs Jergens: The Battle for the Best In-Shower Lotion

I am really particular about a lot of things. But two really important things: Lip Gloss and Moisturizers.

I like body oils as I have the skin of the Lizard Queen and look like Ashy Larry’s less attractive cousin, Flaky Florence. Every day I slather myself in oil before I get out of the shower, throwing caution to the wind for my husband (if you slip and fall on the oil slick I like to call the tub floor, then just take this as a blanket apology for your injuries. But hey, you will be silky soft!) So when I was gifted with a bottle of each of these I was super excited to get started.
Both of these products are lauded by industry insiders – they both work well, however for me – there could only be one true winner.
The contender for Nivea – the 24+ hour in shower lotion – smells good, definitely softens, but it has to be rinsed off. This is great for taking to hotels as I don’t have to clean the shower and tub at a hotel – by all means, rinse this off in a place you don’t have to scrub.
I did not notice any slippery areas left behind in my testing – but it cautions you on the packaging that it can cause a slippery surface with its use.

It definitely softens skin and I noticed that my arms looked particularly good when I used it. I liked it and it is a good product, however in this battle there was a clear winner:

Jergens Wet Skin Lotion with Coconut Oil not only smells amazing but my skin GLOWS even if I apply it at night and sleep in it! I put it on last night and applied my St. Tropez Tanning Mousse and not only does my skin look soft, moisturized, and glowing, but my tan is the most even tan I have applied. I apply self- tan like some people take vitamins, so trust me when I say “this works”.

It even helped my tan smell less (which if you use self-tanners a lot, you will know the scent of the self- tan. Cardinal rule: Don’t apply self-tan the day before you actually need to look tan, as all and sundry will smell you and your faux glow rolling in.
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Have a question? Ask a question! alexis@thebeautyexpertgroup.com.

So today it is my birthday! I've had a great day with family and friends and am now tucked up in a hotel in anticipation of a wedding that I will be working on tomorrow. This week has been exciting - I filmed a commercial on Monday, lots of regular work, and bookings for Fall weddings are rolling in(I love a Fall wedding!) and cap the week off with my birthday, a fabulous wedding, and the promise of champagne tomorrow when I can finally relax - that is a week I can get behind :) (Oh, and I watched Deadpool - loved it).

So today we are going to talk about the foundations that I keep in my kit and the ones that I use on myself.  In my kit I carry all of the Temptu S/B foundations, several Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancers, a concealer wheel by Temptu (rarely use), Mac Pro Longwear concealers, and the full Eve Pearl Pro Palette (HD) - which I love and use constantly. 

Once the face is primed and ready to go (don't forget the lips - if you get them ready now - they will be perfect by the time you are done with the face) I start with the eye makeup.  Everyone does their faces differently - I like to do eyes so that if there is any product fall out it doesn't kill a flawless foundation. So rock your eyes out and then we start with the foundation and concealer.

I like to start with the Eve palette and use the HD foundations to lightly even the skin where needed - I use the Salmon concealers as well around the eyes and nose. I use a variety of brushes to lay this layer down and on myself I use BeautyBlenders in addition to brushes - as I am usually doing many, many faces in a row I do not usually use BeautyBlenders on my clients as I don't have the time to fully sanitize them between clients. I like to keep my kit, brushes, and products SQUEAKY clean - so I have to err on the side of caution!  They are great for so many things and I absolutely love mine - I use one everyday (I keep three on hand just for myself) but I have to reserve them for smaller client groups so I can make sure they can be clean.

Once you have the light 'frosting' of foundation down (just hitting the places that need it) I use the airbrush and go in for more coverage where needed. Once you have this perfect I will then go in with concealers where needed to perfect and sculpt the look. 

All the products I use I tailor to the client - there is no one-size-fits-all product that will work on every client - you have to test products and see what works best for you! Once I have the base flawless I then add any further cream products or color washes and set with loose powder - I love Ben Nye, Mac Prep & Prime, Temptu, and MUFE finishing powders.

So you have a flawless finish here and you can add in your powder blushes, bronzers, contouring, and highlighters. Once I complete the face I always seal with a setting spray - my go to is Urban Decay - I LOVE this stuff! I carry both types and use them liberally. No one escapes the spray! 

OK - so I'll be back - next post will be all about the CEW awards - then product reviews! Whoop Whoop!

(Photo of my Kit by me, Photos courtesy of Brooke Michelle Photography)

This has been an awesome week with a trip to New York City to network and celebrate the CEW Beauty Award winners (more on that soon!) and gorgeous clients galore! My friend Teague Vivolo just posted photos of the incredible brushes she picked up at The Makeup Show and it made me think about how fantastic it is to do makeup when you have the right tools.

I did a HUGE wedding yesterday (14 people!) and followed that up with three Prom clients - it was a long day :) - but using my new brushes from London Brush Company (along with my old standbys!),my amazing new skincare from Embryolisse, my Kevyn Aucoin goodies, and a brand new Naked Smoky palette (a gift from Urban Decay!) yesterday was a day of so much fun and beautiful makeup!!

I will be back tomorrow with my next installment of key products for your kit and then a full recap of the CEW awards!! Happy Sunday Funday!!

Have a question? Ask a question! Email me: alexis@thebeautyexpertgroup.com.

 (Photo by Me of some of my kit)

Makeup Kit Must Haves
 
It has been rainy, cold, and miserable in Baltimore this week and I am headed out bright and early tomorrow for New York City – my second favorite place on Earth (I’m looking at you, London) and I have been lusting after a gorgeous Glamcor Light as I feel that if I bathe my cold, crusty self in its candlelight glow that all will be right in the world. Well – it will be right for my clients – because I am quite sure that the gorgeous light thrown by a Glamcor(I love this one as you can put a mirror right in the center to show off your work when you are finished!)  light makes everything better! So I’m saving my pennies for Glamcor (I’m working the Dave Ramsay Total Money Makeover, so it will just have to get in line) and I know soon, SOON! , it will be mine! (I’m going to need a pack mule to carry my kit to jobs, le sigh. . . .)
 
Today we are going to talk about Makeup Kit Must Haves. I am keeping this solely to kits for beauty, events, TV, and Film as I want to keep the list manageable for today!
My kit is organized as follows:

1. Face Preparation
2. Foundations and Concealers
3. Setting Powders, Blushes, Bronzers, Shaping Powers, Highlights
4. Lashes, Lids, and Lips
5. Setting Sprays – you must abide by the holy gospel – “If thou beat the face, thou must seal the face”.

That’s An Alexis Arenas Fabulous Five Step Face.

Depending on the job you are doing and the effect you are going for you may need different products than what I will talk about here - everybody has their favorites and you use what works for you.
 
Today we will cover the first step – which I think is the most important. This is where the client’s skin care routine is so important – it is hard to fix improper skin care on the spot – that is why it is SO IMPORTANT to evangelize – PREACH, tell the world! WASH YOUR FACE: EXFOLIATE: MOISTURIZE: SPF – repeat it like a mantra. I love good skin care – and if you have good skin – makeup just enhances what you already have – if you have troubled skin that you are taking care of – we can work with that – but if you have skin you are not taking care of – makeup will not lay well, and can look heavy and cakey – not ideal. Let me know if you have skin care questions – I will help!


Here are the moisturizers I carry in my kit – I only carry the least allergenic products to reduce/eliminate the possibility of reaction:
Embrolisse Lait-Crème – amazing stuff – great for all skins, but especially good for drier and aging skin.
Embryolisse Hydra-Mat – Normal to Oily skins – will mattify the skin beautifully
Kiehl’s Muli-Corrective Cream – Great hydrating moisturizer
Clarins Beauty Flash Balm – great ‘wake up’ for the skin – firms skin, makes it glowy
Clinique Dramatically Different Gel – great everyday moisturizer for normal to oily skins

Once you have applied your moisturizer of choice I like to use a light, easy to absorb eye treatment - I tend to stay away from anything too emollient around the eyes when I am prepping as it may cause the makeup to travel (these creams and treatments are great outside of professional makeup application!!)

Right now I am using in my kit:
Clinique Pep Start – great light eye cream
Clarins Eye Contour Balm – another great treatment – perfect for drier skins
Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate – lovely and light – Clarins is always a winner
 
I like to allow this to sink in and work for a few moments before I start with my favorite step: PRIMERS. A good primer is worth its weight in gold. So many have flooded the market – here are the ones I have in rotation in my kit now and my thoughts:

Face Primers:
Kat Von D Featherweight Primer – Earns a “Meh” rating from me. It’s not bad, but I don’t really think it does anything.
Smashbox Photo Finish Oil – LOVE LOVE LOVE – I was gifted a sample of this and my expectations we low. I mean loooow. So how happy was I was this BLEW ME OUT OF THE WATER. It plumps, it smooths, it LOCKS your facepaint down. It’s magic in a bottle. I need to get a big bottle for me (ahem) I mean my kit.

I’ve got a few new ones headed to me that I will review separately so check back!

Eye Primers:
Nars Pro-Prime – Very good – eye makeup doesn’t budge – is it only me? I wish this was in different packaging – a squeeze tube or pump would be awesome. I want every drop!
Too Faced Shadow Insurance – I think this stuff is great and a tube lasts forever!
Tarte 360 Creaseless 12 hour Smoothing Eye Primer – I like the feel of this – it is good stuff!
Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion – UD understands priming and sealing. Big Winner here! Love this stuff!! ** Right now this is on SALE on their page for $10! STOCK UP!
 
So we have moisturized, prepped and primed and are ready for paint! Tune in soon for our next step!
Have a question? Ask a question! alexis@thebeautyexpertgroup.com. See you later, Alligators!

I have always loved makeup. Growing up with a strict Venezuelan father that forbade me from wearing makeup naturally make me fixate even more on that which I could not have, and so, here we are today - firmly enamoured of all things powder and paint!

I received my training under the tutelage of  the great Julia Cruttenden and her team of fab makeup gurus at Greasepaint School in West London (Northfields). It has recently closed (in light of Julia's sad passing) and the tutors have set up a new academy at Pinewood Studios - I am planning on heading over to London in June (IMATS!!) or July (No, June, I really must go to the IMATS) and will see if I can stop by the new digs and see some old friends!

One of the greatest parts of the kit I received when I started training were my brushes. Oh, there is something so fabulous about holding new brushes - the excitement about what you can create! In the UK you are spoiled with the fab array of brushes you can find in shops like Charles Fox (replaced by Kryolan? WTF?), PAM,  and Screenface - and the quality of the brushes available in the USA has never measured up - until now.

I had originally started buying from London Brush Company as they have the best brush soap on the market - and some of my brushes are over 20 years old - I am not about to just let them dissolve - only the best soap for my babies! Then I was able to see her brushes in the flesh at The Makeup Show in New York. Hearing Sian speak about brushes and knowing the quality of brushes I had from my years of working in the UK, I knew she had something special - but little did I know how incredible her whole range is!

I ended up taking home 6 of her brushes - and there are two I bought for my kit that I am not sure that I can let go of  I have been using them everyday and they are like silky makeup magic. MAGIC.

You NEED to get these brushes. I am SERIOUS. One of the things Julia Cruttenden used to stress what the gentleness of the touch of an artist - which Sian echoed at TMS - the brush should "dance across the face like a butterfly" - a client should LOVE getting their makeup applied by you, with your beautiful, clean, soft brushes! Julia also would gently correct you if you accidentally applied too much product with a soft "Bit fierce there, don't you think?" - you will not have that problem with these brushes - they pick up and lay down product beautifully. Here is my choice for a great starter set: 12 Piece Classic Pro

Now LISTEN to me - I don't want to hear a PEEP about the price (these work out to about $30 per brush - that's a GREAT price for this quality!)- you don't get beautiful things that are heirloom quality for FREE. It is true - you get what you pay for - and if you want great brushes - you should buy these.

I have brushes from most of your high end brands: MAC, Bobbi, Smashbox, Chanel, etc - but my brushes from Greasepaint are still kicking it (after all this time!) and my new brushes from LBC I can tell will be hanging with them. They get two snaps up from me!!

Have a question? Ask a question! Email me: alexis@thebeautyexpertgroup.com.  See you later, Alligators!

(Photo Courtesy of The Makeup Show)

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend The Makeup Show in New York and was able to test a product that is not new, but new to me: Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer. This product has been called "sex on your face" it is so good - so I just HAD to try it.  But first: The Makeup Show!

The Makeup Show is a Pro-Only event covering 4 floors at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC. Beautifully laid out - they have exceptional keynote speakers, special hands on sessions and the opportunity to meet the best artists in the business - it is a MUST ATTEND if you are in or are seeking to enter the beauty industry. I was able to get one on one time with the fabulous Sian Richards - incredible makeup artist and owner of London Brush Company, Danessa Myricks, Bethany Townes, and others, and of course - catch up with some incredible friends (Teague Vivolo!!) I will be doing a separate post on the incredible brushes I got from Sian soon! 

I took part in some incredible sessions - next year I am staying a week to take advantage of all the incredible classes and events that take place during and around the event - it's amazing!

TMS NYC has all the major players in the industry represented - you can get practically anything for your kit (heavy on beauty, moderate on bodypaint/fantasy products, light on prosthetic/SFX gear - but it's OK, if you are doing that stuff - you know where to get it! They did have Dermaflage which will not only topically fill scars/pock marks/deep wrinkles - but they have a fast wound kit which is amazing and I was able to spend some time with Jocelyn Atkinson who let me know they have just launched an amazing "Infection" version of their popular FastFX Wound Kit. I can't wait to test that kit!

The event was run beautifully - and I wish I had now spent more time at the Alcone table (they were running great deals! and the products they had were incredible - all the RCMA foundation palettes, Bioderma waters, and more, Oh my!) I can hardly wait for next year!

Back to the SSE (Sensual Skin Enhancer!) - Can we say AMAZING. The hype is legit - this stuff is incredible. It looks like real skin once it is on - just BETTER. The key is in the application. Now I am a foundation/skin perfection junkie - if the skin looks good, everything else will fall into place - and this is now my holy grail product.  On my clients I usually use a combination of Eve Pearl HD foundation, her concealers, and Temptu airbrush products - but I bought a selection of the SSE's and I feel now that this is the way forward!  Here are my application tips:

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer Application Tips

1. Prep and Prime the skin: moisturize and prepare the skin with primer of your choice - I was gifted a sample of the new Smashbox Primer Oil - if you have drier or aging skin BUY IT NOW (I love this product, and will review soon!)

2. Choose your foundation finish:
      a. Full coverage (best as a concealer)- use sparingly! undiluted where needed and blend, blend, blend with a BeautyBlender.
         b. Full Coverage (foundation) - mix with your favorite moisturizer or facial oil - use a drop the size of a half grain of rice and mix with approximately a half-dime size amount of moisturizer - blend with a brush (concealer brush works best for me!) and dot across the face. Using a buff foundation brush (I like This one) gently blend the foundation mixture into the skin. 
        c. Tinted moisturizer - less SSE - more moisturizer! Apply in the same fashion.

I LOVE the way this looks with a gorgeous cream blush on the apple of the cheeks and a touch of bronzer. I can't tell you how many people have told me how great my skin looks  - this stuff is MAGIC!

Here is a swatch of the colors (they look lighter here than they are - the deepest colors are truly deep) - trust me - one or two will suit anyone:

Have a question? Ask me! alexis@thebeautyexpertgroup.com. See you later, Alligators!