Tag: Vanity Girl Hollywood

PHAMExpo: Beauty Bonanza

k150_21heel iconIf you can imagine Sephora on steroids, you can imagine what a beauty convention is like. For the first time ever, PHAMExpo put down stakes in Pasadena, CA and opened its doors to makeup pros, beauty bloggers and the public alike. Inside, was a giant candy store of cosmetics, pro artist demos and deep discounts on product purchases.

As a beauty junkie and avid watcher of YouTube makeup tutorials, I have to say there’s nothing like having a roomful of pro artists providing tips and answering questions, and the makeup right there for you test and purchase.

When I walked in, Doe Deere from Lime Crime was doing a Q&A on the main stage. With her long lavender hair and doll-like style, Doe and her fun, colorful cosmetics line have amassed a huge following. The audience was packed with girls with funky hair colors and bright makeup eager to ask a question. The most popular question turned out to be turning Doe’s favorite question back to her “What is your daydream?” to which she answered, “To give all my Lime Crime fans a big hug!”

Following the her Q&A, fans lined up to get a photo with Doe in front of the daydream board where the entrepreneur encouraged them to pen their own dream.

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I took some time to walk around and see what was available. There were known brands such as MAC, Stila, Inglot, OCC and Makeup Forever and lots of up and coming brands that specialize in lashes, nails and brushes and other pro tools. I spotted a couple of Vanity Girl Makeup Mirrors and got to say hello to founder, Maxine. A few beauty schools were also there to help makeup enthusiasts enroll and go pro.

Some of the displays were pretty over-the-top, especially to exhibit some of the character makeup and artist airbrushing. MAC’s display probably drew the most attention. While all the other booths had female models, MAC lined up five hunky guys in nothing but their boxer briefs to airbrush for what was mostly a crowd of women in attendance. Yeah, that went over well!

story3MACdisplay

My favorite part of the weekend had to be the pro artist demos. Nothing encourages me to try new products more than an explanation on how to use them to get a specific look. At this expo, the running theme seemed to be how to get HD-ready skin. All of these makeup experts work to prep models and actresses for photo shoots and TV and film work, but were well aware that with the popularity of Instagram and YouTube and having an HD camera on that phone in your pocket, EVERYBODY needs to be camera ready!

Some of the most inspiring pro artist demos I checked out included:

Cory Bishop, Stila Cosmetics – really knowledgable about HD-ready makeup. Loved that he used a mature model for his demo (anyone can make a thin, 20-year-old with high checkbones and perfect skin look good!) His tip on using silicon-based products and non-talc powder changed my thinking on my makeup. I was lucky enough to catch him at the Stila counter and he helped me pick out some color matches for my foundation overhaul – thanks Cory!

story4Cory

Caitlin Callahan, MAC Senior Artist – a real pro in knowing how to make skin look like skin, not made-up or powdery. “Creams look like skin, powder looks like makeup.” Really knew her stuff. Offered the great suggestion of taking a quick photo or video of your makeup as you’re doing it or after you’re done to see how it reflects on camera and with a flash.

Tracey Taylor, Temptu Pro Artist – a lesson in airbrush makeup, the ultimate in making skin look smooth with a long-lasting look. Tracey talked about how air-brushing needs very little touch up, is waterproof (yes, you can swim in it!) and covers everything. If you are willing to invest in the equipment and the learning curve, it’s probably the best solution for a flawless face. If you are a pro artist, knowing airbrushing allows you to charge more for your service.

Keynote, Pro Artist Valente Frazier – Emmy award winning makeup artist who has worked with Tyra Banks, Michelle Obama, Rhianna Heidi Klum and more. Has a super fun personality. Created a glamorous but natural look. And thanks for the compliment on my 1940’s hairdo Valente!

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW FOR MORE PHOTOS!

Here’s what I learned:

  • HD shows everything!
  • Silicone-based products look closest to skin, have light reflective qualities, don’t break down, need primers, powder or setting spray.
  • A moisturizer with mineral oil gives silicon something to cling to.
  • If you’re getting camera-ready, don’t use products with sunscreen, it will make skin appear white with a flash.
  • Buff foundation on with a kabuki brush for an airbrush finish or use a damp Beauty Blender sponge.
  • Synthetic brushes are better from cream products. Won’t absorb product into the bristles so applies smoother and are easier to clean.
  • A foundation in a warmer color can used as a bronzer.
  • Blue and purple-based colors can make you look older. Go for orange-base to look younger.
  • Strengthen the natural lines of your face – hairline, brows, and lash line and it will make you look younger.
  • Play-up the features you like about your face (such as eyes or lips) deflect from flaws.
  • For mature eyes, use browns. They won’t turn grey or ashy. Brown shadow and liner, then a pop of black liner in the waterline.
  • Use cream blush, it has the same texture as skin, especially on mature skin. Put on hand to warm it, mash into bristles of brush, or dab on cheeks and blend with fingers.
  • Eye pencils are creamy and reflect like skin. Powder shadow looks like makeup.
  • Don’t use talc-based powders with silicon-based foundation, it will look cakey. Use low or no talc loose powder to dust on just areas prone to shine to set.
  • Put concealer under the eye only where it’s dark, not in a big “U”. Then blend with a brush.
  • After applying concealer under the eye, take a folded tissue to blot and absorb excess concealer to prevent creasing.
  • Take a photo of your makeup when it’s done to see how it looks to others and with a flash. Nobody wants to be caught out like Nicole Kidman’s famous red carpet flub.

 

Here’s my haul:

  • Stila Stay All Day Foundation, Fair #2
  • Stila Convertible Color, Gladiola
  • Stila convertible color, Camilia
  • Stila Lip Stain, Cherry Crush
  • Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick, Beso
  • Stila In the Know Eyeshadow Palette
  • Stila Kajal Eyeliner, Oynx
  • Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, Black
  • Stila Smudge Stick, Silver Dollar (free gift!)
  • Makeup Forever Aqua Brow
  • Purely Cosmetics Diamond Perfect Finish Powder
  • Embryoisse Lait-Crème Concentré Moisturizer
  • Beauty Blender Sponge
  • Beauty Blender Sponge Cleaner (free gift!)
  • SILK Flat Powder Brush
  • SILK Complexion Brush
  • Karen Zander Pro Brush Soap
  • J. Cats Nail Art Strips

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Stay tuned for my upcoming blog on getting my HD look!

Be your best self,
Kastle

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Tag: Vanity Girl Hollywood

Beauty Party at Mimi Mae Boutique

k150_14heel iconLos Angeles is a town of beautiful people and one thing I love about it is there is no shortage of experts who help boost that beauty.

This week I attended a party at the newly opened Mimi Mae Beauty Boutique in Studio City – a posh little place, freshly painted in sky blue with black trim, punctuated with a rock ‘n’ roll edge. They’re ready to give you all kinds of primping and fussing from makeup makeovers to manicures to waxing and the feature a host of products and talented people to help you look your best.

You may recall my recent report on how Maxine from Vanity Girl Hollywood* has made beauty bars the new entertainment – this was definitely what she spoke of! With one of Maxine’s sleek, bright Broadway vanity mirrors taking center stage in the boutique, we were offered lip color makeovers with OCC Lip Tar (my fave!), samplers of DermOrganic and natural oil aromatherapists Terra Body and henna tattoos from Opal Moon Henna, which I just had to try. The place was filled with beauty lovers – my kind of gals – and I met all kinds of people representing new fun products and services I can’t wait to try! Check out the party pix below.

And shop for the Vanity Girl Makeup mirrors as seen in Minnie Mae Boutique here!* Don’t miss their 200% off sale Feb. 1-3!

MMparty1Beauty Party!

MMparty2With celebrity facialist Lauren Young London

MMparty3Vanity Girl Maxine with writer Barbara Beckley

MMparty4Fabby gets tattooed by Opal Moon Henna

MMparty5I add silver sparkle to my tattoo

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See ya at the next party!

Kastle

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Tag: Vanity Girl Hollywood

Vanity Girl Hollywood: Bringing Glamour to the Party and the Home

Living in Hollywood, an abundant amount parties and clubs is a regular perk of the city.   At many events you’ll find a DJ, a bar, maybe even a goodie bag full of product giveaways. But one entrepreneurial woman is offering something us beauty lovers can really get behind – mini makeovers to liven up your look while you’re out. Maxine Tatlonghari, founder of Vanity Girl Hollywood*, began bringing beauty bars to the party – and I can’t believe we went without them for so long! If you are lucky enough to attend an event she is at, you can grab a cocktail, sit down in a chair in front of one of her fabulous mirrors, and have one of her “glam posse” of professional makeup artists give you big, sweeping eyelashes or a colorful new pout.

CLICK HERE to read all about it in my recent report on Yahoo! on how Maxine is setting a new trend of beauty bars as entertainment.

CLICK HERE to  check my previous Stiletto City feature interview on how Vanity Girl Hollywood came to be.

SHOP for your own Vanity Girl Hollywood Makeup Mirror!*


Be the star you are!
Kastle

Photo courtesy of Vanity Girl Hollywood
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Tag: Vanity Girl Hollywood

Pin Up Girl Boutique: Va Va Voom!

If ever there was a night get your va-va-voom on, it was the opening of the Pin Up Girl Boutique last weekend. Located along the increasingly vintage fashionable Magnolia Park in Burbank, it was a welcome addition since Pin Up Girl Clothing, (which carries brands such as Deadly Dames and Dixiefried) had only been available online up to this point. And let me tell you, when you’re shopping for a form-fitting wiggle dress, it’s really hard to eyeball the size you need from a picture. Now all pin-ups, and aspiring pin-ups, can go to this gorgeous new boutique and try on these glam dresses and see how they look on.

The opening was a night to turn up the glamour. The shop is a pop of colorful girly-ness, filled with vintage-inspired dresses, shoes, handbags and a beauty bar. All of the Pin Up Girl models from the website also work the store and they are jaw-dropping knock-outs in real life including, Micheline Pitt, Doris Mayday and La Cholita. There were so many curves, red lips, eyelashes, big hair and high heels, it was hard not to feel like you stepped into some alien planet of glamazons! As the band, Nick Waterhouse sat in the back waiting to go on, surrounded by wall to wall beautiful women, I overheard someone say they uttered, “This is the best gig we’ve ever played in our life!”

Nick and the boys rocked the house, cocktails were had, shopping was done, makeovers were given in front of broadway-style Vanity Girl Hollywood* mirrors, it was indeed a reason to celebrate. Check out the party photos by clicking on the photo below:

The Pin Up Girl Boutique is located at 3606 Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank, CA.

You can have your very own Vanity Girl Makeup Mirror at home! Shop for the lighted Makeup Stations* as used in Pinup Girl Clothing Boutique pictured here!

Go glamourous or go home,
Kastle

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Tag: Vanity Girl Hollywood

Nail Files: The Painted Nail Party

Nothing like a last minute party invite to liven up your week! I got an email from my pal Maxine from Vanity Girl Hollywood* to join her at her makeover station at a party celebrating the new hair salon & blow-out bar at The Painted Nail, home of the “Nail Files” reality show on the TV Guide channel. If you haven’t seen the show, owner Katie Cazorla brings a whole lot of Hollywood glamour to the land of mani-pedis, with a big celebrity clientele and spa-like experience — you never know what’s going to happen! But what I like best is the surprisingly affordable prices for service in a ultra hip atmosphere! My kind of place!

The party was an Alice in Wonderland-theme with Katie decked out as Alice herself and lots of beautiful girls and handsome dudes in Wonderland glam for a surreal tea party complete with whimsical treats and amazing decor. TV cameras and boom mics where swinging around everywhere following Katie and her music producer husband, Walter Afanasieff  wherever they went. I’m sure we’ll see what drama ensued in the next episode of “Nail Files”!

We were also treated to music by girl trio The Goods and Alex Hughes, who got the crowd going with her great energy. Each guest was given a beauty card to visit all of the makeover stations for a little primp treat. I had my lips done in of-the-moment tangerine at Maxine’s Vanity Girl makeup station by makeup artist, Zarah Villarreal. She did a fantastic job – thanks doll! The Vanity Girl “glam squad” also included, makeup artist/blogger Olivia Danielle and makeup artist Crystal Strayer.

Then I was off to get a hot pink hair extension and a splash of blue hair chalk coloring. Lastly, was the nail “Ice Cream Bar” before I could pick up the amazing gift bag stuffed to the brim with all kinds of beauty samples and goodies I can’t wait to try out and write about in future posts.

Check out the pictures from the party by clicking the image below:

Read more about Vanity Girl Hollywood in the Stiletto City interview.

Shop for your own Vanity Girl Hollywood Makeup Mirror* as seen here!

Nails on ladies!
Kastle

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Tag: Vanity Girl Hollywood

Vanity Girl Hollywood: Interview with Maxine Tatlonghari

kastle7 150As any girly girl can attest, it’s fun to get dressed up and feel gorgeous. But for most women, the behind-the-scenes of getting ready is hardly diva worthy – steamy bathrooms, small mirrors, bad lighting. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the kind of big bulb vanities you see backstage at runway shows?  That’s what Vanity Girl Hollywood’s Maxine Tatlonghari, thought when she was at Burke Williams Spa for a pick-me-up pamper day after being laid off her job of 11 years. “I was getting ready in their vanity room and I just thought it was such a different experience to sit down and be well lit. It felt glamorous. Models and actresses get to feel like that all the time – why shouldn’t the everyday woman?”

Maxine decided to start her own business and founded Vanity Girl Hollywood in 2008 as a way of bringing a bit of Hollywood to the masses in the form of large scale mirrors lined with big bright bulbs that provide not just good, but flattering, lighting to do makeup by. They create an instant backstage style experience that brings a bold sweep of glamour to any room.

Vanity Girl Hollywood Broadway Makeup Desk

She admittedly started small, working with Versa Products Inc. a Los Angeles manufacturer she knew, who believed in what she was doing. She’s proud to say she keeps her production local with this company that also operates with green practices. She began utilizing the power of Facebook and Twitter and her background as a publicist and events director to get the word out. “There was a time when unless you had a rolodex of editor’s names, you couldn’t get a story out,” she says. “But now, if you have a sense of PR strategy, the social media tools allow you to get the word out quickly.”

She found out just how quickly when Vanity Girl Hollywood began working with celebrities and social media plugs from Kim Kardashian and YouTube makeup sensation Kandee Johnson sent Maxine’s business into the stratosphere.

Most recently, Maxine added events as part of her marketing plan, bringing out her vanities to create pop-up beauty bars at posh parties. She also brings along a posse of beauty experts such as makeup artist, Kenetia Lee and the Makeup Mandy “Lashers” to provide mini makeovers. Ladies line up, cocktails in hand, grooving to the music to get a quick beauty boost on the spot. “It’s part of the entertainment just as someone would have a bartender and a DJ,” she says.

At the recent party for the opening of Pure Barre in Beverly Hills, the Vanity Girl Hollywood Broadway Lighted Makeup Desk and Starlet Lighted Vanity Mirror dazzled the crowd. Maxine worked the room,  using her events background and party personality to connect everyone in attendance, especially other females who are pursuing their passions. Her efforts and her vanities seem to work to lift everyone up, to make everyone a star for the night. “I really want my friends to succeed and have great careers,” she says. “I had really great people help do that for me.”

Click to see a slideshow of the party

Her give-back also includes speaking engagements. She recently shared her experiences in growing her business with UCLA’s Social Media Marketing class to offer inspiration to aspiring online marketers.

For Maxine, business is really about making everything feel just a little more glamorous. She wants to show people the world is just one big red carpet runway and Vanity Girl Hollywood can help you get ready for it! — Kastle Waserman, Stiletto City

Shop here* for your own Vanity Girl Hollywood Mirror!

 If you would like to see the Vanity Girl Hollywood Vanities, visit the showroom at Makeup Mandy, 8441 Melrose Ave, W.Hollywood, 90069 

Party photos by Kastle

Photo of Maxine and Kastle by Susan Ledgerwood Photography

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