photographer : Steve Prue
art director : Katie Pellegrino
fashion stylist : Team Rockstar
makeup artist : Katie Pellegrino
hair stylist : Kristin Johnson
models : Ewelina Rak and Dylan Monroe

view the full editorial in the February 10 Issue

When I received a package from Shrinkle’s designer, Amy Doan, I was surprised to find a little package with a small sample from her up and coming cosmetic line, Sugarpill Cosmetics.  I was greeted by a personal note with a sample of a gold loose eye pigment and I do mean GOLD!  I was excited by the color as I’m really into golds, coppers, and bronzes to go with my fair skin and blonde hair.

image source shrinkle.com

I applied the loose pigment directly to my lid with a soft, fluffy brush and I immediately noticed that the a little goes a long way!  The color directly applied to the lid alone was not as intense as I normally like for an evening look, but I would wear it alone for a more subdued day look.  I liked that the pigment blended very smoothly when I paired it with a more intense gold eyeshadow as a base, which really brought out the shimmer in the Sugarpill Cosmetics gold pigment.  The two paired together made a nice shimmery evening look.

I’m not a professional make-up artist, but I’m a budding make-up enthusiast and I can’t wait to try more Sugarpill Cosmetic products!  I love the cosmetic ads for the upcoming launch and I think we’ll have a lot to look forward to from Amy Doan!

Currently the Sugarpill Cosmetic’s website is still under construction, but you can purchase from eBay under her seller name, Shrinkle.  Also check out her cute clothing creations on etsy.com.

- Meagan

A quick behind the scenes take and beauty video from Auxiliary Magazine editor and frequent photographer for the magazine, Luke Copping.  This is from a small piece that can be seen in the upcoming issue, due out February 1st.

photographer : Luke Copping
fashion stylist : Meagan Hendrickson
makeup artist : Rachel Mazurek
hair stylist : Jennifer Buscaglia
models : Samantha Sham and Kerry Quaile
assistant : Cris Puccia

view the full editorial in the December 09 Issue

Don’t let the small size of the packaging fool you, these 8mm tubes of foundation pack a punch and a little goes a long way. About the size of a tube of lip gloss, Yaby’s liquid foundation, available in 18 shades, provides smooth and light coverage that is exceptionally layerable to provide just the right amount of coverage for your purposes. Rather than piling on the gummy and paint like foundations that some other companies push these days, this product is about subtlety rather than overkill, and delivers a much better result in the end. Yaby’s new line of foundations mimic the sheen of natural skin, for a very wearable look thats not too shiny or too flat and matte as to be unrealistic, and because of this natural look it requires very little in the way of touchups on set or for daily wear. These foundations blend extremely well, so if you find yourself between shades it should be simple to create your own custom tint to match your skin tone perfectly. When we met Liz Yu, the creator of Yaby at IMATS in Toronto a few weeks ago she was extremely enthusiastic about this new product line, and I can see why, she has truly created a wonderful and versatile product with a variety of useful applications.

photograph by Luke Copping

- Rachel Mazurek

- Rachel Mazurek

Hollywood inspired glamour for a classic Halloween

photographer : Jennifer Link
makeup artist : Designs by LJ
hair stylist : Marlo Marquise
models : Marlo Marquise and Kess M

view the full editorial in the October 09 Issue

If you are anything like me, you have four main nail styles. Black polish, red polish, nude, and beat to all hell. Previously neglected, nails are making a big comeback as accessories this season. But before slathering on the usual, allow me to offer some great nail polish alternatives as seen on the runways this fall. It’s all about new textures, new shapes, and subtlety.

Reverse French Manicure
A personal favorite, Reverse French is when a dark polish is used for the tips instead of the traditional white tipped French Manicure. It’s a small, easy way to add just a touch of sinister style to something normally seen as wholesome and girly. Favorite pairings include a nude nail with a deep red or black tip. It’s sexy and misleading, like fingertips dipped in blood or dirt under the nails. It is the perfect way to complete that Femme Fatale look.

reverse french manicure

Half Moon Manicure
Seen on runways and pinup models like Dita von Teese, the Half Moon Manicure takes the Reverse French one step further and brings the color all the way up to that little crescent of white found by your cuticles. Sometimes exaggerated by adding a light color to the “Half Moon”, this take is another tricky way of elongating nails and adding a little something to cause a double take from passersby as you sip your drink.

Matte Polish
Matte polish is exactly what it sounds like, polish with a dull or flat finish. Think suede or velvet as opposed to vinyl or latex. It’s slowly becoming more and more popular with large brands like O.P.I. and Orly launching matte collections this season. I tried Orly in Matte Vinyl (a thick asphalt black) and my sister’s first comment? “You look like a dead person.” WIN! But seriously, this is definitely a great way to also play with textures; throw in a gloss at the tips, splatter it across the nails, or even do a matte/glossy stripe and it becomes a subtle little harbinger of edge.

Finally, I must make one recommendation as you venture off into the great wide world of nail care. To keep it classy, round out your nails to give what’s called an oval tip, it elongates your fingers and gives them a natural, sexy, sometimes even retro feel. You could file them to be pointier then usual as well but be prepared to puncture holes into everything you wear, like a miniature wolverine, only you can’t regenerate those vintage stockings.

- Numi

photographer : Luke Copping
makeup artist : Rachel Mazurek
hair stylist : Erin Moser
nails : Vanity Salon
styling consultant : Meagan Breen
models : Helena Merditaj, Nichole M, and Rachel Green
assistants : Cris Puccia and Mollie Riester
specimens provided by : Dave Butler, Will Hall, Derek Hendrickson, and Mikael Niklas

view the full editorial in the October 09 Issue

The new collection for Fall ’09

MAC has just released their new Fall ’09 line, and I must say I am impressed.  They are going back to black and in a big way!  Whether you want to pull off a high fashion look or an edgier alternative look, this is the line for you.  MAC offers a variety of products in this collection to perfect that goth meets runway look.  In this line they are offering four new shades of their beautiful mineralize eye shadow, three eye products, three lip products, and a new black nail lacquer.  I know there are some people out there that are not big fans of MAC, and there are some die hard fans who love everything, but either way this line really stands out.  I love the clean, fresh faced look of bold black lips and this is the line to achieve that with.  Plus the big trend for this fall is black lipstick, so why not get on board!  There’s the plain black lipstick, a matte lipstick, which is available in two shades: a deep purple and a deep rich black.  And there are three shades of glimmer glass: shiny black, black/gold, and a purplish black.  Like MAC said, “don’t wait til midnight!”  Just remember not to go too overboard.  The trick to wearing such a bold product is balance, try a really bare or slightly glossy eye with a shiny black lip for a different and dramatic look.

view the MAC style black collection

- Rachel Mazurek