Cult Following Makeup Artist Secrets - Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

A staple in the world's top makeup artists' kits: Elizabeth Arden. NY The ORIGINAL Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant.

New York, NY  You may have seen this product featured on The Today Show and other morning programs aimed at women who want to be on the cutting edge of fashion and cosmetics. The thing is, Elizabeth Arden's 1930 creation (yes, she invented this herself), is NOT new. Still it remains the staple in many top makeup artist kits around the world.

Why the Cult Following?
Usually a beauty product like this gains a cult following because it works. With about an 80 year track record behind it, there has been plenty of time to disprove or dismiss its effectiveness. Still many makeup artists from London to Paris continue to pack a tube of this "cream" in their kits. Keep in mind makeup artists are on the frontline of what can go wrong with skin and how to quickly fix it. It's their career!

Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream Isn't Really a "Cream"
The first thing you'll notice is that the 1.7 oz (50g) tube will tell you that the Active Ingredient is Petrolatum! 56.8% of the product is just good old Vaseline.
I did a whole feature on Beverly Johnson and her love of Petrolatum Jelly. Petrolatum holds in moisture on its own but EA's formula also contains: Lanolin, Mineral Oil, Vitamin E, Salicylic Acid, Castor Seed Oil, Corn Oil and fragrance oils and Iron Oxide which gives it that orange color.

EA's 8 Hour Cream is 56.8% Petrolatum

Uses for EA's 8 Hour Cream
Makeup artists don't have time to play games. If an item isn't multi-tasking, it's not earning its keep and will soon be eighty-sixed from the kit. Professional Makeup artists also have to be prepared for all sorts of Skin-emergencies such as: chapping, peeling or flaking due to minor burns including those you get from the sun or windburn.

EA's 8 Hour Cream also quickly heals: minor scratches, scrapes and abrasions.

However, the most popular makeup artist use for this cream is: to shape eyebrows and add shine like a highlighter on the eyelids to give a nude-glossiness and on cracked lips to quickly heal, moisturize and add shine. 
Here's How They Do It: Apply EA's 8 Hour Creme to lips BEFORE you start your makeup routine. By the time you are done with face and eyes, lips will be perfectly plumped and moisturized to receive a smooth application of lip color.

Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Creme quickly melts into the skin

Best Hand Cream
This is perhaps one of the best over-all hand creams because it really holds in moisture. Use it to soothe dry, cracked hands and smooth cuticles and nails. It even adds a fresh gloss to an older manicure.

My Own Experience with 8 Hour Creme
In the past, I have gone to my dermatologist's office for light glycolic acid peels that would sometimes leave patches of pink or even raw skin. Yeow! These are surface abrasions but can look pretty bad until they completely heal and flake off. I've used EA's 8 Hour Creme and within about an hour, the redness and swelling was completely GONE. It protects the skin until it heals but greatly decreases the down time from out patient, plastic surgeon office procedures like: microdermabrasion, acid peels, laser treatments.

You Can Purchase...
Stop by the Elizabeth Arden counter in any major department store like Nordstrom, or Macy's and ask for a sampling of the Eight Hour Creme Skin Protectant. Or you can go online at ElizabethArden.com
or here to order for only $14.99! A 1.7 oz tube of The Original Eight Hour Cream costs about $19.00 at the Elizabeth Arden website and lasts a really long time.

My model's makeup kit essentials: Embryolisse Serum, Kett Fixx Creams and EA 8 Hour Cream

Buy NOW at only $14.99

Creme de la Creme Fashion Week Artist Secrets from Embryolisse Paris - France

Creamy!: Embryolisse BB Cream, Creme Hydrante a l'Orange & Artist Secret Compact Foundation Cream

NYC, NY Fashion Week: I have my Fashion Week NYC Pinterest Board up now so please check it out!  One thing you will be seeing next spring is a much lighter hand in makeup. The French always prize skincare over trying to cover a bad complexion with tons of makeup. This is really a good place to start, especially when you see how many lines are now including more significant SPF protection and botanical ingredients.

Makeup Your Mind
One of the best things you can do is to focus on obtaining a healthy complexion by prepping your skin from the inside out. 

1.) Include essential fatty acids in your diet each day such as: walnuts, mackerel, salmon and sardines for a complexion that's moist and glowing. 

2.) Next, invest in skincare over let's say, the latest eye shadow shade from Dior (j' adore Dior)!

3.) Become a moisturizing and primer maven. This creates a perfect base for a flawless makeup application.

4.) Become a shady character. Make sure you wear a SPF of at least 20 EVERYDAY. Even on seemingly cloudy days.

Primer, concealer and BB Cream make the perfect base for your makeup.

Shine Stoppers
One of the problems with wearing makeup in warmer weather is the appearance of oily sheen. I actually like a dewy finish but full out oiliness isn't attractive! I like the Emulsion Hydra-Mat as a primer/moisturizer as it will help blot up later oil breakouts. Another option is the Creme Hydrante a l'Orange which has natural extracts of orange which is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, sweet almond and sesame oils.

BB Cream-y
I particularly like Embryolisse Artist Secret Complexion Illuminating Veil BB Cream because unlike some others, it has a SPF 20. It also works with just about all skin tones. It's opaque enough to brighten and correct minor flaws but nude enough to allow your natural pigmentation to shine through. It's not cakey and has mineral powders with light reflecting properties.

I'm wearing Artist Secret Compact Foundation Cream in Hale (Tanned)

Artist Secret Compact Foundation Creme
You are really going to love this for spring! This compact foundation is very creamy and comes with it's own little sponge all hidden away. A little goes a long way, especially when applied over concealer and BB Cream. It goes on very smooth, (use a moist blender sponge), but dries to a semi matte finish. Your skin looks so naturally radiant and plumped up. That's because this Artist Secret has a double moisturizing treatment of hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. On top of that, it has a SPF protection of 20. BOOM!

Spring 2014: Less is More. Artist Secret Compact Foundation Cream

 
Skincare and Makeup c/o Embryolisse USA 
Eyewear by XX2i Optics France 1 Collection
Hat: Tinsley by Pistil Designs

Summer Lights - Skincare & Makeup

Clean-fresh skin begins and ends with Clarisonic Skin Cleansing Systems

Kett Hydro Foundation 35ml

Kett Angel Blush 15ml

Thinking of summer, we want everything light.  Light salads, light clothing, airy shoes and most of all light makeup.  Nothing is worse in the heat than heavy, greasy makeup that sweats off on you nice white shirt.  Nobody needs that, believe me.  What if you could have full coverage but with a foundation you can add water to for cool, thin layering?  It's completely possible.  I'm talking about airbrushing and it's not just for brides or movie stars anymore.  There are travel compressors that make airbrushing very simple yet portable.

Not all airbrush makeup is alike however.  You'll find some are not water soluble. You can not add any extra water to it to dilute the pigmentation or control coverage.  In my experience, these also tend to clog your airbrush gun unless you use special solvent cleaners afterwards.  A water soluble airbrush makeup such as the ones made by Kett Cosmetics is what I recommend.  Silicon free, this makeup is easy to dilute with water and blend while being easy to clean up.  The coverage is as much or as little as you would like but the real plus is how flawless the application is.  Brushes and sponges can't come close to the seamless beauty of airbrushed makeup.

Start with a clean canvas by using the Clarisonic Mia or similar ultrasonic brush to completely cleanse your skin.  You will find your airbrushed makeup going on more smoothly when your skin is deep cleansed first.  I have used Kett Cosmetics airbrush makeup on my television appearances, (News12 New Jersey & the CBS Morning Show) as well as an on location photo shoot with More Magazine.  No touch ups were needed and the makeup did not rub off or fade. Kett Cosmetics work well with blending so you can get the perfect shade as the summer or an airbrush tan deepens your color.

The Air Star V Compressor by Thayer & Chandler can do both airbrushed makeup and spray tanning.