Video Quick Tip #60 - October 26, 2010

Is there anyone out there that doesn't want to look hot n' sexy this Halloween?? We didn't think so!

In this week's Quick Tip, Brett takes blond-haired, fair-skinned Aynsley Bubbico from Greek

and turns her into exotic Hollywood siren Kim Kardashian.

The key steps to the Kim K. look are smokey eyes, a bold brow and nude lips. Here's the breakdown:

• Bronze up! Bronze your body and decollete with a body bronzing spray like Vanitymark Summerskin. For your face, use a tan foundation like Lorac Natural Performance in #7.
• Highlight the eyes and lift the cheekbones! Lighten the whole eye area with a concealer like Cle de Peau Concealer in Beige. Use a brush and place under the eye and out towards the temple, and above the brow area to pop out the cheekbone.
• Add contours to the cheeks with a darker foundation - try MAC NC45 Full Coverage and brush on a straight line from the temple under the cheekbone towards the apple and blend down. Exaggerate it - it'll be nighttime!
• Add contours to the eyes - apply MAC Cork into the crease of the eye and towards the inner eyebrow. Take a thin, tight brush and apply MAC Print directly into the crease of the lid and extend out to mimic an almond eye shape. Also apply close to the upper and lower lashline. Build out the Paint shade to give a nice, dark contour to the lid.
• Fake a strong brow with a dark brown brow pencil like Vanitymark's Dark Choco and move your arch up and back by drawing on top of the natural brow line and extending out to copy Miz Kardashian's arches. Square off the inside edge of the brow for a strong and clean look.
  
• Warm up with pink! Kim loves pink - use any sherbert pink shade of blush and go over the Cork shadow and along the cheek contours. Add interest to the eye area by placing a card or straight-edge next to the eye and patting on the pink blush from the outer corner of the eye to the temple.
• Line the eyes with a soft and dark black pencil like MAC Smolder. Sculpt out the eye shape by rimming the inside and outside of the lashline. Stick super close to the lashline and trace the line from the inner corner all the way out. Keep the line on the upper and lower lashes really tight and crisp.
• Add a shimmery shadow like MAC Idol Eyes to the lower lid with a wet brush across from the tear duct to the outer edge. Dries to a great finish!
• Add lash falsies - it's Halloween so go big or go home! Buy spikey picket fence-style lashes to really stand out. After applying, add lots of mascara, like L'Oreal Voluminous in Carbon.
• Highlight cheeks with an irridescent shade like Benefit Girl Meets Pearl. Just dab on the apples of the cheeks for a beautiful glow.
• Kim loves a nude lip like MAC Brew. Use the shade all over the lip and then top with gloss.

Finish with a dark haired wig and a curve-hugging dress - now you're good to go! Happy Halloween!

Video Quick Tip #59 - October 5, 2010

Ever heard of Conor Leslie? You may not have yet, but she's definitely one to watch out for on the Hollywood scene!

This week Brett met with Conor for a photoshoot, and he taught her how to do a modern smokey eye using neutral shades. This is a great tip for those in the teen age bracket, or for those who don't like dark shades on their eyes.

For this diffused, natural smokey eye, you need a tight eyeshadow brush, MAC Teddy eye pencil and 3 MAC eyeshadows:

• Cork - a muted golden brown
• Honeylust - a bronze-dipped peach
• Nylon - a pale gold with icy shimmer

- Take Cork, the darkest shade and create a "fishtail" shape around the eye. Create a sideways V from the crease of the lid above the iris of the eye to the outer corner of the eye and back along the top lashline to above the iris. Nodge out the color at the outer corner of the eye (creating the fishtail shape) and line the lower lash line as well.

- Wet your brush or add a drop of water to your Honeylust shadow and apply straight across the lid from the tearduct to the end, filling in the entire lower half of the lid to the crease. Once this shimmery shadow dries, it will look like a cream shadow, but with more staying power!

- Add Nylon to the inner tearduct and right under the brow bone - bring it to meet the Cork shade at the crease. Also apply overtop of the Cork on the lower lashline and a little bit over the Honeylust on the upper lashline.

- And for the finishing touch - take the MAC Teddy eye pencil and line the inside of the eyelid on the top and bottom lashline.

And that's it - a modern, dressed up eye without a ton of color!

Video Quick TIp #58 - September 21, 2010

This week's Quick Tip gives you access to an exclusive video Brett made for Temptalia.com, one of his favorite beauty blogs!

Brett recently did a photoshoot with the lovely Katherine McPhee and he documented it all complete with some red lipstick tricks and tips for Temptalia readers.

Click below for the inside scoop, direct from Temptalia.com!

For the December cover of Genlux, Brett wanted to give Katherine a 70s menswear vibe. He used another Katherine (Hepburn) as inspiration for her hair, and old Avon catalogues as a muse for her winged out eyes. For the lips, he went classic red. Here's his favorite technique for a long-lasting matte lip:

• Apply foundation over lips and around the mouth (helps with crispness).
• Add dusting powder like Shu Uemura or DermaMinerals On-the-Go Finishing Powder to set makeup and act as a base for lipstick.
• Use a great red lipliner first, like the Paprika shade from Mineral Essence. Go over the entire lip to 'stain' the lips and help the lipstick hold. Plus, it will really control the shape of lips for a better final outcome.
• Add more dusting powder on top of liner and dab to set.
• Now that your shape is set, take a matte lipstick like Lancome Red Haute and fill in the penciled area. A lip brush really helps refine.
• Optional extra step: Want to take this red lip from matte to modern? Add a bright red gloss on top! Glossy red lips were all over the runways last week, including Prada and Ungaro.

And there you have it - the key to red lips, a look that never goes out of style!

Video Quick Tip #57 - August 31, 2010

This Sunday Brett spent the day playing pretty with Rules of Engagement star Bianca Kajlich

in preparation for the 2010 Emmys.

Want to see exactly how she got the glam smoky eyes and dewy cheeks that she wore to the ceremony? This week's Quick Tip takes you behind the scenes and into Bianca's home as she preps for her big night with Brett.

Bianca planned to wear her hair slicked back into a sleek ponytail for the Emmys this year, so the focus would be on her face. To accentuate her Grecian light mauve dress, Brett gave her dramatic smoky eyes with tones of pewter, brown and plum and highlighted her cheeks and lips with light-reflecting dewy shades.

CHEEKS

Try Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Soft Plum - just dab on the apples of cheeks. For additional glow, Brett added Benefit Girl Meets Pearl highlighter on top of cheeks...it's like the icing on the cake!

EYES

- Use a soft brown/plum shade like MAC Quarry and 'recess' the eyelid by brushing up from the lashline into the crease and almost into the brow. Brush underneath the lid as well, keeping close to the lower lashline.

- Highlight the arch of the eyebrow by using a pale shimmery shade like MAC Nylon right under the brow bone.

- Add a drop of water to a dark burgundy plum eye shadow like MAC Blackberry and take a small brush (as the colors get darker, your brush should get smaller!), swirl into the damp shadow and brush tightly along the lashline and make a sideways 'V' shape - taking the line softly around into the crease of the lid. As the shadow dries, lightly feather the line so it's not too severe.

- Once the eyes are dry, add a drop of water to a silvery pewter shade like MAC Idol Eyes and brush on top of the lower lid to add sheen and dimension.

- Use a dark mascara on lashes like L'Oreal Voluminous in Carbon. Brett loves this mascara!

BROWS

Even if you have killer brows like Bianca, you want the darkest feature on your face to be your lashes. For the red carpet, Brett applied MAC Goldmine (an intense gold shimmer shadow) wet to the brows with a fantail brush to lighten and brighten her brows. Set the look with clear brow gel like Vanitymark Ultra-Brow Gel in Acrylica!

LIPS

With so much color and drama on Bianca's eyes, Brett wanted to keep her lips low key and glossy. He used Bella Donna Pink Diamond lip gloss for a hint of color and shine that wouldn't overpower her look.

BODY

Don't forget the rest of your exposed skin! Brett used his own Vanitymark Shimmerskin, a champagne-hued shimmery body makeup on Bianca's arms and décolleté to make sure her skin didn't look low-watt next to her gorgeous makeup!

Now, even without a makeup artist by your side, you can get 'red carpet ready' the same way the stars do!

Video Quick Tip #56 - August 10, 2010

Do you ever get stuck in a beauty rut? No one is immune to them, and even one of Brett's favorite beauty bloggers - Cindy from Hello Dollface - could use some inspiration every now and then.

Brett helps Cindy add a little kick to her go-to smoky eye look...click below for the inside scoop!

The smoky eye is one of Brett's favorite makeup looks as well, but sometimes it needs a little spice! Brett gave Cindy these quick little tips to add extra oomph:

WET SHIMMER: Take a shimmery, pewter shadow like MAC Idol Eyes, add a drop of water on top and swirl in a tight eyeshadow brush. Apply the wet shadow on top of any neutral shade you've already applied for your smoky eye (taupes, charcoals, golds, plums, etc.), and keep it close to the lashline. It will add light reflection and depth to your eyes and dries down to a cream shadow finish. It's like icing on the cake!

EXTEND YOUR LINER: Extended eyeliner is an instant attention-grabber! Sweep your eyeliner beyond the end of your eye and UP towards your temple (not straight across...and definitely not down!). Be sure to "marry" the upper eyeliner line with the lower eyeliner line in the corner of the eye so it becomes one unit, not 2 separate lines. Brett loves MAC Smolder eyeliner.

So what did Cindy have to say about her new look? "It's like a modern, blue-eyed Kim Kardashian!"

Video Quick Tip #55 - July 13, 2010

Summertime is here and it's the perfect time to talk BRONZERS!

Bronzers seem to be a mystery to you gals, as Brett receives a lot of questions on this topic! Shimmer or no shimmer? What shades are best? How and where do you apply it?

Brett dishes all his tips on the subject, and demos a beachy bronzed look on his lovely assistant Kate.

Shimmer? Brett says keep it to a minimum. Too much shimmer and it will look glittery and won't photograph well.

Shade? Look for bronzers with a hint of pink. Dark terra cotta bronzers give a lot of quick impact, but won't look natural - no one tans that shade! Brett likes Benefit One Hot Minute.

What if I'm really fair? For the most natural hint o' color, try a regular face powder one or two shades darker than you normally wear. This works really well because it's already made in fleshy tones and won't add too much pigment to fair skin tones.

How to apply? Apply your makeup as usual and be sure to set with face powder (if skin is too moist, bronzer will grab to skin and look dark and blotchy). Use a big fluffy face brush and apply bronzer anywhere you'd apply face powder, starting with the neck. Don't use to just blush cheeks - it looks too muddy. Start soft and build the bronzer to your ideal shade.

What about the rest of my body? Don't forget about all your other exposed skin during the summer! Try NARS Body Glow body oil or Vanitymark's Summerskin body bronzing makeup.

Happy bronzing and happy summer!

Video QuickTip #54 - June 15, 2010

Brett recently hosted a brow event at The Cosmetic Market in Nashville, TN and he documented 14 year-old Meredith’s very first brow clean-up!

If you’re curious about the basics of brow tweezing, or have a teen sister, daughter, etc., this is a must-see!

First things first, tidy up your brow area. Use tweezers to take away any of the ‘cobwebs’– those feathering hairs that grow downward in the areas above and outside of your brows. Your brow line will instantly look cleaner!

Get in the middle. Tweezing the middle of your two brows is easy because there is no shaping involved! Anything that’s in between your two brows needs to go.

Where should the brows start? No need to use a pencil to ‘line up’ the brow line – nature knows what it’s doing. Your brows should start right where the majority of your brow hairs begin growing; don’t take away too many rows or it will look unnatural.

Trim the brows. Do this very carefully to avoid a mishap! Use a brow spoolie or a clean mascara wand to brush all the brow hairs up. Use cuticle scissors to trim the tips off, and then brush back down.

To arch or not to arch? A drastic brow arch is too much for teens or those who never tweeze their brows. Lightly tweeze out a row or two underneath the brow if hairs look too out of place. Remember to start slow – just a neatened brow line will look fab!

The finishing touch. Teens don’t need to fill in their brows, but if you have any sparse areas, feel free to touch up with a brow pencil one shade lighter than hairs – Brett’s Vanitymark line has seven shades to choose from, so you’re sure to find a great match. Clear brow gel is helpful for unruly brows – it’s like hair spray for your arches!