My Routine: Audition Hair & Makeup

 Part of being a singer, actor, and dancer means attending lots of auditions!  That means having a look down for your hair and makeup that you can create and recreate for each audition and callback.  It has to show off the best side of you but not be too distracting that it pulls focus from your singing.  Plus, should you get called back for a second audition you'll need to recreate the exact same look.

Other things to consider: You never know where you'll be auditioning, so your makeup needs to stand out enough that you'll be seen if you're on a stage, but not too harsh if you'll be standing in front of the auditioners table in a florescent lighted room.

My go to look: sleek, frizz free hair curled at the ends and slightly amped up natural looking makeup.  I always go for a soft smokey eye created with chocolate and pinks, brown eyeliner on the top lids only, filled in eyebrows, cream and powder blush blended together, and a berry lip.  It's like me only more polished.  One of my college vocal coaches always said "if you look good, you'll sing good."

So far, that has proven to be true!

~Kirsten










My audition makeup ingredients:
*Garnier Ultra Lift 2 in 1Wrinkle Reducer Serum + Moisturizer
* Olay Age Defying Classic Eye Gel
*Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse applied with Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.
*NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Powder applied with EcoTools Buffing Brush
*L'oreal Eye Shadow Quads applied with EcoTools Eye Shading Brush
*ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit applied with Sonja Kashuk Detail Brush
*Covergirl Liquiline Blast Eye Liner
*Covergirl Natural Luxe Mousse Mascara
*Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush applied with Real Techniques Stippling Brush
*Physician's Formula Mineral Glow Pearls Blush applied with EcoTools Blush Brush
*Mary Kay Satin Lips Lip Mask
*Mary Kay Age Fighting Lip Primer
*NYC Lipstick in Berry Rich

He Tried/She Tried: Pureology Strengthening Control Hairspray

Looking for a new hair spray?  Check out  Pureology Color Stylist Strengthening Control Zero Dulling Hairspray.  See what Kirsten and Patrick think:

Patrick 
Simply put, this is an amazing product that I wanted to share with Kirsten. I explained to Kirsten that she could use this as a finishing spray to control frizz and humidity when she is done styling and that it would also help protect her color. It is a build-able hair spray that allows the user to control how much hold they receive during the finishing process of styling. Pureology products were designed with the color treated person in mind - they're specifically formulated so that the styling products won't harm color. They are gentle on the hair and won't expose the cuticle, which is what affects color treated tresses and creates dulling of the hair color. This is one of my favourite finishing sprays and a must have.
Cheers,
Patrick

Kirsten
Another product Patrick gave me a bottle to try was Pureology's Strengthening Control Hairspray.  There's color treated hair friendly hairspray, who knew?  So I swapped out my Tresseme 24 Hour Hairspray for the Pureology and I liked it.  It's a flexible hold, which was new to me.  I'm usually an Aqua Net style, lacquer up and pin it down kind of girl, but the Pureology was a nice change.

The flexible hold formula is perfect for summer.  It's light weight and perfectly easy to brush out when you're finished.  Plus, you can apply it day after day to dirty hair and it never gets that crunchy, built up feeling.  And the smell - perfect.  It reminds me of being in a salon and that wonderful "I just got my hair blown out" feeling.  I definitely recommend this hairspray if you're looking for a light, flexible hold.

What kind of hairspray do you use?
~Kirsten

Kirsten's Foundation of the Moment

I have a bit of a foundation problem.  I've yet to find one I want to live with long term.  My makeup drawer at home is a wasteland of tried and not liked foundations ever since Cover Girl changed their Aqua Smoothers formula from a liquid foundation to a tinted moisturizer.  So I've tried lots of Foundations...liquid, mousse, mineral...still trying to find the one that I'll use over and over.

Currently, I'm having a sweet romance with Maybelline's Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation.  I'm a really fair skinned lady, so I'm using #001 - Porcelain Ivory.  It's has a creamy, slightly thickly whipped texture.  It glides on super smooth and leaves a nice finish.  I prefer more of a matte look (it's my years of stage makeup experience...shinny is never good with stage lights).  I love how light weight the Dream Smooth Mousse is though.  It glides on really easily and feels like you're wearing nothing.  I pair it with their Fit Me Concealer and then top everything off with a layer of buffed in powder.  It's currently a top contender for a permanent foundation position.

Photo from: sbntown.com

And the brush I'm loving?  Real Techniques new Expert Face Brush*.  It's super soft and packed full of bristles.  It's wider than a traditional foundation brush, which makes it nice for the mousse like texture of this foundation.  Plus, I love that it has a flat base, so you can stand it up while you're not using it.

 What are your favorite foundations?  Have you tried the Maybelline Mousse collection?  What do you look for in a foundation?  Please let me know, share your foundation of the moment in the comments!

~Kirsten

*Full disclosure, I do work for a company that has Real Techniques as a client, but I purchased and tried this brush all on my own.

He Tried/She Tried: Pureology Nourishing Nectar

This week, Kirsten and Patrick give their take on  the Pureology Color Stylist Nourishing Nectar Sculpting Gel.  Read on to see the stylist and client perspectives of this Pureology product:


Patrick Tries
I love Pureology products for color treated hair. These products can also be used on non-color treated hair. They are gentle and safe and don't disturb your fabulous tresses after you have had your color done. When I asked Kirsten to take some sample products to use and see how she liked them, I should have explained to her that this line has a very distinct scent. In looking back, I would have liked to take more time to introduce her to the line, however, I also wanted a very raw and organic review. (Which Kirsten lives up to and gives an honest assessment below). 

The Color Stylist Nourishing Nectar is a product that you may use on it's own to prep your hair for a blow out. You can also utilize this product as a cocktail with other Pureology Color Stylist products to add shape control and maximum volume, but sometimes hairdressers like to think out of the box.  For this product I like the way it air drys on the hair and love the feeling you get as a result of allowing the hair to dry naturally. Yes it does have a "funny color," as Kirsten mentioned: but don't worry, these are pearlescent beads designed to give the hair shine as should have explained that further to Kirsten so she wasn't confused.  Read on for her review.
Cheers,
Patrick

Kirsten Tries
Apparently, when you color your hair, they make special color treated products to go with it.  I'd known you needed to use shampoo for color treated hair, but I had no idea they made gel?!  So Patrick handed me his bottle of Nourishing Nectar Gel and asked me to try it and see what I thought.

The pros?
~ It's a great gel, it holds well and can take care of my face framing frizzies with only a small drop.
~The packaging is attractive.  If you've read my I Tried It: Baby Lips post, you know I'm a sucker for pretty packaging.
~ There's brushability.  There's no nasty snarling of your hair when it comes time to brush it out.

The Cons?
~ The Pureology website says you have to use it and then blow dry, and I don't blow dry often, so it makes me feel like I'm not using it to its fullest potential.
~ I'm not a fan of the smell.  It's probably because I'm used to more flower-y sweet or no smell gels, but there's just something off about the smell of this one.  It's not bad, just unusual.  That said, you don't smell it once it's in your hair.
~ It has a yellow paired with and metallic pink pearl look.  It's just an odd color.  Is it going bad?  Should it be that color?  I have no idea.

Overall, it was a fine product and I used it several times.   Would I purchase a bottle of it, probably not.
~Kirsten

Check out our other He Tried/She Tried Posts
Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo
Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray

Easy Updo: The Messy Ballerina Bun

Photo from: BridalMusings.com

Looking for an easy updo?  Want to get your hair off your neck for a fun summer day?  Try a messy ballerina bun.   This is my go to summer hair style.  It's perfect for long days of rehearsals, a backyard bbq or lounging at the pool.  It's easy to create and the messy style means you can't really make any mistakes.  So if you fear the updo, try this one! 

Here's how to create it:

Start with dirty hair (it helps everything stay in place better when it's dirty, trust me).  I started with dirty, but wet hair, or you can start with dry - personal preference.  I like to style updos with wet hair to get a slick, frizz free look.  Apply a large golf ball sized amount of your favorite mousse or curling gel.   I usually use Got 2b Kinky Curling Mousse.  Scrunch with your hands to get a nice texture and some volume at the roots, then follow with a couple squirts of Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray.  You want a wavy, curly texture that has lots of volume.  Scrunch your hair some more and then pull it up into a loose, high pony tail, but don't pull the ends all the way through.  Now here's the creative part...take a handful of bobbi pins and start pulling sections of the looped pony tail towards the crown of your head (the goal is to create a round, blob/bun shape).

There you go!  You have a messy bun.  Massage your scalp with your fingers around the bun for a little lift, apply a little gel if you have any crazy frizzies, and then finish with your favorite hairspray and Sexy Hair's Weather Proof if you'll be outside in the elements.  I also used a sun protectant from Pureology (check back soon for my blog review) to protect my color.  Pop on a headband if you want extra flair like the photo above.

Voila!  You have an easy updo that hides your frizz and stays in place.  Try the messy ballerina bun for yourself and then share your photo with Patrick on facebook!

~Kirsten

Hair Tip of the week: Blow it up!

For those moments when you need a little pick me up, use Sexy Hair's Short Sexy Hair Blow it up.

Place a dime size - for shorter hair - and about a nickel size - for medium length hair - in the palm of your hand.  It will come out as a gel and then transform into a mousse. Emulsify (which means disperse) and apply evenly from scalp to ends.

Tip: Comb through for even distribution and blow dry with a round brush or your hands. This product will add shine and hold well during the day. Perfect for creating styles with great lift and texture.

Hair trick: Use a pin size amount and emulsify to add great texture to a dry style.

Enjoy and let us know what you think. Grab a bottle for yourself at The Styling Studio in Chicago's South Loop.

-Patrick

I Tried it - Baby Lips

Packaging sucker here again - The pretty colors and cute bubbly writing - I've been looking at ads for these brightly colored balms for a while and when Maybelline was buy one get one 50% off at Ulta, I jumped at the chance to buy it.  They just look like fun in a tube.

I popped it out of the package right after I purchased it and swiped some on my lips.  I like it!  It's soft and buttery and gives off a subtle color.  I purchased the Peach Kiss color, number 030.  These little guys are popular - I only have two colors to choose from.  Peach Kiss ended up being the perfect nude.  You don't need a mirror to put it on because it's so waxy, plus it has spf packed inside - great for my upcoming beach trip!  Baby Lips are a great option for getting spf protection, chap stick, and color all in one.

The Verdict?  A do.

~Kirsten

I Tried It - DIY Sugar Scrub

My DIY Sugar Scrub

I always read in magazines, exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.  They say it does wonders for making your skin look lustrous, glowing, and healthy.  So I decided to try it out myself.  I opted for the eco-friendly route and made my own DIY (do-it-yourself) sugar scrub with ingredients from my kitchen.  After some googling, here's the recipe I came up with:

Sugar (white or brown)
Olive Oil
Honey
Lime Juice (or lemon juice)

I mixed about 3/4 cup of sugar with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, a squeeze of honey and a dash of lime juice.  I definitely winged it, just dashing things in a bowl and stirring to combine.

It worked wonders!  I applied in the shower, rubbed in, and washed off with a wash cloth.  All the magazines' claims were true, a body scrub is the answer for healthy, happy, and soft skin.  I was super soft and smelled yummy, plus I got to feel good about using an all natural product.

The Verdict? A definite do over!

Have you created your own body scrub?  Do you have a favorite store bought scrub?
Leave a comment and let us know!
~Kirsten