Sure, we all want Jennifer’s derriere, Angelina’s lips and Madonna’s cheekbones and in this “penny-pinching” economy, women are at an even greater risk to sign up for the best deals available. Consumers should be aware that there is no bargain when it comes to cosmetic procedures and that basement deals can result in scars and for some, even death.

We caught up with Dr. Bruce Katz, board certified dermatologist and director of the Juva Skin and Laser Center who offered us advice on what to look for and ask when considering cosmetic procedures.

“Recently I’ve seen an increase in patients coming to me in desperation to help reverse their botched procedures,” says Katz. “Cosmetic procedures are medical procedures and should always be performed in a medical office or hospital setting by a board certified dermatologist – I often propose the question, would you let a foot doctor perform brain surgery at a friend’s house?”

Dr. Katz suggests the following tips for patients looking to undergo a cosmetic procedure.

• Do Research – There are many people claiming to be a board certified dermatologist. Look beyond the degree on the wall in their office. Call a professional dermatology association to ensure that this physician is indeed a board certified dermatologist trained to perform the specific procedure.

• Ask Questions – Be sure to ask about your specific procedure and how many times they’ve performed the procedure and over how long a period of time and how often. Also, ask to see before and after pictures of patients that have had the procedure.

• Be Wary of “Deals” – If a deal is too good to be true, chances are it is! Get multiple consultations and compare costs. If one cost is significantly lower than the others then it should be ruled out.

• Go with Your Instinct – Do not make excuses for how you feel before a cosmetic procedure or blame your feelings on nerves. If something does not “feel right,” then you should speak up and cancel the procedure.

• Avoid Cosmetic Parties – Don’t rely on other people’s research! If you are attending parties where cosmetic procedures are performed, chances are you haven’t had a chance to confirm that they are a board certified dermatologist and trained in that procedure.

• Don’t Be Fooled – Many spas claim to have a board certified dermatologist to perform cosmetic procedures. Don’t be fooled! These “ghost doctors” may only visit the spa once a week and may not be present during your procedure. Ask questions during the consultation about how often the dermatologist is on site.

• Don’t Be Embarrassed – Speak up! If you experience a botched procedure, you should contact a board certified dermatologist immediately. Waiting could result in further damage and even death.

Thank you to Dr. Katz for the words of wisdom. We hope to hear from you again soon.

Holiday Makeup Tips From Celebrity Makeup Artist To Mila Kunis

Is it ever too early to “shop” for holiday makeup tips? Well if our favorite coffee shop is already playing Christmas music and loaded with holiday decorations before Thanksgiving has even started, we feel obliged to give you a few tips to get you started.

Makeup artist Gita Bass has been kind enough to provide us with a healthy helping of tips for how to handle makeup application at your upcoming schedule of holiday parties.

Gita has been known for creating eye-catching looks for celebrities such as Eliza Dushku, Mila Kunis and Keira Knightly and offers her advice for flawless holiday party looks.

Everyone knows the office holiday party is a great opportunity to show your co-workers a more glamorous side of yourself, but there’s a fine line between a “do” and an “over-do.”

DON’T go overboard with the eye makeup: The key is to look great but still professional and approachable. “Instead of a dark, edgy smoky eye, choose brown, slate or plum for a softer look, and make sure to blend well so there are no harsh lines,” Bass suggests. “Keep the rest of the face bare to avoid looking overdone.”

DO opt for a red pout: A red lip is always appropriate when paired with soft makeup on the rest of the face. This makes your look fun and festive, yet classic, says Bass. “Make sure to powder the edges of your lips to prevent any bleeding and remember to check your teeth after you apply!

DON’T look washed out: Summer may be long gone, but bronzer is a great way to achieve a healthy glow all year round. “During the winter months, it’s best to choose a bronzer that is more matte and less shimmery for a more natural finish,” Bass recommends.

DO perk up your peepers: Spend hours staring at your computer screen, Blackberry or iPhone, and your eyes will red, irritated and screaming for relief. “Bloodshot eyes are never a good look, especially at an event where you should look polished and put-together,” Bass says. “To look bright-eyed and well-rested, try some Rohto eye drops. These drops not only lubricate and soothe your eyes, they have refreshing ‘kick,’ that makes eyes feel awake and refreshed instantly.”

Thank you Gita for the excellent holiday makeup tips. Happy (early) Holidays! We hope to hear from you again soon!

To take Gita up on her recommendation to use Rhoto eye drops, click below.

Jennifer Lopez's Celebrity Makeup Artist On How To Get Smokey Eyes

Plenty of women wonder how to perfect the smokey eye. It is a look that is widely sought after, and seemingly easily mastered in Hollywood.

The trick to the smokey eye look that so many of those celebrities pull of so well is their celebrity makeup artist. And you can learn their tricks.

Christopher Drummond is a very accomplished Hollywood makeup artist who has worked with the likes of Eve Ensler (“The Vagina Monologues”), Jennifer Lopez, Brooke Shields, Glenn Close, Jane Fonda, and more.

Here are Christopher’s tips for creating a glamorous, smokey eye.

“I have a fool-proof technique to get a beautiful smoky look in a minimal amount of time, and you don’t have to be a pro to get the look.”

1. Start with a beige shadow base all over the entire lid.

2. Take a gold shadow, and apply it 3/4 of the way up, not quite all the way up to the brow. Leave some space between where you stop and the brow.

3. Apply a blue/grey shadow from the crease (middle) of the eye to the base of the lashes. Be sure to blend it well, back and forth. This helps the product adhere, and stay on longer.

4. On the outer corner of the lid, blend in a purple eyes shadow to give some extra “sizzle.” Blend well.

5. Finally, use a black liner to line the base of the lashes. Follow with mascara.

-Christopher Drummon
-Celebrity Makeup Artist

Thank you to Chris for the fantastic tip.

The Secret To Christina's New Makeup Looks

Do you ever wonder how someone like Christina Aguilera manages to create new makeup looks for herself? Well her secret is really her celebrity makeup artist.

Jilladair Carlson is a master of creating multiple makeup looks and one of the celebrity beauty experts that big names like Christina Aguilera depend on to keep their image fresh.

True masters of their craft very rarely perform only on the surface. Jilladair’s inspiration for her art comes from her soul and her love and appreciation of life.

“Makeup shouldn’t just be about covering up flaws or imperfections. It’s about embracing and loving yourself. Every time I work with a woman, I want to know who she is. I find out everything I can about her. What she wants to change, what she loves about herself, who she believes she is, who she wants to become. And I create a look for her that brings that out of her. A look that celebrates who she is inside and out.”

Jilladair also believes in being of service. She is a volunteer for the American Cancer Society where she volunteers her time doing make overs for women who are undergoing cancer treatments.

“It can be devastating for a woman to lose her hair, gain weight, and go through all the things that she has to go through during cancer treatment. And in a society where so many women are bred to believe that our looks define us, it’s a terribly difficult thing to deal with.

And then to walk by a magazine rack full of magazine covers with airbrushed and Photoshopped models on the front that are screaming, ‘This is what you are supposed to look like!’ it makes your stomach drop because you know that’s not you, and never will be.

Why weren’t women taught makeup in 7th grade rather than home economics? More women wear makeup than cook! Can you imagine all of the teasing and self doubt that could have been avoided for girls in high school if they knew how to make a large nose appear smaller or tiny eyes appear larger?

But what’s the point in feeling bad? Those magazines aren’t even reality! The time I have with them to bring out the best in them and help them remember that they are beautiful for who they are, is some of the most rewarding time I have in my life. It [Jilladair] is why I was put here on this earth. I love to transform women and show them how beautiful they really are.

So what’s the answer to how Jilladair manages to create so many new makeup looks for her clients?

“It’s in my mindset because you know what? Sometimes life is going to hurt your feelings. Stuff happens. The least of our worries is meeting someone else’s standards that they created about what beautiful is so they could sell a few more tubes of mascara. I keep doing what I do because I love life and I embrace my creativity because it’s how I bring out beauty, and love, and spirit with my
clients.

Taking the time to learn how to wear makeup, and create a new look that expresses how you feel about yourself from the inside, is a wonderful expression of self love. And it’s an honor for me to be able to share that with a woman who may have previously believed she couldn’t have that, or didn’t deserve it. That is what inspires and drives me as a makeup artist.”

Below you can find some examples of Jilladair’s work where she creates new makeup looks that are life changing for women. Expect to hear from her here on True Hollywood Makeup in the very near future.

New Makeup Looks By Jilladair Carlson

New Makeup Looks By Jilladair Carlson

New Makeup Looks By Jilladair Carlson

New Makeup Looks By Jilladair Carlson

Here’s a great video from The Early Show. Celebrity Makeup Artist Cynde Watson discusses using a Makeup Finishing Spray to help perfect your skin.

© Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.

Ever wonder how to make your eyes look bigger? The open-eyed look is one that many celebrities pull off quite well.

If that stark and bright look strikes your fancy, celebrity makeup artist Darrell Redleaf has a a great set of techniques for you.

He is a celebrity beauty expert and spokesperson for the Japanese brand KohGenDo and his resume of celebrity clients and movie sets that he has worked with is staggering.
Big screen work of his can be seen in productions such as As Good As It Gets, What Women Want, Castaway, and more. Celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston, and Scarlett Johannson are among an army of Hollywood beauties who have received Darrell’s beauty blessings.

But Darrell really became a favorite artist of ours when we saw this quote on his website: “Beauty is within and all around us…” The all around us part is where guys like Darrell work their magic. The within part is each individuals’ job that makes Darrell’s work really shine.

Here is a set of tips from Darrell on how to make your eyes look bigger to create that open-eyed look.

The eyebrows are the frame of the eye. When a person has an improperly shaped, over or under tweezed or accentuated brow with the wrong color and shape, it can create all sorts of beauty hazards!

One helpful hint is to get your brows professionally shaped by an expert, and then continue to follow their lead just tweezing any new hairs that grow in.

Also try brushing eyebrow hairs down and applying either an eyebrow pencil or brow shadow on the upper part of where the hairs grow, following the shape of the brow and giving the brow a lift on the outer 2/3 part of the brow, for a wider eyed stylized brow/eye.

If your brows are dark brown try a brown color, not black, if you are blonde try an ash blonde brow color. Then brush the hairs upward with a brow brush or toothbrush and your brows are lifted and look natural.

- Darrell Redleaf
Celebrity Beauty Expert

Thank you to Darrell for the excellent tip!

Apply Under Eye Concealer Like A Day Time Star

Undereye concealer can be a woman’s best friend when she is on the go. But the need to cover dark circles isn’t just a problem for the every day woman. The big stars need help in that department, too.

Celebrity makeup artist Vanessa Elese is a lead makeup artist on the set of All My Children. But she is more than just a celebrity beauty expert…

Vanessa is very active in helping women take a step back from the barrage of media images and expectations to be physically flawless and get in touch with their real inner beauty. You can read more about Vanessa on her True Hollywood Makeup profile page and find links to more of her work.

In the mean time, here’s how Vanessa applies undereye concealer on the cast of All My Children.

On “All My Children” I loved using Alison Raffaele True Concealer as a one-stop-shop for great under eye and spot coverage that works perfectly for day to day use and looks magnificent on camera.

To apply:

I like to spot touch the concealer with a small concealer brush and lightly apply to any blemish or spot and blend out so it is completely flawless.

Another approach is to mix a touch of the concealer with your under eye cream and spot apply it light patting it from your inner eye corner about 1/4 way under the eye, disguising dark circles and bags.

This technique hydrates, allows a more sheer coverage, sets itself with the powder finish, and lasts without repeat touch-ups. The true beauty about this product is it’s healing powers it provides with the antioxidants and goji berri complex.

Try it on any blemish and it helps to heal and conceal with its cream application and long lasting powder finish.

- Vanessa Elese
Celebrity Makeup Artist
Celebrity Beauty Expert

Click here to learn more about Vanessa Elese.

Avoid a Breakout With A Simple Tip From Natalie Cole's Makeup Artist

No one likes a breakout. And sometimes their occurrence defies all logic as we are pretty certain we are doing all the right things to avoid them. But there just might be something we are missing that is right under our nose.

On that note, fantastic celebrity beauty tips are a regular occurrence here on True Hollywood Makeup.

But the real mark of an expert is a mastery of the fundamentals. That is what husband and wife team Georgio Fernandez, and Mikaela Fernandez have to share today.

Georgio is a celebrity makeup artist and Master Brow Sculptor, and Mikaela is a National Xtreme Lash Artist celebrity beauty expert.

They have worked on countless sets, awards shows, and fashion shows. Some of the celebrities they have worked on are: Paulina Rubio, Sharon Stone, and Natalie Cole. Sounds to me like they have the chops to get our heads spinning with some pretty intense beauty advice.

But today they have a very wise tip in the form of a fundamental technique that anyone can use to help avoid acne.

“We all know beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin. With that said, make sure you are using downward strokes while cleansing your face. What most people don’t know is that using upward motions can lift the surface of your skin allowing bacteria and free radicals to actually make their way underneath the top layers of the skin, and eventually cause a major breakout.

If you are following up with a moisturizer, make sure you are really breaking it down in the palm of your hands before applying. Doing this will activate the key ingredients in the product, maximize its purpose, and create the ideal canvas for your makeup.”

The mark of a real pro is a mastery of the fundamentals. And practicing the fundamentals are what can help avoid breakouts.

Thanks to Georgio and Mikaela. We hope to hear from you again soon.

Image Courtesy The Secret

Jan Ping doesn’t keep her tips on how to apply eye makeup a secret. But she knows a thing or two about The Secret.

Jan is an Emmy Award Winning celebrity makeup artist with a hefty list of celebrity clients – most of whom she doesn’t mention. But what we did find out is that she was the lead makeup artist on set for the filming of The Secret.

But even more important than that, we have a preference at True Hollywood Makeup for a certain kind of makeup artist. And that is the kind of person who gives of themselves when others need it most. Generosity and kindness are the real virtues of true beauty. Not perfect skin and nails.

Jan is a volunteer for Look Good, Feel Better – a non profit service organization that provides cancer patients the opportunity to have fun getting beauty training from celebrity beauty experts.

Jan’s heart is clearly as big as her skill set and list of celebrity clients!

Here are a few tips from Jan about how to master your eye makeup.

Make false lashes stay put: When applying false eyelashes (individuals or strip), she suggests allowing the glue to dry for 30 seconds prior to applying to your lash line. This prevents the lashes from slipping out of place.

Under eye concealer gets applied last: Before doing eyes, apply foundation completely over face and eyelids, then powder to set. After applying eye makeup, clean up any fallen residue under eye with a q-tip. Then apply moisturizer and concealer.

White eye pencil brightens eyes: With a freshly sharpened white eye pencil, color along the inner lash line. This is particularly helpful for those of you with smaller eyes. It makes them appear larger and more open.

Some of Jan’s recommended products:

Kiehl’s Lip Balm

Laura Mercier Moisturizing Foundation

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

Philosophy | The Supernatural | Airbrushed Color Corrector Concealer

MAC Eye Brow Pencil

Vincent Longo Duo Lip/Eye Pencil In Silver Taupe
She uses this for everything from lips to eyes to brows.

Stila Eye Shadow Pan In Kitten

Thanks for sharing your talent with us Jan.

Celebrity Makeup Joey McIntyre

When we think celebrity beauty, we usually think about women. But what about all those male celebrities who always look flawless?

They’ve got some expert help too! We seem to forget that when we’re wondering why we don’t see a Brad Pitt look alike every day. Or perhaps…a Joey McIntyre look alike…something I’m sure a large percentage of our readers would love!

Well when it comes to taking good care of our beloved male celebrities makeup, pro makeup artist Stephanie Frlekin is no new kid on the block.

She’s worked with the likes of Joey McIntyre on many occasions and she’s given us the inside scoop on how she keeps him looking flawless. Perhaps even when Dancing With The Stars?

Here’s Stephanie’s routine:

1. Prep skin with a silicon based primer to keep skin moisturized and lines filled in, requiring less makeup.
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS:
a. MAC Cosmetics: Prep + Prime
b. SmashBox: Photo Finish

2. Concentrate on skin brighteners, to eliminate need for actual makeup.
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS:
a. Benefit: Eye Bright

3. If needed, use a lightweight and silicon based concealer to cover up any blemishes / dark circles.
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS:
a. Benefit: Boing (No.2 works best for most skin tones)

4. Cover face with a mineral-based powder to even moisture balance of skin, without a “made up” look.
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS:
a. MAC Cosmetics: Mineralize SPF 15 Foundation

5. Use a LIGHT bronzer instead of blush. Bronzer should not have any glitter in it.
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS:
a. Benefit: Hoola

Thanks for the insight Stephanie!