IMAN Cosmetics at Byron Lars Beauty Mark S/S '11 Ready-to-Wear Presentation

led by celebrity makeup artist Valente Frazier, IMAN Cosmetics was the exclusive makeup sponsor of the Byron Lars Beauty Mark spring/summer '11 women's ready-to-wear presentation on september 10th (also the night of the second annual Fashion's Night Out!).

for this event (which was held at the Sony Style Store and included a 3D presentation), Frazier translated Byron Lars' fashion vision into an exciting beauty palette from the IMAN Cosmetics collection.



the easy, clean look had a tribal feel to it and was created using products like Luxury Radiance Liquid Makeup to give skin the perfect-but-not-overly-done finish; Sheer Finish Bronzing Powder in Sand gave skin a fabulous glow.

cheek color was determined by each models skintone and lips were stained with a brown lipstain and topped with tons of gloss to give them a wet look. the stand-out trend were the brows. like beauty looks at many other shows, they were high-drama.

Valente shared on his blog that the eye makeup was created using a combination of currently available Iman shadows as well as shades that will launch come spring 2011.


Valente Frazier and models at Byron Lars Presentation

xo

Get a Flawless, Glowing Look Like Jennifer Hudson

when Jennifer Hudson got together with Sam Fine, celebrity makeup artist and creator of The Basics of Beauty, for a shoot showing off her gorgeous new, slimmed down physique, he gave her a gorgeous, glowing makeup look. below, Sam shares his insider advice on how you, too, can achieve the same flawless and glowing face at home in just a few easy steps.

begin with coverage.

Sam says: "every great look begins great coverage. Jennifer has beautiful skin, but like many women of color, she has varied tones. i use foundation to unify those varying tones. one of my favorites is the (CoverGirl) Queen Collection Natural Hue Compact Foundation because it's cream- to- powder, so it dries down to a powdery finish and looks really natural."




use a bronzer.

"bronzer is always a must for all women to illuminate their complexion. it's important to choose a bronzer that's one shade darker than your natural skin tone and apply it to the outer perimeter of your face to warm the skin and create a halo of glow. after applying bronzer, you can go back and layer over blush to give the skin a pop of color. on Jennifer, i used CoverGirl Natural Hue Mineral Bronzer and Cargo's Matte Blush in Laguna.

the eyes have it.

"to create Jennifer's classic, natural eye, i used a brown shadow. Shu Uemura makes a great pressed eye shadow in an array of shades – in this case, their Matte Taupe with Golden Flakes Eyeshadow works perfectly. for this look, i didn't use a ton of liner, and totally avoided lining underneath her eyes to keep them soft. we used tons of mascara to enhance her look – my favorite is CoverGirl LashBlast. i always like to apply a coat of mascara, and then move on to something else to let the first coat dry. i'll come back a few minutes later, curl the lashes, and then layer on a few more coats of mascara to really build the lashes. this makes them much more dramatic and makes the curl hold well. it's like spraying your hair with a coat of hairspray before using a curling iron."



finish with a pretty nude lip.

"to complete her look, i gave Jennifer a beautiful nude lip. the key to a nude lip is to begin by lining the lips with liner that is one shade darker than your natural lip color. don't worry about matching the liner to your lipstick-- if you match it to your lips, it will look great with any shade of lipstick. after lining the lips, feather the liner towards the center of the mouth to great a base for the lipstick. next, apply your lipstick. on Jennifer, i chose IMAN Cosmetics' Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick in Citron. i finished by slicking on a golden gloss add dimension and shine. CoverGirl Shine Blast Lip Gloss is perfect!"

she looks fabulous, don't you think? if you want to learn more from Sam Fine, check out his best-selling dvd, The Basics of Beauty.

xo

beauty on a budget: Iman Cosmetics

Iman Cosmetics, for some odd reason, is not sold at any drugstore in my area-- and if it is, i guess i just haven't seen it (i've looked!). it doesn't matter anymore because i'm here now to tell you that i have been given the opportunity to try some of the latest goodies, and i am loving them!

created for women of color (and i'm talking about the range of brown skin as well as the range of latina, asian, and multi-ethnic skin tones), Iman cosmetics features a vast array of colors that you may not always find in other drugstore brands. the formulations are great, too-- check out some of the newest products:



Second To None Semi-Loose Powder is a fabulous mineral-infused powder that helps to reduce oil and creates a flawless finish. i like to dust this over my makeup after i have applied my foundation and sometimes during the day to freshen myself up-- love! the pressed powder is "shaved" to be loose just before usage, so it is also travel friendly.



Second To None Cover Cream is enriched with minerals, and antioxidants like goji berry, vitamin E and green tea. the creamy texture blends easily, and stays in place. i apply it with my fingers or with a brush over my liquid foundation or under powder, and it does an amazing job of hiding my flaws.




Luxury Eye Defining Powder is a unique product that can be used to create everything from a pretty day look (with the lighter colors), to a very sultry, smokey eye with a little something extra pop. the application is for adding definition, like an eye liner, it goes on with the ease of an eyeshadow, and the shimmery finish really make it special.




Luxury Lip Stain looks like a lipstick, but has a creamy texture that glides on smooth and feels fabulous to wear. i am not usually a fan of lipstick, but this is a bit different in that, in addition to the texture, it adds a sheer hint of color to lips without feeling heavy.




Luxury Lip Shines are infused with aloe and vitamin E to nourish lips and keep them feeling smooth and soft. the colors are glossy and shimmery-- perfect for amping up the glam factor!

find Iman Cosmetics at your local drugstore, and online at drugstore.com

xo
pics taken by me :)