Monday, January 17, 2011

The Eyes Have It

Even if you are covered head-to-toe to beat the winter winds, one part of you is always on view: Your eyes. Much more than just the "windows of the soul" poets used to write about, studies show they are the first thing people look at when meeting you (yes, even men chose eyes above the more--ahem--predictable parts of a woman's body.) At Believe, we want your eyes to show off the real you to the best advantage and, since you are like no other person on the planet, your eye makeup should reflect your uniqueness. That's why our makeup artist Sam, stands ready to make perfect custom blended eye makeup from the world- renowned GIELLA line just for you.

Sam says, "Each woman should be able to optimize her best features and play down those that aren't so great. I help all my customers through the process of selecting the perfect combination of products to achieve the image she wants."

Sam has quite a product line to choose from with the GIELLA family of products and here's some suggestions of ones that might just work for you:

Eye Shadow Primer
This is truly a makeup artist's dream. Magnetic Eye is an eyeshadow primer that covers redness, darkness, or skin discoloration. It's the one- stroke way to keeping eye shadow on all day, without creasing or fading. It works best by applying it with Brush #10, and it saves time spent retouching eye makeup.

Pressed Eye Shadow
This silky formula comes in matte, semi-matte, and shimmer and glides on skin smoothly, blending easily. It's available in a range of shades for lids, crease and highlighter. QuartzRose Wine and Blush Beam work beautifully together, or try Vanilla CreamDreamy Taupe, and Topaz. A smokey eye can be achieved with Caviaron the lid into the crease, Star Fruit on the brow bone and Chambord around the edges of the top and bottom lashes. Finish with layers of Ebony mascara rolled under and upward.

Loose Eye Shadow
These finely milled mineral shadows apply softly or with full coverage. Using loose shadow is easy, too. Dip Brush #6 or #7 into the powder, swirl the loose shadow around the inside of the cap of the shadow, until the powder disappears into the brush. Then apply to eyes. Also, try wetting the loose shadow and using it as eyeliner....it stays on all day!

b-dazzle
This is a universal color that is custom-blended with a combination of 7 different ingredients. It takes away darkness and brightens the eye. It's the perfect quick pick-me-up to enhance brightness in the inner corner of your eyes and an easy way to wake up your eye without using too many products.

Eye Liner 
This is a cream-to-powder liner that applies like a wet shadow. Apply the liner on the side of the brush (#8), not the tip. It is less likely to "skip" and keep the line closer to the lash line. When dry, it is smudge-proof and crease-proof.

Custom Blended Pencils
These pencils are soft, full of pigment and do not run or smudge. (And they are vegetable-based with mineral pigments without parabens.) They are a soft, easy gliding pencil that defines eyes and compliments eye color. Try Deep Brown for blue and green eyes; Sage for hazel and green eyes; Fig for blue or green eyes; Jet for brown and deep blue eyes; Cocoa for lighter blue or green eyes; and Midnight Sky for hazel, brown and blue eyes. The trick for getting a thin line is holding the pencil on the side, not the point, and make short strokes that go into the lashes.

Mascara
This mascara contains silk powder, but no fibers, and it gives rich, full lashes in each stroke. It is a non-flaking, water-based polymer formula that is smudge-proof and water-resistant. It contains a special lash-building brush that lifts and separates lashes to make them look fuller. Tip: Roll mascara brush underneath lashes for extra lift and volume. Repeat several times.

And here, just for you, are some Q & A tips from the makeup artisans who created the GIELLA line:

Q: “Do you recommend white pencil in the inner lower lid of my eye?
A: White pencils are a great trick for brightening the eye and taking away the red. It is best if applied lightly on the inside of the eye otherwise it can look a little scary. Another choice would be to use a beige or flesh tone pencil. It is not as stark as white and does the same trick of keeping the whites of the eye white.

Q:“What are the best colors for green eyes?”
A:Opposite green on the color wheel is red-violet so coppers, plums, pinks and brownish-plums are great choices to “pop” the green in your eyes.

Sam, our brilliant makeup artist here at Believe, is eager to show you the fabulous colors (and combinations) to bring your eyes out of hiding and make them--and you--ready to dazzle everyone you see. Just make an appointment with her by calling the salon at 914-747-0778.

Hope we "see" you soon,
Lisa