Tuesday, September 17, 2013

A Few of My Favorite Things: Thing One Whip Hand Cosmetics Set the Stage Primer


As makeup artists we get asked our favorite products all of the time. And I'm going to be honest. Makeup is a lot like looking at art, reading a book or eating a meal. What one considers beautiful, entertaining, or delicious another may not. So these are my opinions. My tips. What I've tried on myself and use on my clients. 

Feel free to leave your own comments if you've tried a product. Or let me know if there is something you are curious about. 

The first product I want to blog about is a true miracle in a jar. My main requirement in a product is I must love it. It needs to do its job and do it well. I'm not a follower. There are a ton of "popular" products you won't see in my kit. They don't meet my expectations. Now when a product is made by a fellow artist AND made here in the USA. That's a bonus. THAT is Whip Hand Cosmetics.www.whiphandcosmetics.com

The owner/creator is Riese Lauriet, a makeup artist in Detroit, MI. We're in a mutual Makeup Artist group and a few other artists were raving about her makeup primer, Set the Stage. 



I know. I know.
There are a gazillion primers.... What makes hers so special? Well, I've tried a lot of primers. Found some great and some not so great. But Set the Stage works on a multitude of clients. It helps reduce shine from oily skin, yet it hydrates enough to be perfect for dry skin as well.  It creates a smooth surface for your other face products to glide over and stay put.
As I have ventured to the over 40 yr old club I noticed a new concern: larger pores! Set The Stage makes that issue disappear! I actually threw on my makeup just to run to the craft store and book store. I didn't use the primer. I didn't run into anyone I knew, and I'm glad. I felt naked without the primer! What a difference!
The biggest mistake I feel people make with primers is applying too much. Set the Stage is no exception. A little goes a LONG way.  I apply most products with a brush, but not this. The warmth of your fingers is going to emulsify the product and allow it to glide over the skin.
When you first see the size of the container you might be concerned the cost vs. the quantity. At $39 it is a bargain. And its made in Detroit by real people, not a huge factory. Its a company that not only makes a great product, but also a company that wants to bring jobs to its community. To make their city a better place. Not too many makeup lines can boast that. I will admit, it is a reason I have ordered more products from them. I wish more companies would think like this.(gets off soapbox and stops waving the America flag)
So check out Whip Hand Cosmetics and the Set the Stage primer. And as a side note, they have amazing customer service! Matt was answering my questions by email in minutes and offering additional tips on product use.
They won me over!
I also bought a few other Whip Hand products, so stay tuned for some more recommendations, because it was all great!  

**** a BIG foot note. I purchased the product. And even if a company sends me something gratis to try(& on occasion they do), you can be assured I will only give honest feedback.(* and state it was sent as gratis in the review) If something isn't to my liking,  I. will give the company my honest feedback and will not blog about the product. Many times an artist is sent things to give their feedback on performance the the brand will make adjustments to the ingredients or packaging based on artists feedback.

Whip Hand Cosmetics used for cover shoot for Today's CNY Woman magazine

My blogging as seriously been lacking on the commercial aspect of our work. Not for lack of jobs! We are happy and love our commercial business. I just forget to talk about it.

So for this shoot I had just gotten a few items from a newer makeup line, Whip Hand Cosmetics, that I wanted to try. The line has been taking the makeup artist community by storm and I had to try a few things for myself.




So this first thing I notice is the shipping packaging. WOW! I'm a sucker for cool packaging. So I was instantly hooked. Riese, the creator of Whip Hand, is a fellow makeup artist. Her fierce personality is evident in every way with her products.I seriously didnt' really want to open it.... it was so pretty. But I HAD to try these products.


I personally try everything before using it on clients... I can't afford to use a product that doesn't perform when I'm working. So after trying it on myself and loving it, I took it on the shoot for the cover of Today's CNY Woman. This shoot was at Lune Chocolat in Manlius,NY. I was already a customer of their chocolatey goodness prior to the shoot (try their Lavender and Honey or a Chai Buddha,you won't be disappointed)
The results were beautiful. I primed her face with Set The Stage Primer and used Sneaky creme eye shadow as a base for some of my powder shadows. I used Analyze which is a creme blush that was perfect!To finish the look I sprayed Give Good Face over the whole thing. It's a Rosewater Tonic that smells fantastic and hydrates and plumps the skin for an amazing finish.
So now I am a loyal Whip Hand Cosmetics fan. I'm writing my review of Set the Stage ASAP. EVERYONE should have it in their makeup bag!