Go Au Naturale

Ever wonder why celebrities always look great even without makeup? Well, many of them ARE wearing makeup…you just don’t know it! Achieving that naturally radiant look doesn’t have to come from the help of a professional. You can have fresh, flawless skin by keeping it simple and not caking on the cosmetics. Here are our must-have makeup picks to get that natural beauty look.

Tarte Maracuja Miracle Foundation, $42
When trying to achieve the au naturale look your complexion becomes center stage. Keep your eyes and lips neutral so you can show off your glowing skin. This foundation contains SPF 15, gives you brighter and smoother skin with a finish that will take you from work to happy hour. It offers full-coverage to hide any imperfections without feeling heavy and comes in 10 different shades to match any skin tone.

Physicians Formula pH Powdered Bronzer, $14.95
The pH complex in this bronzer perfectly matches your skin tone for a personalized hue all your own. Here’s how it works: The bronzer actually senses the pH level of your skin and adjusts to your own level in just 60 seconds, giving you the sun-kissed glow you are looking for. This specialized bronzer even solves the age-old problem of your makeup looking perfect in the light of your bathroom but maybe not so perfect once you step outside. The built in light adjusting pigments adapt to your environment and change with the lighting….so cool!

Stila Convertible Color, $25
A rosy cheek is the perfect compliment for a natural makeup look. This blush has a creamy texture with a translucent color that adds just a hint of flush to your cheeks. Dap the creamy formula on the apples of your cheeks with your finger tips and you’ll have instantly brightened up your face.

Diorshow Brow Styler & Pencil, $29
Our eyebrows undoubtedly frame our face, and having the right hue and shape helps to give our face definition. This 2-in-1 pencil offers simple and fast brow grooming. I learned about this fab product from celeb makeup artist Ricky Wilson who did my make-up for the red carpet at the Tonys! The retractable pencil helps to fill in and define the brow coming in a universal shade that works on all skin and hair tones. Open the other side of the pencil to reveal a handy brush to tame any unruly hairs.

NYX Boudoir Mascara-Le Frou Frou, $5.99
When going for a natural look, a little bit of mascara to play up your eyes does the trick. This smudge-free option is perfect for adding some volume and length to your lashes. The black formula comes with a super dense brush that catches every last lash. We love that it’s flake-free and doesn’t clump. And, you can’t beat the price!

Smashbox Eye Beam Double-Ended Brightener, $22
Bring a little light to your eyes with this double-ended highlighting pencil. When going for the natural look you don’t have to rely on eye shadows to bring definition to your eyes, simply highlighting them in the right spots will make them pop. Use the Highlight side of the pencil on the inner corn of the eyes and sweep cross the brow bone. Use the Inner Rim to line the lower rim of your eyes to give tired lids a pick-me-up.

Trish McEvoy Beauty Booster Gloss, $25
This non-stick, sheer gloss in a tube, ‘Sexy Nude,’ is one of our favorites! It’s classic yet flirty with just a hint of color and shine….you can wear it alone or over other shades to tone them down. We love that it contains an SPF and glides smoothly over the lips giving you a perfect pout that won’t dry out.

Filed under Beauty, Uncategorized · Tagged with Bronzer, Cream blush, Dior Brow Styler, eyebrow pencil, Lip Gloss, Natural makeup, NYX Mascara, Physicians Formula, Smashbox highlight pencil, Stila Convertible Color, Tarte foundation, Trish McEvoy

9 Travel Must-Haves

Want to know how to safely pack an entire beauty regimen into a suitcase you can carry? What toiletries and gadgets should you not leave home without? How do you stay chic despite long flights and layovers? Worry not jetsetters, in honor of travel season here are some of my favorite go-to items for seamless and stylish globe trotting. Happy travels!

White + Warren Travel Wrap, BUY NOW, $295
To cozy up and stay chic when traveling, I love the look and quality of the White + Warren cashmere travel wrap. It’s a celebrity favorite of Angelina Jolie, and who better to trust than this jet setting mom of six? Also, this super soft wrap is available in over twenty different colors!

Trish McEvoy Beauty Emergency Card, BUY NOW, $75
The Beauty Emergency Card for eyes is a travel essential because of its slim packaging. With six eyeshadows, two eye definers, nude eye base, High Volume mascara, and Eye Lining and Precision Smudge Deluxe brushes, it’s an entire make-up kit that fits in the palm of your hand. Bring this with you for touch-ups on the go too!

Henri Bendel Dopp Kit Toiletry Bag, BUY NOW, $60
The Henri Bendel Centennial Stripe Dopp Kit is a chic and safe way to tote around your toiletries; special hinged flaps keep your belongings intact. The signature striped style was designed by Mr. Bendel over 100 years ago for clients’ ocean-liner voyages. The bags have a waterproof casing so not only do they look great, but they are practical and easy to clean too. I use this one and a variety of the other cosmetic cases when traveling.

PurseN Vacationer Tiara Jewelry Case, BUY NOW, $54
A great way to travel smart is to bring versatile pieces that you dress up with different accessories including your jewelry. The PurseN Tiara jewelry case is perfect—it has an origami inspired design with multiple pockets and four removable pouches for a tangle free travel. Designed to carry medium to large sized jewelry (great for packing statement pieces), you won’t have to decide between chunky necklaces, cocktail rings or bangles. Just bring them all!

Filed under home_featured-NOT-USED, Living · Tagged with AYL Portable Mini Speaker System, Blistex, Henri Bendel, Lubriderm, Melissa's Favorites, Must-Haves, Neutrogena, PurseN, St. Tropez, Travel, Trish McEvoy, White + Warren

Rosanna Scotto: Her Lifestyle Tips, Product Picks and Family Recipes

Rosanna Scotto is one of my favorite New York broadcast icons. As one of the lead news anchors for FOX’s Good Day New York, she always looks great on camera and certainly is one to watch for all things lifestyle. Rosanna has a passion for travel and cooking (her family owns the Italian restaurant Fresco by Scotto in NYC), so I am thrilled that she shared some of her delicious family recipes! I caught up with the three-time Emmy winner to find out some of her go-to places, favorite things, and finds.

MM: Do you have a signature look or item you always wear?
RS: I prefer a tailored look when I’m working, so I wear Luca Luca’s suits, and Magaschoni’s sweaters and blouses. Then I fill in when I see something I like.

MM: What skincare products do you like best?
RS: It depends on my mood, but I have everything from Créme de la Mer, to Trish McEvoy to Almay in my medicine cabinet.
Créme de la Mer, BUY NOW, $250

MM: What is in your make-up bag?
RS: About 15 lip glosses from Mac, Trish McEvoy and Estee Lauder. My nieces love going through my bag to play with the glosses.
Mac Mini Gloss Kit, Dazzleshere Neutral Ornament, BUY NOW, $33
Trish McEvoy Irressistible Pink Lip Gloss Duo, BUY NOW, $32
Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss to go, BUY NOW, $33

MM: Your hair always looks perfect, what is the secret?
RS: It takes a village to do my hair! Oscar Blandi cuts and his talented staff… Alexis does color and Ingrid blow dries, but depending on my location and time; Geoffrey Firth from John Frieda, Savita from DS Studio and Nate from Warren-Tricomi do fantastic blow outs. I told you, it takes a village!

MM: How do you stay in shape? Favorite workouts?
RS: I am part of the Soul Cycle cult!

MM: What are some of your favorite travel destinations (and why)? Secret vacation spots?
RS: My family and I love to go to the Ocean Club in the Bahamas. Its about 3 hours by plane from New York City. It has a beautiful garden, an awesome beach and a lovely staff. In the summer we travel to Italy. I am always happy to visit Capri, Sardinia and Venice; the food, the clothes, the history – it’s heaven!

MM: What snacks do you recommend when on the go?
RS: Right now I’m into Kind bars because they have flax and antioxidants, but they are a splurge. I think I should go back to almonds.

MM: What restaurants do you frequent most?
RS: I am at my family’s restaurant, Fresco by Scotto in midtown several times a week. But I also love Catch in the meatpacking district and Crown on the UES.

MM: Biggest guilty pleasure?
RS: Jeffrey Rackover jewelry.

Filed under Celebrity Interview, home_featured-NOT-USED, Living · Tagged with Almay, Catch, Créme de la Mer, Crown, Estee Lauder, Fresco by Scotto, Jeffrey Rackover, John Frieda, Luca Luca, MAC, Magaschoni, Oscar Blandi, Rosanna Scotto, Soul Cycle, Trish McEvoy

Trish McEvoy: How Do You Want To Dress Your Face?

Interview by Lindsay Leff

Lindsay Leff: How did you become interested in the beauty business?
Trish McEvoy: My grandmother owned a perfumery in Berlin. It was such a fascination for me as a little girl, seeing these women come in looking one way and walking out feeling another. Some didn’t wear makeup, some did. It’s about transformation, looking one way and feeling another.

LL: And the perfume?
Trish McEvoy: The fragrance piece is also such an influence. I can walk into a room and remember the scents of my mother or my grandmother, and it’s just a wonderful memory. Memories are so important.

LL: How did you become a professional makeup artist?
Trish McEvoy: I have always been very good at applying makeup. I taught myself by working behind a makeup counter. I went from that to doing makeup parties and home visits, to photo shoots, to the Academy Awards, and then back to people’s homes, back to makeup parties.

LL: Why start your own line?
Trish McEvoy: I was a makeup artist for 6 years before I started my brand. And I didn’t decide to be a brand, I decided to work for myself. I wanted to give clients these wonderful makeup brushes I developed. I went to an art supply store, got sable and boar brushes, and cut them. I was really looking at which textures worked with which bristles, and I was the first makeup artist in the United States who did this. The only other makeup line with brushes was Shu Uemura in Japan. What’s so wonderful is that we were fulfilling a woman’s needs. Makeup can be so amazing, but it can also be so intimidating. Using the right brushes saves the day—they make everyone able to do great makeup.

LL: What makeup brushes should every woman own?
Trish McEvoy: When choosing brushes, I always ask, “How much time do you have, and how many pieces do you use?” That goes for makeup brushes, that goes for makeup itself. You have to really look at your lifestyle. It really depends on your makeup style and how you want to dress your face.

LL: How did you develop the rest of your cosmetic line?
Trish McEvoy: After the brush line, my husband and I started one of the first mini-spas in New York City—the Dr. Ronald Sherman/Trish McEvoy Skin Care Center. That was truly revolutionary; a doctor in the same practice as a skincare specialist and makeup artist was unheard of. Then there was our fragrance and classic makeup, and last foundations.

LL: When did you start your line?
Trish McEvoy: I started my line when I was 25, and I was married when I was 29. The dermatology influence in the skincare and makeup comes from my husband. We were one of the first lines to truly combine cosmeceutical-range makeup, where you’re adding ingredients that make a difference—peptides in foundation, skin boosters in our treatment foundations. We were one of the first to put sunscreen in our products.

LL: Other innovations?
Trish McEvoy: We were the first to come out with the pocket-sized palettes—about 10 years ago. And we were also one of the first that made them refillable. People want customization, to pick and choose. We’re always thinking into the future. What was, was. But what are we doing today? Today is truly about making it much simpler for the consumer.

LL: Do you have a signature product?
Trish McEvoy: I’m known for brushes, for my makeup planner, my skincare, and fragrances. But it depends on the clients. Some only buy the skincare, some only buy the fragrance, and some only buy the color. We do have cult followings for certain items like our fragrances or planner. We have had a patent on it for 13 years now.

LL: What are your bestsellers?
Trish McEvoy: Our brushes, the Even Skin Beta Hydroxy Pads, the Beauty Booster Serum, the Deluxe Naturally Irresistible Collection Ready-To-Wear Makeup Planner, and the N° 9 Blackberry & Vanilla Musk and Sexy 9 Blackberry & Vanilla Musk fragrances. And seasonally, our holiday collections.

LL: Which products are must-haves?

Trish McEvoy: The collections that we do 2 times a year. They make a difference for that particular season. They are coveted. When they hit the stores, there’s already a waiting list for them. Everything in one set, full directions to follow, and really Trish’s picks.

LL: What’s new for the holidays?
Trish McEvoy: For the holidays, we came out with a fragrance set, rollerball fragrances, a mini-brush set, a compact travel set, and our Mobile Beauty Emergency and Beauty Emergencies Cards.

LL: What are your favorite products?
Trish McEvoy: My Eye Base Essential, my mascaras, the Classic Eye Pencil, Flawless Concealer, my cream foundations, fragrances, and of course, the brushes.

LL: What is the signature Trish McEvoy makeup look?
Trish McEvoy: Natural but enhanced. The more transparent the makeup, the wider range it covers, making it wearable for women.

LL: Who wears Trish McEvoy?
Trish McEvoy: It’s very transgenerational, very transcultural. I pinch myself every day. We were at Selfridges in London recently, and you look at my counter and you’ve got 15-year-olds and you’ve got 50-year-olds. Look at our N° 9 fragrance—there are women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s who wear it. Most of what we make is totally transgenerational and mood-oriented.

LL: Do you still do makeup for celebrities?
Trish McEvoy: I do more red carpet than photo shoots. I love the diversity of Angelina Jolie, Judi Dench, and Vanessa Redgrave. But my favorite part about being in the makeup industry is doing classes here with women who are mystified by cosmetics. I still do one-on-ones with clients.

LL: If you weren’t doing this, what would you do?
Trish McEvoy: Even If I wasn’t paid, I would still do makeup!

LL: What is your personal makeup look for day? Night?
Trish McEvoy: It’s about dressing your face. For day, go sheerer with lighter, more casual makeup and maybe just a bit of eyeliner. For night, you can be more extreme because the lighting is more forgiving. But I never go out without makeup on.

LL: What is best and worst about makeup?
Trish McEvoy: The best part about makeup is the transformation and how it can make you feel. I don’t think there is a worst part about makeup. I love everything about it!

LL: What are your makeup tips and tricks?
Trish McEvoy: Always brighten your eyes by applying a highlighter on your upper lids. Don’t apply concealer under your eyes, apply it in shadows of the eye, spots that are darker. Always curl your lashes. Blend liner into your lipstick so it’s more natural looking, and always wear a little coverage on your skin.

LL: What’s in your makeup bag?
Trish McEvoy: Elnett, big tooth combs, a 3X and 5X magnified mirror, Stephen Knoll conditioner, Kérastase shampoo, Colgate Wisps, Velcro rollers, and Essie Nail Polish in Mademoiselle.

LL: What should every woman have in her makeup bag?
Trish McEvoy: My Eye Base Essential, eyeliner, crease shadow, brow kit, concealer, bronzer, blush, lip liner, lip color, and mascara.

LL: Describe a typical day.
Trish McEvoy: I am up at 5 a.m., conference calls at around 6:45 a.m., and then my day starts. I make a few phone calls, stop by the skincare center and our stores, visit the distribution center, and maybe do a few interviews. I have early business lunches or eat at my desk. I’ll go to London for a day sometimes, make lab visits, and spend time in the field. But in all honesty, there is no typical day for an entrepreneur.