Beauty Event: A.J. Crimson Seminar

MUA AJ Crimson is having a makeup artist seminar this weekend! It’s Saturday December 15th at Ripley Grier Studios. I can’t make it because I have a photo shoot but if any of you guys go, please come and leave comments about it! I would love to know what it was all about!

Makeup Meetups


Last night I attended the second official Makeup Artist meetup! I was great again!!! I love meeting other makeup artist and sharing resources and experiences. Karen Wyss of The Powder Group hosted us. During the course of the evening we discussed resources, what success means to us, and really just what it feels like to be an artist. I am really excited about being apart of this group. I learn so much and I always feel so happy and excited after I leave a meeting. See that’s what networking and really meeting people should feel like all the time!
From the group, I got an idea about a new post I m starting called “Artist you should know”. Being an artist is great, but it’s important for you to know those who paved the way for you and continue to do so! I am always looking at other artist work and what they are creating because it inspires me to push myself even further! So look for that post weekly starting next week along with some other things I'm branching into! I'm so Excited!
~Uche~

So I have friends in the Industry that are doing very big things! My colleague Abiola Abrams From Bet J is out with her new book and wanted to come and hang with the Beauty By Uche readers and give us some of her beauty and wellness tips! Enjoy!

ABIOLA ABRAMS is the weekly host of BET's THE BEST SHORTS on BET-J with 26 million viewers throughout the US and Caribbean. Abiola is a TV host, filmmaker, and published author who gives motivational talks. Simon & Schuster has just released her debut novel DARE, an intelligent, fun and sexy story about finding true love and self-esteem in the crazy world of entertainment. She

is an opinionated tastemaker, cheerleader, fashionista, cultural critic, hip hop feminist and all around blabbermouth. This week on her virtual book tour called The Dare To Be B.A.D. Revolution, she’s hanging with, Beauty by Uche to talk about her book DARE and beauty.

Top Beauty Dares & Tips from Abiola Abrams

Host of BET J’s The Best Shorts and author of chick lit novel Dare

Uche—Thanks for letting me hang out with your awesome readers on your blog. I know that only the most cutting edge visit Beauty by Uche, so I’m giving y’all the 411. There is a wealth of beauty, fashion and style in my novel Dare. Dare is the story of a young woman who dares to shed her old live for a new one and gets caught up in drama with men,

her best friend and herself. You can find clips, contests and more at www.abiolaabrams.com or www.daretogetalife.com .


I am calling my book tour, The Dare to Be B.A.D. Revolution. B.A.D. means Beautiful and Daring, so this is perfect. I am excited about sharing my beauty tips with you because we all know that beauty

comes from within, but how you look is your postcard to the world.

SKIN-

OK, Beauty by Uche readers. Your skin beauty DARE is that I dare you to try drinking 10 glasses of water every day for the next week. Your co-workers will be annoyed at you always in the powder room, but your skin will thank you.

Skin beauty really does start form within so take a good multivitamin and eat salmon for a couple of days before a big event. Yes, salmon. It works!

Crème de la Mer is magic I tell you. But guess what? Eucerin feels like

the same stuff at a tenth of the price. If Eucerin is still too costly for you try the drugstore version. It’s all good. Eartha Kitt, the original catwoman, recommends Vaseline, which is good for only feet or hands I think or before bed if you can take it- under eyes. I have naturally puffy skin so I really try to overdose on water whenever possible to flush out toxins. Half of the non water things we drink add no nutritional value anyway, right? And as a sugar addict, I have to avoid those sweet drinks. I usually just rock out on water and green tea although I went through an awful but brief Red Bull phase when I started hosting my show The Best Shorts on BET J and we were taping so earlyyyy.

Also ladies (dudes too) exfoliate! Nobody wants to rub up on your chaffed skin. L'Ocittane hand lotion- divine. Simple Dove soap is good as is Oilatum for super sensitive skin. Basis Face wash removes all makeup—never sleep in makeup. Black Opal, Pamela Wexler, Carol’s Daughter and Dr. Weil for Origins also make some of the stuff on my shelf.

Waxing is a punishment sent straight from hell. Pluck brows or shave elsewhere (!) with a small electric razor whenever possible. Don’t use a disposable anywhere but on your underarms, if you are not sensitive and you legs. You will be a hot mess if you do!

MAKEUP.

My beauty DARE for makeup is to try a new color this week.

I LOVE makeup. I feel like a little girl whenever I see little pots of glitter and colors. I'm like my kitty Princess Anabelle in that way. I generally wear MAC although I have also worn Iman's great concealer. Drugstore gloss will work although you'll have to reapply it a million times. I don't use eyeliner or foundation.

Although I love makeup I am a makeup artist's headache because I am generally reluctant to try any colors but neutrals, bronzes and golds whic

h are perfect for brown skintones. My perfect face is concealer, pressed powder, mascara and clear gloss. That's all you need. Maybe blush. Bronzers work on any skin color. Recently Fashion Fair Cosmetics found me my show, and their mascaras and lipsticks are surprisingly awesome. Who knew

they were even still around? Their pressed powder is also good. Tip—skip the foundation and take care of your skin so that you don't need it.

By the way, Kevyn Aucoin Makeup Brushes are to die for! Grab his books too. This late genius was a master of women’s faces and you can learn a lot.

MIND.

The Dare to Be B.A.D. Revolution is about having the moxie to live your life your way. A Dare Girl is a woman who is self-empowered, so my biggest beauty tip is about the mind. The keys to dareitude as I call it, or the Dare lifestyle are joy, love, beauty, moxie, harmony and truth

You are a divine being who is inherently worthy, got that? You don’t have to prove yourself. You are already worth more than you can imagine. Your life is a reflection of what you have focused on in your mind. If you have not yet brought your dreams and desires into fruition, you need to change what your focusing on. Change the story that you are telling you, about you. Often, we can cheerlead for everyone else, but then we rip ourselves down.

Many of us as women have been trained to take care of everyone else BUT us. There is a reason why they tell you on the plane to put your own mask on before assisting anyone else. Have a clear picture who you want to be, then dress, think, act like you are already there. I promise you, you will be soon.

Beauty by Uche fam, this has been so much fun! My crazy, sexy, smart novel Dare is available at Amazon.com, Powell’s, Barnes and Noble or wherever you buy books. You can download all kinds of goodies and read Dare excerpts at www.daretogetalife.com or www.abiolaabrams.com.

Now go out there and be B.A.D. – Beautiful and Daring—I dare you!

xoxo,

Abiola

Its a Wrap!



I’m done! I have been officially wrapped from the little production that could! I have to say it was definitely an experience. I am almost sad that it’s over…almost. I ‘m going to miss all of the little idiosyncrasies that made this production what it was. You know, no bathrooms, drunk actors, long waits at the train station, long waits on the set etc. I do have to say that with all that, the experience was still so worth it. I met some amazing creative people! I got to see how the reel explosives are made and stretch my special effects legs! So all that other stuff, I just laugh at, it was funny stuff and it makes you grow anyway. I am curious to know, do you guys have any questionable production stories? It doesn’t have to be makeup related. I just know I am not the only one. When you share though, my only
Request is…no names!
Uche

Perk: Wrap Partys

So, sorry there where no posts last week, I was a bit busy and a bit lazy. Either way, I am back. Last week, I attended a wrap party for Finding Me, the film I worked on this summer. One of the perks of working in this industry is that after you work hard on a project you have to celebrate with a wrap party. Break out the champagne and toast your damn self for giving birth to what once was just a creative thought in your mind. (hey, thats real!)


I had a blast at the event to! It was great to see the actors and supporters of the film out having a good time. We got to see the new trailer and have some free (a little weak though) drinks. There were also performances from great artists Baron, Nhojj and K’bana. It was a great turnout! It was just a really cool event! I just have to tell my friend Roger, I am so proud of you! You did the damn thing!!!!! Check out some of the pictures that I took with my friends at the party in the slide show! Oh and here’s a link to the site for the film! Enjoy!

Uche