Mister Makeup’s Favorite Things

Here’s what’s inside the celebrity
makeup artist’s makeup kit!

Mister Makeup, aka, David Maderich www.DavidMaderich.com
Email your makeup questions to davidmaderich@yahoo.com

This month Mister Makeup is reaching into his bag of tricks and pulling out his go-to goodies. Yes, I’ve been flooded with emails inquiring about my favorite cosmetic products – and I’m ready to share my secrets.

Because this column is about my favorite things, I’ve included one of my favorite images (featured left) – shot by Bill Tyler (www.willyross.com). I adored my model’s freckles, so I used a touch of sheer tinted moisturizer with dark penciled eyes and nude lips. Perfection!

FOUNDATION: If you have money to spend, I love Laura Mercier’s Cream Foundation Sticks ($42 at www.sephora.com). These twist-up cream tubes come in the most delicious colors and can be layered to achieve sheer to heavy coverage. I also adore Laura’s Liquid Foundation, too.

For the budget-minded girl, nothing beats Cover Girl’s new Tru Blend Foundation ($6.89 at www.drugstore.com). Applied with a sponge, this liquid foundation blends smoothly and seamlessly – I love it.

If you’re shopping for a tinted moisturizer, I always use Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 ($32 at www.sephora.com) – it’s very sheer and has a slight shimmer that looks amazing on the skin.

CONCEALER: Since I consider concealer the base of your face, I have several favorites in this category. For serious dark circles or discoloration, I reach for Kevyn Aucoin’s The Sensual Skin Enhancer – odd name, but a great concealer ($45 at www.sephora.com) – used with a brush, it will cover anything, yet look natural. I love, love, love Yves Saint Laurent’s Touché Éclat ($38.50 at www.amazon.com), and although it only comes in a three shades and offers very sheer coverage, it’s heaven.

POWDER: I only use one powder in my kit – Laura Mercier’s Loose Setting Powder ($34 at www.sephora.com). I love this powder because it is so sheer it is virtually invisible on the skin while soaking up oil and keeping skin fresh.

BRONZER: NARS Luminizing Multiple Sticks ($37 at www.sephora.com) are indispensable for creating a glowing, shimmering fabulous sun kissed look. For budget minded girls, I love N.Y.C. New York Color Chroma Face Glow ($4.99 at www.newyorkcolor.com) in Sunstone. Be sure to place bronzer high on the cheekbones, forehead, chin and nose for a believable glow.

BLUSH: For a soft and sheer cheek, I always use Lancôme’s Color Design Cream Blush ($27 at www.lancome-usa.com) – it looks great on bare skin or on top of foundation. Use you fingers or a brush and apply the cream to the apples of your cheeks. For a finished matte look, I use powder blush. My favorite is NARS ($25 at www.sephora.com) because it not only is available in a wide range of colors, but its deep pigments can be layered from sheer to drag queen intensity.

MASCARA: I am a mascara junkie and I have experimented with every mascara on the market – and only two make my kit. For soft and natural lashes with no clumps, I use Max Factor’s Lash Perfection ($6.89 at www.drugstore.com). When I need big, sexy “come over here, fella” eyes, I reach for Lancôme’s Definicils High Definition Mascara ($24 at www.lancome-usa.com). Another mascara the ladies are loving is Chanel’s Inimitable Multi-Dimensional Mascara ($28, www.bloomingdales.com), which is also great and doesn’t flake, so that would be a close third for me if I were to add another. Whatever mascara you choose, remember to never pump the tube – it puts air inside and chamber and dries out the mascara. Also, be sure to wipe the wind with a tissue before application to end clumps forever.

EYELINER: Liquid eyeliners are too dated and too messy to apply, so I seldom use them. I love Stila’s Convertible Eye Color ($20 at www.sephora.com) – this double-ended pencil comes with eye shadow on one end and matching pencil on the other end – fabulous. For a dramatic look, I reach for N.Y.C. New York Color’s Metaleyes Cream Liner ($4.99 at www.newyorkcolor.com) – it also has a touch of metallic shimmer that I love.

EYESHADOW: I only use Shu uemura colors ($20 at www.shuuemura-usa.com) – these tiny squares of powder come in every color of the rainbow and stay on for hours. I also use the brown tones to fill in sparse eyebrows.

EYEBROWS: Powder is best to fill in brows – I find most pencils too greasy and fake looking. I use Shu uemura brown toned eye shadows ($18 at www.shuuemura-usa.com) with an angle brush. If I do use a pencil, it’s always Kevyn’s Aucoin’s Precision Brow Pencil ($24 at www.sephora.com) – its slim shape and point make for easy and natural application.

LIP PENCIL: Many women hate lip pencils, but I love them. Used correctly, they add polish to your look. I only use nude colors; and the trick is to apply the pencil after lipstick or gloss – this way the pencil finishes the shape and blends into the color with no telltale lines. My favorite lip pencils are Covergirl’s Outlast Smoothwear Lip liners ($5.99 at www.drugstore.com).

LIPGLOSS: I am a lip-gloss fanatic. I mean, I have to try every new gloss that comes on the market. I don’t like heavily pigmented glosses; I always opt for sheer colors that can be applied over a coat of lip pencil. I adore Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Lip Gloss ($2.99 at www.wnwbeauty.com) as well as Stila’s Lip Glaze Ultra Glossy Lip Gloss ($22 at www.sephora.com).

LIPSTICK: Very few women actually wear lipstick anymore, but I still love it. I’m not a big fan of those all-day super lipsticks because they are too drying. My trick for lipstick longevity is to apply several thin coats of color between puffs of powder. Lipsticks that I love are Lipstick Queen by Poppy ($18 at www.barneys.com) and Kevyn Aucoin’s The Expert Lip Tint ($23 at www.sephora.com).

SKINCARE: I always carry Olay (various prices at www.drugstore.com) products in my kit. Not only are Olay products reasonably priced, but they also work wonders on the skin. Another product line I’ve been using on my mature clients is Kenneth Mark MD Skincare. It’s loaded with antioxidant Astaxanthin, and these creams and lotions brighten and repair skin damage. The Antioxidant Hydrating Cream ($95 at www.kennethmarkmd.com) is particularly wonderful.

So here’s to giving your makeup kit a lift! Have fun, and enjoy trying out my favorite products!