By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Nars is presenting 15 iconic looks on some of his fashionable friends to celebrate its 15th anniversary and the launch of a limited-edition book, “NARS 15X15,” of 15 celebrity portraits inspired by one of his products. Here, model Dayle Haddon is made up to look like Elizabeth Taylor. I enjoyed seeing all the images at the Nars counter.

The Cosmetics Trend Event, a makeup road show, returned to Nordstrom on Saturday. This time, I slept through the 8 a.m. event, figuring I’d just head in later to see what’s new on the floor.

Gotta give the visiting makeup artists a lot of credit for always waking up early to put on energetic and entertaining shows to introduce the new season, no matter how jet lagged they might feel.

Here are a couple of videos with Smahsbox’s Hank Hoffman, and ZO Skin Health’s Dr. Zein Obagi. Obagi had a lot of startling things to say, such as challenging the wisdom of using moisturizer, and that it can be better to no nothing than do the wrong thing.

After Hoffman’s presentation, a woman lamented that she—meaning older women and women without classically beautiful features—could never look as good as the model.

That must be frustrating for any makeup artist to hear, because they repeat themselves over and over, and all the information is out there in newspapers, magazines and online, but women still have misconceptions about what makeup can and cannot do.

True, if you didn’t win the genetic lottery, you will never have classically beautiful features without surgical chiseling, and for older women less is more, but the point is to work with what you have and learn to play up your best features to put your best face forward. That’s all. If women don’t want to wear makeup, they shouldn’t have to, but no one should use the excuse that there’s no point in doing so because she’ll never look like a model. Few people do, but most still want to try to look their best.

M.A.C’s holiday palette

This was the gift tote with sample goodies for those who paid $15 (applicable toward the cost of cosmetics purchased that day) to attend the event. I couldn’t wake up before 8 a.m. on a Saturday, so missed out.

The cosmetics department happens to be right next door to the women’s shoe department, so I found myself wandering over there after spotting the season’s thigh-high boots. Wonder who will be the first to wear them. Not me. I’d be swallowed up by those.

The first window display of the season’s boots was in New York in September, with a showing of Louis Vuitton footwear at Sak’s Fifth Avenue. I thought I had taken a photo, but I guess I only photographed the shoes, coming up later in this post.

(more…)

By Nadine Kam

M.A.C photos
Models at the Rodarte show were dressed with tribal tattoos inspired by the Maoris of New Zealand.

Makeup during New York Fashion Week isn’t restricted to the face alone. M.A.C senior artist Chantel Miller created the Maori-inspired geometric tattoo makeup seen on the runways at the Rodarte Spring/Summer 2010 runway show today at Gagosian Gallery.

Chantel, who specializes in body painting, spent four intensive hours with a team of 40 artists hand painting the elaborate body art. Each model received a customized combination of design motifs, depending on which look they were wearing in the show. This is why my planned back stage visit didn’t materialize. They scaled back on press because they didn’t need the distraction.

The “tattoos” at the Rodarte show were achieved with M.A.C Micronized Airbrush in Black Black, PRO Mixing Medium/Alcohol Base and Liquidlast Liner in Point Black.

Tom Pecheux for M.A.C also created tribal looks for Catherine Malandrino’s “Nomads” presentation at the Chelsea Art Museum. Her Spring-Summer 2010 collection circled the globe, paying homage to Sudanese clans, Saharan nomads, Peruvian tribes and the Samoans.

Nadine Kam photos
Fringe, flowers and Samoan-inspired tattoos formed one part of Catherine Malandrino’s presentation at the Chelsea Art Museum.

By Nadine Kam

Clarisonic
The Clarisonic and anemone flower that is the not-so-secret-anymore ingredient in Kinerase products.

Stopped by Sephora Ala Moana last night for a quick demo of the Clarisonic, the deep-cleaning sonic-care brush that massages your face as it cleans.

The demo was in conjunction with Kinerase, a powerful protection-oriented brand. The event introduces its new PhotoFacials Sun Damage Reversal System, with a starter kit valued at $143 selling for $100. The secret ingredient in the products is kinetin, an antioxidant derived from the anemone flower, which keeps the petals hydrated.

Brands often partner with Clarisonic, because the deep pore cleaning increases the efficacy of any serum or moisturizer you do use. Removing all the dead cells and dirt allows products to penetrate better.

The event repeats at the Ala Moana store from 1 to 6 p.m. today, and at the Pearlridge Sephora from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Appointment spots may be full, but you can always watch and ask questions.

The first time they were offering demos, I didn’t have time to go through it. This time I tried it on my hand because I didn’t want to take off my makeup. Such a bother to reapply, and I was off to Pecha Kucha at Linekona School, where Bytemarks’ Burt Lum was naming his picks for Hawaii’s Top 20 Social Media Geeks, and I was one of them! Thanks Burt!

My giant face on screen.

I found myself in the company of people I’ve met through work, but also, many people I’ve met strictly through Twitter. I later cornered Burt to ask him the whys of his human, non-database analytics, and he said he was looking for successful personal branding, community profile and active promotion of social media. As part of the old media guard branching into new media, I see that as a responsibility anyway, dragging my MSM peers into this new world order, as well as guiding mainstream readers through this territory.

Here’s his countdown, as borrowed from L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine’s Pono Media Web site. Names are followed by Twitter IDs should you wish to follow along.

20. Burt Lum @bytemarks
19. Judi Clark @judico
18. Ryan Ozawa @hawaii
17. Christa Wittmier @supercw
16. Ian Kitajima @ikitajima
15. Donna Nakasue @champuru
14. Liza Pierce @amauiblog
13. Jared Kuroiwa @KGMB9
12. Dan Leuck @dleuck
11. Greg Yamane @geewhy / Susie Collins @thecanaryreport
10. Todd Cochrane @geeknews
9. Roxanne Darling @roxannedarling
8. Vernon Brown @vbrown
7. Paula Bender @lavagal
6. Mitchell Dwyer @scrivener
5. Melissa Chang @melissa808
4. Nathan Kam @nathankam
3. Nadine Kam @fashiontribe
2. Andy Bumatai @andybumatai
1. L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine @neenz

Congrats all!

I still meet so many people who don’t know anything about Facebook or Twitter beyond the brand names. The best way I can describe it is that it’s like a parallel universe to the mainstream world, where people are meeting, conducting business and creating partnerships and events that pop up in the mainstream.

There are still so many people who tell me they’re afraid of social media because they’re afraid of loss of privacy. Well, guess what? The information you’d probably want to keep most private is already online in public data bases.

For the rest, your habits and goings on, you need only share what you want to share. If you’re attending an event, you can talk about it after the fact if you fear that someone will stalk you while you’re there.

(more…)

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
Marietta Siangco scoops moisturizing cream containing macadamia and kukui nut oils into individual use containers for guests to use in creating their custom spa product.

It’s not every day a person can go behind the scenes to see the process of products being made, so I was excited about the Oils of Aloha open house that took place May 15 and 16, where guests watched macadamia nuts go through the expeller press to eventually arrive at the cooking oil produced by the company, or mixed with kukui nut oil to create the company’s patented SOLaleur formula.

Studies of SOLaleur, supported by the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, U.S.D.A., have proven that the formula increases healing of dry, cracked skin, UV-exposed skin, as well as radiation burns caused by chemo-related damage.

With all those benefits, it’s no wonder guests were happy about having the opportunity to create their custom moisturizer by adding essential oil to one of Oils of Aloha’s skin creams, as well as create an exfoliator using macadamia powders.

Oils of aloha photo
Ready for summer: Oils of Aloha’s Kukui Essential AfterSun cream, lotion and oil, individually priced at about $11 to $13 at Longs and ABC stores.

It turns out to be a green process, as the company also uses husks to create the right consistency to go into the presses. The large coconut shell-like pieces that come off the press as the oil is being removed, are the pressed remnants of husks and nuts. These don’t go to waste, but are used as charcoal, as well as pig feed, putting 20 percent more protein into their diets, as well as fiber.

It was hard for some to understand the notion that they could also wash their face with an aromatic kukui-mac nut oil cleanser. In this country, we go through adolescence thinking oily skin is not only unsightly but the source of all acne (it’s mostly hormones), so when we get to the age our skin actually needs oil’s moisture-retention properties, the avoidance mentality continues to kick in.

I’d already been using Shu Uemura cleansing oil (Marilyn Monroe used it, too) when I heard about the Oils of Aloha product, so I encouraged some leery souls to give it a try. It’s not only light, but it smells yummy too!

Owners Dana and Barbara Gray were gracious hosts, also serving a lovely lunch spread that included turkey deep-fried in macadamia nut oil, salmon smoked with macadamia chips, salads dressed in the flavored oils, pastries baked with mac-nut oil, and even a strawberry smoothie that included the oil. Every bite was delicious.

I’d already known Barbara as a food stylist for many years. We met when I was a manager for a commercial photographer. When she was styling food, it looked great, but none of it was edible in the end because it was sitting for hours or stabilized with non-food ingredients. Then there were the imposters, like mashed potatoes stirred with food coloring to represent ice cream. It was always fun to watch her work her studio magic, but on this day, I was glad she switched over to food we could actually eat.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
After the Nordstrom Beauty Trend Show, Gail Shiraishi, left, and Melissa Chang show the gift bags women received for attending.

Nordstrom hosted its first Beauty Trend Event Saturday morning, which had hundreds of women waking up early on the weekend for a live 7:30 a.m. QVC-like introduction to some of the newest beauty products on the market.

The lineup was nowhere as crazy as last year’s grand opening tailgate event, just because seating was limited to the first who paid $15 to attend, but there were still a lot of women in the house, who made their way to the third floor through a gauntlet of cheering Nordstrom employees.

There were a few pieces of clothing by BCBG Max Azria, Laundry by Shelli Segal, Sue Wong, Radio Fiji and Trina Turk shown during the event, but the focus was on the face, with presentations divided into three segments of videos and live information sessions on Beauty Trends, Beauty Secrets and Beauty Values. A show of hands revealed only a few of those in the house had ever attended one of Nordstrom’s beauty events on the mainland.

Midweek style editor Yu Shing Ting is in the chair talking with Jamie O’Banion, president and co-creator of the Organicare line of organic skin care.

There were about a dozen presenters delivering quick, exuberant pitches and giving away various kits and sets that would be available for purchase on the sales floor immediately following the presentations. About 24 brands, from Chanel to Dr. Zein Obagi’s Z.O. Skin Health, were offering gifts with purchase. A lot of the new textures and blendability factor of new products are amazing, making the intro of sheer color to one’s look virtually dummy proof.

Two views of model Connor Lane, at Nordstrom Saturday, and at right, in a Bravo photo from “Project Runway.” I worked with him on a photo shoot for the February-March edition of HI Luxury magazine. You can pick up the magazine on newsstands; the photos go online in April.

Model Connor Lane was tasked with delivering the prizes to the winners, while dressed in clothing from Nordstrom’s men’s department. Those with a sharp eye and good memory might have seen Connor in the Season 4 “Project Runway” (Christian Siriano’s season) episode featuring Tiki Barber and a menswear competition. Connor was dressed by Elisa Jimenez in an ochre velveteen vest with dark-gray pants and brown long-sleeved shirt. The rest of us know Elisa only as the crazy “spit girl,” but Connor said she was fine to work with. It’s just another case of reality TV hyping overemphasizing one strange incident.

Makeup stylist RC Stephens of NARS and Hank Hoffman, National Artistry Trainer for Smashbox Cosmetics, delivered high-energy presentations worthy of their runway ready brands. Hoffman was the last to work the runway, so it was a little harder to get the crowd revved up. I’d say most women were tired, getting hungry and were probably feeling fuzzy minded by then. But their energy quickly returned with his call to check out the Smashbox beauty value kits that were being offered exclusively at Nordstrom: the company’s Smashbox’s Fashion Week Glam Box Pro Kit ($68) and Complexion Kit ($48) of season must-haves. Rushing downstairs, I saw dozens of women with the Glam Boxes in hand, as well as other kits mentioned during the event.

I returned the next day, when it was saner, for a chat with Hank Hoffman about what’s coming up at Smashbox. He’s pictured with Nordstrom’s Heather Olsen.

I shot some video of Hank for some general lessons on applying eyeliner and achieving a smoky eye, made easy with a combination of Smashbox’s gel liner and creaseless shadow. You can go to www.smashbox.com (go to “Get the Look,” then “Videos”) for pro videos of him demonstrating how to achieve different looks, along with step-by-step guides to tools and color products used.

Laila — The Essence of Norway creator Geir Ness gives Jen Yamane a hand massage with his lightly scented hand cream. Where there are hand massages, there’s always a line.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Bare Escentual’s International Makeup Artist Bravon Pascua with Valerie DeRoos, who attended Pascua’s master class Friday and won his first appointment of the day this morning at the Ala Moana boutique.

Bare Escentuals’ International Makeup Artist Bravon Pascua was happy to be home again for two days of appearances, including a Friday master class at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. It was a great deal for newbies to the line of mineral-based cosmetics, who, for $75 got breakfast, $150 worth of BE products, first crack at pre-season products and more BE door prizes.

I caught up with Bravon at the store Saturday, where he was performing makeovers, including his first of the day with Valerie DeRoos, who had attended the master class. He’s a great people person, which is an advantage for BE as he travels the globe and women lay out all their cosmetic questions and problems, information that is then turned into products.

The company has added skin care to its mix, SPF 30 sun protection as much for the hands and decollete as for the face, and are at work on an eye cream and serum, plus little technical innovations, like a sifter for their mineral products that will keep powdery messes to a minimum.

“We always listen to our clients,” he said. “They pretty much build our products.”

While some across the Internet are wondering how to get their hands on preview items such as a Mother’s Day trio of kits dubbed “Free to BE naturally,” plus a quartet of Flowers Buxom lipglosses (pictured below), those in Hawaii could get them over the weekend.

The Mother’s Day kits ($39.50) otherwise won’t be available until about mid-April. Each comes with shadow, shimmer and blush colors plus corresponding lipgloss packed into a clutch to suit your mom’s style, whether Classic, Elegant or Adventurous.

Quartet of Flowers Buxoms (standing outside the pink box), is one of the pre-season items being offered this weekend only, before formal introduction in mid-April.

Bravon’s makeup kit.

Valerie examines Bravon’s work in a mirror.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
Josie Maran, left, and Soledad Alberti were at Sephora Saturday to introduce Josie’s self-named green cosmetics line.

Model/actress turned eco-entrepreneur Josie Maran visited Sephora Saturday afternoon to talk about her line of eco-conscious cosmetics.

She and makeup artist Soledad Alberti helped perform makeovers on Sephora shoppers, including one prom goer who showed Josie a photo of her green gown and was hoping to get a cosmetic match for her event that night.

The line was a hit with women in search of low-maintenance, natural-looking makeup. And the line’s organic ingredients was a plus, as well as its luxurious feel.When she talked earlier about the line’s biodegradable packaging, I thought it had to do with boxes, but it extends to the metallic-looking compacts as well, which she said is made from corn.

Josie’s next project is a green lifestyle TV program.

There seems to have been a lot of progress made on the green front now that the movement has picked up mainstream momentum over the last two years. People are buying less, too, because they have less money. It’s good that people are thinking about all these things, but contraction is a rough thing on the economy. I feel like we have to go back to a 1970s lifestyle before we can start living in a sustainable way on a human and planetary scale. That’s a long way backward to recovery and right-sizing our relationships with things.

By Nadine Kam

Here’s a look at some of the Fall 2009 barely there makeup looks coming off the New York runways:

Thakoon
Lead artist: Diane Kendal for NARS Cosmetics

Inspired by the 1940’s, reflecting the surrealist images of photographer Lee Miller, combined with ‘80’s rock and roll glam, for a look that’s strong without being too girly. To bring strength to the face, Diane focused on creating smoky eyes and full brows, while downplaying the lips and keeping skin fresh with a light blush for a healthy glow.

3.1 phillip lim
Lead artist: Ayako, International Makeup Director, NARS Cosmetics

Hair and makeup was created to emulate Tao Okamoto’s look, a Japanese model in Phillip Lim’s Fall 2009 collection. Fused together, Phillip wanted the makeup look to mirror Tao’s mod style with a touch of rock ‘n’ roll for a “poetic mod-rock” look. False lashes were placed on the outer half of the bottom lash line and was the central focus of the look. For an exaggerated effect, matte charcoal shadow was used with a wet eyeliner brush to draw lashes beneath, as if to create a shadow effect. The wispy lashes were accompanied by shimmering pink and gold shadows, while the lips were muted with concealer. Matte skin was accented by a gentle sweep of shimmer over cheekbones to catch the light.

Marchesa
Lead artist: Talia Shobrook for NARS

Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig created their Fall 2009 collection with fairytales in mind. To highlight this theme, Shobrook envisioned of a naughty aristocrat running out of a party, “like a young girl going into the woods wearing a gorgeous ball gown, putting on makeup rather naively.” The look features wild brows atop flawless skin. Beneath the brows was a colored lid of matte white, as if applied in a fleeting moment. Soft lips complement perfect skin.

Rodarte
Lead artist: James Kaliardos for M.A.C

I really loved the sisters’ urban warrior collection, with pieces representing a patchwork of leather, tulle, lace and lamé. To go with the look, M.A.C created the stone face look inspired by sculpture, with white around the eyes and paintstick blended into the skin. Lips have a dark brown cream color base, with the addition of white and black to create a stone-gray lip.

Cassandra, left, and model Kelsey Campbell.

Coincidentally, Julie Aragaki hosted a party at Bonsai for her latest project, a magazine called Chromatic Wednesday night, where I spotted model Kelsey Campbell with “the look.” It was created for her by Cassandra, who also does makeup for Janet Jackson, so she has to be on top of trends.

I think non-models would prefer more color though. I often look washed out even WITH makeup!

>>>>><<<<<

Of course, Marc Jacobs had to be different, and enlisted non other than Francois Nars himself to create a neon-glam look with a touch of 1980s Culture Club:

By Nadine Kam

While working on today’s story about makeup artist Nolan Makaawaawa, winner of Lifetime’s “Blush: The Search for the Next Great Makeup Artist,” I went to the TV Web site to look at some of the finale footage, and a familiar face popped up on the screen.

It was local model Courney Arndt, who’s now working in L.A. and was one of the models in the Badgley Mischka fashion show. It’s great to see two more people from Hawaii making a splash in a bigger pond.

You can watch the video here and see more of the show as well.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
The coconut wireless at work. Women in line at Macy’s pass on the word about the cosmetics settlement and the product giveaway that’s part of the settlement.

Yes it’s true! Today, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom are among stores giving away $175 million worth of cosmetics as part of a class-action settlement. The giveaway will end while supplies last, or through Jan. 27. Better head there quickly. There were lines at all three stores at Ala Moana Center, and at Nordstrom I was told they’d likely run out of product by day’s end. along. No rainchecks will be issued.

At Macy’s Ala Moana, the Boucheron Femme Eau de Toilette was the first to go.

Retailer Defendants that will be participating in the settlement product distribution are Bergdorf Goodman, Bergner’s, Bloomingdale’s, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Dillard’s, Gottschalks, Herberger’s, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Parisian, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Younkers.

A class member will be eligible to receive, while supplies last, a maximum of ONE free cosmetics product from one of the Manufacturer Defendants from which he or she purchased Department Store Cosmetics during the class period, May 29, 1994 through July 16, 2003, from the list of products below. No questions asked, but you’ll be required to sign your name upon receipt of the product.

Some of the products up for grabs at Neiman Marcus.

Boucheron (USA) Ltd.:
>> Femme Eau de Toilette (1 ounce/30 ml)

Chanel, Inc.:
>> Coco Mademoiselle body lotion (3.4 fluid oz)

Christian Dior Perfumes, Inc.:
>> J’Adore Eau de Parfum (15 ml)

Clarins U.S.A., Inc. (choice of ONE of two products, while supplies last):
>> Clarins Energizing Morning Cream (30 ml) OR
>> Clarins Beauty Flash Bomb (30 ml)

Conopco, Inc. (distributed by Coty, Inc. on behalf of Conopco, Inc.) (choice of ONE of three products, while supplies last):
>> Calvin Klein Euphoria Bath and Shower Crème (6.7 oz) OR
>> Vera Wang Princess Body Polish (5 oz) OR
>> Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker Shower Gel (6.7 oz)

Estée Lauder Companies Inc. ( choice of ONE of two products, while supplies last):
>> Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (15 ml/0.5 oz) OR
>> Clinique Moisture Surge (30 ml/1 oz)

Guerlain, Inc.:
>> My Insolence Eau de Toilette (15 ml)

L’Oréal USA, Inc. (formerly known as Cosmair, Inc.) (choice of ONE of eight products, while supplies last):
>> Lancôme UV Expert 20 OR
>> Lancôme Cils Design Pro Mascara OR
>> Lancôme Fatale Mascara OR
>> Lancôme Courbe Virtuose Mascara OR
>> Lancôme Primordial Skin Defense OR
>> Ralph Lauren Romance Shower Gel (6.7 oz.) OR
>> Giorgio Armani ACM Shower Gel (6.7 oz) OR
>> Lancôme Hypnôse Shower Gel

Parfums Givenchy, Inc.:
>> Very Irresistible Givenchy Eau de Toilette (15 ml)

The line moved quickly at Nordstrom.

If you want to know the legalese:

Plaintiffs’ claims arise under Section 1 of the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. §1),
Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §16720 of the California Business and Professions Code (the
“Cartwright Act”), and Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §17200 of the (the Unfair Competition Law or “UCL”).

Plaintiffs allege that defendants engaged in anti-competitive practices that discouraged the discounting of Department Store Cosmetics Products (“DSCPs”). DSCPs are defined in paragraph 2 of the settlement agreement as high-end, prestige or specialty beauty and cosmetic products and product lines (including color products, treatment and fragrances) sold by the Manufacturer Defendants under various brand names from May 29, 1994 through July 16, 2003. These products are sold primarily through traditional department and/or specialty stores and not through mass distribution channels in the United States. As a result, plaintiffs alleged that affected consumers paid United States. As a result, plaintiffs alleged that affected consumers paid more for DSCPs than they would have paid absent the alleged anticompetitive conduct.