The Beauty of Giving the Gift of Beauty

Hello GEM Magazine LI readers,

My reading population has increased exponentially
and I thank every from the US and of course the
international readers from Kenya to India to the
Netherlands.  Beauty is as always a universal
language.  Do not forget to visit www.gemmagazineli.com
under beauty to read my educational articles in current
and past editions.

The festive holidays are upon us and I want to wish everyone a happy and fun filled season.  If you are one of those individuals like me who love giving more than the receiving you will appreciate this post.  In the beauty world many individuals use their talents and services to give back to the community.  One such professional and fashionista who I feel is more appropriatly referred to as an "Angel on Earth" is Eva Pappas, owner of Eva of Sayville fashion boutique.  Eva is blessed with the ability to pick the perfect dress for every woman who walks into her urban style spacious and trendy space.  However her passion for fashion inspires Eva to go a step further with her charitable organization, "The Cinderella Project".  The first time I visited Eva in her boutique I experienced the incredible beauty of this project and its simple purpose, to give the gift of healing beauty.

Eva Pappas of Sayville, NY has been chosen to be a "Lady of Inspiration, Recognizing Angels on Earth in the Form of Everyday Women" by www.BeautyBLESS.com, online "indie" brand cosmetics boutique, provider of trendy couture cosmetics on behalf of myself, Founder of BeautyBLESS LLC.

If you wish to read about my beautiful experience of spotting Eva's angel wings first hand I encourage everyone to follow this link below to read a heart warming short story about the beauty of giving the gift of beauty and see photos of this amazing lady who I believe deserves recognition for her good deeds which change the lives women on a daily basis, click  the link below. 

www.ladyofinspiration.com


There are many ways to give, would love to hear more about other examples of giving back, in any world or industry.  As a former banking professional I know many corporate worlds had several opportunities to give back during the holiday season.  Would love to hear all your inspirational stories.  In addition, if you feel that you know a Lady of Inspiration yourself I would love to hear more.


With love and warm holiday wishes,

Matthew Ambrosio
Beauty Educator & Professional Makeup Artist
www.BeautyBLESS.com

 

Attention GEM Beauties, Thank You - You Must Read, Please - I said the magic word.

GEM Magazine Long Island Beauty Blog is on fire!  Red hot like a sexy red lipstick.  Thank you to everyone for reading my blog and I want to wish everyone a happy and fun holiday season and remember, the true definition of beauty is "Balance" not too much or too little but just enough to wake that inner beauty inside you and "Enhancing" what you already have.  I want to be able to see that beautiful face not the makeup.

If your looking for something spicy this holiday to turn up the heat yourself check out a few shots of my latest Fall Winter/Fashion Beauty meet Fashion shoot.  Makeup/Production by yours truly. 

Red lip to boring for you?  Throw some gold on top.  Want the eyes to pop and be sultry?  Focus more on the definition on the lash line as opposed to vibrant eyelid shades.  You will get a clean "classic" Hollywood glamour 1940's look.

Production/Makeup:  Matthew Ambrosio
Model:  Roseanne Ludwigson
Photography:  Tony Ambrosio
Fashion Styling/Wardrobe:  The one and only, most amazing stylist, Eva Pappas www.evaofsayville.com
I stopped by her boutique today and ladies, and it was one of those rare moments I say, dam, girl are so lucky with their fashion options.  That is how stunning and classy her stuff is. 

With Love,
 
Matthew Ambrosio
Long Island Beauty Educator
Owner BeautyBLESS.com
Pro MUA

 

Cosmetic Cannibalism - Big Fish Eating Little Fish & What It Means to You, the Consumer and Your Skin.

Hello GEMS,

I have close ties in the cosmetic/beauty world and usually I am in the know pretty quickly.  Recently, a close friend and multi Emmy award winning makeup artist notified me of yet another cosmetic conglomerate eating up a private brand. 

"Yesterday L'Oreal announced in Paris that it has signed an agreement with private equity firm Castanea Partners to acquire Urban Decay Cosmetics.

So, another indie cosmetic company is being swallowed up by a cosmetic giant...thoughts?" 
KJB

How many of you are already aware of the this happening in the past with other brands?  I can name several and it is surprising to me how many consumers are not aware of the changes within the brands they stand by and are loyal to.  I do not think they want you to know.  So let us talk about some examples and why it matters so much to us, as consumers of retail beauty products.

MAC, in 1996/97 a major portion of the brand was purchased by Estee Lauder for over 200 million.  Small brands need help because they grow to big for their bridges and need help with distribution.  Slowly the brand lost the characteristics that made it unique such as original colors and being a brand that was a GO TO for women of color.  Several makeup professionals and consumers have had to find a new brand because the quality of ingredients was reduced and pigment/color was diluted leaving wearers dissatisfied. or just settling because there were not other options.  The purpose of the formula changes, post buy out, was to widen profit margins for Lauder.  You cannot blame them, after all this is a business so they are just doing what they are supposed to, increase shareholders wealth.

SMASHBOX, recently they were purchased by Estee Lauder for approximately 300 million.  As of yet I am able to say that the ingredients and the products have not been compromised and I am happy to say that.  The owners of Smashbox would not sell to Lauder unless they signed an agreement that they would not change the formulas.  So it did work in SBX's and the creator has been able to retain his soul and his integrity. Go on EL's website and take a look at their list of brands.

BARE MINERALS, cannot say much for this brand except that Leslie Blodgett is a GENIUS at marketing.  So much so she has people who use BE selling it to each other in stores.  Now, why is she a genius?  She got women to make their makeup regime more difficult and messy and made them pay for it.  Leslie, where are you, I need you to convince the Feds to pay off all of our school loans. 
First, are you oily or very young?  No, then why are you wearing a powder?  Second, pressed mineral powders can be found anywhere, need a good one look at Studio Gear in ULTA, it is more portable and less messy AND you get better coverage.  So then why use loose powder?  In fact, BE agreed with this notion, so they have come out with their own line of PRESSED powders.  I thought LOOSE was the best, LESLIE.  They were purchased by Shiseido a great and well known skin care brand.  Smart purchase because they will continue to reap the profits of the incredible marketing campaigns which Leslie still manages. 
All I need to tell you is to read the "ingredients" and ask any associate about BE at a retail beauty store like Sephora or Ulta and ask them to tell you the truth and not what they are mandated to tell you to make sales goals for top selling brands like BE, MUFE, Laura Mercier, etc.  Even now so I am sure me talking about it is going to trigger some purchases.  There are brands struggling that offer the SAME product of incredibly better quality and has multiple uses and high grade minerals without talc however they do not have multi million dollar marketing budgets so you will never find out about them.   

So why should you care about this topic?  It is just makeup right?  Wrong, the items we purchase to adorn our faces are going directly on or around our skin, lips and eyes and ultimately into our blood stream.  In addition, you are being entranced by fancy packaging and delivery pumps.  I think it is worth a question or a little research before you spend your hard earned money on a product that has between a 50% to a 500% profit margin.

Check it out before you buy my beautiful ladies, we deserve the best.

So beauty consumers, what are your thoughts??

Matthew
LI Beauty Educator

Go Economic This Holiday Season - Give yourself the gift of savings thanks to Retail Beauty.

Good Morning LI Beauties,
 
I think we can all agree that this "upcoming" holiday season, and yes I say upcoming even though we are already seeing PRE-holiday movie marathons and christmas ornaments in stores, that most of us need to save money.  Well you are all in luck because the retail environment agrees as well, especially in cosmetics and I have witnessed first hand.
 
Here is the scoop so far.  Retail beauty has moved up the holiday gifts and promotions into October, so that means that all the stuff you normally buy after thanksgiving is available now and at the same prices minus the crowds.  Where do you ask?  Ulta and Sephora are both offering incredible gift sets, kits and holiday blockbusters to all who shop.  Retail rewards members receive even more perks so be sure to sign up for the stores FREE frequent shoppers programs.
 
My dear friend and national artist/spokesperson, Dean from Lorac is offering an incredible deal for anyone who loves silky, high qualilty natural eye shadow palettes in a set of 4.
 
 
NEW Lorac Sweet Temptations Eyeshadow Collection  $36.00 - Break this into 4 GIFTS - BEST DEAL THIS SEASON SO FAR!

 

Sweet Temptations Eyeshadow Collection Contains:

 

• Indulge In White Chocolate - Dramatic Eye Shadow Palette
• Satisfying Toffee Crunch - Natural Eye Shadow Palette
• Tease Me Truffles - Plum Eye Shadow Palette
• Tantalizing Dark Chocolate - Bronze Eye Shadow Palette   

 
 
 
For The Love Of Lipgloss 15-Piece Maracuja Lipgloss Collector's Set $32 ($7 Less Than Last Year!)
 
Break them into three gifts or combine with a Lorac palette above to create an eye/lip set!
 
A limited-edition exclusive "baby, it's bold outside" collector's set of 15 maracuja lip glosses by Tarte. Each gorgeous shade is packaged in 3 individual boxes to take the guess work out of gift-giving.  Plus they are healthy lip treatments to boot!

 

 

 

 

 

                ONLINE ONLY! NYX Nude On Nude Cosmetic Palette $24.99

 

Do not want to drop $50 big ones for the Urban Decay Naked Palettes?  No problem, get the NYX version at half the price and get more eye colors as well as a set of lip colors to go along as well.  In all truth there is not much difference and I prefer NYX professionally over Urband Decay any day.  We all know it comes from the same place but you choose, value or packaging?

 

NYX Nude on Nude set is a classy medley of 20 neutral eye shadows and 10 vibrant lip colors that work for every skin tone and every occasion. This makeup palette comes with a mirror and 2 applicators for your lips and eyes, making it perfectly portable.

 

 

 

 

 

 All these items can be found at your local ULTA retail beauty store or online and the moment are plentiful in stock however shoppers are aware and scooping them up and once they are done they are done till next year.  In addition, ULTA offers free shipping, $10 off promotions with orders over $60 and free samples with each order.  Take advantage now or go into your local ULTA (NYX Exclusive Only) or Sephora and check them out.

 

 





 

 

INTERVIEW: How To "Get the Job" Look

After consulting with some HR managers and business associates I have come to find that even before the interview begins, it can turn sour.  Have you ever had an incredible interview and not gotten the job or at least a call back?  There is a very good chance it was because of your appearance.  I myself have been turned down for jobs because I was not wearing a "name" brand suit. 

They can "shove it" and it was their loss.

I want to just throw a few items out there for you all to take in and consider next time you are on an interview.  I want you to think of the interview process as a first impression strategy.  We do not want to just barge in and blow them away we want to perform a covert operation and then let them have it.  One way of doing this is having a buttoned down appearance and giving them that professional WOW factor appearance.  Note, they do not expect this when you come into work everyday.  In an interview you are judged by not only your experience and skills but the way you make your first impression and present yourself.  So enough business chatter, let us talk beauty.

• Tattoos:  They need to be covered.  Many large corporations such as banks, insurance companies, marketing firms and even restaurant chains do not allow tattoos to show.   If you can hide your tattoos comfortably using clothing make sure you do it.  If they are on your hands, wrist, neck or any other area difficult to cover with clothing you will need to use makeup.  There are a few products out there that can cover and they are not very main stream so do not walk into a retail beauty environment expecting a miracle.  However, it is possible so there are no excuses.  I myself have a few techniques and have mastered the art so I am here for you ladies that need it.  See below.

 

• Complexion:  Clear and healthy skin represents energy and professionalism.  Be sure to wear the appropriate coverage for your skin concern needs.  If you have minor skin concerns such as a pimple hear or there, a concealer and tinted moisturizer will work great.  If you have moderate to major skin concerns such as hyper-pigmentation or surface redness you may need medium to full coverage, that does not mean you will have to look "heavy".  Add a touch of your favorite blush color on the cheeks to give you a rosy glow.

 

• Eyes:  Nude and natural with a thin line of black or brown pencil and some mascara.  Avoid using mascara on the bottom lash line as it is more appropriate for evening and more formal occasions, not professional attire and it can deepen the appearance of the eyes which you do not want for everyday.  Important note, stay away from shimmer and sparkles and no contour/dark color necessary.  We want bright ready to work eyes!!

• Lips:  Try to match the color of your lips to a lipstick as close as you possibly can.  The more natural the lip the softer and more professional your appearance and you look still look incredible and your lips fully defined.

 

• Hair, I am not an expert but I know the Diana Ross or Lady Gaga look is not a good idea.  A french twist or pony tail would work fine.  Keep the hair out of your face so they see that eager, flawless and naturally beautiful face. 

 

That is the key.  The more natural you look when wearing makeup the better.  As I always say, it is about balance.  That is what beauty really is, all things working harmoniously

together to create one stunning appearance.

A little side not from my business background: 

Have a written list of questions ready to go and research the company online and learn the history.  Ask away as it is an impressive action to show them you are serious and you want to grow with them.  You are an investment to them so the last thing they want is turnover because it is costly and time consuming to recruit.

Questions you can ask are:

1. What type of benefit package does the organization offer and furthermore if you are living with your significant other do they offer domestic partnership benefits?
2. Does the company offer a retirement savings program?
3. Does the company offer any community volunteering or networking opportunities to meet and mingle with fellow co-workers? 
4. What are the opportunities for upward growth and what programs are available to help you get there?

If you have any questions I am always here for you.  I understand this process well as a product of the poor economic environment and being let go from my two jobs where I was fully vested, twice now.

Love,

Matthew Ambrosio
LI Beauty Educator, Professional MUA & MBA Graduate

Product or Packaging: What are you paying for?

Hello LI Gems,

How many of you have paid high prices for a luxury brand skin care or cosmetic products, say $75 and up only to find out that it does not differ much from the less attractive products who do not dress themselves in designer packaging.  The point I am making is that you DO NOT need to spend a lot of money
to get something that will hydrate, protect
you from the sun and enhance your natural beauty.

Women and men frequently go into a retail beauty environment without knowing what they want exactly and hope that they will find something that fits you either on your own or with the help of a knowledgeable associate who is unbiased, hopefully.  So as we browse there are many ways the brand can grab our attention and one of them is "packaging".  State of the art delivery pumps, shiny gold jars and photos of beautiful women with photo shopped faces using the skin care grab our attention.  Next, we open the jar and smell then feel and we are instantly in heaven.  Am I correct?  It is a marketing trinity that most brands rely on to boost sales and revenue.

I may have the makeup mafia on my tail about this but I will share with you if you do not know already.  This may be my last post.  Most of the name brands you buy are owned by larger cosmetic conglomerates which all purchase the same exact ingredients, in different strengths and amounts, from the same few companies so they can produce their skin care or makeup for all of their lines.  They use different names, packaging and faces to "brand" the lines to spark your interest.

I could go on and on here but I will come to a final point.  I am a huge advocate for being a smart shopper.  A smart shopper is someone who reads labels and saves money and is ultimately happy to ecstatic with their choice.  Here is my reccomendation to you:

1.  Do not judge a book by its cover.  Just because the packaging is dull and does not rival the bright pink, purple, gold and flashy displays does not mean it is inferior.  Find out for yourself and do a online comparison.

2.  Sample both and give 3 week minimum before you make any judgements.

3.  Smaller, privately owned lines are great.  They are untainted by the big boys of cosmetics, the ingredients have not been downgraded to increase profit margins and they still have the heart and soul of their origin whether it be from a passionate artist, a stay at home mom with a dream or a truly amazing story behind them.  I am big supporter of smaller cosmetics lines because they need it and this is a very competitive industry.

4.  One product line does not have it all so mix it up and if you think it does I would like to see a demonstrations please because maybe I am missing something?

5.  Profit margins on skin care and cosmetics range in the "triple digits" and they go higher if they are made overseas in places such as China as opposed to the here in North America or Europe.  It is not expensive to make these products unless your getting some rare fountain of youth berry from an undiscovered location in Siberia.  Even then, still sample.

My main goal is to share my knowledge with women and men on how to take care of your face and body, feel good about yourself and of course save money.

I hope to see some comments here!  I will confess I am victim of marketing as well however I have become a smarter shopper because of it. 

Love,

Matthew Ambrosio
LI Beauty Educator

Facial Serums - Taking Skin Hydration to the Next Level

Hello Long Island Gems,

It is October and we are transitioning into cooler weather.  I would like to highlight the importance of face serums to help combat dull dry skin which can occur with the drop in the temperature. 

When I do personal beauty consults one of my most important questions is what are you using to hydrate your skin?  The everyday women I work with range in age from young teens to women in their nineties.  The answers that I receive are interestingly consistent across the board.  Everyone at minimum is using a basic moisturizer.  However, moisturizers at a certain point need a boost to adjust for new skin concerns as we age and to keep that dewy, sexy and youthful appearance.   

The women I speak to for this message are my sophisticated mature women who have more than average concerns when it comes to aging skin.  These concerns include dry, lackluster or dull skin and aging in appearance.  If you feel like your moisturizer is not doing its work any longer, it may be necessary to switch up to a serum.  A serum is more intense in hydration making it more effective and more potent at hydration.  Using a facial serum can make your skin feel soft and your face makeup look more natural when used before application.  In addition, the wear of your makeup will be longer and your skins appearance improved with every use.  Making you need less makeup or coverage.  You can use a serum day or night, with or without makeup.

I am big advocate for treating instead of correcting.  Sure we can cover and ignore our concerns all we want but if you invest in good skin care your skin will be more even in tone and healthy thus decreasing the need to wear makeup.

Being A Smart Shopper: 

There are many serums available.  A good price for a quality facial serum is $40-50 and should last you at least 3 months if used once daily.  I recommend a serum free of oil, fragrance and parabens as well as one that is hypo-allergenic and non-comedagenic (Zero Irritancy Score). 

*Stay clear of serums with fancy packaging.  The appearance and the packaging may be stunning but the price is higher because of it.  Would you rather pay for product or packaging?

With love,

Matthew Ambrosio
LI Beauty Educator

Being A Healthy Beauty Shopper - "Formaldehyde"

Hello Gem readers,

The majority of my time in the world of beauty
is spent working directly with everyday real women in retail environments, education events and national trade shows. 
From this I am able to realize patterns and trends which can be great or unfortunately alarming.  I intend to share with you all of it, my unbiased opinion equals honesty and that equals respect to you the reader.

I would like to discuss Formaldehyde.  It is known to be a human carcinogen and it is a toxic ingredient used in beauty products and many types of personal care products which we put on our skin and in our hair daily.

Over the past year I have encountered several women who have allergies to this ingredient used in a wide array of products.  I would like you all to pay close attention to the ingredients listed on the packaging when purchasing any beauty product or any product for that matter that comes into contact with you and your family and your home.

Here is what you need to be a smart shopper.  Do not expect to see "Formaldehyde" in bold letters as the first ingredient listed.  

*For future reference when shopping, ingredients are listed in the order of the greatest percentage to the least percentage used to produce the item for sale.    

Below I am providing you with a list of names in alphabetical order you can use to identify Formaldehyde when shopping.  There are many as you can see.

BFV	Karsan
Fannoform	Lysoform
Formaldehyde, gas	Methanal
Formaldehyde, solution	Methyl aldehyde
Formalin	Methylene oxide
Formalith	Morbicid
Formic aldehyde	Oxomethane
Formol	Oxymethylene
Fyde	Paraform
HCHO	Superlysoform
Ivalon

I suggest taking a look through your current products to see if they contain any of the above named synonyms for this unhealthy ingredient.  I took my own advice and raided my own and a family members medicine cabinet and looked up the items ingredients online since the packaging was already discarded. I discovered a lipstick, nail polish and deodorant with three different Formaldehyde identifiers.   

Take the time to read your labels and be a healthy shopper.   

Information on this topic can be located at the below link: 

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/81-111/ 


Stay healthy and beautiful always,

Matthew Ambrosio
LI Beauty Educator

Welcome to the Official "Gem Magazine LI Beauty Forum"!

Hello to all my Long Island beauties out there!

It comes with great excitement that publisher Tanya Lee and myself, Matthew Ambrosio - LI Beauty Educator present an interactive beauty forum for all Gem Magazine readers.  Here I will share with you my passion for feeling great and enhancing your natural beauty.  You are the reason I am here and the reason we have brought you this forum and I thank you all on behalf of GEM Magazine.  Together we will discuss various beauty topics, present questions and comments to be addressed and share together as a community, a community of "beauties" that is.

Interaction with you is my greatest asset.  The topics of choice range from beauty regimes to tips to valuable and noteworthy information about the cosmetics we all use today.  So let us play and feel comfortable to express ourselves.

For my first official Gem Beauty Blog I ask you to share with me pertinent topics which you would like to share and know more about.  You can do so by posting a comment below.  I look forward to hearing from you and again welcome!

With love,

Matthew Ambrosio
"It is not the makeup that makes the woman, it is the woman that makes the makeup".

     

The Eyes Have It!

Many women love a really defined heavy eye and liners can come in very handy to frame the eye. However, there is a limit to how much you should be using and where you put it based on age. Specifically I am speaking to my beautiful more mature women. I know it will be difficult, I encounter this 2-3 times a day on average, but I want you to only put your liner on the top lid. Just do it once, for me. Whether it be a pencil, liquid, gel etc. Leaving the bottom lid alone will open your eyes giving you a more glam, eye lash fluttering look and will make you look bright faced and ultimately more youthful. At least 5 years younger. Putting liner on the bottom lid can draw attention to things we wish were not there thus aging the face. Remember ladies, your eyes speak before you even open your mouth to speak. Give them something to stare at.

What Cleanser Is Right For You?

Face cleansers are important, everyone needs one. Which one is right for you? If you are oil/acne prone use a cleanser that removes daily dirt and grime. If your someone with dryer or mature skin use a cream based cleanser that nourishes or one with resurfacing treatments followed by your daily moisturizer. If you are using a bar of soap to clean your face, stop. They are stripping your face of moisturizer and creating havoc with your ph balance. 

The Fun Side of Blushing

The colors of blush are numerous yet they are broken down into three categories; pinks, peaches and reddish browns. You can wear all of them however certain colors look better than others. Just remember what each color does. Pink will you give you a sexy, fun look. Peachy golds are more natural and gentle and are great for more mature women. Reddish brown looks beautiful on deeper skin tones. Just brush some on those apples and whisk back to the hair line and look flirty and fun.