Livia
02-25-2007, 12:54 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on Sun, Feb. 25, 2007
Just as we suspected; it's the hair and makeup that should get star billing
BY ALLISON KAPLAN
Pioneer Press
You, too, would have a flawless face if a professional spent three or four hours making it up.
That's right — three or four hours. The movie stars on the red carpet at tonight's Academy Awards who will claim, with studied nonchalance, to have dabbed on some lip gloss in the back of the limo, are full of it.
Mary Flaa, a longtime Hollywood makeup artist who recently moved back home to Minneapolis after a year on the road with Stevie Nicks, has been there — backstage at the Oscars. She has worked with A-listers, including Madonna and Reese Witherspoon. And she knows that no matter how genetically blessed an actress may be, there is no shortcut to on-screen beauty. That goes for the guys, too. Freeze-frame your screen tonight, and you just might be able to spot the eyeliner on Leonardo DiCaprio.
"Men are just as concerned about how they look as the women," Flaa says. "It doesn't take as long, but if they're presenting or nominated, they're getting makeup. At least a little foundation and powder." Or, Flaa says, in the case of Arnold Schwarzenegger: bronzer, translucent powder, color to enhance the eyebrows and mascara.
Celebrities tend to live up to their larger-than-life personas by demanding that specific, often extremely expensive products be used on their skin. Flaa, whose makeup kit includes both drugstore makeup (Cover Girl) and department store brands (Laura Mercier), got in the habit of asking actresses — well, their assistants — about brand preferences in order to stock up before a job. Not that it was always possible. There was a period a few years ago when every Hollywood set needed an oxygen tank and face mask because it was believed sheer oxygen could rejuvenate the skin.
"So many things go through Hollywood," Flaa says. "They're always looking for noninvasive treatments. Technically, a peel that pulls off three layers of skin is invasive, but they think it's not."
The current Hollywood beauty craze involves eyelash conditioner. Yes, conditioner. Paint it on the base of eyelashes, and it is said to make them look long and plump. But unless your name is Jennifer Hudson, forget it. "You can't even get it online yet," says Flaa, who has been trying. "You have to have a supersecret connection."
Flaa won't have to worry about that tonight. This year, she plans to watch the awards at home. Still — it's work. She's looking for an indication of the next big trend. "My husband always says, 'You're not watching the show; you're watching the makeup.' " She expects to see a lot of smoky eyes with nude lips or red lips. "The other look that pops this year is a shimmery glow — rich, pretty, soft, lots of highlighting colors."
St. Paul hairstylist Jim Koktavy, owner of root salon (499 Selby Ave.; 651-222-0200), also will be watching the red carpet tonight for beauty trends. He knows from experience that whoever stands out at the Oscars will influence the way Minnesota brides and promgoers wear their hair this spring.
He expects to see more of the old glamour styles that stars like Carrie Underwood wore at the Grammy Awards — flat at the scalp, wavy at the ends. Another key look is "casual updos," as seen on Kate Winslet and Eva Longoria at the Golden Globes. "Not a single updo had petal curls like their grandmas would have done. The hair looked like it had been tossed up."
But make no mistake — there's nothing casual about a casual hairdo. "It's terribly complicated — at least an hour project, and that's for a professional," Koktavy says. "Things that look messy always take longer to do."
Allison Kaplan can be reached at akaplan@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5116.
TAKE HOME BEAUTY TIPS FROM THE RED CARPET
MAKEUP
Layer. "Don't put on a thick coat of anything," says celebrity makeup artist Mary Flaa. "Go light, and then if you want more, add another color."
Highlight. Most cosmetic lines sell highlighters, which should be lighter and more shimmery than foundation (Flaa likes Nars). Use it on cheekbones, under brows and in the corners of eyes to accent your best features.
False lashes. Don't bother with the full set. Buy individual lashes at the drugstore and add three in the corners of each eye, then add mascara. "No matter what the rest of your makeup looks like, it will really make your eyes pop," Flaa says.
HAIR
Curl. "We've overused the flat iron," root salon owner Jim Koktavy says. "Buy a curling iron — with a bigger barrel this time — and hot rollers. You can use them even on a daily basis — it's fast and easy.
Loose. Hair right now has a purposeful casualness to it, so if every piece isn't just so, claim you intended it that way.
Extensions. It's no longer a surprise when a celebrity has short hair one day and long the next. And regular folks, especially Scandinavians with fine hair, are realizing thick tresses can finally be theirs … for four to six months and up to a $1,800 investment.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/living/16760873.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Posted on Sun, Feb. 25, 2007
Just as we suspected; it's the hair and makeup that should get star billing
BY ALLISON KAPLAN
Pioneer Press
You, too, would have a flawless face if a professional spent three or four hours making it up.
That's right — three or four hours. The movie stars on the red carpet at tonight's Academy Awards who will claim, with studied nonchalance, to have dabbed on some lip gloss in the back of the limo, are full of it.
Mary Flaa, a longtime Hollywood makeup artist who recently moved back home to Minneapolis after a year on the road with Stevie Nicks, has been there — backstage at the Oscars. She has worked with A-listers, including Madonna and Reese Witherspoon. And she knows that no matter how genetically blessed an actress may be, there is no shortcut to on-screen beauty. That goes for the guys, too. Freeze-frame your screen tonight, and you just might be able to spot the eyeliner on Leonardo DiCaprio.
"Men are just as concerned about how they look as the women," Flaa says. "It doesn't take as long, but if they're presenting or nominated, they're getting makeup. At least a little foundation and powder." Or, Flaa says, in the case of Arnold Schwarzenegger: bronzer, translucent powder, color to enhance the eyebrows and mascara.
Celebrities tend to live up to their larger-than-life personas by demanding that specific, often extremely expensive products be used on their skin. Flaa, whose makeup kit includes both drugstore makeup (Cover Girl) and department store brands (Laura Mercier), got in the habit of asking actresses — well, their assistants — about brand preferences in order to stock up before a job. Not that it was always possible. There was a period a few years ago when every Hollywood set needed an oxygen tank and face mask because it was believed sheer oxygen could rejuvenate the skin.
"So many things go through Hollywood," Flaa says. "They're always looking for noninvasive treatments. Technically, a peel that pulls off three layers of skin is invasive, but they think it's not."
The current Hollywood beauty craze involves eyelash conditioner. Yes, conditioner. Paint it on the base of eyelashes, and it is said to make them look long and plump. But unless your name is Jennifer Hudson, forget it. "You can't even get it online yet," says Flaa, who has been trying. "You have to have a supersecret connection."
Flaa won't have to worry about that tonight. This year, she plans to watch the awards at home. Still — it's work. She's looking for an indication of the next big trend. "My husband always says, 'You're not watching the show; you're watching the makeup.' " She expects to see a lot of smoky eyes with nude lips or red lips. "The other look that pops this year is a shimmery glow — rich, pretty, soft, lots of highlighting colors."
St. Paul hairstylist Jim Koktavy, owner of root salon (499 Selby Ave.; 651-222-0200), also will be watching the red carpet tonight for beauty trends. He knows from experience that whoever stands out at the Oscars will influence the way Minnesota brides and promgoers wear their hair this spring.
He expects to see more of the old glamour styles that stars like Carrie Underwood wore at the Grammy Awards — flat at the scalp, wavy at the ends. Another key look is "casual updos," as seen on Kate Winslet and Eva Longoria at the Golden Globes. "Not a single updo had petal curls like their grandmas would have done. The hair looked like it had been tossed up."
But make no mistake — there's nothing casual about a casual hairdo. "It's terribly complicated — at least an hour project, and that's for a professional," Koktavy says. "Things that look messy always take longer to do."
Allison Kaplan can be reached at akaplan@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5116.
TAKE HOME BEAUTY TIPS FROM THE RED CARPET
MAKEUP
Layer. "Don't put on a thick coat of anything," says celebrity makeup artist Mary Flaa. "Go light, and then if you want more, add another color."
Highlight. Most cosmetic lines sell highlighters, which should be lighter and more shimmery than foundation (Flaa likes Nars). Use it on cheekbones, under brows and in the corners of eyes to accent your best features.
False lashes. Don't bother with the full set. Buy individual lashes at the drugstore and add three in the corners of each eye, then add mascara. "No matter what the rest of your makeup looks like, it will really make your eyes pop," Flaa says.
HAIR
Curl. "We've overused the flat iron," root salon owner Jim Koktavy says. "Buy a curling iron — with a bigger barrel this time — and hot rollers. You can use them even on a daily basis — it's fast and easy.
Loose. Hair right now has a purposeful casualness to it, so if every piece isn't just so, claim you intended it that way.
Extensions. It's no longer a surprise when a celebrity has short hair one day and long the next. And regular folks, especially Scandinavians with fine hair, are realizing thick tresses can finally be theirs … for four to six months and up to a $1,800 investment.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/living/16760873.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp