Get the Look - Girl Next Door!

This Pro is a lover of old black and white movies from the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s! Who doesn’t love the glitz and glamour of Greta Garbo, Betty Davis, Joan Crawford, Sophia Loren or Vivian Leigh? But, my favorite is the innocence of characters created by actresses such a Judy Garland (Wizard of Oz), Joan Fontaine (Rebecca), Jean Parker (Little Women), Grace Kelly (The Country Girl) Lena Horne (Stormy Weather) and Debbie Reynolds (Singing in the Rain).

The classic “girl next door” look has been created and recreated over and over again throughout movie making history. Sissy Spacek, Cybill Shepherd and Farrah Fawcett had the “all-American” face and today actresses such as Zooey Deschanel, Anne Hathaway, Zoe Saldana, Reese Witherspoon, Gong Li, Jessica Alba and America Ferrera are considered the quintessential “girl next door,” but with a modern, sexy twist!

Back in the glory days of Hollywood, studios would “groom” starlets to fit a certain “type.” For instance, Judy Garland, who was born Frances Ethel Gumm in 1922, was signed on to an extremely long-term contract with MGM at the tender age of 13.

She was older than most traditional child stars, but the studio knew that Judy was going to be their big money-maker and they were right! “Raised” properly and photographed in a certain light with hair, makeup and wardrobe befitting a young, innocent girl, the studio marketed her image to the world and reaped a huge profit in return!

But, did you know that Judy literally “lived” on the MGM Studio lot most of her young life? Attending school with Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner and growing up on a sound stage exacerbated her insecurities to the point where she was forced to wear caps on her teeth and rubberized disks to reshape her nose. I guess it didn’t help that the Studio Chief, the famous Louis B. Mayor, nicknamed her “the little hunchback!” She was “cute” and her looks did not exemplify a glamorous persona. She was a tiny little “girl” at 4 feet 11 inches, but had a voice as tall as a mountain!

Fast forward to the 1960’s when a gorgeous blonde beauty born Cybill Lynne Shepard beacame a “star” by appearing in The Last Picture Show as Jacy. She captivated our hearts and sky rocketed as a model when the trend changed from Twiggy-type waifs to more curvy “real woman” images!

Enter Breck Shampoo circa 1968 and you will discover Cheryl Tiegs, Jaclyn Smith and Christie Brinkley were among the most memorable “girls next door.” Or how about Marcia Brady? C’mon! It’s okay to admit that you wanted to live next door to the Brady family and have Marcia be your best friend, only because you had a crush on Greg and thought that by being Marcia’s friend, he would take you to the Prom! Or maybe you were a Partridge Family fan?

Our nation’s "all-American" look definitely was more defined by women (or girls) who were blonde-haired and fair-skinned, but fast-forward to the 1980’s and you will discover Molly Ringwald. She was born in a quiet little town just outside of Sacramento, California when she got her “big break” playing the role of Molly Parker on the Facts of Life.

However, her most memorable performances are portraying moody, awkward teen characters in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, which were written specifically for her by the late John Hughes. She was a freckle-faced, red head with a spunky attitude, but none-the-less, she looked more like the “real” girl next door, then that of a super model. She was believable and we as young girls in the 80’s completely identified with her and the emotional characters she brought to life.

In today’s world, our society is a melting pot of gorgeous "all-American" women with ethnicities that scream “modern world” instead of “middle-ages!” We embrace beauty regardless of skin color and are inspired by all shapes and sizes of women!

You can sport the “girl next door” look everyday! It is a simple as putting your hair in a ponytail, pulling on a pair of Levi jeans, a white t-shirt from the Gap and a pair of cowboy boots!

Gather your supplies:

Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer

Concealer

Setting Powder

Neutral Eye Shadow

Bronzer

Peach Blush

Mascara

Eyeliner

Nude Lip Pencil

Lipgloss – pink, peach or nude

Product recommendations and how-to:

This Pro always recommendations prepping your skin properly before applying any cosmetics. Using a great skincare and primer is a must in achieving the “girl next door” look, which begins with clean, clear, radiant skin.

Pro Tip: This is not a “heavy” or “made-up” look – each product should be lightly applied and blended to achieve a natural face!

Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer/Concealer – begin by examining your skin in the mirror and deciding if you need a full coverage foundation, tinted moisturizer or maybe you just need to conceal a few problem areas. I love Laura Mercier’s Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer. It is a great bang-for-your-buck giving you three products in one, moisturizer, SPF and foundation.

If you like the coverage of a foundation, try using Visiora Powder Foundation which is heavier on the skin, but may cover your skin issues eliminating your need for concealer and a setting powder. Visiora also has more of a pink undertone, which can create a natural flush to your skin possibly ruling out the need for blush color.

This Pros concealer recommendation is Benefit Cosmetics, Realness of Concealness box, which contains every possible product you could possibly need to conceal a skin flaw! This little kit has a mini collection of Benefits’ most coveted concealers such as Boi-ing, Lemon-Aid, Ooh la Lift, High Beam and Lip Plump.

Setting Powder – it is a makeup “rule” that you must set any crème product before applying a powder product. If you do not follow this step you will most likely look like a “streaky” mess. Tricia Sawyer Beauty’s Sheer Diffusion Cotton Powder is an amazing loose, colorless setting powder made of finely milled cotton. It is formulated to control shine throughout the day making for less touch ups!

Neutral Eye Shadow – This Pro loves Bobbi Brown’s newest take on nude makeup and it is a Fall Season “must-have!” Bobbi’s Nude Eye Palette will effortlessly take you from day to night with universally flattering selections of nude shadows. With three different textures; soft matte, lightly pearlized and metallic shimmer.

To achieve a "girl-next-door" eye begin with the lightest shade of Navajo eye shadow as an all-over wash from lid to brow. Add Chino in the crease and use to line the lower lash line right at the waterline - blend. Finish with a wash of Beige Linen Shimmer all over and blend.

Eyeliner – to complete your natural eye look use a super soft eyeliner pencil. iNuovi Cosmetics makes a great waterproof liner called Fluid Liner and this Pro loves the color Café. This is a perfect liner in pencil form for the “tight lining” technique of the upper lash line area. It is smudge-proof and gives a high pigmentation of color. This product contains Jojoba and cottonseed oil making it very easy to blend. Once set, this liner will last all day with no need for touch up!

Bronzer/Blusher – using a bronzer to enhance your cheekbones and give the illusion of a tanner skin tone, I recommend CoverFX Bronzed FX because they come in an amazing range of color making it easy to achieve a healthy, sunkissed look. Apply lightly under cheekbones and temples across forehead and chin.

On the apples of your cheeks use a gorgeous and warm peach-toned blush like Chiffon from iNuovi Cosmetics. This product line comes in an array of colors making it easy for women of all skin tones to find a peach colored blusher just right for them!

Mascara – you can use either brown or black mascara for this look. This Pro recommends embracing CoverGirl Lash Blast, what could be more "all-American?" Not only is it a fantastic formula that makes your lashes full and lush, it is a drug-store item, which means your wallet will love you!

Nude Lip Pencil/Lipgloss – Smashbox Cosmetics makes an amazing Nude Lip Liner that is ultra creamy! In Fair, Light, Medium and Dark, you will be able to find a match to your lip tone creating a natural, defined look. This product works with any lip color and will make your gloss last for hours.

NARS Cosmetics is this Pro’s favorite when it comes to lipgloss! Complete your look using colors such as Striptease, Stolen Kisses, Sunset Strip, Supervixen or Sweet Dreams!

Following the above instructions will give you a fresh face, wholesome, "all-American" look of the "girl-next-door!" One that will make even Hugh Hefner stand up and take notice!

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:

Groomed eyebrows are an important part in creating a clean look. Make sure you pluck, wax or thread away any stray hairs. Keep them in place with an eyebrow gel and fill in with a matching eyebrow pencil or powder if they are sparse or if you have over plucked!

STAY TUNED:

Up next on IMPO: step into the unique world of nano-technology, aromatherapy, high-tech ingredients and discover SAMPAR! Learn how to treat and change the effects of environmental pollution on your skin!

Favorite Things!

As professionals in the beauty industry and ever since starting this blog, IMPO receives a ton of email asking us to let our readers know what skincare, makeup and personal care items are really in our bathrooms! What do the Pros personally use daily? What are our “go to” products?

So, we decided to channel our inner Oprah and comprise a list of “The Pro’s Favorite Things." Unfortunately, the “plugs” we will be providing to many beauty manufacturers out there will not reap the benefit of a swag (stuff we all get) bag for our readers! Sorry folks!

Hey, maybe someday IMPO will be as big as Oprah and our Fans, Followers and Readers could receive care packages like Oprah audience members do during the taping of her “Favorite Things” segments…a blog’s gotta dream y’all!

Now, putting together this post was not easy and it made the Pros really think about which products we “must have” daily and can’t live without ever, the kind of products that you have to take with you when you travel because you just can’t feel confident without them.

If you read IMPO regularly you are aware of the cosmetics and skincare lines that the makeup Pro uses professionally on her clients, but our readers ask, “do you also use those products on yourself?” and, “do professional products really cross the line over into everyday wear?”

The answer to those questions is a very simple…yes. Some products make the leap and others are manufactured specifically for television, film and photography.

To recap…here is a partial list of cosmetic products inside the makeup Pro’s kit: Nars, Dior, Eve Pearl, Smashbox, M.A.C., Tricia Sawyer Beauty, Three Custom Color, The Lipstick Queen, Bobbi Brown, Jan Marini and La Mer, all of which are consumer friendly beauty products found at major department stores and retailers or online. They work just as well “on” camera as “off” camera for her clients.

The makeup Pro’s kit also contains products found at industry specialty retailers such as Cinema Secrets, Naimes, Frends and Alcone, which work in both the professional makeup industry and for everyday wear. Please check the IMPO blog archive or use the “search” button at the top if you are curious about a particular product line.

It is also important to make clear to our readers that the Pros of IMPO do not “rep” or sell any particular beauty line. We do receive products to test personally and professionally and some we review and others we do not! Just like Bobby Brown: that’s our prerogative!

But, what you really want to know is which beauty care and makeup lines are in our shower, makeup bag and medicine cabinets and it may surprise you to read that as Pros in the beauty industry (and sisters in real life), we have different styles when it comes to our personal routines, so without further ado…

SKINCARE:

The makeup Pro is a firm believer in the Jan Marini Skincare line of products. With 42 creeping up on her door step, she felt it was time to start fighting back the signs of aging skin and the Jan Marini line came to her rescue! Starting with the BioGlycoloic Facial Cleanser both morning and night to cleanse and to remove makeup and bacteria. C-ESTA Serum, Age Intervention Peptide Extreme, Age Intervention Enlighten, Age Intervention Face Cream and Eye Cream. Twice a week she also uses Age Intervention Regeneration Facial Mask. Also used daily is the Jan Marini AntiOxidant Daily Face Protectant sunscreen.

The makeup Pro recently discovered the Talika skincare treatment line and has been using the Eye Dream product at night (on day 15 of the 28 day treatment) in conjunction with Jan Marini products, which has helped rejuvenate her over traveled, delicate skin around her eye area.

The marketing Pro is using Jurlique Balancing Foaming Cleanser once a day (in the shower!) followed by a spritz of Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist and Jurlique Sun Lotion with SPF30+. In the evening, she uses M.A.C. Wipes to remove all her makeup and a touch of Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado around the eye area.

HAIR CARE:

The makeup Pro changes up this product most often because she loves to discover and use different hair care lines almost as much as makeup. Currently, she is in love with the Ever Pure line from L’Oreal. Not only does it keep her color treated hair in tip top shape, it is full of more natural ingredients, which is better for the environment and our body!

The makeup Pro also uses the following styling products on her naturally curly hair: John Freida Frizz-Ease Original Serum, Straight Fixation and Dream Curls Curl Perfecting Spray. L’Oreal Vive Pro Glossy Style Non-Aerosol Hairspray, which provides great hold and shape!

The marketing Pro colors her brunette locks and to maintain that healthy chocolate color, she uses Pantene Pro-V Brunette Expressions shampoo and conditioner. When she wants to blow-dry the curl out of her hair, she uses the best blow dryer ever, the Revlon 1875 Ionic Ceramic Blow Dryer and Redken Satinwear 02 blow-dry lotion. When the hairstyle demands hairspray, her fave is a tried and true brand: AquaNet Extra Super Hold (flash back to the 80’s – she’s with the band man!).

PERSONAL CARE:

The makeup Pro likes to keep it simple when it comes to body lotions because she doesn’t like heavy fragrances competing with her favorite perfumes. Johnson and Johnson Baby Lotion (the one in the pink bottle) is wonderful and keeps this Pro’s skin feeling soft and smooth! Neutrogena Body Wash and Gentle Exfoliating Cream work wonders on dry skin and invigorates her senses after a long day on set! LAVANILA Laboratories, The Healthy Deodorant, in Vanilla Coconut (also because it doesn’t compete with the makeup Pro’s fragrance) is a natural choice to traditional anitperspirants and it works!

The marketing Pro, unlike the makeup Pro, doesn’t mind a light scent in her body lotion and she loves Jaqua’s Pina Colada Body Butter. A must have for the shower is Skintimate Shave Gel for legs and bikini area.

MAKEUP:

The makeup Pro is opening up her personal makeup drawer to our readers! There are staples in her collection that never change (foundation, face powder, eye shadow palettes, mascara) however, frequently she will replace and try new products such as lipgloss, blusher, bronzer, eye liner and lip pencils. Here is a list of the current products that she uses daily:

Primer: M.A.C., Prep & Prime Foundation: Eve Pearl High Definition Dual Foundation/Medium & Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand and Nude (she mixes these colors together to achieve the perfect skintone match) Concealer: Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer/Medium Brow: tarte comsetic’s emphasEYES/Taupe & Medium Brown Face Powder: Purely Cosmetics Diamond Powder Palettes: Tricia Sawyer Beauty's Essential Palette & Essential Pretty Palette, Eve Pearl The Eye Palette in Ultimate & Natural Blusher: Eve Pearl Blush Trio in Sassy Bronzer: CoverFX Bronzer in Gold Eye Liner: M.A.,C., Liquidlast Liner in Coco Bar Mascara: CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara in Black Noir, Diorshow Mascara in Black Lips: La Mer Lip Balm, tarte comsetic’s Vitamin-Infused Lipgloss in Liquid Sunshine & OM, Laura Mercier Lipgloss in Bare Beige and Blush, The Eve Pearl Lip Pencil in Caramel, Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in Rose Satin 657 and Linen Beige 317 Remover: M.A.C Wipes.

The marketing Pro’s collection; Primer: LORAC aquaPRIME™ Primer Foundation: combination of CoverFX M30 & C30 foundation with 30SPF Concealer: Georgio Armani High Precision Retouch 3.5 Face Powder: SmashBox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder in Light Brow: Laura Mercier eye brow pencil in Soft Brunette Palettes: Eve Pearl Au Natural Eye Palette, M.A.C. custom palette for eye in various colors, Smashbox Cream Eyeliner Palette in Backstage Eye Liner: Eve Pearl Black Pearl Smudgeproof Liquid Eyeliner Mascara: tarte mascara and for those lower lashes, Bottoms Up™ Blusher: NARS Orgasm Tint: CoverFX SkinTintFX with sunblock in E Light and tarte tipsy cheek stain Lips: NARS glosses in Orgasm & Bad Education, Sally Hansen’s Lip Inflation in Sheer Mocha, Laura Mercier Natural Lips lip pencil.

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:

To save money, the Pro’s recommend shopping for personal care, hair care and some cosmetic products, like mascara and lip gloss, at your local drug store, but when it comes to skin care and makeup such as foundation, concealer or powder, splurge on high-end manufacturers to insure that your skin is receiving the best quality plus those product lines tend to last longer throughout the day!

STAY TUNED:

Up next on IMPO: Hitting the spa with our Marketing Pro! IMPO was invited to try a facial featuring the Clarisonic! Discover how this technology has made a difference in the cleansing of the skin!