Top Beauty Apps

Just about everybody has a Smartphone these days... or an iPad, or an iPod that's basically an iPhone (minus the phone calls!).  This past week I've been test driving some of the top beauty apps available.  (And by "top" I mean the top ones that showed up by relevancy when I typed in beauty.  Read below for why some of these don't earn top ratings in my book.)  Now, these were on my iPad, so they are from the iTunes store. Not sure their availability for Android phones or tablets, but you can check out my Winners below and see for yourself on your system.

I also learned that some of my top beauty magazines have online subscriptions for free I can easily add to my newstand in iTunes.  No more toting heavy magazines with me everywhere!  Yay!  But I can't exactly dog-ear the pages for reference though. :(

The Losers-

1. Modiface Makeover: 1 Star.  This app is supposed to allow you to test run different makeup products on a photo of your own face to see how they would look.  The concept is solid. You take a photo of your own face and then can do test swatches on your actual features with buyable makeup products.  However, what it has in theory it lacks in application.  The colors are really sheer, so it's hard to say for sure if that's how the pigmentation will really look on you.  It's ultra unrealistic looking.  I tried out lipstick colors, and it didn't even overlap me lips.  It tried to, but there was on predetermined lip "shape" that is superimposed over my mouth.  It looked kind of like a child's crayon drawing.  There's also the Makeup (what the difference is supposed to be beats me) and Nails versions, but this was so bad I deleted them without even trying them out.

2. My Beauty Bible: 1 Star.  At first, I thought it looked really professional and user friendly in its layout. I was excited, but the free version is almost useless.  There are only five videos, seven photos, and I didn't bother counting the text tips (which were ridiculously basic).  They also make another app (which I didn't realize until I opened it, and it was almost identical) called How To Do Your Makeup Professionally.  There were even LESS videos supposedly in the paid version than My Beauty Bible.  And they aren't even professionally produced photos by actual makeup artists.  They are imported videos from YouTube.  Why people would PAY to have access to these when you can see them for FREE on YouTube is beyond me.  Color me annoyed.

3. BarryM Looks: 1 Star.  I was excited to see this, because I've heard such good things from other YouTuber's out there about the BarryM products.  Having seen them in action, I thought they looked to be great quality.  Apparently though, that doesn't translate to their app quality.  It looks like a 6th grade powerpoint presentation, with outdated graphics.  The videos have no voice and are very ameteurish with low quality resolution and lighting.  It's ok if you want to see how the products work, but they even show the quality of the products off well at all.  It looked like bad Wet N' Wild makeup from 1989.  They look super cheap.

4. How To Make Your Hair Look Fab: 1 Star.  By the makers of My Beauty Bible.  Enough said.

5. Mark.trends: 2 Stars.  This app is basically an ad for their new products.  Like an Avon catalog with 8 pages you flip through on an iPad.  You can get through it all in a matter of minutes.  But I gave it an extra star, because it does look really nice and professional.  Just with there was some interactive elements to it that made it engaging!

The Winners-

1. Beauty School by Typef.com: 4 Stars.  This app is great for beginners at makeup!  You input your personal traits (like hair color, skin color, skin type, etc) and select mini courses to show you basic application techniques.  You get written step by step instructions, videos, and product recommendations.  It's like all your basic beauty articles from a magazine in one place.  I recommend it if you are looking to start wearing makeup everyday (for work, etc) and need some guidance, or for young girls just starting to experiment passed lipgloss and mascara.

2. Beautylish: 5 Stars.  The winner by far, I love this app.  I've started using it a bit more on my actual computer through the website, but it allows me easy access to my account when I would rather work from the couch!  You can upload your own videos and connect to your YouTube account then link to the products you used.  It gives your audience instant buying power!  There's an online retail store, so they can purchase everything there all at once.  It's great for those people who don't want to have to search everywhere for the products used in their favorite tutorials.  You can also write and read reviews on hundreds of products, and there are awesome forums where you can chat with makeup and beauty enthusiasts from all over the globe!  Plus, you get $10 store credit for joining.  All for FREE.  (Keep in mind though that the credit is good for only 48 hours.)  I've already had a great time connecting with people and sharing my opinions.

The Contenders-

1. Celebrity Makeup Looks: 3 Stars.  It's basically full of YouTube tutorials featuring how to's on celeb looks.  Again, another app trying to feed off of YouTube's gurus to create their product.  The ads at the top of the page are distracting from watching the videos, and there's no way to get rid of them.  The description bar doesn't open fully, and you can't read much at all.  However, there are links that connect you to that guru's YouTube account, so you can subscribe and watch their videos through YouTube at a later time.  It's a decent concept, narrowing down the focus of the videos into one place.  But again, it's really just using the work that YouTube has done to create it's own app.

2. Bloom Beauty Trends: 3 Stars.  This is a good place to promote yourself or finding a professional near you, but I didn't see many members near me. I can see this becoming a big thing in the future, as more pros join and it becoming a great resource.  But it's really no more useful than YouTube itself.  You can find someone's profile and see their tutorials and education/references in one place though.

Do you have any favorite beauty apps that you'd like to recommend?  I'd love to hear about them!  Please leave me a comment below!

What's On My Beauty Bookshelf?

Every great makeup artist has to start somewhere.  Whether we are formally educated in a school or learn on our own, we need some kind of reference manual or guide to show us techniques and products and anatomy.  For some it is videos on YouTube.  For others it's articles in a magazine.  For me it was books.  Glorious books.  Maybe that just dates me as being in the over 25 group, but I've always had a love affair with books.  Something tangible I could hold in my hand, turn the pages, and lounge with by the pool on a lazy summer day.

My very first book was by Kevyn Aucoin.  Making Faces.  It was the epitome of makeup tutorial books, and I spent hours in my bedroom as a teenager emulating his techniques for applying makeup to transform the face. My face.  It was the foundation for my views on beauty and makeup, and I find myself longing for that copy I had so long ago.  Perhaps some day I will purchase a new copy, but for now its teachings remain safely nestled in my brain.  At least I still have my copy of Face Forward!

Here are some of the books I have on my beauty bookshelf right now that I love to pull as reference when I am working with a client.  Or even just for days when I want to brush up on their pearls of wisdom.  Either way, {some} have provided me with a fountain of knowledge over the years {while others I've recently picked up and put back down again}, and I hope that you can find some inspiration to transform your beauty routine as well!

Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin
By the beauty master himself who inspired me to become a professional makeup artist, this book shows you not only amazing step by step instructions for full face makeovers, but insight into his life and relationships with some of today's hottest stars in Hollywood.  I am still amazed at the transformations he creates in this book, and his steps are both comprehensive in explanation and easy to follow.  A MUST HAVE for anyone who loves makeup!

Make-up Masterclass by Jemma Kidd
A former model, Jemma Kidd brings her perspective to the makeup artist world with a pretty good book for every day makeup wearers that want that next step in their application techniques.  I read this pretty far into my career, so I didn't find too much new information for my own repertoire, but I highly recommend it for consumers.

About Face by Scott Barnes
You see the YouTube videos everywhere on how to look like Kim Kardashian and J. Lo.  Well, Scott Barnes is the guy who created their signature looks with his highlighting and contouring techniques he describes in his book.  This has completely revolutionized how I apply cream foundations on my clients, and I love his techniques for adding shading to the skin prior to the foundation application.  This book really pulled together for me the methods only briefly described in these "tutorials", and I love the way it's looking in my own work.  A MUST HAVE for the professional makeup artist that really wants to take their foundation application to the next level.

Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone From Beginner To Pro
I think the title is a little misleading for us professional makeup artists out there.  I think it's really geared more towards the "beginner" end of the spectrum, which is why it's one of the first books I reach for when doing one on one consultations with my clients for "homework" reading.  I adore Bobbi Brown and would love to own all of her books some day, so I'm very happy to recommend this to anyone who loves a good beauty book.  But for those out there already making a living as a freelance makeup artist, don't expect too many pearls of wisdom on the application front.  There is however a great section in the back on careers in the industry, as well as a FANTASTIC reference for top makeup brand facts!

The Makeup Artist Handbook by Gretchen Davis and Mindy Hall
Once I knew I wanted to make this my full time career, I went straight out and bought this book.  I read it from cover to cover on my breaks at the Macy's makeup counter, hunched over my cup of chicken noodle soup from Au Bon Pain, slurping up chunks of french baquette soaked in broth along with my knowledge.  I think I initially bought every recommended product in this book, which touted them as the "industry standards" before learning to experiment and develop my own sense of style and what products worked best for me.  It teaches the fundamentals and science behind so much of the industry, I think it's an invaluable tool for those who want to work on production teams and sets of any kind.  It has a wealth of wisdom for set etiquette and proper procedures which can help make or break your career.

Cosmo's Sexiest Beauty Secrets  by The Editors of Cosmopolitan
I actually just picked this up from the used book store last week on a whim and found it cute.  Definitely for the everyday makeup wearer looking to find a new trick or two, or to step outside their ho hum daily routine and spice things up a bit.  Pretty much every tip in the book has been discussed ad nauseum by Comopolitan in their articles over the years, so if you're a long time reader of their magazine like I am, don't expect any new surprises.  A good, quick, light read though!

The Power of Makeup by Trish McEvoy
Got this last week from the used book store as well.  Read about a quarter of it and had to put it away.  I found this book more of a personal history for her and her brand, as well as a creative marketing piece for her products.  Perhaps I'll pick it back up again some day and finish it, but for right now I'll reach for my other "go-to's" first.

Forget the Facelift by Doris J. Day
This book is really great for those who have skincare issues they need to resolve.  A dermatologist with a thriving (as least it sounds like it is from her book!) practice in New York, she breaks down the way the skin works and the internal and external factors that play a part in it's health and aging process.  If you want to look younger, following her tips should really show improvement for you.  I love that she focuses not so much on the procedures and products, but the holistic skin care recipes and  spiritual aspect of inner peace to limit stress and reduce the aging process.  I'm looking forward to experimenting with her recipes and sharing my experiences with you!

Raising Eyebrows by Cameron Tuttle
I got this book super cheap last year at IMATS in NYC from the Benefit booth when I made a purchase.   I got a few copies and gave them to the artists on my team.  I've always been a brow girl myself, so I didn't really learn anything I didn't know per se, but it was a fun and interesting read!  One of my makeup artists, however, says that it's totally changed how she sees brows, so I'd highly recommend it to anyone who really wants to learn the perfect techniques for gorgeous eyebrows.