Celebrity Makeup Artist

Professional Makeup Artist’s Go-To Products

Do you ever wonder what kind of makeup, skincare, and beauty tools professional makeup artists use to make celebrities look their best for the big screen?

Women often ask me what kind of makeup I use as well as what skincare brands I recommend. Especially the women who sit in my chair and have their makeup done for TV, Film, or to appear on the cover of a major magazine. Once they see how good they look…they immediately want everything I put on their face.

The other question I receive, quite often, is “I’ve always wanted to learn how to be a makeup artist or beauty expert, how can I learn the tricks of the trade?”.

I have had so many celebrities and clients ask me where they can buy the professional makeup I have in the kit that I use on movie and TV sets. Once they see how good they look…they ask me what is that you used and where can I buy that?

For over 20 years, I have purchased the majority of my professional makeup from a family owned business called Alcone, based in NYC. Alcone has been around since 1952 providing professional makeup for the stage and film industry.

Through the years, Alcone received tons of calls from celebrities and clients of professional makeup artists wanting to purchase their makeup…so they decided to create a company called Limelife by Alcone.

When they started LimeLife, their intention was simple…they wanted to share the beauty secrets their family had acquired over 65 years in the professional makeup industry.

They soon realized the their products did more than improve complexions and enhance natural beauty…they had a significant impact on confidence. So, they decide to create a way to help others start their own beauty business using professional products. The outcome…they are going gangbusters!

I share this with you just in case you or someone you know is interested in breaking into the business. If so, this is a great place to start.

As a professional working in the beauty industry for over 30 years, I can honestly say, it’s truly a gift to help women feel better about themselves. To build their confidence. When a woman feels better about herself, she has a better life overall… and that is the mission of Limelife by Alcone.

Empowering women to feel confident in who they are and help others do the same.

With lots of love and loads of gratitude,

Michelle

Celebrity Makeup Artist Shares Important Beauty Tip via a Video She Made in Her Car

One year ago this week, I began taking Barre3 classes 2-3x per week. It has been a life changing experience for me. Not only am I enjoying these classes as they combine pilates, yoga, ballet and cardio, I am getting into great shape and have never felt better physically and mentally. The classes end with a […]

One year ago this week, I began taking Barre3 classes 2-3x per week. It has been a life changing experience for me. Not only am I enjoying these classes as they combine pilates, yoga, ballet and cardio, I am getting into great shape and have never felt better Continue reading “Celebrity Makeup Artist Shares Important Beauty Tip via a Video She Made in Her Car”

Simple, Human, and Real Beauty

Here’s to retraining ourselves to see the amazing in images that are simple, human, and real!

As a celebrity makeup artist and stylist- I have worked with countless celebrities to help them achieve a flawless look for their appearances on TV, in movies and on the covers of magazines. To create their “flawless” looks I applied beautiful makeup, coiffed their hair, and dressed them in stunning outfits before they stepped in front of the camera. Once in front of the camera, they were lit perfectly to take away any remaining imperfections…and then in most cases, the images were digitally enhanced after the shoot.

How can we live up to the perfect images we see everyday? We can’t. It takes hours and a team of people to create the images we are bombarded with on a daily basis.

I am so happy that we are finally seeing celebrities stepping out in front of the camera without the makeup, styled hair, lighting, and airbrushing! Yes, they have imperfect skin, wrinkles, freckles and all! Yes, they are human. Here’s to retraining ourselves to see the amazing in images that are simple, human, and real!

“Let’s get back to the simple truth of humanity” Helen Mirren

Check out the 2016 Pirelli Calendar – untouched photos of celebrities without makeup…Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman and more.

Red Carpet Beauty Secrets

Who doesn’t love watching the award shows? The celebs all dressed up in stunning gowns looking absolutely radiant with their glowing skin.

It’s mind blowing to see many of the same celebrities year after looking as if they haven’t aged, in fact they appear to be looking younger every year. How do they do that?

Often times, celebs have personal chefs, trainers, and their dermatologists/estheticians/plastic surgeons on speed dial. Good news girls…You don’t need to be rich and famous to have the same privileges…

As an expert in the world of beauty for 20 years working as a celebrity makeup artist and skincare expert I am here to tell you that there is a DIY approach that will bring you some pretty close results.

My secret beauty routine that I’ve designed for myself as well as my clients; Healthy Diet + Exercise + Breakthrough Skin Care Technology

Diet:

Get rid of the toxins. Our skin is our largest organ. Healthy skin is a direct result of a healthy lifestyle. We are what we eat. Alcohol, Cigarettes, fast or fried food are all a sure fire way to detract from your goal of good health- and good skin.

Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. I know you know this…so are you doing it? Water is the best way to hydrate internally as well as flush out those impurities. Add some lemon if you aren’t a fan of the plain taste. You want that glow, right?

Eat lots of fruits and veggies! I make green juice everyday consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables high in vitamins and anti-oxidants. My faves are Kale, Spinach, Cucumber, Apple, Carrots and anything else I desire. My skin has improved immensely since incorporating this into my beauty routine…not to mention- my immune system is kicking!

Exercise increases the oxygen in our blood which gives us a healthy glow- not to mention keeps our weight down so we feel better in our clothes. Hate the gym? Take a dance class! Get moving!

Skincare:

The best foundation is beautiful skin. I have packages arriving at my door weekly from some of the top skincare and makeup lines on the planet- asking me to try their products. Not to mention, I am a product junkie always searching for the latest in skincare technology… and I too have a few Dermatologists on speed dial.
So many of you are probably thinking…okay then…spill! Alrightly then…

Modern technology has made so many advances that can help us improve our skin and help us reclaim a more youthful appearance- without plastic surgery. Amen!

Laser

If you can afford it, it’s worth it. Many of my clients starting having laser treatments about five years ago and when I saw the results, I started too. Fraxel or Co2 lasers among many others will help rebuild collagen and improve elasticity, considerably. To know what’s best for you, schedule a consultation with a reputable dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Cost is about $1000 dollars and up. I have laser once a year. LOVE!

Exfoliate. Our skin’s naturally exfoliates every 28 days…until we start to age. Yikers…when the process slows down, we have some build up going on. And dead skin is not pretty. Therefore, we need a little assistance getting that process to speed up. Every two months, I visit my esthetician for a facial and a glycolic acid peel. If facials are a little costly, you can give yourself facials at home and use an exfoliant a couple times a week which contains glycolic to keep those pesky dead skin cells from building up. Our moisturizers aren’t work as well if we have a layer of dead skin. EWE!

Retin A. Recently I asked my Dermatolgist about the Retin-A “craze”. Is it really that big of a deal? She said yes. Retin-A or retinoids play a huge role in speeding up the exfoliation process and building collagen! Retin-A is only prescribed by a doctor. However there are many products that contain vitamin A or retinoids…very similar. The presription is obviously going to be stronger. I only use it a couple times a week. Warning: use once or twice a week to begin with because it can make your face peel a bit more than usual.

Anti-oxidants. We are exposed to environmental elements that damage our skin and in most cases we have already had some damage done. In order to rebuild and protect…Anti-oxidants are a must. I recommend that you choose a serum or daytime moisturizer which contains vitamins such as C, E, and A (remember the importance of vitamin A?)- along with an SPF! Sun damage is up there on that list with smoking as the fastest way to looking older, not to mention putting yourself at risk for skin cancer.

Eyes are the windows to our soul and we sure don’t want them to look old and wrinkly, do we? Think of the skin under your eyes being as thin as tissue paper and your face like construction paper. Which one is going to break down first? Again, protect your eyes daily with a good eye cream.

Night time is when our skin repairs itself. Think about it, we sleep we recharge, restore and renew. So does our skin…so give your face, neck and declotee the best chance to boost it’s moisture and restore.

Good health along with Skincare and technology= Show stopper! Here’s to the DIY Celeb Glow! We don’t need to be rich and famous to look and feel amazing, do we girls?

Recipe for an at Home Zen Spa Experience

I went to get my nails done today and of course the first thing the nail tech asked me was what color? I replied soft brown or beige. She looked at me as if I was an alien who just sat down. Beige? Beige is boring…so plain…so simple. Everyone else is wearing dark colors for Fall…don’t you want to join in the Fall festivities?

For a moment I felt like a weirdo. Then in the next few seconds I thought, no I am not a weirdo! I want beige!

In fact, I began loving the idea of beige even more as I started to think about what beige represents to me. It’s soft, simple, clean, timeless, like a pottery barn magazine, a spa, a zen place. Personally, I am gearing up for the change of season by creating more zen in my home as well as some zen in my daily life. As a busy mom, I am running around taking care of everyone else, I have made a vow to take care of myself too. I want to spend more time feeling cozy, warm and relaxed rather than crazed. Burnt orange or red will do another time. But not today.

After my manicure, I went home and decided to create a little spa experience for myself. If you are looking to create some zen for yourself, Here are a few of my simple tips to create your own Spa experience in the comfort of your home…to take care of the one person that you may put on the back burner way too often..YOU!

Recipe to create you Zen At Home Spa Experience:

Ingredients:

Soft towels

Bath tub

Candles

Soft music

Book (optional)

Herbal DeCaf Tea (Celestial Seasons- Camomile/Lavender is my fave)

Homemade Sugar Body Scrub: Mix 1 cup olive oil with 2 cups of raw sugar and add essential oil if desired.

Moisturizing Body Bar or Wash

Homemade Face Mask: 1 cup of oatmeal cooked, 1 tablespoon honey, egg whites from one egg (to hold ingredients together ). Mix and apply to a clean face for 5-10 minutes. Gently rinse Oatmeal and honey soothes and moisturizes the skin.

Directions:

Draw lukewarm bath (not too hot as hot water robs our skin of moisture). Add some bubble bath if you prefer. Just remember, the oil from the home made body scrub will moisturize your body while you are in your bath.
Light candles, start music, grab your book

Apply face mask to face and neck. Avoiding eye and lip area

Use Sugar Body Scrub to gently exfoliate body- (avoid face and neck) leaving your skin moisturized by olive oil. Follow with gentle body wash if needed. (I like to mix body wash with a little sugar scrub mixture and gently massage into skin).

Lie back and sip tea, listen to music or read, and relax.

Once you have rinsed body and washed face mask off- gently towel dry and apply eye cream and night cream.

Enjoy the peaceful sleep (don’t forget to blow out the candles)

…then I’ll be happy!

by Celebrity Makeup Artist, Self-Esteem Coach and Best Selling Author Michelle Phillips

We’ve all said something like this, “When I lose weight, find the right guy, or get a better job”…then I’ll be happy. For so many of us there is a little voice inside that makes us think having what someone else has, or what we don’t have, will make our lives better.

We look at the people around us; friends, colleagues, even celebrities, and think that if we could just have a perfect partner like they do, perfect kids, maybe even perfect bodies, we could finally be happy. But what is “perfect,” and are the people who have it happy? Will we be if we attain it? The answer is more than likely no, so what should we do?

Comparing ourselves to others is totally natural and it is also normal to want to be better or improve ourselves. But chasing perfection, especially someone else’s, definitely won’t give you a fair chance at feeling good about being you. Not to mention that perfection is unattainable and striving for it will only leave you disappointed, so stop.

Long before I became a Life Coach I was a Celebrity Makeup Artist and could always tell just by looking at someone what is going on in their life. I could tell a wide variety of things from their skin, eyes, smile, the way they stood, spoke, and the way they took care of themselves.

It’s simple, if you don’t feel good about yourself and your life, it manifests in your image and you have to admit, you are all fully aware of it when you look in the mirror. Unfortunately the growing trend is people trying to cover up what is going on inside by getting work done on the outside. Our “quick-fix society is turning to Botox, plastic surgery and fad diets rather than doing the inner emotional work that could create lasting “beauty” in our lives. For example, over the last few years, I have been working with a plastic surgeon who sends me clients that feel that once they got “work” done they would finally find the level of perfect happiness they were searching for. Thankfully, by coaching patients towards a holistic transformation instead of yet another let down from searching outside of themselves, they found the perfection they were searching for…internally. As a result, they lost weight and began to look better because they were finding their bliss within.

Rather than dealing with symptoms let’s go a little deeper and try to figure out what is creating the feelings of inadequacy that are driving us. All of us want to look good, feel good, have a great life- I am in total agreement with looking good on the outside, but to achieve that I recommend a different approach.

Find gratitude for what you have- What if your life abruptly changed tomorrow and you lost everything? How badly would you want to have your life back the way it is today? Start a gratitude journal. Write down what you are grateful for and take time to make note of the beauty in your life each day.
Start being happy today- If you are constantly thinking about tomorrow you never have a chance to enjoy today. Where can you create your happy moments for now? Take time to smell the roses!
Make sure your life is your own- Are your decisions and goals your own? When we live the way we think we should instead of the way we could we grow resentful. What could you do and where in life could you live more authentically?
Stop comparing yourself- What if you were the trendsetter of your own life? Would you feel less pressure? Worry? Doubt? It’s okay to hold yourself to a higher standard as long as it’s yours.

The bottom line is that it is okay to strive and grow and to want more as long as you enjoy the ride. Check in with your goals to make sure they are yours and remain grateful every step of the way. When you do, an authentic power and beauty will be yours to radiate!

About Michelle

Michelle Phillips is redefining beauty! By combining her years of experience as a top Celebrity Makeup Artist and Stylist with powerful self-esteem tools, she has created a unique process that is transforming women across the globe. Throughout her career, Michelle’s job was to create the illusion of perfection on camera, and like so many other women, she strived for the same illusion of perfection in her personal life. Along the way though she became disillusioned with the world of “beauty,” and saw this same struggle in the hearts of women everywhere. Michelle saw that women’s quests for perfection were leading to feelings of inadequacy that they were trying to cover up with external fixes like new haircuts, makeovers and fashions, and when that didn’t fill the void, many turned to plastic surgery, dangerous diets, anti-depressants and sleeping pills. She said, “Enough!” and created a process to discover true inner beauty and radiate it outward!

Today Michelle Phillips shares her Beauty Blueprint process in her speaking programs, TV and radio host, and bestselling author of The Beauty Blueprint: 8 Steps to Building the Life and Look of Your Dreams (Hay House, 2011). You may have seen Michelle on TV shows and networks such as; Oxygen Network, We-TV, HGTV, TLC, CW, KCAL-LA, Fox13-Tampa, Daytime, or speaking on the Power of Women Tour and “I Can Do It!” events with inspirational icons Wayne Dyer and Louise Hay. She has also been heard on Martha Stewart Radio on Sirius/XM, Hay House Radio and many more.

Love the body you have…TODAY!

by Celebrity Makeup Artist, Self-Esteem Coach, and Bestselling Author Michelle Phillips

Love the body you have today!

It’s no small secret that women don’t like their bodies. In fact, I’ve been doing a little research and I am sad to report that recent statistics say that more than 80% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies. Even more troubling is that 65% of young girls think they are fat and are already dieting. Ladies of all ages, this has got to change!

As a celebrity makeup artist and stylist the first things I usually hear when when working with a client is “can you cover this up” or “could you make me look 10 pounds thinner?” With the right makeup, lighting, and airbrushing anything is possible in front of the camera, but in real life- the Life Coach in me has to take over from there. That bit of “cover-up” is best if it comes from inside.

I can tell you from working with hundreds of women that the latest diet or workout won’t be the key to having a body you love. Believing in who you are, and in how you look… is the foundation to achieving what you truly want out of life. I know this isn’t always an easy thing to do but freeing yourself of negative thoughts is a huge step towards living a truly beautiful life and achieving a healthy body. The first, and possibly the most crucial step on that path though, is to start loving the body you have right now.

Here are some suggestions to do just that:

Create an “I love myself because…” list

First, write down 20 things that you love about yourself. Your list may include your personality, kind heart, your sense of humor, compassion, smile, elbows, feet, etc. Include your talents and achievements, or various ways you’re proud of yourself. If you have trouble with this exercise think about what your best friend would say about you. It’s time to be your own best friend!

Take notice of the beauty around you

Take a deeper look at nature surrounding you. It may be a tree, mountains, clouds, the moon, butterfly, a flower…is it perfect? Does it have imperfections, maybe a few blemishes on a leaf? Start to notice the beauty around you. Train your mind to let go of the “imperfections” and revel in what makes things uniquely beautiful.

Delete Negative Self-Talk

Every time you hear yourself talking negatively about how you look…STOP! Who needs another critic? Instead, turn that inner dialogue into positive self-talk. You have the power to focus on what is great about you right now by deleting the negative thoughts whenever they show up.

Appreciate your beautiful body

Women are familiar with their face but not necessarily their body. Start to look at your body in the mirror. Study your shape and find the beauty. Notice how your body supports you and your daily life. Our bodies are beautiful vessels that transport our gorgeous souls.

Cut the tags out of your clothes!

Don’t buy a closet full of clothes that are too tight for you to fit into hoping that you’ll be in them soon – those are just guilt garments that don’t make you feel good when you open your closet. Buy and wear clothes that fit the body you have today. They call it a “fitting room” for a reason. Size doesn’t matter; it is all about how you feel in your clothes. By dressing the body you have today will help increase your self-esteem and in-turn unnecessary weight will begin to fall away. When you feel better about yourself, you take better care of yourself. It’s that simple!

Inner Peace on Earth- for a truly beautiful Holiday

For many people this season it’s difficult “to be jolly”. Financial woes, loss, loneliness, and family stress can feel like weight of a heavy snow more than ever around this time of year. By the way, if you broke in to song with that first sentence, this may article may not apply to you but read on…

Something that you hear a lot around now is “Peace on Earth, goodwill towards men!” More than any other times of year, around the Holidays we tend think about what we can do to better the lives others. If you are struggling with ways to find your own peace though, spreading peace to others can seem out of reach. So how do we remedy that in time to have a great Holiday? I believe the cure lies in one of my favorite phrases, the change we want to see in the world starts with us. Once you have inner peace it becomes easy to be one person or one family making a difference in the lives of others by word and deed.

Now we’re on to something but, again, where do we start within ourselves is the next question.

I come to this with kind of different angle given my particular area of expertise as a Beauty and Life Coach. While millions are constantly searching for an outer “fix” the real connection to harmony and beauty is feeling bliss on the inside and radiating that out to the world. I believe that much of the inner turmoil and lack of peace that we experience comes from allowing ourselves to be caught up in superficial things like material possessions, and not living according to our authentic beliefs.

Even before thinking of the gifts you would like in your life, start finding your peace by thinking of those you already have. Your gifts can be your beautiful smile, radiant personality, intuitive feeling and deep connection to those around you, constant optimism, or just about anything else. By taking this mental and emotional inventory you remind yourself of the value that you already hold rather than thinking there must me something more. That is the point after all, that you are already more than enough! All too often we think of ourselves in terms of the “mizpah”, the beautiful necklace that we give each other as friends. It’s that heart that is broken and each of us takes half to symbolize the eternal bond with the other. The true gift is in letting yourself be complete and giving your whole heart to as many people has you can throughout your life.

We can also achieve peace by remembering that we are all gifts to the world. We are such wonderful gifts in fact, that we should be re-gifted often. And as those gifts we are not our wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows, we are a joy-filled bundle of beauty and divine purpose!

When something or someone is true to their purpose and simply enjoys being they are a source of beauty for the world. Before waiting for New Year’s resolution season, take some time to explore what it is that brings purpose and joy to you. Consider what you would be doing in your ideal job, relationships, and personal life, and how living that true to them would bring beauty to your soul. Now take that a step farther and actually write that down and create your special “gift list”. There is something about the process of putting pen to paper and seeing your dreams in front of you that helps bring them to reality.

Have a wonderful, and beautiful, Holiday and I look forward to being an inspirational part of your journey in the coming year!

Written by Bestselling Hay House author, TV & Radio Host, Celebrity Makeup Artist and Life Coach Michelle Phillips