Holiday Hangover Help

***Blogger doesn't feel like linking today. I'll try to get them up soon. Thanks!

I feel like I've been run over by a Mack truck. Then, it backed up and ran over me again, just for good measure. Then, the driver got out and tap danced on my back. Then, he beat me with a stick and called me names.

We filmed over the weekend. For two days--8am to 6 or 7pm (I lost track)--I stood, ran, organized, made up, coiffed, touched-up, and occasionally acted. It was fun, and a lot was accomplished (and I'd like to thank the good Lord above for our cast and crew, who were amazing and beyond professional, and made this crazy weekend go so much more smoothly than it had any right to), and now, I'm...well, hungover.

Yup. Flat out hung. over. Read: bleary-eyed, aching, puffy, nauseous, dehydrated, with too much residual hairspray and makeup. If you didn't know any better, you'd think I'd gone on a bender at the company Christmas party. Truth be told, I did drink last night. I had a Mike's Hard Margarita, with an alcohol content only slightly higher than that of Kool-Aid. Had I known I'd feel this bad today, I'd have had two.

Anyway, icky or not, I had to come to work today, and I didn't want to walk in practically screaming, "I HAVE A HANGOVER!!!!!" so I used a few tricks to make me, at least, appear bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. If any of  you are planning to imbibe at any upcoming holiday parties, these might be useful for you, too.*

First, I did take ten seconds to wipe off most of my makeup with a cleansing towelette, and I put on a little eye cream and a super-hydrating lip balm. Even dead-tired, that's not too hard to do. In the morning, I slathered on a deep-cleaning, exfoliating mask, then headed to the kitchen for coffee with a water and ibuprofen chaser. The mask will help your skin glow, while the caffeine, hydration, and anti-imflammatory will help you feel more like a human being.

I hopped in the shower to wash off the mask, then cleaned the rest of me with a soothing scrub. The exfoliating will help get your blood pumping and wake you up. Then, I smoothed on a moisturizing body lotion.

Now, I had time to wash my hair and apply a leave-in conditioner and a little gel before blowing dry. If you overslept or just don't have time for that, spritz in some Bumble & Bumble Prep. This is great just to keep on hand. Prep reactivates the products in your hair and leaves a fresh scent. In either case, throw your hair into a messy bun or twist into a clip while you put on your makeup. When you pull it down, you'll have soft waves that make your hair look "done", making you look more polished. Run a little smoothing serum through it, if needed.

For makeup, prep skin with an eye cream and lip balm, then start with a tinted moisturizer. If you're dehydrated, foundation can make any flakes or fine lines more noticeable. A good tinted moisturizer will give you some coverage and a healthy dewy finish. If you have one that's in your "Summer shade", use it and blend down your neck. The extra color will give dull skin a little oomph. Apply a color-correcting eye primer and a shadow in a flesh tone, with a crease color a few shades darker. Keep it all matte, and all natural. Shimmer will only settle into lines and make you look older. You don't want to overdo the eyes. Have you ever seen someone who's been crying while wearing a smoky eye? It's not pretty. You don't want puffy eyes and a ton of dark shadow. You'll just look more tired. Keep eyeliner light and mascara on the top lashes only, to make the eyes appear more lifted, and avoid getting mascara in any fine lines. If you must have shimmer, apply a fine, soft gold or soft pink glitter (it doesn't settle as badly as shimmer) to your inner corner and brow bone. The highlights will, again, make you appear more awake and more lifted. Try a concealer that's a shade lighter than your tinted moisturizer. It will help highlight the undereye area for a brighter appearance. Pop a pink blush on the apples of cheeks, and keep lips looking plump and pretty with a red-toned gloss. Lipstick can settle into dehydrated lips.

Lastly, pour a little Gatorade into a travel mug and psyche yourself up. It's going to be a great day!

*Please drink responsibly and designate a driver. Thanks!

Deck the Nails, Part 2: Essie Leading Lady

We're filming a follow-up to The Night Shift over the holidays, which means I get to reprise my role as Claire, and I am beyond excited! In addition to being a really fun, strong character, she's also rocks a kooky, kitschy, neo-pinup style, and I'm  more than ready to start pulling out the red lipstick and nail polish. Because the film is set at Christmas, and because the nail polish we used for the original doesn't exist anymore, the director wants Claire's nails to be a festive, glittery, ruby red, so I'm on a mission from gahd to find it.

Photo Credit: Essie.com

This isn't it.

Well, it might have to be, but only because I'm running short on time. I'm sorry, but I really, really hate this nail polish. It's pretty, but it's a royal pain. Allow me to explain:

The first coat that I put on was a streaky, jelly-like, non-glittery mess. Seriously, only maybe one to two pieces of glitter made it onto each nail, and it looked like I'd dipped my hands into cherry Kool-Aid. It was bad.

To make the glitter show up, I had to kind of pile on the second coat. It was goopy, gritty, and just not fun to deal with. It did dry quickly, though, so that's a plus. To make matters worse, after less than 16 hours--eight of which I spent asleep--the polish had already begun to chip. Granted, I hadn't used a topcoat, but that's because I wanted to see how it did on its own. Not too well, apparently.

It's not all bad. I mean, I do adore the color. It's a deep berry red, and the glitter reminds me of Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. It is sparkly and merry, and all of those happy adjectives that describe the holidays, and the name, "Leading Lady", is so on-the-nose for what I need it for that I actually squealed in the store. Plus, the price isn't terrible. It was less than $8 at Target. I can't see myself using this for anything other than filming, but if you're looking for a red glitter, and are willing to put in some serious work, you might be happy with the results.

Me? I'm gonna put my sunglasses on, hop back in the BluesMobile, and keep on the mission.

Like Hairspray For Your Face: Urban Decay All-Nighter VS. Ben Nye Final Seal

This one's going to be a bit of a rambler, but please bear with me. I think it's worth it in the end.

Okay, so a million years ago, back when I was dancing somewhat professionally (not stripping! Ballet, jazz, etc.), I bought a Mehron barrier spray for my makeup kit. If you're unfamiliar with barrier spray, don't feel bad. I only learned about it from dance and theatre. It's a specialty product that, supposedly, keeps your makeup from melting, smearing, and budging. I say "supposedly" because this stuff didn't. It was beyond horrible, and I threw it out after a dress rehearsal or two. (If you like the Mehron, please don't take offense. This was my experience. Please tell me yours in the comments, because I may have used it incorrectly.)

My next barrier spray purchase ('cause you pretty much have to have one) was Ben Nye Final Seal. Now, this stuff worked. It did everything it said it would, and even left your skin feeling tingly and cool. I loved that stuff, and vowed to never be without it. I even kept it in supply during filming of The Night Shift, since we were outside for 90% of the shoot, in triple digit temperatures and saturated humidity, running around for hours at a time. Watching the film, now, you'd never guess by looking at our makeup. In fact, I never even had to do a powder touch-up. Not once. Ever. The only touching-up I ever did on my makeup was lipstick, and even those were minimal. Don't believe me? Here's a shot of me on set, in full makeup (don't judge) which was applied outside on a drizzly, miserable, 100+ degree, June night in lower Alabama. I'd been in it for, oh, a couple of hours, by this point:

Extra Large so you can get a good look. Sorry if it goes over into the sidebar. Also, my character was wearing a Halloween costume. I'm not really a racecar driver. I mean, not officially. I have been known to speed, though. I'm impatient and a bad driver. Carry on!

Seriously. I'm not even shiny.

And with that, I think you can see why it's never left my kit. I make sure it's on-set at all times, even if I'm not--which brings me to the reason for today's post (and yes, I do have a reason). Back in May, we shot a ridiculously cute short (I'm in love with it, and can't wait for you guys to see it). The first day of shooting, the lead actor didn't need makeup other than powder, and the actress scheduled for that morning happened to be a makeup artist and willing to make herself up. I wasn't scheduled to come in until after lunch, and while I normally would still be around anyway, wearing my producer's hat, I had a prior committment that morning and couldn't be there. Still, I packed a touch-up kit to send along with Thomas, in case anyone needed powder, extra color, or anything like that. Just to make sure that no one melted in the heat, I tossed in the Final Seal at the last second.

Of course, I'd completely forgotten that I still had to do my makeup...

So, I put on my makeup, went to spray on my Final Seal, and had one of those dreaded "oh, crap" moments. I'd sent it with Thomas! What was I supposed to do? I still had to pick up lunch for the troops, park, and walk to the downtown, outdoor location. The humidity was crazy high! What was I to do?!?!

That's about the time I remembered that I had a deluxe sample of Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray floating around in my makeup kit. I'd received it as part of a set, and had no use for it at the time. Now was the...well, not perfect time to try it out. Actually, more like the worst possible time, because it could splotch, or cake, or flake, or just plain not work. Visions of the Mehron fiasco danced through my head, but they were fended off by visions of how bad my face would look if I didn't use something. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and sprayed.

You know what? It worked. Here's a shot of me, in full makeup, right after I got to the set:

Sun! In my eyes!! ARGH! BTW, the look is based on the Christina Hendricks tutorial from Pixiwoo. 'Cause really, Christina Hendricks is hot, and if you get to do your own makeup, why not model it after a hot person's?  

Okay. Now, here's a still from the short, taken approximately three to four hours after the first picture. I had been outside the entire time, and it was an exceptionally hot day.

Wilma Flintstone called. She wants her necklace back.
(I can say that because I supplied it. I'm only being snarky to myself. Self-Snarking?)

Again, not bad. I had to touch-up my lipstick, but I don't recall any powder touch-ups. There may have been one, just for good measure, but I couldn't swear to it. As you can see, the eye makeup is completely intact, cheek color is still visible, and I'm not blinding anyone with shininess.

Of course, it could have just been a fluke, right? Maybe I just did my makeup really well? Well, this past weekend I had a singing gig, and while I didn't know it was going to be outside, I like to plan for all contingencies. Right before I walked out the door, I sprayed on a little All-Nighter. After three hours of singing opera in the heat and humidity (and having way too much fun! I am so ready to do it again!!), my makeup had not budged. My hair totally sucked, and I was sweaty and gross, but my face was flawless. Obviously, this All-Nighter stuff worked.

So, finally, we reach the point of this post (I warned you it was ramble-y): Which is better? The Ben Nye Final Seal or the Urban Decay All-Nighter? Honestly, they both worked beautifully, so let's look at the details:

Ben Nye

Packaging: Clear Bottle with White Printed Name

Application: Spray

Wear: Comfortable and Tingly

Availability: Stage Makeup Supply Stores and Websites

Price: $5.50 for 1 oz. or $7.00 for 2 oz.

Urban Decay

Packaging: White Bottle with Full-Color Label

Application: Spray

Wear: Comfortable (Less Tingly)

Availability: Sephora, Ulta, and the Urban Decay Website

Price: $12 for .35 oz or $29 for 4 oz.

Basically, they're the same. The Urban Decay is by Skindinavia, which supposedly makes the best setting sprays on the market. Ben Nye has a reputation for putting out the very best in stage and film makeup. Either way, they're high quality products. The tie-breakers, for me, are price and availability. See, I don't have a stage makeup supply store anywhere in my vicinity. We have to order all of our specialty products. I do have an Ulta and a Sephora nearby, though, so I can walk in and grab what I need, when I need it. However, even with shipping (from most places. One or two are insane), the Ben Nye is worlds cheaper than the Urban Decay. What it boils down to, really, is how much you're willing to pay for convenience and a pretty bottle.

Just Where Do You Find Mascara In a Zombie Apocalypse?

Normally, around here we talk about how to look pretty and polished. That's all well and good, but it's not all that you can do with makeup and hair products. Sometimes, you just need to get down and dirty...you know, without the actual dirt. Ew.

I have lost count at how many zombies I've filthied up. Sure, on The Night Shift they were all cute and cuddly, but they still had to look like they'd been underground. I've given people bruises and bloody lips (and only once or twice were they real), added gaping wounds to pretty girls, and made enough blood for a bathtub dismemberment. Sometimes, folks need to look sweaty and grimy, or like they've just been pulled through the mud (or come down a chimney, but that's one for another day, I think). When you're on a set, you don't always get to be glamorous.

Now, as I've said a million times before, I'm not a pro. I've just worked with pros and paid attention. These artists, however, are pros, and do some of the best work in television. Here's a fantastic interview with the hair and makeup team from The Walking Dead. Enjoy! (Click the "These artists" link for the interview. Whoops!)

Photo Credit: Bloody Disgusting and all the AMC stuff written on the bottom of the picture. :)

What's In the BAG??!!!!!!

*Editor's Note: This post was originally planned to contain a list of fake spoilers to The Dark Knight Rises, such as, "We finally answer the question: Whose baby are you, Batgirl?", and silliness like that. Unfortunately, in light of this morning's tragedy, it seemed in poor taste. Instead, I kind of threw together a look at what goes into my set bag when I'm acting on location. My thoughts and prayers are in Colorado today. Thank you, Erin.

Might I offer a cute puppy?

________________________________________________________________________________

This morning, I had the extreme pleasure of hanging out on the set of Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford. It's a nationally-syndicated home improvement show (think: Tool Time from Home Improvement) that's filmed in my town, and I was called in to help product test a popular "As Seen On TV" item. Of course, if you want to know what it is, or if it worked, you'll have to tune in to the 15th season premier! (And I will totally tell you when that is, when I find out. Probably should have asked...oops...)

For this, I was doing my own hair, makeup, and wardrobe, so I needed to make sure I had a few essentials on-hand, in case any adjustments needed to be made, and for touch-ups, in general. I didn't take much, so this shouldn't be a super-long post; the long post will come when I show you the same set bag, only when I'm in the producer's role. Hoo, boy!

This is the set bag. It's from Open Sky, and I can't recommend it enough. It goes for $28, but I had a coupon for $20 off a purchase of $40 or more, plus free shipping, so I added a $12 makeup bag to the order, and got both for $20. You can't beat that with a stick. Seriously, if you haven't checked out Open Sky, you need to. You can see there's an outside pocket where the "ful" logo is, and there's a side pocket, too, just large enough for a water bottle or sunglasses.

Here's a shot of the inside. The center section is a zippered pouch. The top compartment is very roomy, and the bottom compartment (also roomy) has another zippered pouch and several small sleeves for pens, cards, and whatnot. Construction of the tote is extremely sturdy, and the handles are comfortable on your shoulder.

So, what's inside? In the bottom compartment, I have some extra hold hairspray (Aussie Freeze + Shine), a Marilyn teasing comb, a hairbrush, and a ponytail holder and bobby pins (not pictured). In the center pouch, I have a makeup bag (the $12 one. Why not?). The top compartment holds a bag for miscellaneous stuff. Really, that's just there for when I'm managing other actors' personal effects. I can hold onto my own keys and phone in my own bag without putting it inside another bag first. Probably.

The makeup bag is a Jane Marvel, and is coated in plastic inside and out, so it's durable and super easy to clean. I thought the silver sequins would A) make it stand out in a sea of makeup bags when I'm backstage or behind the scenes, and B) allow it to double as a clutch if we're on vacation and go somewhere nice. No sense packing an extra "in case of emergency" purse if you can avoid it.

So, what's in the makeup bag? Not much, actually: dental floss, a travel brush/mirror, Burt's Bees lip balm, travel brush pack, Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, Luna Twilight palette in Rosalie, and a Rimmel pressed powder. Oh, and a lipbrush. I missed that. Basically, it's just the essentials.

This is the look I came up with for the shoot today. Because it's a home improvement show, I needed to keep things natural and minimal. (I also needed to find someone else to take this picture for me. I know I say it every time, but boy, do I suck at self-photography.) However, because it's a television program with lights and cameras (and action! I'm sorry...), I had to make sure it would show up. Here's the result:

I won't bore you with every product used. The main components were a good, full-coverage foundation (MAC Studio Sculpt), setting powder (Rimmel Stay Matte transluscent), an HD finishing powder (E.L.F. HD Powder). Then, I just had to make sure that I had enough color to keep from being washed out, and that all features were defined. A little contouring and highlighting keeps the face from appearing flat on camera, too. And, yes, I curled my hair. Couldn't go on tv with it all scraggly, now, could I?

If you'd like the full details on my on-camera look, let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Rockabilly Glitter!: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips

This weekend, Fighting Owl filmed some stuff (details to follow, as soon as I know what's going on, myself), but I got to don the old Claire Renfield duds for the occasion! I've played a lot of characters in my day, but I have to say that she's one of very few that's earned a special place in my heart. Plus, her costumes are always ridiculously cute, and this one may have been the best, yet.

Anyway, since Claire is a little (okay, a lot) on the rockabilly side, I normally paint her nails bright red. This time, though, Thomas saw these, and nothing would do but I had to wear them.

Aren't they fabulous!?!

So, here's the deal with these little suckers: supposedly, because they go on dry, they're time-savers and fantastic for gals in a hurry. I call shenanigans. If you want to do these right, they take as long to apply, if not longer, as regular nail polish. You also really need to add a topcoat to secure the seal, which completely voids their whole "no drying time" claim. However, if you're into really intricate nail art, these might be right up your alley.



These are called Headbanger, and have, sadly, been discontinued, hence the clearance price. Would I pay $8.54 for these? Heck, no! You get one application! These are really only worth it if you can get them under five bucks.

  

I do like that they come with all of the tools you need. To apply, remove all existing polish. Then, push down cuticles with the included orange stick. Shape nails with hot pink side of file, then buff with the white side (not shown). Wipe nails down with polish remover, once more, to ensure the cleanest nails possible.



Choose the strip that best fits each nail, starting with pinky and working to thumb. Remove the plastic cover sheet and white backing, and break off silver tab. Apply to nail, holding strip in the middle for best control. Stretch stip to fit nail, then fold excess over the nail tip. Create a crease with the orange side of the nail file, and break off excess. Use the blunt side of the orange stick to seal all edges.

PROS: Really cute designs, relatively easy application, decent wear.

CONS: Pricey, chips easily during application and shortly after, requires a topcoat to seal, not a time-saver.

Final Verdict: 7 out of 10. I recommend these if you are into nail art and can catch them on sale.

Curious about that rockabilly look? This was taken after filming, and after I'd taken off my costume and put on my street clothes, so please pardon if I'm a little disheveled. 

Why, yes! That is a skull in my hair flower! If you like this look and want to know what products went into it, let me know in the comments.

I Left My Heart In San Diego

I am not at Comic-Con right now, and I'm not particularly happy about it. Nope. Not happy.at.all. Luckily, I can keep up with the shenanigans and goings-on by checking out my friend Aaron's posts over at Paranormal Pop Culture, and I encourage you to do the same. It's a fun read, and a great way to stay in the loop.

We're filming this weekend, actually, so even if I could be at the con, I really couldn't (if that makes any sense). On the plus side, I'll still get to see my fair share of undead creatures, aliens, and mini-skirts. Heck, I'll even get to wear a costume...that includes a mini-skirt, come to think of it. And while I don't have a "con bag" this year, I will have a "set bag", and oh, what a set bag it is!! I am so excited over this stupid tote bag, it's ridiculous. I'll do a full review on it and take pictures once I get it all stocked and ready to roll, but here's a teaser (how very Comic-Con):



Photo Credit: Open Sky

If you're at the big show, have a wonderful (and safe, please!) time! If you're not...well, you're not alone.