"PRO"file piece - charles miller

Sep 30, 2010


meet stila’s pro artist and account executive, charles miller! his passion for all things pretty began in the womb when his mother was selling cosmetics.  today charles credits his mother and his three older sisters for his beauty knowledge.  at stila we value his kindness and positivity.  charles has refreshing view on women and we wanted to share it with all of you.  read the q & a below to see why charles makes all of us at stila feel like a million bucks everyday!

your job requires you to interact with a lot of women.   do you feel like they are too hard on themselves?
i often think that women are their worst critics.  they fail to see their own beauty in the mirror.  it’s ok for them to smile and accept that they are beautiful.

besides weight, what are some concerns you notice that women have about themselves?
aging is a top concern among most women.  let’s “face” the facts, we are all aging.  i love educating women on how to age gracefully while feeling beautiful at the same time.  makeup is a big part of this.  many people think makeup is about painting faces, but there is so much more to it.

do you think makeup is a good way to help provide women with more confidence? 
definitely.  it’s the power of beauty – women always feel more confident when they look amazing.

cosmetic companies say sales of lipsticks rise during economic down times.  why do you think this is?



lipstick represents a small little indulgence that brings pleasure.  it provides women with a simple solution to transform their look.  during times of crisis, this “indulgence” – possibly the only affordable one - says a lot about the importance of beauty.

lastly, as a pro makeup artist, what product do you feel always provides women with that instant pick-me-up that is so often needed?


my favorite product is illuminating tinted moisturizer.  it promotes healthy looking skin and will wake up your makeup!  this product works well on all skin types and looks amazing applied under the eye area to brighten.

the winner is...

Sep 29, 2010

congratulations to devy!  you are the winner of stila's new, innovative color wheels.  you will be the first to own these limited edition eye shadow palettes made exclusively for our holiday collection.  devy said...


"i would love to win this gift.  i love makeup and especially eyeshadows.  i love stila eyeshadows and their colors."


enjoy experimenting with all the wonderful colors in both of these eyeshadow palettes.  explore the artist inside of you, and use your creativity to create limitless looks.


for those of you who didn't win, sarah sends her love and promises we will have more giveaways!  also, both palettes will be available to purchase soon!  keep your eyes out for a great deal and a fantastic gift!

summer glau stops by stila

Sep 28, 2010

summer glau stopped by stila last week.  we loved her in terminator: the sarah conner chronicles and serenity.  and we are super excited for her new show, the cape!  summer is so beautiful and extremely talented.  everyone at the office loved her.  we stocked her makeup bag with all the latest must-haves from stila.  and she made sure to take home a few grapefruit lip glazes - her favorite stila product!




what's your favorite stila product?  is there one or two items you just can't live without?  we definitely have a few like summer!  

pro artist tip of the week – how to crush correctly!

Sep 27, 2010


do you have a crush?  perhaps its an old fashioned girl loves guy sort of crush. or maybe you have developed a crush on a brand new pair of shoes.  whatever it is, at stila we realize that crushes come in all shapes and sizes – our favorite being the ever-popular lip and cheek stains.  these “crushes” have been lusted after by nearly every beauty guru and are a top celebrity must-have.  it’s no wonder so many women have a crush on them!  while there is no right way to use the crushes, there are some pro tips that you can implement to help you crush correctly on a daily basis.  whether you rely on cherry, mango, pomegranate, yumberry, raspberry, or the soon to be released acai, using these tips will allow you to make the most of your crushes!

preparation is key.  you wouldn’t go out on a date with your crush without preparing, and we don’t advise you to apply the crushes without properly prepared lips either.  for the best preparation exfoliate your lips at night to remove any dead skin.  when you apply the stain, make sure that your lips are free from residue and/or oil. 

mix it up.  a good dater understands the importance of variety.  this is why we have options for you to choose from in terms of your crush wardrobe.  mixing up can be as simple as switching from cherry crush to raspberry crush.  or you can take a risk and make your own crush concoction by mixing your favorite shades!

pair off.  in the end, all girls want to pair off with the person they are crushin' on.  in a similar manner, pair off your lips and cheeks so they coordinate with each other.  in case you weren’t aware, the crushes can be used on both the lips and cheeks.  they are great multi-functional products you can wear everyday.

stila's pro artist jenn on the set of zappos

Sep 24, 2010

we all know zappos.com is a great place to purchase shoes.  it's a go-to shoe site for so many women.  what few people realize is that you can also find stila makeup on this amazing site!  yep!  you read correctly.  instead of adding socks to your next shoe purchase, why not throw in a lip glaze instead?  sounds brilliant right?  we thought so.  and yesterday our very own pro artist, jenn flannagan, was on the set at zappos working to make the stila shopping experience at zappos.com even better.

jenn worked with zappos to film educational videos that will be available to help zappos customers. these videos offer quick insight on stila's products, application tips and tricks, and more.  jenn did an amazing job in the videos - she really is quite the expert. we so are lucky to have her at stila.  enjoy the behind the scenes photos we captured on the set!



robert verdi fashion week retreat


stila teamed up with amazing celebrity stylist robert verdi last week for his fashion week retreat event.  this exciting event was a time for VIPs to stop by, get pampered, and escape the fashion week madness.  shoshanna bush, bethany frankel, jay alexander, and nigel barker were among the many that stopped by the event and checked out stila’s latest products including some of our amazing upcoming launches for the holiday season.  we had a variety of stila artists on had to touch up the guests and suggest products to buy!  everyone seemed to be in love with stila's crushes - especially the new one we are launching for holiday.  stay tuned.  acai crush is a must-have in your crush wardrobe! and for all the buzz from this event, check out the fun photos below!  

enter to win this amazing giveaway!!!!!

Sep 22, 2010


guess what stila fans?  sarah is giving away these amazing new holiday eye shadow palettes!!!  you can't even buy them yet!  enter now for your chance to win both of these products.  keep them for yourself or gift them to someone for the holidays.

to enter, comment and tell us what stila product is a great gift for the upcoming holiday season.

please include your email address in the comment!  we will randomly select a winner next wednesday, september 29.  best of luck.


**you must live in the continental united states to be eligible to win.

jenni kayne lookbook shoot

Sep 21, 2010



after fashion week ended, sarah stayed in nyc to work with jenni kayne again.  they shot her spring 2011 look book.  it was a fun shoot and the look definitely had a similar vibe to the clothing and makeup that was seen at the jenni kayne show last week. sarah snapped a few pics  during the day for us to see.  

do you love jenni kayne as much as we do?  seriously can’t get enough!  and sarah’s makeup look pairs perfectly with the jenni kayne spring collection.  it is a great look for someone on the go, a traveler, and anyone wanting to look amazing and effortless at the same time.  all you need is one step makeup for a velvet matte finish to the skin, lots of bronze babe to translate the sun-kissed skin look you are going for, and in the nude long wear lip color. 

btw, how much do you love the sunglasses?  we can’t get enough.  thanks sarah for the up close shot
 :)

pro artist tip of the week – eye shadow 101

Sep 20, 2010


great eyes.  one look at any magazine and its understandable that eyes are apparently the window to beauty today.  sure a great lip color may be in style here and there; however, beautiful eyes seem to always be a focal point.  for this reason, you don’t want to screw up the eye area when you are doing your makeup.  instead you obviously want to make the most of it.  chances are it is the feature of yours people will notice first.  with this in mind, we thought it might be fun to share with you some tips to help you maximize your efforts when applying eye shadow. 

bold eyes are beautiful.  the easiest way to create a bold eye look is by using smudge pot or an eye shadow wet.  and the brush is important for this look.  with smudge pot, use the number 20 brush.  line with the small end and blend with the large end for an effortless smoky eye that pops.  for a bold shadow look, wet the small end of the number 15 brush and apply the product to your eye using circular like motions.

avoid cakey eye looks by blending.  if you get to much product on your eyes, use the number 9 brush (with no product on it) to blend the look.  also, before applying the shadow make sure to remove any excess shadow from the brush.  this promotes the best application and will also help with fallout problems.

your eye shadow should not be sitting in your wrinkles or emphasizing them.  if you feel this way, try using less eye shadow when applying.  also, it’s a good idea to use a matte shadow as a base (chinois and dune are great options).  then use the shimmer shadows on the lid to brighten and open up the eye.  this is a great look for anyone who is conscious about the wrinkles around their eyes. 

kitten eyeshadow is the perfect compliment to your red lip

Sep 17, 2010


if you have visited a sephora recently, you have probably seen their “kiss for a cause” promotion.  this promotion is a three-week initiative functioning to benefit the beauty bus foundation (a non-profit organization in los angeles working to enhance the lives of those that are homebound).  in addition to helping the beauty bus foundation, the kiss for a cause campaign also gives clients an opportunity to select the perfect shade of red lipstick.

whitney port was among the first to give a kiss for the cause.  sephora pro team member jill powell did her makeup for the event.  and what we loved most about the makeup was the eye shadow she paired with whitney’s red lips.  jill used stila’s kitten eye shadow!!!  kitten has been an industry favorite for years and we have no doubt that this color is the perfect compliment to any red lip choice.

as for us at stila, we have our favorite red lip options.  lover long wear lip color is an amazing true red.  fiery long wear liquid lip color is a great deep red.  and for a more pouty red, try layering a few coats of cherry crush!

what we learned from fashion week

Sep 16, 2010


for us at stila, fashion week is always a highlight.  there is a buzz in the air that seems to only be present during fashion week – and it’s contagious and inspiring.  all of these creative people are grouped together in the same area accomplishing big things.  it’s amazing when you think about it.  therefore, it’s only natural for the ending to be somewhat bittersweet.  although exhaustion has set in and most of us can barely move from lack of sleep, it is also hard to see it end.  however, it is also nice to look back and enjoy everything that we have learned throughout the week. 


commit to your makeup.  one of the interesting take-homes from this fashion week for us at stila was this concept of committing to your makeup.  this means really going for it.  if you are creating a smoky eye look, don’t go halfway.  what is the point?  Instead, really push yourself to make the most of it.  when we did this backstage, this is when we had our shining moments.

make it work.  tim gunn’s mantra held true for us backstage and it will definitely work for you.  “make it work”.  we made it work backstage at betsey when three of our artists worked together to get a model ready in time for the show.  it may not have been ideal, but it was necessary.  making it work also comes with figuring out what works for you.  for example, during some shows a lot of artists utilized stila’s lip liners to help them achieve the perfect lip look.  for others, this might have been too time consuming.  As you can see, it was about making the look work for them individually.

have fun.  lastly, have fun with your makeup.  makeup allows you to express your personality and your individuality.  if you take it too seriously, you might lose the fun of it.  so don’t be shy to experiment with new trends that excite you.  at the end of the day, everyone is an artist – whether you are a novice or a pro you have something to express to those around you!

backstage beauty at beauty johnson spring 2011 runway show

Sep 15, 2010




working with betsey johnson is always a memorable experience.  the backstage environment at her shows is a party - a working party to be more precise.  betsey hangs balloons, has inspiring posters all around, sets out candy for everyone, and then shows up before the show throwing rose petals and giving out kisses of good luck to all the models.  it really is a treat to be apart of.  and for us at stila, there is no better way to end fashion week than by working the betsey johnson show. 

the makeup backstage was unlike anything we have ever done before at stila.  the show was inspired a lot by childhood moments.  bicycles and skates played a big role in the runway.  thus, it was important that these childhood moments be consistent with the makeup.  the makeup was almost reminiscent of your childhood days of finger painting or playing with your mom’s makeup, yet a lot prettier!

we used a green eye shadow that is coming out soon in one of our travel palettes!  we literally wet the shadow and painted it on like a paste.  no skin was showing from the lash line to the brow bone.  to recreate this look, try the going green eye shadow trio wet.  just go for it!!!  sometimes you want to be bold and you need to have the courage you did as a child when you painted your face like it was so much fun!  then, apply several coats of mascara.  major major lash mascara works the best because it builds well. 

to complete the look, fill in your brows with brow powder.  then apply custom color blush to the cheeks and caprice long wear liquid lip color on your lips.  and always remember that flawless skin is the best canvas for a bold, colorful look like this one.  so make sure to use stila’s one step makeup as well!

backstage beauty at jenni kayne presentation spring 2011

Sep 14, 2010



in case you are wondering what you missed behind the scenes at jenni kayne - besides rachel zoe – we have the full coverage for you here.  working with jenni kayne is always amazing.  many celebrities seek out her clothing because it is fashion forward, yet wearable.  interestingly, the makeup look from this show had a similar vibe.  the look was inspired by joshua tree, traveling, the desert, and sun kissed skin.  and it is actually quite easy to pull off. 

one of the key elements to the look was the brows.  fill in your brows will brow powder and brush them up so they look natural and full. for this look, the eyes are very natural.  all you need is a little dune and puppy eye shadow.  use puppy underneath the low lashline to create shape and diminish any redness.  then, add one coat of glamoureyes mascara to the upper lashes. 

keep the skin matte and bronzed.  it should look like you’ve spent the day on the sand dunes in the desert, yet you are still very pretty – obviously.  we used one step makeup and relied on one step prime color in bronze babe to add color and shape to the face.  since this product is a cream, it builds easily and it will not look cakey on the skin.  to complete the look, add a little bronze babe to your lips!  

amazing day today backstage including a rachel zoe appearance!

Sep 13, 2010


we had an amazing day backstage today!  amaaaaaazing!  we worked with designers jenni kayne and betsey johnson.  at the jenni kayne show, celebrity stylist, rachel zoe stopped by to take a sneak peak at the collection.  how cool!!!  by far our favorite celeb siting of the week.  we just died!  bananas!

more information on the beauty looks backstage to come soon!!

backstage beauty at spring 2011 whitney eve presentation

Sep 12, 2010





the look from the whitney eve presentation for spring 2011 is a must-have for anyone, and it is a nice departure from the neutral shades that we often see. we love this look because it allows you to experiment with color. you don’t need to be a pro. all you need is a couple of tricks from sarah lucero, stila’s key makeup artist who created this look for the whitney eve show.

one of the most important aspects of this look is the skin, however it is sometimes overlooked. it should look very fresh and dewey, which is why sarah relied upon illuminating tinted moisturizer to get the job done. once the skin looks great, anything you put on top of it will look that much better. it’s the perfect canvas for color, so go for it with the following products.

complexion:

cheeks:

eyes:

lips:


***also purchase your limited edition online set created in honor of the show here!

backstage beauty at rebecca minkoff spring 2011 presentation



the beauty look at rebecca minkoff’s spring 2011 presentation shined at lincoln center sunday afternoon.  at stila we love this look because it is modern, wearable, and a great twist on the smoky eye.  usually you think of grey and black tones when you think “smoky”.  however, this look utilized brown and red eye shadow tones for an amazing rusty eye look that was smokin’ hot throughout the entire presentation. 

rebecca’s collection was inspired by many of her travels, so sarah didn’t want the girls to look overdone.  instead, she wanted them to look somewhat matte and sandy like they had been at the beach or out walking on the road.  the end result was so beautiful.  it is definitely something you can recreate for your own rendezvous!

complexion:

eyes:

cheeks:

lips:

backstage beauty at lela rose spring 2011



in case you missed the lela rose spring 2011 runway show, we have a full run down of what when on backstage!  as usual, lela’s collection was extremely beautiful.  you can always can on that with lela.  and this season, her collection had unique peruvian and brazilian influences.  the makeup look sarah lucero created for the show further enhanced the collection and it looked great on the runway.  in particular, we loved the hot coral lip that shined on the runway amidst the flawless skin. 

recreating the look on your own is simple.  it’s about having an air of confidence like these models that walked the runway.  perfect your skin with one step makeup, apply several coats of major major lash mascara, and throw on some outrageous long wear lip color.  it’s easy on trend and fun!

**a few tips… puppy and dune eyeshadow are both great neutral tones that help shape the eye and reduce redness.  also, to really make the lip pop, add mimosa eye shadow over top of the lip color! 

stila rocked fno

Sep 11, 2010


how great was fashion night out?  the majority of our stila team was celebrating this seemingly global event in nyc.  chaos was probably an understatement when describing the night.  people were packed everywhere, partying on the streets to celebrate fashion.  and of course stila participated in the fashion party on both sides of the country.  we teamed up with betsey johnson’s soho boutique in new york and her melrose boutique in los angeles.  it was a party all night long.

makeovers were provided by some of stila’s amazing pro artists.  and many betsey fans left the store all glammed out for a night on the town.  popular products for the night included, one step prime color, smudge stick liners, lip glazes, and custom color blush!

hey new yorkers. we're here for you!

Sep 10, 2010


guess what new york stila fans?  stila is here for you.  literally.  we will be on location in doing personal consultations all day tomorrow!!!  stop by tomorrow and get a new look from one of our very own pro artists. 

come and learn the backstage beauty tips and tricks these artists plan on using while they work backstage during fashion week.  and enjoy testing out our new fall products!  this a must-do experience for beauty lovers and stila fans alike!  we cannot wait to see you tomorrow.  here are the details:

-artists will be at sephora 5th ave and sephora union square between 11am and 5pm.
-no appointment is necessary.

preppy bronze babes at the dallin chase presentation

Sep 9, 2010



stila kicked off new york fashion week today working with up-and-coming designer dallin chase. the clothing line is as fun and unique as its name – a combo of the designer jason two children's names! and what we enjoyed most was how well dallin chase clothing paired with stila makeup.

dallin chase’s spring 2011 line is preppy with a feminine edge that is also wearable. it is a collection that offers something for everyone and matching your makeup with it is seemless. sarah lucero created a preppy looking bronze babe for today’s presentation. she wanted the models to look springy and effortless, with natural brows and stained lips and cheeks. “certain stains and colors may work better on you depending on your skintone,” sarah explained, “however, the overall look remains the same.” stila artists' jason araujo, david birdwell, and lindsey forrest helped sarah backstage today, and they all agreed this look is modern, fun, and wearable!


to recreate the look try the following products…


complexion
one step correct
one step makeup

eyes
puppy eye shadow
lash visor mascara – brown

cheeks
bronze babe prime color
gladiola convertible color

lips
mango crush
gladiola convertible color

breakfast over stila

Sep 8, 2010



the other day, stila studios welcomed total beauty’s senior editor, kristen giordani for breakfast, a makeup touchup, and basic girl talk.  it was one of the more entertaining mornings in the office, causing pr guru melissa rosenfield and pro artist lindsey forrest to question if breakfast over stila should become a regular activity.  the girls discussed their favorite beauty trends, must-have products, tips and tricks, and more.

kristen, who has a wealth of knowledge stemming from her years with seventeen magazine and her time living in the big apple, had a lot to say about beauty.  in particular, she commented, that she attends fashion week regularly, but never sees the clothes – it’s the beauty she cares about.  she’s more low maintenance herself, but not afraid to go bold as evidenced by her red lipstick.  and she is a huge fan of stila’s convertible color, pressed powder, and eyeshadows. 

when we asked her if there was anything she needed for fashion week she replied, “i need that flesh colored pencil to help me look awake during fashion week.  i never get any sleep!”  we know exactly what she means, having been there ourselves and we made sure she had plenty of topaz kajal liners to help her survive ny fashion week in style!!! 

we’re ready. are you?

Sep 7, 2010



new york fashion week starts tomorrow!!!!!!!  we’ve been busy getting ready for this big week. in fact, viviana and lindsey were very busy last week getting the products together for all the shows.  it was such a process they almost had a slumber party in our training room!  luckily they finished and we are ready to go!  the question is, are you? 

stila has 6 shows scheduled.  we will be covering all the action for you!  check in and see what is happening as we work with all of the amazing designers that are showcasing their collections.  learn new beauty tips and tricks.  and buy exclusive sets put together in honor of each show!!  here’s the shows to look for!

dallin chase (wed sept 8)
whitney eve (sat sept 11)
lela rose (sun sept 12)
rebecca minkoff (sun sept 12)
jenni kayne (mon sept 13)
betsey johnson (mon sept 13)

see you then!
xoxo 

pro artist tip of the week – backstage fashion week tips to live by!

Sep 6, 2010


every time we attend new york fashion week, we always experience a new season and a new trend.  however, anyone who has worked backstage with sarah lucero, stila’s key makeup artist, understands that certain beauty tips are always necessary for a flawless finish to the runway look.  and what we love about these tips is the fact that they easily translate to everyday. so listen up.

brush up those brows!!!  yes that is right.  if you brushed once, brush again.  we like the brows to look modern, sexy, and full – very model-like.  our number 18 brush is great for this, because you can define your brows with brow powder, and then brush them up for a more modern feel.

more mascara!!  no, sarah doesn’t want spider looking eyes on any model that walks the catwalk, however she wants their eyes to pop.  and a few extra coats of mascara is an easy way to achieve this.  try major major lash mascara for the best results when seeking runway-like lashes!

mute out the lips!!!  lots of models show up with beautiful pouty red lips, naturally.  lucky them.  however, if we want a nude lip, this pigment in the lip doesn’t really work well.  we fix it easily with topaz kajal liner.  then, we add the lip color!

stila loves alpha phi

Sep 3, 2010



what do you get when you combine 100+ alpha phi sorority sisters from usc and stila’s glam squad?  the answer – a night full of makeup and a lot of fun!  makeup heaven was literally in session at the alpha phi house a few nights ago.  and it was nothing less than a party!  in fact, it didn’t appear like any of these girls were missing the guys that night!  they were too busy getting pampered by stila’s makeup artists at this house party. 

the night was not only fun, but also educational.  the girls learned tips from the pros and then were able to get a personal makeup application as well.  after many left with some of their favorite stila products, such as smudge stick eyeliners, the travel palettes, one step makeup, and one step correct. 

enjoy the pictures, but beware.  they might remind you of elle woods and send you in search of an application.  haha.  we surely considered joining!  

don't miss sarah on hsn!

Sep 2, 2010


fyi stila fans...  sarah will be on hsn tomorrow demoing some of our key products.  this is a great opportunity to learn and to purchase some exclusive sets!  make sure you tune in.  you will not be disappointed.  here are the times she will be on the air so you don't miss out!

sept 3 @ 1:00am est
sept 3 @ 12:00noon est
sept 3 @ 5:00pm est

enjoy!

how to get stila’s fall look



many people have been asking… 

“how can I get that look I see on your website?  I love it!” 

ask no more.  we are here to answer your questions!  recreating the fall look is easy.  here is everything you need to perfect the look on yourself.

complexion:

blush:

lips:

eyes:
backstage palette (base: chiffon, lid: poetic: crease: luster)



artistry tips:
  • to really pop the eyes, apply poetic damp using the small end of the number 15 brush. 
  • dust the custom color blush on the cheeks using the large end of the number 24 brush.  a little bit of product will go along way!
  • number 33 brush helps to provide a flawless, airbrushed finish to onestep makeup.  use it!

recreate lo's and stephanie’s emmy looks

Sep 1, 2010

lo bosworth and stephanie pratt looked simply stunning on the red carpet for sunday’s emmy awards.  they worked with an amazing glam squad including keylee sanders from style studio, mateo, and of course, stila's very own sarah lucero.  naturally, sarah lucero did a fabulous job creating their madmen inspired looks.  in case you are wondering, red carpet makeup looks can easily be worn daily!  we hope you’ll try them out!  recreate your favorite look or both if you feel adventurous! 

lo’s hollywood glamour look:

complexion

eyes

cheeks

lips

sarah's tip: “i wanted the lip to look really modern so i pressed custom color blush on top of lip stick with #26 brush. this created a powdered looking neon pink lip!”


stephanie’s ultra glamourous 60’s spin on bardot look

complexion

eyes:
twig eye shadow wet with #15 brush small end
tigers eye in the waterline

cheeks
kitten prime color for glow on cheekbones and over the cheeks
  
lips:

sarah's tip: "keep getting your brush damp each time you dip into twig to get the perfect creamy consistency of the eye shadow."


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