Jamie Gordon on Skin Care and Makeup

Perfect Wedding Skin

Clear, Radiant Skin is a real confidence booster at the best of times, but on your wedding day it really is a must have - to feel your most beautiful and for picture perfect skin. Here is my guide to achieving lovely skin for your big day……..

How soon should you start working on your skin?

Ideally 6 months before your wedding day, but 1 year for more chronic, persistent skin problems like adult Acne, Rosacea and stubborn Pigmentation.  If you do have chronic skin problems like persistent adult acne or Rosacea, that doesn’t seem to shift whatever you do, then consult a dermatologist as well as working with an esthetician. They can complement each other!

You are what you eat!

Gorgeous skin comes from healthy skin cells!! Which in turn come from a healthy body! – focus on improving your diet with lots of fish, chicken and brightly coloured vegetables and fruits. Keep in mind that we need fats to make lipids that moisturise and protect our skin, but it’s the good fats you want to focus on, so Olive Oil, Avocados and lots of Omega 3 Fish oils.

Consider the Mediterranean diet, which is low GL (Glycemic Load) and full of great skin boosting food and delicious. The bonus is a healthy, slim body and loads of energy! Try to cut down on any processed foods, Salt, Alcohol and Caffeine – these can cause facial and under eye puffiness, dark circles and a dull complexion. Drink plenty of pure water as well, 8+ glasses a day. You might also want to add Green or White Tea as this also speeds up your metabolism.

It’s also worth starting a supplement for your skin as well, this is a great insurance policy as our skin is often the last to get its ration of nutrients.  Dr. Oz recommends a multi-vitamin, and for those over forty, a daily aspirin, Fish oil for Omega 3,  and Vitamin D-3 with calcium and magnesium.
 
Lifestyle Factors

Stress reeks havic on your skin's health, so try and balance things out with stress busting exercise (this also makes your skin glow), and get plenty of sleep.  Dr. Oz and others have reported that adequate sleep effects health, weight, and a host of other body functions so make sure you are getting yours!

Find an experienced Esthetician!

I favour progressive treatments not aggressive! That applies a mix of hands on massage and the use of some of the most effective machines. Look for someone who does a wide range of treatments and offers some of most home care treatment products. I prefer Coats Aloe Vera and YG Labs products.

Consultation

This is vital to establish what you want to achieve, your budget, and to work out a targeted plan of treatments and homecare. Your esthetician will perform a skin analysis  to determine  corrective treatments early on. Ask lots of questions – it’s your skin!!

Facials and Homecare

Depending on your skin, you may have a course of corrective facials that could be one per week for 6 – 8 weeks, these will focus on anything that needs to be corrected, like acne, congestion, pigmentation, scar tissue and ageing. A variety of intense skin treatments can be performed early on, like a series of skin peels or light Microdermabrasion, Micro-Current, LED light therapy (Energy Light Rejuvenation or ELR). Also extractions will be performed to clear pores of congestion, minimize blackheads and get rid of the whiteheads.

Once your course of corrective facials is over, it is imperitive that you continue the homecare regime. This should include products prescribed for your skin type/condition. Cleanser, a treatment serum designed to target a specific concern and contain high levels of active ingredients, moisturiser and SPF products will be the basis of good home care. Additionally, an exfoliant and treatment mask  can be used  at home.

 Maintenance Facials,normally every 3 – 4 weeks, will continue up until your wedding – these will focus on keeping the skin smooth and hydrated.

Tips and Tricks

    * DON’T PICK! I know it’s tempting, but acne breakouts usually last 3 – 5 days, but when you pick your spots, it can leave a red mark and can sometimes become trauma pigmentation. The marks can linger on for up to 6 months. Also you open up the skin to more bacteria, and what usually happens is you get another spot right next to the original!
    * Keep your skincare products in the fridge! If you are nervous on the big day then your skin will appear warm and flushed, using ultra cool products will feel lovely and calming on your skin.
    * Blotting papers to absorb excess oil.
    * On your wedding day morning: cleanse thoroughly, and apply a hydrating gel mask, this won’t add any oil to the skin and will give a smooth, plumpness to the skin.
    * Get yourself a super face primer!
    * Fix your make-up with a facial spritzer!

Most of all breathe and enjoy your Special Day!

The Story Behind Jamie Gordon, Esthetician

Ever wonder how people end up discovering and doing their life's work?  How do they find their "calling"?   Here is my story, how I chose or was chosen to become an esthetician.

I was born a sensitive, introspective child. I was also the first girl following five brothers! You might think that this would somehow single me out for becoming "girlie".  I did the opposite, I played with the boys.  Although unconventional, I was fine until I reached adolescence when I was supposed to figure out how to look and act like a girl. I was clueless.  I kept hoping and praying that my hormones would deliver the curves that would make it obvious that I was a girl. Alas, the hormones didn't do a lot.  This was the sixties and "androgenous" style of clothing was in. My brother's girl friends (who had the right curves) pulled off the look with aplomb.  I looked just like my brothers.  It pained me to look as lost as I felt.  I withdrew into myself that year as we began seventh grade at a new school.

Then, sometime over the summer I began experimenting with eye liner. I practiced for hours in front of the mirror. I was starting to get control over the application process and was looking, dare I say, softer.  I kept exploring, adding a thin white line above the black line, adding little lines below the lower lid to make little "hair" marks which we called "twiggies" named after the english model Twiggy.  Experimenting with pale lip colors. The results were transformative.

In September I  began the eigth grade.  Students who had met me the year before and had ignored me came up to me to ask me how I did my makeup.  All of a sudden I was no longer invisible.

Fast foward from the eighth grade to age twenty seven.  I had graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Psychology.  I had worked for the Colorado Division Of Employment as a Peer Counseling Coordinator until the funding dried up.  Then while I was back in New York, my mother died suddenly of a stroke.  Losing one's mother is difficult at any age but at age twenty seven I got lost again.  I didn't feel that I had found any significant gifts or contributions that I could make to the world.  And yet, I did have the capacity to listen to people, to validate them.  To honor them.  And there was this talent with makeup.

As lost as I felt during this time I recalled times during college when I would comfort a friend by putting makeup on her.  I figured looking good was a first step to feeling better.  And so in the midst of my sadness I chose to enroll in a cosmetician program which would allow me to become a licensed esthetician and makeup artist. I speculated that perhaps there were women out there who felt as I had felt that I could offer my skills to for creating a softer more attractive look for.  I also saw that there was  opportunities working with makeup,  it allows you to experiment with different "looks" and express different aspects of who you are. Also, because it washes off, it can be freeing  in the experimental phase of transitioning on the path to becoming who you are or wish to be.

I graduated from Michael Taylor's Institute in 1981 and several years later I opened the Jamie Gordon Skin Care Studio.  But that is not the end of the story.  The story continues as I and my clients face the aging process, menopause, and the desire to hold onto our outer beauty as we continue to cultivate the inner truths we practice.  It has not been an easy path. I continue to read and test new programs, looking for answers which I can share with my clients.  In many ways I feel that I lost my way again,   and I am emerging as a new me.  This path of mine does reveal itself if and when I get quiet enough to listen to the whispers. I share this story with the hope that it will give you motivation to take the best and gentlest care of yourself and your body. And hey, a little embellishment can do a women good!

Bridal Makeup

Bridal makeup tips. First, your makeup should work with the dress you have selected which may be classic, romantic, or dramatic.  Your bridal makeup should augment the mood of the dress so that if you are wearing a classic dress the makeup should be tasteful and understated. If you are wearing a romantic dress your makeup and hair should be soft and dreamy. If you are going for drama your makeup can be strong, colorful, and attention grabing.

 One of the basics of bridal makeup begins with concealing skin irregularities such as blemishes, freckles (unless you are going for a natural look), age spots, under eye circles, and discolorations.  Next, I airbrush foundation using art principals for highlighting the high points of your face and contouring for depth for a flawless application.  Next, I apply eye makeup to coordinate with your eye color, depth and shape of your eyes, and the style of the makeup.  Blush is either airbrushed or sable brushed over the "apples" of the cheeks.  Contouring is again used to "chisel" cheeks and sometimes along the jaw bone.  Lips are done in a long-lasting application product that won't kiss off. That's it! Bridal Makeup 100. Easy to write about, and not so easy to accomplish without the expertise of a professional.

Hiring a Professional Bridal Makeup Artist, Things to Know...

I have been a professional makeup artist since 1986.  I provide services both from my studio in Lafayette Colorado and on location.  Here is what you need to know to get the services you are paying for.

1.  Does the makeup artist have a Colorado State Cosmetician or Cosmetology License? 

While this may seem like a no-brainer there are many people practising without this license.  Why do you care? If they are not licensed they could unintentionally cause you to get conjunctivitis of the eye, or another contagious disease. Do you want to risk that?  Additionally, they are un-insurable because they are not licensed.  That leaves you unprotected. 

2.  Are they reliable?  Will they show up early, be prepared to work, and get you done in the time frame you need? 

Like the first point, this seems like it should go without saying but let me share with you this story.  Last year I was on location at the home of a bride on her wedding day and her hairdresser, who was purportedly her friend, was 45 minutes late arriving. It created  a lot of unnecessary stress for the bride and was highly unprofessional.  Furthermore, she had trouble getting the hair right, didn't duplicate the same up do as she did when she did her practice session.  The bride, in my opinion, settled because she needed to be at the wedding venue and she was now running late.  This is not how you want to experience your wedding day.

3.  You get what you pay for, or do you?

Before you sign a contract you should have a clear understanding of what services will be included. The specifics need to be addressed before you commit your money.

For example, all of the Jamie Gordon Bridal Makeup Programs include:

1)  "Get the Look Portfolio" I compile a portfolio of looks for you to choose from based on your unique features and according to the look you have in mind for your Wedding Day, your "Vision".

2)  Preview Makeup Application Session (90 mins).  This is where the fun begins! I show you the portfolio and we try several looks until you are satisfied with the result.

3)  I email the pictures I have taken of you wearing your "look".  This allows you to see your camera ready makeup.  This serves as a “Proof” for you and I print it up as a visual record for me to refer to on your wedding day.

4)  Wedding Day Makeup Application.  You have elected to either come to my studio or I am coming to you.  If I am coming to you, I arrive an hour early to set up and then the excitement of getting ready begins!

I offer a FREE consultation which you'll find on my Services link of BoulderMakeup.com.  Then, to book an appointment now using my easy, on-line Appointment Desk, click here and choose "Free 15 Min Consultation" from Step #2 - the Select a Service list.

Best,

Jamie Gordon

 

Planning A Wedding? Skin Care or Makeup?

    I have been a licensed esthetician since 1986 and today as I was talking to my boyfriend John I found myself describing two different groups of brides that I have been working with. The first are brides who are primarily interested in skin care.  The second group of brides are focused on makeup application.  I believe that the difference between the two types of brides lies in fundamentally different approaches to beauty.  The skin care group is generally interested in solving the underlying causes of such problems as clogged pores, rough texture, uneven coloring, sun damage, and dryness. They are regulars to deep pore cleansing treatments and happily come for their monthly facial. Additionally, they  tend to take a minimalist approach to makeup or completely avoid wearing it. Group two, the makeup group typically does their skin care at home, loves adding new cosmetics to their makeup bag and is an avid student of  seasonal application tricks.

    My skin care clients tend to be makeup shy. My makeup group tends to be skin care shy. My challenge is to introduce group one to group two. What I am entertaining is this: the skin care group taking a makeup application lesson and familiarizing themselves  with new cosmetic colors and products for eyes, cheeks, and lips. For the makeup group I envision an initial facial so that they can have their skin type professional determined and pending the results of the analysis a prescribed series of facials accompanied by appropriate home care. In the end, they both could benefit from trying the approach of the other group.  Skin care builds a great foundation for healthy and glowing skin. Makeup allows you to highlight a specific feature, temporarily experiment with different "looks"  ranging from natural to romantic to dramatic as the mood strikes.  If each group adopted the approach of the other the result would be a bride with healthy clear skin wearing makeup that perfectly enhanced her features and embraced her wedding vision. Isn't that the best of both worlds?

    So which group do you belong to?  I invite you to visit the other side, I think you'll like what you discover.

Say "Yes" to Bridal Makeup!

 I made it easy for you to say "yes" to looking fabulous on your wedding day!

What's the makeup budget?  This elementary question is one that I had not thought to ask brides directly until I became a fan of the show "Say Yes to the Dress".  On that show some brides walk away from the experience feeling disappointed and frustrated because the consultant allows them to try on dresses they can't afford and they fall in love with something they can't have. Taking a lesson from this, I have decided to offer you three price points for makeup application so that you can have what you can afford!

Package 1: Working from an image you send or email me plus the details of your wedding day vision for yourself, I compile makeup images and create a wedding day portfolio for you.  Next you schedule your preview and we try several styles of makeup out using the airbrush to create a flawless application.  At the end of this session I record the products used and diagram  the application patterns and colors.  On your wedding day you return to the studio and I expertly duplicate the chosen wedding day makeup. You leave looking radiant and glowing!

Package 1 Summary: Bridal Preview at studio, Wedding Day Makeup at studio.  $164

Package 2: Working from an image you send or email me plus the details of your wedding day vision for yourself, I compile makeup images and create a wedding day portfolio for you.  Next you schedule your preview and we try several styles of makeup out using the airbrush to create a flawless application.  At the end of this session I record the products used and diagram  the application patterns and colors. On your wedding day I come to your location and apply the previously detailed makeup.

Package 2 Summary: Bridal Preview at studio, Wedding Day Makeup on location in Louisville, Lafayette, or Boulder*$269* * .51cents per mile, round trip, from Lafayette to locations not listed above Bride Plus Attendants

Package 3: Working from an image you send or email me plus the details of your wedding day vision for yourself, I compile makeup images and create a wedding day portfolio for you.  Next you schedule your preview and we try several styles of makeup out using the airbrush to create a flawless application.  At the end of this session I record the products used and diagram  the application patterns and colors. On your wedding day I come to your location and apply the previously detailed makeup.

Package 3 Summary: Bridal Preview at studio, Wedding Day Makeup on location in Louisville, Lafayette, or Boulder*. $269*+ $59 for each additional person * .51cents per mile, round trip, from Lafayette to locations not listed above.

Of course there is the option of taking a makeup lesson and applying it yourself.

60 min. lesson + $59, 75 min. lesson = $75, 90 min. lesson = $85.

Look radiant and stay on budget!

Top Ten Makeup Tips for Brides

1.  If you have not been having monthly facials begin taking care of your skin now and at least one year to six months before your wedding.
2.  Whether you are having a professional makeup artist apply your makeup or are applying it yourself, do a "trial run" of the makeup look you are considering before your wedding day.
3.  Check your "trial run" makeup in the light it will be seen in.
4.  Make sure you are not allergic to any products.
5.  Keep the products you will be using together in a carrying case and have a trusted person keep track of it for you.
6.  Include disposable products in your makeup kit such as: q-tips, tissues, cotton balls, applicators.
7.  Have these items on hand: eye makeup remover, eye drops, moisturizer, sunscreen, and colorless translucent setting powder.
8.  Coordinate the makeup of the bridal attendants so that they look cohesive as a group.
9.  If you are hiring a makeup artist consider offering this service to special guests or elderly relatives who may not be able to apply their own makeup.
10.  Give your makeup artist an accurate head count of the number of people she will be working on.

Be prepared, and then relax and enjoy your special day.

Best Wishes,

Jamie Gordon

Top Ten Makeup Tips for Photographers

I have been asked by a new photographer to share some of the makeup tips I have accumulated over the course of my twenty four years as a licensed makeup artist. So here you are, my top ten tips.
1.  If you are trying to determine the undertones of the skin of your model try this, test her with a strong pink and a strong orange eyeshadow on her forearm. The color that blends with her skin is her type. So, if she has cool (blue/Pink) undertones the test color pink will blend to her skin. If she has warm (yellow/olive) undertones the test color orange will blend to her skin. This is helpful to know if you are choosing a colored backdrop, clothes, or makeup for your model.
2.  Balanced makeup. This is the application technique in which all of the features are balanced and make a cohesive total makeup look.
3.  Dramatic emphasis. Determine the one feature you are going to focus on by making it dramatic. It can be the eyes, as in the "smoky eye "look  or the "pouty" lip. This is in contrast to the balanced makeup approach.
4.  If the skin is not perfect, use camouflage makeup to correct it. Yellow corrects purple, as in circles under the eye. Green corrects red. Apply foundation matched to the skin tones over the corrective work.
5.  Allow 75-90 minutes for makeup, especially if you have never worked with the model before.
6.  Have a "look" in mind. Whether you are shooting for a client or doing editorial work know what the look of the model is going to be before you begin applying makeup. Some examples: Innocent, Vixen, Natural, Sophisticated, Trendy, etc.
7.  Use disposable brushes, q-tips, wipes to avoid spreading bacteria. In other words, work clean.
8.  Keep sanitizing hand creme available and use it.
9.  Clean non-disposible brushes with alcohol after use on each model.
10.  A  well stocked makeup kit should  include: a wide selection of foundations which provide sheer to opaque coverage and come in cool to warm colors.  Eye shadows in natural and dramatic colors. Blushes in powder and creme bases. Lip colors ranging from sheer, opaque, glossy, and transfer-proof. Translucent setting powders.  Mascara in black, black-brown, brown, in both  non water-proof and water-proof formulations. Hypo-allergenic (fragrance-free) formulations.

On My Wedding Day by Bryn

I decided to get my makeup done professionally because I figured that make up artists know a lot more about special occasion makeup than I know.  Jamie came recommended to me from the Hotel Boulderado.  When I contacted her, she was very prompt with a response and let me know right away what she could do with me.  At first I was a little dubious about the airbrushed makeup, but I thought I'd give it a whirl.  At the very least, I figured that if Jamie is motivated enough to learn how to airbrush makeup, that she knows what she's doing with all other kinds of makeup.

"Jamie arrived promptly, even early, for our appointment.  She set everything up wonderfully and had relaxing music playing.  The job she did on my makeup was no less than stunning.  She listened to what I wanted to have done, based on how I normally do my makeup, and was able to improve upon my usual style.  Honestly when I saw myself in the mirror, it took my breath away.  I looked like a flawless version of me--but, I still looked like me, which was nice.  But despite the perfect job, that is not why I'm recommending Jamie.  I'm recommending her because I was SO nervous before my wedding-- I had so much adrenaline flowing through me that my heart was pounding and my fingers and toes were freezing cold.  Jamie actually took time away from her job to calm me down and warm me up.  she even blasted the heat in the hotel room so that I could be more comfortable, despite the fact that she must have been sweltering.  I would never have expected anybody to do that, but honestly she made my wedding better by helping me relax before it.

Bryn