Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | January 15, 2010

The Real Deal On Longer Lashes

ShopSmart MagazineOkay, I am a Consumer Reports Shopsmart junkie. I absolutely love this magazine because it is a condensed, female friendly version of the trusted Consumer Reports. I have been on a huge organizing kick lately so I had to pick up this months issue. To my surprise a great report on bad beauty claims was on page 20.

I mention this because I get a lot of questions about lash growing products. I also mention it because I am trying my new Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara today (loving it by the way!) since I so desperately want HUGE lashes myself, but have never tried these lash growing products, nor do I ever intend to. I have extremely sensitive eyes and have to be very careful about any mascara, eye cream, eye shadow, etc. that I even put on, so something that claims it is going to make my lashes “grow” longer makes me hesitant. It is with good reason apparently.

Lash-growth products have to be regulated by the FDA. An alternative product you will see is a “lash lengthener.” So the real deal according to Consumer Reports,

“No cosmetic can make lashes grow longer, or it would
be classified as a drug,” says Perry Romanowski, an independent cosmetic chemist. “If a cosmetic makes your lashes grow, it probably contains a misbranded drug and could have unknown side effects.”

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Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | January 11, 2010

Charleston City Paper – Best of 2010

It is that time of year again. So go and vote for Best of Charleston 2010.

Best of Charleston 2010 - Charleston City Paper

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/BestofCharlestonRules/Page

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Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | December 17, 2009

Help Portrait Charleston – December 12, 2009

About two weeks ago I received and email asking if I would volunteer my time and services for an event called Help Portrait.  I have to say that I made it half way through the email when I already decided that I was going to say yes.  I was not prepared for the impact that it made on me personally though!

Help Portrait is an event that is the brainchild of professional photographer Jeremy Cowart.  A quick idea of what Help Portrait is can be found on their website www.help-portrait.com.

Founded by celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart, Help-Portrait is a community of photographers, coming together across the world, to use their photography skills to give back to their local communityOn or around, December 12th, photographers around the world will be grabbing their cameras, finding people in need, and taking their picture. When the prints are ready, the photographs get delivered. Yep. It really is that easy. And by the way, we don’t want to see your photos. This is about GIVING the pictures, not taking them. These portraits are not for your portfolio, website, or for sale. Money isn’t involved here. This holiday season, you have the chance to give a family something they may have never had before- a portrait together.Our mission? Our mission at Help-Portrait is simply to equip and mobilize you. We want to make sure you have all the information that you need to successful participate in Help-Portrait on 12.12.09. We want to help you find other people in your area that are wanting to be part of Help-Portrait or have already begun to plan the event. We want you to have the opportunity to give.

So I arrived at Hampton Park in Downtown Charleston, set up my makeup, and began immediately sitting people down in my chair.  I heard stories that made me so thankful and grateful that I was able to be there for everyone that wanted my services.

Three stories stick out in my mind the most.  This first was from two woman who had been friends for over 15 years, but never had a photo taken together.  The second was someone who thanked me for doing her makeup because not many people took the time to give of themselves. The third is perhaps the most defining reason why everyone should be involved next year. A grandmother had come with her two grandchildren, both less than 5 years of age, and was having a portrait taken for their mother.  It would be the first portrait she would have of her children and perhaps her last. They were taking the finished print to the hospital where the 30-year-old mother of two was fighting her final battle in the last stages of a disease that was claiming her life.

As a makeup artist I spend a lot of time on photo shoots creating a look for a model that you would typically see on the cover of a fashion magazine, but I must say that the woman I spoke with this past weekend were some of the most beautiful I have had the pleasure work with.

Charleston Makeup Artist Tiffany Carnahan with Help Portrait Attendee Linda Hines

Photo by Grace Beahm/Charleston Post and Courier

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Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | November 19, 2009

Just A Reminder The Project Runway Finale Is Tonight

Do not miss the finale airing at 10pm on Lifetime. See if Charleston designer Carol Hannah Whitfield is in.

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Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | November 12, 2009

Before Proceeding With Purchase Read This

We have all heard that you should only keep your mascara for 10-12 weeks once you open it.  But how long before that moisturizers gets mucky or blush becomes blah?  Is that discount store sale really that much of a bargain?  How long has that cleanser been collecting dust on the shelf?  If you have always wondered when a good product goes bad, here is a quick way to determine if you are going to hand over your dollars.

Product Expiration Dates

How To Determine When A Good Product Goes Bad

First, every product has what I call a “tuna can” logo with a number on it.  Usually it has 6M or 12M or 24M or something like that printed on that can.  If it is not on the product itself, look on the box or in product information guide, because it is there somewhere.  That let’s you know how long the product should be good after it is opened for the first time.

The second thing that you should look for is a group of letters and numbers.  Each cosmetics manufacturer determines its own method of how this will appear on their product, but it is meant to represent the batch that the particular item in that container was manufactured from.  Some companies use a letter to represent the month, for example A may represent January, B may represent February, and so forth.  The letter may also represent a group or other identifying code.  The most important thing you want to look for though is what signifies the YEAR a product was manufactured and packaged.  Both examples I photographed were from 2008.  From the code marked AA8, I can determine that in January of 2008 this item was produced.  The second example has the code crimped on the end of the packaging tube and the year happens to be the first number shown.

Just remember though regardless of year, once you open your product you have only until the date on the “tuna can” for the effectiveness of your makeup purchase to be guaranteed.

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Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | November 12, 2009

The Wall of Blame

Estee Lauder Andromeda Compact

Wall of Blame Inductee, Andromeda.

Trust me, The Wall of Blame is not a bad thing, unless you are my husband looking at our bank statement to see where I have been spending money.  The Wall of Blame is dedicated to each of every product that has gotten me hooked on makeup, skincare products, fragrances, and basically anything to do with what I obsess about daily.  The Wall of Blame is my opportunity to honor and highlight the reason why I must have more of some really great things.  Today I give credit to the first inductee, introduced to me in 1995 at Saks Fifth Avenue in Downtown Charleston, South Carolina, the Estee Lauder Collectible Compact!  More specifically, Andromeda.

In 1995 I was in my sophomore year at The College of Charleston and had way too much time on my hands in between classes, so naturally I was drawn to anything shiny, or twinkly, or anything that contained sparkle and shimmer.  I was also a broke college kid, so spending more than $5 on makeup was a crime to me.  I remember seeing her, with her silver case and adorning jewels set in a soft blue intaglio style splendor.  Her name was Andromeda and she was a part of an exclusive, once in a lifetime, once gone-gone forever, out of my budget opportunity.  So I did what any self respecting, soon to be makeup junkie would do, I purchased the compact anyway!

This was the beginning of the end for me when it came to compacts.  It started my obsession to seek out the exclusive compacts that Lauder produced each year.  I did not care about collecting them to keep them in their boxes.  I actually used them and still do to this day.  I peruse the internet to see what baubles will delight me on a regular basis, so much in fact that I am currently waiting the delivery of a gorgeous Fleur De Lis compact I purchased two weeks ago.

My parents have returned from Las Vegas the previous two years with a compact as my christmas gift.  Last year they presented me with the Blue Ornament Compact, the previous my request for nearly four years, The Roulette Wheel.  I still mourn the Nouveau Chic Compact I lost about five years ago in a friends car, so if anyone has one they want to part with send me an email with your asking price.  Seriously!  You did read that I have been obsessed with these compacts for 15 years right?!  Email address is tiffany@bellasegreto.com!

But all kidding aside (the offer to buy the compact if you have one was not a joke though!) I just really enjoy the beauty of each and every compact in my collection.  And each has its own story as to why it is in my possession.  But it all started with her.

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Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | November 11, 2009

Do Not Forget Fragrance When You Wed

Wedding Day Fragrance

You may not see it in the photo, but Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia was the signature scent on my wedding day.

I just met with a lovely bride who is getting married next year. When I am consulting with a bride near most of the conversation is about makeup for her wedding and how it will translate in her photographs. I am an extremely visual person, so I relate to anyone who needs to “see” what an end product will look like, and envy those who can just get the details from pure direction. The one thing I find myself failing to mention time and time again is picking out a signature scent for the ceremony.

As visual as I am, I look at my wedding photos from just last year and wonder if my thigh would even fit into my dress now, but I know the perfume I wore that day is always going to fit. I have very little left in my bottle of Estee Lauder’s Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia (yes I was so detailed during my planning I chose a fragrance!) but feel the emotions of the day I said “I Do” when I put it on.

It may just be a small detail but one I think is worth mentioning.

 

 

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Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | November 10, 2009

I Want To Look Like Her . . .

This has to be one of three most heard phrases during my mall counter makeup career! I will talk about the other two at a later time, but first all about those who asked me to make them look like the supermodels who were posing for the brands that I was selling.

Those supermodels . . . THEY WISH THEY LOOKED LIKE THAT TOO!

I am not saying that to be mean or misunderstood. I am saying that as a makeup artist and the wife of a graphic designer. Before those glossy photos are splashed across a magazine layout they are in the hands of many professionals like myself. Usually the last person to tweak the image of the star is a graphic designer. The skills of all those involved in any type of photo shoot help to make sure every hair is in place, no pimples or acne appear in the frame, any cellulite is unseen, and body fat is far removed. The latter was an unknown personal favorite of mine until my DH revealed while I was crying to him that I looked pregnant in a recent round of photo shoots here in Charleston, that he had already “touched up” all of our vacation, holiday photos, and any professional portfolio shots of myself prior to me ever seeing any!

Now please don’t go emailing him about how horrible that is because I have always said that if I could not marry a plastic surgeon, a graphic designer is the next best thing! So I am very grateful he is wanting only the best for me and is only trying to please whom who calls his worst client. Which really brings me to my point. We are our own worst clients!

Do not be so hard on yourself when a break out occurs because 99.9% of the time no one is paying attention to a tiny pimple that only you see as being the same size as Mt. Everest. The same goes for that new red lipstick you simply had to buy. You may think it screams “I need to stand on a street corner” when in fact your lunch companion my only be thinking that you look more confident today than your last meet up.

Makeup should be fun and it should be experimented with. There is no better time than right now to try something new and bold. Okay, so bold for me is a light pink gloss, but whatever your bold is, go for it.

And no, you do not ever want to look like someone else, just the best version of yourself.

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Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | November 4, 2009

Bella Segreto Behind The Scenes With MTV

Bella Segreto MTV True Life

Behind the scenes with Bella Segreto and MTV.

This past weekend Bella Segreto was chosen as the makeup artist for an on location production shoot with MTV and Coastal Carolina Cuties.

 

MTV was filming for an upcoming episode of True Life.

“Since its first episode in 1998, True Life has provided a window into the struggles, hopes, and dreams of young people. Narrated solely by its characters, each episode documents the unusual–and often remarkable–circumstances of real individuals, whether it’s about soldiers returning from Iraq, deaf teenagers, or people living with autism. We’ve given all of them–and hundreds of others–the opportunity to tell their own stories directly to their peers in this powerful series that uniquely reflects the experiences and cultures of this generation.”

We will keep you posted on when the episode will air.

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Posted by: Tiffany@BellaSegreto | August 17, 2009

L’Oreal’s Legal Woes With Sally Beauty

L’Oréal USA filed suit against a Las Vegas-area Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. affiliate the beauty giant claims diverted salon-only product to the gray market and ultimately to the shelves of Target and CVS Pharmacies.

In a fraud complaint filed Aug. 10 in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, L’Oréal alleged that Austin, Tex.-based supplier Armstrong McCall LP used its franchise, Nevada Hair Ventures LLC, to sell Matrix-branded hair care products without authorization to wholesaler Cadeau Express Inc.

Armstrong McCall is owned by Denton, Tex.-based Sally Beauty. Neither is named as a direct defendant in the suit.

L’Oréal alleges Hair of Nevada and Armstrong McCall sold Cadeau “millions of dollars worth of Matrix products” from 2005 through 2007 without authorization. According to the suit, Cadeau told the supplier the goods would go to Las Vegas hotels for guest giveaways, but that much of the product went to gray market operators, who then sold it to mass retailers.

The suit further accuses employees at the firms, including Armstrong McCall president Neil Riemer, of taking tens of thousands of dollars of kickbacks in cash and gifts from Cadeau for facilitating the deals.

According to L’Oréal, Armstrong McCall later brokered an authorized sale of $3.2 million in Matrix product to Cadeau for casino gift programs, but many of those deliveries also went to the gray market.

Sally Beauty did not return a call for comment Friday. In a July 30 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, however, the company acknowledged L’Oréal had raised nearly identical accusations in a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of California.

In response to that suit, it said its board had hired independent counsel to investigate and found insufficient evidence company employees had acted improperly. It said it intended to defend itself vigorously.

L’Oréal says through August 2008, it had found 1,081 bottles of conditioner from the deals at 24 mass market retailers, including at 182 Target stores in 32 states. It called the example a “small sample.”

Cadeau is not named as a defendant in the suit. When reached Friday, a receptionist said its owner, Ramon DeSage, was out of the country.

L’Oréal is seeking an injunction prohibiting the companies from further unauthorized sales and unspecified damages.

by Matthew Lynch

Posted Monday August 17, 2009

From WWD Issue 08/17/2009

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