Aren't they gorgeous?!!! I'm so excited to share this shoot with you!
I am crazy passionate about being able to accommodate as many women as possible - makeup-wise, skincare-wise, you name it. Having worked for a number of lines in the past I had a daily conversation with a woman of a tan-deep skintone who would come in, looking for a foundation to match her complexion and I would have to steer her to another line if the line I was working for didn't go that deep. It sucked. For everyone involved. And when the lines did carry deeper colors 50% of the time they were too orange or too grey. It was frustrating.
When I was putting Erin's Faces together I wanted a foundation that truly went from light to deep and everywhere in between - it is incredibly important to me that everyone feels welcome with my line. I also wanted a mineral foundation that wasn't loose (too messy and inhaling Bismuth Oxychloride is no bueno), wouldn't break me out, was oil free, had a physical sunscreen, would cover if I needed coverage but could sheer out if I wanted something lightweight, would look great on camera and in real life and would stay put. As a result I decided on my Mineral Liquid Powder Foundation ($35) and it has the most positive testimonials on my site of any item - people LOVE it - and I wanted to share it with you in a new way so you can really see the colors and, in case you're not on the bandwagon yet, match yourself up so you can use this awesome foundation too!
In thinking of what type of models I wanted for the shoot I decided I wanted REAL women and I decided to ask some of my favorite Broadway girls and boy did we luck out -
Foundation Shade - LINEN - the fairest of the fair, sunburns easily
Amanda Kloots (Dutch) - from Bullets Over Broadway and The Producers
Can't Live Without - Lip Balm
The beyond pretty Amanda came to the shoot after having an awesome vacation so she was about 6 shades darker than the color Linen. I thought it was a great opportunity to show how well this foundation can cover, and still look like skin, and there was no retouching to "lighten" her up - it's all the makeup. And yes, her eyes really are that blue!
Foundation Shade - CREAM BEIGE - the perfect color for girls who are fair but aren't the fairest of the bunch, sunburns easily
Jennifer Hope Wills (German/English) - from The Phantom of the Opera (Christine) and Wonderful Town (Eileen)
Can't Live Without - Lip Gloss
Jennifer actually has been wearing this foundation for a couple of years, is a great friend and happens to be beautiful so she was a no brainer for the shoot. She is a wonderful mix of grace and silliness!
Foundation Shade - TENDER BEIGE - great shade for girls that are in between light and medium shades
Teal Wicks (Irish/Norwegian) - currently in Finding Neverland (Marie Barry), past Wicked (Elphaba) and The Blue Flower (Maria)
Can't Live Without - Mascara and Blush
Teal is another dear friend who is I got to know well working together at the Goodspeed Opera House many moons ago - she is incredibly generous, ridiculously talented and one of my favorite peeps!
Foundation Shade - PORCELAIN - pinker undertone and is great when colors are generally too yellow for someone
Ashley Park (Korean-American) - currently in The King and I (Tuptim), past Cinderella (Gabrielle)
Can't Live Without - Lip Balm and Eyelash Curler
I met Ashley putting together this shoot and have since gotten to do another one with her and she is just sweetness on a stick! Such a fun mix of effervescence and refinement - love her!
Foundation Shade - PALE BEIGE - the definition of the shade Medium with undertones erring to the side of yellow but remaining quite balanced
Alena Watters (Polish/Prussian) - currently in Pippin, past Sister Act (Tina) and West Side Story (Anita)
Can't Live Without - Lip Gloss and Mascara
Alena and I go way back to a dance class at NYSC and she has inspired me ever since with her positive attitude, talent and inclusivity. This is her "winter shade" and in the summer she bumps up to Natural Beige.
Foundation Shade - ALMOND - medium tone with very yellow undertone
Jackie Burns (Irish/Italian/English) - from Wicked (Elphaba) and If/Then (Elizabeth)
Can't Live Without - Mascara, Blush and Lip Balm
I fell in love with Jackie the moment I met her - she has such sincerity and joy - she was a delight to get to work with! She also wore her foundation this summer during a production of Man of La Mancha and loved it so yay for that!
Foundation Shade - NATURAL BEIGE - medium deep skintone - olive undertone
Jennifer Sanchez (Spanish/German/Mexican/Native American) - from West Side Story (Rosalia) and Little Miss Sunshine (Miss California)
Can't Live Without - Tinted Moisturizer
I met Jennifer the day of the shoot and she was a dream to work with - so laid back, so easy going and happens to have some of the best hair I've ever seen!
Foundation Shade - SANDY BEIGE - a true tan shade
Janelle Velasquez (Filipino/German/Irish) - from Here Lies Love
Can't Live Without - Mascara!
I got to see Here Lies Love before I met Janelle so I may have gushed a bit upon our introduction as I loved that show. She was so kind, so smart!, and ridiculously stunning.
Foundation Shade - HONEY BRONZE - the lightest of the deep skintone shades
Thomasina Gross (African-American/German/Irish) - currently in Mamma Mia! (Lisa), past Once On This Island (Ti Moune)
Can't Live Without - Lash Extensions
Thomasina and I just clicked from the word "go" and I have enormous affection for her - her sense of joy, business savvy and boundless energy made this shoot and the second one I got to do with her so much fun!
Foundation Shade - FAWN - a medium deep tone, yellow undertone - not orange
Marisha Wallace (African-American) - currently in Something Rotten, past Aladdin (Fortune Teller)
Can't Live Without - Gel Eyeliner & Brow Pomade
Marisha is another awesome combo of mirth and moxy - and can that girl take a picture?!! She brought so much FUN to set while turning it out with every shot - I'm obsessed!
Foundation Shade - ESPRESSO - the deepest of the deep skintone shades
Aisha (African-American, Jamaican, White) - currently in Beautiful, past Memphis (Felicia)
Can't Live Without - Lipstick
I really felt Aisha brought a sense of delicacy and refinement to her photos - she was game for anything and those cheekbones are kind of everything.
And of course it took a small village to make this thing happen - much love and thanks to my team:
Photographer - Lauren Toub
Art Director - Dana Iannuzzi
Stylist (and model!*) - Jessica Myhr
Hair Stylists - Candice Crawford and Marissa Cavalluzzi
*Jessica stepped in as our Linen model for the group shot since Amanda was so yummy and bronzed up and it didn't seem to make sense to paint her head to toe in makeup to make her fit
What a fabulous photo shoot & concept! I'm always so happy to see your successes build :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Donia!! xoxo
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