Every season, fashion designers have a look book, a book that’s curated to perfection, showcasing the collection. It’s not something beauty brands would typically do. Being that I’m such a fashion girl at heart, I was a little jealous! I wanted one!

Today we launch our look book (the cover image is above)!

So I asked some of our favorite bloggers and F.O.P.L. (friends of Purple Lab) to strike a pose. We turned my apartment into a photo studio.

The kitchen was the Dolce Gusto coffee and muffin “craft station” as they say on movie sets.

The living room is was saved for hair and makeup. Turns out that Britt, our multi-tasking maven (a.k.a. intern) who also wound up in one of the pics, is genius with hair! To give you a sense of the mayhem – 11 models, 3 makeup artists, Sharon and a team of 4 interns, 2 Dolce Gusto girls manning the cappuccino, 1 photographer, and me.

Our makeup artists rocked! Thank you to Stacie Ford, Ani Hovhannisyan, and Donna Beretsky-Neidecker, who are so talented and smoke out an eye like nobody’s business! And then there’s Ana Schecter, photographer (or as I like to call her, photographess). She is sooooo talented, it hurts! Love, love, love you Ana, Stacie, Ani and Donna!

We carefully plotted which look would be right for each model. Extreme and edgy red liner (Huge Lips Skinny Hips in Red Sole doubled as shadow for the day) for Karen Blanchard of Where did U Get That – she has such a downtown vibe that we knew she could pull it off (not everyone in the world can, but we also gave her a natural look).

Meanwhile, Todd was on the roof deck, morphing it into a photo ready studio. We hung a white blanket on the fence between our deck and our neighbor’s (for a stark white background), removed the table, chairs and grill and set the stage.

This is Ana at work, shooting a pregger and beautiful Mildred of Beauty Logic Blog.

And here she is with the lovely Audrey of Homerun Ballerina, whose birthday is today by the way! HAPPY B’DAY PRETTY GIRL! J’ADORE! Audrey has such a natural glow about her so it was fun to get enhance it with the highlighter of Luxury Squared.

Now, Virginia Nam of Lovely 20s and The Examiner. She looks like such a perfect little porcelain doll so we had to go with it for this very Asian-inspired look, using Huge Lips Skinny Hips in Lychee Martini on the eyes (it really works well as a shadow but you do have to let it dry!)

P.S. We’re working on shadows, BTW! Coming somewhat soon-ish!

Christine from My Style Pill pulled off a really out-there, runway-ready eye – words won’t do it justice. The rest of the face was super natural so that the eyes were the main attraction. See below and drool!

It took a while to perfect the heavy rock star eyes for Anne of The Jet Set Girls. I love the contrast of the dark, dark eye on her fair skin. And that red hair! She was so fierce, I couldn’t stop kvelling all over her!

Noelle and Joelle of The Owls Are Not What They Seem, gave us the glamour – each with two looks.

But check out the eye on Noelle. When the eye was open, it just looked like a thin cat eye but when closed, it was ON!

And Joelle – no words!

F.O.P.L. included Amanda, the cutest blond! She entered our model search contest and we fell so in love with her that we asked her to be in our look book (she came with her mom, Andrea, who started a Twitter account called @vote4amanda when her daughter was racking up votes!)

Hello Bridget Bardot eyes (Ani, amazing job!).

Barbara Dial, our resident pole dancing teacher (from S-Factor, the inspiration behind Huge Lips Skinny Hips in Kitty Poledancer, soft nude-pink), is the consummate California girl. So we edged her up with a side bun and red-red lips.

There was one more look we were dying to do at the end of the day – something kind of hippie chic with a long side braid and we turned Britt into a model! How gorgeous is she here?

More Behind the scenes pics are on Facebook.

And there’s a great video as well, created by Kendra Elise (there she is below).

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

I have a pile of WWDs stacked up to my knees. I can’t quite find the time to go through them all but yesterday, I stopped dead in my work-tracks when I noticed the cover of Monday’s issue.

The makeup! I die! It was calling my name!

It was an image from Dior’s resort 2011 collection and the eye, which may be hard to really tell in the photo, was deeee-vine! A gray winged cat eye just below a pink liner that started at the corner of the eye by the nose.

I had Sharon drop whatever she was doing so we could recreate the look.

There’s something about her that’s so 60s to me! I always tell her she looks like she stepped off the set of Mad Men (counting the days until it’s back on air). Here we are in the “makeup lounge,” a.k.a. my closet.

Here’s how to get the look:

1. Using Lashionista Modelista’s liquid liner portion, line the top lid. This should be very thin.

2. To get the wing shape in a soft gray, create another line using the same product, right above the first line, but not touching it.

3. Smudge it out with a short bristled brush. As you smudge, it tones the shade from black to gray. The more you smudge, the lighter the shade becomes.

4. With a small eye liner brush, swipe Cheek Implants in Six Inch Heels (a soft pink hue) right above the gray smudged cat eye, like a stripe that extends from the tip of the wing to the corner of the eye by the nose.

5. Curl the lashes and use two coats of mascara for an extra thick lash

6. Using Luxury Squared’s highlighter, add a touch of shimmer under the brow to enhance the brow bone.

7. Add a nude lip. The nude is key because you want the eyes to stand out – a dark shade would be too much at once. I used Luvah in Mama’s Boy.

The final creation:

We recently did a cute segment for Better TV in the Purple Lab apartment (a.k.a. my home/office/warehouse). They shot here once before and I have to say, it’s always fun to have a film crew come over!

The producer, Marianne, is heaven to work with and – I love this about her! – she writes vampire young adult novels (check her out). This was one of her last shoots for the network before she left to write full time (we’ll miss you, Marianne).

The premise of the shoot: Mother’s Day. We had three moms, each a different age group, and I gave them make overs (I have been taking makeup artist lessons).

One quick thing – I wore these super cute harem shorts (right to the knee). Bad idea. Now that I see the pix, well, it looks like I’m wearing Pampers. (Not showing you!)

Anyway, mom in her 30s, was Deena, a friend of a friend. The problem with moms in their 30s? They need quick beauty tips because they’re busy with small kids.

The solution: double duty products save time (and $$$); neutral colors are a must because you don’t have to spend too much time applying, blending out each shade, especially with kids running all over the place.

This was the look I gave her.

All I needed: Four products.

1. Silk Sheets foundation to even her skin tone

2. Cheek Implants cream blush in the shade Backstage Pass. The trick is to use it as a full on eye shadow, the whole lid from the lash line to the crease. It brightens the whole face.

3. Lashionista Modelista, just the mascara. One coat on the top lashes.

4. Huge Lips Skinny Hips in Goji Berry Smoothie (the soft berry shade is out at the end of the month)

Five minutes. Done!

Now on to mom in her 40s (my friend Sally, who I hadn’t seen in far too long). In your 40s, you have a little more time. Your kids are likely in school. You have your days back! So you can play with your makeup.

Don’t be afraid to bring on the glamour with a serious smokey eye – it’s not just for 20somethings. It’s fun to flirt with new looks as you hit your forties, especially when you work with products that have sophisticated formulas but a playfulness to make you feel young and fun.

For Sally, it was all about subtle shine on the lips and rosy cheeks. Here’s her before and after:

Here’s what I used:

1. Cheek Implants in Six Inch Heels. You will feel like a super model while enhancing cheekbones with a pale shade of pink.

2. Lashionista Modelista in After Dark: Just smudge liner with a small angled brush to create a soft yet smokey cat eye. The diamond dust is subtle, giving the eye just the right amount of shine.

3. Luvah in Mama’s Boy. Made to bring out your inner vixen, it’s infused with aphrodisiacs and natural libido stimulants to remind you to feel sensual and beautiful.

For Mom in 60s, we actually played Joan Hirsch, none other than Sharon’s mother! She’s a doll and looks 20 years younger than her age. The issue moms have in their sixties? They want to look younger without going under the knife (well, some don’t mind the knife, not naming names).

The solution? Use beauty products that have anti-aging benefits so you are treating skin all day and definitely do NOT be afraid of color. A pop of color will brighten your whole face and give you a youthful appeal. Lastly, love that highlighter.

Highlighter should be your best friend, especially as you age. It’s the best way to add soft shimmer and draw attention to your best features. Chic tip: A dab in the corner of the eyes by the nose will draw the light away from crow’s feet.

Meet Sharon’s maker – before and after:

Here’s what I used:

1. Silk Sheets foundation equipped with anti aging benefits, thanks to silk, algae, seaweed, juniper, almond seed extract, and more!

2. Luvah in Rich Jerk: Use a bright lip color so lips pop. The double plumping ingredient, “Complex OO,” provides long-term lip enhancing benefits while Vitamin B3 provides immediate plumping, erasing fine lines.

3. Luxury Squared, which is equipped with both an under eye color corrective concealer AND highligher. Both offer skin care ingredients like silk, Vitamin E, carrot oil, antioxidants, algae. And the highlighter’s got my favorite additive – diamond dust!

Happy early Mother’s Day!

Will share the clip when it’s live.

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

I recently wrote about the Women in Need charity event. But what I didn’t share is the high drama look I gave my eyes, thanks to Lashionista Modelista (clearly, an addictive product for me!).

It’s super easy and here’s how to do it yourself:

When you do something like this, something that draws all the attention to your eyes, keep the rest of your look soft and neutral.

Let one thing stand out on your face at a time – sort of like an outfit with one star accessory.

I did this look with Huge Lips Skinny Hips in No Panty Lines (a.k.a. clear) so that there was a little moist shine but no color to distract from the eyes.

It was a hit!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

I’m totally a curly girl. I think I have straightened my hair twice in the last seven years. I just don’t feel like me when my mane is not a little bit unruly and wild.

I received a few emails, asking me how I do my curls. I’m flattered! So I thought I’d share my secret, which I can’t quite claim as my own because everything I know, I learned from Devachan, where I have been going to get my hair done for the past 13 years.

Be my curlfriend!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Did you see A Single Man, the Tom Ford film?

If not, RUN! Do not walk to the theater! It must been viewed on the silver screen. A breathtakingly stunning emotional story of a gay man in the 60s whose partner dies in a car crash, every moment is art directed to graphic perfection. And Julianne Moore’s makeup. No words! Beyond!

I sat down with Lashionista Modelista, Purple Lab’s peptide-packed liquid liner and tubing mascara duo, to recreate the look. Keep in mind – I really can’t pull it off the way Julianne can and the rest of me is not styled in a 60s vibe, but the eye makeup speaks for itself.

Here’s how to do it.

Tom, give me Moore!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Start at the Hearst building – midtown and way, way west. Then head all the way east for a meeting at Meredith’s HQ. Back to hearst Then down and a little east for Conde Nast. Over to Meredith again before American Media. Oh yeah, Time Life Building was in there at some point. One more Conde Nast stop.

This is a close up of what we leave behind with each editor.

The security at all the buildings knew us by name today! Every time you go in, you give your ID, they call up and you get a pass to get in to the inner sanctuary. These are the remnants of the last 28 hours.

OMG! Exhausted but I shan’t complain. It’s a luxury problem!

Today was another glam day of desk sides and it was madness (good madness, mind you). Todd was the driver again (sans cap but with cute smile). There was picnic lunch between appointments in the back seat of his car and only minor spillage.

Besides, it’s great architectural sight seeing. The lobby of the Hearst tower is gorgeous.

We also tried something new. I really love showing how the liquid liner of Lashionista Modelista can be so much more than a liquid liner. By dabbing it – in not even necessarily a nice and neat way – on the lid and smudging with a small bristled brush, you can move the product around the lid, bring out the beautiful shimmer of the diamond dust and turn it into a steel gray eye shadow.

I showed this on Sharon in Marie Claire. I think she loved it. Well, I hope she loved it. Sharon had big glamour cat eyes all day, which made her happy. It worked with the Pucci style printed dress. She has such a 60s look to me.

Nothing like showing it in person. To see how it’s done, click here.

Meanwhile, poor Todd, driving all day, sitting in the car, turning his front seat into the office (with no internet). Every time he dropped us off, he’d open the trunk and tell random cops he was a delivery guy in order to prevent driving in circles.

Guess who drove in circles?

End of the day, we’re beat down. This is us, though, the second we’re back. And Sharon is sitting here as I type, booking more desk sides (there are six more this week and a few in early April).

I’m about to bolt. There’s an event tonight for the CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) and Mindy Grossman, CEO of HSN, is speaking. CANNOT miss that!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

We have officially started a series of how-to videos. And this is our guide to the smokiest, sexiest, Tom Ford-worthy smoldering eye. Smokey, hot and haute, it will get you noticed where ever you go! Sexy, dramatic makeup at its best.

All you need is one product… Purple Lab’s Lashionista Modelista, a peptide protein-packed, conditioning liquid eye liner (with felt tip applicator) and tubing mascara in the shade After Dark (with diamond dust).

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

The spring runway – and even many fall runways – were stalked by glamazons sporting a fresh-faced, natural, no-makeup-makeup look. Have you noticed? So we put Ashley, one of our multi-tasking mavens, to the test and create the look herself.

Meet Ash:

She is an all-natural kind of girl to begin with (not to mention the most amazing singer ever – full on jazz vocals a la Norah Jones).

Armed with Silk Sheets luxe foundation infused with silk, Luxury Squared under-eye concealer and highlighter, collagen-packed Cheek Implants in Backstage Pass (ripe, delicious peach with golden undertones), Lashionista Modelista and Huge Lips Skinny Hips in Worship Kate, she turned herself into an exact replica of what Stella McCartney’s models looked like on the catwalk. (Love Stella, BTW.)

Here’s how to get that youthful, clean, natural look.

More how-tos to come! And do let us know what you want to see us create!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

You know we have a new liquid liner/mascara duo called Lashionista Modelista. Both are full of growth-enhancing peptides and conditioner. And the shade After Dark has diamond dust in the liner (Modelista). You know I love a good diamond (I’m an Aries, after all).

We were insired by Bridget Bardot and did some playing on Friday to create the ultimate smokey eye look.

While After Dark is more black than bling, I wanted to bring out the sparkle of the diamonds and create a steel gray look worthy of Studio 54. Halston, not required.

Here’s the step by step:

1. Draw a line along the line of the top lash from the inside corder to the outside corner

2. Build the line so that it gets thicker and thicker as you move away from the inner corner of the eye, almost shading in the entire lid, winging it out VERY slightly at the edge (it’s not about a major cat eye but it’s nice to get an almond shape)

3. Don’t panic if it looks VERY black – it will but it won’t stay that way after the next step

4. While the liquid liner is still wet, begin to smudge it with a short-bristled brush

5. As you smudge, you will see the black will fade and the diamond dust will emerge more and more 

6. Blend evenly so that the color is dispersed equally across the lid

Hot, isn’t it?

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix