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

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

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

Friday noon was an amazing show. I felt like I was getting my groove except for the ear piece (my Jack Bower), which was bothering me so much that the inside of my ear canal started to swell. Luckily, the adrenalin rush of being on air is nature’s natural healer. 

I donned a green Lanvin party dress with a big bow at the bum along with purple patent leather six-inch heels.

How I love Alber!

Some fun insider intel.

See the products on stands in front of me? As we move from product to product, while the camera is focusing on the models, someone rushes in and switches them out.

And this is so funny. Amy Morrison, the host I was with (Love her!), was doing a show right before ours. The second that show ended, she hops in a wheel chair and someone rushes her over to our studio, which is on the end of the building (probably one to two city blocks long).

As the shows went on, we realized that the pre-produced before/after shots could be better. The reason – the models were pretty close to perfect before.

But apparently, I’m far from perfect!

After a good look at me in the morning without makeup, the producers asked if I’d be willing to be the before/after girl. My dark circles and bags (more like luggage) under my eyes were THAT BAD! 

Here it is – not so good before, but thank you Luxury Squared, Silk Sheets, and Cheek Implants (I’m wearing the shade Backstage Pass) for this after!

This is the pre-produced before and after. There is definitely a difference under her eyes. Before, they look kind of tired, closed, and the bags are tehre. But my “problemed area” is clearly worse!

She is also wearing Lashionista Modelista in the after. It rocks on her, I have to say!

On to the 7p.m. show!

It was hosted by Colleen Lopez, who my mother lovingly deems the “Oprah of HSN” (she even has her own show of her favorite things – the woman has a way with words like no one else).

I wore a textured, shimmery, flirty black and green Rodarte dress with a bow belt (J. Lo wore a similar one in copper). My brother said I looked like I was on Star Trek.

Colleen did something brilliant during this show.

As she was showing the foundation, which, by the way, she used on her arms, she slathered it on her hands and showed how it smoothed out the appearance of her skin. No veins showing. No fine lines. No dryness.

The minute it happened, I saw Todd jumping up and down in the back of the set, throwing his arm in the air like he just won the marathon.

Apparently, the phones were ringing like the symphony and the foundation was selling like mad. This is what the screen I’m not supposed to look at shows. Note: I didn’t look. Todd snapped this pic.

OMG!

It was a hit!

I wanted to crash but the 2a.m. show was six hours away.

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

When I was at HSN on Monday and Tuesday, I got the whole behind the scenes look. It is fascinating.

One of our girls getting made up with Luxury Squared in the hot seat in the “Before & After Room,” which means that there is one room just for B&As!

When we shot our models, we worked in the studio space with the most macked-out equipment and super-duper lighting. Jesse, the photographer reminded me of Ed Norton.

This is Vonda Fox, a 50-something dynamo and three-time cancer survivor. Deana, the makeup artist I love (she will do my own makeup before my show next week – NEXT WEEK! OMG! NEXT WEEK! I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR!) is applying Luxury Squared under eye concealer.

And this is a before and after – look at the difference under the eyes!

Oh, and the before and after on Amanda, a curly haired blond with ridiculously good skin, was incredible for her eyes. Thank you, Lashionista Modelista, our new tubing, conditioning mascara and peptide-rich liquid eye liner with diamond dust!

This is how it looks on dark skin.

I have more before and afters to show – full face as well.

But here’s some more insider action from HSN.

I got to see a cooking brand’s set – in a kitchen. So crazy, right? It’s like I’m in someone’s home!

And this is the call in center, where all of the operators take orders. It’s the size of a football field!

Oh, just a few cameras for a live show!

I don’t know what they call this room but by the looks of it, I’d say it’s important!

More details soon!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Remember when you were taking notes in class or reading a book and the one thing you needed more than anything was a highlighter? Why? It brings out what you want to feature.

Same goes with makeup.

I think highlighter is perhapst he most underrated makeup product. With soft golden hues and a sheen of sparkle, it can bring out your best features, open your eyes, add a youthful freshness to your skin, and give you that dewy runway look that is timeless and chic.  See how dewy!

By the way, this is Lisa, one of the Purple Lab "multi-tasking mavens"

Purple Lab’s is called Luxury Squared. It’s a duo with a color correcting under-eye concealer but I’ll get to that later. The highlighter is infused with beauty treatment ingredients so you get the benefit of the perfect glow: fine particles of silk bind moisture to the skin; Vitamin E is an antioxidant that brightens and fights free radicals; Algae firms and tightens and silica smoothes.

How to use?

1. A swipe under the brow, especially the outer brow, opens your eyes and enhances the shape of the brown. See how it looks on Lisa, below.

See how the highlighter under the brow adds glimmer?

2. Dab the pad of the ring or pinky finger in the highlighter and tap it on the corner of your eyes, by the bridge of the nose. This literally takes years off - the  makeup artist trick of all tricks.

3. Use it as a full on liner – it has a hippie, boho downtown cool look I love.

4. Blend in with blush (cream blush, ideally) so that it really makes the cheek bones pop. I know Lisa has naturally amazing ones, but the highligher takes it to a new level.

Gawww-Jussss!

5. Think outside the box face! Going out at night in something sleeveless – use it on the shoudlers! Showing some leg, slide some up the line of your shin to make your calf muscle stand out!

Highlight away and people will take note!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix