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

I have said this before but in case you missed it, I’ll say it again.

It took Todd and me two years to get Huge Lips Skinny Hips from our brain to shelves. With new partners behind us, a fantastic and experienced development team, it took five months – FIVE! – to create FIVE new products!

I can’t say it was easy and this time around, I wasn’t in the middle of manufacturing madness, which is a place I clearly do not belong. The ease of working with a team who knows exactly what they’re doing and has been doing this for more than thirty years is such a welcome change, I almost feel anxious because I’m not anxious.

Actually, I take that back. I am anxious, just about different things.

Here’s how the process works – and it’s incredible to see the difference between doing it the way Todd and I had done it (when we had NO clue what we were doing and were figuring it out as we went along) and the way it should be done (the learning scale is off the charts).

The new Purple production brigade is in constant contact with labs, so they have an intimate knowledge of new technology, ingredients, science forward elivery systems. I get the skinny, which often inspires new ideas or helps me take the ideas I have to a whole new level.

Brainstorming goes down.

I had a very clear idea of what I wanted the next bunch of products to be and they are on my exact same page, which helps.

There are two main women I work with, one who handles componentry and one who handles formulation. And they handle EVERYTHING. I just get to be creative and avoid what I know I’m bad at.

With product lab partner, we talk about new ingredients, things the lab may already be experimenting with that could add to an idea Purple Lab has. We talk beneifts, features, textures. The lab turns over samples, which are then tested on all of us in the office, friends, friends of friends. I’m not even remotely satisfied until everyone loves it – not just me.

This is what the (glam) lab samples look like.

There are hundreds around the office

I give feedback – “not smooth enough… needs more coverage… add more silk to the formula…”

Meanwhile, I brainstorm names and the “s.o.i.” (statement of identity, for example, Silk Sheets, Purple Lab’s foundation has an s.o.i. of “luxe foundation infused with silk, juniper and almond seeds).

After contemplating Ridicu-lash, Lashing Out, and Lash Addict, Lashionista came to me at 4a.m. I woke up Todd in the middle of the night, saying “Lashionista! Lashionista!” Once you have a name, you’re lucky if it’s not already trademarked. And if it is, I could die of frustration, yet I always wind up on the other side with something I like more. (Luvah was almost “Serial Dater,” “Bow Chicka Bow Bow,” and “Don’t Stop”!)

Back to sampling product. I’m almost obnoxiously discerning (i.e. “the mascara is not the tubiest – I send it back like bad salmon at a restaurant). Sometimes, I’m sure the lab wants to kill me. I often reject something 20 times until it’s the best, best, best product I’ve EVER. I can’t share passion with something I don’t live for.

The girls and I create colors, mixing and matching shades from products the lab sends, adding pearlized, shimmery powders to add just enough sparkle (too much = bad).

The white cowhide rug below the table is officially stained with berry, plum, and red gloss

Simultaneously, the componentry partner sends various packaging options (dozens live in the closet). I often give examples, sketches, ideas of what I like and she finds matches. We talk about pros and cons of each, where logo and cute copy go, how it fits with the rest of the brand’s identity (everything tends to be square, clean lines, double walled, matte silver or shiny purple with metallic hot pink branding).

Our Art Director mocks up the look/feel until it’s right.

When the formula is approved, I write the copy for the box, including directions for use, the love notes that come within, the web copy.

Next: sample time – we need them for media, web site photography, and press material.

Go there – and the stage of finished product – next time!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix