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Celebrity makeup artist AJ Crimson, who counts Brandy; Cassie; Serayah; and Lauren London as clients, shared his beauty tricks and tips during a Colgate Optic White and Family Dollar Fabulous event on Sept. 10th. Crimson was joined by celebrity stylist Anastasia Walker and Colgate ambassador and Fashion Bomb Daily founder Claire Sulmers for the New York Fashion Week event.
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Celebrity stylist Anastasia Walker, celebrity makeup artist AJ Crimson & fashion blogger Claire Sulmers
The Family Dollar Fabulous program aims to celebrate and honor Black women and other women of color “by highlighting how inner beauty, when combined with fashion, unique features, skin tones, and hairstyles, makes us all fabulous, fantastic, and fashionable,” according to a press release.
The morning kicked-off at a Bronx, NY Family Dollar (415 Soundview Ave.). Crimson highlighted specific beauty products on sale at the store, like L.A. Colors’ eyebrow kit, while we learned about the other brands available at Family Dollar. (Did you know the Family Dollar sells quality Pro Player fitness pants for $10?!) A highlight of the tour was the dental care aisle, where we learned that Colgate Optic White Express White Toothpaste is Colgate’s fastest whitening toothpaste. In just three days, the user can achieve a bright white smile.
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Later, we moved to the beauty bar at Harlem Skin & Laser Clinic (2119 Frederick Douglass Blvd.). This is where Crimson divulged his best makeup tips and tricks (following page), and I was able to pick his brain about transitioning summer makeup to fall, beauty trends, and the products women with oily skin and dry skin should use.
Annika Harris: What are the best ways to transition summer makeup to fall without completely overhauling everything?
AJ Crimson: Take an inventory of what you have really. In my class, Beauty Basics 101, it’s one-on-one. I have you just bring in like a shoe box of all your makeup, and we take an inventory. You have to think, we’re in New York right now and it’s 90 degrees in September, so the seasons for us don’t necessarily matter so much anymore. You can kind of wear a berry lip that you would normally reserve for fall in the summer. It’s all about your own fashion sensibilities, and how you want to play with your makeup wardrobe. The fresh face is always in style or a less is more kind of a thing. Always playing up the eyes. I think the transition from one season to the next can actually be quite seamless. It’s about you adopting that there are no rules in makeup, like there is in fashion.
AH: Are there any fall beauty trends or tried and true techniques that you will employ this season?
Crimson: One thing that I’ve been doing or working on is a new way to do eyeshadow. I love that girls are embracing color and wanting to see tons of color on the eye. But how do we do it in a simple and easy way, where you don’t feel overwhelmed by it? With my clients, we’re experimenting with sheer washes of color on the eye that are vibrant, that kind of give a hint of allure. And then whether it’s rich purples or greens, making the eyeshadow glossy is really great for fall, and leaving the rest of the skin matte. You know matte lips are all the rage right now. If you’re going to do a matte lip, then do something with a little more texture or sheen on the eye. If you’re going to do something that is less about the eye in terms of color pay-off, then maybe you do some beautiful lashes and then go bold on the lip. Also, re-purposing things. I love matching the lipstick I am using on a girl and also use it as the blusher she’s wearing to create this really beautiful color palette.
AH: What are five products a women with oily skin should take with her on-the-go and one with dry skin?
Crimson: A woman with dry skin should have AJ Crimson Dual Skin cream foundation. If she has oily skin, she should actually have AJ Crimson Neutral Matte loose powder because it absorbs the oil without disrupting the foundation, changing the color of the foundation, or making the skin look too heavy. I would do a hard set of powder in the morning, just in those areas where you’re oiliest, and then you can touch up with a brush throughout the day as needed. It really depends on the level of sheen you like to see in your complexion, but you always want to do it lightly. Start off lightly and then build up, that way you don’t overwhelm the skin, overwhelm the face with something too heavy. Three more products that a girl would need. I would say great skincare, to be honest. Start out with really beautiful, really great skincare. I like things that are really going to hydrate my skin. Whether you’re oily or dry, it’s all about a good hydration right now. SK-II makes some now that are really great. Try Urban Rx which is a skincare line that’s developed for women of color which is really amazing. Cream blush is so underrated. I think it’s so natural and it’s so easy to use, and you can use your fingers with applying it. Just take a little and add it slowly is what my recommendation is. Or even if you make a mistake, you can always buff it and blend it out. Or you can take that and put it under your foundation and it will look like the blush is coming through your skin naturally. And last, mascara. You gotta have some mascara. If you don’t have mascara, then where are you going?!
Keep reading for more makeup suggestions from AJ Crimson …
[Images: Soul B for Colgate]
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AJ Crimson’s Beauty Tips
- Lashes complete the look: Give eyes an instant wake-up call with L.A. Girl Mascara available at Family Dollar. For an effortless and dramatic eye-popping effect, extend mascara root to tip for luxurious, voluminous lashes. Protect your eyeshadow by using a triangular sponge to hold the eyelid up and catch any mascara as you sweep the wand through your eyelashes.
- Luscious lashes are always on trend: Sometimes mascara alone isn’t enough for a dramatic eye look, which is why I love great eyelashes. One of my favorite tricks to create more natural luscious lashes is to take a lash strip style you love and cut them into four sections before applying. Doing this will break up the lash and allow them to feel more like your own. You can perfect the lash line by using liquid liner.
- Complement your look with a designer smile: You need to make sure any look is complemented by a designer smile — Colgate Optic White Express White toothpaste is proven to whiten teeth in just three days, and is Colgate’s fastest teeth whitening toothpaste ever. To help boost teeth whiteness even more, use a blue-based red lipstick to further emphasize white teeth. Make sure you exfoliate your lips prior to applying lipstick, especially if you’re using a matte shade.
- Transition summer lipstick colors to fall weather: Blue-based deep berry and red matte lips are perfect for the summer-to-fall transition and will stay in style. The newest trend is “lip stain.” It’s a wash of color that stays put. Use an L.A. Girl matte lipstick, available at Family Dollar stores, by swiping directly on the lips and pushing into lips with your finger to create the stain. Blot with tissue and apply another layer with the same technique to get eight-hour wear.
- Create a new nail polish out of eyeshadow color “fails”: One of my favorite things to customize is nail polish. Using a shade of metallic eyeshadows, scrape a bit of shadow on a mixing tray, and pour clear nail polish onto the eyeshadow. Just mix and apply! You now have a way to try something new or re-purpose old eye shadow that didn’t quite work on you.
[Image: Soul B for Colgate]
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