Beauty Tips & Tricks From Celebrity MakeUp Artist: Rachel Pagan

Rachel Pagan: Instagram: @rachelnicolepagan

Friends! I’m so happy that celebrity makeup artist, Rachel Pagan gave me some of her time to chat about beauty tips and tricks. I met Rachel on the set of Home & Family TV when I was on the show for my podcast, “Hallmark Channels’ Bubbly Sesh” and she did my makeup and a hair artist from her company, The CoLab Beauty Group, did my hair. I have never in my life, aside from my wedding day, felt more beautiful than when she did my makeup!

If you are reading this and you are an actor or TV personality, you know how important it is to find someone that gets you and makes your specific beauty shine. Also, as someone with darker skin, I’ve found a few other times when I’ve had my makeup done on set that my skin tone was a bit off or I didn’t feel like myself. I always end up having to bring my own makeup and at least use a few products of mine. Not with Rachel. She used all her own products and I didn’t have to ask, “Well, can we use this of mine? …or this?” because I didn’t feel the look was quite right. Rachel helped me feel like my most beautiful, radiant self which is really important right before you go on-camera! Not only is she this calming spirit, but her artistry and talent amazed me. Just check out my makeup in some of these photos from set:

Rachel has spent 15 years in the beauty industry and is the Founder, CEO and inspiration behind the The CoLab Beauty Group. With a background in both makeup and skincare, Rachel has worked on a variety of television and film productions, fashion and editorial shoots, and has built a considerable roster of celebrity clients. The CoLab Beauty Group is a testament to Rachel’s passion, where she has created a dedicated team that lives and breathes beauty, professionalism and collaboration.

See below some tips and tricks I asked Rachel to share that I had questions on and thought I’d share with all of you!

What are five makeup mistakes people typically make that they can avoid?

1. If you want to do a smokey eye, start with the eyes, contrary to popular thought about doing the face first. Do the smokey eye first to avoid removing excess makeup under the eye area. When you are using darker shadow it will fall under the eye, at least it's on bare skin and not skin you've already applied make-up too. It reduces the need for touch-ups + less waste.

2. Make sure the base color or foundation color on your face matches your neck. It's super important to have the face and neck blend. From there you can add concealer, highlight and bronzer as needed to create a more balanced look.

3. Don't just put eyeliner on your waterline without setting it with a powder or eyeshadow. One technique is always start with a cream and set it with a powder/eyeshadow over eyeliner, this will intensify the look and make it last all day.

4. Don't skip curling your lashes! Curling your lashes really opens up your eyes. Hold down the eyelash curler for 3-5 seconds. You can also move the curler over different sections of your eyelashes if you need too. Then, put on your mascara. Wowza!

5. Don't be afraid to do more than lipstick. Try out a lip liner, which has a wackier formula and helps the lipstick define the lips + lock in the color. If you don't want to use a lip liner, you can use a liquid lipstick to help you define your lips. You'll find that your lip color will be longer lasting. Kiss proof too!

What are five essential skin care tips that you live by?

1. Drink a lot of water. That's the most important thing in skincare. If anyone is having any issues with their skin, take notice of how much water you are consuming. Skin is the largest organ in the body so hydration is essential.

2. Have a skin ritual that promotes self care. We hold a lot of stress in our face and to help with anti aging and lymphatic drainage, spend time developing a ritual that will not only cleanse the skin, but nurture the skin. You will see that it effects your overall health. Think of doing certain steps and also think of a positive affirmation that you can say to yourself while cleansing.

For example in the evening, I will wash my face (if wearing make-up I'll do a double cleanse), sometimes I use a make-up wipe, or I also use something called Croon, which is a reusable sponge to help exfoliate (love using something biodegradable that I can repurpose). I finish with a facial serum of rose hip seed oil and end with a facial moisturizer. Some mantras that I use are:

My body is nourished from the inside out.

I breath in love + acceptance and exhale fear + doubt.

I am grateful for all the abundance in my life.

3. Always wear sunscreen! For any time, skin type and skin tone! The effects of UVA and UVB over extended time are damaging. If you are a parent, start using sunscreen early on your kids so that it becomes a habit. Two of my favorite sunscreens are Purlisse Blue Lotus SPF and an amazing sunscreen that I recommend for darker skin tones is Black Girl sunscreen. It blends into the skin so beautifully.

4. If you have oily skin, don't be afraid to use a serum or an oil because you feel like it's going to make you more oily. It's actually going to make your skin more balanced. One that I personally use is Evan Healy, Chilean Rose Hip Seed Oil. Rose hip oil will help take down inflammation, help with fine lines and hydrate the skin. It's really a well rounded product.

5. You've probably heard this one before, but never sleep in your make-up. Always be sure to cleanse at night and moisturize at night. Your skin cells regenerate at night so it's important to have clean skin!

What's your one must have on your face? I can’t leave the house without curling my lashes and some lipgloss or lipstick on my lips. What's the one thing makeup wise for you?

For me personally, it's mascara. It’s a game changer. I like how it opens up my eyes especially since I have light eyelashes. Also, a make-up artist tip: If you are lacking full eyelashes and you like a bold brow, make sure you do mascara to create a balanced look.

Any fun summer trends you are loving and any fall trends you are seeing coming up?

I think this is an ongoing trend for life or a hack I live by. It's what I call my Fresh & Happy Summer Look. If you want to do a bold bright lipstick, take a little of the lip color onto your finger and blend it into your cheeks. It completes the look and it makes your look dewy, fresh and natural. Another trend, I'm seeing a lot on my social media is geometric shapes on the eyes. This is using eyeliner esp neon colors. to create an avant-garde pattern. I love how this adds a really playful element to any look! An everlasting Fall trend that you can't go wrong with is using berries, browns and pumpkin colors into your make-up routine. These more muted earthy tones look incredible on everyone! These are universal shades that are complementary to Mother Earth.

When is the best/appropriate age to introduce your children to beauty products? Any items that you love that are kid friendly?

It's so personal what age is appropriate for you and your family. Starting a conversation early on is important for me as a parent. Introducing your kids to different ways of thinking and self expression. Makeup is playful! Meaning it's not to alter or necessarily change, but it's about creativity, which is a fun way to express ourselves. My son always notices when I do my makeup, and I adore sharing my craft with him. Recently for Hanukkah and Christmas, I put together a mini makeup kit for my four & six year old nieces that included gel glitter, a little bit of a lip gloss that was sheer with a bit of sparkle and colored eyeliner. Those are some fun items especially the glitter that any child would enjoy.

I absolutely loved the look you did on me while on the set of Home & Family. What were some of the products you used to get this look?

Some key products I used: Kevyn Aucoin Concelsor, Kosas Lip and Cheek Color, Glossier Mascara, Lime Crime Eyeshadow.

I absolutely love these tips and tricks and I am so grateful to Rachel for sharing them with us! The affirmations above I’ve already started doing and they make a huge difference in my skincare routine. Veena also just started getting curious about my makeup and I used what Rachel said above about how makeup is about creativity and a fun way to express ourselves to let her know that it’s all about play to enhance the beauty from within.

Hope some of these tips were helpful. Keep me posted if you do any of these or if you try any of the products listed. Would love to hear what worked for you, beauties!