Hi ladies, I hope you are enjoying your summer and staying cool! I have been having a ball and actually just finished shooting my new in-store campaign for my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy line that will be on display at CVS and Rite Aid drugstores soon. For all you lovely Canadian beauties it is also coming to a Shoppers Drug Mart near you so keep an eye out. Many of you may want to know what goes on during a typical photo shoot so I’m offering you a sneak peak behind the scenes look of how it all goes down. It is really all about multi-tasking so as soon as I arrive at the studio I grab a green Matcha tea, greet the photo crew and sit down to get beautified. The wonderful hairstylist Earl Simms from London whips my hair into shape while the beautiful Myrdith Leon-McCormack gives me the ultimate manicure. The moment the nails are dry, I begin to do my own makeup (using my own line of course) while talking to the photographer Peter Buckingham about the shot list and instructing my assistant Ashleigh on setting up. For the shoot I decided to use my Your Skin Makeup in Creamy Beige, Sun Glow Powder Bronzer in Spring, Instant Definition Eyeshadow Palette in Mountain and Color Comfort Lip Color in Soft Red on myself. When the model arrives I instruct Ashleigh to begin prepping her with moisturizer, primer and brow grooming so she will be ready for me to do her makeup when I am finished. With my hair in rollers, makeup completed, and manicure done, I try on all kinds of beautiful cloths with my friend and stylist Chrissy Lloyd to see which outfits will work with which shot. Now it’s the models turn to get beautified. I choose shades from an array of my fabulous products and begin to create the looks that we will showcase in each shot. I blend, sweep and polish up my model and then we both head to the set to be photographed for the campaign. Each shot is either a close up of the makeup or me in action so it is a lot of holding still and faking it, as these shots will demonstrate how to use some of my favorite products so women can walk right into the store and be inspired by the pictures. Checking the digital monitor after each look we can see which shots are perfect and which angles work the best. It’s a long day but a ton of fun because I am doing what I love which is playing with makeup, teaching women how to achieve their best look ever and being creative with a team of artistic talented people. I hope you will enjoy it!

1. Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Luminizing Face Primer. I slather this not only on my face so makeup smoothes on seamlessly, but on my entire body as well for a radiant glow. Available at www.drugstore.com.
2. Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Your Skin Makeup. This lovely liquid foundation creates the perfect canvas for photos or real life as it mimics skins natural texture and tone. I never leave the house without it on. Available at www.drugstore.com.
3. Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Instant Definition Eye Shadow Palette in Mountain. This palette contains the perfect neutral brown hues that play up any shade of eyes when wearing a red lip. www.cvs.com.
4. Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Color Comfort Lip Color in Soft Red. The perfect shade of red for blondes. Available at www.cvs.com.
5. M2M Damorejon Nail Polish in Show Off. This neutral shade worked perfectly with the red lip color and brown shadow I was wearing on the shoot. Available at www.m2mdamorejon.com.
6. Visine Maximum Redness Relief Formula. This product keeps the white of your eyes really clear in photos. Available at www.cvs.com.
7. Rishi Tea Matcha Japanese Green Tea. This powder dissolves in hot water and gives you 222mg of antioxidant rich polyphenols per serving. I swear by antioxidants for beautiful skin so I drink it every day along with my daily dose of Glowelle Beauty Drink Mix. The tea is available at www.rishi-tea.com and Glowelle is available at www.glowelle.com.
8. Trudelle Laker Jewelry. This fun costume jewelry I have worn in many shoots, on red carpets and fun nights out. I love her designs and always find something special about each piece. Available at www.fragments.com.
9. The wonderful blog from my stylist Chrissy Lloyd called Chrissy Styles is amazing. She has the best way of pairing cloths and accessories together for a total look inspired by art and travels. She sometimes pairs hot cocktail recipes to get you in the mood. www.chrissystyles.com.
10. Ponds Wet Cleansing Towelettes. At the end of a long shoot and hours of makeup under all those hot lights these soothing cloths containing chamomile and anti-oxidants wipe away makeup and dirt, cleaning and conditioning the skin. Available at www.drugstore.com.

Have a question you want Carmindy to answer? Email her at newsletter@carmindy.com

Kiera Vogelzang writes:
I love the pink lip color you always have on when you are on What Not To Wear. Which shade is that?

Carmindy:
That is a combination of my favorite shades from my collection of Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Color Comfort Lip Color in Perfect Pink and Forever Stay Lip Gloss in Pretty Pink.

Nan Patek writes:
Do you do your own makeup for television and magazine shoots?

Carmindy:
I get asked that all the time and yes I absolutely do my own makeup for everything. I do my 5 Minute Face for daytime, A slightly more glamorous look for television and magazines, and for red carpet events and parties I have a lot more fun and experiment with colors and trends.

Justine Stevens writes:
I have dark skin and dark hair and love the natural lip look. My lips are quite thin. What color is best for me, and how to I enhance their shape the best?

Carmindy:
First, use a Q-Tip and dip it into my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Natural Cream Highlighter and trace around the perimeter of your lips. This captures light and makes them look their fullest. Now apply my Color Comfort Lipstick in Seashell Nude and finish with Forever Stay Lip Gloss in Sparkling Nude.