DAY 1: Bumble & Bumble, L’Oreal, and Arcade Marketing

Bumble and Bumble offices

The first stop on the FIDM’s New York Beauty Study Tour, was at Bumble & Bumble offices. We got to meet with Suzanne Machesky, a fellow FIDM aluma. She was on this very same tour and got hired at Bumble & Bumble because of it! She gave us plenty of tips on being successful in the industry and shared with us what she does on a day-to-day basis. And yes, it’s fun.

A person from each department came down to speak with us about how their department collaborated on a product line they recently launched called BB Wear and Care (Fabulous line btw, love their Quenching Masque). I was quick to notice that how  each department worked together in the same exact fashion that I learned at FIDM. To be more specific, group work, group work, group work. It made me so happy to see that what we were learning in the classroom translates smoothly into the work environment.

A visit to the L'Oreal office - my notes and gifts

Our next appointment was with L’Oreal, we met with two women from the Designer Fragrance Division. They spoke to us about two new projects they were working on. One was on their upcoming release of Aqua Di Gioa Georgio Armani, a new women’s fragrance to complement best-selling counterpart Aqua Di Gio. It smells very clean and fresh, look out for it this summer. The next project they are working on in is the release of a new fragrance collection for Ralph Lauren. They explained to us what it’s like to work with a living designer for the creative design process. Ralph Lauren is very much involved. It was nice to see how a large company works when creating a new product. It is a bit different compared to smaller companies because there are more people involved.

The view from Arcade Marketing's office

Our last stop for the day was at Arcade Marketing, they call themselves specialty printing marketers. We met with Laura who told us about what she does for the company. They were one of the first in the industry to create scent sampling for fragrances. When you open your magazine to get a whiff of the latest Juicy Couture or Dior fragrance, you can thank them. Arcade talked to us about how they work on marketing campaigns that samples for their clients in fragrances, color cosmetics, and skin care. It’s important to note that they mentioned a revolutionary idea or concept is all about timing. Something that isn’t hot right now could be or will be in 5 years.

(P.S.) We totally saw Jay-Z and Eminem performing on the rooftop of David Letterman which was right across the street from Arcade Marketing. I got a picture from the office!

The Late Show with David Letterman in New York

Jay-Z and Eminem perform on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater, home of The Late Show with David Letterman

Just after the first day of the FIDM’s New York Beauty Study Tour  I was having so much fun and felt inspired, there’s so much to learn and so much to see I wish we had more time!

Every month or so I switch out my makeup in my bag to rotate  my products. I try to experiment with different looks because I like to keep things fun. I am not one to stick a particular makeup look because I like being versatile and flexible with my makeup. I do tend to choose a lot of similar products because I know what I like, but I try to mix it up and keep things fresh. I recently lost my makeup bag this past month, the thought it just makes me queasy. But needless to say I had to try to rebuild it. These products are ones that I carry with me everyday. I keep all the rest of my makeup at home, and try to carry key products that can help me create a few different looks.

FACE

• Lorac AquaPRIME – I use this because my skin is acne-prone and this primer doesn’t clog my pores.
• Boots Complexion Refining Liquid Foundation in Nutmeg – I use this liquid foundation first to even out my skin tone. This foundation helps clear skin and absorbs oil and is great for my skin type.
• Bare Minerals Foundation SPF 15 in Medium Beige -  I dust this over my face to get to build my foundation coverage.
• CoverGirl Professional Loose Powder in Medium – This powder sets my foundation and gives my face a matte finish.
• NARS Powder Blush in Gilda – The best peachy orange color ever. And its usage outlasts so many blushes because of its high pigmentation.

EYES

• L’Oreal Double Extend Mascara – This mascara is so good at lengthening lashes, and it was great about it is that the length is buildable. To make them look really long I spend about 2 minutes on each eye.
• L’Oreal Telescopic Liquid Eyeliner – The easiest thing to swipe on to add definition.
• L’Oreal HIP Color Rich Eyeliner in Black 905 – My go to eyeliner when wearing shadow.
• Too Faced Shadow Insurance – A mini version to keep my shadow in place.
• Rimmel Special Eyes Precision Eye Pencil in Black Magic - My lower lids love this with mascara on bottom lashes!
• Benefit Boi-ing Eye Bright Duo -  The Boi-ing maks my under eye circles disappear when I’m really tired.
• Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Busy Signal -  This shadow is so easy to apply all you need is your finger.
• Anastasia Perfect Eyebrow Pencil  in Medium Ash – You would think I would be a darker color because my hair is black, but I don’t like my eyebrows to look too dark against my skin.

LIPS

• Rimmel 1000 Kisses Stay On Long Lasting Lip Liner in Wild Clover -  I use this under my lipstick to keep it from bleeding.
• Chanel Rouge Allure in Exquise – This is one of those lipsticks that you can apply without a mirror because its texture and color.
• Revlon Color Stay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick  in Miracle Mauve - I do need a mirror for this one, but I don’t  have to re-apply it.
• Lancôme Lipstick Color Design – I like this red because it’s got an orange tint to it and it’s sheer. I got it some time ago, and unfortunately I don’t have the shade name.
• Stila Lip and Cheek Stain in Pomegranate Crush - This stain is such a pretty berry color, and when paired with lip balm it’s a great low-key lip slight pop of color.
• Sephora Lip Gloss in Bronzed Beauty – A pretty berry color with a hint of gold shimmer.

ESSENTIALS

• Curél Continuous Control Lotion – I like to use this lotion because it doesn’t have a strong fragrance that competes with my fragrance. The travel size is good for your hands after washes.
• Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets – These are practically my life savers. I can’t tell you how many of these I use a day.

After about a month, I will change out my eye and lip products, that way I know I’m not stuck with one look. What can I say I’m a proud beauty chameleon!