I’ve been thinking a lot about first impressions and lasting impressions lately. Between traveling on press trips around the world where people make a snap judgment right there and then, to the people who knew you decades ago and formed their opinions way back when.
You see other people get opportunities that you don’t for no other reason than they looked a certain way at a certain moment. It’s all well and good to think to yourself, “I know I clean up pretty well,” but when people catch you off-guard when you’re doing errands, waiting for a bus or whatever, are you a heart breaker? I hope you are. If you’re not — like, if you no longer have it in you or just don’t know what to do to create a more glamorous self while traveling or just be-bopping around your own neighborhood — there’s Alexis Vogel to the rescue. I was very happy to be hosted to experience her system!
Alexis Vogel has been one of Hollywood’s premier makeup artists fordecades, doing more Playboy magazine work than any other makeup artist, creating Pam Anderson’s look that ballooned her careers, as well as creating the glam public personas of people like Carmen Electra, Camille Grammer, Paula Abdul, Gwen Stefani, the late Anna Nicole Smith, Jennifer Lopez. Do you remember her infomercials that used to be on tv years ago? I watched them with the fascination of a mad scientist. Sitting alone in my apartment, single, I saw the stunning transformations of women ranging in age, color, shapes and sizes and thought . . . well, this is what I really thought: “I’d better get my sh@$ together!” I ordered some of her products and, hey! I’ve bee
n married almost a decade now.
You’ve gotta be your best you. I have a couple of friends who think it’s somehow funny to look a mess, but get sad when they don’t get acknowledged the way they think they should. They don’t take proper time for themselves and therefore, nobody else does, either.
Now, traveling and looking well is a challenge, no doubt. Because Alexis Vogel is always globe-trotting herself, she has been able to create a thoughtful, well-edited collection that’s perfectly packed for traveling. The only things you need to add for a great presentation are a sharpener and a little perfume vial. Of course, she has other extras available that you can fit in there for additions to your look. Her products are completely re-vamped from what they were years ago.
The quality of the products and tools is phenomenal. I’ve been working with makeup for 30 years. I have 4 separate medicine cabinets of my favorite makeup, with drawers of others. Some of my brushes cost over $100. These products run shoulder to shoulder with the very best.
You pick your shade — light, medium or dark. Within those
kits, concealers, foundations and brow pencils come in a couple of colors, so it’s pretty forgiving. Colors are super neutral, neither cool nor warm, so they’ll work with whatever you’re wearing.
Alexis has a book that details how you can re-create four of her signature looks. In the photos, they mostly seem very dramatic to my eye. When I saw the “Career” look, I shook my head, wondering just what kind of career that would be for. However, I am convinced that the photos were d
one with a heavier hand, for illustrative purposes. The thing is, the makeup itself is sheer, buildable and in soft colors. The looks are wearable.
The makeup case has four snap-off sub-compartments, all organized. If you take some time to learn what’s in which part — and it’s all pretty intuitive, if you know about makeup — then you’ll find you’re very organized while traveling. If you’re in a situation where every inch and ounce counts, like in a helicopter or while hiking, just snap off one compartment and take the basics.
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