If you follow celebrity makeup artist Sam Fine on Twitter, you know that he’s a rare and special kind of makeup artist. Sam offers sage advice on products and cosmetics application for women all shades of beautiful, while interracting with his fans in an unpretentious and fun ongoing conversation. But here’s a bit of helpful advice if you plan on following Sam — try not to ask him the same questions he’s been asked over and over again.
Those would be questions like, “what’s the perfect foundation for me?” (if he can’t see you in person, it’s hard to match you). “What’s your favorite foundation?” (he’s answered this question hundreds of times. Read on for deetz). And “where can I buy it?” (Might I recommend LMGTFY.com?). If you can abide by that instruction, then you never know – you might wind up befriending a world famous MUA. However, if you absolutely MUST ask one of the aforementioned q’s, Sam understands.
“I track my followers so I see when people come on and when you’ve gained a hundred new people… they’re gonna ask the same questions and have the same concerns. I always say when one person asks a question there are at least 20 to 30 more people who are thinking the same thing. And unfortunately with Twitter, they ask it!” Sam told me in a recent Skype interview, live from the Cover Girl HQ.
Repeated questions aside, Sam Fine loves Twitter and Twitter loves Sam Fine. “I travel a lot. And travel can be really lonely. I’m in hotel rooms. I recently went to Australia for a day of work. You literally are just disconnected from people… And there’s this community that’s always waiting for you. I’ve said it before — you’re never alone when there’s Twitter.”
Amen to that! Both Sam and I can say that we’ve made some great friends both online and IRL, through Twitter. When I interviewed Sam, I tried to keep the kinds of reader questions I get most often, top of mind. Our intent? To create the perfect, easy to follow, universally flattering summer makeup looks for bellas all shades of beautiful!
As I explained to Sam, there are two main kinds of Afrobella reader.
Bella #1 is a makeup lover, who is down to try new trends and want to know about the newest looks and products.
Bella #2 is makeup reluctant, overwhelmed by the selection in stores like Sephora, and assumes that she can’t rock bright colors or find a foundation to match her.
Sam immediately knew the kind of bella I was referring to, re: Bella #2. He’s got a Bella #2 in his family!
“I have three sisters. Two of which who do not wear makeup. And I feel their pain. I mean they – they aren’t experimental. They’re not approaching the wall… They don’t realize that the opportunities in makeup have changed. The color options, the formula options, the technology has changed. Even, you know, the dry down in makeup. It’s not the heavy oily makeup that your mom once used. There are a lot of new formulations now that speaks to different skin tones, different skin types, different makeup needs.”
What Sam has discovered is that people often turn to him to get the OK for the things they want to do themselves. “A lot of people expect for you to sign off on things to give them the go ahead to try makeup…when they got to give themselves the go ahead to try makeup. I know the consumer really well, I feel her hesitation and I think they look to us to give them permission. I’m no makeup god. I cannot give you permission, but I definitely will egg you on to go to the wall.”
So what’s your best approach, when you’re faced with The Wall of makeup at a drugstore or department store? Sam recommends thinking of it like a trip to the grocery store. You know how it’s a bad idea to go to the grocery store hungry, and without a list of what you need? Same goes for when you buy makeup. “Make up a list. I want to try a concealer. I hear that this is something that I really should be trying that will highlight my eyes. Every time I go to the grocery store I try something new. I can return it. Make a list, you know, make a list the same way you make a list when you go grocery shopping and stay true to that.”
Sam says the three must-haves for makeup newbies are pressed powder, mascara, and lip gloss. And for those of you who want someone to make the makeup grocery list for you…we’ve done so together, with three timeless summer looks brought to you by Cover Girl.
Custom Cover Girl summer beauty looks by Sam Fine right here for you, bellas!
Look #1. Summer Heat. I asked Sam to create a look that lasts through the hottest, stickiest days. This one goes out to my bellas in the islands, and in the deep south!
a. QC Natural Hue Minerals Pressed Powder to take coverage down one step
b. QC Natural Hue Bronzer because it bakes in beautifully
c. LiquiLineBlast Eye Liner on the lash line
d. QC Lip Color in a vibrant color like Berry Bling
Look #2 — Summer Fierce. This is a look for bella #1, who isn’t afraid of bold makeup, and is gonna be outdoors all summer. It’s the look you want if you wanna look fly and trendy while she’s lounging poolside or having a picnic in the park!
Summer Fierce
a. Smoky ShadowBlast for a dewy look
b. Beautiful, glowing skin with Queen Collection Natural Hue Compact Foundation and QC Bronzer
c. Queen Collection Lip Color in a trendy, bold shade like Powderpuff Pink, that’s rich and vibrant.
Look #3 is for bellas who are hesitant about makeup, or for those who are seeking a classic, understated look. Eternal Summer – that timeless summer beauty!
Eternal Summer
a. All about the skin; skin is timeless
b. Use Queen Collection Natural Hue Bronzer to create warmth and luminosity
c. Use foundation, like QC Natural Hue Liquid to create an effortless and blended face
d. On the lashes, use 3-4 coats of LashBlast Fusion to create stunning volume and length
d. Use a neutral shade of color on the lips like Queen Collection Lip Color in Au Natural
Thank you Sam and thank you Cover Girl for providing such easy, breezy, beautiful summer looks! And GREAT NEWS, bellas!! Drugstore.com has created a unique link where you can get a special discount on Queen Collection products (buy one, get one 50% off!) CLICK HERE to get your shop on!. The offer will be good from June 5th-June 30th.
If you aren’t already following Sam Fine, click here to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and click here to check out his site (from which you can buy his AMAZING DVD!)
This post was sponsored by Cover Girl.
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