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Crimson Tide

Celeb Makeup Artist AJ Crimson

Leading the wave of today's up and coming makeup artists, AJ Crimson is making a splash as one of the top, if not the hottest, celebrity makeup artist. His clients include some of the most beautiful young women to hit music — Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, Letoya Luckett, Keshia Chante, Keyshia Cole, Amerie, Christina Milian, Mya and Missy Elliot.

Crimson gives his beauty beat to the CHiC.

CHiC: Makeup artistry tends to be someone's goal or mishap? Which was it for you?

Crimson: I fell into makeup by accident. For three years I worked as a fashion stylist in the artist development department of a record label. On a shoot I was producing for a young female singer, I provided the makeup artist with reference pictures of the looks we wanted. Realizing quickly that the artist couldn't duplicate the looks, I attempted to show her what I wanted. Immediately, I thought to myself, if I had her stuff (makeup) I could do this myself. Not only did I have the references, but I had a mental visual of how to make it work for the songstress. It wasn't long after I took on the idea of doing makeup.

You Gotta Work

CHiC: What are some of the makeup mistakes you see most often?

Crimson: I'm really glad and proud to see that women have taken a "less as more" attitude when it comes to applying their makeup. Also, I am happy to see a willingness to spend time on themselves, even with their hectic schedules and lack of 'me' time these days. However, I think that some of you ladies have to step your game up!

• If you're going to spend the time to apply foundation, first it should be your shade.
• One colour doesn't always work. You may need to mix two or three then blend properly.
• Know the coverage you need. Sometimes, you get so used to seeing a blemish on the face that it becomes a part of the look. So even with makeup applied, you choose not to fully conceal the dark marks. Or the foundation is not the right consistency. Your skin was never meant to be the host for a game of Connect the Dots.
• Get to know your skin. Every product reacts differently on each person. I have a variety of products I use on my clients - one foundation may appear dewy and fresh on one girl and look like an oil slick on another.
• Don't be afraid to ask for samples. It's all about researching what's right for you.

Getting a Feel for Foundation

CHiC: What can women do to have makeup-ready skin?

Crimson: Invest in a quality skin care system that targets your specific needs. Cosmetics companies spend millions of dollars on research and development to continuously design products that are aimed at specific skin issues. You don't need to purchase an entire line or every product from the same brand. Ask for samples. Try them at home, and then decide if it works for you. If you aren't achieving visible results you may need to continue the search. I recently discovered a friend of mine was splashing 99% alcohol over their entire face every day and has been for years — careful with that practice. On a recent trip makeup shopping, I picked up some samples of Skyn Iceland Glacial Face Wash, Boscia Smoothing Facial Polish, and Skin Perfecting Lotion by Murad for myself. After getting rave reviews, I went back and bought the actual products.

CHiC: How should women use foundation?

Crimson: They should embrace it, but sparingly. Understand why you're using foundation if you need it at all. Remember you can only change tone, not texture. If your skin has a lot of texture to it, i.e., tiny bumps, etc., then highlighter, shimmer powder, and foundation additives with iridescence will only draw attention to those imperfections. Try to keep those problem areas subdued with a light application of powder over your foundation.

CHiC: Any specific application tips?

Crimson: My makeup application is much more polished because of my blue squirrel hair brushes. I love using my powder or blush brushes to apply foundation. The result is soft and seamless.

CHiC: What about concealer? A lot of women of color don't understand it or use it.

Crimson: As far as concealer goes, I have to be honest, for years I put on concealer over foundation. Everytime I did this it felt like it was too much. Either the product was too heavy or it would settle in the fine lines making them more noticeable due to the consistency of the product. It was a mess to me. Then one day I decided that I would just use the concealer I was using on the skin. It was light, smooth and had great coverage. I applied it as I would the foundation, only as needed in areas. If I needed a bit more coverage, I'd let it set for a moment then dab on more with a sponge. Never use your fingers. The product and the oil in your fingers will lift the product. I found the skin looked even — no raccoon eyes! I also eliminated a step this way.

CHiC: What are your thoughts on mineral makeup?

Crimson: I love the advantages that mineral makeup offer. It's a great way to have your face on without being overdone and not walk out completely bare. Especially, for those women who don't make moves without some coverage. It also has some healing properties. It's a great option for extremely sensitive skin.

Fall Out Look

For the Fall season, Crimson forecasts: "I'm loving darker shades of green especially forest, sage, and olive. The tones for fall are also warming up with rust and copper. Touches of gold and shimmery browns are my favorite. For a bit more color, run for purple, turquoise and cool blue hues. And for the lips, wines and fuchsia are the way to go. Keep your cheeks neutral this fall, only highlighting them and giving definition to the contours. With so many eye and lip options, let them have their time to shine."

CHiC: What do you recommend to draw attention to Eyes? What about Lips?

Crimson: Use olive green liner just along the eyelash base. It's subtle, but effective. Lashes always add extra flare without much effort. Invest in a Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler and great mascara — two in fact! I love DiorShow Mascara, it fattens the lashes and I apply it to the base heavily for depth, then one pass over every lash. If you have shorter lashes by nature, try the MAC Fibre Rich Lash. It really works; you can build the most beautiful set of lashes without falsies.

CHiC: What's the hot "come hither" makeup look to step out in at night?

Crimson: Try a smoky eye, yes you've heard it before, but this time, do it in shimmery green or cocoa brown. Then using a soft black liner like MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder, smudge it over the lid and apply MAC Eye Shadow in Fiction over top. Apply Smolder to the lash line and inner rim set with MAC Eye Shadow in Carbon. It's very alluring.

Crimson's Heat Wave

AJ Crimson continues to blaze the beauty scene. He is teaching "Makeup Secrets of Models and Celebrities", hosted by the Learning Annex on September 26, 2007, touching on application, trends, and his personal tricks of the trade. Visit the CHiC Events calendar for more information on how to register.

Also be on the look out for Kissable Couture, a new lip gloss collection Crimson is developing with Keisha Nash-Whitaker. The debut collection has exclusive, limited-edition colours and will be available March 2007 at select locations in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and Tokyo. It's a must-have addition to your spring makeup wardrobe.

Crimson skillfully applies his signature "wow naturel" no makeup looks to Amerie (left) and Christina Milian (right).

By Ellen Rosner Feig

Check out AJ Crimson's website in the Makeup Artists category of CHiC Links. Also check out Crimson's advice in the special feature of Beauty Addict "True Colors" for women of darker skin tones.

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