Periodic Style Exclusive: Interview with Julie Teel, NYC Make-Up Artist, Part III

Today is the final part of my interview with Julie Teel, NYC make-up artist. You can find the previous parts of our interviews here (part I) and here (part II). Today she talks about her latest projects, some of which are now on your TV, coming soon to theatres and featuring two of my favorite actresses/writers/comedians/women, period!

What has been your all-time favorite project you've worked on? What project are you most proud of, if it's not the same as your favorite?

Hmmm, my all time favorite thus far will have to be Canterbury's Law because I got to work with my best friend Christine Fennell, who is a hairstylist. Work was always a hoot and we brought joy (perhaps even annoyance on occasion) to the set (I would like to believe). But it's also a great cast and crew to work with. I put my best foot forward and all my efforts into every project I work, whether it be a day or 6 months, so I am always proud of any project I've been lucky to be a part of. It's fun for my family and friends having me point out the different characters I made up for the various projects I've worked; I think they are proud of me, which makes me happy.

What do you think is the most powerful tool in a beauty arsenal?

Good skin care products. (Jeanne: Her emphasis!)
Having a well cared-for and primed canvas to paint is the greatest joy and makes things easier for all involved.

What is the best piece of advice you've received while working as a make-up artist?

BREATHE. ...Hmm, I don't really recall anything pertaining to make-up in general, though, only personal stuff concerning the actor's or director's preferences.

According to your IMDb profile, your most recent project is Baby Mama with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Are they as awesome as they seem, or even awesomer?

EVEN AWESOMER! As of this interview, I just worked on some reshoots with them and got to experience the fun again. They are both soooo very funny. Tina has a sophisticated humor that can be surprisingly smarmy and Amy, well, she's so kooky and does more charactery (is that even a word???) stuff, and I think she's more physical too. They are so very down-to-earth too. LOVE that! There's a trailer! It looks good! I am glad I got to work on this -- it's a favorite project for sure!

Thank you again, Julie, for sharing your time and your knowledge with us! I know I'm looking forward to Baby Mama and to seeing a lot of your work in the future!

Periodic Style Exclusive: Interview with Julie Teel, NYC Make-Up Artist, Part II

Last week, we introduced you to Julie Teel, the make-up artist in NYC who's done work on lots of our favorite shows and movies. This week, we're talking straight-up products!

What are some of your favorite must-have products and brands in your kit? For every day?

The products I choose to work with MUST be LONG-LASTING, BLENDABLE (melting into the skin), and feel weightless. The brands that dominate my kit are Chanel, Smashbox, L'Oreal & M.A.C. There are many others tossed in there, as the following list of MUST HAVE products will reveal...

MASCARA:
- MaxFactor 2000Calories Mascara
- L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara
- Prescriptives mascaras; they're easily applied and don't give that raccoon fallout.
- Sephora's Fiberwig Mascara is also a favorite; it just takes a bit of practice to learn the speed of application because it is a tubular formula, which prevents the raccoon fallout

CONCEALER:
- Yves St. Laurent Touche Eclat lasts without needing to be set with powder, which is great for the undereye of the mature woman
- Maybelline Coverstick; they are so creamy and blendable, come in a perfect range of colors, and are waterproof!
- Philosophy Supernatural blends seamlessly and the palette come with 3 colors to custom blend

POWDER:
- Chanel's loose powder is finely milled, which is GREAT for setting any undereye work
- Sonia Kashuk's loose powder, which has the slightest almost-not-even-there sheen which mimics the gentlest glow of natural skin
- L'Oreal True Match Pressed Powder for a natural look; it comes in a great range of colors that are easily matched
- Rimmel Pressed Powders have a great finish that really cuts the shine naturally

ROUGE/blush:
- Chanel has some delicious colors with just the right amount of sheen for a healthy glow.
- L'Oreal HIP crème blush: intense colors that adapt to all skintones and easily applied
- Make Up Forever blushes come in such a wide array of colors; great for playing and expressing your make-up personality

LIPS:
- Smashbox lip glosses are great because they have no perfume & the glossiness is tasteful, so they can be used on a wide age range.
- Sally Hansen Lip glosses are very moisturizing and are lovely natural-looking colors with high shine
- L'oreal HIP lip glosses have so much pigment; they give great coverage! Also, their regular line of glosses are fab too.
- Lancome Juicy Tubes smell delicious and come in fun colors.
- M.A.C. & Chanel lip pencils; they both glide on easily and have a great range of colours.

EYES:
- Chanel
- Smashbox
- Sonia Kashuk & MAC have great eyeshaows with fab colors and finishes
- Smashbox Crème Liner is rich and blendable and sets to last a long time, and it comes in tons of colors too.

BRUSHES:
I get most of mine wholesale, because I am a professional, but many great brushes can be bought out on the market. I have brushes from Sonia Kashuk, Sephora, MAC, artstores, and drugstores. It's a matter of feeling them and knowing what products you will be using them with. I am always looking for softness and pliability and construction quality for the money I am investing. The care of your brushes is also a huge factor of their lifespan.

For Everyday:

I say keep it simple until you get the hang of things. So, for everyday, I say DEFINITELY use:
- Mascara (curl the lashes to really open and create a longer lash look; this can be done before mascara is applied or after BUT ONLY when mascara has DRIED COMPLETELY! Touch it, then you will know.)
- Concealer/Powder if you really need to cover any dark circles or blemishes and cut any shine
- Lipgloss/Lipstick (colored) or Blush/Bronzer just to add an element of color... If you opt for blush/bronzer, then use a clear lipbalm/lipgloss to keep the lips kissable(!) and moisturized.

My personal make-up kit includes, for my basic look for every day:
- ProMinerals loose mineral foundation by Serious Skin Care
- MaxFactor 2000Calories/Fiberwig Mascara(s)
- Rimmel blush
- Neutrogena Lipbalm tube
- Laura Gellar Eyebrow Marker
- Shu Uemura Eyelash curler

Other brands/products I love :
- Philosophy (Supernatural Concealer/Loose Powder foundation)
- Giorgio Armani (foundation and cream blushes)
- Shu Uemura (concealer , blushes , eyelash curler)
- Nars (concealer, lipsticks, foundations)
- Black Opal (stick foundation, pressed powder, concealer)
- Laura Mercier (foundation, concealer)
- Make Up Forever (body make-up, eyeshadows, specialty)

What a great list -- the majority of these products are easily available to everyone! Check back next week for the conclusion of our interview, where Julie tells us more about the projects she's been working on, starring some amazing women...!

Periodic Style Exclusive: Interview with Julie Teel, NYC Make-Up Artist, Part I

Isn't it amazing what a little Googling can do? While researching Gossip Girl beauty, I thought, why not go to the source? I looked at the make-up artists listed on the IMDb page for Gossip Girl and got to Googling.

And that's how I found Julie Teel, a New York-based make-up artist who's worked not only on Gossip Girl, but some other amazing projects as well.

Julie was kind enough to answer some of my questions about being a make-up artist, some of her projects, and to give us some great advice to share with our readers; thank you, Julie!

How do you typically get an artist job for a TV show/film? Is it based on networking, your portfolio, etc.? Is there an interview process?

Once you've "gotten into the circle", it's a small matter of networking and mostly hard work. Proving that you've got the skills and the ability to follow through on the requirements of the particular job is the trick to maintaining your presence. Interviews do happen when new projects start up. It's fairly harmless... meeting with some of the higher-ups and other established creatives on the team, ie: the producer/s, director, costume designer... making sure there is a chemistry. It may be required to show a body of work via portfolio or reel, so it is always a good thing to keep it up-to-date. Other jobs are attained through re-hiring... being brought on via producer/director or actor request. This happens a lot. Loyalty is quite rampant, which is a good thing!

Have you noticed a difference in what's required of you since the rise of HD for film/TV? Does this change the products used, the techniques, etc.?

Personally, this change doesn't affect me. I have a fine arts background & started out in fashion, doing photoshoots & model portfolios -- I am very detail oriented, and my style of make-up is clean and wearable for everyday even if it is dramatic. I like to show skin or, at the very least, make it look as if my client/actor is not wearing lots even if it is the contrary, so blending and matching skin tone is very important. There has been a push for using airbrush but I don't think it's the end all be all, only for certain fantasy looks, special effects and body make-up. Plus, there have been great improvements in the cosmetic industry. I'm always looking at what's new but I always seem to go back to many of the products I've used for years. So, it's all in the wrist! Making the most of what you have and BLENDING BLENDING BLENDING.

For Gossip Girl, are the make-up looks based more on characterization (for example, heavier eyeliner for former-bad-girl Serena) or on what flatters the actresses? Are the looks sketched out in advance on face charts, or adapted as the actress is being worked on?

Looks are designed based on character and the changes that that character may go through. Also, the comfort level (working with their personal requirements to feel camera ready... seasoned actors will know what works for them since the camera can change their proportions and features they will have learned the TWEAKING TRICKS for these quirks that are not immediately visible upon meeting) of the actor is taken into consideration and the approval of the director and other higher-ups may be required (so it can be a bit of a battle and artistic differences may be had).

Some looks are sketched out beforehand, especially if it more fantasy or special effects related . Also, there is usually a camera test to determine and get closer to finalizing the look of the character. And in that, it may still take a few episodes to really finalize it.

What are some of the products/brands used for some of the looks for Blair and Serena in Gossip Girl? (Particularly in regards to lips and eyes, but blush/bronzer too!)

Because I have only worked on 2 episodes and as an additional (no credit), I have not done those particular actors' make-up (it would be the key make-up or second who would do the Principle actors from scratch -- I was working on Canterbury's Law so I was only available for a few episodes toward the end, before the writers strike... bleh.), only touch-ups... and I don't even remember what was in their bags! So I suppose my answer to that is N/A, sorry... Although, the products I have seen floating around the set are definitely available and easily accessed by the public.

Would you consider those products easy for a regular girl with a regular budget to get access to (for example, brands that are available at Sephora or department stores)? If not, what would be your suggestions for recreating these looks?

Definitely accessible. You can even recreate looks via products purchased from the drugstore and other department stores, ie: Target, Wal-mart... etc. Pick and choose what is the most important item and spend your money accordingly.

Check back next week for Julie's list of must-have beauty products, and don't forget to check out Julie's portfolio at JulieTMakeup.com!!