Professional Makeup and Cosmetic Product Reviews - IN MY KIT by Kevin James (KJ) Bennett Emmy Award Winning New York City Makeup Artist

Serums & Prep

skyn ICELAND
Antioxidant Calming Serum & Eye Gels

This entire brand is devoted to addressing and correcting stressed skin (Stressed...in our business ...really?)
Calming Serum is a super speedy skin saver serum (say that 3x fast). Intense moisturizers and highly active ingredients allow this lightweight serum to help reduce redness, dehydration and irritation IMMEDIATELY. Pair it with their "Antidote" moisturizer and even the most "played out because you stayed out" skin is back in business again.

Has talent collapsed in your makeup chair immediately following a night out? Throw a gallon of Visine in their eyes and then firmly plant skyn's Eye Gels under their peepers to beat the daylights out of puffy, rough and ruddy undereyes in under 10 minutes...that's an outrageous ocular occurrence!

Peter Thomas Roth
viz-1000

Dehydrated skin has no where to hide!
This concentrated serum has a staggering 75% hyaluronic acid complex that keeps the skin super hydrated by attracting 1000 times its weight in water from the moisture in the air. Sodium PCA binds all this moisture to the skin to prevent dehydration and a blend of intense saccarides (sugar derivitives) regulate and slow skin's moisture evaporation in the DRYEST conditions.
As if that wasn't enough, add a potent cocktail of honey, algea and minerals Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Iron and Silica to smooth out fine lines and rough texture almost immediately...Can you say SUPER SERUM!

Perricone MD
Serum Prep

Prepping "mature" skin has it challenges...most importantly loss of firmness. This magic serum tightens up the loosey-goosey's quick by infusing high levels of DMAE into the skin to firm and tone, while softening the appearance of fine lines almost immediately. It's also packed with Phospholipids to boost hydration. Firm and moist? WINNER!

Kate Somerville Skincare
Quench Serum

OK, this is a serious glow-getter. Just a pump or two of this super slippery (silicon) salvation...and WOW! I don't care if they hit the makeup chair looking dangerously dull...this advanced delivery system will undo it pronto and give them a glam glow in no time.
NOTE: Don't get nervous about the slippery surface this stuff creates...it self-sets in under 5 minutes.

Aubrey
Organic Aloe Vera

Surprised? Well don't be.
Aloe Vera has been recognized for it's super soothing/healing and moisturizing benefits for centuries. It also happens to be a fantastic, low-cost pre-makeup base / toner.
We prefer the organic version (a tea colored liquid) to the 'green-goopy' stuff sold in the suncare aisle of the drugstore (which is usually full of chemical fillers). The company that produces the product pictured to the left (Aubrey Organics) is a great organic, vegan resource for many skincare products.

Facial Moisture

Embryolisse Skincare
Lait-Creme Concentre

Known to us insiders as the "24 Hour Miracle"
WHY? Well, when you need a furiously fast flaky face fixer-upper, Lait-Creme Concentre magically transforms scaly, dehydrated skin into a visibly softer, smoother complexion ...without emptying your wallet.
It's formulated to soothe and correct by mimicking and reinforcing the natural surface oils and waterproofing barrier of the skin, slowing down moisture evaporation. It's a makeup artist lifesaver for quickly correcting peeling, sunburned skin.
More Miracles: Lait-Creme is also a perfect gentle makeup remover and a super soother for post shaving irritation.

Dermalogica
Active Moist

Dermalogica is at every Pro trade show these days and is popping up in A LOT of makeup kits. Good reason, they make products that address our needs. I must admit, the magnitude of product choices is intimidating...but Active Moist is the obvious stand-out for artists.
This lightweight, oil-free moisturizer absorbs without a trace, creating an invisible barrier against moisture loss. Silk proteins plus extracts of sage and cucumber calm and hydrate the most sensitive skin and it's great for oily skins too. Ding, ding ding...we have a winner on our hands!

Olay Regenerist
Micro-Sculpting Cream

An award winning "luxury cream"...with a drugstore price. All the hi-tech ingredients (amino-peptides, marine proteins, etc) are packed into this little jar. It firms and smoothes the the skin's surface immediately. Long range effects?...who cares, I need it to work now and at a wallet loving price.
Afraid of showing drugstore brands in your kit? Just transfer it into another container and tell talent it's the "expensive" stuff" (they'll never know the diffference).

Kiehl's
Ultra Facial & Sodium PCA Oil-Free Moisturizer

Skip the gazillion "new' products Kiehl's has introduced in the last couple of years ...these moisturizers have been pro artist staples and still deliver the goods. No high end technology, no claims of making you look 10 years younger...just great, basic moisturizers at a reasonable price.
So what's so good about them?
Ultra features an emollient extract from olives (squalane) which mimics the skin's protective natural surface oils (lipids) and the Sodium PCA preps skin with a significant boost in hydration without addition oils. Both absorb quickly and easily so skin is ready for makeup application almost immediately.
You know how much we love a TIME SAVER!

REN
Bio-Active Moisturizers

Ever have someone sit in the makeup chair who insists on 'natural and/or vegan' products only? There haven't been many high quality choices - until now. REN is quickly becoming the Holy Grail of luxury natural/vegan skincare.
They specialize in 'Clean Products' that don't contain synthetic fragrances or colors, pertochemicals, sulfates, parabens or animal ingredients.

Vita-Mineral Day Cream is perfect for normal to dry skin and uses trace elements (copper, magnesium, zinc), vitamin A, vitamin F, and vitamin P in a synergistic blend to tone, firm, relax fine lines, and create a natural luminosity. REN's "GPC" (Global Protection Complex) adds powerful antioxidants.
Matte Balancing Fluid is ideal for controlling oily, shiny skin. Glucomannan helps to disperse oil while Mayblossom extract and salicilin decongest and help to normalize excess sebum (oil) production. Bisabolol and blue cypress essential oil calm the skin while REN's Global Protection Complex delivers powerful antioxidants.

Perricone MD
Face Finishing Moisturizer

Dr. Perricone is an anti-aging genius, but when someone sits in the makeup chair they need to look good, now...not in a few weeks!
Let me introduce you to his immediate action moisturizing overachiever. It's packed with high octane anti-oxidents, firming ingredients and super hydrators to give skin an instant glow and smootheness. The marvelous multi-tasker is also a perfect pre-makeup prep...even under eyes. This is where serious skincare makes sense in our kit...this stuff delivers when you need the help!

(MALIN+GOETZ)
Face Moisturizer

Although the packaging looks mighty basic, the high-performance product inside is definitely not! The entire line was created with the intent to simplify skincare (by a former marketing/product developer at Kiehl's).
The Face Moisturizer is a perfect cocktail of highly absorbent fatty acids, fatty alcohols and amino acids, blended with Vitamin E and B5 for intense, lightweight, calming skin nourishment.
These "fatty" acids and alcohols are oil-free (how'd they do that?), so the formula is appropriate for ALL skin types...ain't science grand!

Korres
Quercetin and Oak Day Cream

Korres seems to be the perfect balance between technology and nature when it comes to 'natural' skincare. They use the latest hi-tech bio actives, lipids and extracts and do it without skin-unfriendly synthetic ingredients. The targeted formulas boost skin’s natural ability to protect, repair and renew itself (you know I love "self-help" anything).
The Oak Day Cream is a superior all-around firming moisturizer (the guys like the lightweight, unsticky feeling) and leaves the skin in prime condition for makeup application.

Rodial
Glam Balm

OK, this stuff sounded toooooo good to be true (and very expensive for the amount in the tube)...but after seeing what it can do, I'm now a believer in this overachiever!

Glam Balm is an anti-aging multi-purpose skin treatment for face, lips, neck and hands ...anywhere on the body! The star is Pomegranate Ellagic Tannin, a natural anti-ageing, firming and collagen-boosting ingredient. But I'm far more impressed with the IMMEDIATE smoothing and surface retexturing it performed on seriously dehydrated skin.

Graftobian
OxyDerm Moisturizer

Finally, a Pro makeup company has come up with a skincare product that isn't an afterthought. This stuff actually works!
OxyDerm can be used on all skin types and has some awesome skincare benefits.
Let's see ...silicone to smooth and fill in fine lines, shea butter to deeply soften and heal, hyuralonic acid to attract moisture, grape seed extract as a powerful antioxidant (about 50x more powerful than vitamin E) and a host of other natural and botanical ingredients to make skin look firmer and more radiant.
Sounds like some pretty serious skincare to me!

L'Occitane
Pure Shea Butter

A powerful moisturizing balm extracted from the fruit of African Shea trees which is renowned for it's intense softening, soothing and comforting of the skin.
It's a little bit of magic when applied to dry patches around the eyes and sore, cracked lips.

Massively Multi-Tasking Tin: It's a fantastic conditioning pomade for the hair, amazing stretchmark wrangler for moms-to-be, a super softner for cuticles, elbows, knees, heels...the list goes on and on.

UVA-UVB Protection

Philosophy Skincare
When Hope Is Not Enough

Talk about one stop shopping..this stuff does it all in one tube. Targeted age defense using broad spectrum sun protection blended with an excellent skin hydrator that contains cutting-edge antioxidants. It is the ultimate anti-aging moisturizer and sunscreen in one! And it works beautifully under makeup!

Peter Thomas Roth Skincare
Instant Mineral and Uber-Dry Sunscreen

PTR brings it with TWO (2) amazing sun products that are perfect for the makeup kit.
First is Uber-Dry, a technological marvel that is extra light-weight, water resistant and leaves an invisible veil of SPF30 that is undetectable to the touch for stable makeup application.
Second is the Instant Mineral powder, which works immediately to block out UVA/UVB/Infared rays. Super finely milled mineral powder is ideal for all skin types and all skin tones. You can brush this right over a finished makeup, the Mineral Silica absorbs excess oil to keep the skin looking fresh, but not dry or powdery.

Neutrogena
Spectrum+ Advanced Sunblock

So you need intense suncare...but that usually means suffocating thick products that totally de-stabalize our makeup work!
Spectrum+ uses breakthrough Helioplex360™ technology which provides crazy levels of protection along with 'Dry-Touch technology' for an super-duper-light, non-shiny finish.
Fast-absorbing, water-proof, sweatproof and enriched with anti-oxidants to help prevent environmental damage...Heavy Duty sun protection has never acted like such a light-weight!

Colorescience
Sunforgettable SPF 30

This clear, odorless, water-resistant powder blocks UVA/UVB/Infareds better than the best liquid or cream SPFs. The loose mineral pigments which are naturally anti-inflamitory, act as a antiseptic on the skin, soothing and helping keep the skin clean (essential on a long shoot outdoors)

Unsinkable Fact:
Sunforgettable passed the six hour "very water resistant test".

Body Moisture

Cetaphil®
Moisturizing Lotion

Dermatologists all over the country (possibly the world) recommend this non-comedogenic head to toe moisturizing lotion. It's super mild formula is non-irritating and contains a system of emollients and humectants that bind moisture to the skin. It's also fragrance-free and contains no lanolins or parabens that could irritate sensitive skin.

Who knew there were such skincare treasures at the drugstore?

Kiehl's
Superbly Restorative Argan Body Lotion

I know you've heard lots of hype about Argan...but this is the real deal, so get ready for seriously soft, radiant skin. A dreamy blend of Moroccan Argan Oil, Argan Leaf Extract, Eucalyptus Extract/Oil, antioxidants and essential fatty acids revamp skin's texture and tone while adding that gorgeous glow we strive for in photo work.

Oh, I almost forgot...it's naturally water resistant so you can mist the model down without dissolving the moisturizer (great for shoots where wet & glossy have to happen at the same time).

Curel
Life's Stages Youth-Defense Moisture Lotion

Skin is constantly changing...not always for the better. Hate to admit it, but I deal with a lot of dull, dry skin when I go to apply body makeup. This inexpensive body lotion addresses the "stages" our skin goes through and brightens the appearance of dull skin with just one use. The lightweight formula absorbs quickly, reduces redness and evens skin tone...not bad for under $8.

Organic Root Stimulator
Olive Oil Sheen Spray

The model's body has to be glossy...really glossy. Put away the baby oil and for goodness sake put down the PAM cooking spray!
This is the insider solution to super glossy skin. We know it's a "hair sheen", but it's brilliant at making skin look sensationally satiny without the thick and gooey feeling. The price (usually under $5) and size of the container (over 15oz) makes it an even better $olution.

Bliss
Body Butter - Naked

Of course we have to include the super famous, super rich Bliss Body Butter. Great news is they've reformulted...in a very good way for us artists They kept the formula we've come to love, but to make it more user friendly for the sometimes finicky people we work on...it's now paraben-free and unscented.

BIG BONUS: It comes in a makeup room friendly 32oz professional size (that equals almost 4 regular tubes).

Alba Botanica
Very Emollient Body Lotion
Max Dry Skin Formula

Another bargain hunter's bonanza!
This therapeutic body lotion blends certified organic aloe vera, green tea and chamomile extracts with almond oil to nourish, soothe and revitalize dry, sensitive skin. The citrus and vegetable derived alpha beta hydroxy acids help exfoliate dull surface cells to let all the goodness soak right in.
The results are quite amazing and brilliantly budget savvy!