SAM FINE APPOINTED AS CREATIVE MAKEUP DIRECTOR FOR FASHION FAIR COSMETICS!

HEY BLOSSOMS,

GUESS WHAT?!!!

SAM FINE APPOINTED AS CREATIVE MAKEUP DIRECTOR FOR FASHION FAIR COSMETICS!

In his new role as Creative Makeup Director, Fine, a 20 year makeup artist veteran, will apply his accumulated artistic acumen and fuse it with Fashion Fair's brand DNA, to advise on the creation of new products, enrich its color palette and make in-store appearances.  In 2012, Fashion Fair will unveil Sam Fine for Fashion Fair trend collections, starting spring 2012.  

From Chicago, Fine worked for two years as a makeup artist for Naomi Sims Cosmetics in stores before embarking on a successful freelance career.  His talent has appeared on the covers and pages of Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Essence andMarie Claire; he was chosen as the first African-American spokesperson for Revlon and Covergirl Cosmetics; and he earned a devout following from star clientele, including Jennifer Hudson, Vanessa Williams and iconic supermodels Iman, Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks.  He authored a best-selling how-to beauty guide, Fine Beauty: Beauty Basics and Beyond for African-American Women, and followed it up with his instructional DVD, Fine: The Basics of Beauty.

"Sam Fine is a true artist who understands women of color and has built an illustrious career unparalleled in the industry," saidClarisa Wilson, President of Fashion Fair.  "His experience in the fashion editorial world with global beauty brands and celebrities will translate wonderfully with Fashion Fair, and our consumers will reap its benefits.  We're thrilled to have him with us, and you'll be able to track his progress at www.fashionfair.com."

"There's no place I'd rather foster my creative energies," said Fine.  "Fashion Fair was a barrier-breaking cosmetic line since its inception 38 years ago and remains a leader in prestige cosmetics for women of color."  

About Fashion Fair

Fashion Fair Cosmetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson Publishing Company LLC, is a global prestige cosmetics brand for women of color. Founded in 1973 in conjunction with the Fashion Fair traveling show, the world's largest touring fashion show which raised over $55 million for scholarships and various charitable causes, Fashion Fair is a trusted and revolutionary brand. Fashion Fair products can be found in 652 prestige stores across the U.S., London, Paris, Canada, the Caribbean and at www.fashionfair.com.

SOURCE Fashion Fair Cosmetics

I will most surely be purchasing a few of the new products developed under Mr.Fine! I am beyond excited. Fashion Fair is going to take its place at the top! Stay tuned for those reviews!

Congrats Mr.Fine!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you congratulated Mr. Fine yet? Send him your messages HERE!

Until Next Time,

Later Blossom

SAM FINE IN 13: WHO SAID 13 WAS AN UNLUCKY NUMBER?!

Hey Blossoms,

I attended The Makeup Show Chicago last month and of course I sat in on Sam Fine's Keynote Seminar. I was engrossed in all the tips, tricks and advice he shared with us as fellow MUAs, but I made sure to be a good little blogger/vlogger and cover the seminar too. Well when the seminar was done and I counted(blame it on OCD!) the lines of notes I had written there were 13!!! I must admit for a split second I wished he would have screamed out something profound as he was exiting the stage so that I could move past that unlucky number.

As I reread my notes I smiled, his points were great and there was no way to refute that. But WHY was I dwelling on this number 13?! If I didn't feel so compelled to write that last thing it would have been 12 or if I wasn't busy laughing perhaps I wouldn't have missed writing down #14... so there are JUST 13? really? seriously? *insert huge sigh here* I could have easily asked one of my fellow bloggers who were writing away on their respective note pads, as most of us were taking up the front 2 rows across all 3 sections of the tent! But I knew deep down inside it wouldn't have felt original, it wouldn't have felt like I plucked THAT point from the seminar with my own ears!

As a blogger each of us have unique ears, we take away pieces from the same shows, demos, classes, seminars and other events but we "see" them differently and THAT creates our individual stories and accounts on our blogs.

So I saved the 13 points Sam Fine made into my Mac book Pro. I kept thinking I would take a few and spin it into a synopsis to "hide" the 13 points but I felt the readers wanted his wisdom straight to the point. After MUCH thinking(again blame it on the OCD) I realize that I whole heartedly agree! So I'm going to give it just like that! Straight to the point!

And while I'm at it...who said 13 was an unlucky number anyway??!!!

So here it is. His answers to question's asked, his take on success as a MUA, his own techniques and so much more...we sought responses that nice warm day in The Makeup Show Chicago Keynote tent and  Sam Fine delivered.... in 13...


Question: Whats your philosophy about the business...He answers: "We're servants"

"We define our own idea of what success is..."

"We have to keep redefining what success means to us"

"There is nothing that can replace you doing it over and over and over.."

"Pick out 5 people and find out their agencies and talk to them about testing..."

"I am only competing with myself!..."

"I dont speak to skin care, I speak to color and coverage..."

 FACT: Sam Fine likes Kiehls and not a lot of things with fragrance.

"I'd rather by 10 mascaras! The actual mascara wands give off great payoff!..."

"I love cream foundations because I'm mixing on the face..."

"I bring concealer all around the center of the face..."

"The first time with a client IS THE INTERVIEW..."

"Everyone has every feature its just not as prominent on someone else..."

So there it is...my ears plucked out these 13 points and I've shared them with you. For a more in-depth explanation you'll have to be there next time (*hint*hint*). Of course Mr. Fine shares countless more in each and every seminar. Definitely be sure to sit in on one so you too can reap the benefits of such a wealth of knowledge. 

And remember, if you ever meet the person who says 13 is an unlucky number tell them Mr.Fine shattered that myth and Sherry Blossom helped him!

Do you know of Sam Fine? Do you agree/disagree with his points? And yes I want to know(obsessing again!!! Yes I know!): Do you think 13 is an unlucky number?

Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms

HARLEM & SAM FINE: A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN!

Hey Blossoms,

Yesterday I was so busy. I attended both the Makeup Forever Event as well as Sam Fine's event in Harlem. I had an awesome time at both but there is something about Mr.Fine that just takes the cake! Now I must get this out the way. I never thought much about his name until I saw him in person Mr.Fine is F I N E. Of course I'm talking from a professional makeup artistry point of view (insert smirk here!) his complexion is perfect, the perfect features and his brows are gorgeous!

Now after being blown away by seeing Mr.Fine in such close proximity I immediately turned into a pupil. I soaked up everything he was saying. It was amazing to watch him be attentive and pay attemtion to EACH and EVERY person that approached him. He's such an awesome conversationalist. Eye contact, smile, warmth, sincerity, smile, attentiveness, and what stuck out for me above it all was how he REMEMBERED each and every person name that he was introduced to. I watched him ask someone their name, sign an autograph, stop to answer another person's question, sign another autograph and come back to the FIRST person and ADDRESS THEM BY NAME! Now I know most of you may think I'm reaching and how could that be the most profound thing that stuck out to me when I talk of SAM FINE but it was. I even mentioned it to my fellow MUAs/beauty bloggers on the way home. I thought that was amazing and spoke volumes about him as a person, a business, a mentor and a celebrity!

When I first touched down on 121st and Frederick Douglass Avenue (8th ave for the true Harlemites) I felt a sense of nostalgia because I was born and raised in Harlem, a short walk north of the famous Apollo and a few blocks west of Sugar Hill (remember the song: "get up on the A train ...chu...chu...to go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlemmmm...hurry get on board it's comingggg"....ok I digress!) I looked around and felt an instant comfortability so all my nervousness completely left me and when I walked into the venue I felt as if I walked into my home.

The place was jam packed but I didn't mind (funny because at the earlier Makeup Forever Event the crowding seemed like it cramped my style to really check out the items and network) because it felt like I was shoulder to shoulder with friends, brothers, sisters, mentors and collegues. A comfortability that has NEVER been reached so instantaneously before. I was smiling ear to ear and had the urge to walk up to each and every person and not jus shake their hand but give them a hug!

Well that thought didn't last long because before I took 10 paces in I met (again) a fellow MUA and collegue! She is so gorgeous and her and her friends are hilarious. She also will soon be starting a blog but you can find her on Youtube at Kiss of Beauty.

She calls me her career and passion twin she we both work in EMS & as Freelance MUAs. Here's a photo of us at the event.

Here she is pictured with her friends who attended the show with her, the woman on the left assists her sometimes and is thinking of persuing becoming an MUA...how awesome is that?!

Not even 10 steps away stood 2 more awesome bloggers, @StyleNBeautyDoc of www.thestyleandbeautydoctor.com  and @TheGorgeousBlog of www.thegorgeousingredient.com These sites are definitely ones I visit often! I also follow them on Twitter so be sure to do the same!

Here's a photo of those amazing bloggers (@StyleNBeautyDoc on the Left & @TheGorgeousBlog in the middle):

Pictured below are: (2nd from left)@MissMerli  of www.missmerli.blogspot.com, @thisfancyface of www.thisfanceface.blogspot.com , @stylenbeautydoc of www.thestyleandbeautydoctor.com and @thegorgeousblog of www.thegorgeousingredient.com (2nd from Right)

Mr. Fine captured the event with grace, style and lots of laughter. Can you say H I L A R I O U S. He's like that cool uncle that you used to sneak out of bed at bedtime to greet when you heard his booming voice and laughter in the living room; even though you would get in trouble for not being in bed on a late night when you had school the next day you still risked it anyway. Yes, the COOL uncle that's how I see Mr.Fine. He was honest and real and the absolute most personable celebrity I have ever met (ok it's not like I'm paparazzi and meet celebs daily but I don't believe they are all as cool as this man...seriously!)

Another treat of the night was him autographing his DVD. It's funny because I wasn't aware that he would be autographing DVDs but I had brought mine as well as a permanent magic marker just in case he was. I already had it in my mind that I wanted him to sign the actual DVD and not just the back cover. Well I was in for a treat because he did BOTH! Now I'm getting a little ahead of myself let me back track....

So as my other blogger friends geared up to chat with Mr.Fine I was nervous thinking would he recognize me as the girl (who was still a newbie to all things Sam Fine, who actually mentioned airbrush makeup as a choice for a go-to waterproof foundation & if you know Mr.Fine you know he does NOT do airbrush makeup...he has nothing against it it's just not his cup of tea for the techniques that he uses) or as the blogger who taught him what FOTD stood for in blog talk (Face of the Day), or the Youtuber who did a true review on one of his favorite foundations: Dermablend, or as the blogger who dedicated an entire FOTD post on his makeup techniques and followed up with a Youtube video or maybe as the makeup artist who entered into the Black Opal Contest and asked him to please retweet the link (which he kindly did with NO problem!) I was confident that all those things and more weren't to bad to be recognized by.

However it crossed my mind, what if he DIDN'T. You all are thinking I would have been devastated right? NOPE! I would have felt more comfortable asking him a million and one novice questions! truly picking his brains just because, LOL!. Well I didn't get that chance because when it was my turn and he finally got a good look he RECOGNIZED ME (insert syncopal/fainting episode here!) Not only did he recognize me and actually show excitement that I was there but he said the absolute most amazing and endearing things I've heard in my career as a makeup artist thus far.

Mr. Fine made mention of how he enjoyed my videos/blog posts and the hard work I put into both. Of course he explained this with more eloquence. If you want to hear all that he said. My blogger friend @thisfancyface RECORDED IT! When I tell you that video is priceless it IS! It will be available for viewing soon on my Youtube channel HERE! Who would have know that a Celebrity Makeup Artist like Sam Fine has viewed my videos(I only knew of one he had viewed: my Sam fine inspired FOTD)  or reads my blog posts. I always tell you all that both are my diary and its here for the viewing but I could never imagine the people it touches and rarely do I meet them face to face. So this was a special treat one that has me more than humbled.

On to more photos!

Sam Fine & MUA/Beauty blogger @MissMerli

Sam Fine & MUA/Beauty Blogger @thisfancyface

Yes I know the photo Sam Fine and I took the lighting is off. :( However our smiles are still shining bright and I couldn't resist. I must be sure to snap another photo at the upcoming Makeup Show!

The absolute HIGHLIGHT of the night was when I conjured up the courage to ask Mr.Fine to view my portfolio. I brought it just in case I found the courage to do so. It's not everyday you get your portfolio in the hands of a Celebrity Makeup Artist but I went out on a limb and when I asked him to my surprise he took the book and flipped through it. Unfortunately, it was the tail end of the event and I was prolonging him from making his exit but he did tell me that he will follow up with feedback via FB! I was so happy!! Excited! Elated! cloud 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13!!!!!

Again my amazing MUA/beauty blogging friend @thisfancyface caught the entire exchange through photos below!

AHHHH! That's my portfolio he's actually touching and looking through!

Some moments are not only meant to be remembered but captured and THIS was definitely one of those moments!!!

Overall it was an amazing event and even though I had so many mishaps from wardrobe to makeup I am glad I made it. I blogged about this event when I first heard about it over a month ago and was counting down until the big day! And it couldn't have been sweeter. To @HarlemVintage, a wine store which also hosts events and wine tastings and to Mr. Fine thank you for such an awesome experience, great laughs and good memories! See you at the next one!


SIDENOTE: Mr.Sam Fine is a great makeup artist and mentor. He generously spends countless moments answering the same makeup questions over and over again via Twitter @SamFineBeauty and did wonders with showing his   techniques on how he transforms the everyday women on his DVD(pictured and available for purchase below!). If you don't already own it be sure to pick it up!

The fun doesn't stop at last night's event. The upcoming Makeup Show NY. Mr.Fine will be making another appearance. I will be attending both days of the event and will be sure to film a Youtube video as well as blog on my experience. There are some amazing things in store and you all do not want to miss out. Be sure to follow this blog to keep up with all that's upcoming!


Hey Blossoms, do you own Sam Fine's: The Basics of Beauty DVD or his makeup book: Fine Beauty?? If not, be sure to pick them both up! What you'll learn will amaze you! They are ONLY available for purchase at the website below!!!

Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms!

    

SAM FINE IS COMING TO TOWN--- HARLEM, NY!

Hey Blossoms,

If you don't already know Celebrity Makeup Artist, Sam Fine is one of my favorite makeup artists. I've done a blog post on him before and even showcased some of his work. I also have a Youtube video where I showcase a makeup look I did that was inspired by the makeup techniques he teaches. That video can be viewed HERE! Mr.Fine does amazing work. Skilled and personally selected to make up the faces of icons such as Patti LaBelle, Naomi Campbell, Vanessa Williams and Iman to name a few, he is the MAN! So of course when I received an email stating he was coming to town...not just ANY town but MY home town...HARLEM, NY I smiled! (and attempted the moon walk but it didn't turn out that well thats why its in parenthesis..lol)

I was born and raised in Harlem, running up and down the streets surrounding landmarks like the Apollo, Riverbank State Park, Sugar Hill and even the place where the FIRST attempt to assassinate Martin Luther King Jr. was made (YES there was a first attempt made!). in Blumstein's Department Store which is now a women's clothing store known as High Energy on 125th street. The year was 1958 and Dr. King who was 29 years old was attacked by a deranged woman and was rushed to Harlem Hospital where he had emergency surgery by a trauma team lead by Harlem's first black chief surgeon, Dr. Aubre Maynard, to remove the steel letter opener she stabbed him with. Ten years later in 1968 the 2nd attempt to assassinate him was made and sadly carried out in Memphis, Tennessee.

I was born in Harlem Hospital and later worked my first 2 years in EMS in that same area. Truly carrying out the saying "giving back to my community". So anytime there is an event or when I feel nostalgic I'll return to the place I love so much. Well here is an EXCELLENT opportunity to not only be around one of the greatest in the makeup artistry field but to visit my community, which is still very much a part of me. When people mistake me for being from the area I currently reside in I confidently but kindly correct them and say "No, I'm from Harlem!"

So SAVE THE DATE and if any of you are in the area be sure to drop by! Here are the details below:

SAM FINE APPEARANCE

Harlem Vintage Presents

Beautiful Reds a tasting of Red wines

And Special Appearance

Celebrity Makeup Artist, Sam Fine

Date: May 12th, 2011

Time: 7pm-9pm

Place: 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd. (also known as 8th avenue for true Harlemites) between 120th and 121st streets Harlem, NY 10027

Ph: 212 866 9463

FREE ADMISSION

Purchase Fine's instructional makeup DVD for the special price of $20.00*

Receive a FREE Covergirl Queen Collection Lip Color with the purchase of the DVD

*price does notinclude tax

Sam Fine, makeup, wine, laughter, networking , Harlem and an overall good FREE time what more could you ask for?! I'm hoping I can clear my schedule and attend this event after all I did tell Mr. Fine what FOTD (face of the day) stood for!!!! I hope he remembers me!!  :)

Will you be attending?

Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms

BLOSSOMING FACE OF THE DAY: SAM FINE STYLE

Hey Blossoms,

I am a makeup artist so there is no secret that I would educate myself with the work and techniques of those before me. Introducing one of my favorite Celebrity Makeup Artists: Mr. Sam Fine. He has an amazing book & DVD that breaks down his technique and the steps he takes to achieve a flawless finish each and every time. He is the man behind the gorgeous faces of Iman, Naomi Campbell, Vanessa Williams, Tyra and even Patti LaBelle plus many many more. His professionalism, charm and amazing skills are highly praised!

I follow Sam Fine on Twitter at @SamFineBeauty and he is so personable. He answers your questions (many times the same questions over and over again) and doesn't complain, offers invaluable advice, honest critique if asked and is always positive and supportive of those seeking to venture into makeup.

Without further adieu here's the MOTD (Man of The Day lol)

Here's photos of some of the celebrities he has worked with numerous times over the years

Here's his coveted DVD & book

Both which inspired me to do a BLOSSOMING FACE OF THE DAY: SAM FINE STYLE

PRODUCTS USED

FACE

L'oreal Revitalift Mositurizer Face Cream
Black Opal Foundation in Nutmeg (used as concealer for under eye and to highlight)
Black Opal Foundation in Hazelnut (used to spot treat and even skin tone)
Black Opal Blotting Powder used to set "concealer" and highlighting
Graftobian Powder Foundation used to set rest of face
Cover Girl Ebony Bronzer

EYES

Urban Decay E/s in Hustle (dark brown shimmer e/s placed all over lid and blended up to crease)
Inglot Matte Dark Brown E/s (used to contour crease)
UD E/s in Virgin (off white shimmer e/s used to highlight brow bone)
UD 24/7 E/l pencil in Whiskey ( golden brown e/l used to line water line)
Inglot Matte Dark Brown E/s used to line lower lash line
Revlon Colorstay Black Liquid E/l (feel free to use a brown e/l instead to soften the look)
Falsies
Maybelline Lash Stiletto

CHEEKS

CoverGirl Ebony Bronzer
La Femme Cinnabar (orangey blush)

LIPS

Jordana Coco Loco l/l (dark brown l/l)
Inglot Nudey Red l/s (sorry the l/s dont have names lol)
NK Golden Shimmer L/g


I love this look it can DEFINITELY double as a bridal look. It's very soft and pretty and for those that don't wear makeup often this look isn't intimidating and will compliment any skin tone beautifully!

NOW FOR THE PHOTOS!

Hope you like it!

Check out my Youtube video showcasing this look here MY YOUTUBE BEAUTY CHANNEL


Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms!!