The wonderful composer and now president and Chairman of the Board of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Paul Williams, came in for makeup the other night. Songs like, Evergreen (Barbra Streisand), Old Fashioned Love Song (Three Dog night), We’ve Only Just Begun (Karen Carpenter), Rainy Days and Mondays, Let Me Be the One and I Won’t Last a Day Without You. The list is endless and he is a sweetie, to boot! I have the best job not only making them up but also hearing their stories.

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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Tina and Rose called me from London. At long last, as a gay couple they were able to get married legally and were making it official at the Mandarin Hotel in Manhattan, overlooking a snowy Central Park and Columbus Circle.

What fun! Never have I got to make up two brides for just one wedding. Theirs!

Since one of the brides had never worn makeup and the other wanted to improve on her look, I decided to keep the makeup simple, classic and sophisticated.

Ten days after their wedding, we did a makeup lesson. Watch out London!

I’m looking forward to working as a makeup artist on many LGBT weddings in the future.

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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Who would have guessed that in one week, I would work and chat with the likes of Hugh Bonneville, who plays the serious Lord Grantham in Downton Abbey and the infamous Judy Collins whose history is as diverse as the biosphere.

When making up high profile people, I feel I have to listen and ask questions because they know their faces and the image they wish to portray better then anyone. A good makeup artist has to be able to leave their ego at the door.

They also have to read the room.

Happy Holidays!

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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Il Divo came by the other day promoting their new album, A MUSICAL AFFAIR, but also their one week show on Broadway. They were delightful!

Two of the group did their own makeup, the other two put their face in the makeup room’s hands.

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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Ilana Dayan and I met a year ago. I was recommended to her when she came over last year to do a series of interviews with a film producer Arnon Milchan, a renowned Hollywood movie director with such films under his belt such as The War of the Roses, Once Upon a Time in America, Pretty Woman, Natural Born Killers, Under Siege,The Devil’s Advocate, The Fountain, Unfaithful, L.A. Confidential, Unfaithful, Night and Day to name a few.

Milchan was also recruited to LAKAM, a top secret Israeli intelligence organization responsible for obtaining technology and material for Israel’s nuclear program, and other highly secretive programs.

Ilana hired me again this week. Here is a photo of the two of us in Studio A at Fox News Bureau this morning, while we waited for Rupert Murdoch who works with Milchan.

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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She said she would be having photos taken for the New York Times last weekend and she had a feeling it would be a feature in the Vows section. I made her cab it over to me for a pro makeup job. Couldn’t let my girl have every day makeup for the Times. I look after my peeps.

The Event was planned by Kate Edmonds of Kate Edmonds Events. She has quite the knack for creating fairytale weddings.

Wedding photos to be posted soon. Meantime check out the cute couple in this New York Times article.

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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LIPS

High Impact Red lips. Well, its not just Red lips but includes deep burgandys and pinks too, depending on what best suits your particular skin tone.

Really it is more of a lip statement then just red lips. The look is meant to have you always use a lipliner that matches the lipstick exactly. Once the outer line is drawn, it is suggested you fill in the entire lip with the pencil, as well.

For those of you who are not used to such a strong color on your lips, you could ease into it using lip stains or glosses but once you switch to a pencil and rich creamy lipstick to overlay, keep away from glosses and follow instructions, above.

Why such a strong lip, you may ask? Its the fastest way for an instantly pulled together look.

With this strong a mouth, keep the rest of your makeup really really simple. A groomed brow, a polished skin tone. In fact it looks more beautiful if you let your skin be seen through the foundation.

SKIN TONE:

Flawless beautiful, real and sophisticated with HD foundations that are luxurious and light but with a demi-matte finish.

EYES:

1. In some cases, eyes are made up and then taken away giving one a look of having just taken off your makeup so there is still just a trace there.

2. A stronger dramatic wing is also a big movement to look out for this fall. A robust dramatic wing on the top that covers most of the lower eyelid and pulls the liner quite a way out to the side giving the look of a bat’s wing.

3.  Under the lower lashes (this is my favorite look this season) instead of a soft smudged shadow or for that matter a solid line, this time hyphened lines under the lashes like dashes leaving small spaces between them. Tres Edgy.

MASCARA

Black Mascara on top lashes. Brown mascara on bottom lashes. Groomed and perfected brows. Sometimes with not much else on the eye itself besides a skin tone powder.

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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My radio interview with Modern Wedding Mom founder Erica Laudon discussing many of my experiences as a celebrity makeup artist and how that informs my perspective on bridal and wedding makeup. I also offer many professional makeup artist tips in general and also for brides and weddings.

Modern Wedding Mom is a website devoted to the mother of the bride and mother of the groom covering fashion & style, beauty & well-being, wedding mom basics, and budgeting & planning.

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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I happen to enjoy Vodka and knew nothing about this brand. Then Dan sat in my makeup chair, the other day, and told me that most Vodkas have both citrus oil and anti-freeze in them and his was clean clean clean. Made in Canada, actually, Dan’s home country. Lovely larger then life man.

We talked about the South African accent and he said it was a hard one to pull off. I smiled cheekily and said, “not for me”. We both agreed that Leonardo Dicaprio in Blood Diamond and Matt Damon in Invictus both nailed it and were really believable with their accents.

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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Photography: David Burnett

Fabulous day spent on the Hudson River, shooting with author James Patterson and an extraordinary crew consisting of Mario Pulice, the Creative Director of Little Brown and Company, Cathy Saypol, publicist extraordinaire, David Burnett whose work you just have to check out at DavidBurnett.com and two charming and incredibly able assistants, Jason Lewis (no not from Sex and the City) and Thomas Kearns.

Sue Patterson was the perfect hostess starting with Dunkin’ Donuts and coffee waiting for all of us when we arrived. Their house was warm and charming and expansive.

I love my job.

Photography: David Burnett

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lana g.

As a well-known beauty expert and makeup artist, lana's work and expert advice has appeared in leading fashion magazines, such as Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. She also worked for Project Runway, MTV, VH-1, CBS and HBO. She was Paula Zahn’s makeup artist at CNN, then Tina Brown’s at CNBC. For almost 15 years she worked with Elizabeth Vargas, at 20/20, World News Tonight and Good Morning America on ABC. She was Anderson Cooper’s makeup artist on his daytime talkshow, Anderson Live. She is now contributing to WNET/WLIW PBS stations in the tristate area on shows such as, Nature, Promos for Downton Abbey, Treasures of New York, The Dukes of September, Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera and with Sting, to name a few. Lana is based in New York City where she also works with personal clients and brides-to-be. She is also available for special events. You can find lana on Facebook and Google+. Contact lana at LanaGersman@gmail.com or call 917.860.1500.

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