Being a Beauty PR firm means that when you are watching the debates and the elections news, you are not only focused on what the commentators and candidates are necessarily saying, but often find yourself wondering who the person is behind their makeup. This is something Pierce Mattie picked up on when he compared Palin and Biden then McCain and Obama over the last two debates. I know I certainly wondered how the candidates were able to maintain such a matte look to their skin when under so much pressure, what about you?
Michele Probst working with Chris Matthews before the Presidential Debate at Oxford.
Michele Probst, CEO of Menaji Skincare, is one of those makeup artists working skillfully behind the scenes to make the on-air personalities look flawless and the politicians look trustworthy. Her artistry can be seen on the faces of Chris Matthews, Andrea Mitchell, Al Gore, Tom Brokaw, Howard Dean, Katie Couric and Barack Obama. Being the seasoned professional that she is, I decided to ask her if she could reveal her tips to making these hard working folks look so good on camera and even tell us the products that work so well.
Since some of the most prominent commentators are men, I asked her how she is able to address issues such as dark circles, sun spots, uneven skin tones, broken capillaries and keeping skin looking matte without making them look too overdone.
• Hydrate with a good moisturizer before applying product; this keeps skin looking healthy and works with the overall look. For Chris Matthews coverage of the debate at Oxford, she used Menaji’s Hydrator.
• She stays away from products with a red tone to them, as this will make the skin appear ruddy on air.
• To smooth skin tones in places where there are sun spots, broken capillaries and dark circles she uses Menaji’s Undetectable Concealer.
• Grooming hair and cleaning up the face (eye brows, etc.) helps in minimizing how much makeup needs to be applied.
Michele told me that looking through the monitor also helps her to see what the audience sees and can make adjustments prior to going on air. My favorite piece of advice from her was how she is able to keep their skin looking matte despite the pressure cooker-like quality of a debate or broadcasting from outdoors. Aside from using Menaji’s Anti-shine powder, she puts Seabreeze on pressure points such as the back of the wrist and inside of the neck. This temporarily clogs pores and reduces the sweat level.
So the next time you tune into MSNBC, you may just be looking at Michele’s work. Learn more about her at www.menskincare.com
Posted by Shannon Nelson on October 15, 2008 7:29 AM
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