A French Touch Salon

The finest in Parisian skin care on the central coast.

Michael McCarthy

Words of Wisdom: Makeup with Michael and Colorescience

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

We had so much fun with Colorescience Makeup Expert Michael McCarthy yesterday!  Miss out on an appointment of your own?  Try out these tips and tricks until he comes back!

imageOn the necessity of primer: “Any makeup you ever apply is only going to react to what that surface is…Our bare skin just isn’t the best canvas as far as makeup texture and longevity.” 

Colorescience Eye Camouflage should be used to prep for concealer around the eyes (to brighten dark circles) and works great as an eyelid primer to hold your eye shadow in place.  When applying shadow, make sure to start at the outside corner and use a rolling motion.  For eyeliner and darker eye shadow, apply from the outer corner and stop at the inner end of your iris; this ensures that the makeup will not draw your eyes closer together.

Contouring isn’t really blush, we’re contouring and bringing out the shape and structure of the face.  

imageAs for the finishing touches, apply your favorite shade of Lip Polish once daily, then use a complimentary Lip Shine to touch up.  “The goal,” Michael tells us, “is to do a lot of perfecting with your makeup, but not lose the look of bare skin, and that’s really the illusion we’re going for.”

The sheer natural look possible with Colorescience all-natural mineral makeup is exactly what we (and you!) like about it!  Here are a few comments from Michael’s clients:

“I like the coverage, personally, and that’s what I was looking for.”  

image“I feel fabulous, and anybody who knows me knows that’s exactly the way I like to feel!”  

“I really like the feel of it.”  

“I think my skin looks great!”

Thank you to everyone who was able to come visit Michael at A French Touch, and we hope you’re all able to swing by next time!

Bisous,

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Perfect your Holiday look with Colorescience at A French Touch

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

What do you get when you combine the award-winning Colorescience makeup with one of  Colorescience’s official lead makeup artists with over 30 years of experience?  A Beautiful new look just in time for the Holidays!

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Don’t forget about our Colorescience event this Monday, December 16th, when A French Touch Salon will be hosting professional Colorescience Makeup Applications and Tutorials with Michael McCarthy!  He will be available for makeup application and technique consulting during half-hour appointments from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and there are only a few spots left!

Colorescience’s focus on fusing the beauty of traditional makeup with the benefits and efficacy of skin care have lead them to become leaders in genuine mineral makeup products that protect your skin from the sun and environment without clogging your pores.  With their wide variety in colors and products—everything from primers to foundations to blushes to eye shadows to lip polishes and serums, in every possible color—Colorescience is the perfect way to add beautiful and skin-friendly products to your makeup bag. And remember, Colorescience is a unique natural makeup that is chemical, dye, talc,alcohol, and paraben-free.  And learning about what makeup techniques work best for you with our expert Michael will help you glow even more this season!

We hope you are able to take advantage of this opportunity with us on Monday. Call or email us to set up your appointment with Michael, and learn all about what colors, styles, and application techniques work best for you and your skin.

Bisous,

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Professional Mineral Makeup with Michael!

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

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Come celebrate the beauty of the season with us this Monday, December 16th, when Colorescience National Makeup Artist Michael McCarthy visits A French Touch! 

Michael has visited us several times before, and has over 30 years of makeup expertise to share!  He has been an avid Colorescience fan since it’s arrival on the makeup scene, and loves their philosophy of “not sacrificing health for beauty, or beauty for health.”  He has been passionately involved in every aspect of the makeup for much of his life (from everyday to bridal to high fashion to the Seattle Opera!), and has been an official Colorescience Makeup Artist since 2000, when he started featuring Colorescience makeup exclusively in his studio and his work.  

Michael will be at A French Touch on Monday, December 16th from 1 to 7 p.m., to personally apply and train you on your best look with Colorescience Pro Minerals.  Michael’s expertise combined with Colorescience’s high-performance mineral makeup will leave you with a flawless look just in time for the Holidays. Call us, visit us, or email us to reserve your appointment now, or book it online. Promotions will be available at the Event for Colorescience products , as well as beautiful gifts with purchase.  And don’t forget that this month only (and while supplies last!), if you spend over $100 on our selection of Colorescience products, receive a complimentary lip or eye product of your choice.

Ring in the holidays with a “cheer”ful day at A French Touch Parisian Skincare Salon~ We look forward to seeing you!

Bisous,

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Colorescience National Makeup Artist Michael McCarthy

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Michael McCarthy credits his childhood fascination with all things theatrical as the origin of his interest in the transformative power of cosmetics. Initially a performer, Michael’s focus evolved into designing makeup as part of his training at the Cornish College of Fine Arts in his nativeSeattle and later at The American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York. During the 1980s, Michael designed looks as a makeup artist for both high fashion and retail cosmetics in the United States and Europe. He increased his professional scope with an aesthetics license upon his return to Seattle, where he began developing his reputation as an aesthetician with an artistic perspective by consistently incorporating cosmetics as the completion of any client experience. He provided makeup lessons, brow design, bridal makeup and trend updates as frequently as facials. Michael revolutionized the industry in Seattle during the 1990s as the first aesthetician to develop a makeup studio and retail boutique venue within larger salon and day spa businesses. He concurrently honed his theatrical makeup skills as a principal makeup artist for the Seattle Opera.
Michael discovered Colorescience in 2000 when it was first introduced in Makeup Artist Magazine. His enthusiasm for the brand’s innovative benefits led him from being one of the early Pacific Northwest Colorescience partners to feature Colorescience exclusively in his studio, fashion and theatrical work. Drawing from these experiences, Michael continues to advocate the brand’s philosophy of “no sacrificing health for beauty, or beauty for health.” Michael joined the Education team in 2000 and currently travels North America, passionately sharing his keen makeup application expertise with partners and clients as the Colorescience National Makeup Artist.

Top 5 Michaelisms for Mineral Makeup Application

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1.  Home Depot and A French Touch Salon have more in common than you may have thought.  Both offer their clients the best way to prep, prime, and finish.  Like painting a home, similar steps are required when applying mineral makeup to your facial structure. 

Michael reminds us, “The beauty of mineral makeup is that it responds to its surface, which means you get best results by prepping and priming the skin.  Since minerals enhance a hydrated and prepped surface it’s important to prep the skin with moisturizer, then prime the skin with Line Tamer SPF20 Primer.  Now that your face is prepped and primed, you can apply your Colorescience mineral foundation for a flawless finish.”

2. Most women put their makeup on backwards.  Although most women do the opposite , you should always apply your mineral eye shadow before your foundation.  This order allows you to easily remove excess eye shadow that fell beneath your eyes during the application process.  In addition, dark eye shadows should be worn in the evening, not in the daytime.  

Michael says, “Minerals reflect light.  With this in mind, don’t wear dark smoky shadows during the day because the darker the color you have on your lids the smaller your eyes will look.”

3. You can get authentically new brows without a tattoo or a brow pencil.  Applying natural-looking eyebrows is easy with Colorescience Pro Minerals.  You can use their Brow Gel to create a textured surface on your thin brow hairs to which a brow shadow will adhere, giving you fabulous eyebrows that look oh-so-real and aren’t painted on your skin. 

Michael suggests, “By working from the outer corner toward the inner corner when doing color on the brow, you’ll get better results and more beautiful brows.”

4. The best makeup product to bring with you on a deserted island, after your SPF, is eyeliner.  Most women would say the most important makeup product they can’t live without is mascara, but eyeliner has the capability to create more prominent lashes, while also making your eyes appear larger and more defined. 

 Michael recommends, “Colorescience Pro eyeliner is easy to work with because the length of the eyeliner brush is short, allowing you to get a precise line near the edge of the lid.” 

5. You can’t make a mistake with Colorescience Pro Minerals.  Colorescience Pro Minerals products are easy to change throughout the day when you want to go from a natural and fresh look for the day to having dramatic smoky eyes for the evening. 

Michael raves, “Mineral makeup never has to stay the way it looks when you first put it on.  It is always a work in progress, so you’re never stuck with anything unless you choose to stop moving it.”  

 

Event Recap: Anti-Aging Technologies that Reduce Signs of Aging

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Bonjour!

On June 7th, A French Touch Parisian Skincare Salon was delighted to welcome Michelle Angel from Jan Marini who shared her skincare knowledge on the ways to achieve younger-looking skin. Women of all ages had the chance to experience a one-on-one consultation with Michelle. During their consultations, our clients had the opportunity to discuss their main skincare concerns and were treated to a complimentary micro exfoliation treatment. The women enjoyed French treats and wine as they learned effective techniques that will prevent and repair their skin from sun damage. View our photos below to get an inside glimpse of the experience!

 

 

To view all photos from the event visit our facebook page.

If you missed our Jan Marini event led by Michelle Angel, please join us on June 22nd as we welcome Colorescience’s nationally-acclaimed makeup artist Michael McCarthy. Michael will show you how to create a younger-looking you, with simple techniques using the most natural, healthy mineral makeup available (with SPF 20, 30, and 50) from Colorescience Pro Minerals!