118 West 8th Avenue (cross street Manitoba St.)

Vancouver, BC

V5Y 1N2

We are not far from our previous location. Still in the hood!

Come join Makeup History (Level 4)! We have 2 spots left in this class.

Learn the history of makeup from 1900-present.

Wednesdays FEBRUARY 1, 8, and 15. 6:30 – 9:30pm.

All levels and skill welcome! Cost $480 (includes a makeup kit value $210)

To register call 604-269-0408

Our favorite trends this holiday are the polished and elegant ones… no more little-girl glitter and frosted stardust, no more angels in the snow… This winter saw the resurgence of the Old Hollywood Vamp, the Torch-Song Chanteuse and Sleek Sophisticate. — Reflected in the sweep of the hair and uncluttered, high impact face:

Red always plays over the holidays. 2011 emphasizes TWO reds from opposite ends of red’s broad spectrum: A vivid poppy for the flirt and a deep burgundy for a touch of film noir on your face.

Emma Stone proves "Poppy" Lips can be grown up too.

From the Nutcracker to New Year's... Nobody puts Burgundy Lips in a corner...

As for eyes…

Burnished Metals have come a long way from J-Lo’s glow… doing duty on the eye in antique gold, coppers and gleaming bronzes that are more of a rich patina than an eyeful of glitter and frost.

Emma's are killng it... Emma Watson is regal with steamlined, high-impact makeup

Metals to Green -- no soft spoken "smoke" on this eye.

And BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK — Black never goes away, but this winter shapes are defined and high-impact. No smoky ghosts of Christmas’ Past — this black is intense and starkly drawn — the contour is dramatic, almost exaggerated and the shape INSISTS on being cat-like.

A facsimile of the eye makeup Karin did on Lianne on Urban Rush.

To paraphrase:

all together now....

Christmas can be magic if you take a breath and look for it, in keeping with the suspension of disbelief, this look never ever gets old or disappoints and cannot fail to transform:

Mika Makeup is open and available for all your holidays needs and whims. Beautiful products and gift certificates make thoughtful gifts, beautiful makeup and hair styling sends you off to the gala in style. Being kind to others is easier at Christmas. Being kind to yourself sometimes feels harder. Take care.

Revisit the Mika Blog shortly thereafter for a description on what what done and access to products used.

See you on TV!

As always, Urban Rush was a blast… Fiona Forbes had us in stitches and Michael Eckford played the straight man for once.

We always prepare for the Mika segments on TV, but this Halloween feature on “Day of the Dead” Makeup took those preparations to new heights. Our models gamely showed up for 6am make-ups that took three fastidious hours and much blood and sweat…. and then some more blood. (See the previous post for our homemade blood recipe).

Karin’s makeup on Leannne was created using the MakeUp Forever Cream Palette, A waterproof  gel liner (applied with a fine brush) for detail work, real gold leaf and Mac Pure Pigments, and miniature crystals

Elizabeth’s makeup on Doug was created using spirit gum, cotton, blood, Rubber Mask Grease Paints and Castor oil (for shading blood), the MakeUp Forever Cream palette (for black and white and silver) and small spider stencils applied through the airbrush.

We would like to thank everyone who helped with this Segment:

Manuel Avila for the Making of Video and Photo Shoot (www.solsticeimage.ca), Jessica Mason for the beautiful styling, Leah Conway for the incredible hair (and face… she was one of our models), Lianne Bjornerud and Doug D. Styles for modeling so patiently and stunningly and Charlene Olsem for assisting.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Doug D. Styles (MUP by Elizabeth)

The Incomparable Lianne (MUP by Karin)

3-4 tbsp. water warm

10-15 drops of blue food coloring

1 sifted tbsp. of white flour

In a destroyable mixing bowl, pour your corn syrup. In a separate measuring cup or bowl slowly mix your flour with water.  Add slowly until you have a fairly liquid consistency.  If it is doughy, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.  Mix until liquid is smooth and clump free.  Mix flour mixture into corn syrup and stir like mad til smoothe.  Add food colouring till reaching a rich , almorst opaque, red.

Happy Halloween!!

At Mika Makeup we understand summer affords a myriad of opportunities for putting your best face forward. And we suspect each woman has a warm-weather vixen within her that claws forth and spreads her wings as winter retreats. There are dozens of summer make-up looks to choose from and we’d love to hear your favorites! Feel free to comment! We’ve attempted to encompass them on the faces of three characters we think most West Coast women can relate to:

The Beach Goddess

The Back Woods Lady

The Festival Free Spirit

All three make-ups are fairly low maintenance, very long wearing and make a statement about a  personality that blossoms in the heat. These looks draw on the beauty of summer’s nature to accentuate a woman’s natural beauty and they share the makeup denominator of glowing cheeks and lips and tawny fresh skin which we’ve accomplished by layering vivid stains and sun protection. They are discreetly and easily applied yet designed to be long-wearing and waterproof — able to withstand sun, sand, surf, smoke, summer storms, bear-spray mishaps, and sweat-drenched drum circles.

The Beach Goddess, seemingly a vision of burnished bronze perfection, she is actually the most high maintenance of the summer ladies and most likely found lounging poolside atop a swank hotel or under an umbrella at Third Beach where style trumps athleticism any day.

We used pops of Tropical Green and Vivid Coral to recall sea and jungle flowers. She is Sun-Bronzed and gleaming like the glinting stones and sand

SUNSCREEN!! Mixed with Mac Face and Body foundation for pre-tanned, pool-side skin (legs too!) Or burnished coppery mineral bronzer all over face. Bronzing towelettes for body (“Marcelle”) for the woman with forsight. Metallic cream shadow on eyes in Copper or Gold tones. We used Urban Decay eye primer in glimmering gold and Nars multistick in Laguna or Orgasm for cheeks, eyes and collarbone. Striking, full and messy brows with Noir brow pencil (long-wearing wax, its water resistant). Lips Beaute-stained Neon (a coral stain…a coral manicure to underscore is a bonus) and finished with a gold gloss (Face Atelier “Champagne”) or lip balm with SPF, a hint of metallic green liner at the outside corners of eyes (Stila green-gold waterproof kohl) NO MASCARA!! — there are widely differing opinions on the NO MASCARA at the beach debate. I’m of the firm mind that while other summer looks can afford it, nothing looks more incongruous in the water than cakey, spidery lashes and it can transform a Beach MakeUp from effortlessly polished to contrived and self-conscious in a heartbeat.

Next is the Back woods lady, wearing discreet and muted tones to mirror the nature around her, this really is makeup done on the sly, where your family, friends or that grass roots guy you’re dating will never know you’re wearing it. And it can span the gamut from a camping-honeymoon, to hiking the West Coast Trail, to a summer job tree-planting or to laid back Cabin Life. But this Back-Woods Babe is the type who either is — or at least wishes to appear — above the vanity of modern make-up amenities. But to still look her best while seemingly bare-faced.

Her face is coated in sunscreen mixed with bronzer, (Bonne Belle Gel Bronzer!) or powdered with a pigmented, mineral sunscreen (matte bronze) (“Colorscience”) for all-over colour and protection. Eyelashes are tinted or extensions have been applied for long-lasting impact. Eyes shaded with a neautral cream shadow or lined with a long wearing charcoal (grey/brown) kohl. Cheeks and lips Beaute stained with “Fever” a natural red. Lips lined with waterproof pencil, gently filled in and finished with a balm containing SPF (Fresh Sugar Balm or SmartShield lip balm).

Festival Free Spirit — Festival season in the West kicks off at Coachella and climaxes at Burning Man with Folk-fest, Caribbean Days and Shambala in between. This make-up has unlimited room for self-expression and allows for a bold re-interpretation of a flower-child vibe that was born in the sixties. Smudgy eyes reflect the rock n’ roll attitude and cheeks are flushed from dancing, the lip is bold, bright and carefree — STAINED, not caked with product. This is make-up that gets better the longer you wear it. Designed to withstand even the sweatiest drum-circle or full-moon stomp.

She is wearing Bobbi Brown tinted balm with SPF 25 on her face for a dewy sheen that offers sun protection and slight coverage. There is pale gold shimmer highlight for cheeks and brow bones (a waterproof cream shadow with a wand — Bonne Belle makes one). Mac’s “Groundwork” or other rich, neutral paint pot on the lid. Eyes lined and smudged out with Noir Ultra Rich Thick Grease Penicl and punched up at the corners with Bobbi Brown gel liner in “Ivy”. Waterproof mascara. Cheeks stained Barbie pink with Beaute’s “Flouron” Stain (mix with moisturizer or sunscreen) and lips stained with “Harlot” — a fuschia shade that makes it look as if you’ve been deep throating cherry popsicles all afternoon. Swipe with Doctor Pepper Balm (Bonne Belle), or Beaute sheer plumping gloss (“Urge” or “Lady Stardust”).

See the Mika Girl’s of Summer on Urban Rush:

*all three looks made copious use of Sun Shield smart sunscreen and lip balm — hands down our favorite sunscreen. It absorbs in seconds without a hint of grease or a white-ish cast unlike some so-called “dry” sunscreens which we will refrain from naming. Best of all it instantly “sets” on the face so if mixed with gel bronzer, it sets the colour along with it for a long-wearing tanned effect.

We also stained lips and cheeks entirely with Beaute Stains. Long wearing and 100% natural. Eyes were emphasized primarily with NOIR products — make in Montreal and the Little Black Dress of cosmetics — Noir only make black make-up. But trust, it is the very best of blacks that money can buy. Products are displayed below. Contact mikamakeup.ca to purchase the Smart Shield or Beaute Stains.

The indomitable Smart Shield

treasured “ivy”

Bet it all on Black. Noir Pencils

Dewy Balm with SPF and sheer coverage…. ah Bobbi… you know the way to our hearts.

Learn To Design and Execute Unique Character Makeup Looks for Film/TV/HD/Audition’s

Plus a Headshot Photo Shoot with 2 Makeup Looks of your own Creation

A Professional Studio Photo Shoot and Makeup Instruction Package includes:

1.         Professional, Experienced, MakeUp Application at Mika Makeup  www.mikamakeup.ca.  Your personal Film-Industry MakeUp Artist will collaborate with you to design and apply two looks: a natural look and a specific character look for auditions/TV/film.

2.       Headshot Photo Shoot w/Ian Redd Headshots www.vancouverheadshots.ca. A Photo shoot with extensive coverage of both looks (there will be a makeup change midway through your shoot) and self-styled wardrobe changes to complement and elaborate the characters of your design.

3.       2.5 Hour Make-up Instruction Class. Your personal Artist/Instructor will guide you in the steps necessary to recreate the two looks of your individual design and photo shoot. You will learn how to do your own makeup for auditions, TV, HD. Red Cam, film and photo shoots, development of character through makeup, skin care, enhancement of bone structure, and how to bring out your best facial features.

Bonus!: A personal makeup shopping trip with Mika to buy the makeup products needed to re-create your looks at either Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora, or Holt Renfrew (Products not included) depending on your budget.

Students receive a 20% Off Discount on makeup products available at Mika Makeup Studios, those include Divinci Make-Up Brushes, Beaute Cosmetics, Face Atelier, Butter London, Noir Cosmetics and more…

Regular Price $500.00 Value Special May Promo Package Price ONLY $350.00

Photo by Ian Redd, makeup by Karin Shoji@mikamakeup