The ever beautiful and recently slimmed down Jennifer Hudson recently got together with Sam Fine, celebrity makeup artist and creator of The Basics of Beauty, for a shoot showing off her gorgeous new look. Here, Sam shares with us his insider advice on how you can achieve this flawless and glowing face at home with just a few easy steps.

L To R: Jennifer Hudson and Sam Fine

Makeup Tutorial

Coverage: Every great look begins great coverage. Jennifer has beautiful skin, but like many women of color, she has varied tones. I use foundation to unify those varying tones. One of my favorites is the Queen Collection Natural Hue Compact Foundation because it’s cream- to- powder, so it dries down to a powdery finish and looks really natural.

Bronzer: Bronzer is always a must for all women to illuminate their complexion. It’s important to choose a bronzer that’s one shade darker than your natural skin tone and apply it to the outer perimeter of your face to warm the skin and create a halo of glow. After applying bronzer, you can go back and layer over blush to give the skin a pop of color. On Jennifer, I used CoverGirl Natural Hue Mineral Bronzer and Cargo’s matte blush in Laguna.

Eyes: To create Jennifer’s classic, natural eye, I used a brown shadow. Shu Uemura makes a great pressed eye shadow in an array of shades – in this case, their Matte Taupe with Golden Flakes Eyeshadow works perfectly. For this look, I didn’t use a ton of liner, and totally avoided lining underneath her eyes to keep them soft. We used tons of mascara to enhance her look – my favorite is LashBlast from CoverGirl. I always like to apply a coat of mascara, and then move on to something else to let the first coat dry. I’ll come back a few minutes later, curl the lashes, and then layer on a few more coats of mascara to really build the lashes. This makes them much more dramatic and makes the curl hold well. It’s like spraying your hair with a coat of hairspray before using a curling iron.

Lips: To complete her look, I gave Jennifer a beautiful nude lip. The key to a nude lip is to begin by lining the lips with liner that is one shade darker than your natural lip color. Don’t worry about matching the liner to your lipstick – if you match it to your lips, it will look great with any shade of lipstick. After lining the lips, feather the liner towards the center of the mouth to great a base for the lipstick. Next, apply your lipstick. On Jennifer, I chose IMAN Cosmetics’ Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick in Citron. I finished by slicking on a golden gloss add dimension and shine. CoverGIRL’s Shine Blast Lip Gloss is perfect!

For more in-depth how-tos plus more expert tips and tricks, check out The Basics of Beauty, available at amazon.com.

Talking Makeup has the scoop behind Alicia Keys’s hair at the 2009 BET Awards thanks to Pantene and their Celebrity Stylist Tippi Shorter.

Tippi Shorter’s Regular clients include: Jennifer Hudson, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, and Keri Hilson.

 Here is how to get Alicia Keys’s hair & big curls at 2009 BET Awards by Pantene Celebrity Stylist Tippi Shorter:

“I started with the Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality Shampoo & Conditioner. I love the smell and it made her smooth and manageable for styling.”

“I used the Ego-Boost Leave-in by Bed Head to detangle her curls, and then applied the Pantene Pro-V Curls Anti-Frizz Cream through the strands. This was the foundation to have those big curls last throughout the heat without frizz or fly-aways.”

“I used an iron about the size of my pinky to refine her curls, adding the Ojon Serum (Ojon Daily Intensive Shine Treatment) to separate and fluff her curls for all-night body.”

 ”I finished the look with a strong holding hairspray to keep the curls in place.”

Celebrity image via: a3urbanmusic.com

I’m excited to share with you an interview I did with Celebrity Makeup Artist Mylah Morales. Mylah Morales’ clients include Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, and Leona Lewis.

Mylah Morales

In this interview Mylah Morales talks to me about some of her memorable makeup looks she did with Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson & Leona Lewis. What’s in her makeup bag. The secret to becoming a successful makeup artist, and future plans.

Marta Walsh: When did your fascination of makeup begin?
Mylah Morales: I have loved make up and fashion ever since I was a little girl. I’ve always been into glamour and fashion, so luckily I found my niche.

MW: How did you get your first big break?
MM: I’m the type of girl who knows what she wants and goes after it! Success is something that comes in small doses. I think my popularity has stemmed from my work with Rihanna

MW: What is your makeup philosophy?
MM: I’m a firm believer that your make up should not compete with your hair or outfit. It’s about having everything work in sync. As for make up alone, you should always focus on one point on your face you want to highlight.

MW: How did you end up doing makeup for Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson and Leona Lewis?
MM: Through the B.Lynn Group, which is an image agency that works with celebrity clients. My agent Brandi Simpkins has hooked me up!

MW: Which type of makeup looks do Rihanna, J. Hudson, and Leona Lewis tend to go for?
MM: Every looks is different. It depends on the event. It also depends on the outfit and hair. I tend to keep their faces clean. I LOVE a full lash! Lol

MW: What are some memorable looks you’ve created for Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson and Leona Lewis, and how can we achieve these looks at home.
MM: Wow. I have so many! Lol. Well, I love Rihanna’s Gucci ad! And I just did her for her video with Kanye, which was awesome! Doing Leona for her Cosmo cover was great! And Jennifer’s album packaging was a very good time for us.

MW: Which products are must-haves in your makeup bag?
MM: I love my products from Giorgio Armani and Bobby Brown. Nars is a great line as well.

MW: What’s the key for achieving long-term success and popularity as a makeup artist?
MM: Believing in your client! I knew Rihanna would be a star so I put my personality into my make up for her to really give her a sultry edge. And you also always have to be innovative and keep it fresh.

MW: Who would you love to do makeup for in the future?
MM: Anyone fun with a great personality. I’m not really sure about who exactly I want to do in the future but if I was to flashback I would have loved to do Grace Jones or Audrey Hepburn.

MW: What’s next for Mylah?
MM: What isn’t? I have a lot going on here! Maybe I’ll come out with my own line of makeup, or a book, or who knows! I’m just grateful for what I am doing now.

Sam Fine recently did Jennifer Hudson’s makeup for her first marked comeback singing the Star Spangled Banner at the 2009 NFL Superbowl on Sunday, February 1st 2009.

Talking Makeup has the scoop on how to get Jennifer Hudson’s makeup look by celebrity makeup artist, Sam Fine:

“Jennifer is very trusting with her team and really allowed us to collaborate to bring a look that is fresh and new to her,” says Sam. “She was performing a classic song, so I gave her a classic look that would speak to the song she was performing.”

Get that Confident Glow: “On a field seen by millions of people, it’s important to have beautiful skin,” advises Sam. “I like to start with a perfect canvas – that is a priority.” How to: Start by layering bronzer onto the cheek bones using MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Brunette. Then, apply a vibrant blush, try: Avon Be Blushed Cheek Color in Tropical Peach on top to add a pop of color.

Create a Classic Eye: “I wanted to play up the gold buttons on her jacket,” says Sam. “So I used a golden brown eye shadow on the eyelid. (Try: Avon Smooth Mineral Eyeshadow in Earth). How To: Apply a light brown eye shadow across the lid. Then use Avon’s Ultra Luxury Eye Liner in Black on the inside rim of the eye to add depth and definition.

“You can’t do a performance without false lashes,” states Sam. “They give the eyes sparkle in a naturally glamorous way.” How To: Apply the false lashes and then fuse them with your own lashes using a great mascara like Avon’s SuperSHOCK Mascara.

Nude Lip is a Must: “I created a nude lip for Jennifer because I knew that a microphone would be in its way for the performance,” says Sam. “I didn’t want to call too much attention to the mouth.” How To: Use a dark brown liner that is two shades darker than your lip color. Then add a nude to the middle of the lip – try Avon’s Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Rose Mauve. Dab on a bit of gloss in the center to finish.

The overall look was natural, beautiful and confident. “Jennifer was so excited – I think her team was more nervous than she was,” admits Sam. “We knew how important this was to her. But she was so calm and focused, listening to the song throughout the session to perfect the timing.”