January Staff Top Picks

At Camera Ready, we take pride in offering the best products in the industry and have incredibly high standards for the makeup, tools, skincare, and hair care we have within our own collections. That's why we are sharing our top picks to get Camera Ready! Enjoy learning more about our January Top Picks!

I recently picked up one of Danessa Myricks' Inifinte Gemstone Kits from her holiday collection, and I am loving the new Infinite Chrome Pencils! In particular, I've been loving the shades Opal and Jade. The formula is great and doesn't tug at your skin, and it's easy and fun fun to put in the waterline to open up my eye with a subtle multichrome iridescence. They have such a precise tip, and the formula is waterproof. If you've been wanting to dip your toe into the multichrome trend, this is hands down the way to go.

My other top pick for the month will probably make you laugh. I bought the L.A. Girl PRO Color Foundation Mixing Pigment in the shade white because I wanted an easy-to-use product to turn my husband's eyebrows and beard white for a quick change Santa Claus during the holidays. It worked out perfectly. I then started using a small amount with my foundation since it is a tad bit dark this time of year, and it worked liek a charm. The formula is incredibly pigmented but easy to blend. It works perfectly with both my liquid and cream foundations to create a perfect match. This product is great to have in your personal makeup collection or in your artist kit. Plus, it's super affordable. If you've struggled like many others to find your perfect winter shade, add a tiny bit of this to your favorite summer foundations for a custom match!

When it comes to complexion products, I always strive to achieve a natural, skin-like finish, and Danessa Myricks Beauty Balm Contour makes it so easy! It is formulated with some of my favorite skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E, so the formula is ultra-creamy and blendable. It essentially does my job for me! I have a history of acne-prone and extremely dry skin, so in the past, it had been very difficult to find a contour product that doesn't look muddy or emphasize my dryness. That's why Beauty Balm Contour is a game-changer. It performs well on different skin types. This looks undetectable on the skin while still providing a gorgeous warmth and dimension to your look! In terms of my kit, there is such a wide variety of shades and undertones, so I know I can rely on this product and will never run into a moment where I can't find a shade for someone.

As a licensed esthetician and makeup professional, I look for double-duty products and am ALL about hydration! Senna's Moisture Mist is the perfect toner because it balances the skin's pH, provides soothing hydration, and contains plenty of antioxidants to enrich your skin and protect it against environmental stressors. It also helps your serums and moisturizers to penetrate deeper into your skin and is great over makeup as a refresher or to blend out any powders. With Aloe, Hyaluronic Acid, and Lavender Oil, it really is the perfect combination of ingredients packed into a mist!

Have you ever heard the saying, " it's not your makeup it's your tools"? It's a phrase that I live by. I recently added the MYKITCO My Flawless Face Brush 0.22 to apply foundation to my clients, and it makes me wonder what took me so long to try it! It glides across the skin and allows you to buff product faster for a smoother finish regardless of the coverage. You can kiss patches and streaks goodbye, and your blending time will be cut in half!

PRO Tip: Dot your liquid foundation onto the main points of your face like the cheeks, forehead, and chin. Grab the Flawless Face Brush and your favorite setting spray. Give the brush a light spritz and blend out your foundation. You've now given your complexion a long-wear, flawless finish.

For my other top pick this month, I have to give a shout out to a powder that may seem like a splurge but is well worth it. The By Terry Colorless Hydra-Care Powder is a makeup artist's dream because it works with pretty much any foundation formula and is so finely milled that it's essentially weightless. It won't look nor feel like you're wearing powder, but it sets the makeup beautifully and increases the wear time for everyday use or for the biggest events. You won't have flashback, and it's one of those products that look better as the day goes on. For a convenient on-the-go option, they also offer a pressed powder compact.

This past summer, I experienced an insane allergic reaction. I spent months working to heal the damage done to my face and upper body. During my reaction, nothing would calm my skin or create the soothing effects I was looking for. Right before this happened, I had started trying out Saint Jane Beauty. After trying countless recommendations from my General Practitioner, Allergist, and Dermatologist, I decided to put my Saint Jane products to the test, and I wasn't disappointed. My skin started to calm down and heal. It was a relief, and as I have healed, I continue to use Saint Jane's Luxury Beauty Serum and Body Serum daily. It gives my skin the most beautiful, healthy glow, and it even helps my skin look flawless when I put on makeup. Some days, I go makeup-free and get compliments on my skin. I can't think of any other products that have made such a positive impact on my skin.

For hair care, I've been really enjoying Sachajuan's Leave In Conditioner. I have fine color-treated hair that needs a lot of moisturizing products to feel soft and look bouncy. It's incredibly lightweight, and that's important for my fine but thick color-treated hair. It also helps control frizz and flyaways, adds shine, and refreshes my style if I give my hair a quick mist throughout the day.

As a makeup artist, I have tried a lot of different blush formulas, and pigmentation and long-wear are essential. The Lethal Cosmetics MAGNETIC Face Powder Blushes have been an amazing addition to my kit because they check all the boxes for what I need in a blush and offer unique colors that work on a variety of skin tones! From rich wine shades to face brightening coral, orange, and even a yellow-toned blush, you'll be able to create a unique flush that will brighten up any look.

A kit staple and personal favorite for my own routine during the winter season is Embryolisse Creme Exfoliante. It's no secret that Embryolisse makes a lot of makeup artist staples! This creamy cleanser is ideal for all skin types because it has microspheres that provide gentle physical exfoliation along with hyaluronic acid, vitamins A, E, and F, and other nourishing ingredients. It's the perfect way to revitalize your skin and give you a healthy glow no matter how dull, dreary, or cold the weather may be outside!

The True + Luscious Lucky Glow Palette is extremely pigmented, and when I say the highlighters glow, I mean they GLOW. The texture is smooth and lightweight, and it doesn't emphasize my skin's natural texture.

When it comes to mascara, I'm always trying new formulas. On me, mascaras usually smudge, flake, or are messy to apply. However, when I tried the Smashbox Super Fan Mascara, I was impressed both from the very first time I tried it and have made it my go-to mascara for several months now! I've been using this mascara for a few months now, and my lashes still look like the first application. It's one of those great formulas that isn't too wet or too dry, helps keep my lashes separated, doesn't flake nor smudge, and gives me everything I want when it comes to my lashes! I know I'll be repurchasing this again and again!

As a licensed cosmetologist who did hair for over a decade, it's safe to say I am picky when it comes to my hair care products! I have a sensitive scalp that can get very dry yet also oily from the South Florida humidity, and I think I've tested just about every brand for hair care there is! When my scalp is feeling a bit on the more oily side, I must say I LOVE using the Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo. It truly gives you that "squeaky clean" feeling and really helps with any product build-up!

As I don't wash my hair daily, I rely on Oribe's Gold Lust Dry Shampoo. It smells amazing, and it doesn't leave that white residue most dry shampoos leave. I have dark brown hair, and it's hard to find a dry shampoo that is undetectable! With this product, I am able to go longer between washes without looking like I really need a wash... don't judge me, if you know you KNOW.

When it comes to complexion products, I tend to stick to my tried and true. I am in my late 30s and have normal skin that's slightly dry leaning in the winter, and I prefer foundations that are perfecting and that give me natural-looking coverage without feeling heavy. If the formula has added skincare benefits, that's the icing on the cake, and Jouer's Essential High Coverage Creme Foundation checks all of those boxes! I don't know how they did it, but this liquid foundation is more pigmented than any other foundation I've ever tried while still feeling like you're not wearing makeup. A half pump can cover my entire face, and once it sets, it's there all day. It's one of those formulas that actually gets more natural-looking and beautiful as the day goes on, and I have found that I don't even have to set it! For reference, my other favorites include Joe Blasco Ultrabase, RCMA Liquid Foundation, and Chanel Ultra Le Teint.

The other product I haven't been able to stop using this month goes hand in hand with my other pick! When it comes to foundation, I'm that person that prefers to blend it out with fingertips or the Dose of Colors Penpoint Beauty Sponge. However, I have added the PRO Multiblender to my complexion routine because it gives my creamier foundations like Joe Blasco Ultrabase & RCMA Liquid Foundation the prettiest natural finish and blends them out better than any other tool I've ever used. Additionally, it gives me extra play-time for foundations that set faster than others (like the Jouer Essential High Coverage Creme Foundation). The texture of this sponge is unlike anything I've ever used! It's so bouncy and almost squishy feeling, so it's incredibly comfortable and fun to use. I have also found that I prefer to use it dry because it gives me a smooth finish that you'd expect from other beauty sponges that have been wet, so it's the ultimate tool in any situation (in my gym bag, for quick application, travel, etc.)!

Ready to experience the products we can't get enough of? Click here to start exploring or top picks or click below to discover more great products. To learn more about our top picks from 2021, click here.

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Camera Ready Cosmetics was founded in 2003 by Makeup Artist Mary Erickson. She dreamed of having a pro makeup showroom where artists could play with professional products without the typical makeup store attitude.

Today, our team of beauty industry veterans work together to curate the best quality products on the market. We partner with brands who respect the industry and formulate products for true working artists. You won’t find CRC in high-end malls, and we don't wear matching brush belts.

If you want to play with products for a few hours and buy nothing, that's okay ... come in and play! Our store is your playground.