Sarah Lucero: Celebrity Makeup Artist

I Heart Rebecca Minkoff

2010-11-18T23:13:00.000-08:00

I have been in NY so much lately people are starting to think I live here. Ugh. However, lots of exciting things have been happening which make it all worth it. Stila has a huge Samsung event tomorrow that is going to be amazing. I am so glad I have time to fit time in my schedule to attend this event. Also, I did have a little bit of free time to stop by Rebecca Minkoff’s sample sale. I love Rebecca’s stuff and I love working with her. She is such a talented person and I am always inspired when I am around her. It is such an honor to work with her. Have you seen her amazing spring collection yet? I am so proud of the makeup look I created to pair with it. It is one of my favorites - so modern, yet wearable.

on the set in downtown la

2010-11-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

check out the view from the set of this shoot stila did in downtown la! despite the high stress environment, i think the view made up for it. we had an amazing crew and the end result is going to be amazing. i can't give away too many details yet. just know you will definitely LOVE it!! this is a pic of me getting ready and reviewing my lines.

i was so lucky to have kaci and lindsey there with me throughout the day!!! go stila!

NYC press meetings

2010-11-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

We’ve been doing a lot of press lately for stila. I even went to vogue! It’s been extremely busy, but very rewarding. I love being able to discuss all of the great products that stila has to offer with everyone in the beauty and fashion industry. Although some days it seems "all business", I feel privileged to be doing what I love each day. This is a pic of me and dom with stila’s amazing CEO, Deanna Kangas. She is inspiring and I am so grateful for all she does for stila and me.

i went to aussie land and met elvis!

2010-10-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

lots of traveling lately. feel like a gypsy traveler. i wish i was "on holiday". but i am showing all of our stila fans in australia the amazing stila products!! stila loves australia! kaci and i have been busy with lots of events out here. however, we did have time to take a moment to meet up with elvis! haha. jk.

kara's wedding!

2010-10-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

i was honored to do makeup for the wedding of stila's very own kara kanai (now peterson). it was such a beautiful event. i love weddings! i always use one step makeup on brides because it photographs amazing and looks flawless on the skin - even if the bride sheds a few tears. on kara, i made sure to emphasize her amazing cheekbones by stila's prime colors in bronze babe and kitten! i thought she looked stunning. kara is so beautiful inside and out! check out the stila gang hanging out with kara on her big day :)

best wishes to kara and her adorable hubby rob. i hope they have years of happiness together :)

HSN Again!

2010-09-25T23:02:00.000-07:00

Yep that’s right. I went to Florida again for HSN. We were promoting stila’s one step makeup. I love the foundation and think it looks amazing on everyone. I was so lucky to have Dom with me this time on set. He was such a big help and I can’t wait til he gets to come on air and help me sell! Doesn’t he look great with all of the models and me?

Working with E! for the Emmys

2010-09-02T22:47:00.000-07:00

So I’ve spent a good part of my career glammin up gals for the red carpet. However, I’ve never experienced the excitement on the actual red carpet. That all changed when stila and E! teamed up. I not only did makeup for E! in the emmy trailer, but I also had to be red carpet ready myself. It was a big moment for me and definitely a career highlight.

Pre red-carpet, backstage in the trailer I worked with Lo Bosworth and Stephanie Pratt. We created Madmen inspired looks on these beautiful girls. Lo’s look was very retro with a strong cat eye and bold lips. I used stila’s liquid liner and exhilarating long wear lip color. On Stephanie, I went with a Brigitte Bardot look. I used lots of twig eye shadow and brown smudge pot and kept her lips very neutral with nirvana lip enamel. I loved how each look was very different but so pretty.

We had so much fun in the E! trailer getting ready for the red carpet and Lo and Stephanie were a blast to work with. And, even better, I managed to survive the walk down the red carpet!

Happy Shopping!

2010-06-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

I LOVE to shop. Shopping always provides me with a little instant gratification; and therefore it has been fun for me to work with the Home Shopping Network. While working with HSN, I have been able to highlight some of Stila's top products. Many people have fallen in love with some items they were once unaware of because they saw a Stila HSN segment. Their purchase of a simple eyeliner gave them that joy and instant gratification that I feel every time I go into a store! Hopefully those that watch this weekend (June 4 and 5) will find a few more items from stila that they love.

All of the products that we are highlighting are go-to items for me as a professional makeup artist. I keep them in my kit to use backstage at fashion, when I'm doing a celebrity for the red carpet, or when I working a photoshoot. Grapefruit Lip Glaze is one of my favorite shades that Stila makes. It is a great neutral pink that works well on all skin tones. In addition, Cherry Crush and Mango Crush are the perfect lip colors for summer. Try mixing the two shades for more versatility in your lip wardrobe!

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!!

Busy day ahead...

2009-09-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Busy day ahead…I have the makeup test for Julie Haus and then right after im heading over to meet the stila team for the Jenni Kayne show.

Julie wanted a really cool look for the models with a grunge twist. So I used a purple and cranberry shadow palette to get the smudged grunge makeup look. It was all about the eyes and i love how it turned out! I love getting to create looks for the shows because I always get to step out of my usual routine, I always collaborate with the designer and stylist to make sure it is on point….

Off to Jenni Kayne show now!

WALTER...

2009-09-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

7pm call time for WALTER makeup test…Viv and I rush over with our kits and arrive at Walters studio…I was really excited to meet Walter because Dom just worked with him for the taxi cab Walter ad….it looked amazing! The look for Walter was really hot! All about shimmer on the cheekbones and eyes were smoky using espresso tones…so we came up with the most beautiful makeup look for his show. I used a new lip enamel called Nirvana to get the glossy nude lip…

All in all Tuesday was a great start for me in NYC…the madness has started!

Arrived in NYC ...

2009-09-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

Arrived in NYC….flew in and went straight to work! I met up with Viviana and we went straight over to Jenni Kayne’s studio to do the makeup test for her show. I love Jenni and her clothes are amazing…im a fan of her store in LA, so imagine the excitement I felt when I was asked to lead the makeup team and create the look for her spring 2010 collection! When I got to the test I met up with a beautiful model that I have worked with at many other shows in LA and NYC.

I got started on the look and it turned out so sultry and sexy! The skin was all about satin texture and a soft matte finish, the eyes were navy and VERY smoky. I used the Stila Sapphire smoky eye palette and went to town! I used it wet to create the effect of a little glossy sheen just in the center of the eye lids. I also used a new long wear matte lip color (available in spring) called “in the Nude”…it’s the most amazing texture and the shade leaves your lips nude…the perfect compliment to the sultry navy eye.

Jenni loved the makeup and we were all set to move on out to our next makeup test…WALTER…..

Red Carpet in NYC!

2009-09-08T14:06:00.002-07:00

Very busy month getting my clients glammed-up for the red carpet! I flew to NYC to get one of my very favorite clients ready for the Met Gala and other appearances. She looked amazing and I was able to try a few new techniques I learned! Always learning and enhancing my artistry skills is so important for me. I love showing my clients new way to wear their makeup so they are never bored!

photo: Rebecca Minkoff, Sarah Lucero, Cameron Richardson

I love hanging out and doing makeup on Rebecca and Cameron! They were going to a Hollywood party and I was able to cruise over and get them dolled up! I kept Cameron’s makeup very sassy and recreated a look I recently did on the runway. On Rebecca, I kept her makeup very sultry and rock n roll…she loves the Stila Smudge Pots to get the effect. They both look stunning as always!

Paris Fashion Week!

2009-09-08T14:06:00.001-07:00

Jet set to Paris for Fashion Week! This was my first time to Paris and Paris Fashion Week. Needless to say, it was unbelievable. The best part of it all was I went with Traci from Stila. We had the best time working the shows with Charlotte Tilbury and her amazing team. Between the two of us, we spoke about ten words of French but somehow managed to get through ten days! Lots of espresso and Coca-Cola Light and “Merci”!

NY Fashion Week!

2009-09-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

During the day...

The Rebecca Minkoff show was amazing! The Stila team rocked the house as always with flawless makeup. I worked this show with Traci, Dom, Jason, Rita, and Viv. The inspiration for the look was the Bob Dylan era - very feminine with a rock and roll twist.

We used Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation and Perfecting Concealer to keep the skin beautiful and clean. The cheek and lip really stood out with orange and persimmon shades. I used Convertible Color in Gladiola and a new Long Wear Lip Color shade in an orange matte color - (look for it this fall!) Eyes were kept sexy and simple with Kajal Eye Liner in Onyx smudged at the lash line. It looked very 60's and felt very June Carter.

After the show, we all had to rush to the Barbie makeup test for the Barbie Fashion Show on Saturday. What a whirlwind day!

The evening hours...

Viv, Traci, Dom, Rita, Danielle, and I arrived to the Barbie makeup test and met up with inspiring Charlotte Tilbury and her team to determine the three looks for the Barbie Fashion Show!

I love working with Charlotte. She is so creative and I have been such a huge fan of her work for so many years.

She created three looks for the show - Past, Present, and Future Barbie.

Past Look:
The first look (Past Barbie) was all about plastic looking skin (!!!) and red lips. We used Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation for the face and Stila's new Lip Enamel (coming out this fall) in a classic red color and topped it off with Strawberry Lip Glaze. The eyes for this look were all about the black liner. We used our brand new Stay All Day Liquid Waterproof Liquid Liner - and let me tell you, it does stay all day! It's amazing! (Look for it this fall!)

Present Look:
The Present look was very Barbarella, and so beautiful! This was my personal favorite because it is how I want to look everyday -- glossy clean skin and lots of pink on the cheeks and lips! Again we worked with some of the new products that Sam Cutler from Stila product development team created just for the show. There were lots of lashes and black liner-thank goodness we had a few of the new Eye Liner pens rolling around.

Future Look:
The Future look was so incredible! There were rhinestones, glitter, and feathers all over the place. This look was created by using Smudge Pots in our new fall shades on the eyes, Stila Sun Bronzer on the cheeks, and Praline Lip Glaze on the lip. The look turned out so remarkable - I loved watching every second of this makeup look created!

All in all, the entire Barbie test was awesome and the team is so pumped up to work the show. Now I am headed back to the hotel to prep my kit for the Lela Rose makeup test on tomorrow.

I love NY Fashion Week!

NY Fashion Week pt.2!

2009-09-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday, February 8
Viv and I arrive to NYC. I almost missed my flight-had to run to the gate at with UGG boots on. Made it on safe and slept the entire trip (it was a VERY early flight) ;)

Arrive to HUDSON hotel and check in. Super cold but loving that I can wear my new coat-something that never sees its way out of my closet in LA.

Monday, February 9
Worked the Betsey Johnson video shoot for her fall 09 presentation! Had a blast! I brought Sara B. from from Sephora Pro Beauty team to help me and we played with Stila's new fall makeup (I managed to get my hands on some samples for this week : )

I did super bright neon pink lips and cheeks on the model and kept the rest of the face clean. I used Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation to make her skin look flawless and really angelic-like. And I have a renewed love for Stila's Convertible Color in Fuschia. I think that will be used a lot this week at fashion week. I tend to get a favorite product/shade and use it all week long!

I promise to branch out at Rebecca Minkoff on Wednesday...

Welcome to NY Fashion Week!

2009-09-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

I went to Rebecca Minkoff's studio for the makeup and hair test today - I brought Traci and Danielle as my backup! We had a blast. We are all HUGE fans of her great handbags so we were all so excited to see what her first ready to wear clothing line would look like.

I love Rebecca because she's from San Diego like me and she has such a cool and effortless style. And the clothes in her line are amazing and so chic. I would seriously wear every single piece; I may just have to buy it all!!!

To top it off, she is the nicest person in the world and I felt so special to be able to be a part of her first show. We have worked together in the past. I have done a lot of makeup for her look book shoots for her handbags!

The look for the show was super pretty, hip, and feminine....very Stila. I tried out a new persimmon matte long wear lipstick Stila is working on for fall. So beautiful! The eyes have a little rock and roll twist so I played with the Stila Kajal Eyeliner to create a little "messy" look....while still keeping it totally wearable.

Traci and Danielle were my "wing women" for the day. We had such a great time and I am really excited for the show Thursday night!

Better get some rest as we have the BARBIE makeup test and lots to do Thurs....sweet dreams.

Countdown to NY Fashion Week!

2009-09-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, January 20
The countdown to NY Fashion Week has begun! Stila is working several shows and I want to make sure we have everything we need. I've been organizing my kit to be perfect! Once you get to know me, you will notice I am always organizing my kit. Usually it's a mess because I have to leave a job or a photo shoot in a hurry to catch a flight!

Saturday, January 24
Worked a photo shoot today in LA. The look was "pin-up", very "Varga girl" style. I used Stila's Paint Your Pout Red Talking Palette to create the perfect red lip on the models.

It was raining and we were shooting outside so I used Stila's Smudge Pot in Black and our Lash Visor Waterproof Mascara in Black! The dramatic eye stayed in place all day and did not run in the rain

I worked with my friend and hairstylist Dustin David and his assistant Jamie. Dustin's been doing my hair for years and we have a lot of fun together. I gave him Stila's Hair Refresher to use on the models and he loved it so much he even asked for a second bottle!

Sunday, January 25
The SAG awards were tonight. I worked on one of my favorite clients (who unfortunately, must remain unnamed.) Awards season has been really fun for me. The makeup is so beautiful and everyone wants lip stick these days! I love that is it back! I feel like I'm always playing with Stila Long Wear Lip Color right now. It looks very sexy and stays on all night.

Tuesday, January 27
Went shopping at Namies today for some wild lashes…again prepping my kit for fashion week. Need to be prepared.

Thursday, January 29 - Sunday, February 1
Was in San Fran for meetings and trainings with Nicole B, our Stila Superstar in Northern Cal!

From Muzik to the Globes

2009-09-08T13:51:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year! (A little late, I know...) January started off very busy, and hasn't really slowed down. I flew to Toronto for 2 days! at the beginning of the month for a huge brand training and then came back to LA for a fashion show on the 10th and the Golden Globes on the 11th. I can tell already, its going to be a busy and exciting year!

A few highlights so far...

Tuesday, January 6: Fly to Toronto
I flew to Toronto with Desiree and met up with Traci, Nancy, and Dom, three of our Stila pro artists. It was the one year anniversary of Stila at Muzik and there was a lot going on! FYI - Muzik is this insanely chic "club"/beauty lounge in Toronto and Stila is the official Muzik makeup provider for the lounge.

Wednesday, January 7: Training at Muzik
I joined the Stila pro team and we trained 100 girls from Muzik. We talked about the Stila brand and dished on hot celebrities and their favorite Stila products! I created an "official" look for the Muzik team to wear for the grand re-opening night! It included our famous Smoky Eye Palette – The Original and Convertible Color. Both products look and feel sexy on so it's the perfect match for this ultra-chic look!

Friday, January 9: Fly back to Los Angeles
Today was very busy organizing and preparing for the weekend of Red Carpet makeup. I work with a lot of fun celebrity clients so I wanted to make sure my makeup kit was in tip-top shape and ready to go with every possible shade - just in case.

I love using the Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation when doing Red Carpet makeup. It makes the skin look really dewy and radiant and youthful - perfect for Hollywood!

Saturday, January 10: Fashion Show-Art of Asylum sponsored by VOGUE
I worked this show with Stila pro artist Viviana and some other famous makeup artists in from NYC. This was a pretty big show with 6 looks to create, as many fashion designers showcased their work. It was a lot of fun.

An added bonus was that I was able to connect with my friend Edwin from NYC. He does hair and we work together a lot for Red Carpet events as we have a few clients in common!

Sunday, January 11: Day of Golden Globes
I was on location at 9:30am and I worked up until 4pm when the Red Carpet began! The look for Golden Globe makeup was all about healthy beautiful skin with a pop of brightness in the cheek and lip! I was able to play with Stila's new Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain on my clients and they all loved it!

Tuesday, January 13: Off to Chicago brrrr...
Tonight I packed for Chicago! (Lot of warm clothes!) I am going to meet up with Stila pro artist Dom. We will be filming a ‘Spring Looks' video featuring Stila's new Precious Pearl Collection.

Thanks for reading! Lots more to come as 2009 is going to be a great year!