My interview with Norman Sands makeup stylist and trainer for NARS Cosmetics

I really have to say that I’m quite excited about the new makeup colours for fall 2008. I think these new fall colours will be very easy for most women to play with.

Like every beauty editor, I have my favourite colours for the fall and I also have my favourite brands. I have to say that since “discovering” NARS earlier this year, I cannot get enough of their colours.

I made a bad assumption when walking by the NARS counter in the past in assuming that the bold colours were suited for 10- and 20-something girls. In reality the colours are true colours … meaning that what you see is what you get. This means that you don’t need to pack on your makeup in the hopes of getting the colour that you originally thought you bought.

You know how you buy certain makeup and get home and try it on to disappointing results because the colour was quite lighter than you expected and you had to pack on many layers of the colours to achieve the desired look? Well, this is NOT a problem you’ll have with NARS.

For a very long time, it was all about Bobbi Brown for me, but from one collection to another I was getting increasingly bored by the repetition of different-shades-of-neutral. Don’t get me wrong, there are still incredible seasonal shades that Bobbi Brown creates, but as a whole, I find the colours quite demure.

What I like about NARS is the fact that you get colour without it ever being garish or over the top. It’s just beautiful shades of colour that opens the face and lip-shades that make your lips mega-kissable.

Not long ago I was extremely lucky to be able to catch Norman Sands while he was in town for a fall 2008 NARS makeup training session and he was able to sit down with me to give me the insider’s story on the company’s philosophy when it comes to beauty, skincare and makeup for women over 35.

Norman has a very impressive resume and it’s no wonder he’s such a whiz-kid at what he does.

Norman has been a makeup artist for more than 10 years, Norman has polished his craft through projects including television and music video shoots, print editorial work, celebrity appearances, bridal assignments, fashion shows, and theatre productions.  Editorially, his work has appeared in Stuff magazine, and he regularly contributes both his beauty expertise and makeup artistry to cover shoots and beauty stories in Indianapolis Woman, Indy Men’s Magazine, and St. Louis Woman magazines.  He appears regularly on the FOX 59 Morning News and CBS WISH TV, and serves as beauty reporter for tvwebcity.com.

Norman has worked with designer and icon Diane von Furstenberg on the launch of her beauty line; Reggie Wells, the celebrity and personal makeup artist to Oprah Winfrey; Joe Costa, an international artist for Yves Saint Laurent Beaute; Ayako, world renowned makeup artist and International Makeup Director for NARS; and Tim Quinn, Celebrity Face Designer for Armani Cosmetics.

Norman’s talent has earned him a varied celebrity clientele that includes Cyndi Lauper, Alice Cooper, model Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp, and Grammy-award winning singer Sandi Patty.  He has also worked with athletes such as race car driver Dario Franchitti, Billiards Champion Jeanette Lee “The Black Widow”, and Olympic Gold Medallist Tamika Catchings of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, as well as on-air talent such as Catt Sadler, of the E! Network, and Joni Michels of FOX 59 in Indianapolis, and personalities such as Susan Guilky, Miss Indiana 2005, and Nicole Brink, Mrs. World 2002.

Most recently, Norman displayed his talent at New York Fashion Week, working on such shows as Costello Tagliapietra, Willow, Nicole Romano, 3.1 phillip lim, James Coviello, Daryl K, Lela Rose, and Cynthia Steffe.

You can understand why I was soooooooooo incredibly excited to meet Norman!

This is going to be a long and detailed look at makeup trends for women over 35 … so I’ll have to cut it right here and continue in part two!