batty for beauty

Mobile beauty school: Paris-based Make Up For Ever teaches Austinites how to usetheir own loot

It's rare that you see a makeup company devote two days of business to teaching potential customers how to use the makeup they already have, but that's just what Make Up For Ever is doing on November 1 and 2 with "Makeup Bag Remix."

The makeup company was founded in 1984 by Dany Sanz, who sought to create a show-business line of cosmetics for Parisian actors and actresses. The line hopped the pond in 1995 and quickly took the U.S. beauty market by storm owing to its hands on approach with customers. Make Up For Ever has hosted many mobile "Make Up School" sessions before, but never in Austin.

For "Make Up Bag Remix," Austinites are invited to book one of two types of appointments: either a 30-minute one-on-one makeup bag evaluation and hands-on lesson or a quick "Focus Lesson" for a certain problem area.

"We know that nearly every woman owns at least one impulse beauty buy that she has no idea how to use, so we’re inviting consumers to bring us their make up bags and we’ll teach them how to use what they already own. They can bring any brand and any kind of product," states the mission of Make Up Bag Remix online.

We were so taken aback by such a novel concept that we spoke to Jenn Karsten, Director of Artistry & Education for Make Up For Ever to learn more.

CultureMap: So this is a very generous concept — to teach women how to use their existing (non-Make Up For Ever) products. Why do you want to do this?

Jenn Karsten: We know that no woman only uses one brand when it comes to make up. More importantly, we see that so many women own great products but don't really know how to use them.

CM: Is there a similar overarching goal to in the company? As in, a desire to be an approachable beauty industry company?

JK: Our goal as a makeup brand is to empower women to do their own make up so they always look and feel their best, regardless of the brand they are using. Proper education and hands-on practice are key to mastering makeup, so we leverage the teachings of the Make Up For Ever Academies all over the world to break professional techniques down for women to more easily understand and use in their everyday lives.

CM: How many makeup artists will be on hand?

JK: There will be 14 makeup artists on site in Austin: 10 inside our movie trailer for more in-depth 30 minute sessions and then four more outside offering "quickie" lessons on some of the techniques we're asked about most often.

CM: How many people will one makeup artist see in one day?

JK: Each artist inside the trailer will see around 16 clients each day. Outside the artists can see as many as 95 women per day.

CM: Even though it's not required, will you be able to buy Make Up For Ever products on site?

JK: Our trailer will be equipped with iPads that are bookmarked on the Sephora.com site so guests can directly purchase anything they want to try and have it shipped to their home. Shipping will be complimentary of course. For anyone who wants their products immediately, we will direct them to the Sephora store located inside the Barton Creek mall.

CM: Lastly, what is your favorite fall/winter makeup trend and corresponding beauty product?

JK: Right now we're loving fall's deep red lip trend. From mulberry to Bordeaux, there is a shade of red that can work for anyone. The trick is to find what shade works best for you. Red lips are a great way to look made up and polished in a matter of seconds. Our favorite product is Aqua Rouge #9, a beautiful burgundy that is universally flattering.

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Book your appointment on Make Up For Ever's Facebook page. The mobile Make Up School will be parked outside of Barton Creek Square's AMC IMAX Theatre entrance.

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Recycle Materials, Not Ideas

Austin designers transform trash for spectacular fashion show

A Model preps for the 2023 Trash Makeover Challenge

Image courtesy of Zina Harding

In the Trash Makeover Challenge, at least 90 percent of the garment must be made from recycled material.

On Saturday, September 7, fashion and environmental advocacy will come together in a spectacular showing of flora and fauna at this year’s Trash Makeover Challenge.

The Trash Makeover Challenge, now in its 14th year, is a unique fashion show and live auction event supporting the Texas Campaign for the Environment (TCE). Amateur and professional designers alike will send garments down the runway, where at least 90 percent of their materials must be recycled. Past shows have featured designs made entirely from Coca-Cola bottle caps, 600 fish scales sewn into a skirt, and once, live ladybugs released onto a garment.

This year’s theme is Avant-Garden. The entire night will be a whimsical and playful twist on avant-garde art and fashion combined with the natural world. Attendees (who are also highly encouraged to dress up on theme) can expect to see designs by artists Megan Pinto, Melissa Prentice, Myrna Lewis, Halima Abdul-Jaleel, Robyn Scully, Cindy Rellin, Teresa Klein, and Greg Lara.

There will also be a live auction featuring some truly delightful prizes: SXSW Music Passes for next year, a Thai cooking class with dinner for six, weekend getaways, jewelry from local artists, massages, and much more. One big-ticket local item is 40 dinners for two at some of Austin’s best restaurants including Bar Peached, Eddie V’s, and Moonshine Patio & Grill.

The live auction portion of the event from 2023 The event includes a live auction, with items like SXSW passes, dinners for two, massages, and more. Photo courtesy of Zina Harding.

Throughout the evening, guests can sip on themed cocktails (like the Tito’s Bee’s Knees with honey syrup and fresh lemon juice) and enjoy a delicious dinner, as the designers' fantastical creations march down the runway.

Some of the designs this year include garments made from hundreds of Scantron tests and clothing made out moss and live flowers.

Designer and teacher Teresa Klein says, “I have taken the used tests and exam Scantrons from hundreds of students and transformed them into thousands of beads that make up the base of my dress. Notes, paper, an old textbook, and other school-related paper makes up the flowered bodice. If we count all the hours my students spent studying, this look took thousands of hours!"

Teresa Klein's Trash Makeover Challenge design includes hundreds of recycled tests and scantrons Designer and teacher Teresa Klein is showing a look made from hundreds of recycled scantrons and tests from her students.Photo courtesy of Teresa Klein

Klein has participated in this event three times now, and her team came in third last year. She says this year, working with paper feels more "freeing."

"In past years, I've worked with plastics," she says. "This feels less toxic, but at the same time it has caused me to look at the usage of paper at my place of work. I am seeing the colors of a classroom in a different light."

Another designer, Greg Lara, has also participated in the event several times. In fact, his team won the People's Choice Award in 2023 and 2022, and was the overall winner in 2015. Lara says that he "love[s] that every year is a different theme." This year, Lara's design will feature materials like recycled poultry fencing, moss, real flowers, and garden netting.

"I love this event," says Lara, an amateur designer, hairstylist, and salon owner. "I will always participate."

Guest judges for this year’s fashion show include BiNi Scoor, the CEO and Founder of 212 Catalysts; Ilonka Soto-Pelyvas, owner and director of Austin School of Fashion Design; Patty Hoffpauir, owner of The Garden Room; and Sugar Gay Isber, owner and founder of Gay Isber Designs. The evening’s emcee will be KXAN’s Jala Washington.

And you better believe these judges have a lot of responsibility this evening. At stake for the winning designers’ teams are a grand prize of $3,000; a second place prize of $1,000; and prizes from $350-500 for third place, a People’s Choice, and “Seedling Awards” for new college designers.

"[Last year] my model was a co-founder of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit," Klein says. "We donated the winnings to that organization to help bring young people to their annual summit in the Coastal Bend."

The winning looks will be donated to TCE and reused for promotional purposes next year.

Trash Makeover Challenge winning design in 2023 The winning design in 2023, made by Megan Pinto.Photo courtesy of Megan Pinto

This fairytale-like event will take place at the Texas Disposal Systems Wildlife Ranch & Pavilion in South Austin. Tickets are $75 and include dinner, complimentary cocktails, the fashion show, and access to the live auction. Proceeds will go toward TCE’s work to protect public health and the environment in communities most affected by pollution from oil, gas, and petrochemical plants.

To learn more about the grassroots advocacy non-profit, Texas Campaign for the Environment, visit texasenvironment.org.

sustainability fashion