The Shopping Maven

JoAnn Roberts

The Shopping Maven can't help herself. She shops to live and lives to shop. You get the benefit of her shopping. So, here's what's cool and what's not.

Jump to video review.

Great Places To Buy Makeup In The Big Apple

Bigelow Pharmacy, 414 Sixth Ave. Phone: 212-533-2700
The Big Apple is like no other city in the world and it stands to reason that some of its emporiums will be like no other as well. Take Bigelow's for example. This is more than a simple pharmacy. In the same site for 153 years, the store is pure indulgence when it comes to beauty supplies. Start with French sable makeup brushes, move onto British cosmetics, stroll through the aisles of the store's own Palette-brand makeup, and finish with an almost inexhaustible stock of costume jewelry.

Boyd's Pharmacy, 655 Madison Ave. Phone: 212-838-6558
Not quite as old as Bigelow's, this 50-year-old institution is more a boutique and salon than drug store. If a half-million hair ornaments don't catch your eye, then how about 300 shades of eyeshadow? Or, how about an in house cosmetic line, Renoir, that never discontinues a product. The products are extensive and eclectic, but it doesn't stop there. The store offers facials, manicures, makeovers, hairstyling and more.

The Make-Up Center, 150 West 10th St. Phone:212-977-9494
While the store was set up for professionals, amateurs are quite welcome here. The store carries an extensive line of theatrical makeup (usually a bargain compared to department store lines) and its own in-house brand. Customers can have consultations with a makeup artist for help in selecting products they need or they can get a "makeover" for a special occasion. There's an annex store on the East Side at 1013 Third Ave.

Patricia Field, 10 East 8th St. Phone: 212-254-16990
Have you ever wondered where those MTV videos vixens find those wild plastic dresses and rubber bras? This is it. PF caters to a sexually ambiguous crowd and the products are as flamboyant as it clientele. Take the Thaliona "body stains" from Germany, or the Komodo makeup palettes from Japan, or, the best cover up in the business, Kryolan Derma Color Camouflage Creme; it's all here. Whether you want wild makeup or a simply enchanting face, PF can help.

M.l.S. Retail, 736 Seventh Ave. Phone: 212-765-8342 Looking for exotica? This second story walk-up has gobs of them; prosthetics, temporary tattoos, bra pads and an in-house cosmetic line. (That seems to be the "in thing" in NYC, doesn't it?) The place only stocks theatrical makeup, but just browsing can be fun.

Video Review

Product: Hollywood Makeup Secrets Video
Source: Jim Bridges boutique, 11480 Cumpston St., N Hollywood, CA 91601
Run time: 45 minutes   Cost: $39.95
Rating: "B"

This is the second tape in the Jim Bridges series and it is made with the same attention to detail as the first video I reviewed in enFemme #24. In this tape, Jim reveals some, but not all of his makeup secrets that he's learned from his years as a Hollywood films and stage makeup artist.
The first subject on the video is none other than the Godmother of the transgendered community, Virginia Prince. Uncharacteristically, Virginia has little to say as Jim works her over with his "tape tuck" face lift. Virginia is visually transformed from her real 80+ age to a "youngish" 50 by the application of vented surgical tape to pull back loose and sagging skin. The transformation is capped off (literally) with a new wig. I'm not sure I could stand all the tape that Jim applied to Virginia, but if you need to lose about 20 years for an evening, this is a quick, painless way to achieve it.
Next up is makeup application for ethnic skin, in this case Diahanna, the cover girl from enFemme #23 who happens to be African American. Jim's skill and expertise show up well during this segment as he creates a very dramatic and stunning look for Diahanna. During the makeover, Jim talks about special problems for ethnic skin color. Scuttlebutt from the set says that Diahanna didn't care for the makeover preferring a more "natural" look, but I think that Jim did a great job anyway.
The final vic. . . er model, is Melissa Foster, well known figure in the California TV community. Melissa has two trademarks: electric blue outfits and flaming red hair. Jim shows us what Melissa looks like with a variety of different hair colors and hair styles. I must admit that even with very dark hair, Jim makes Melissa look great. I particularly like the wig with the soft blonde curls.
At the end of the tape, we're given a quick review of the techniques shown, followed by a brief commercial for the Jim Bridges Boutique. By the way, Jim has some of the best clip-on earrings I've ever seen in any boutique anywhere. If there's anyway you can visit his shop, go! Overall, this is a video that is nice to have in your collection, but many people will likely pass it up. Except for the "tape trick" in the beginning, there is not much else with wide appeal unless you have black skin or want to know what Melissa looks like in different hair styles. I wish the "ethnic" section had included at least an Asian, too.
I give this video a "B+" mostly because of its production values rather than its content.

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