Artist Spotlight: Starr Blackshere

Artist Spotlight: Starr Blackshere

Meet Starr Blackshere, a beauty professional whose arsenal of skills includes makeup, hair, and specialized brow and lash services. In addition to her busy freelance career, she recently achieved her dream of opening her own makeup and brow studio, Blackshere Beauty, this past April. In this interview, she shares her journey of growth, adaptability, and [...]

Artist Spotlight: Martin Pretorius

Artist Spotlight: Martin Pretorius

Martin Pretorius is a living legend in our industry. As a hair and makeup artist, his talented hands have beautified some of the most iconic women of our time, captured by world-famous photographers for top magazine editorials and advertising campaigns. In addition, his prolific work in the music video arena has influenced not just my [...]

Back in Black Eyeliner: A Classic That Rocks

Back in Black Eyeliner: A Classic That Rocks

Black eyeliner is classic. For thousands of years, people have been lining, defining, and accentuating the eyes with black. The most well-documented early use was by the Ancient Egyptians who used kohl powder mixed with oil or animal fats to line their eyes.* Silent movie actress Theda Bara was famous for her sultry, dark-rimmed eyes, [...]

Digital Color Palettes: The Masters and Makeup

Digital Color Palettes: The Masters and Makeup

Whether I'm using an app, cutting up pieces of paper, or arranging pans of makeup, I'm always excited by creating color palettes. Today, I'm trying something new purely for visual pleasure. Here, fine art is both the inspiration and the backdrop for these digital color palettes that replace swatches or "chips" with makeup. I hope [...]

Zach Dishinger: 17 Going on Superstar

Zach Dishinger: 17 Going on Superstar

When I was a teenager, the last thing on my mind was taking on any additional responsibilities whatsoever, especially if they would take me away from my active social life. Then there's Zach Dishinger, the 17-year-old CEO and founder of Formula Z Cosmetics, a beauty brand that delivers a strong message of self-love and acceptance along [...]

Artist Spotlight: Dani Spinks

Artist Spotlight: Dani Spinks

At Alcone Company, we’re always excited for the Halloween season, but this year even more so. That’s because we’re the official makeup sponsor of Into the Dark SF's Terror Vault and Apocalypse, two fully immersive, theatrical haunt events taking place in San Francisco through November 3rd and 9th respectively. And what would a haunted attraction [...]

Mark Traynor: The Man Behind The Face Lift Tapes

Mark Traynor: The Man Behind The Face Lift Tapes

If you’re like most makeup artists, when you hear the name "Mark Traynor" the image conjured in your mind is an elastic string with tape tabs attached to both ends. In other words, the Temporary Face Lift–the beauty tool that’s been the secret weapon of professional makeup artists and celebrities since its launch 50 years [...]