Hollywood magic and the power of photo shop welcomes us into a daily life of false perceptions. Imagine if you could wash off the concealer and lipstick, take off the fake eyelashes, wipe down the blush and the highlighting eye shadows, do away with the bronzer, volumizer and hairspray, and undo the curls to see the real person, the real untouched  beauty. How would that person really appear?

The Self-Esteem Fund is Dove’s way of trying to change the Western concept of beauty being conceptualized as ultra-thin models and instead making every woman feel positive about their looks. The Dove Self Esteem 2006 campaign that is still surfacing demonstrates exceptionally clever, online-based short films promoting self-esteem and perception. These thought-provoking ads are meant to build confidence and send messages that embrace all levels of beauty teaching us today’s beauty standards displayed in our favorite celebrities and highly-sought after supermodels are made up of false, photo shopped perceptions.

Watch to see what ordinary billboard models like look before being touched up:

How does the Dove Self Esteem campaign make you feel now?

If you missed this week’s episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey and the ever-growing dramatic scandals between the housewives and Danielle Staub, then you missed a great episode. The “hold onto your seat ending” where Teresa decides to be cordial toward Danielle after all this time did not go over so well (surprise), prepping us with police cars and the girls fleeing in next week’s episode.

But aside from all the sticks and stones being thrown, Caroline’s daughter, Lauren Manzo, celebrated an accomplishment of graduating from cosmetology school in New York. Make-Up Designory, the professional makeup artisan school, was featured in the week’s episode showing Lauren applying costume-like makeup in Jennifer Suarez’s Beauty Make-Up Artistry course. Cosmetology grad Manzo received an “A” in the class if you were wondering. Watching her put makeup on other students, I have to admit made me sit back and open up the jar of unfilled dreams. Getting a degree in cosmetology school and practicing makeup designs sounded marvelous. Afterall, there’s no place like New York for beginning a career in beauty. Note to self: Look at these makeup artist schools in New York!

Live in or near New York City? Have unruly eyebrows? Taking the tweezers into your own hands can be a quick frugal fix, but if you live in the Big Apple, Ramy (aka the Willie Wonka of the beauty world) can set you straight. Eyebrow Intervention Day happening on June 17 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Ramy’s Brow Bars located in three Duane Reed stores around the city will be offering free brow shaping. If you miss this shot at free beauty treatment, you can still beautify your brows at Brow-nanza, the champagne and eyebrow sculpting affair every Thursday from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m at Ramy’s stores.

Who is Ramy (if you don’t already know)

Dropping out of law school to attend beauty school in Australia led Ramy toward the career path of becoming a professional makeup artist. Through his studies and traveling, the brow-master developed the knack to dramatically lift the eye with his gift for eyebrow shaping. Appearing on national television shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show, E! and Entertainment Tonight and being written up in just about every beauty magazine, Ramy rounded up quite the clientele base - Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, David Spade, Katherine Heigl, Matt Dillon, Cher, Barbara Walters and Regis Philbin (to name only a few!!!). His salons give you a chance to attain eyebrows treatments like the stars.

More Great Brow Possibilities

For us, non-New Yorkers who reside in California, Washington, Texas, Massachusetts or Illinois, amazing looking arches are still attainable from our favorite cosmetic company, Benefit! Their Brow Bar lets you drop in, unannounced. No appointment necessary! Benefit’s aestheticians have more than 30 years of experience shaping brows and offer additional services like waxing and mini makeovers at convenient prices. The newest Benefit Brow location has arrived in Indiana and is  looking for arch experts. Interested? Apply here.

Eyebrow Intervention Day Locations:

Duane Reade LOOK Boutique 51 West 51st Street at 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10116
Phone: 212-582-8525

Duane Reade LOOK Boutique 1350 Broadway at 35th Street, New York, New York 10018
Phone: 212-695-6346

Duane Reade LOOK Boutique 127-137 8th Ave between 16th & 17th Streets, New York, NY 10011

This hilarious beauty school commercial is part of a series called “I Love Local Commercials”. The series is being created by Rhett&Link (Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal), a North Carolina-based comedy duo and life-long best friends.

To be part of the series, local businesses are nominated or nominate themselves for a free commercial. All costs are provided for by Rhett&Link’s sponsor, Microbelt. So, yes, this is a real school and a semi-real commercial.

According to Rhett&Link’s behind the scenes video, the duo visited Salt Lake City Community College’s campus but weren’t feeling inspired to create the commercial until they spotted the Barbering and Cosmetology school sign advertising $2 men’s haircuts. Upon investigation, they “quickly became entranced by the strange collection of fake heads and the students meticulously styling them.” And a commercial was born!

Enjoy!

When Chris Rock’s daughter, Lola, came to him crying and asked, “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” the bewildered comic committed himself to figuring out the complex answer to his daughter’s simple, but profound question.

In the documentary film, Good Hair, Rock takes us on a fascinating journey through the international business trade of hair weaves, the science behind relaxers and the surprising question of how much black women spend on their hair.

During a press junket for a film festival in Salt Lake City, Rock discussed with Salon Magazine journalist Andrew O’Hehir how the initial idea for the film expanded the further he investigated.

“It kind of blew my mind, the idea that in an African-American household you got this Porsche that nobody can see, these working-class and middle-class black women spending thousands of dollars… buying a Porsche that nobody sees.” He adds, “There is a whole economic realm to this that I didn’t know about at all.”

One unexpected turn in the economic story comes when Rock learns that much of the hair used for creating extensions for black women comes from India. Human hair is India’s single largest export. He also sees how the culture has adapted to make harvesting the hair easy and profitable for the industry. Many Hindu temples conduct “hair sacrifices” during religious ceremonies that allow members of the temple a few moments of cultural distinction (and no money) in exchange for hair that can later be worth thousands of dollars. This “sacrificed” hair is processed and sold to hair dealers around the world who, in turn, sell it to local dealers who, in turn, sell it to salons and hair vendors at a huge profit.

How does Rock view this suspicious economic angle? He tells O’Hehir a different cut of the movie exists where Rock treats the hair trade as a problem for black females. He later calls on women to reject this international cartel of exploitation. But, he says, in the end that version simply wasn’t as fun to watch. He said he would rather inform and entertain rather than divide and mobilize.

On that tip, Rock succeeds. The movie is a serious, yet non-confrontational look at how cultural norms can make us do and believe some crazy things. It’s entertaining, but not angry. Celebrities such as Ice-T, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symoné, Maya Angelou, and Reverend Al Sharpton all candidly offer their stories and observations that add much more entertainment to what could have become a sobering, but impersonal look into the culture of beauty in the world.

For anyone involved in cosmetology, hairstyling or ethnic beauty marketing, this film is a must. Good Hair is playing in select cities right now. It opens nationally on October 23.

Okay, I admit it. The Real Housewives franchise is my guilty pleasure! I was so excited when I watched the Atlanta season premiere the other night and saw Empire Beauty School featured on the show.

Kim Zolciak, one of the most controversial women on the show, took a lot of heat last season for wearing a wig. Turns out she claims to have had a disease that made her hair fall out. This season, she has decided to turn a negative into a positive and start her own wig line.

During her trip to Empire Beauty School, Kim seemed overwhelmed by the amount of education needed to become a cosmetologist. She made it very clear that education was not her thing, instead deciding to hire people with the know-how to help her in her business venture. Although she decided to personally skip on the Empire Beauty School education, she seemed to enjoy her trip and even made a comment about hiring one of the cosmetology-educated women she met that day.

Whether you love her or hate her, what do you think about Kim’s proposed wig line? I think it’s an obvious direction for her to go in and I’m excited to see what comes of it. I’ve personally never worn a wig but think it would be fun to have short and curly hair one day, and long and dramatic hair the next day. Plus many women suffering from cancer or a condition like Alopecia, which causes bald spots, want and need options.

Also, to the Empire Beauty School students and alumni out there, were you excited to see your school in the spotlight? Do you think it was accurately portrayed? Let us know!

Stage/Film/Theater Makeup - Photo by MK Media

It may not sound quite right, but some beauty school students are experiencing an education in ugly-fication. Is there a market for this, you may ask? It turns out, there is!

If you’re a cosmetology student looking to break outside of the standard “pretty” box, you might consider a cosmetology school that offers courses in special-effects and stage makeup. Whether you’re most excited about turning your client into some sort of un-dead creature, a serious head-wound victim, or anything else your imagination can cook up, these courses can help you learn the unique techniques that make your ideas come to life.

In addition to the traditional cosmetology skills such as hair design, nail technology and esthetics, many cosmetology schools offer makeup training for theater and film. It also turns out that these courses aren’t just for the Hollywood types. In schools all over the country – including Tahlequah, Oklahoma – students are exploring the depths of spooky, gruesome, shocking makeup.

As a Master Instructor at Tahlequah’s Beauty Technical College, Heather Crowell says she wants to provide her students with a broader spectrum of cosmetology skills they can put to work in their careers. After all, cosmetology is much more than just doing hair.

Crowell also explains why students in Oklahoma could find this unique education opportunity useful. She says, “We actually have a pretty big film industry in Oklahoma, so there’s a lot of things [students] can do with it. They have to volunteer their time right now, but that just builds up their experience so when they get out, they can make a lot of money doing this.”

Many of the students at Beauty Technical College remember being surprised when they first realized they would be learning the science behind realistic-looking slashed necks, pencils through the head, or dramatic injuries to several different extremities. But what do these students have to say now?

Sarah Cookson, a student at the school, says, “I really, really enjoy [the class]. I could do gross makeup all day!”

So, where does the road lead for gurus of grotesque makeup? Crowell sees great potential for many of her students. “I would love to see them end up in California or New York doing this professionally,” she says.

Think your active imagination and flair for dramatics could work for your career? Check out some schools with cosmetology or makeup programs that interest you.

I know that Halloween is over but the dressing up is just beginning! Beauty blogs are gearing up for the release of Twilight. These bring-your-face-back-to-life looks might even help you snag a vampire of your very own.

Beauty and the Blog is even having a give away for some oh-so-hot products to get you ready for the premier of the movie. If you do not want to spend time entering the contest, you can stop by your local Sephora and pick up the products.

Included in the Win a Vampire (makeover) are:

•    Gwen Stefani’s L L.A.M.B. fragrance
•    Cargo Lip Gloss in Bella Bella
•    Fresh Twilight Freshface Glow
•    Shu Uemura Dazzling Topaz Diamante
•    Nars Lip Gloss in Bloodwork and Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick in Underage Red
•    ck Calvin Klein Splendid Glam Mini Nail Enamel Collection
•    Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Ludwig

The contest runs until the November 21st! So get your entry in and hopefully they will bite… I mean, pick you for the prize.

As you know, beautyschools.com loves organic, natural beauty products. And, what could be more natural than wearing no makeup at all?

After Election Day and Michelle Obama’s appearance in a memorable red and black number, I was reminded of another fashion statement she made a while ago. She told Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell why she chose to occasionally forego a daily makeup regiment.

“I want people to get used to my face more naturally so that I don’t have to do that every day. Who’s got time to put eyelashes on and all that?”

I guess that’s probably easy to say when you have a complexion as naturally radiant as the new First Lady’s. What about the rest of us who aren’t able to roll out of bed with glowing skin?

There are a few great products out there that give you coverage, but allow the natural character of your skin to show through. That way, you can show the world your natural beauty and still put your best face forward.

Mineral makeups that you brush on are great for achieving this look. Right now, I’m into Bare Escentuals. I just brush it on in the morning and it lasts all day. It takes about 2 minutes and it allows my freckles to show through (but still covers any nasty blemishes). And, it’s made of 100% pure minerals so my skin doesn’t absorb any toxins.

It has finally happened! After reading a blog, I found that the infamous female tattoo artist, Kat Von D, has come up with her own makeup line. Kat has the signature look of punk rock that meets old Hollywood glamour with her smoky eyes and red lips. Now, you can use her makeup to achieve the same rocker chic look. Sephora sells the new line of makeup that includes eye shadow, eye liner and lip stick. With colors like Lucifer, Tequila and Baroque, you are surely to attract a few glances from across the room.

Maybe her look will set off a new trend – punk chic. I am sure that I will find several attempts to mimic the look. And if you have training as a makeup artist I bet that this look will be all the rave for your clients that want something edgy and daring.