best of beauty tips for the holidays by emmy-award winning makeup artist, cindy williams

when it comes to makeup expertise and know-how on all things beauty, there's no one we trust more than Cindy Williams, the Emmy-award winning makeup artist who we are delighted to bring to you this week through our blog, where Cindy highlights some fabulous holiday beauty tips, recommendations and insights. Cindy has been a wonderful friend and brand devotee over the years, and we are so grateful. we've had the pleasure of getting to know Cindy through our work with her on various movie and tv productions. in addition to being a wife and mom of two teenage boys, she has worked on several iconic movies such as Ocean's 12, Intolerable Cruelty, Chicago, Smokin' Aces, There's Something about Mary, Grosse Pointe Blank, 13 Going on 30, and A Wrinkle In Time. Cindy was the personal makeup artist for Mindy Kaling on her hit show The Mindy Project, and she has also been the makeup department head on popular tv shows, including The Morning Show and Little Fires Everywhere. on top of all of this, Cindy is one of the nicest, most genuine and humble people we've met. we encourage you to follow her work on IMDB and her website. we hope you enjoy this guest post featuring Cindy and her tips! 

xo,
gaye.

what products do you consider your must-haves during the holiday season? what products do you swear by in the winter months? please share any/all essentials that are kai offerings as well as non-kai offerings! 

kai body butter and kai body wash are perfect for the winter dry skin! i swear by these in the winter months, and i consider these must-haves during the holiday season. for other winter essentials, i use and would highly recommend: Skin Medica's TNS Advanced Serum and HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator. 

what are you seeing as the most popular makeup trend for the holiday season and winter 2022? 

i think a great red lip color is something a lot of people are looking forward to after having to wear masks for so long! 

could you please provide us with some suggestions and tips for keeping makeup looking best during the holidays and the winter season when people are running around with masks and multiple layers on in the colder weather? 

i would suggest: moisturizing before putting makeup on, and having a good lip balm and a great brow gel! all of these are a must, especially since we are still wearing masks and the cold, dry temperatures are harsh on the skin. for brow gel, i like Anastasia or Glossier. for lips, i would recommend wearing your favorite lip balm with a lip stain on top, or a long-wearing lip color that doesn't come off with your mask. that will help keep your makeup looking beautiful and fresh all day long.

are there any specific vitamins you recommend or foods to eat that help keep your face and overall skin as healthy and glowing as possible? 

i typically recommend foods that are rich in antioxidants such as broccoli, spinach, kale & other greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, artichokes, asparagus, avocados, beets, squash, etc. i also recommend increasing your vitamin c intake, this helps skin stay healthy and glowing. for ingredients to avoid: sometimes dairy can contribute to acne, so i would also consider dairy-free options if acne might be a concern. 

do you have any recommendations for keeping makeup looking great for facetime/ zoom/ video calls at home? 

for facetime and zoom meetings, i strongly recommend trying to achieve good lighting by facing a window with nice daylight, or putting a lamp in front of your camera -- such as using a ring light which is ideal. having a stronger lip color is also helpful for people to read your lips! 

as you've done incredible makeup work for your different clients for their appearances in so many amazing productions & public events, is there a specific experience with a client whose look you were most excited and proud of creating, that you could describe to us? we would love to learn about this special moment. :) could you please share the details about this experience (who, what, where, when, how)? 

if i had to say what one specific project i'm most proud of i would say Catherine Zeta Jones make up in Chicago. creating her character was really fun! during the first make up test, they wanted Catherine to have long flowing hair. however, Catherine insisted on having the short dark bob. i had her eye lashes custom made; they were hand done by Christina Smith. i was very pregnant on that movie and had a chair behind the curtains on stage or next to the cameras at all times, so i could touch her up quickly in between each of her takes. it was a very special movie to work on. 

thank you... cindy!