Katharine Towne's Beauty Tips - Part I

Gorgeous actress Katharine Towne (and daughter of legendary Hollywood scribe, Robert Towne - Chinatown and Shampoo) of HBO's sexxxy show, Tell Me You Love Me, is also quite the beauty whore (GASP!)! In fact, she's so well-versed on all things beauty that she actually taught me, the ultimate beauty whore, a thing or two!

Kate and her products!

Naturally, I asked Kate to dish on her skin routine, fave products, and insider "red carpet" tips! And.... SHE DID... big time! So big, we're going to post this ***Beauty Banter Exclusive Interview*** in two parts - Part I today, Part II tomorrow!

Here it goes:

FACE:
"On my face I'm using the Clinique Super City Block. It is SPF 40. I mix it with a little of the Clinique Sheer City Block which is SPF 25 because the super city block is very light and a tad pink-ish. I love these because they are oil free, non-comedogenic, have antioxidants, are broad spectrum protection from the sun and are one of very few make-up with SPF products on the market that have zinc. And zinc is key to actual blocking the sun. Without it even with a high SPF you might as well go stick your head in the oven.

For contouring I use Bronze Belle by Pop. It's a very portable 8 color bronzing kit which makes it easy to mix and contour for your skin tone. It's great because it can be used for both contouring with the lighter golds and peaches (if you're fair like me) and for bronzing the whole face and chest. It is also not a loose powder so it is ideal for travel.

For highlighting the cheekbone I use Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal. This is great because it doesn't have a trashy sparkle. Just a lovely sheen for that dewey ripe look.
When I am feeling adventurous and want to look super ripe I layer it or swap it for Tarte Cheek Stain in Tipsy. This stuff is too lovable. The color is edible and it really mimics that natural flush on the apple of the cheek.

Although I am not a big fan of mineral powder, I have found one that I like - Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Star Dust. It has a little sparkle in the powder that settles into the skin quite nicely and just becomes a glow. It is sort of a peachy settling powder meant to work on many skin tones that can work as a highlighter, over make up or without. I like it because it really does even out your skin tone and, unlike other mineral products, it doesn't sit in your pores.

For blemishes where the skin is broken and I need to create a new face, Vincent Longo Creme Concealer is AMAZING. I use the light but have blended light and medium before. This will cover anything. If you were attacked by a flock of seagulls you will be able to spackle yourself back together with nothing more than this and some good old fashioned tenacity.

For less horrendous problems, I use the Vincent Longo Illumina Concealer. This is a dual sided concealer pencil that brightens as it conceals. Great for on-the-go touch ups. You can easily blend to match your base color while in the car drinking your latte, reading an e-mail off your blackberry while trying to find your sunglasses. It is my favorite.

BROWS:
I fill in my eyebrows with Anastasia Ash Blonde Powder Duo. I use the light side. I use a small brush with this. I feel like unless you are in a 1940's movie you should use a very light color to fill in your brows or you run the risk of looking like Cruella Deville. I put Anastasia Brow Fix over this which is basically a wax pencil. This is great because it is easy and it will keep you're brows from freaking out. Its like pomade for your eyebrows.

EYES:
On my eyes, I keep it really simple and natural. On my brow bone I use Define Eye Pencil in Aloof. This is just a white eye liner. I put it all over my upper brow bone where you would normally highlight with a nude/shimmer and then I blend it until it just looks BRIGHTER. This is great because it is a very clean look but still has the desired brightening and opening affect.
Then for my contour I use Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Topaz. This is a very creamy almost concealer colored eyeliner. I apply it right above the crease where one would contour, and then blend that into the white. I love this. I consider this one of my finer creative accomplishments. In the end the look is just very pretty, but no make-up can be detected. Just bigger, brighter eyes. And if it smudges, so f-in' what? It's so "real" looking no one will know.

On my lashes I use Lights Camera Lashes by Tarte. This is great because it doesn't contain alcohol which causes your lashes to break, dry out and look crispy. Not cute. First I curl them with the Sephora Eye Lash Curler that is just plastic and has no metal which tends to break your lashes.

Under my eyes I use Stila Illuminating Concealer in 3. This does exactly what it says, "illuminates." Also, it is very fluid without being drippy or too sheer. I tend to be dry under my eyes (and also afraid things will settle in lines, that I don't have of course) and this is the perfect consistency. It really brightens and never dries out.

If it is night time I fill in my upper lash line from underneath with a tiny bit of black liner. Just to compete with all the little hussys and their clown faces. I either use a very inexpensive beauty supply liner by Sorme - smear proof liner in Black - or Tarte Emphaseyes High Definition Eye Pencil in black. This is probably the finest point on any eyeliner I have ever seen. Maybe aliens have made something tinier but I have yet to be eye-probed with it. The only negative is that it's not entirely smear proof so it's better if you want to get in there and smear it up a bit. But it is pretty incredible and so skinny. That bitch.

Awhile ago my eye lashes were falling out or thinning or something because stuff just happens and my dermatologist gave me this stuff in his line called Lancer M.D. Lash. You apply it to your lash line and where ever you want hair to grow. I also put it on the outer edge of my eyebrows cause I am thin there. It takes about six weeks and stings like a religious experience BUT I have at least twice the length and number of lashes I had before. For realsies. And I was very skeptical. Like after a month I thought, "Criminey, this is not working! Fooey!" And then low and behold around six weeks there they were, like hairy little miracles."

All dolled up!

Check back tomorrow for the rest of Kate Towne's red-carpet beauty tips...