Meet Jacqueline Gellner, she’s a make-up artist in Washington D.C. with 8 years of experience and a stunning portfolio. Let’s see what this expert has to say about beauty, skincare and style:

Tiramisu For Breakfast: What’s your favorite beauty brand?

Jacqueline Gellner: I’m a MAC girl at heart since it’s where I started my career in makeup artistry and to date, it’s been a major go-to brand when I’m stocking my makeup kit. MAC has been around for so long, I feel that they’ve really mastered having a wide range of color choices for different skin tones, and because they have so many shades, it’s always easy to mix products and create custom colors if I need to! Lately however, I’ve really been into Tarte Cosmetics’ new products, including their Marajuca Creaseless Concealer,  their Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation, and their new cream eyeliner, Tartiest Clay Paint Eyeliner. The eyeliner comes in a squeeze tube which allows the product to be more pliable so it’s easier to move across the lid, but still dense enough so that it doesn’t slip and slide around everywhere when you’re trying to make a smooth line! I’ve also been loving Hourglass Cosmetics lately, specifically Hourglass Cosmetics’ Ambient Lighting Powder. It’s not quite a highlighter, but more of a finishing powder to use and set makeup. It reflects just the right amount of light so your skin looks like it’s glowing from within!

TfB: All time favorite beauty product?

JG: Lashes, lashes, lashes. I LOVE faux eyelashes! I might have a problem. While I don’t wear them during the week, if I am going out on a Friday or Saturday, you better believe I have a pair glued on. Unfortunately for those around me, straggling eyelash bands have been found in some bizarre places since I wear them so much – in the crevice of my friends’ sofas, stuck in between a car door – a couple of years ago, a friend found one stuck to her back. (Sorry, Pilin!)

Ardell Demi Wispies  are my favorite if I need to make a quick drug store run, but I absolutely love Flutter Mink Lashes for special occasions. They have so many gorgeous styles and since they’re mink, you can wear them up to 30 times. http://flutterlashes.com/shop/category/mink/

TfB: Favorite beauty look/trick, and what product have you been using the longest – your tried and true?

JG: My favorite beauty look/trick, is in fact, winged eyeliner. No matter how many times I’ve tried to go without it, I can’t seem to stop my hand from creating a flick on the end of my lid! Winged eyeliner to me is such an amazing beauty look – it really enhances and accentuates the shape of someone’s eye and really gives focus and lift. I love it! Specifically, my all time favorite product for creating winged eyeliner, hands down, is NYX Cosmetics’ Liquid Black Liner. It’s super, super dark and creates almost a “patent leather” type of finish. The brush is super thin so you’re able to create a very sharp and defined wing, and if you make a mistake, it’s easy to clean up with a makeup wipe. If you prefer a matte looking eyeliner, you may not love it as much as me, but personally, it is absolutely my favorite product to create winged eyeliner.

TfB: Who’s your beauty inspiration?

JG: My beauty inspiration comes from other makeup artists who I look up to. I follow so many on social media and I’m so intrigued with everyone’s personal makeup style. My current makeup artist obsession is with Natasha Denona (@natashadenona) who is a European and internationally known makeup artist /owner of Natasha Denona makeup products. I haven’t had a chance to purchase any of her products yet as she is based overseas, but I certainly intend to when I can figure out which products I want to try first. It’s not easy because all of her products look amazing!

TfB: What’s in your makeup bag right now?

JG: Since I’ve been doing makeup for nearly eight years now, and so often on others, I’ve really taken a step back from doing full face makeup on myself these days (at least Monday – Friday…the weekends is a different story). In my “week day makeup makeup bag,” I of course have my NYX liquid eyeliner, MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Concealer, (while I love Tarte’s concealer, I don’t usually have to set MAC’s Prolongwear with a powder since it tends to set itself which saves me an extra step in the morning), L’Oreal Voluminous mascara, Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk foundation , MAC Cosmetics Refined Golden Bronzer, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in Dark Brown to fill in my brows (which are very sparse and patchy in real life!) , Glossier’s Balm Dotcom, which is an all purpose skin salve but I use it specifically on my lips to keep them hydrated and soft! (It’s amazing!)

TfB: Favorite skincare products/Skincare philosophy or skincare routine?

JG: Beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin and it hurts my heart that many people don’t take care of their skin like they should! Often times if I am working on a client and I ask them what their skin care regimen is, I’ll hear some pretty crazy things (crazy to me, at least!). For example, they may cleanse their face with regular hand soap or have never exfoliated a day in their life (*cringe!*)

Without taking care of your skin first, under no circumstance will your makeup look on point! I have a number of favorite, must-have skin care products that I use on a regular basis.

My Clarisonic.  Made with the same philosophy behind the Sonicare toothbrush, the Clarisonic removes all traces of makeup, clears pores and reduces pore size, exfoliates, and allows your serums and moisturizers to penetrate into your skin much better. To this day, all of my friends use a Clarisonic, and one of them even convinced her boyfriend to get one too – it’s that good. I love to use my Clarisonic with Obagi’s foaming cleanser to get rid of all traces of makeup, especially since I wear so much on the weekends o_O. Peter Thomas Roth’s Firmx Peeling Gel. I can’t say enough great things about this product. I just discovered the gel a couple of weeks ago and it is revolutionary. I’ve been using it about twice a week now and I’m amazed every single time! PTR’s Peeling Gel uses fairly new “technology” called Multiaction enzymes. After cleansing and drying your face, you apply a decent amount onto your skin and literally watch before your own eyes, dead skin peel off to reveal fresh, radiant skin underneath. NuFace Trinity is another one of my favorite skin care tools and you can see the benefits as soon as you use it. It’s really the only thing I asked for Christmas this year and it’s been one of the best gifts I ever received! Celebrities and celebrity makeup artists have been using this “secret” tool and it’s often called the “five-minute face lift.” While I’ve always been relatively petite, I’ve always struggled with sort of a round, full face. The NuFace uses microcurrent technology to send tiny little shocks to the muscles in your face to tighten them up – almost like a work out. Over time, and even after the first use, you’ll see improved facial contour and skin tone. Even if you use the NuFace on one side of your face, you’ll see the difference! Make sure to remember to do the other side before stepping out, of course! 😉 My favorite moisturizer right now is Embroylisse Lait-Crème Concentrate . In fact, it serves multiple uses including use as a makeup remover and primer. It’s super hydrating, creamy and wears beautifully underneath makeup. It’s a favorite amongst some of the top makeup artists in the world! G.M. Collins’ Instant Radiance Anti-Aging Eye Patch.  As I’m getting a little bit older and more tired, I’m noticing increased puffiness and bags underneath my eyes – not a good look! I throw these on for 20 minutes before I do my makeup and eye bags are gone. Infused with hyaluronic acid, which plumps the skin, it helps me look like I’m super hydrated, so well rested and inflates any fine lines, wrinkles so your under eye area is super smooth! In the area? Jacqueline is available for booking! Check out her site for details.  Read More

1. Clinique Acne Solutions BB Cream

2. Buxom Full-On Lipstick in Dolly

3. Lancome Le Lipstique Lip Crayon

4. Clinique Smart Serum

5. Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask

6. Somme Institute Transport Pads

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet

Too Faced Natural Matte Palette

 I love skincare and beauty, but dealing with acne is not fun. The best thing for it in my experience is a consistent skincare routine. I’ve been using the Erno Laszlo ritual I described in this post, and  it balances out my skin by cleaning it really well and then putting the moisture back in with the lotion. When my skin feels congested, I use my Clarisonic or one of my favorite exfoliating masks. When spots do come up, here are the products I use:

Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Mask: This is a super thick, strong mask. I like it best as a spot treatment. The paste texture stays put and really dries out spots. I have to be careful with this one because if I use it too many days in a row, it can be too drying. I also have their rose stem cell mask, and I’ve heard about mixing the two to moisturizer and take care of spots at the same time.

Peter Thomas Roth Acne Spot and Area Treatment: This is packed with good stuff. It’s stronger and smells like sulfur, so I usually use this at night and I don’t put it all over. Reading up on this I was surprised how many acne fighting ingredients it has. 5% Sulfur absorbs excess oil and controls existing breakouts & the formation of future acne. 4% Glycolic Acid Complex helps to exfoliate dead surface skin cells and helps stimulate cellular turnover. 1% Trikenol™ * (Manuka Concentrate & Willow Extract) helps reduce redness, detoxify pores and helps fight acne-causing bacteria. Aloe Vera helps to soothe and hydrate the skin. Allantoin soothes and calms the skin. Vitamins C & E – anti-oxidants help to fight free radical attack and pro Vitamin B5 helps to moisturize, nourish and clarify.

Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel: 2% Salicylic Acid and 10% Glycolic Acid.  This is one of my favorite new products. This, the spot treatment and mask all came in this kit with some other minis. At $35, this is a great way to try a bunch of products at once. I put this gel all over the areas of my skin that tend to breakout and I can really tell it’s clearing things up. It doesn’t try out the skin at all like  a lot of acne creams do.

Erno Laszlo Anti-Blemish Beta Purifying Mask: This one has some of the same effects as the sulfur mask, but it’s a lot more gentle. I like to use this one over a whole area (I typically break out on my chin). I’ll sometimes use this in the morning for a few minutes and wash it off before I put on my makeup. It has a thin, green texture and smells herbal.

Lather Advanced Blemish Control Serum: I love this spot treatment for during the day. Peppermint, geranium and tea tree oils make it smell wonderful, and it’s very gentle. It’s also clear, so I can put it on before my makeup and I carry it in my makeup bag in case I want to reapply later in the day.

Malin + Goetz Nighttime Acne Treatment:  10% active sulfur dries out your pimple and zinc oxide heals the spot where you have the blemish.The product is separated in the container. Dip a cotton swab into the jar and dot on your face. If you’re familiar with Kate Somerville’s EradiKate or the Mario Badescu drying lotion, this is similar.

One of the worst things about acne is the marks that spots leave on the skin for a long time after they’ve cleared up. When I got a facial back in February, I told the aesthetician I was looking for a product that would help fade scars/discoloration leftover from acne spots. She told me to look out for products with a high concentration of Vitamin C. I knew I had a sample of this at home, so I started trying it out morning and night and have been really liking it.

The Somme Institute Serum: It’s softening the skin on my whole face, and I’m noticing it even out my skin tone. The advanced technology in Somme Institute®’s Serum combines Vitamin C along with a high concentration of Molecular Dispersion Technology 5 (MDT5™), a patented technology of highly engineered vitamins A C E B3 B5 designed to help improve skin tone, texture and clarity. Serum helps reduce the visible signs of premature aging, smoothes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and evens skin tone.

Coola Classic Face SPF 30 in Cucumber:  A lot of people feel like bring out in the sun helps dry out spots and clear up skin, but the sun makes pigmentation even worse. My regular moisturizer has an SPF of 15, so I double up with this before I apply my foundation. This one’s organic and the cucumber relieves puffiness and moisturizes.