RACHEL McNeil
ON THE COVER
 My favorite thing about working in news is the unpredictability of the job,” says KPRC TV Local 2 news anchor Rachel McNeill. “Every day, I have no idea of who or what story I’ll be covering. Things constantly change. This job is never boring!” McNeill, a 15-year TV news veteran, was born in Jamaica but grew up in Houston and attended the University of Texas at Austin.
Looking good is a job requirement, and McNeill says her skin requires constant care to look its best. “I’m very strict about skin care. I take my makeup off every night, and I don’t wear any when I’m not working to give my skin a chance to breathe.”
The advent of high-definition TV made skin care and polished makeup even more of a necessity, says McNeill. “A lot of people think we have makeup artists, but we don’t. We do our own makeup!” she says. “Once we started shooting in high-def, skin care and flawless makeup application became an absolute necessity.”
Rachel relies on Arbonne skin care and Bobbi Brown makeup, which carries “the only foundation I’ve found that matches my skin tone perfectly.”
“Being in Houston works to my advantage,” she says. “The humidity keeps skin dewy and fresh-looking. Looking good in this business would be more challenging in, say, Arizona!”
—Nancy H. Rosenberg
Photography by Evin Thayer
Hair and Makeup by EmpireFaces.com
Earrings courtesy J. Silver
Heat-Proof Makeup
Texas heat can melt more than asphalt. It can melt makeup, too! Applying makeup–and keeping it in place–during the summer months can take a bit of advance planning and makeup know-how, says Lara Toman, a makeup artist with Empire Faces Studio in Houston.
First, be aware that intense summer heat can impair the texture and performance of many types of makeup, particularly foundation, cream shadows or blushes, and lipsticks. Take care to keep makeup out of particularly hot locations, such as the car or on a windowsill. “If makeup will melt in the car, it will likely melt on your face,” Toman adds.
Summer heat can cause the components of makeup to separate, which can make some foundations look oily. One way to avoid a greasy look is to use a very light, tinted, oil-free moisturizer during the summer, if you use one at all, and these can be found with sun protection as well. Make sure your skin is clean before applying makeup of any kind, use clean brushes and applicators, and follow up with oil-absorbing translucent powder. Toman suggests using “a makeup primer, which works to balance the moisture of the skin and helps to keep makeup in place.”
Use a lightweight, powder-based foundation instead of heavier cream foundations. It can provide coverage without cakiness or an uneven finish.
Oil-absorbing blotting sheets are great for touch-ups during a hot summer day.
For eye makeup, Toman says one reliable trick is to use pressed, dry eye shadow (as opposed to creamy shadows) in summer. An eye shadow primer also works to help prevent creasing. If you use eyeliner that glides on smoothly, chances are that it is oil-based, and will tend to smudge in the heat. The solution is simple: after applying eyeliner, dip a fine-tipped sponge eye shadow applicator in a drop of water, slide it through a dark, powdered eye shadow, and go over the liner with the applicator. The eye shadow will set the liner and help it resist smudging.
Office Drab to After-Hours Fab
Meeting some friends for drinks after work, you want to look fun and flirty, not like you’ve been at work all day. Multi-purpose dressing is an art. The idea is to start (for work) with basics that can be accessorized later, or pared down, or otherwise modified easily to accommodate evening plans.
The easiest way to pull off both looks is with a basic dress and a jacket. The dress can be sleeveless or backless; the jacket is the polished accessory that makes it work for work. A silk shell with slacks and a jacket can provide the same versatility.
Accessories are another easy fix for office drab. The boring look that works from nine to five can usually be spiced up considerably with a funky necklace or some seriously cool earrings.
Shoes are the final fix. Sexy heels can be a workplace no-no, but slipping them on after work can add flair to a basic dress or slacks.
If your workplace requires a uniform or medical scrubs, keep a gym bag with everything you’ll need, including a no-wrinkle dress (tip: Chicos has a great line of basic black travel dresses that are impossible to wrinkle and easy to dress up with accessories).
Finally, you’ll need a small makeup bag packed with oil-blotting pads, basic makeup to freshen your look, a travel-sized toothpaste and toothbrush, and a sample of cologne or perfume. The transformation from workday ready to evening fun should take no more than five minutes, but, with a little preparation, a lot can be accomplished in those five minutes!
FLIP FLOP ACTION
The feet on the street have voted: No shoe has more summer staying power than the flip-flop. But before you dig last year’s plain-Jane pair from the back of the closet, beware: the flip-flop has come a long way.
This season’s trends are readily apparent in flip-flop footwear: metallics, beads, texture, and gladiator styling have morphed the flip-flop of days past into a style staple. The basic flipflop, if you can even find it, looks boring and dated. Even basic styles now sport embellishment of some kind. Giant flowers, rhinestones the size of quarters, and assorted beads and baubles now adorn this basic footwear necessity.
If you’re headed to the beach, look for jelly flops: the traditional shoe with funky cool materials and waterproof styling.
A final word: the embellishment of the flip-flop now means the shoe has added clout. They are no longer considered the lowest-common denominator in footwear (that honor has now been bestowed upon the unsightly Croc). Flip-flops have been dressed up. So slip on a pair with that cute summer dress and head out with style.
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