Day In The Life: Carol Shaw

What's it like to be celebrity makeup artist, Carol Shaw, founder of Lorac cosmetics? Whether you're readying your famous clients (Nicole Kidman, Rachel Bilson, and Debra Messing to name a few) for their red carpet appearances or creating products for Lorac's next makeup collection, keep reading for a peek into Carol Shaw's glamorous life (including the beauty products she uses herself!).

day in the life Carol Shaw

7:00am  Wake up and fuel up: I have the same 2 hour morning routine pretty much every day before I am out the door. The start time changes depending on my schedule. First thing I do when I get up is feed Calvin and JP, my very cool cats! After I take care of them, I make my morning drink with a couple scoops of  a supplement powder, Spirulina and Flax Seed Meal in a glass of spring water. I make Dandelion Root tea and have a bowl of hot grain, usually Millet, Oats, Quinoa or Amaranth with a little Coconut Oil or Flax Oil. I have to eat breakfast, it starts my day off right!

8:00am  Shower time: Take a quick shower and wash my face with either Cetaphil or Rainbow unscented anti-bacterial soap, it gets my skin really clean. I keep my MakeupPrep in the shower to exfoliate my skin. I always moisturize after with Lorac AquaPrime, it is like a drink of water for my skin and gives it a silk-smooth finish. Exfoliating and moisturizing are the 2 things that help my skin look healthy, polished and clear and also helps my makeup glide on!

I'm addicted to Coconut Oil…on my body, my hair (best thing I have used to get the frizz out of my hair) and on my face too!  

8:30am  Makeup: My makeup routine is very simple in the morning, I use just enough to give me some color, even out my skin tone and bring out my features. I use Lorac Double Feature Concealer to lighten and brighten under my eyes and to cover blemishes, Oil-Free Wet/Dry Powder Makeup to instantly even out my skin, Tantalizer Baked Bronzer on my eyes and cheeks for a healthy pop of shimmering color, 3D Lashes Mascara to make my blonde eyelashes look long and luxurious, and Couture Shine Liquid Lipstick in Glam for natural glossy color. I always start with the eyes when I am doing makeup on myself and on my celebrity clients, it saves time and saves the delicate skin under the eyes from too much rubbing while cleaning up. My skin is sensitive and prone to breakouts so I use my oil-free powder makeup, it never breaks me out and looks great all day long! I finish with a mist of Evian spray to set my makeup and give my skin a dewy look.

9:00am  Off to Lorac corporate office: It is about an hour drive from my house. I don’t mind the drive, I like to listen to motivation tapes, music and the news on the radio.

10:00am – 12noon  Model go-sees at Lorac for our Spring/Summer 2012 campaign: In between the model interviews, we had product development meetings and worked on the mood boards for the photo shoot.

12:00 noon – 1:00pm  Lunch break: CPK! We are so busy at the office that we had lunch delivered. I love the pea soup and the salads from California Pizza Kitchen. I get a side of the grilled veggies and mix them into the Cobb salad to make my own creation.

1:00pm – 4:00pm  More model go-sees: Saw lots of models today at Lorac, it is a hard decision to make because they are all so pretty, however, I think we found the one!

4pm  Healthy snack: I have to have a snack! I love having fresh blueberries and soy yogurt, it is my favorite snack!

5:00pm  Exercise hour: I always feel so good after taking a walk, so I'm trying to get outside and walk a few times a week. Today I went for a walk with my brother Barry. He is also my partner. Our office is in the Santa Clarita Hills in California. It is very desert like and magical, today we saw road runners! There are good hills for walking near my office that really get your blood pumping.

6:00pm  Commute: Drive home, traffic is going the opposite direction and I listen to mellow music so it's not too bad.

7:00pm  Dinner: When I get home my two boys are there to greet me. I give my cats a snack and some attention. I usually make myself something to eat, sometimes I have dinner out with friends. I am very interested in the healing powers of whole foods and have been learning about macrobiotics for a couple of years. I took macrobiotic cooking classes and I love making this healthy food, it makes such a difference in the way I feel…and look!

8:00pm  Unwind: At night I like to get on my computer or talk on the phone or just get on the couch and watch TV or read a magazine and unwind.

9:00pm  Bath Time: I love a hot bath before bed, it totally relaxes me. I used to put sea salt or lavender in my bath water, but my cats stick their paws in, so now I don’t add anything, just hot water and it is still yummy!

10:00pm  Salad snack: Every night I eat a couple pieces of lettuce. Lettuce has a sedative effect and helps me sleep well. I love Romaine, but it can be Butter lettuce or any kind of lettuce that you like. I am learning that there are simple natural remedies that can help with everything!

10:30pm  Sleep: Hop into bed! I always try to get to bed around 10pm or 10:30pm, and usually I make it by 11pm.