Camera Ready Makeup

Camera Ready is a term that I believe most people truly do not understand. Does it mean full on makeup? Airbrushed? Remove the shine? What is camera ready?

I like this illustration because it's clean and simple, but dramatic. The eyes are minimally defined with mascara and shadow. The complexion is perfected and under eye redness is covered. The cheeks are defined with just a hint of blush and contour. The lips get a real pop of color, but that's simply personal choice. You can define the lips with any color you like.

This looks simple, and it is, if you know what colors to use and how to apply them. And as I always say, perfecting the skin is key.

If you're in the Dallas area and would like to book a consultation send me an email. We can also arrange a group session with friends or even corporate sessions. And if it's not possible to meet somewhere in person there's always Skype.

Thanks to photographer Ben Britt and model Stephanie Fisher.

For more before and after looks read A Simple Beauty Makeover.

before hair and makeup

 Pirates of the Caribbean?

Working With Celebrities

I'm often asked what it's like to work with celebrities. When it's Wendy Davis it's easy, because she's so naturally attractive, and looks great on camera.

Yes, it's hard work: early mornings, long hours, multiple locations, and yes, a lot of cooks in the kitchen on a campaign like this. However, when the end result turns out as well as this did, I feel like my hard work was worth it.

Thanks to a great crew and great editing,  it's better than I could have even imagined. However, this is video, not a still image, so hair and makeup are not photoshopped.


Need a professional to help you make your image stand out?

Shine - Off: Expert Tips for Matte Summer Skin

Staying shine-free when the temperatures are high is one of summer’s greatest beauty challenges.
As a professional makeup artist, I know how hard it can be. Depending on where you live, you may need to control excess oil production, perspiration, or both. So if you’re looking for ways rid yourself of unsightly shine this summer, check out some of my pro tips and favorite products. You’ll be glad you did when that mercury starts rising!

 Continue reading...

Skin Care Tips for Mature Skin

You don't have to be a mom or even "mature," to experience troublesome changes in your skin.

Whether it's due to stress, diet, pregnancy, climate, or age, occasionally we need to  adjust our skin care routine. With Mother's Day around the corner, Beauty Press asked me for some tips for moms and mature skin.

What are some makeup application tips for mature/aging skin? 

Women tend to have more delicate and sensitive skin. Additionally as we age, skin is affected by fluctuating hormone levels.
Generally it becomes more dry, thin, and has less elasticity allowing fine lines, wrinkles and loose skin to develop.
Makeup is still important, maybe even more important than ever, but a less is more approach is needed. Use a foundation that gives a light coverage, and concealer only where needed - instead of trying to achieve maximum coverage with one product that covers everything. If your skin is a little on the dry side, avoid too much powder as it can make the skin look even more dry.

What are some skin care routine tips for mature/aging skin? 

Hopefully you already have a good skin care routine in place and as your skin matures you just adjust it as needed. The basics, cleanse, tone, and moisturize, never change. The products you use may change however, and you may add serums or anti-aging treatments to your regime. Also, if you've always used soap and water or a foaming or gel cleanser you may find that a lotion or even an oil will work much better for you now as natural oil production will decrease with declining hormones. 


Some women experience what they call a second adolescence. Try spot treating the breakouts instead of trying the entire face as if it's one giant pimple. You'll just end up dehydrating the skin and upsetting the acid balance which protects it.
Remember, you're skin is the largest of the body. Treat it with care and it will take care of you.

Please feel free to leave comments or ask questions.

For the press release and high res images contact Beauty Press.

Dark Circle Drama - The Beauty Bitch

Covering dark under eye circles has been and remains one of the top beauty questions I am asked.
Editor Susan Linney tackled the question for Meets Obsession, an online magazine for the beauty and culture obsessed.

If you have a drawer full of concealers that don't get the job done, then read on. Linney interviewed two of the top makeup artists in the biz, Yours Truly and Kevin James Bennet, to get the 411 on disappearing the luggage under your eyes, forever. Please notice we both said essentially the same thing!

Want to know what we said? Read it here.

A Simple Beauty Makeover

This was a really fun and easy photo/makeover. A photographer (friend) asked me to help him with a class project. The goal was to show extreme contrast in one subject. He asked me to create a a simple hair and makeup style, and then to pump up the pretty factor, and he would adjust his lighting.


 To create the "after" look, I simply added more eyeliner, false eyelashes, and lip gloss. For her hair, which is long and straight, I changed the part to an extreme side part, then swept it across her forehead and pinned the hair up in the back. Simple, glamorous and easy.


 What do you think?

photography by Dick Patrick

photography by Dick Patrick

The Business of Beauty

Makeup by Penny Sadler
Hair by Mark Garrison Salon

It's not every day I get to work with beautiful models and top editorial hairdressers.  Believe it or not, most of the time, putting makeup on people for camera means making it look like they don't have on much makeup at all. Putting makeup on these lovelies was just the creative change I needed.

 I was excited and happy to be asked to work once again, with Beth Minardi, an icon in the haircolor industry, and her team of top notch hair stylists. The event was a presentation of Mindari haircolor, sort of a mini runway show.

 I asked them what sort of look they wanted, and the only direction I was given was "pretty makeup with emphasis on the eyes." And that's exactly what I gave them. This is why I became a makeup artist to begin with. Great team, beautiful models. And who do you think the blonde looks like?

Rob Lowe!

Sometimes my job is ultra fun. To answer all of your questions, yes, Rob was nice and a pleasure to work with. Yes, he really looks that good. No, he hasn't done anything to his face. Yes, he needs a little makeup. Yes, he's married and has a lovely wife. If you have a question I have not answered here send me an email. I work with a lot of celebrities and other high profile people on events, television shows and broadcasts. I also work with real people. Please do contact me for your event, broadcast, film, commercial or photo shoot. penny (at) pennysadler (dot) com

Top 10 Travel Tips with Makeup Artist Penny Sadler

Traveling with One Carry-On

I"m often asked how many bags I take with me when I go to Italy for two or three weeks. My answer, one carry-on and one personal bag. This seems to be a challenge for most women. When I tell them I only take two pair of shoes they go into defense mode. More shoes is more, right?

Summer fabrics make packing light easy as they take up less space in your luggage. The key is choosing colors and patterns that can be layered and matched with every other piece.

Here's an example: If your accent color is a strong, vibrant, turquoise blue, but you have a favorite jacket that is a pastel pink, well that's not really going to work, is it? What do you wear the pink jacket with?
White pants you say. Yes, but the idea is that each piece can be interchanged.
Conclusion: you must leave the pink jacket at home, or change your accent color.

To illustrate this concept I got together with professional model and friend, Rhonda Sargent Chambers. Rhonda supplied her classic travel wardrobe, which she tells me she wears year-after-year, and I supplied the makeup, photographs, and a bottle of prosecco.

Head over to my travel blog Adventures of a Carry-On  to see more photos and read the rest of the story.

Here are a few more photos from the shoot, Summer Travel Style.

How To Wear Makeup in the Summer and 4th of July Tips

The key to summer makeup - less is more. Think, tinted moisturizers with an SPF. A little bronzer. Self tanners for the face and body. Powder is your friend, as it helps absorb shine from excess oil and perspiration. Powder-free blotting papers are perfect for removing excess shine and oil without looking caked on.  Sheer lip tints look just right, and are a better choice for summer than more opaque formulas.

This story from Beauty Press is spot on with tips and techniques for summer makeup. I especially like the blue liner. For something more subtle, you can apply, then smudge with a liner smudging brush. Or apply liner on the top lid only.

Happy 4th!

This and That

Since my last post, things have continued to move full speed ahead. I find that the type of work I do seems to go in cycles. Sometimes I work on commercials and sometimes it's more television news and satellite broadcasts. Recently, I've worked on shows for the Food Channel, HGTV and the Speed Channel.

Working outside in Texas is challenging, especially in the spring and summer. Either it's too hot, too humid or too windy. The past couple of shows, I worked with female hosts, and we were constantly battling the heat, humidity and winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour. Keeping the hair from blowing is simply impossible. I've posted a couple of photos from these shoots, taken in a more controlled environment.

The key to long wearing makeup even in the Texas elements, apply it properly in the beginning! Prep the skin with sunscreen and moisturizer if needed. Apply a silicon based primer to help the makeup go on more smoothly and give it staying power. I also use a liquid or gel eyeliner because it's more water proof than pencil and doesn't smear. Finish with powder. As the day goes by,  I usually only have to touch up under the eyes and the lips.

I also had the opportunity to teach for Last Looks Makeup Academy.  I taught three classes: bridal makeup, eye makeup only, and airbrush makeup. The classes were small, so the students got lots of one-on-one attention and extra tips and tricks I use on set.  Everyone had a great time and learned a lot. If you are interested in classes in Dallas, let me know or contact Heather at Last Looks Academy in Los Angeles. If there's enough demand she'll bring the school to Dallas.

A Little More About Me

It's been busy lately. Lots of production work and a trip to California thrown in. Then makeup artist Jennifer Kinford asked if she could interview me for her website A Beauty Loft.
It occurred to me that the interview would be of interest to those of you who would just like to know a little more about me. And it's full of tips on products and skincare.
I also wanted to thank Jennifer and suggest you have a look at A Beauty Loft where you can find the latest celeb hair and makeup tips and product reviews. Feel free to send me your beauty questions, share your thoughts or just say hello. Read the interview.

Taste of Dallas with Chef Sara Moulton

Here I am with Chef Sara Moulton at Taste of Dallas. Sara was promoting Mission Foods and did a tasty demo using, what else? Mission tortillas. Sara was really nice to work with and very easy going. Over breakfast she recounted some interesting bits about her career and working with the infamous Julia Childs.
It's not often I have the opportunity to sit down and have an unhurried meal with "the star." And can I say eating with a celebrity chef was a bit intimidating. When the food arrived I instantly wished I'd just ordered the same thing Sara did. I don't remember what we ordered, I just remember her food looked so much more interesting than mine.
Sara is the author of several best selling cookbooks. Most recently her book Sara Moulton's Every Day Family Dinners received best cookbook of the year award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Read more about her appearance at Taste of Dallas 2010 here.

Passion For Travel

I have happily married my love of makeup and beauty with a passion for travel in my first published travel story. Wanderingeducators.com is a treasure trove of information for all things travel related; well organized and well written. I'm very proud to be the new, travel/style editor.  Read the story here.

Yes Anderson Cooper!

Anderson Cooper was in Dallas in November. Don't ask me why. The important part is I got to meet and work with him as he broadcast 360 Anderson Cooper via satellite from Dallas.  Friendly but, not as talkative as one would expect. However, he is just as good looking in person as he is on camera. So does he need makeup? Definitely. Everyone needs makeup for television. Even Anderson Cooper. If only I could have had 5 more minutes with him in the makeup chair. That's the way it always is, even with high profile people. Thanks to In Motion Imagery for booking me on this. Now what can we do about the guy in the striped shirt?

Beauty and Travel Essentials

My latest story for wanderingeducators.com features products and ideas for making travel more comfortable and assuring you arrive at your destination looking as fresh and as you did at departure,,, almost. Read the story here.

Haircolor Icon Beth Minardi

Recently I had the honor of working with Beth Minardi on a video project, introducing her new product line, Minardi Luxury Hair Care. Beth is an icon in the professional hair color industry. I've been watching her on stage since the beginning of my career, more years than I care to recall. She was a delight to work with, gracious and funny and a natural beauty. Thanks for trusting me Beth. Learn more about Beth Minardi here.

Sometimes You Just Have No Control

For these bridals  I did hair and makeup at my location in Dallas then, the bride flew to San Antonio where these photos were taken. I gave her a few tips on how to keep her makeup fresh and how to touch up for photos since I wasn't going along for the ride. She kindly sent me these after the session with a note, "I think they turned out great." I thought so too considering everything that had transpired between the time she left my place and arrived at the location in San Antonio.
Since photographs are forever I worry about all the details. I want perfection. The note and the photos told me the day had been in a success. Sometimes you have to let go.

Best Of Texas

I love it when a last minute call for work, turns out to be something fun. That's what happened last Friday, when I was in the studio and found out the on camera talent was, Texas musician, Dale Watson.

It had been a long time since I'd seen Dale, and I was happy to be reintroduced to his classic, Texas, country music. My first thought when he walked in the studio was how cool he looked and it wasn't going to be a difficult makeup job. I also discovered he is a really nice and gracious guy.

If you love country music and want to hear someone who is truly original yet "the real deal" Dale Watson and  his band are it. You can catch them most Monday nights in Austin at, The Continental Club. Or check the website for a town near you. Dale Watson Tour Dates