Pro-Artist Picks: Two Pros-Like-Them Makeup Brands Worth Noticing If You Haven't Already

I kvetch a lot about needing more days in an hour, or more weeks in a day. More time, please. And one of the things I'd do with that more time is finally get to trying properly a couple of pro-favourite brands I've been hearing about for years.

You must know about Calgary-based Face Atelier by now. Founder Debbie Bondar switched gears mid- business career to create and launch the brand, which has grown very well thanks to its popularity with pro artists. I'm intrigued by Facade, a liquid-to-powder matte tint, and Ultra Matte, a silicone-based spray mattifier. Face Atelier's silicone-based Ultra Foundation is a particular hit for how great it looks on skin, and has been featured in a host of mags internationally. I do have one; just have to give it a go (I rarely apply foundation in my back-of-the-cab routine, just concealer and powder). I've worn it before, though -- makeup-pro pal Andrea Claire used it on me; I'm wearing it in this photo with her.

Andrea is also a longtime fan of Yaby, a makeup line started by Toronto-based artist Liz Yu in 2007. Yu, who has been a makeup artist for 8 years, says about 90 per cent of her business comes from industry types. Certainly I've heard about Yaby from other pros, including Diana Carreiro, who uses her handy palette cases, and Veronica Chu, who raves about the "so ultra-vibrant" waterproof World of Pearl paints and about being able to fit so many colours into her kit. The palette in the photo at the top of this post is of Andrea's (she loves the shadows because they're highly pigmented and blend really well), taken on set during our cover shoot (see it on ET Canada) for the September issue of TheKit.

Other items that caught my eye on the Yaby website: empty refillable tubes with leakproof lids, the pre-set dramatically neutral palette (which is the one in the top photo)... and if you notice, everything is very reasonably priced. Pro artists can also apply for an industry discount of 20 per cent. (Face Atelier has a pro program, too.)

Do you know Face Atelier? Yaby? Have you used any of their makeup?

The made-in-Canada connections seem fairly obvious, right? I haven't yet had confirmation as to whether Face Atelier products are made in Canada, but can tell you that Yaby products are not. They're designed here, though, and creator Liz Yu, although made in Liverpool, England, was produced in Kingston, ON. Andrea Claire is also a Canuck, from Kitchener-Waterloo. Diana Carreiro is Canadian too (I'll get back to you re: Veronica Chu). And of course The Kit is made in Canada.