A Lifetime Burning

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of doing the makeup for a wonderfully witty playwright, Cusi Cram. She was being photographed for her new play running at the prestigious 59 E. 59th Primary Stages Theater called A Lifetime Burning through September 5th. 

Meeting Ms. Cram was so wonderful, and she gave me tickets to her play. I took my lovely friend AW, and we were thrilled to 1) See an amazing 90 minutes of theater. Her play featured a wardrobe from Saks, an amazing set (decorated just the way I want my Mulberry Street apartment decorated) and most importantly, a funny dark and contemporary comedy.  AW is a writer and I am picky about what I find entertaining-- so let me tell you how much we laughed and enjoyed the play. We walked back to China(town) from the Upper East Side and spent the whole time praising the acting skills, the wit and charm of the play. I don't go to the theater often, but this is one of those great experiences that has whetted my appetite for more. 2) We sat behind Jon Hamm-- he of MadMen fame and the boyfriend of the play's star, Jennifer Westfeld. 

Cusi came in with beautiful cheekbones, playful freckles and a sophisticated ponytail. She wanted to maintain the look of a serious playwright, but there was no hiding how pretty she was. We kept everything very simple for her: a light moisturizer, such as Oil of Olay's Olay Complete SPF30 sunscreen, a light dusting of Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals in medium beige (the pink tones in the medium beige complemented her pink-gold complexion). The beautiful thing about freckles is that they should be seen, not covered up because they add so much character to the face. We dusted her lids with Bare Escentuals Sheer Radiance-- a very subtle shimmer that you can use anywhere on the face. On the lids and under the brow, they sculpt the eyes and actually highlight the cheekbones. Keeping it more or less natural, we softly rimmed the tops and bottoms of her eyes with a richly pigmented dark shadow-- to give a soft eyeliner effect.  Topping it all off with some mascara, and coloring her lips in with a pink lip liner which was the same color as the inside of her lip. The finishing touch was a light glaze of lipstick.

She looked pulled together and so pretty-- I felt good that she looked so good! 

 She was off to be photographed for the New York Times. The set of her new play (which is sophisticatedly modern, feminine and funny) features a oft-referenced piece by her furniture-maker idol, Eva Zeisel (the designer of the coffee table peeking out in the foreground in the shot above). 

 

The play is about 2 sisters, one of whom has re-written her past and sold it as a memoir (for a fabulous advance) to a publishing house, only to be confronted by her sister-- who demands an explanation. 

Here's the best part: If you're under 35, it's only $20! Trust me, it feels better than going to the movies. Click here to get all the details. 

Go see the play!

Kisses!

S.