LR: You also work with plastic surgeons. How did you get involved with this kind of work and what exactly does it entail?

JB: At a wrap party back in the early '70s I met a well-known Beverly Hills plastic surgeon by the name of George Semel, who does reconstructive work. I explained that I was in the process of formulating my own makeup products, and that many of them could, I thought, be used for postoperative work: to conceal the redness, bruises and discoloration's that occur after plastic surgery, facial peeling, rhinoplasty and various other procedures. I sent him sample products to experiment with, and he told me which products he thought worked well in covering redness and bruises. I incorporated his recommendations into the products that I was making. Before you knew it, I ended up with a complete line of products specifically intended to cover bruises, redness, discoloration's and blemishes.

I also worked for three years as a makeup artist for the Humana hospital chain, lecturing at the hospitals' burn centers and demonstrating how my Dermaceal products could be used to effectively cover scars and surface discoloration's, such as birthmarks.

Joe Blasco demonstrates the techniques of glamour makeup.

I still work with Dr. Semel occasionally, but right now I'm intensely involved with researching and developing the new products we'll be introducing this fall. We're coming out with 50 new lipsticks and approximately 30 new eyeshadows. We'll also be introducing several new types of products, including a highly pigmented makeup for liplining and a blemish cover for teenagers.

LR: Are the formulations for medical makeup different from formulations for other types of makeup?

JB: Joe Blasco Cosmetics formulations in general are different from some other cosmetics inasmuch as we don't use any animal byproducts or chemicals known to cause allergenic reaction. Most cosmetics that are in cream form are made up of approximately 10% to 15% pigment and 85% to 90/o wax and oil. The predominant component in our cream bases, on the other hand, is pigment. This enables the user to achieve good coverage with a very thin application. That characteristic alone makes it ideal for use as a medical makeup, but it also makes it ideal for any application-motion picture, television and every day.

The other unique characteristic of our product line is its wide range of flesh tones, which have been designed to duplicate the actual undertones of the different races of human skin. When you apply this makeup, it not only goes on thin and covers completely, but it also blends perfectly with the natural undertone and color of your skin. This helps prevent that tell tale line at your jawline.

LR: What prompted you to manufacture your own makeup products?

JB: Well, for approximately 20 years I worked as a makeup artist in the film and television industry as personal makeup artist for Carol Burnett, Rona Barrett, Olivia Newton John, Bette Midler, Charo, Lauren Bacall, Orson Wells and many other celebrities.

I was very lucky, actually, to work for eight years with Rona Barrett on her TV interview show doing makeup for many celebrities. Working with different people, I learned about the many varieties of skin tone and because each of these celebrities had a favorite makeup, I worked with many different products. Most of the makeups were much the same-very low in pigment and too orange, pink or yellow in color. Few colors really looked natural; you had to blend and mix a lot. I would end up creating colors that worked well for each of these people, and from mixing all of these colors and working with so many different consistencies and textures, I learned what made a good makeup.

And so I began experimenting, because I felt someone should change the products that were available to the professional makeup artist to make them more user-friendly. At about the same time, the lighting changed with the advent of fast film. The new low-light film emulsions and low-light television cameras didn't require the subject to be lighted so intensely, which meant the colors of the make-ups needed to be changed to be more natural in appearance. It took me about 15 years, really, to develop the process for my makeup line.

"In the past, the television and film processes bid almost any bad makeup application, but today, what you see is what you get. If you don't do it right, everybody knows it."

LR: Do you update your line according to industry trends? How often?

JB: We find that it's not usually necessary to update the line, as far as industry is concerned, more than once every five years. There are advances being made in the film and television processes, but once you get to a point where you've created a make-up that duplicates nature, where else do you go?

The only thing that changes are trends and styles: color palettes and the manner in which makeup is applied. For instance, do we apply eyeliner? Or not? Eyelashes? Lipliner? These are seasonal trends normally dictated by the cosmetic industry. We will try to invent new colors, which is somewhat difficult since there's really nothing new under the sun. Basically, we just keep reinventing or trying to make things better than they were; occasionally we make a mistake and end up with something really great!

LR: How have technology and the evolution of the movie industry influenced makeup and makeup artistry?

JB: You can't do heavy makeup anymore and get away with it. It takes quite a bit of skill to be able to apply corrective makeup that doesn't look heavy. In the past, the television and film processes hid almost any bad makeup application, but today, what you see is what you get. If you don't do it right, everybody knows it.

LR: Before you began to manufacture your own line, which brand or brands did you use? Were you brand loyal?

JB: Absolutely. I was an avid fan primarily of Max Factor first. In the late '60s I worked as the West Coast sales representative for a company called RCMA - the Research Council of Makeup Artists. The company was formed by an East Coast makeup artist named Vin Kehoe, who was actually the first, that I know of, to come along and try to improve upon the Max Factor formula. And I felt, at that time, that he was very successful.

Here's a funny story that no one knows: When I was working for the RCMA company as a West Coast rep I called William Tuttle, who was the head of makeup at MGM for 30 or 40 years.