TS Q & A With Amy Strozzi - Part 3:

Borrowed from the TalkingShopping.com team.

Alright girls, it's the moment you've all been waiting for...the AMAZING finale of our super-exclusive interview with Sarah Palin's campaign trail makeup artist, Amy Strozzi!

In this installment of our Q & A with the celebrity and Emmy-nominated makeup artist, Amy dishes on all of the details of which brands and what products she used on Gov. Palin and oh-so-much more! Amy let us in on all of the secret specifics, so you can run out and get that flawless glow Gov. Palin was so frequently sporting in her many public appearances! And here it is, the final part of our JUICY interview with Amy Strozzi...

TS Q & A With Amy Strozzi - Part 3:

TS: Were the brands that you used specifically your favorites or did Governor Palin have a preference and ask you to use specific brands?

AS: We did use her personal foundation, Revlon Age Defying Makeup with Botafirm in Medium Beige (pictured; $13.99 at Drugstore.com) as part of her regimen. I just mixed in the GA foundation to give better coverage for television. Mostly, she let me do my thing.

TS: Within those brands, which products did you use the most? Specifically, which products did you use from which brands?

AS: My favorite things to use on the Gov's eyes were Chanel eye shadow quads in Variations (a staple) and Beiges de Chanel. When I wanted a more golden look, I used MAC single shadows in Amber Lights and Romp. Sephora Slim Eye Pencils in Dark Brown, Chocolate Brown, and Black. I loved MAC blush in Gingerly, and Cubic. Chanel blush (pictured below; $42 at Nordstrom) in Horizon, a gorgeous peach and Narcisse, a really soft pink, were both also used frequently. Her lip liner was an automatic L'Oreal pencil in Nudes, which we covered the lip with and then put a gloss over it in a color that I'm only revealing on my blog!

TS: When you met Governor Palin, did you come up with a certain "look" you thought she should have during the campaign trail, or was it a simple color matching process with her skin tone, etc.?

AS: I actually watched various news shows to see what was the standard vibe throughout politics, since it's an arena much different than celebrity or fashion. Plus, this woman was running for an extremely important office, so we had to walk a fine line with keeping her looking beautiful and fresh, but also appropriate for a White House candidate. There were probably three or four core looks I stuck with, using different color combinations to mix it up.

Want to read more of Amy's makeup-savvy insight? Her blog, The Beauty Manifesto is going live next week!

Missed the rest of Amy's exclusive Sarah Palin interview? Check out Part 1 and Part 2:

TS: Which brand(s) of cosmetics did you use when doing Governor Palin's makeup?

AS: I used various brands, as I usually do... in this case, I used a lot of Chanel and MAC as far as eye shadows and blushes...

TS: Have you come to favor one or two specific brands during your days as a makeup artist? If so, why?

AS: I love Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundations; they were originally formulated by Pat McGrath, makeup guru, and give an amazing coverage without being heavy. I also love Chanel eye shadows and MAC cream cheek colors. I probably have bits and pieces from every makeup line out there, whether it's found in a drugstore or Saks Fifth Avenue. L'Oreal Voluminous mascara (pictured; $7.60 at L'Oreal) in Carbon Black is a staple in my kit.

TS: Did you use the same brands on Governor Palin throughout the whole campaign for the most part, or did you mix it up a little?!

AS: I did generally use the same brands, mainly because there was very little time to find a makeup store and pick up anything new. Plus, I was very limited as to how much I could carry; it was a good exercise in creativity. I did switch up some techniques throughout though, and there was a moment where we switched to oil free face powder when the days began to get increasing long.

TS: If Sarah had to pick a favorite product that you used on her, which product and color do you think she would pick?

AS: I remember once, when I was doing a fun gold eye on her with two tones, she said, "I love how you do those eyes Amy..." I think it's difficult for women who wear glasses to find a way of wearing eye shadow that works for them...I wore glasses my whole life, so I have tricks. Also, she got very accustomed to the individual lashes I would put on her every morning....which, unfortunately are not so easy to do yourself!

Right: M.A.C. just released a new gold shadow color, the Brushed Metal-X Shadow in Gold Spice; $16.50 at M.A.C. Great for gold eyes!

Below: TS also loves Bobbi Brown's new Copper diamond Shimmer Brick to blend a few different shades of gold on the eyes and face; $40 at Bobbi Brown.

TS: Is Governor Palin's skin just naturally flawless (as it appears on TV), and the makeup was simply used to highlight her natural beauty, or did having her makeup done really change the look of her face?

AS: I have said this to just about everyone I speak to...the Governor's skin is the most beautiful skin I have ever worked with. Of course, makeup always helps to create an even canvas, but the condition of her skin was flawless. I attribute it to the clean Alaskan air, lots of fresh fish and protein, and a good fitness regime.

TS: Did Sarah seem to enjoy having her makeup done and learn a lot about how to properly apply makeup, or was she more apprehensive about the makeup process?

AS: She was definitely a bit apprehensive at first, which I think is normal for any woman who is used to doing everything for themselves, and then suddenly having a million people around you doing everything for you. The whole point of having so much assistance on the trail is to leave the candidate as free as possible to have meetings, do their reading, and tend to more official business.