Let It Rain

Most makeup artists fall into their careers, but Rain Andreani was thrown into hers. When her fashion photographer husband's makeup artist didn't show for a shoot one day, he looked to Andreani to fill in. Like a kid who learns to swim after getting pushed into the deep end, the celebrity makeup artist and owner of Rain Cosmetics Boutique would've probably never made the leap on her own.

Her only makeup experience prior to that day consisted of at-home makeovers for friends, but the 28-year-old UNLV graduate and one time aspiring broadcast journalist soon discovered a hidden talent. She worked on more shoots and made a habit of staying late so she could study each shot to master her craft.

With her husband's help, the referrals mounted. Rubbing elbows with the likes of local celebrity hairstylist Michael Boychuck resulted in a job for Paris Hilton. After that, most Andreani's clients came with a red carpet attached to them. Her brushes have touched the faces of Mandy Moore and, her "dream" client, Britney Spears.

Today, she is the proud owner of the new Rain Cosmetics Boutique. Her namesake line fills the store.

"My clients always say, 'I love it. How can I duplicate this look?' " she says. "Now they can take (Rain Cosmetics) home with them."

In creating her line, Andreani wanted to fuse an artistry line (highly pigmented products) with a consumer line (luxurious packaging) and wanted each product to cater to our dry desert weather. Some of the standouts from the line that debuted in March include Lip Therapy, a lip conditioner treatment with rain drop packaging; Diva Quad Eye Shadow, highly pigmented shadows; Natural Dual Mineral Foundation, which can be used dry or wet; and Sexy Extreme Lipgloss, a long-lasting and nonsticky lip gloss formula.

Popular cosmetic lines have a reputation for getting creative with their product names. MAC's lipsticks vary from Shroom to Voom and who could forget NARS' Orgasm blush? After attending Great Looks Academy and working with a chemist to perfect her products, Andreani approached the naming process as "the fun part." She recalled reading that all Loreal's lipsticks were named after coffee shops in Paris and decided to do the same, only with hot spots in Vegas. Rehab, TAO, Tryst, Bare, The Bank -- all of them earn a shout out on lip glosses and eyeshadows.

Price points for the line run from $14 for Lip Therapy and $88 for the Super Deluxe Kabuki Brush.

Rain Cosmetics Boutique -- a sparkling white space -- isn't just a storefront for Andreani's makeup line, which is also sold at Amp Salon at the Palms and Color at Caesars. A larger area behind the boutique features several vanities and makeup chairs that she uses for makeup lessons (prices start at $350 for partial day classes). She can cover everything from the basics to how to flatter your eye color to selecting the perfect foundation for your skin. Like her makeup idol Kevyn Aucoin, Andreani believes "there are no rules in makeup," but a little guidance never hurt anyone.

Plus, the woman thrown into the world of makeup can't help but wonder what her clients might do with the information she teaches them. "That's why I want to give education," she says. "You, too, can be a professional."

Rain Cosmetics Boutique is located at 1215 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite 105, 866-221-8247.