What made you want to get into Makeup Artistry? I've always adored beauty and fashion since I was a pre teen. But I got my kick in the pants when I started interning at John Robert Powers Model and Talent in the 90's. Being surrounded by industry professionals filled me with desire to be in the creation process behind the camera.
How long have you been doing makeup? For about 10 years now I have been applying makeup on other people, other than myself, just for fun. And about a year and a half ago I went Pro as my main source of income.
How did you learn to do makeup? I am mostly self taught through practice and experimentation. I get ideas from YouTube video tutorials. I read a million books, fashion magazines, and blogs. I organize and implement photo shoots for practice work. And I take any chance I can to get a friend to come over and be a model for me! I also attend workshops as often as possible. I am a MAC Pro and a Make Up Forever Backstage card holder so I often take classes with them whenever local. But mostly all of my skill has been developed just through practise work. It's essential! Trial and error is the best way to learn. I have not attended a Makeup or Cosmetology school. I've thought about it. With a makeup school I am leaning towards but I am much more advanced than what is offered locally and you don't need to be a certified makeup artist in California. So it may be a waste of money. Cosmetology school teaches colors and cuts mostly to work in a salon to do hair and I am not sure that is my path.
How would you describe your makeup style? I would explain my makeup style as sexy and beautiful. As much as I love the advante garde, I tend to put a softer spin to the look. I love to make woman look like bombshells. So I guess you can say I'm not conservative but not too much on the liberal side. I'd like to think of it as a good healthy balance between the two. My favorite go to look right now is a soft metallic eyeshadow and winged black liner with a bold lip color. I also like my blush and lips to coordinate.
What inspires you to create your looks? Anything can inspire me. An emotion, a movie, song, or state of mind. Nature, color, clothing, era's, holiday's, just about anything you can think of.
What are your favorite brands to use? Back in the 90's I was introduced to MAC cosmetics and never looked back for a very long time. Yep, I was a MAC whore. Then I discovered that in this day and age there so many amazing quality brands out there. You can find everything from L'Oreal to Dior in my makeup stash. It's not what you have, but how you use it that counts.
What foundations & concealers do you recommend? My favorite foundation personally is the Makeup Forever HD foundation (I range anywhere from a 118-155 depending on my tan!) and Mary Kay Time Wise Matte Foundation. I'm a Beige 3-7, and sometimes mix in a Bronze 3 if I am really tan. If I am on the oily side I will just use the Mary Kay Matte. Otherwise I mix the Mary Kay and the MUFE and I get the perfect finish!
What eyeshadows do you recommend? What's important about the eyeshadow you use is if it will be pigmented, easy to apply and will last. I have found over the years that the cheap brands don't always make the cut. I personally use MAC, MUFE, and I love the BH Cosmetics and Coastal Scents palettes. With the palettes you get a ton of color for a low price. I recommend them to everyone experimenting with makeup and color for very little risk and lots of pay off.
What blushes/bronzers/contour powders do you recommend? MAC and MUFE have great colors and nice pigmentation. I also love NARS color sticks. My favorites are Orgasm and Maui. You can use them on your cheeks, eyes, lips, anywhere! Bronzers with no shimmer are great to contour your face softly. If you use one with shimmer go easy on it. I personally use MAC's. I also like Coastal Scents 10 color blush palette.
What lipsticks and liners do you recommend? I've had the best experience with MAC, MUFE, and Mary Kay. I also like L'Oreal and Revlon Colorstay. NYX has a nice selection at a great price too. I love NYX Mega Shine Lipglosses. My personal favorite colors right now are MAC Lady Danger, Lady Bug, Pink Noveau, Crosswires, and Mary Kay Hibiscus & Apricot Nectar.
What eye liners and mascara do you recommend? Waterproof eyeliners are a must. Urban Decay 24/7 is a great pencil. MAC fluideline is a great gel. For Mascara I love MAC Opulash, L'Oreal Voluminous and Million Lashes. I use the L'Oreal in the waterproof version for my brides. I have tried them all and I always go back to L'Oreal Voluminous because the price and quality are amazing!
Where do you get your false eyelashes? False eyelashes are my passion! I get mainly all my lashes from http://www.madamemadeline.com/. They have so many to choose from at really reasonable prices. I have also found unique lashes on Ebay and at the Halloween Superstores during the season. If you go the day after Halloween you can pick up a bunch at a discounted rate! Make Up Forever also has an incredible line up of unique lashes.
How long does it take you to do your makeup? For my everyday look I don't spend more then 15 minutes. For more elaborate looks it can take 1/2 hour or more depending on the complexity.
Where do you get your wigs? I am such a huge fan of wigs. It can change any look in an instant with out the commitment of cutting or coloring your hair. I love to go to http://www.voguewigs.com/ and Ebay. Some of the ones from China are amazing especially for cosplay or character wigs.
I'm an aspiring makeup artist. How do I break into the business? The fastest advice I can give you is to start working on a portfolio and practice practice practice. The more you work on other people's faces the more comfortable you will get. Everyone has a different skin type, eye shape, face shape, skin color etc. There is so much to know. Start watching YouTube and reading books. Once you get enough practice and a portfolio build a website and get business cards. Tell everyone what you are doing. You may have to do a ton of free work to get yourself out there and breaking in the business requires a lot of work, persistence and patience!
I'm a model. If there isn't a MUA on set what should I bring to do my own makeup? If they won't hire an artist see if you can get one to go with you. Trust me, it will be well worth it! You may even be able to get an artist who will work for free to build their portfolio. At least they will have the kit and skills. If that isn't possible then you will have to go it alone. Make sure you have a foundation color that matches your collarbone to make sure your face won't get washed out. If your foundation is too light the flash will wash it out even more. Use HD products if you can get them. Matte foundations will hold up best under intense lights. Go to http://www.bhcosmetics.com/ and get the 120 color palettes. There are so many ranges of colors you should be covered for what the photographer or client will want to see. Also pick up their 10 color blush palette and the lip palette. Bring waterproof mascara. Make sure you have a brush kit and some nude lip liners.
What are your future plans with your makeup artist business? It's all baby steps right now. But I do have a bigger picture. First I want to continue learning more and gaining knowledge. I would like to offer Hairstyling as an individual service. Possibly even mobile tanning. I will be renovating my home studio to gain more space and be able to put up a mini photography studio and recording studio for video tutorials. I also plan on having a consistent weekly release of video tutorials and blog posts. I want to share what I know with all of you. Eventually I want to be THE go to Bridal Stylist in my area with a storefront location to meet customers, offer products and have a team of stylists. I would also have a studio to provide services for in house photo shoots.
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