"Diaries of a makup artist"
1. Absolute beauty!
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It may be subjective, but as a world traveler I think France has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.
You have beautiful beaches with charming coastlines. Large mountain ranges with famous ski resorts. Countryside's filled with castles historical monuments and farms.
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Whether you fancy a destination chateau wedding or a Paris wedding in a gothic church. France has everything there is to offer.
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The city of lights. The city of love. The city of extravagant beauty. This is reason enough to get married in Paris or another region of France.
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2. Reasonable travel prices.
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Planning your wedding well in advance can save you and your guests a lot of money.
There are several discount airlines that offer comfortable flights for a small price. Try for an off season month like April or September.
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3. The opportunity to give your guests a foreign experience.
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There are several good reasons why France is a top tourist destination.
Having a wedding in France allows your guests to experience a place that offers something new.
Sharing a celebration of love in a far away place will bring a memorable bond that will last a lifetime.
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4. There are too many perfect locations for your ceremony.
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As mentioned earlier, you have every kind of landscape in France.
You can have your ceremony in any type of environment that you prefer.
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There are several travel agencies and wedding planners who specialise in destination weddings.
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They can take the load off of your shoulders and plan everything from A to Z for yourself as well as your guests. You do not need to know what places to go visit after or what accommodations would be best for your guests.
They will take care of all of the details.
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5. Perfect options for every season.
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The weather in France has the best to offer for each season.
You will experience a variation of high to low temperatures as well as sunny versus rainy days will differ greatly, in particular in mid and winter seasons.
However, generally, all regions of France enjoy warm and sunny summer months.
In the Southern regions the days will start earlier in the year and will end later, extending the potential wedding season from Spring to Autumn.
Your options include, the beautiful mountain resorts or the Mediterranean climate of the French Riviera, means that a winter wedding can be considered as a great alternative to the summer wedding season.
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The best part is the budget savings for a wedding in paradise!
I take to heart that the quest for a makeup artist and hairstylist is not easy.
Especially when it is your wedding!
There are several boxes that need to be checked.
The first step is taking time to view websites and social media. Look for photos that have not been overly photoshopped.
I also recommend looking for photos of people who have the same skin tones and hair colour as you do!
It will be an excellent guide in helping you choose a colour palette and style that best suits you.
When you find an artist whose work resonates with you, then it's time to check out his/her reviews.
A big part of choosing a makeup artist and hairstylist is feeling secure that you are working with someone who is a good communicator, reliable and professional.
Reviews are a fantastic way to see how others feel about their experiences.
Having a phone call with your artist to discuss all of the details is very important.
Many things can get be misunderstood if you are just communicating via email.
It's also very important to have a good connection with your bridal makeup artist and hairstylist.
You will be trusting them with creating a captivating look for your wedding and you need to feel confident and comfortable.
This is a significant step for setting yourself up for success.
There are many makeup artists and hairstylists, but it's very important that you choose the right match for you!
Most makeup artists and hair stylists see getting a agent as one of their top career achievements.
After attending IMATS, here are a few suggestions from agency representatives.
1. The work you have in your book should show that you will bring value to the agency. It is important that you have excellent test shoot images, as well as work from paid jobs and tear sheets (work that was published and is in print).
2. Your book should show the agency that you have experience working on multiple sets with a full crew, so they have confidence sending you on a variety of assignments. They should be able to see this by the types of clients you have worked with.
3. Your portfolio should be immaculate and beautifully presented. They will want to see a book full of neatly cut out full page tears.
4. Of course every agent is different but most will want to see you are confident producing clean beauty looks. Clean in that it shows the agent that you know how to edit your work. The “no makeup-makeup” is a basic “must know” to be signed by a bigger agency.
5. When building your book, stay away from avant garde.This suggestion was shared by several of the agencies speaking at The Makeup Show in Los Angeles. No feathers, rhinestones and colourful lashes when you’re testing.
6. Agencies can spot a bad or overdone Photoshop job a mile away and generally don’t want to see overly Photoshopped photos from tests in your book . If your photos show skin that is butter smooth without any realistic texture but all the texture in your eyeshadow and lashes are still there, then it was definitely photoshopped.
7. Before seeking an agency it is really important to do your home work. They will want to know that you have studied their artists as well as their work and that it matches what you want to do with your career.
8. Assisting the artists at a top agency is a great way to start building your report with the agency. If you call the agency to put yourself forward for assisting opportunities mention specific artists you would like to assist. This gives them an idea of the direction you want to take your work and your inspiration. Make sure to also make it known that you are available to assist all of their artists, so they know you are willing to assist anyone they represent.
9. Once you feel your book is ready you need to start by calling the agencies or checking the websites of the agencies that you are interested in to find out what their submission process is. Also, ask if they are adding artists. Do not continue to bother the agencies or artists if you do not hear back right away. Allow a good amount of time before reaproaching them with new updates on work as well if they didn’t have a spot for you at the time you called.
10. Not sure if your book is good enough to approach an agency? As a guideline when you are ready your work should be in line with the other artists represented by the agencies you are approaching. When in doubt, ask a working artist in your area or online that you think would help give you an honest opinion.
Best of luck!
Adding emotion to what's so!
There's what happens and what we make up about what happens.
This is a constant issue that interrupts daily life.
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Assumptions! Adding meaning to things that are happening. Having anxiety over guessing what someone else is feeling. What a waste of time!
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I am often asked if I have to work with difficult clients or bridezillas.
The honest answer, is that it is very rare. I have been doing hair and makeup for almost 20 years and I have met so many inspiring, kind and beautiful human beings!
There are infrequent times when a client is asking for something that isn't possible for them due to different features, skin type, hair length or texture. I do my best to explain why it's not possible and fortunately for me, its usually understood. I have often taken an idea that I had my heart set on to my hairstylist and been told, "sorry hun, this just won't work for you".
In the end the honesty is appreciated.
As a makeup artist and a hairstylist my clients vary from bridal, elopement photoshoots, fashion, editorial and production.
Models and actors are very easy to work with because they are used to seeing theirselves in different looks and they trust that you know your job.
It seems like many people including myself deal with some sort of anxiety.
When you are a sensitive person who cares very much about your effect on people and if they are happy with you, this can be a problem.
Where do you draw the line of giving 100% customer satisfaction and not letting peoples personal anxieties over something they nor you can control, take over.
This is very hard when you are working in close proximity to someone who is overwhelmed with insecurity that is thrust in your direction.
How to handle it?
My advice is, stay calm!
Really listen to any changes that the client wants to make and reassure them that it is easily possible to make changes.
As long as it's not something that isn't.
Clients don't always understand that makeup for photography isn't the same as the style of makeup that you wear everyday. Pinterest and Instagram photos do not help this issue.
There is a huge non reality with images that are photoshopped and unfortunately most people do not understand that. It is the same with hairstyling.
Sometimes a client won't understand that the person in the picture is wearing extensions, has a different haircut or hair texture. Once you explain and give them alternative options they usually understand.
J Lo's artist put it perfectly when he said that his makeup looks heavy in person and amazing on camera.
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It's part of our job to know how to give the client what they want while catering to what's best for the purpose of the look.
During the summer of 2017 I had the opportunity to play a makeup artist in a box office movie starring Gina Rodriguez. The film is directed by Catherine Hardwicke who directed Twilight among many other great films.
I set out to Mexico with a few other artists for our upcoming journey of tasting what it's like to be in front of the camera in a small role. This was my first time working on this large of a production. The first film I worked on as a makeup artist was also filmed in Mexico, but trying my hand at acting was a new and enticing experience. We spent 2 days shooting our scenes, with the unexpected guidance from Gina Rodriguez. The movie comes out February 1st 2019.
As we are going into a new year, it's the time that I like to think about what I accomplished in the year before and what I'd like to do differently going forward.
How can I add to my game and bring more satisfaction to my clients while continuing to create the life and work that I love?
A few years back I took a ballet class with a hilariously sarcastic and charismatic teacher named Ryan.
From the start we've shared a friendship that has allowed us to make fun of each other while enhancing one another's creative talents.
He also happens to be one of my favorite photographers, experienced in many genres including, weddings, bridal photoshoots, pre weddings and elopements.
His niche is definitely dance photography. It was an honor to shoot with him, as he brings out my crazy weird side that sometimes lives dormant within...
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The collaboration between artists is essential.
We can exchange ideas and move any creative opportunity forward with new concepts. For clients this is always a great asset.
As a makeup artist in Paris its important to have a few great photographers from all over the world who are aligned with the same vision and work ethics.
A question that I am often asked is if I know how to work with darker skin tones.
The answer is yes. Plenty of experience!
My first African American client was a actor and musician by the name of Wayne Brady.
We were shooting a show in LA and as I was not told that we would be working with him. I also did not have his shade of foundation. BIG MISTAKE!!!
I was relatively new to HD and "On Camera" in general. My heart began to pump again when he told that he prefers to wear powder only.
The lesson in general was...
1. Always be prepared for anything!
2. Have a clear understanding of color theory and how to work with different skin tones.
3. Have fun! Try out different methods and techniques to add to your skill set.
10 years later, I have a full grasp of how to enhance darker complexions. It's taken some trial and error, but I have assisted some of the best African American makeup artists who have given me exceptional guidance.
It's been a hot minute since I worked in the fashion world as a makeup artist and hairstylist.
It's where I started my training when doing makeup with Shu Uemura for runway shows.
I've been more focused on Bridal the last 2 years, but moving to Paris has given me a fresh new chance to chase new rainbows and shoot with fashion photographers.
There is no better way to reawaken a genre of beauty that is always evolving.
For me it's important to be versatile and to master several styles.
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​ Salut, to new beginnings, or shall I say, revisiting old passions!
A scar
Freckles
Crooked teeth
A big nose
Wide set eyes
The list goes on....
We define beauty for ourselves and hopefully you have the depth to explore beyond the physical and find it in everything and everyone you see!
Makeup can reflect culture, an era, it can be symbolic and most importantly, it represents our own individual self expression!
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As a makeup artist and hairstylist I work with all forms of beauty and styles.
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To me this quote represents prioritizing success so that it does not interfere with valuable time spent with the people who matter the most.
Being a makeup artist and hairstylist has required me to become a entrepreneur of a self spun business.
There's more time and effort than I imagined, but it's worth it to do what I love.
I realize that my path is chosen and that I am responsible for my destiny. Being your own boss is a huge responsibility and it requires constant integrity and constant action.
Makeup and Hairstyling are small factors when it comes to being a boss lady!
It's been a few weeks since the Cannes Lions Festival in the French Riviera...
I spent 3 days working particularly in the "GIRLS LOUNGE". A rooftop area reserved for interviews with some of the most powerful women in the Entertainment industry including, Katie Couric, Sophia Bush, Kerry Washington, Ellen Pompeo, Rebecca Minkoff and more.
It was more than inspiring and an honor to hear their stories of what it takes to be a powerful female force!
So much more than a makeup job…
Every artists seeks inspiration from different forms.
As a makeup artist and a professional dancer I live for the moments that an idea turns on inside of my mind.
When creating beauty looks, it usually happens when my client is sitting right in front of me. Something peeks through in regards to what would make their look more unique and what would pronounce their beauty even more.
It is the unique factors that we all have.
It's our personalities, our style or just the energy that beams from within!
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I moved to Paris in April of 2018 and it was a completely new world.
I reached out to many people for collaborations and the right people answered back.
I've noticed that successful people are excellent communicators and they are open to new partnerships and seeing what could be possible in a new prospect.
Starting over in a new country after being established wasn't easy.
It was humbling, but it is totally worth it.
Starting a beauty business that strives for exceptional service has been my goal from the start.
My plan is to keep up my game, growing from year to year and hopefully expanding my business.
I want to create new goals that include training for new makeup artists and hairstylists.
Our industry needs more guidance in not only the artistic side, but the business side as well.
We have so much knowledge at our disposal.
So much inspiration and so much to share!