I'm so sorry It's taken me so long to update this blog. Since I finished beauty school I've been non stop hustling! So far I've done a few test shoots, I did makeup for The Ohio State Murders and the launch event for Beauty.com. Dude, I'm a makeup artist!
Check out some of my work on Model Mayhem.com. The link is posted above. And I promise to update this more often from now on!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Beauty School Wrap Up
I've spent the last nine weeks at beauty school learning all about fashion and glamor makeup. I have loved just about every minute of it, even those days when I felt like I should have never picked up the foundation brush. I'll try to give as much detail and share as much knowledge with you as I can. But I won't give away all my secrets - I still need to make a living at this eventually!
As a woman in my 30's I was afraid I'd be surrounded by a bunch of girls just out of high school, thus making me feel old as hell. Luckily there was a nice mix of girls in their 20's and women in their late 30's early 40's I was kind of in the middle in my almost mid 30's. We were all so nervous, and quiet. Luckily, there's nothing like celebrity gossip to bring people together. That and our makeup teacher Frederick Sanders. He is a fantastic teacher and has really become a mentor to me and all the women in my class. He's also an awesome makeup artist!
On the first day of class, he said to us "show me what you got". We did our own faces in our own style to show him what we could do. He wanted to get a sense of our skills and our aesthetic. I'm sure we all thought we rocked it and walked out of class all cocky. Then the real work began.
It is a well known expression that you have to crawl before you walk. Most of the girls in class wanted to use crazy colors and really let lose and be creative. But you've got to learn the basics first. This began with Documentary makeup.
This is best described as they way you wish you looked when you woke up in the morning. It's a no makeup look. the crazy thing is, it takes a lot of makeup to look like you're not wearing any! Here's a pic of one of my first assignments.
One of the things I struggled with the most was eyebrows. Before school I never did anything with my eyebrows, and certainly didn't know what to do with other people's eyebrows. It took a while for me to understand how to shape and fill in and blend them.
As we moved on in the class we learned what's called Stage 1 makeup. Think a housewife on a TV sitcom. Not a glamor look by any means, but probably more made up than the average person. Still natural, but with a little something extra. Here's a pic of Stage 1
Eyebrows looking better, yes? I think so!
Then we did Stage 2 which is a red carpet look. We still weren't using much color as our makeup kits only had neutrals. The wildest color we had was black. We started gradually using color. Okay, here's a tip: Just because it's blush doesn't mean you only use it on your cheeks! Color is color and you can use almost any product anywhere on the face! It was really fun to experiment!
Finally we started using colors. Our kits only came with the basics. Frederick took us on a field trip and we found the most amazing bargains on makeup. What I loved more than anything was experimenting with color and buying colors I would have never ever bought before. I never thought Pink eyeshadow would look good on me, but check me out!
One of my favorite moments was learning how to properly do an open and closed smoky eye. Here's my version of a closed smoky eye using black and pink eye shadows.
Eventually we had to do our fantasy looks. This was particularly difficult for me, as I am not a particularly experimental makeup artist. We had to get inspired by something and then interpret it. My inspiration was Star Trek of the 1970's. Particularly Lieutenant Uhura. I love her look! So glamorous with her black winged eyeliner, frosty lipstick and big hair. But then I thought that was too simplistic. so I started thinking Klingon. I will not show a pic. I absolutely hated what I did and never took a picture. Everyone else did an amazing job. I just wasn't proud of what I did and it was probably one of my lowest points in the class.
For our final exam there were three parts. One was we had to interpret a look that was "J-Lo meets Lucille Ball" on our own faces. WTF? I unfortunately don't have any pictures of my creation, because I got a near perfect score! The second part was the written exam. Finally we had to work with a model (one we weren't used to) and re-create a look from a face chart. I loved my look and so did my teacher!
The two lines extending from the inner corners of her eyes were part of the look. I thought they looked weird, but ... My model said her eyebrows were the best they've ever looked. I was really proud of that!
Guys! I'm a makeup Artist!!!!
As a woman in my 30's I was afraid I'd be surrounded by a bunch of girls just out of high school, thus making me feel old as hell. Luckily there was a nice mix of girls in their 20's and women in their late 30's early 40's I was kind of in the middle in my almost mid 30's. We were all so nervous, and quiet. Luckily, there's nothing like celebrity gossip to bring people together. That and our makeup teacher Frederick Sanders. He is a fantastic teacher and has really become a mentor to me and all the women in my class. He's also an awesome makeup artist!
On the first day of class, he said to us "show me what you got". We did our own faces in our own style to show him what we could do. He wanted to get a sense of our skills and our aesthetic. I'm sure we all thought we rocked it and walked out of class all cocky. Then the real work began.
It is a well known expression that you have to crawl before you walk. Most of the girls in class wanted to use crazy colors and really let lose and be creative. But you've got to learn the basics first. This began with Documentary makeup.
This is best described as they way you wish you looked when you woke up in the morning. It's a no makeup look. the crazy thing is, it takes a lot of makeup to look like you're not wearing any! Here's a pic of one of my first assignments.
One of the things I struggled with the most was eyebrows. Before school I never did anything with my eyebrows, and certainly didn't know what to do with other people's eyebrows. It took a while for me to understand how to shape and fill in and blend them.
As we moved on in the class we learned what's called Stage 1 makeup. Think a housewife on a TV sitcom. Not a glamor look by any means, but probably more made up than the average person. Still natural, but with a little something extra. Here's a pic of Stage 1
Eyebrows looking better, yes? I think so!
Then we did Stage 2 which is a red carpet look. We still weren't using much color as our makeup kits only had neutrals. The wildest color we had was black. We started gradually using color. Okay, here's a tip: Just because it's blush doesn't mean you only use it on your cheeks! Color is color and you can use almost any product anywhere on the face! It was really fun to experiment!
Finally we started using colors. Our kits only came with the basics. Frederick took us on a field trip and we found the most amazing bargains on makeup. What I loved more than anything was experimenting with color and buying colors I would have never ever bought before. I never thought Pink eyeshadow would look good on me, but check me out!
One of my favorite moments was learning how to properly do an open and closed smoky eye. Here's my version of a closed smoky eye using black and pink eye shadows.Eventually we had to do our fantasy looks. This was particularly difficult for me, as I am not a particularly experimental makeup artist. We had to get inspired by something and then interpret it. My inspiration was Star Trek of the 1970's. Particularly Lieutenant Uhura. I love her look! So glamorous with her black winged eyeliner, frosty lipstick and big hair. But then I thought that was too simplistic. so I started thinking Klingon. I will not show a pic. I absolutely hated what I did and never took a picture. Everyone else did an amazing job. I just wasn't proud of what I did and it was probably one of my lowest points in the class.
For our final exam there were three parts. One was we had to interpret a look that was "J-Lo meets Lucille Ball" on our own faces. WTF? I unfortunately don't have any pictures of my creation, because I got a near perfect score! The second part was the written exam. Finally we had to work with a model (one we weren't used to) and re-create a look from a face chart. I loved my look and so did my teacher!
The two lines extending from the inner corners of her eyes were part of the look. I thought they looked weird, but ... My model said her eyebrows were the best they've ever looked. I was really proud of that!Guys! I'm a makeup Artist!!!!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Love the new Nail Polish Trend...
Which is Navy Blue Nails. I don't know where I was but I completely missed the whole Black Nail Polish Trend. I'd never even heard of Chanel Black Satin until a few days ago while flipping through Australian Vogue at a newsstand.
I've always loved dark polish and when Chanel's legitimized dark nails with Vamp in the 90's I was all over that!
My favorite color is Russian Navy by OPI. After picking it up on my lunch break, my co workers all loved the color and wanted it too. I'd taken a picture to show you guys, but my digital camera is uncooperative at the moment.
I'll be doing a beauty school update really soon. Suffice it to say that I am ready to be a makeup artist and can't wait to get started.
I've always loved dark polish and when Chanel's legitimized dark nails with Vamp in the 90's I was all over that!
My favorite color is Russian Navy by OPI. After picking it up on my lunch break, my co workers all loved the color and wanted it too. I'd taken a picture to show you guys, but my digital camera is uncooperative at the moment.
I'll be doing a beauty school update really soon. Suffice it to say that I am ready to be a makeup artist and can't wait to get started.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Drive-by Entry
I wish I had more time to dish, but my schedule is crazy. I'm on the go from 6 AM to 11 PM. Plus I've had to work the past two weekends and will have to again this weekend.
I will say this: I love my makeup class. I'm learning so much and the way I do makeup has changed so dramatically. I have so much to tell you about and I can't wait to share pictures of my work and great tips I've learned. I just have no time to share. I promise I will as soon as my schedule calms down.
I will say this: I love my makeup class. I'm learning so much and the way I do makeup has changed so dramatically. I have so much to tell you about and I can't wait to share pictures of my work and great tips I've learned. I just have no time to share. I promise I will as soon as my schedule calms down.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Yes, You Should Wear Sunscreen!
I know you don't wanna. You're saying to me right now, "but I'm brown. I've been blessed with melanin. I already look several years younger than my age, and my granmama ain't never had no real wrinkles like that!"
Au Contraire, mis amis (if that's not spelled right, I only took one semester of French and got a C). black people get skin cancer too. Plus just because I don't have wrinkles now, doesn't mean I'll never get 'em!
I consider myself a connoisseur of sunscreens. Most of them ain't worth a damn. They leave your skin feeling greasy, or looking chalky, or they just have a funny smell. Below are my picks for the best and worst sunscreens for face & body for darker skins:
No Ad SPF 30 - $6.39 - $9.49, drugstore.com. I Love this stuff. It's not heavy or greasy, it makes you smell like the beach, and your skin actually feels moisturized and not just sun-protected! My favorite thing about this product is the size of the bottle. Most sunscreen products only give you 4 ounces. The magazines tell us we need to put on 1 ounce over your entire body. If that's true and you use sunscreen over your whole body consistently, then you're constantly buying tiny ass tubes of sunscreen. At least No Ad will last you for a long time!
Sage Advice Skin Care, SPF 25 $16.00, www.zerozits.com - This is my holy grail sunscreen. Their SPF 25 is the best sunscreen I've ever used on my face. You can wear it under any moisturizer and it works with all the foundations I've ever used in conjunction with it. No ash, no chalk and it's water proof. It may be more than you want to spend on a sunblock, but that 4 ounce bottle will last you through several months even if you use it every day.
And now the worst...
Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock, SPF 30, $8.99, drugstore.com - I had high hopes for this product. First of all you need a mask over your face before you spray it because the fumes are more powerful than spray paint. Even if you do get past that part, the oily texture it leaves on your skin is not suitable for every day use. Maybe it's better suited for the beach where there is a breeze and you're not concerned with your clothes getting greasy!
Until next time, y'all!
Au Contraire, mis amis (if that's not spelled right, I only took one semester of French and got a C). black people get skin cancer too. Plus just because I don't have wrinkles now, doesn't mean I'll never get 'em!
I consider myself a connoisseur of sunscreens. Most of them ain't worth a damn. They leave your skin feeling greasy, or looking chalky, or they just have a funny smell. Below are my picks for the best and worst sunscreens for face & body for darker skins:
No Ad SPF 30 - $6.39 - $9.49, drugstore.com. I Love this stuff. It's not heavy or greasy, it makes you smell like the beach, and your skin actually feels moisturized and not just sun-protected! My favorite thing about this product is the size of the bottle. Most sunscreen products only give you 4 ounces. The magazines tell us we need to put on 1 ounce over your entire body. If that's true and you use sunscreen over your whole body consistently, then you're constantly buying tiny ass tubes of sunscreen. At least No Ad will last you for a long time!
Sage Advice Skin Care, SPF 25 $16.00, www.zerozits.com - This is my holy grail sunscreen. Their SPF 25 is the best sunscreen I've ever used on my face. You can wear it under any moisturizer and it works with all the foundations I've ever used in conjunction with it. No ash, no chalk and it's water proof. It may be more than you want to spend on a sunblock, but that 4 ounce bottle will last you through several months even if you use it every day. And now the worst...
Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock, SPF 30, $8.99, drugstore.com - I had high hopes for this product. First of all you need a mask over your face before you spray it because the fumes are more powerful than spray paint. Even if you do get past that part, the oily texture it leaves on your skin is not suitable for every day use. Maybe it's better suited for the beach where there is a breeze and you're not concerned with your clothes getting greasy!
Until next time, y'all!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Body Lotion of the moment
I've never been much of a scented body lotion person, but on a whim at my local Target, I picked up new Suave Exhale body lotion, scented with Lavender Vanilla. I absolutely love the scent and what I love more is that its not thick and goopy. It's the perfect lotion for the summer months when you don't want to feel the lotion on your skin, but still need moisture. My skin would laugh in it's face in the winter time, but this, I declare is the perfect summer lotion!
Until next time. Thanks, all five of you for reading! ;)
Until next time. Thanks, all five of you for reading! ;)
Beauty School Dropout
Make that "drop in". That's right, y'all I've gone and enrolled in beauty school! In 9 weeks I'll have the knowledge and experience to really make my dream of becoming a freelance makeup artist happen! Wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
