Give us a little background on yourself.
I am proud my husband and I have raised three incredible kids. My family roots are in California, however, I was born and raised in Georgia and Idaho before ending up in California. My kids are now in college so I am ready and able to focus on my makeup career in tv and film. My career path has taken me from theater, cosmetic retail, celebrity red carpet and photoshoots to being a Training and Sales Executive for L'Oréal and now working in TV and Film as a MUA. Not the normal career path most MUA take. I have enjoyed my experiences and appreciate all the people along my path who have influenced me in so many ways. Looking ahead I hope to work more in character and period makeup, these are what I enjoy the most. SPFX is an area I want to grow my skills in. My goal is to work to become a Local 706 Makeup Artist by 2024. I appreciate the support of Skindinavia and I count on their incredible products in my work. I do not pack my kit without them!
What drew you to a career in makeup?
Theater and Art have been my passion since I was very little. In college I was a Theater Major and learned stage makeup. With a background in painting and drawing, creating characters for stage, following the script, character development as well as the collaborative process with other artists just seemed natural. After college I started working for Lancôme and then was recruited by MAC cosmetics in the late 1990's when that was the hottest place to be a MUA. It was here that I learned face shapes, eye shapes, skin tones and texture, it was the best training ground. From there I started working with photographers for magazine shoots and began a working relationship with a Disney Channel actress. I guess you could say my career came out of passion for the makeup creative process as well as loving products, skincare and learning new techniques and styles from other artists.
What is your philosophy when it comes to makeup?
My philosophy when it comes to makeup is simplicity, less is more, have a light hand and know color theory. You can have fun with makeup, just know when enough is enough. That is sometimes hard for a young artist to instinctually know. Inspiration is all around us, not just from what you see on social media platforms. Be present and learn from the world, city streets to nature around you. To be a professional makeup artist is much, much more than loving makeup. You must know how to read the room, stay in your lane and respect the order of things. COURAGE is most important for this career if you so choose it. You can be confident in your skillset, but courage is what keeps you working. You have to trust yourself and know the process is yours, no one else's, you are the one holding the brush.
What do you think makes makeup so special in our world?
Ohh this is a fun question. There is so much, it's mostly the diversity of artists and creativity. This makeup world is so rich and full of exciting artists, all ages, all genders, all ethnicities, all backgrounds. It is a safe place to express oneself and it can be a very rewarding career in whatever genre you work. I love seeing my makeup friends careers take off and the different directions their career paths take them. I personally love that my job takes me places I would have never gone to or seen, met people I would have never met or experience life in such a full and exciting way. It is colorful and there is never a dull moment, even waiting for the phone to ring, you are cleaning, sanitizing, organizing and shopping for your kit. As a makeup artist you can express creativity in such a real and progressive art form. This industry moves so fast and you have to keep up from product development, social media influences, film and tv to new technology while keeping the past artists relevant to what we are currently doing. Most ideas come from our past, a rich history, and that is what influences our creativity process today. We are inspired by other artists work, past and present.
What are some of your notable and/or favorite projects?
Assisting Ana Lozano on a non-union feature film. Working for Disneyland and the Disney Studios. Makeup Department Head for Lifetime and UPtv! features. Department Head on The Outsiders? documentary. Working under Karen Faye on Funny You Should Ask. Nat Geo Cesar Millan's Better Human Better Dog. Being a personal MUA to actors.