Day 2 | Allure Lounge with Maybelline New York

 

 September 5th, 2013
 

At the Empire Hotel on 63rd and Columbus, Maybelline and Allure Magazine teamed up to provide complimentary makeovers for every woman by Maybelline's key artist Gabriel Almodovar with the artists of Maybelline, manicures by Maybelline and hairstyling by the hair stylists from Dream Dry Salon.

 

 

The location of the Empire Hotel is literally across the street from where Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was held, so the event grew really popular really fast.

We had a long line of people waiting for hours!

 

 

 

 



 

While working, I was able to see this awesome lady:

 

Kelly Osbourne

 

A black SUV stopped right on the corner of 63rd and Columbus; Kelly stepped out and started walking towards my way to head to Lincoln Center.

 

 

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The fashion in NY is so COOL!

I was in awe of the youthful energy surrounding the area.

 

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Later that day, I met up with photographer and friend Dana Scruggs.

She is doing amazingly well since she moved to NY!

Check out her work and support this fabulous lady.

 

 

 I was so in love with the people, the energy, the music, the food;

everything was so inspiring. 

 

 

:-)

Day 1 | Ivana Helsinki SS2014

SS2014

September 4th, 2013

Ivana Helsinki was the first runway show I worked in for the SS2014 season of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

 I arrived early and witnessed the production team still setting up lighting, cameras and equipment inside of Pier 59 Studios. 

 I was beyond eager, pumped up and ready to work!

Ivana Helsinki is a fashion designer from Finland. Ivana is the middle name of the designer, Paola Suhonen, and Helsinki is the town where she is from. Ivana is the first designer from Finland to show her collection at Paris Fashion Week.

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Makeup was sponsored by AJ Crimson Beauty, skincare was sponsored by Beauty Blender and Embryolisse. 

Makeup artist Sir John Barnett executed the look for the show.

Let me just tell you all I had a heart attack when I found out I would be watching Sir John paint the faces of the runway models; I was literally shaking from excitement and nerves the whole time! Sir John has assisted Pat McGrath and Charlotte Tilbury; his client list includes Beyonce', Paula Patton, super models Joan Smalls and Karlie Kloss.

After 30 minutes, this was the look Sir John created for Ivana Helsinki's show: 

- Glossy skin

- Illuminated cheeks with TOM Ford highlighter

- No mascara

- Clean, spiked brows

- NARS velvet lip pencil in "Train Bleu" as the base lip color

- MAC kohl lip pencil in "Smolder" in the center to create a reverse ombre' lip.

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Sir John used his hands for 95% of the look; he used the palms of his hands to melt the makeup into the skin, he also used a wet beauty blender to seamlessly blend the foundation into the skin, and he used his fingers to apply the lip color. The one and only time Sir John used a brush was for the highlighting. 

My mind was BLOWN.

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Nails were done at the same time as hair and makeup.

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For the first model, I was pumped up and I really thought I got the look down after watching Sir John.

Photo by Chip Kennedy

We were given an hour to complete the 18 models. When pressed for time, I get in the zone. I worked fast, a little TOO fast, for my first model. So I showed Sir John my first model, I had my chest puffed out because I really thought I did the damn thing.

Sir john looked at my model, then looked at me, then looked at the model, squinted, and said,

"I see your finger print, blend better. Lips are not correct. Do it again."

On the outside, I was cool as a cucumber and said, "Thank you!' 

On the inside, I DIED.

So I re-did the models makeup again and I really took my time.

Third time, Sir John said, "Perfect."

For my second model, I finished everything except her lip. Sir John pulled myself and a few other artists to the side and asked us to start 'glossing' the models skin with Embryolisse, and cover tattoos, and/or give touch ups for the models.

Here is the show:

Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images

  

Photos by fagroupblog.com

Here is the Video of the Runway:

Here's a closer look at the first model I worked on.

Here's a closer look at the second model I worked on.

Photo by ivillage.com

And super model Sessilee Lopez came back stage to congratulate AJ Crimson and Ivana Helsinki for an amazing show. She smized for me!

After looking at all the pictures in my phone, I was in such a shock over everything that happened within four hours. I had an amazing experience!!

Photos by stylebistro.com and my instagram. 

1883 Magazine | Sweet & Sour Issue

1883 is a popular fashion magazine based out of the UK, so I was extremely excited when photographer Jennifer Avello told the team that our story got noticed by this publication.

Female MC Iggy Azalea is on the cover of this months 'Sweet & Sour' Issue.

For the "Mind Your Manor" story, myself, wardrobe stylist Brandy Kraft and Jennifer Avello came up with literally hundreds of ideas, images, inspiration for model Kel of Factor Women. For hair and makeup, I didn't have a clear idea of what I really wanted to do until the day before the shoot after I looked up my number one most inspiring makeup artist: Pat McGrath

The team wanted Kel to have white hair, but we were all undecided on whether we wanted to go with a  wig or go with her natural hair. It wasn't until I saw the behind the scenes images of model Magdalena in the Givenchy FW2013 show on Pat's instagram when the inspiration hit me instantly.

I didn't want to take the 'easy way out' and throw a wig on model Kel, and I really wanted to experiment with Kel's hair for the story, so this image helped inspire me to push my hair skills to another level. I didn't want to completely mimic the pin curl style created by hair stylist Luigi Murenu, but I loved the painterly texture in the hair. 

Myself with the help of assistant Ashley Johns created the hair on Kel within two hours using Ben Nye "Snow White" to create a finger wave style with the hair dye.

I purchased it at Beatnix in Chicago!

It was a MESSY process, and other than practicing on myself, I never worked with this product before. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I knew I had to take a risk and give it a try. My assistant Ashley was absolutely amazing and stayed by my side the whole time, she was very patient, innovative, quick and was a complete sweet heart during the whole shoot.

<< Here's a closer look at the texture in the hair >>

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For the makeup, I wanted the hair to be the main focus. I wanted her brows, lashes, and skin to be completely white, but to represent fall, I wanted her lips to have a heavy color. 

Kelly's brows and lashes are coated with Inglot AMC Gel Liner #76 White.

I played around with Nars Train Bleu as the base color and my trusty good old Inglot lipstick #409 as the matte red color to coat Kelly's lips.

Overall, I was really pleased, happy and proud that I tried something completely new and stepped out my comfort zone.

This is what I encourage all artists to do:

Surprise yourself.

Try something new.

Experiment.

Make mistakes.

Take a risk.

Get messy.

By just taking a leap of faith, this is how some of your greatest achievements can be accomplished.

  

Here is the full nine page editorial,

"Mind Your Manor"

Head to:

- JenniferAvello.com

- BrandyKraftStylist.com

- AndreaSamuelsMakeup.com

to view more photos from our fall story!

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 Photographer | Jennifer Avello

Wardrobe | Brandy Kraft of Artists by Timothy Priano

HMUA | Andrea C. Samuels of Black Board Group

Model | Kelly of Factor Women

HMUA Assistant | Ashley Johns

Photo Assistant | Luke Schneider

 

 

 

I'm going to NYFW! How did this happen?

I made an announcement last night via facebook, twitter, and instagram that I will be assisting two amazing, celebrity makeup artists next week at Mercedes Benz - New York Fashion Week. I instantly started getting inbox and text messages asking me, "HOW?"

Well, I'll tell you how!

I have to go all the way back to the beginning of my career to explain step by step how this happened.

This is a REAL Throwback Thursday.

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This all started with this drawing I sketched in 2004.

I was attending Harold Washington College between 2002-2005. I drew a model I saw in Elle Magazine using my chalk pastels, my fingers, and an ink pen. Since I was 3 years old, I have always drawn models I saw in magazines, random faces, eyes, makeup, lips; I literally had no idea I was making face charts and preparing myself for my future.

I was a BROKE college student and I needed money to support myself. I stepped up to Macy*s , The Body Shop , and other retail places to interview for a sales associate position.

I had no resume, no experience, nothing: All I had was my ability to draw.

The management looked at me like I was crazy for only showing them my drawings, but they had faith that I could do makeup on customers, so The Body Shop hired me on the spot in August 2004.



Step 1: Discover your passion

This was when I first discovered my passion for makeup.

This was where I met a lot of amazing people like:

Vivienne, Jonilyn, Romney, Lizi, Yesenia, Jasmine, Brittany, Ryan, Jordan, Justyn, Crystal, Anna, Shawn, Katie, Edith, Danielle, Vera, Joaquin, Cleo, and last but NOT least my boss for 5 years, Ioana.

Each and every one of these people allowed me to experiment on their faces, or taught me something new, or we partied together, had fun together, laughed together, cried together. They all helped mold me into the woman I am today. I don't talk to every single person every day, but I think about all of them all the time. They don't realize how much of an impact they each had on me for my life.

To each and every one of my Body Shop crew: I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU



I wanted to learn about makeup as much as possible, so I signed up for school at Makeup First LLC in 2007.

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Step 2: Educate Yourself

It was here I learned from artists Jill Glaser and Lani Swasko about amazing makeup artists like Eve Pearl, James Vincent, Maurice Stein, Kevin James Bennett, and amazing products like Make Up For Ever and Cinema Secrets. It was here where I learned how to do theatrical makeup, makeup for film and media, clinical makeup, basic hair styling, airbrush makeup and agencies within the Midwest. School is not for every artist, but it helped me get more focused on what I should and shouldn't do for my career.

To Jill Glaser and Makeup First LLC: I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU

Once I graduated with my Makeup Artistry certificate, it led me to create my first website and sign up for Facebook in 2007.

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Step 3: Network

Through facebook, my little world of makeup grew into a major passion. I started networking with hair stylists, makeup artists, photographers, and any one related to fashion. This is where I met the young fashion photographer around 2008 from Tanzania, Africa: Nuru Kimondo.

Nuru is an extremely gifted young woman! I met her when she was just starting out, she was 16 at the time. We started doing photo shoots together on a weekly basis, we would hang out together all the time, traveled to New York together, we became really close friends.

To Nuru Kimondo: I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU

On one of our last photo shoots together, I met hair stylist Dee Desalu.

Dee is absolutely amazing and she wowed me with her hair skills. Dee is super sweet, talented and amazing at hair styling. Dee is a true hair artist!

We always kept in touch and sent each other work from time to time. Dee always kept me up to date on fashion, events, networking, how to make a perfect curl and things I never knew about with hair!

Dee Desalu: I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU

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I met makeup artist Nicole Rogers via facebook.

Nicole was the first makeup artist I ever assisted on set, I reached out to her casting call for assistance and she brought me on board for a film set. I thought I knew what I was doing, but I didn't. Nicole put me in check REAL quick and told me what to do and what not to do with assisting another artist. If it weren't for her, I would have easily been a hot mess in my career.

To Nicole Rogers: I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU

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Step 4: Maintain Industry Relationships

One day, out the blue, Dee tagged me and a few other mua's to a post on facebook about a makeup artist looking for assistants for The Makeup Show.

It was celebrity makeup artist: AJ Crimson.

I honestly did not think AJ would reach back out to me, or answer my email, or even bother to read my message but in less than five minutes, AJ called me and asked, "Are you available?"

I said, "YEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!"

So myself, DeCarr, George, and Sarah were able to assist AJ for the launch of his makeup line.

AJ Crimson: I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU

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Step 5: Find A Mentor

In June 2012, I was working with photographer Escalante on a weekly basis. I reached out to him and a lot of makeup artists and photographers within the industry just asking for help in 2010. The only person that reached back out to me was Escalante.



Escalante has been a fashion photographer for the past 25 years, so he knows all the ins and outs of the fashion industry from the United States to Europe. Escalante helped me sharpen my skills, fine tune my lines, quicken my pace with makeup, connected me to my first agency: The Rock Agency, and really helped me become an all around better makeup artist. He pushed me to my limits and encouraged me to do hair styling which I never thought in a million years I would ever do. He also encouraged me to travel and market myself outside of Chicago. Because of him, I dropped a lot of fears and doubts I had within myself and worked harder than ever before. I made my first trip to Los Angeles to visit my family, but little did I know I would also be signing with an amazing artists agency from a referral through AJ Crimson:

Black Board Group

To Escalante: I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU

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Step 6: Take Risks

When I first signed with Black Board, they told me I needed better models, better photographers, better everything in order to get better jobs; that's when Jennifer Avello and I started working together more often. I started working with Jennifer in 2010.

 Jennifer and I took risks together, experimented, completely changed our portfolios, we worked to exhaustion to try to make our books more to our liking. We were getting so frustrated with people telling us to tone down our work, and telling us, "Your work is not commercial enough." Or, "It's not edgy enough" or , "It's not good enough."

After a while, we said, "Fuck the agencies!" and we allowed our creative juices to flow when we worked together. We did whatever we wanted to do and our skills grew stronger together.
Jennifer Avello is absolutely amazing.

It wasn't until we did this photo shoot for Tantalum Magazine together, with stylist Marta of Factor Artists, that Black Board Group was finally excited about my work.

This was when I got the message on August 27th, 2013 simply asking,

"Are you available September 4th for fashion week?"

To Jennifer Avello: I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU
 

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Today was when I realized everything and every person in life is for a season and a reason:

- My drawing skills led me to employment at The Body Shop >

- which led me to  > school

- which led me to  > social media

- which led me to  > amazing and talented people that I networked with

- which led me to  > referrals
- which led me to  > fashion week

This was NOT an over night process.
Your journey will be completely different than mine, but just remember:
Who you meet today could be the key to your dreams coming true tomorrow.

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It makes me sad that I'm not able to talk to all these people every day, but I understand now more than ever that they were all in my life for seasons and reasons that I can only explain is God's doing. I have been working, and planning, and editing, and deleting, and second guessing, and going broke, and messing up my career from the beginning, but it was ALL to prepare me for next week, and for the rest of my career.

So right now, if you are going through a crazy time period in your life, or if things are not panning out the way you hoped, or things are not as good as you think they could be, just remember:

It's only for a SEASON!