My Makeup Journey; The early years.
There aren't many things in life that I can talk about or look at endlessly like makeup.
Ok, maybe cats.....but that's an entirely different website that I may or may not make someday,
But first, Makeup. What is it's intrigue? We've been wearing it for over 6,000 years and it's popularity just keep growing and growing into what is now a 2+ Billion US Dollar industry and growing.
What do you personally love about makeup? Does it help you define your own personal style and mood? Is it makeup's ability to shape and transform? Or is it something as simple as it makes you appear bright and awake even though you only had a few hours of sleep.
My story and my relationship with makeup starts, like many girls, as a pre-teen. I wanted it bad, my mom said no until finally she caved and allowed me to pick out two lipsticks. I chose two very wearable colors; metallic light blue and silver. The year was Y2K and my choice was probably very much influenced by my favorite CD at the time, Millennium by The Backstreet Boys. (My age is showing)
Fast forward to high school years and taking 7 hours to get ready with your friends, just to go to a house party. It was a pretty big deal. Plus, this was before YouTube instructional videos and Instagram how-tos. We learned by good ol trial and the error and looked like a child pageant girl by wear all of your rich friend's MAC eye-shadows at one time.
Once I got a job and started amassing my own collection I'd spend hours recreating looks from Zink Magazine and Kevyn Aucoin's ‘Making Faces’ (A classic must have book for every makeup lover, btw).
After graduating and moving to Buenos Aires, Argentina at 17, I enrolled in a Special FX program at my Aunt's suggestion and was immediately captivated by how much detail and preparation goes into the effects we see on the big screen. The body molds, materials, hand-sculpting, research, character creation and even the gore was fascinating. My FX teacher instructed me to take a course in beauty makeup because "The best artists must be able to correct and perfect a face before they can properly break one down"
So I did.
I was smitten. My beauty teachers took me under their wing and I assisted them on fashion shoots for Cosmopolitan , Para Ti and some of the most important publications for Latin American fashion.
Those photoshoots were the first time I considered makeup artistry as a viable career path. I was, until that point, just killing time while learning enough Spanish to enroll in Veterinary school at the University of Buenos Aires.
Makeup eventually led me to Toronto, Canada where I was accepted into a Master's program and spent two years building my portfolio, doing photoshoots, music videos, commercials, events for clients like DEADMAU5, Smirnoff & Stella Artois, a reality tv show pilot, advertisements and even dog grooming(?!)
However Toronto's winters were just too cold so moved back home to Miami, Florida where I work on everything from private clients and bridal to fashion shoots to TV cooking shows
I love what I do. I am passionate and constantly amazed with makeup, skin, skincare, evolving fashion, colors, product technology, texture, lighting, my clients, as well as the other pros I have the pleasure of working with.
Makeup is such an important part of my everyday. It's not a 9 to 5 for me that I am able to just leave at the door when I get home. I enjoy the routine of cleaning and caring for my make-up tools which are like extensions of myself. I'm constantly surrounding myself and seeking inspiration from clients, print magazines, movies, designers photographers, performers and other makeup professionals that are creating the most cutting-edge makeup art to continue learning, experimenting and enjoying the transformative, mood altering and artistic qualities that it has to offer.
Thank you Makeup. I am eternally grateful.
I hope this love affair never ends….
<3