I am currently represented by an Agency that is based in New York. The market I work in is in Florida. For years I worked as a freelance artist. During my time as a freelance Makeup Artist I came to a cross roads. I felt as though I was becoming board with where I was as an artist. I went to a Film driven school  but the market that I was working in was more driven towards weddings and small commercial work. As an artist I really craved something more for my career. I often questioned where do I go from here? I decided to start testing with the best photographers I could locate in my market. I studied my craft, makeup history, and more fashion than one could imagine. I had a passion for the artistic side of fashion. I really looked up to some of the most amazing artists that inspired me to want to do and learn more. After some time I was fortunate enough to be approached by an agency.  I had been represented by a smaller agency local to my city but this was super exciting because the Agency is based in NY. So now you have representation; what does that mean? For some it really has its high points and benefits. One major thing I learned from being represented is that once your in, you still have a lot of growing. Its important to note that you are also competing against other artists in the industry. So how is this any different from being a freelancer you might ask? Well its all about the Clients. Normally when you approach an agency you will be surrendering your client list. Its a partnership. They bring you work with their roster of clients while you bring your list of clientele to the agent. More than anything being a part of a team full of talented people makes you work harder and test more. You will always work to build your portfolio. I will never forget how I felt the first time I didn’t “land” the job. Its frustrating and sometimes it made me question my skill level. One thing I learned is to never compare yourself. YOU are your only competition. I will also never forget landing one of the best jobs. Landing that first big job really gave me an edge. If you are really interested in joining an agency I strongly suggest you assist an artist you admire working in an agency first. This can take a while and can be frustrating. It is the best education you will ever receive. Assisting can also help you grow and prepare you for the first time you approach an agency. Remember, you may not always get the response your looking for the first time; but don’t give up. 

*Key Makeup for Alice & Olivia Spring 2018 campaign

There is nothing I love more than working on location and getting gorgeous editorial shots. One thing that has been a learning process is Florida elements. Like I always say if you can work in Florida you can work anywhere. Florida is an amazing place. We have amazing weather and not so amazing weather. One thing I have had to learn was how to do makeup and hair in humidity. Makeup is much easier to control than hair. When it comes to getting the shot here in Florida you better learn texture. Products are great but creating the perfect base of structure is the  most important. Beach shoots can be extremely challenging. I can remember the first beach shoot I did, it was awful. I created this gorgeous hair just to watch it all blow straight after a good hour of creating the look the photographer wanted. What a mess. Shooting on a windy beach on the east coast of Florida is tricky. Weather conditions can never be predicted and I learned a thing or two about heat during summer months. Recently I got the amazing opportunity to work outside the US at the Bahamas. It was February so I didn’t know what to expect. Weather here in the states was not too humid and not super cold. I was imaging more humidity and more heat for sure.  Luckily we had pretty good weather. It wasn’t too hot but I did have to fight against the humidity. Here is what I did to ensure my style would come out with texture and looseness without loosing all of my structure.  I was fortunate enough to curl and set the models hair the night before. I primed her hair with Kenra’s heat protector spay and used a 1/2 inch wand. I curled and set her entire head. I used a technique so that she would be able to sleep in the style and wouldn’t mess it up or disrupt her sleep. Early in the morning I took down the curls and each section I used Sally Hershberger’s 24kt texturizing  paste to smooth out my different sections. This would ensure I would have a smoothness and protect the hair from humidity. I then shaped the style using my hands and finished off the style with Redken’s Control Addict finishing spray. The style had a lot of texture but I knew the elements and drive we would be facing so I knew my texture would fall just the way I had anticipated it.  From the hotel we drove down to the beach about 3 miles on a golf cart. As we arrived at our location the hair relaxed and looked exactly how I wanted it to be. It was sexy, with loose textured waves. 

*The Image above is not the image I have blogged about but yet another shoot that I did a while back.

There is nothing I love more than creating a story featuring skin. I created this skin story featuring different highlighted areas of the face. This picture sums up the whole story for me. It encaptures the glow and hues I wanted to apply. I always prep the skin with utmost care. When doing any Beauty makeup skin is first. I layer on some of my favorite Caudalie products. After all my prep work I go in a little more by layering a skin hydrating highlighter on the planes of the face. I begin sculpting the skin with one of my most coveted foundation from YSL. For this look I set a powder only in the areas I didn’t want to convey a dewy look. When I highlight a face I use more than one highlighter. I layer the products both dry and wet until I have achieved the look I want. I wanted to create a gradient of warm, golden tones throughout the series. It was important to reflect a metallic inspiration as well. Even with the hair work here I wanted to convey a subtle wet look to enhance the overall theme of glow here. There is no rules just art. I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved creating this.