There is artistry everywhere, often where we never thought to look. Sometimes I close myself off to new experiences because they're "not something I like to do", but really they're new so I don't really know yet whether I like them or not.
My makeup goal has been to make cheap makeup stretch for as long as possible, and to wear as little of it as possible so I can sleep in. The "look" I go for is roughly "look at my eyes so you don't notice my big nose, thin lips, undefined cheek and chin bones, and bad skin" and probably will be for life.
In casual conversation I mentioned an interest in makeup and confessed my lack of knowledge to my mom who got me a gift card to Sephora for us to get made up by professionals and get some info.
Right off the bat, this is a vast world I know nothing about except what I picked up in commercials, a few friends on the internet, stage makeup for theater, and of course my art background. While we waited for our appointments, my mom looked around for deals on products she likes, but without knowing these products I wandered. I looked at the displays and found them beautiful rows of colors and shades, only including the prismatic particles that flatter and glitter on the body. I found it to be a really interesting color study, and may go back and take more pictures another time (or just pillage the internet) for these types of spectrums and dissect what's omitted.A sweet girl gave me a skin care regimen which I understood some of, and was grateful because I have horrible skin and needed to learn a bit about how the other half lives, so to speak. I imagined girls doing this whole process which took 30 minutes, even refining that to half could be burdensome for me. As it is, I hardly remember to wash my mascara off at night.
Then the makeup makeover bit began. I was paired up with a really talented artist named Kimberly MacPhee (she's on about.me, check her out *by clicking here*) who was really informative and patient with my lack of preparedness. I don't mean to advertise the Stanford Sephora, or teach anyone anything, because as I said I know nothing and have no comparison on which to base a review. I want to record what I learned because as an artist this shit is fascinating.
- As with other arts, rank of importance seems to be as follows; skill/technique, equipment, supplies. Like the artist's skill, then their tattoo machine, lastly their ink.
- Health=Beauty and Beauty=Health. If your skin is healthier, it looks better because we are attracted to health. Everyone I spoke to agreed that stopping acne starts with hydration.
- As in watercolor, color choice doesn't seem as important as definition of form. When watercoloring I can make a girl's face yellow and purple and she looks beautiful as long as I define her flattering features with distinct shapes. I have very bushy eyebrows and when she said she wanted to pencil them in I laughed and said "sure, you're the artist". Instead of looking bigger, they defined my eyesocket better and made the overall form look more precise and therefore more appealing despite being larger.
- Makeup Artists are a lot like Tattoo Artists. We see clients everyday who sometimes know us, often don't. They come with a level of expectation without knowing our work or our background. Despite any flaws in their skin or body, we have to work intimately in contact with them to change what they look like without insulting the flaws in their appearance or health we may be addressing, avoiding, or covering up. We are expected to crank out miracles with artistic mastery without letting our personal artistry interfere with the vision of our clients, no matter how unreasonable or against our own intent. Guns for hire.
- Just like in art, brushes and media are fucking expensive, yo.
Here's what I looked like leaving the shop. I didn't take one inside the store because the lighting in there is very unfortunately crap and the natural light is better. For those who don't know me, this is as good as it gets- I'm not a model, so yeah, she did some awesome work for me. This morning I looked at my new makeup brushes with bewilderment, wanting to pick them like paintbrushes, but resisting. Barely. My friend *Marissa is a brilliant MUA you can see here* (not in California anymore or I'd have sought her help first) and she suggested I try out all the brushes and use all the shit and post my clown face up and I'm going to. Not right now, but soon. I'll keep you posted because I'm sure it'll be hilarious (and a little weird) like the rest of my life.
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