"Vision without action is merely a dream"

Hello All!

Long time no write!

Yes, that is my fault, but I hope you all have been well. I wanted to give you guys an update on what I've been up to lately.

First, I have been really focused on becoming a healthier me. I have really put a strong focus on my eating habits. Also, I have been attending a Spin class and Body Pump class about 3-4x a wk. So far, I have noticed MAJOR changes in my body, for the better!

Now on to makeup!!!! I have FINALLY decided on what kind of Makeup Artist I want to become. This has really been a task for me. My fear was that I would be confined to a box, a one trick pony; you get the idea.

One day last week while waiting in the grocery line, I looked at the magazine racks and thought, "wow, it would be really cool for my work to one day be on the cover of one of those!". Then, I noticed, none of those cover girls had extreme makeup on. They all had clean, natural makeup that enhanced their God given beauty. Thats when it hit me! I want to be an enhancer of beauty; I want my work to be relevant in 10 years;  I WANT THE COVER OF VOUGE (if Kim K can, so can I)!!!!

I will not be a "beat face artist", there I have said it. No offense to those of you ladies who take pride in this statement, its just not my lane.

As an African American MUA, it is often assumed that I only handle other "black folk". I want to be known for making EVERYONE beautiful. To be frank, I want to be rich. I want magazines/TV shows to seek me out because I am able to handle any client that sits in my seat.

My dream is not be be famous, but to be known. I am currently working towards getting out of my own way and getting out of my comfort zone. I have a vision that is in need of some action, so here goes nothin'!

Until next time...

**Smooches

Interview: Marisa Ross, MUA

Hello all!

I am SO excited about my very first Makeup Artist interview. Many of you may already know her, seeing as her following on Instagram alone is over 16k! This Atlanta based artist is an amazing talent. She has been linked with the likes of Traci Steele, DJ and now reality star, WNBA star Skylar Diggins and Angie Stone and many others! She was gracious enough to take time out and do this interview for us. So, it's my pleasure to introduce Marisa Ross, MUA! Enjoy!

1. As makeup artist, we have a love for makeup that no other could understand. When did your love for makeup start? 

I always liked makeup from when I was a kid even though I was a bit of a tomboy. I would wear my older brother's clothes but smuggle my mom's Sky blue eyeshadow to school in my backpack and put it on in the bathroom. 

2. Congratulations on your eyelash line, RisaLashes! For those of us who may be interested in starting our own line of makeup or lashes, what are some of the obstacles we need to look out for?

Thank you! Me and my business partner Janna worked so hard on the line and it's going better than we ever hoped it could. The amount of positive feedback we're getting is amazing. Definitely be prepared to have a lot of late nights and early mornings. And Murphy's Law is so true: when something can go wrong it usually will so always have a plan B.

3. As Makeup Artist, we are our own business, how important is professionalism when going to a makeup job? 

Extremely. If you're not professional no one will want to work with you and word travels fast in this industry. The two biggest things are always be on time and have a positive attitude.

4. As makeup artist our client base is the thing that keeps our business alive. How can a beginning artist build their clientele?

That is THE hardest part of being a makeup artist. Creating and retaining clientele. Number one thing to new artists is do not charge cheap rates just to attract people. Ask working artists in your area what their rates are and charge the average price. Never below. Are those looking for a discount artist even the type of clients you want? No. You want someone who will value your work not just is looking for a deal. 

5. Makeup Artist are our business’, how important is professionalism when going to a makeup job? 

Extremely. If you're not professional no one will want to work with you and word travels fast in this industry. The two biggest things are always be on time and have a positive attitude.

6. What is one makeup product you just absolutely can not live without? 

Mascara and concealer. I know you said one but I need both lol

7. Don't worry, I know how you feel! Any particular brands you are fond of?

I like Chanel Le Volume mascara and MAC Prolongwear concealer. 

THANK YOU so much for taking the time to interview with me. You have been such a sweet person to work with, I can't wait to come to NYC and take one or your makeup classes!

Hope you enjoyed this interview! Please follow @itsMarisaross on IG for bookings or to sign up for her makeup classes in NYC in March 2014. Her skills are SICK! 

Until next time....

**Smooches**

"Better late than never, but never late is better"

Hello All,

IMMMM BBAACCCKKK!!!

First off, I have to apologize for such a long break. I have neglected my readers and left you wondering WTH!?! I have to admit, I suddenly became jaded with my blog. Mostly due to my lack of confidence in my ability to maintain your attention. In these last couple of months I have been able to really look into myself to see what my insecurities are, and face them head on. In my hiatus, I have found a new sense of what I have to offer the beauty world and you, my reader.

This post is simply a return to work notification. I will be posting at least one blog EVERY week. I need  for you to hold me accountable; email, Instagram, Facebook, HOWEVER you need to reach me, reach me.

Like everything else in my life, I had to find out that this blog will not become successful with half of my attention. Idea's will not just come come to me, I have to search for them. Here are a couple things I have thought up so far:

1. Well Known MUA interviews
2. Product reviews
3. Face for the occasion
4. My favorite faces of the week
5. Q & A from my readers

And much, much more. I have to thank you for coming and reading my little ol' blog, one day you will get to say "I was there when she first come back" lol.

Here's to US!!

**Smooches**

IG: mandapanda_23
Facebook: Manda B.
Email: abrooks106@gmail.com

Barely There

Hello All! 

I had a request to show how I do a "natural" look. This look is perfect for work, quick trips to the mall, lunch date and more! The best thing about it, it only takes about 10min! Here goes nothin'!

1. Cleanse face with facial wash or makeup wipe. 

2. Prime Face (I use Milk of Magnesia, but any primer will work) 

3. Use MAC Spiked Brow Pencil to fill brows very lightly. Then use a concealer (I used Cover Girl) underneath brow that matches your complexion to clean up the shape of the brow. 

3. Use concealer that is half a shade lighter than your complexion underneath eyes and on any dark spots on the skin. 

Almost done....

4. Next, take your powder foundation in your natural color, and buff onto skin to blend out concealer.

5. For blush, I used MAC blunt. Place on the apples of the cheek and sweep towards temples. 

6. (Optional) Place baked bronzer on top of MAC blunt for extra highlight effect. 

7. For the eyes, I place a small amount of my power foundation on my lids. 

8. Line bottom waterline with black/brown eye liner. I used a black Sephora band liner. 

9. Apply Mascara to top and bottom lashes. You can go as light or as heavy as you desire. 

10. Lady but not least, lips. I applied my new FAVORITE lip balm, EOS, along with a tinted lip gloss. I decided on MAC Lip Glass in Viva Glam Nicki 2. 

ALL DONE!!!! See, only ten quick easy steps. Of course, you can add or subtract to your style but this is a great start. 

Keep the ideas coming! Thank you so much for reading. 

Until next time..

**smooches**

Product Review

Hello There! 

I have recently purchased a few new products for my kit! I wanted to share with you my experience. I hope you find this helpful! 

1. Milani Eyshadows: Blue Ice- LOVE this blue. It is more of a Royal blue color that works so well for a blue smokey eye. The pigment is pretty good, works 100x better if the brush is wet. Melange- Black and gold baked eyeshadow that is nothing short of BEAUTIFUL. I can't wait to use it by itself (this time I used it to smoke out the blue). Price: I would say it WELL worth the $1 I spent! That's right, I got these colors at the DOLLAR SORE for $1 a piece! Milani also sells products in Target as well. 

2. Black Opal Foundations: Finishing Powder- This is a GREAT product to help build your kit. Foundation is one of the most expensive things to buy for your kit, seeing as how you need every shade. I loved how this powder evened out my face and have me a nice matte look. They also give you a hefty amount in the package, which is always a plus. Cream Foundation Stick- This product gave me great coverage, without being heavy. I saw a couple other MUA's using these two products so I knew I wanted to give them a shot, I just didn't know I would love them this much! Pricing: The finishing powder- $8.97. The cream foundation stick- $9.97. Like I said, AMAZING!! To be found at your local drug store (i.e CVS). 

All in all, I love my new additions! Hope you find them to be as useful as I have. Once you try them, come back and let me know how it went! 

Here is the face I created on a rainy Friday while coped up in the house (I'm an old lady)! 

Until next time....

Smooches****

Beauty Beyond Makeup

Hello All!

Have you ever encountered a physically beautiful person, with a less than appealing attitude or demeanor? Don't worry, we all have!

As a Makeup Artist we have to provide the total package. We are our own business mascot. Yes, the skills you possess will get you in the door, but your positive attitude and pleasant disposition will make them want to call you back for additional services.

Repeat customers are the driving force behind your career. Those customers will not only call you for their makeup needs, but also refer you to others that my be interested in hiring a MUA. Those relationships are built on more than just the art is applying makeup. They want to know you can be trusted, you are professional, polite and personable. These are skills no YouTube video can teach, but are dire to the success of your business.

As an up and coming MUA, there are things that I make sure I do when working with my clients:

·         Always follow up with clients before event to solidify details to include, pricing, time, parking, length of service, etc.

·         If any changes occur, keep the client up to date

·         Arrive 20-30min prior to start time to set up

·         Come with a positive attitude

·         Keep work area clean and neat

·         Use proper sanitation methods for hand washing and bush cleaning

·         Never let the client see you sweat!!!

                                                                               

These things and more help me to be more marketable to future clients. I have already been referred to others by previous clients, so the method works! Yet, I have still so much to learn.

 

My goal is to make my MUA career, a full time career. I want clients to seek me out not only because I make them beautiful on the outside, but also because I am a great business woman.

 

Share your thoughts!

 

Until next time….

**Smooches**

 

What kinda "Artist" are you?

Hello again! 

Being a Make-Up artist is my passion! I have finally found the career I want to wake up to everyday. Not many people get to realize their dreams and actually live them. So now, on to the more complex issue, what kind of Make-Up Artist do I want to be? 

Do I want to be a "Beat Face" Artist? This is the most popular type of MUA in the public now. It is the very creative, bold, outgoing artists who aren’t afraid to take risk. I worry though; will this type of artistry transcend time? Will this type of artistry be relevant in 10 years?

(@beatfacehoney on IG. I absolutely love her work)

Maybe I want to be a "Bridal" Artist. This type of artistry is very soft, pretty, classic makeup that will look beautiful for years to come. But is it too safe? Will it test my creative abilities? 

I have always loved the "Editorial" Artist. Now this is the HIGH fashion, totally out the box, inventive artist. I could start trends, be featured in fashion magazines or runway shows. But am I THAT creative? Could I step outside of what I know to explore the unexplored? 

I DO NOT KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

And that's ok. We as beginning MUA's can explore our many options and chose which lane we want to be in, or chose not to be in a lane at all. I am so excited to try different artistry avenues and figure out what my niche will be. 

One thing I know for sure, I will not be a one lane artist. I want to dibble and dab in many different things and be amazing at them all. So for now, I will PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. 

Where do you want to fit in with the MUA world? Do you want to fit in? 

Talk to me! 

Till next time.... *SMOOCHES*

(None of these pictures are my work, you probably knew that, but just for the record.)

The Do's and Don'ts: Eyebrow Edition

Hello there! 

Today I want to talk a bit about your eyebrows! More specifically, what the correct and incorrect strategies there are to sculpting your brows.

Shaping the brows has been the hardest thing for me to grasp, but I have learned a lot, and wanted to share some of that knowledge with you! 

Lets start with my top 2 DON'Ts! 

1. NEVER USE BLACK!!!!!!!!!! This is a common misconception when filling brows. Black is WAY too harsh, and never compliments any brow. Always use a shade of brown, depending on your natural hair color. 

2. EASE UP ON THE CONCEALER! Yes, concealer does help to shape brows when you are in between waxing/tweezing but you have to BLEND!   Use a concealer one shade lighter than your complexion, then use a concealer that is your natural shade to blend into your eyelid. 

Now onto the DO's! 

1. Always follow the natural shape of your eyebrows. Your eyebrows were created to fit your face, changing that change the whole shape of your face. 

2. Use a wax pencil, this helps keep the brow in place all day and also helps you keep the true shape of your brow. 

Your brows can make or break your face. Make sure you take good care of them!! 

Hope this helps!! Any questions? Leave a comment! 

Photo Shoot Ready

Hello Good People!

I just couldn't go on with life without giving you all the sneaky details of my WONDERFUL photo shoot!

First off, I have to thank the photographer, LaVan Anderson, for thinking me and allowing me to shoot with him. He is an AWESOME person and amazing talent. THANKS LAVAN!!!!!!(@everydaylavan on IG). 

On another note, MODELING IS SO HARD! Besides my iPhone selfie shots and middle school girl pose, I am not very creative coming up with poses. I have to tip my hat to all the models out there, you don't have to worry about this girl taking any of your jobs :) 

Now on to the juicy stuff....MAKEUP! 

Here is the look I created close up. 

I am a sucker for a smokey eye and a semi-neutral lip.

Products used

Primer: Milk of Magnesia, eyes primed with MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study

Eyes: Coastal Scents Smokey Eye palette

Brow: MAC Spiked Brow Pencil

Foundation: Cover Girl Liquid foundation, MAC Studio Fix powder foundation

Concealer: No name palette I got from EBAY (under brow, under eyes, in between brows, down bridge of nose and chin) 

Contour: MAC Blunt Blush 

Blush: Coastal Scents 10 blush palette 

Lips: MAC Nicki 2, Viva Glam and MAC Vino Lip Liner 

Lashes: Beauty supply stores finest $3 lashes I could find! 

Below are the final pics from my shoot! This was a great experience. I'm so happy I get to share it with you! 

One of my favs!

This is my sexy face! Lol

I look 10ft tall, if you know me, you know how deceiving this pic is. Ha! 

ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!!! 

Until next time....

Smooches*

The Weekend

Welcome back! 

 As promised, I am here to fill you in with pictures from my dream filled weekend! It was more than I could imagine. SO MUCH FUN! 

Oh, by the way, I tried out my new Coastal Scents palettes for the first time , they are AMAZING!! These palettes are highly pigmented and extremely affordable! Check out the link below. 

www.coastalscents.com

It is amazing what a little makeup can do! 

The Birthday Girl! My first client of the weekend. 

Bride to be! I loved she wanted to be a bit feisty with her face! 

Erica Wilson is an AMAZING Teacher. What a great contouring class. I will post later about other upcoming seminars. 

Last but NOT least, my very first PHOTO SHOOT with the amazing photographer LaVan (@everydaylavan on IG). Of course I will post the final pics on a later date, but here are some behind the scenes shots. Video is NOT one of my skills, so forgive me for the lack of sound in the beginning. OOPS! Hey, I tried.

Living my dream. Feels better than anything I've ever known, and this is just the beginning!

Until next time....

Smooches*

When one door closes....

Well hello there!

At this very moment in my life, I truly understand the saying "When one door closes, another one opens". This post is simply about how once you place all your faith and energy in your dreams, doors will be opened for you.

About 6 months ago I was in the process of planning a girls trip to the Dominican Republic, and I was SOO excited about it. I talked to a travel agent who was more than happy to plan this trip with me. I got all my friends together; we decided on the dates, resort, and flights and made our non-refundable deposit. A couple weeks after making the deposit a couple of the ladies backed out of the trip...WHOMP WHOMP!!! I was a bit upset, but I figured there were still enough ladies to still make the trip fun! THEN, two other ladies backed out. At this point I was so disappointed. I had been looking forward to this vacation for so long AND had already spent money (that I couldn’t get back) to go. At this point there would be only two ladies going, so we decided to eat the loss of the deposit and cancel the vacation.

I was devastated. All that hard work and planning gone out the window. I was talking to my friend and he reminded me that everything happens for a reason and I shouldn’t get too down about it, Lord was he right.

About 2 months ago I decided to put all my energy into building my MUA (Make-Up Artist) dream. I started this blog, ordered business cards, continued to build my kit and really start vocalizing my talent as an MUA. By doing that, I have received so many great opportunities. TODAY was the day we were supposed to be leaving for 5 days to the DR. Instead, this weekend, I have 4 events booked doing what I love. If I was on the beach, I wouldn't have been able to book these jobs.

WON'T HE DO IT!

I just knew I would be so down about not going on vacation, but instead, God has allowed me to be more focused on moving forward with my dream. I couldn't be more grateful to my friends who backed out of that trip, they allowed me to be free to book jobs to further my career.

My hope is that my readers understand that everything in life, including your dreams, WILL NOT go as we planned. But thank God his plan is so much better than what we could even dream.

Come back later, Ill have some post up about my Makeup filled weekend :)

Until next time..... Smooches*

Product of the Week!!

Product of the week: Milk of Magnesia!

I know you are wondering how in the world this product made it to product of the week and how would this be used on the face, well, I’ll tell you!

Milk of Magnesia (M.O.M) is used a primer. I place this product on my clients after the moisturizer and before concealer or foundation. It works like a CHARM! Of course I tested this product on my face initially before testing it on others and I was amazed. My skin tends to be oily, so by the end of the day my face usually “shines bright like a diamond”! When I used M.O.M, my makeup still looked amazing after hours of wear.

This primer technique is a cheaper solution to the normally $30 primer problem I have. As a beginner, this is a great way to add a great primer to your kit. For easier storage and cleaner application, I filled a travel sized spray bottle with M.O.M (as seen below).

I received this helpful tip from another Makeup Artist and wanted to share it with you. Hope you find as much success with this product as I have. 

Questions? Let me know!

 

The Start

Hello All!

I have finally gotten up the nerve to post my VERY first blog! I am super excited to share my journey becoming a professional Make-Up Artist with you. My hope is that while sharing my struggle to make my dreams come true, I can make the road a little less bumpy for those who will follow!

STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM! A career in makeup will not happen overnight, this I know. So I’m starting from the bottom. I currently work as an intern with a very talented MUA. This way I get exposure to the career I want to be a part of and actually have the opportunity to practice makeup.

I NEED YOUR HELP!! I want this to be a conversation! If you have ideas, suggestions, makeup tips, etc I would love to hear them. Let’s help each other make our dreams a beautiful reality.


Have faith in your dreams, and remember, nothing stable is built on a shaky foundation!