It's showtime...a day in the life of an MUA

The Makeup Show - Los Angeles is a gathering of Who's Who in the professional cosmetic and makeup artist industry! The Show is presented by The Powder Group and sponsored by Make Up For Ever, Temptu, Alcone and Crown Brush. There were dozens of cosmetic brands, educators, professional artists, and other businesses related to the cosmetic industry in attendance, not to forget the hundreds of students and consumers that walked the floor as well!

I networked and attended workshops and lectures by iconic beauty industry professionals: Ronnie Spector, Ve Neill, Eve Pearl, Billy B., Elke Von Freudenberg and Sharon Gault and tested dozens of new cosmetic lines mostly used for HD. Also in attendance were legendary industry names like, Marvin Westmore, Joe Blasco, Maurice Stein and Dean and Davis Factor, as well as many professional makeup artistry schools such as MUD, Blasco Makeup School, All About Face Academy and the Westmore Academy.

MUA-TV launched their website, which is the exclusive, most elite live streaming webcast for professional makeup artists, hair stylists, skin care specialists, special makeup effects artists, makeup students, cosmetology students and cosmetic retailers. Also in conjunction with MUA-TV is themakeupspace.com, which is offering online professional makeup seminars! I hope to be a part of both of those organizations in the near future.

Please enjoy the photos below from the show:

March Madness and Dogs? A crazy day in the life of an MUA...

My career is NEVER boring! One moment I am working with a celebrity and the next I am shooting a corporate video with a high-powered executive!

February brought another bunch of eclectic shoots and here are a few highlights:

Worked with Ellen Meador from EHM & Associates which produced two 30-second spots with Mr. Dick Enberg highlighting March Madness. Mr. Enberg is an American sportscaster currently employed with CBS and ESPN. He announces for the National Football League and NCAA basketball telecasts on CBS, as well as covers all four major professional tennis tournaments for ESPN. This shoot was one of the more easier projects in that Mr. Enberg had pre-rehearsed his lines and has experience in working with a prompter. Shot on HD these spots will be running on large video screens in Pet Co Park and many convention centers across the nation.



Also worked with a new client called Paw Curious and a new production company called X-Sanguin located in Sorrento Valley. Paw Curious is a website owned and operated by Dr. V - an amazing vet who not only appreciated my makeup services, but listened and answered all of my silly questions regarding my dog! Shot entirely on green screen, these webisodes will be up and running soon on their site. You can click here to check out Paw Curious or click here to check out X-Sanguin Studios.

A New Year in the life of an MUA!

Happy 2009 everyone!

It has been a little slow in the world of production for the past month, but I wanted to write a quick post mostly to let you all know that I am still alive and well and waiting for the phone to ring (ha, ha, but really I am waiting...)! Typically, January tends to be a tad slow for my business and I always seem to pick up in February and by the month of March I am booked and juggling a full calendar.

I have had the honor of being part of a few noteworthy shoots in the past few months. Most importantly, I worked with Tonya Mantooth, President and Executive Producer of Mantooth Productions on a 2009 commercial campaign for Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air, which will run locally in San Diego.

Shot at the San Diego Production Center with an outstanding crew, these spots were all shot with white background in HD and utilizes many of Anderson's staff of professional plumbers (not actors)! Needless to say there were a ton of laughs because most of the big, burly men that are out in the field all day repairing and replacing pipes, were not used to wearing makeup! Some didn't even want me to touch them - flat out refused! Some sat quietly in my chair and were pleasantly surprised when I told them they would not feel a thing...makeup is painless and washable!

I like to use Nars Powder Foundation in these types of circumstances and with these types of clients. Especially when professional actors are not being used and when my clients are men or women who have never been on camera before or in a professional studio for that matter. Nars' products are easy to apply and provide high pigmentation which means I get results and coverage immediately. Also, Nars is a great product to use for HD because of the blendability and the application goes on smooth. When non-professional actors are in front of the camera, they tend to sweat much more than professionals and Nars' powder foundation cuts shine and holds up under the studio lights.

Overall, the shoot was great and we had a ton of fun! If you are looking for a quality sound-stage in the San Diego area, check out SDPC (click here to be directed to their website). They are a fully integrated media production company capable of producing a wide range of projects.



If you are in need of a seriously talented Executive Producer, Tonya Mantooth is the person you need to contact (via Lindiken). She is one of the most professional people I have had the privilege to work with in San Diego. What I truly appreciate most about Tonya is that she is able to direct and coach each crew member in such a way that we are all on the same page and working cohesively to produce her vision for the client. It is an honor to work with her and to be part of her crew!

Here are a few fun photos from the set! Enjoy!