A Day in the Life of a Makeup Artist

Life as a freelance Makeup Artist is consistently inconsistent. 

My schedule is always changing and evolving. I don't have a set weekly routine, the luxury of a steady paycheck is just a memory. I can go a week without working followed by 5 weeks without a single day off. Life as a freelance Makeup Artist is consistently inconsistent... and I love it.

Although I have been working with makeup since I was a child (thanks to Mommy), I first started my professional career as a "full time" freelancer in November of 2010.  Before then, I had worked at Sephora followed by Saks Fifth Avenue... trying to take on as many photo & video shoots and bridal clients as possible on my designated days off.

Some of you might know that this career I have chosen to pursue in my late twenties was not AT ALL what I started out doing.  I went to college to become a Producer.  After graduating, I went on to work at CNBC, a smaller production agency, and then co-founded a creative media agency called Hybrid Interactive (who you should definitely hire to create any customized marketing materials because Heather and Jenn kick some serious ass).

Anyway... Through my experiences as a Producer, I was lucky enough to meet a handful of phenomenally talented Makeup Artists (Maryann Muro, Hector Ferrer, Lisa Bell, & Shannon Lauretta to name a few).  These MUAs hold a dear place in my heart, for they are the ones who inspired me to make what felt like "the change of a lifetime" (my lifetime) from producing to makeup. After that, it was off to makeup school in the big city (thanks Laura and Jeff for letting me crash at your apartment for a shorter commute)!

Nowadays, instead of sitting behind a desk and in front of a laptop doing "producery" things, I have the distinct pleasure of playing with colors and faces (and sometimes celebrities). Whether it be on a film, TV show, or industrial video shoot set... Or a photo shoot or back stage at a fashion show... Or in a bridal suite with 12 lovely ladies drinking their traditional mimosas waiting their turn for makeup (Yes, I'd love a mimosa but I'd rather get this lipstick on your LIPS!!)... OR even working the retail circuit for one of my favorite lines, Laura Mercier... I am a happy camper.

It's true that making definite plans in advance is a thing of the past... It's true that I get anxious if I'm not working a few days in a row... It's true that I'm exhausted after a few weeks of working nonstop... It's also true that I absolutely LOVE what I do. Do I still have massive student loans? Yes. Thanks for that, college. Do I have to pay extra for my health insurance? Sure do. Do I have normal people bills to pay? Obvi.

Guess what... I manage to pay all of my bills every month.  "But Jacqueline, how do you do that without a steady paycheck?" I'm glad you asked... It's because I work my butt off networking and following up with past clients. I also try to be smart with the money I have coming in and save as much of it as I can.

All of the uncertainty and anxiety is worth it. I get to do what I love to do on a daily basis.

Are you thinking of making a career change or taking the leap to freelance-hood? DO IT. But first... Call my girl Ungenita because she knows what's up. She is the genius that helped me find this statement:  I am a Celebrity Makeup Artist specializing in production. A simple yet strong statement that has helped me gain more business in the last few months. Thank you Ungenita!!

The End.

Lovely Laura Mercier

As some of you may already know, I love me some Laura Mercier! Lucky for me, LM is offering some gorgeous products this holiday season. You can find them at www.lauramercier.com or at Sephora.

Ah yes... The Book of Nudes, $48. SO PRETTY!! If you or someone you know loves a sexy neutral eye look, this is definitely the right palette to get. In the palette you'll find 8 beautiful shadows, an eyeliner, and three cream cheek colors (bronzer, blush, highlighter).  What a deal!!

The Baked Eye Colour Palette, $48... Another beaut! These 5 highly pigmented shadows can be used both wet or dry to achieve your desired look.  The set also comes with a double sided brush! Bonus!

My dear... If you haven't had the pleasure of playing with the BRAND NEW Caviar Sticks yet, you must get on it ($24)! These babies are PHENOMENAL and, I believe, essential to any makeup lover's professional or personal kit. The Caviar Sticks were inspired by Laura's cult favorite, Caviar Cake Eye Liner. They come in 8 creamy shades, are extremely pigmented and once they set they aren't moving! The darker shades create the BEST base for a smokey eye!! Hey Laura Mercier... I hope next year we get a holiday set of all of the colors!

My two all time favorite mascaras happen to be Laura's... At $24 a piece Thickening & Building and Full Blown Volume are THE GREATEST!! They're both very black and neither formula clumps! This is the only time I've ever been able to say that honestly... THESE MASCARAS HAVEN'T CLUMPED ON ME YET and I've gone through TUBES of each at this point. These are the first mascaras I've purchased more than twice EVER. Please try them out for yourself and let me know what you think! 

Creme Smooth Foundation, $50. This surprisingly lightweight cream foundation is extremely hydrating and has a multipeptide complex infused with Dermaxyl and advanced optical diffusers that help to visibly smooth fine lines and wrinkles. Do NOT be fooled by how dense the product looks in the jar... It is a true cream foundation so you must use it sparingly! A little bit goes a very long way and looks very natural on the skin. With one of the Laura Mercier Foundation Primers underneath, you just can't go wrong!

The Flawless Skin Repair Eye Serum is one of the best selling products in the LM line ($80). This is a concentrated anti-aging eye serum that helps improve the appearance of fine lines and loss of firmness as well as instantly brightens the eye area on contact (and over time). You can use this serum day and night with or without an eye cream on top. This holiday season, treat yourself to great skincare... Pick up this serum!!!

Have you tried any of these products? Tell me what you think! 

Inglot Review

Ladies & Gents...

When you are a makeup artist (at least this is true for me), you sometimes forget to get new stuff for YOURSELF instead of just concentrating on your professional kit. I definitely fall victim to this... Building my kit on an almost weekly basis while I, myself, use the same exact shadows all year long (and sometimes longer).

WELL GUESS WHAT!

I went to Inglot in Chelsea Market today and finally made a customized eye shadow palette for MYSELF! ME! ME! ME!! This bad boy is not going into my kit, folks. No way, Jose.  :o)

I will list the colors from lightest to darkest (left to right).


First Row: 

MATTE 351

MATTE 353

D.S. 463

MATTE 390

MATTE 376

Second Row:

MATTE 348

PEARL 414

MATTE 340

AMC 61

MATTE 391

The quality of these shadows are fantastic! Hayden, the lovely gentleman who helped me today, informed me that Inglot shadows have a MINIMUM of 75% true pigment. That means you'll get beautiful & vibrant color value and use less product to get your desired look! 

I highly recommend you go to an Inglot store to play with some testers. The quality and prices can not be beat! Before my pro-discount, my 10 shadow custom set was $5 per shadow + $14 for the empty palette. Don't need 10 shadows? They also sell them in singles, as well as, 3 & 5 shadow palettes.  Feeling a bit saucy and want more than 10? No worries... You can make your very own 20 or 40 shadow palette.

SWEET! INGLOT! LOVE IT!

I'd love to hear from YOU! Please comment below & tell me what brand of eye shadow you use and why.  What's your favorite line?