Have a seat. Let’s get to know one another.
Why I do what I do?
I’m at the top of my game. Almost two decades of film, television, red carpets, magazines, and countless portraits under my belt, and I still get asked the why and how of being a makeup artist.
Makeup, or having your makeup done is a form of intimacy. My career requires my entering personal space. You wouldn’t know this to look at me, but I am not a hugger by nature. I don’t really enjoy being touched.
My husband theorizes that people tend to lean towards a career path that’s counter-intuitive to their nature. I chose a career path that requires me to do something I am not comfortable doing. I am, however, drawn to making a connection. Touch and heal. Build a bridge. Connect.
Recently, I applied makeup on a woman for a red carpet event. Over the course of the hour, we shared our stories. We expressed our views and reminisced about being adolescents and how growing up is difficult but a strong village and growing into a fully realized self is something we both nurture. When she left to go put her dress on, a person in the room remarked how kind I was to take such care of her. I gave her the same consideration as any person in my chair. I did not know that she is transgender.
She let me in and I did the same. We shared our mutually human experiences and I did her makeup.
While I can imagine how much trust it took for her to let me get that close, my own desire to share that space is where we found that bond. As makeup artists, we can transform a person. A makeup artist can bring out the inner manifestation. Glamour, confidence, character, artistry.
My job is to listen and interpret a visual. I walk inside a boundary and by asking for that trust, I give mine too. I’m almost 20 years into my career and I am still finding my voice. I am taking risks and I am turning vulnerability into empowerment.
In this moment of vulnerability and uncertainty, I long for that person to person connection. I miss the set and my fellow crew. I miss collaboration. Every person has a ritual before stepping into a gig. Research the job. Prep the kit. Get your head in the game. Listen to your power song in the car on your way to the job. Mine is “One Last Time” from Hamilton.
As I catalog inspiring images and clean out my kit, I look forward to being on set again. I look forward to the work ahead and strengthening the connections we share. Until then, stay safe. I’ll see you on the flip side.