Being Fab

See Amy Poehler As 30 Different Alter Egos

2012-01-30T13:04:00.000-06:00

This is a great slideshow of makeup tests. When a good makeup artist and a creative actress meet, you find yourself with a complete chameleon. There is some prosthetic work here, but many of these looks are simply out of kit. Most of this is light, shadow, and color. The woman is a chameleon to begin with. Even so, it is amazing how much even slight changes in makeup effects can completely transform a person.

See Amy Poehler As 30 Different Alter Egos

Strange Soil Brings Bright Blossoms

2012-01-05T12:40:00.000-06:00

I wrote this a while back. I am no longer doing retail, at this job or any other, unless you count opening my studio up to sell my art. My career has since taken off, and I now do makeup full-time. However, it's good to remember the past.

I also put this up as an example of how sometimes the way to a goal isn't quite as direct as one may think. I know many artists who refuse to take work that isn't directly in their specialized field. That is wonderful when one is established. However, oftentimes to get established, you have to look elsewhere for the tools to build your foundation. You have to think outside the box and find the things you actually require in order to meet your goal. In this case, I needed schedule flexibility and time to study between customers. This would not have been available to me as an esthetician, even if I hadn't gone and overqualified myself for work in even one of the major spas in town.

And without further preamble, here's a little blast from the past:

“Hey honey girl”. She has awhisky-and-cigarettes voice. She's impeccably dressed and manicured.She could be a Joan River's impersonator, and she's one of myfavorite customers. She's in her seventies and she's here to rentporn.

I am a trained and licensedesthetician. I have a fine arts and theater background. I am educatedand have a cutthroat business sense that rivals the shoulder-padded80s power women. So why am I here, where I could be crushed by agiant silicone butt while dusting or where helping a hirsutecross-dresser find something frilly may leave him thinking we'resoul-mates? It's not simply to critique the drag queens on theirmakeup while making sure they don't steal our size 11 shoes. I amhere because I served my time in the high-end spas. When I discoveredthat my employer wanted me to cut corners in a manner that couldleave clients facing blindness, burns, or infection, I left ratherthan endanger people who trusted me. I began working at a theaterassisting disabled artists, and doing promotional work for acosmetics company. Makeup opportunities started falling into my lap,and I loved it. Suddenly, my painting, sculpture, puppetry,costuming, makeup and skincare training fit together. It madeperfect sense. My life became color, texture, and lighting and Ifound home.

The spas called for interviews whenthey saw what I was doing with the makeup, promotions, and theaterwork. “Your resume is so amazing.” But they wanted me to quiteverything that made them dial my number. They loved what ambitionhad brought me, but only wanted it inside their doors. No freelancingand little creativity allowed. I decided against the dollars andfound a job that would allow the flexibility needed for freelancingand family, pay rent on a very bohemian little studio, and let meconstantly improve my makeup artistry,

I applied for a “retail sales”position, only to find at the interview that it was for a porn store(the company prefers the term “adult novelty boutique”). Iaccepted the position because they not only allow me to take time offto work on makeup opportunities, but celebrate it. Between customers, I am allowed to browse makeup forums, read makeup books, and draftface-charts. I get paid $7.75 an hour to multitask and learn. Icater to people's kinks in order to pursue my passion. I give sexeducation so I have the luxury of continuing my education. I stresssafety with both jobs. My take no prisoners and brook no nonsenseattitude has helped me fend off creepers here and keep my models safeand organized backstage.

“Honey girl,” her gravelly voicesays while she points a midnight-edged purple nail at me, “don'trent this one. It stinks. Warn the other girls.”

This is not what I planned, but this isthe strange soil my career is drawing sustenance from as it blossoms,reaching toward the photographers' lights.

Aging Fashionably

2012-01-04T23:30:00.000-06:00

Refinery 29 has a fabulous photo collection of Stylin' 70-Year olds. Who says that fashion is just for teenagers? Look at these grand old dames! My favorite has to be Beatrix Ost, the woman in her brocade coat, emerald turban, and fishnet gloves. I hope I can look this colorfully elegant when I'm 70.

Mary's quote is wonderful " "A good pair of sunglasses is better than a facelift. It hides the ravages of time and lets you spy on people."

Whenever I get nervous about getting older, I turn to Helen Mirren for inspiration. She is always elegant, always radiant, and always age appropriate. See her here, looking fabulous as ever on a scooter.

Here is a feature on Carmen Dell'Orefice, 80 years old and one of the hottest-ticket models out there. Stunning. Absolutely stunning. As much as I value the young models I work on, it also does my heart good to see an older model completely owning the runway and fashion spreads. There is a depth of character that cannot be faked, and that shows in the resulting work.

Photographer Ari Seth Cohen roams the streets of New York, looking for the most fashionable older ladies for his blog, Advanced Style. The vibrancy behind the images and within the women themselves is completely inspiring.

For more inspiration, I recommend visiting Judith at the Style Crone.

While exploring these sites, I am struck by how unique each of these women are, even more so than their younger counterparts in fashion. These ladies all teach us that aging is simply an opportunity to know yourself on a deeper level, and a chance to refine your personal style in fashion and in life.

Bring on my next birthday. I'm ready.

Clean body, messy kitchen.

2011-10-23T17:55:00.000-05:00

I took advantage of a sale on 3-in-1 Beauty Smoothies at ULTA. These are designed to be used as shampoo, shower gel, or bubble bath. They have a nice lather and leave my skin feeling fresh, rather than dry like other fragrance products or greasy like other moisturizing products. They are not watered down, and they are not skimping on the quantity for the price. I selected Cinnamon Swirl, Buttercream Delight, and Cocoa Velvet Truffle and will smell like a cupcake until spring!

Of course when I showered this morning with the Cinnamon Swirl and followed it up with my vanilla-scented deoderant, I realized I smelled a bit like a snickerdoodle. That is perfectly fine with me, and it works wonderfully with my amber perfume.

In honor of this little foodie revelation, here is a recipe for Snickerdoodle cupcakes from Bakerella. This might very well be the most perfect thing ever, especially with one of my new favorite addictions, Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon from Penzeys Spices. This stuff is so sweet and strong, I will never skimp on my cinnamon again. Time to carve out some counter space and get to baking.

Vintage Find: Art Deco Compact

2011-10-15T23:16:00.000-05:00

I went to a little vintage fashion sale with Laura of My True Love Vintage. While there, I found this darling little Art Deco compact. There is a tulip/lotus design on the front, and the back is entirely engraved with a delicate herringbone pattern. This was released by Richard Hudnut in the mid-1930s (judging by the patent number registered in 1935). Richard Hudnut released DuBarry, which was the first American made cosmetics line.

The powder that this originally contained was very finely milled, actually very similar in texture to a loose version of LORAC's POREfection, only heavily perfumed (not unpleasant, but strong enough for the fragrance to survive over 60 years). Along with the spaces for powder and rouge (it originally contained a very bright pink rouge), this compact has the original DuBarry lipstick included. Let me tell you, your grandmothers were not messing around when it came to their lippy! This stuff has some serious staying power and is just about the perfect red. I got a smudge of it on my hand and it took two scrubbings to wash it off.

I love these old compacts, they were so much more elegant than their modern counterparts and really give a sense of the personal little rituals of beauty.

Richard Hudnut also brought us the DuBarry Success School:

Charming and oh so very un-PC. Am I bringing shame to my country by carrying a couple of extra pounds and drinking a banana bread beer? Nah, I think my makeup, mani and pedi tonight can tip the patriotism scales back.

Up Up Creative's Pricing Experiment

2011-10-13T17:07:00.007-05:00

As a freelancer, figuring out my pricing structure has always been one of the most agonizing aspects of business. I want to make sure that I can devote myself to my arts, but still have little luxuries like groceries and rent. I want to make sure that my skill-set is priced appropriately, but I don't want to be completely restrictive if there is someone that is brilliant who wishes to work with me, but may have less of a budget. This is especially difficult while working in a creative field in a city with a fashion industry that is just finding its feet, where I work alongside the full spectrum of hobbyists and students (some incredibly talented) as well as some true rising stars of the industry.

I have always been adamant in my assertion that artists need to get fair wages for their work and that an artist who undercuts with their rates can hurt the whole industry. So I have always been willing to keep my rates fair, not only for my clients, but for myself. I have also been willing to help newer artists figure out theirs as well, and I openly discuss business and marketing with other artists. I really do recommend Springboard for the Arts as a local resource for artists who are wanting to make a living doing what they love. They offer wonderful workshops to help artists learn to understand money and marketing.

As many of you know, I am currently in the early stages of planning my own wedding, so I was intrigued to see this bit of business philosophy while catching up on A Practical Wedding.

Julie from Up Up Creative ran a very interesting pricing experiment, where she sought out the kind of client she wished for and she allowed them to name their price. This experiment is now over, but the introduction video can be seen below. She seems incredibly charming, and would be a wonderful business to support.

The followup article where she lay out the lessons that she learned is worth a read, in essence, her material costs were usually covered, but the compensation for the time involved fell short. There are also many valuable tidbits in the comments from other small business owners. As artists, many of us forget to include more than our materials when figuring out our rates. We also need to figure in the intangible costs of time and education, or the time involved in research and communications. It's important to think about and become comfortable discussing the value of your time and product, not only with your customers, but with other artists.

100 Years of fashion

2011-09-25T14:13:00.002-05:00

This is impressive, not just from a fashion and choreography standpoint, but from a continuity one. The flow is beautifully done.

Frankenstein musical dance theater

2011-09-24T23:01:00.003-05:00

I was so nervous about this project. I was a last-minute addition, recommended by the costumer. At the time, I was primarily a fashion and beauty artist working entirely out-of-box with a very short window to apply makeup effects to half a body. There wasn't time to order a more flexible product for the demands of the dance and honestly, I was a bit scared. But like all things that make me a little nervous, I decided to go into it, study like hell beforehand, do my best, make it work, and continue studying it until it wasn't scary anymore for the future.

I have added to my kit and streamlined my technique based on what I learned and am now even more prepared than I was before, which is saying something as other artists usually have to turn to me backstage for any crazy item that they might have forgotten. I have also been spending the last year really studying more effects work and growing more confident with it. My kit is now larger and more back-breaking than ever, which means I can get both work and a workout at the same time.

There was a wonderful crew for this project, and the dancer was not only extremely talented, but very patient with the fact that I was constantly chasing him to tack down, snip, and repaint his scar-work. They were good sports all around, it was a wonderful trial-by-fire, and the concept of the piece is hauntingly beautiful. Here are the results.

Frankenstein Lighted Way from Hamil Griffin-Cassidy on Vimeo.

For more info on the project, including cast and crew and updates, add us on facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankenstein/153589234694928

Vintage Purse Makeover

2011-09-12T03:11:00.005-05:00

As I stated in my last post I found a darling makeup purse with a cigarette holder. I have a nice little money clip already, and I don't smoke cigarettes, so I found another use for it.

First, cut card-stock to fit the interior. You will want this to fit snug around the edges but still slip in flat.

Go to you hardware store and pick up a roll of magnet tape. This stuff is now one of my favorite new crafty supplies. It is very thin, sticky on one side, and comes in a tape dispenser. It is not made for heavy-duty hold, but for our purposes, it will do just fine.

Cover your cardstock with the magnet tape.

Trim the edges and slip it in your case. If you cut to fit snug, it may hold itself in, otherwise you may have to tape or glue-dot the back.

Slip some mini makeup brushes, shadows, blush, bronzer and cream liner in and you're set to go.

Vintage Makeup Find

2011-09-12T02:50:00.003-05:00

Look at this darling little purse. I found it while out antiquing with Laurabeth of My True Love Vintage. It's a brass basket weave and from what I've been able to find, it's either from the forties or fifties, and never used. It came with a lipstick case, a powder compartment, and a little case containing a comb and a spot for hair-pins. Just darling. It also has a compartment for cigarettes, but I don't smoke (only my e-cig and the occasional cigar). However, I do have a use for it. Watch for the simple tutorial in my next post.