One of the highlights of my summer so far was attending the annual pro-roadshow by Makeup Forever (MUFE) in San Francisco! Last year was amazing and I knew that this year would be even better! I was not disappointed!

Maya came with me and even treated me to a hair cut! She also taught me how to do a proper “blowout.” Sure, I’ve read how to in magazines…but actually having someone show you in person is better! Always love me some how-to for hair! 

 

 

The education was amazing…everything from practical techniques (use tape to pick up stray glitter off of the face!) to business advice (what does my “brand” say to my clients?)! So thankful that MUFE and these educators care enough to invest in the artistry community!

I love the W Hotel and discovered while I was there that I like espresso. I’ve always been a tea drinker…Maya came with me and educated me on “real coffee, the way we have it in Europe!”

 

We made some new friends too! This is me and Vanessa of BeautyMarkInk. It was great being able to dish with our artists about product, business, and even what apps we love as makeup artists! By the way, if you ever find yourself at the W, order the yellow tail…it was the BEST sashimi I’ve ever had! Yum…getting hungry just thinking about it…

I think it’s important to always be sharpening your skills in whatever field it is that you work in! Increased knowledge equals increased confidence. And community and camaraderie is so important! Not to mention, shopping for makeup is always a good idea too right?

 

Cheers to Community, Camaraderie, and Confidence,

 

 

 

 

The Makeup Show is an annual pro-only event put on by The PowderGroup (if you’re a makeup artist, do yourself a favor and google TPG!) Last year was amazing so I knew I could not miss this year!

The show is in a handful of major cities (NYC, London, etc) and luckily Los Angeles is one of them! So I took a roadtrip with fellow artist Maya and fellow beauty vlogger Tree!

The body art and special fx were amazing!

Of course with all of the shopping I was on cloud nine! Clockwise from left: shopping at the Inglot booth, Tree examining part of her loot, even though I knew I’d be buying more I couldn’t resist packing a decent amount to go with me, you never know right?

I was able to meet some amazing artists: clockwise from top left: Alex, me, and MJ meeting celebrity makeup artist Troy Jensen (who’s worked with a ton of celebs including JLo, Rachel Bilson, Megan Fox), Me and Momma Makeup Sharon Gault (has worked extensively with Lady Gaga), Me with the lovely Lori Taylor from Smashbox (I just LOVED her sequined jacket!), and legends Byrd Holland and Maurice Stein (They’ve worked on legendary actors and movies including Jimmy Stewart and Planet of the Apes).

It was so incredible to hear from all of these artists, and the perspective of the last older artists was invaluable! Hearing about how Byrd motioned and fought for female makeup artists to be allowed into union and industry gave me chills!

Snippets from the trip, clockwise from top left: Mario Dedivanovic (Kim Kardashian’s personal artist), the big wall of FB statuses (I had to add Polish and Pout to the wall!), our room at the Marriott, me and Maya striking a pose!

One of the highlights from the weekend was hearing from artist Bill Corso. You know his work from Lemony Snickets, The Grinch, and recently John Carter. He explained the creative process behind the makeup in John Carter, even showing us the concepts that got tossed! Clockwise from top pic: sketches of the tattoos drawn onto the actors, the princess of Mars before and after makeup, the artist himself speaking.

The show has a heavy educational focus, which I love! So much information, advice, and ideas swirling in my head now! So this week I will catch some time on the beach to process it all!

The plan is to attend next year in NYC! I cannot wait!

Cheers to Makeup, Movies, and the Marriott,