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Hello lovelies! :)
Finally! I bring you my adventures from New York city's IMATS which happened last month. First off, I had every intention of attending both days, but since it was my mom's first trip to New York (YAY!) I figured, I'll compromise and attend the Sunday event as opposed to attending both Saturday and Sunday.
That way, I'll have more girlie adventure time with mom. And boy, did we have an adventure!
In the meantime, here's my take on IMATS "Man, I love this city" NY. haha!
Enjoy! :)
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| It was a gorgeous day for some makeup learnin' ;) |
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| No less than 10 minutes of arriving at the pier, I met sweet Martiya Johnson who is also a makeup artist based in New Mexico. Great to meet you Martiya! :) |
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| Koren of EnkoreMakeup in his element, doing what he does best. I just enjoy listening to him break down makeup ingredients. He has a knack for breaking down the different type of pigments in cosmetics, to creating your own mixing mediums, cream eyeshadows, etc. He just recently broke down a "how-to" video on how to create your own water-based airbrush foundation using mineral powders. GENIUS! Now, I really have to take an airbrush class. Koren and Elessa, I'll be all-over your workshops. I need to take your airbrush class! :) |
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| A beautiful, iridescent indigo smokey eye |
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| "Take me to your leader!" |
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| The amazing Roshar who was kind and sweet and funny. At one point he mentioned that he should begin to include eyebrows on the model's face. He thought the industry might think that he may not know how to create them. haha! Love him! |
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| Roshar and I |
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| Roshar: hhmmm, whatever happened to my Hakuhodo S105 round powder brush... Me: I hid it under my big, poofy, curly hair. heehee! |
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| Jordan Liberty of Give Good Face. His beauty breakdowns are quick, effective and to the point. Check out his videos on Youtube and you'll see what I mean. |
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| Makeup artist Kabuki introduced to the audience. |
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| Kabuki about to start his masterpiece for the day. I'm lovin' his Liza shirt ! :) |
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| Yup! Another "no eye-brow" look. Wait...is she the same model Roshar used? |
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| At one point, he had her laying down to apply this bejeweled type of tulle material that was sturdy enough to hold the different colored crystals and yet flexible enough to manipulate the shape of this netted cloth onto her face. Amazing! |
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| ..and the final result! |
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| A panel of distinguished agents discussing the "do's and dont's" of agent/artist relationships. from left to right: Palma Driscoll (Bryan Bantry Agency), Madeline Leonard (Clouier Remix), Daniela Marin (Artists by Timothy Priano), Lee Sikorski (Kate Ryan Inc.) Moderated by Roshar. |
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| Ah yes, I will have you pretties one day... |
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| OCC makeup. Vegan and cruelty-free |
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| Bdellium tools. Soft, affordable, eco-friendly makeup brushes. Yellow brushes? How fun are these! :) |
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| Glitter Tattoo's on baby girl's arm |
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| aww, pink dolphins. Too cute! |
Overall, it was a good "chill out" day. I've been to an IMATS where I've attended both days, but this time around - it was different. Attending IMATS on a Saturday is much different than attending IMATS on a Sunday. Sundays are much less frantic and more of a "chill" atmosphere. There were hardly any lines - anywhere! And if there was one, it went along quickly. It was nice to catch up with old friends and make new friends without the feeling of being rushed.
The one thing that made the most impact for me this year were the panel of agents.Their insight and knowledge about the business side of being a makeup artist had me in all ears mode for the entire time they were up on stage.
Here are a few "keepsakes" from the group that I've found to be useful.
Keep your agent "in the know" - To avoid double-booking the artist, it is the artist's responsibility to let his/her agent know of any "side jobs" the artist may have. One of the agents told a story of a makeup artist who did a photo shoot outside the country without letting their agent know about it. As a result, the agent booked the artist without knowing that the artist was unavailable that day. AY-YAY-YAY! Drama with a capital "D".
Not only did that look bad for the artist, but that also reflects on how inefficient and poorly managed the agency looked from the clients perspective. Yikes! Who wants to be in an icky-walking-on-eggshells feeling with the people you work with. No bueno.
Keep in mind to cater to your audience - When meeting a client who wants a "natural beauty" face please try your best to keep all experimental, futuristic, intergalactic, super-surreal makeup work either at the very end of your portfolio (or online - keep looks separated by different tabs) or if you have a book, remove them completely. It may distract the client from what they perceive as something you might be tempted to create on the day of the shoot. Showcase all your "natural looks" or beauty shots on the day of the meeting and show off your skills in this area. You'll have plenty of time to show off your off-the-charts-avant-garde creations for the next client that requires that look. Remember, there is a time and place for things. Let's not overwhelm the client with your genius just yet. ;)
Keep your portfolio updated - Whether you keep our portfolio online or whether your portfolio is an actual book, always have your recent shots included.
Keep learning new/different ways to hone your craft - Don't stay stuck in a certain way of doing things. Always challenge yourself, take classes, learn new techniques, know your business inside and out.
Keep your attitude in check - The one theme that kept re-iterating itself during the whole talk was... as a makeup artist, be decent. And always, BE NICE! No one, I repeat NO ONE wants to work with an arrogant, disrespectful, self-centered, so-and-so who has no sense of compassion and complains about everything. Another agent told of a story about an incredibly gifted makeup artist whose attitude was left to be desired. This makeup artist was an overbearing know-it-all, gossiped about other makeup artists (a HUGE faux-pas), talked badly about their clients (an even BIGGER faux-pas), and said other not so nice things in front of a client. Oh man..
Eventually, said makeup artist didn't get booked anymore because of the way said makeup artist conducted themselves in front of a client. In the end, the agency had to part ways with the makeup artist.
Finally, they ended with this food or thought.
"How to know if you're a successful makeup artist? If you're getting requested and re-booked for jobs."
Enough said.
So there you have it! My very first IMATS experience in NY. Share this post with anyone you know who might be interested in becoming a makeup artist. They just might find this helpful in some way. :)
Until next time,
Laugh, Love, Live Positive
