Makeup artist for Carly Rose Sonenclar at Jim And Juli Boehiem Foundation Ball Turning Stone Casino

So much fun being the makeup artist for Carly Rose Sinclair at the Jim and Julie Boehiem Foundation fundraising ball at Turning Stone Casino.
A few of the key items I used:
Face Atelier foundation for her gorgeous skin. 
MAC Cosmetics eye Shadow in Bronze
ARDELL lashes in Sexies
NYX lip color from The Naturals Luscious Lip Gloss Palette

Makeup for 2014 political commercial shoot in Syracuse NY

When it is an election year, commercial makeup artists are busy with print and film work for campaigns. 

I've done several over the years. I love seeing both politicians and their constituents talk so passionately about things they believe in.

It's also great to work on these jobs because the production crews they hire a true pros. Well oiled machines that operate efficiently, have a well planned shooting schedule and have back up plans for any unforeseen issues. 

Watching the monitor lets me see what viewers will see and I can make makeup adjustments as needed.

 The featured photos are from a short shoot in Syracuse. 

Usually the shoots are 12+ hours in a day covering a number of miles to travel to different towns and businesses that support a candidate. I absolutely love seeing parts of New York State I might not see otherwise. Ice cream shops, steel mills, farms, and banks... any business that makes up a community gets involved. 

The constituents filmed never complain that as the makeup artist/stylist I'm spraying their hair, covering blemishes(even the men) or adjusting their clothes. They are so passionate about helping. 

It makes for a really rewarding day.

Syracuse Commercial Makeup Artist -Behind the Scenes in Ithaca NY

When people find out I'm a makeup artist, they instantly think of beauty and glamour. While bridal makeup in Syracuse NY and the surrounding areas of Upstate NY is a huge part of my job another part of  my job is commercial work.
A commercial makeup artist makes "talent", the people featured in video and print ads, look like polished versions of themselves. Nothing fancy.

Here's some behind the scenes from a commercial shoot in Ithaca NY for a Senior living community. The talent consisted of residents at the property.

1st location of the morning.

  

Our talent had rescued her dog companion a couple  months prior to the shoot. She'd never been outside on grass before she was rescued!

My job ensures all talent is camera ready. She got a good brushing before her call time.

Farmer Andy. He's a retired farmer but heads the garden project on  the property.

crew working hard in the sun to make sure Andy looks good on camera

Dancing in the gazebo. The woman is 83 yrs old and competes internationally dancing! I  loved when she said she competes in much higher heels than these!

A-List Artistry Chosen Makeup Artistry Team for 2013 WISE Symposium Speakers

 I love the Wise Symposium (www.WISEconference.com). I attended my first one in 2011. The keynote speaker was Bobbi Brown. Yes... THAT Bobbi Brown. So being a makeup artist I was really excited to attend. Jessica Puccia was just joining the team and went with me. It was such an inspiration for us both. I left with tons of notes and a fire to build the makeup artist business I had started to be even bigger and better.

2012 I went again. Solo this time. Jessica was enjoying a well deserved vacation. This year the keynote speaker was Barbara Corcoran. Yup... Shark Tank. Her story totally blew me away! Again, I left with that fire and some new ideas.

2013 arrives. My mind is working on goals for the year. Of course going to WISE was on my list. Only this year I wanted to help behind the scenes and offer makeup for the speakers. Lindsay from WISE loved the idea and a partnership was formed. Christina Cianciosi was now part of the team and she came along as well.

Just as we arrived and were setting up in the VIP room I received a call my father-in-law was being taken to the emergency room. My husband reassured me to stay and do the makeup. He'd contact me if I needed to get to the hospital.

I was really pleased with the number of speakers that scheduled to have their makeup done! And they all were so fun to talk to. The speaker that captivated me and had me busting out laughing was Cheryl Wood. She is down-to-earth with a lot of sass. My kinda gal. We had enough time to run to hear her speak before returning to do makeup for the next scheduled speaker. She didn't disappoint!! I follow her now on social media.www.cherylwoodempowers.com

Holly from A-List Artistry with Cheryl Wood

My final makeup was for keynote speaker, Robin Chase. She is so interesting. And it was cool to hear her daughter is a model! I wish I could have stayed to hear her speak, but I needed to get to my family and find out what was happening with my father-in-law. * drs finally have found the cause of his condition and he is doing well.

Holly from A-List Artistry with Robin Chase

We loved WISE 2013 and can't wait for next year's symposium! You can check out the gallery from this year's event and see better pictures than the ones taken with my phone. Photographer friend Caitlyn Bom was shooting the event. http://wiseconference.com/Symposium/gallery.asp

We've already been named the official makeup artist team for the 2014 WISE Symposium. What inspiring women will we meet this year? Stay tuned for the announcement!

A Few of My Favorite Things: Thing One Whip Hand Cosmetics Set the Stage Primer

As makeup artists we get asked our favorite products all of the time. And I'm going to be honest. Makeup is a lot like looking at art, reading a book or eating a meal. What one considers beautiful, entertaining, or delicious another may not. So these are my opinions. My tips. What I've tried on myself and use on my clients. 

Feel free to leave your own comments if you've tried a product. Or let me know if there is something you are curious about. 

The first product I want to blog about is a true miracle in a jar. My main requirement in a product is I must love it. It needs to do its job and do it well. I'm not a follower. There are a ton of "popular" products you won't see in my kit. They don't meet my expectations. Now when a product is made by a fellow artist AND made here in the USA. That's a bonus. THAT is Whip Hand Cosmetics.www.whiphandcosmetics.com

The owner/creator is Riese Lauriet, a makeup artist in Detroit, MI. We're in a mutual Makeup Artist group and a few other artists were raving about her makeup primer, Set the Stage. 

I know. I know.

There are a gazillion primers.... What makes hers so special? Well, I've tried a lot of primers. Found some great and some not so great. But Set the Stage works on a multitude of clients. It helps reduce shine from oily skin, yet it hydrates enough to be perfect for dry skin as well.  It creates a smooth surface for your other face products to glide over and stay put.

As I have ventured to the over 40 yr old club I noticed a new concern: larger pores! Set The Stage makes that issue disappear! I actually threw on my makeup just to run to the craft store and book store. I didn't use the primer. I didn't run into anyone I knew, and I'm glad. I felt naked without the primer! What a difference!

The biggest mistake I feel people make with primers is applying too much. Set the Stage is no exception. A little goes a LONG way.  I apply most products with a brush, but not this. The warmth of your fingers is going to emulsify the product and allow it to glide over the skin.

When you first see the size of the container you might be concerned the cost vs. the quantity. At $39 it is a bargain. And it’s made in Detroit by real people, not a huge factory. It’s a company that not only makes a great product, but also a company that wants to bring jobs to its community. To make their city a better place. Not too many makeup lines can boast that. I will admit, it is a reason I have ordered more products from them. I wish more companies would think like this.(gets off soapbox and stops waving the America flag)

So check out Whip Hand Cosmetics and the Set the Stage primer. And as a side note, they have amazing customer service! Matt was answering my questions by email in minutes and offering additional tips on product use.

They won me over!

I also bought a few other Whip Hand products, so stay tuned for some more recommendations, because it was all great!  

**** a BIG foot note. I purchased the product. And even if a company sends me something gratis to try(& on occasion they do), you can be assured I will only give honest feedback.(* and state it was sent as gratis in the review) If something isn't to my liking,  I. will give the company my honest feedback and will not blog about the product. Many times an artist is sent things to give their feedback on performance the the brand will make adjustments to the ingredients or packaging based on artists feedback.

Whip Hand Cosmetics used for cover shoot for Today's CNY Woman magazine

My blogging as seriously been lacking on the commercial aspect of our work. Not for lack of jobs! We are happy and love our commercial business. I just forget to talk about it.

So for this shoot I had just gotten a few items from a newer makeup line, Whip Hand Cosmetics, that I wanted to try. The line has been taking the makeup artist community by storm and I had to try a few things for myself.




So this first thing I notice is the shipping packaging. WOW! I'm a sucker for cool packaging. So I was instantly hooked. Riese, the creator of Whip Hand, is a fellow makeup artist. Her fierce personality is evident in every way with her products.I seriously didnt' really want to open it.... it was so pretty. But I HAD to try these products.

 

I personally try everything before using it on clients... I can't afford to use a product that doesn't perform when I'm working. So after trying it on myself and loving it, I took it on the shoot for the cover of Today's CNY Woman. This shoot was at Lune Chocolat in Manlius,NY. I was already a customer of their chocolatey goodness prior to the shoot (try their Lavender and Honey or a Chai Buddha,you won't be disappointed)

The results were beautiful. I primed her face with Set The Stage Primer and used Sneaky creme eye shadow as a base for some of my powder shadows. I used Analyze which is a creme blush that was perfect!To finish the look I sprayed Give Good Face over the whole thing. It's a Rosewater Tonic that smells fantastic and hydrates and plumps the skin for an amazing finish.
So now I am a loyal Whip Hand Cosmetics fan. I'm writing my review of Set the Stage ASAP. EVERYONE should have it in their makeup bag!

Makeup for Today's CNY Woman Magazine Cover -March Emily at Lune Chocolat

Emily at Lune Chocolat

I have several loves outside of my family and my work. A couple being shopping and sweets. So when Lune Chocolat opened in Manlius (just around the corner from my Jamesville location) I had to check it out. I wasn't disappointed. All of their pieces are hand made!
On occasion if I had several clients coming in one day, I'd stop in to pick up some treats for them. And maybe a few for me too.** my favorites are the Lavender+Honey, The Peanut Butter Poodle (you have to see it to appreciate it) and the Chai Buddha.
www.lunechocolat.com

I was excited to do this shoot because it was with a business I already support. I also had some new products I wanted to work with from Whip Hand Cosmetiques.

The brand Whip Hand Cosmetiques is a newer line. Much like the chocolate, it is also hand made!In Detroit!Created by pro makeup artist, Riese Lauriat.

It's been getting some chatter in the pro makeup artist forums and I had to see for myself what all of the fuss was about.

I like buying products that have meaning to me as well as do their job. May sound weird. But if I can buy something that is going to create jobs in the US from a place with outstanding customer service, count me in.

It was love at first application!

So much so, that I need to devote a whole post, just to the Whip Hand products I used. Emily loved the look and how great her skin felt. And I loved supporting small businesses. 

www.whiphandcosmetics.com 

how cool is the shipping packaging? felt like a present

Makeup Artist- Holly Piselli for A-List Artistry

Magazine Photographer- Kim Cook @ Big Paw Photography