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I'll start!
Where did you/ do you start?
I'd always loved fashion and beauty...looked at Allure every month since I turned 12. Finally, 10 years later, while in university, I needed a 2nd part time job to make ends meet with tuition, etc. So, I decided to give it a go in a makeup/beauty related job. I got a job working as a 'cosmetician' at a Shoppers Drug Mart. Not too glamourous, but everyone starts somewhere!

SDM sent me out on various training schools and I listened, learned and absorbed everything. In the process of doing my 'practicals' at the school, I realized right away that I LOVED doing makeup more than I thought I would, and that, I was actually pretty darn good at it/had a natural aptitude for it.

I started examining magazine images more closely, and thought to myself, 'I can do that just as well!' (I was reading the likes of Cosmo and Allure, nothing crazy/beautiful!!).

So, to get started, I contacted about 200 photographer. Anyone and everyone I could get a hold of. I wrote letters, left voice mails, and sent emails. Two got back in touch with me, and soooo I started doing makeup on their shoots!

-How do you go about it?
After about 6 months of working almost exclusively with one guy, I realized I had hit a wall, and that his style was his style, and would probably never change, and I was tired of hoping/asking/pleading for him to do some clean beauty stuff, or even some non-GWC tinged fashion-y looking stuff.

He wanted to use his fave internet models (i guess all the pre-shoot MSN flirting really got him going??) and wouldn't go to the agencies for girls. Also, he had to include either garters, garter belts, bras+undone blouses, fancy cars, corsets and/or tacky patent leather shoes in every shoot he did. To top it all off, he never paid me even though he directed EVERYTHING about EVERY shoot, took forever with prints, and was NOT into doing any sort of dove into the scary world of networking and promoting myself as a 'real makeup artist' and finding decent shooters.

Now, I give myself goals, and they include stuff like creating new networks with new shooters who are actually getting paid to shoot, and who are into creatives and testing, or creating a certain shot for my book, learning a new skill, etc etc...

Also, I set standards for myself, in terms of what shoots I will test on. Only younger, agency (or agency quality) girls. I do my best to ensure that the makeup is always inline with current and future trends, or else classic and/or clean beauty looks. I ask to know about styling, and offer to do it myself if there won't be a stylist on shoot.

I've developed my skill set through training. I've read art history books, fashion history books, famous photographer picture books. I've read all the big makeup books out there. I've taken a business class. I've studied set design at a theatre. I've taken an art class, airbrushing classes, and hairstyling classes.

I've spent countless dollars on my kit, and make sure that I use the best products (that I know of!).

I do a lot of reading of current magazines, future trends, and window shopping at the malls/boutiques so I can know, more or less, what there is out there, in case I am called upon to style.

-What went into your decision?
After I finished school, I was offered a govt job making 42k a year at the place I had done my co-op placement at. I realized that, I couldn't do it. Money and luxury and having lots of cool stuff is awesome, but, I realized that the time you spend at a job is a HUGE part of your life, and even when you're not at work, still effects your "life". I couldn't do a Mon-Fri job if it would make miserable....even if it would make me financially comfortable.

So, i decided to seriously pursue making makeup my full time gig!

-What are you willing to give for it?
hahah. what am i NOT willing to give for it?
I gave up a nicely paid "job for life'' at the government.
I lost a decent paying counter job, because i accepted a week long job in makeup that got me national tears.
I lost a boyfriend because he didn't understand/wasn't cool with me suddenly being busy/absorbed all the time.
I lost independence, because, I was planning to move out of the house RIGHT after school was done, but now, I have to live at home a bit longer to save up for living expenses/car before I move to Toronto.
I lost a few friends who were pissed because I couldn't go out as much.
So, what am I willing to give? A huge chunk of my time, and my attention, and my effort to making it work. Oh, and my money. Lots of money!! If i'm awake for 16 hours a day, I'm thinking of/working on my career makeup in some way, shape or form, for at least 8 hours of it! The rest of the time I'm slogging away at my day job, working out, eating, sleeping, or bathing!

-What is your level of desired success in this industry, and I guess, what does success mean to you?
Personally, in the next 2 years I want to be agency represented, even if only as an assistant. (If you are on an assistants list, are you still considered as 'represented'?)

In 3-5 years, I want to be a rostered artist, and doing nothing else other than makeup to make my living. And I want to be financially comfortable. Not RICH, I mean, thats not really necessary (though it would be nice!!!) but, with prudent spending, i want to be able to own an apartment, a car, and enjoy life's smaller luxuries.

I want to be working in my preferred fields of makeup: print, video and runway. Maybe some teaching, too, as I advance, and actually have the credentials to do so.

Recognition wise, I'm not saying I WILL BE PAT MCGRATH, but I'd like to reach a decent level of exposure of my work in mainstream consciousness.

That is all. hahahaha.

And, I have to say, it felt good to say all that. Hopefully I didn't put anyone to sleep!