I know what brands are killing it, which are overrated, I know what will cover dark purple under-eye circles, I know what color shadow will make your baby blue eyes pop.
However, this is not the same as being a MUA. That is an entirely different animal. That takes schooling, apprenticeships and licensing as just the tip of the iceberg.
I'm "Rouge" at Sephora, that means #theytakeallmymoney that I can get free, unlimited makeup application's in store, Mostly, I only tend to take advantage of this perk is when I'm on vacation. I love to go and get a makeover before my hubby and I go to a nice dinner.
This past trip was no different....or so I thought. Enter in Victorio. Victorio has been a professional MUA for 37 years. Up until this past year, he was based in Hollywood. Recently, he moved to Vegas to semi retire. He still does famous clients when and if he feels like it. For example, the Sunday following when I was there, he was doing Michelle Obama's makeup.
I didn't give him any direction, or ask him for any particular look. I figured "This man is an artist...he has carte blanche"
He did things that I'd of never had the nerve to try. For example, he used a red metallic eyeshadow on my bottom lash line. Red metallic shadow! That is something that I’d of never tried on my own. Also, he lined my eyes all the way around with a thick black liner. Again, something I’d of never tried on my own. I’ve seen too much #blacklinergonebad . However , seeing it done right was fantastic!
My favorite trick that he taught me was in regards to false eye lashes. Victorio cut the outter corner off from the strip lashes. Then , he glued them back on. He essentially doubled up the outer corner of the lashes. (See bottom photo in the graphic at the top of this page.)
I could not believe the finished product when he was done. I kept asking “Is this me?” . It really drove home what I’ve been preaching for years ... “makeup is the great equalizer”. It’s really true. When you see photos of celebrities without makeup, you really see it. They don’t look bad, I’m not saying anyone looks bad. They look normal like the rest of us. I guess what I’m trying to drive home is that all of us can be “beautiful” , “stunning” etc. Nobody is “ugly”. Nobody is “unattractive”. If you get to feeling as if you are, you are wrong. If you get to feeling as if you don’t look good, that’s just your inner voice lying to you.
Sometimes , it just takes a fresh eye who sees your face as a blank canvas and create something lovely.
Even if you are not a member of Sephora’s Rouge program, you can still get your makeup done by one of their pros. You’ll typically will pay a small fee or purchase the equivalent amount in products. I STRONGLY recommend going that route. If you are going to spend money, you might as well get products to take home. Try it sometime. You might just love how you look!
