Forever Young Makeup in a World of Aging Makeup

Take a stroll through the skincare aisles of any Sephora or Department store, you will be overwhelmed with skin care products that cater to preventing any signs of aging. We as a society, seemed to be obsessed with anti-aging and age reversal products, not just resorting to preventative topical measures to avoid it but even succumbing to needles and knives all in the pursuit of looking forever young. That's why its so mind boggling to me to see see teenagers packing on layer upon layers of makeup and over contouring in a non-blended manner as well as inappropriately distorting their face shape and bone structure because they copy what a guru shows them.

When I was a teenager, I looked older than I was. I noticed that my friends would apply what I believed to be a lot of makeup but in comparison to the Instagram/Youtube phenomenon that currently exists among pre-teens and teens, it was very light.

I was part of a shoot recently with a model who was in her twenties. I opted to keep her makeup light, fresh and natural with a soft wash of color on the lids and lips. Don't get me wrong, I love a heavy glam look, it gives me life....but I feel that there is something so ultimately chic about clean, soft makeup. It helps you look healthy and fresh and when you actually do glam it up on special occasions it is more of a noticeable, drastic change. Also, why not look forever young by using makeup to enhance your best features and save the super glam stuff for special occasions?

Model: Sydney Westgate @ Major
Photographer: Melina Tavares
Hair: Andrita Renee
Makeup: Maria Ortega
Manicure: Maria Ortega 

Interview with Couture Manicurist: Kelly B.

Manicurists are not reserved for salons only. I always see them on set, backstage at fashion shows and most celebrities will not dare go on the red carpet without a nice set of nails. Kelly  B. is a Couture Manicurist working in the industry here in NYC or wherever her work takes her upon requests of clients. Her nail work has graced the covers of numerous magazines including Vogue, advertising campaigns and commercials. Throughout the years, she has worked with plenty of celebrities, notable personalities and elite photographers along with  top industry makeup artists as well as established models.

Kelly and I have known each other for some time via social media and we have worked together in the past year. I admire her attention to detail, years of experience and professionalism. She is a highly sought after manicurist in the industry. I always find it intriguing to get to know the individuals behind the art and discover what inspires them and motivates them.  Read along to get to know Kelly B. a little better, she has some good advice applicable to not just manicurists. 

Hometown: Canton, Ohio

Years doing nails:  over 21 years

Years in NYC: 10 years


Have you always had a passion for nails? Yes. I did my friends nails  and  my own  before I was trained in Cosmetology school. I feel I was destined to be a Manicurist. 
Nails found me, I never pursued a career in it at all. I literally would get the supplies that 

were available to me at local stores to paint my nails. I groomed my cuticles with nail 

clippers until I learned to use the correct implements in beauty school. 

Who or what inspires you? I love color & shape. I get inspired from lots of things.


How did you get into the industry? I have a salon background. I became friends with 

a girl who was a celebrity Manicurist but also worked part time in the salon I 

worked at. She would hire me from time to time. From there, I met a few different 

people and did test shoots until the opportunity came for me to get represented. 

Was the competition different when you started than it is now? Yes, there are a lot 

more people doing nails now for shoots. Some do good work others do not. Your 

work has to be good (clean & neat) otherwise why even bother. 


You have done nails since before it became a fad, how have you managed to stay 

afloat amongst the flood of new artists? I believe in sticking to foundational 

principles I learned years ago, which is: to take good care of the nail. Models are 

subject to a lot of torture from people who are not trained properly. I would never 

glue nail tips on with superglue but people do. I know not to ever put anyone’s 

health & wellbeing at risk like that. I stay true to who I am, a high end manicurist 

that takes excellent care of the nail.  

What is your nail technique style that sets you apart? I’m known for shapes, clean, 

beautiful, & well done high-end nails. 


There are tons of nail brands and products out in the market, do you have any 

particular favorites or kit staples?  I love Chanel, Dior, Deborah Lippmann, Zoya, 

CND, & Maxus. These brands are staples in my kit. 


You have worked with plenty of celebrities & notable personalities, who is the most 

fun artist you have worked with thus far? Drew Barrymore is funny & Alyssa Milano 

is a joy to work with. 

Not everything that glitters is gold, and being a freelancer is tough, have you had any 

setbacks or challenges in your career? The biggest challenge is my work schedule. I 

miss a lot of family events & don’t get to see my friends as often as I’d like. Thank 

God I haven’t had any setbacks. Freelance life is tough because you never know your 

schedule in advance, so I can’t make plans until very last minute. My friends 

understand but I still miss our girl time. 


Doing nails in a salon setting is different from being an editorial nail artist, what 

advice would you give to aspiring editorial nail artists? Yes it is. Know your craft, be 

sanitary, & be original. I’m careful not to copy someone’s work. If I’m inspired by 

others work I credit the person who originally did it. 


What has been your most outstanding moment in your career? Seeing my work on a 

billboard for a line I’ve worn for many years, working with iconic writer Toni 

Morrison, & having my work in a few Maybelline commercials. 

Have you set any concrete goals for 2016 and what can we expect from you this 

year? To have another great year, stay tuned... my lips are sealed on some projects. 


What do you think are the keys to success? Being humble, being kind, and always do 

your best work. Never take anything for granted.


Where do you see yourself in ten years from now? Married possibly with children, 

still contributing to the beauty & fashion industry in a huge way.

I can't wait to see what Kelly B. has in store for 2016 and I look forward to her upcoming work. Wishing her a wonderful ten years+  in her career as a Couture Manicurist!!!! I am glad to call her a friend and an inspiration. 

Follow Kelly's journey on Instagram:
@Rockstarnailgrl

Periscope: 
@Rockstarnailgrl

Twitter:
@Rockstarnailgrl

2015 Recap

                                                                       (Photo of me in Paris October 2015, inspired at an Art Gallery 59 Rivoli)

Yeah, yeah, I know, I am a little late to the game but I wanted to express my gratitude to everyone that helped me, referred me and worked with me in 2015 and also share with you my wonderful experiences of this past year.

My 2015 started off pretty shaky for me because those crazy winter  months are rather slow and for those of you that know me well are aware of my chronic asthma, so I was cooped up saying no to the seldom jobs I was blessed to be offered. This discouraged me but things picked up at the end of January and I was hopeful my year would be good.

This year was one of growth and discovery in regards to my art. For the most part of the year I focused on television and commercial work. It is hard to say no to work and I feel fortunate to constantly work but to be honest, I felt an extreme emptiness in me because I was not test shooting or doing any creative beauty. My biggest fear as an artist is to become monotonous in my work and bland. So, I realized that for me, I need to balance paid work and self gratifying work in regards to letting my creative juices flow. Both are so different and being on either set really makes me happy and brings me joy.

Below are some of my highlights of this work year:

* Joined the Local 798 IATSE union as a makeup artist

* Worked on Lottie's makeup team for fashion week in Milan. (major dream/goal come true)

* Was on the Maybelline Pro team under key artist Yadim

* Worked in Milan and Paris

* Interviewed in an international publication as an artist

* Two different publications interviewed me regarding a makeup look I did on a celebrity

* Fortunate to be key artist on a handful of national commercials and advertising jobs

* Did makeup and grooming on more notable personalities and celebs I could have imagined

* I was able to obtain new commercial clients, keep them, work with them on a continuous basis

* Did a handful of editorials for smaller scale print publications

* Dayplayed on episodics and I am a regular artist for TV jobs

* Practiced doing blowouts, not a pro but I have worked on my hair skills

I am so thankful to all the creatives that refer me and  pass my info along for gigs, this past year was excellent thanks to you all. I am also grateful to work with people that believe in me and have given me a chance. Excited and thrilled for what's to come this year! Wishing everyone a wonderful, and productive work year filled with love, growth and gratification.

"Comfort in Chaos" for Deux Hommes

One of the awesome things about Social Media is that you get the chance to be friends with other creatives and people before you meet them. So when you finally meet, it's like you already know them and automatically click and feel connected on set. Photographer Patrick Lacsina and I have followed each other on Instagram and FB for some time now. It was super cool to finally get to work with him during his visit in NYC. 

We shot out of a studio in Brooklyn. Funny thing is that we have another mutual friend in common, hair stylist: Matthew Tuozzoli. It was dope to all work together on quick, yet fun shoot. 

"Comfort in Chaos" was featured as an online editorial for Deux Hommes - a digital platform featuring emerging designers. 

Check out the rest of the images from the shoot: 

Photography- PATRICK LACSINAhttp://patricklacsina.com/

Styling – RJ FRAZER

Models – MIKHAEL AYOUB & SAM VISSER @ RE:QUEST 

Hair – MATTHEW TUOZZOLI

Makeup – MARIA ORTEGA using Murad Skin Care & Marc Beauty

Wardrobe – Nativ NY All throughout

Makeup on Jackie Cruz & Diane Guerrero for Enjoue Swimwear on Vivala

This past Sunday I was able to do makeup in a well lit conference room at The Dream Hotel. All makeup artists will understand how thankful and appreciative I was for the natural lighting with huge windows...perfect for makeup application. Hotels have that pretty bad rep for horrible lighting.

It was a lifestyle shoot for Jackie Cruz, a season regular on the hit show on Netflix, Orange Is The New Black, recent partnership with Kimberly Smalls of Enjoue Swimwear. Diane Guerrero, also an actress from OITNB showed her support by partaking in the shoot for the swimwear line and article featured on Vivala.

The makeup look we opted for Jackie Cruz was a mod look in monochromatic neutral tones, nude lips and a bold black liner and lashes.  For Diane, the look was more of a sun-kissed glow in bronze tones and soft neutral lips. Both makeup looks were created using Chantecaille Beaute, Murad Skin Care and Artis Brushes.

Check out the full article on Vivala!

Female talent:
*Jackie Cruz
*Diane Guerrero
*Kimberly Smalls
*Christina Cardona
*Cyndi Ramirez
*Louisa Taadou
*Jocelyn Chew
*Victor Ross

*Photographer:Sasha B Photo
*Hair: Michael Braun
*Makeup: Maria Ortega
*Nails: Elizabeth Garcia

Kimberly Smalls & Jackie Cruz 

Innocent & Green Scene in the Concrete Jungle

Living in NYC, it's not often that we get to be surrounded by trees, plants and just an overall green scenery. It was refreshing to shoot in an area that made me question if I was still in NYC.  The mosquitos situation was mad real though. My legs have the scars to prove it lol.

The makeup look for this shoot was aiming for a fresh dewy look with good skin. It was a pretty hot day so instead of skipping out on powder, I did used cream highlighter and set her face with powder. We had initially prepped at a home studio and then drove to the location in one of the surrounding boroughs. So the drive there and walk from parking allowed for her skin to become dewy and refrain from becoming oily or allowing the makeup to move.

Model: Carlyle @ The Society
Photographer: Jordan James
Hair: Andrita
Makeup: Maria Ortega

Check out the rest of the images:

She's Got The Moves Like Jagger

I recently had the opportunity to work model Kailah at Major Models. She has an amazing hair cut and  a stunning face. I always love doing makeup and hair on models that can easily slip into an androgynous mood and pose like a dude yet still look beautiful. Kailah totally reminded me of an androgynous Mick Jagger.

Like I mentioned previously, she has dope hair and I opted to keep the same type of texture. When she arrived at the shoot her hair was a little wet and sweaty. So I opted to spray wet a little more, add some Kevin Murphy Body.Builder mousse hair mousse, dry with my T3 Micro blow dryer and a blow dryer "sock" or mitt diffuser. I then took my T3 Micro Whirling Wand and loosely spiral curled hair in different chunk sizes, alternating between going forward and backward with the curls. Her bangs were blow-dried with a boar bristle  round brush. Using my hands and fingers, I loosened up curls and had her shake hair aka whip her hair back and forth. I set flyaways with Kevin Murphy Session.Spray hair spray.

For her makeup we kept it bronze and smokey using Murad skin care to prep and Chantecaille Beaute on her face.

Skin: I used Chantecaille Future Skin foundation in Vanilla, Concealed with Le Camouflage Concealer under eyes, and to spot cover where needed. I applied Chantecaille Radiance gel bronzer to sculpt face, Demure cream blush and set with HD translucent pressed powder from Chantecaille.

Eyes: I used a shadow palette to apply shadow on lashline, Patchouli color on lash line and blend and smudge upward, Shale shadow on crease and outer edge and defined with Patchouli on outer edge and under eyes. a mixture of Shale and powder foundation on her lids. Mascara, two coats on top lashes.

Lips: I used Demure creme blush mixed the concealer and topped with Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream-all applied with a lip brush.

Check out the images:

Model: Kailah @ Major
Photographer: Jordan James
Wardrobe: Melissa Roca
Makeup/Hair: Maria Ortega