Makeup artists are in the business of transformation, either making you more beautiful, or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, making you more hideous if you’re starring in a horror flick.
A sea of makeup artists, educators and vendors flooded the Venue in Chicago’s West Loop to sell their wares and to educate the beautiful ones on the latest trends coming around the corner.
The colors of the summer were vibrant and bold and so were the beautiful people wearing them.
Enter J. St. Jaimes, an artist with the most beautiful tattoo. “It’s just an expression of who I am. Just an extension. I’m an artist, a painter and a makeup artist.” The elaborate tattoo took a couple of months. “From June to March, in spurts. I just make sure I stay out of the sun. I use SPF 50, and, when I go out, I’m covered up.”
Paces away at the Magnolia Makeup booth, New Orleans native Tia, a co-owner of the cosmetics company, is a show-stopper with her electric blue eyeshadow and lipstick.
“The blue I’m wearing is called Hydrate. It’s from our new collection called Firewater,” Tia tells rolling out. “It’s a matte, very vibrant blue, and it actually matches my dress.” Tia says she flocked to bright colors as a makeup artist and that inspired her to start her own line of cosmetics. “We want to do things very bright and bold for everybody.”
Your body can wear makeup, too, with Red Carpet Kolour, says company president Ofra Gaito. “Body Glow is a moisturizer for your body that gives it a nice glowing effect. We have it in light, medium and tan color, and it will not transfer on your clothes,” Gaito tells rolling out. She adds, “It contains Vitamin C for firming and will help conceal slight imperfections such as veins.”
The Makeup Show is needed so that artists can share information and grow in the industry, the show’s owner, Shelly Taggar, tells rolling out. “There is a situation where artists do not network and do not share the knowledge with other places in this country and in the world, and that’s what our show does. If a makeup artist can share his or her experience with other makeup artists, they both grow from it, and there’s nothing really better than that.”
The Makeup Show launched six years ago in Los Angeles, and this is the first show in Chicago. Show owner Taggar jokes that makeup is forever, rain or shine, war or peace time because “when we look pretty, we feel pretty, and nothing else matters.” –zondra hughes
Pics: Scenes from the Show
