Talking Pretty was invited to attend The Makeup Show, held for the first time in Chicago on June 12 and 13. A slew of celebrity makeup artists, beauty experts, fresh makeup brands, and a mixture of experienced and aspiring makeup artists congregated together at Venue One to participate in workshops, seminars, and best of all … discounted products.
Celebrity makeup artist Sam Fine, whose work has been seen on celebs like Iman, Queen Latifah, Mo’Nique, Vanessa Williams, Naomi Campbell and many more superstars, spoke about his career. Fine not only packed the house with an eager crowd of information seekers and admirers, but was also genuine, inspiring, and provided a great makeup demonstration.
For those of you who follow Fine on Twitter, you know how interactive he is with his fans and supporters. So naturally, he did the same thing at the Makeup Show and answered as many questions from the audience as he could squeeze into his hour and a half time slot. Here are a few things he touched on. –mckenzie harris
On Finding a Mentor
“You don’t always have to be taken under someone’s wing,” he said. He advised those who were looking for a makeup mentor to teach them the ropes, to consider finding inspiration elsewhere. Fine suggested looking through a magazine and being inspired and mentored by the work of art that is already on the pages.
On How to Get Started
Fine said to practice, practice, and more hard work and practice. He suggested aspirants choose five people to send their work to and ask to assist them on photo shoots. This is all key in building a portfolio.
What to do when you aren’t working
“What to do when you aren’t working? Work!” says Fine. He stressed that you can always stay busy by doing the following: creating a website, writing a book, practicing and connecting with others.
On handling competition in the beauty industry
“I don’t live in a world of competition because I’m only competing with myself,” stated Fine.
Fine, The Basics of Beauty DVD, is available on amazon.com .
