Rolling out sits down with Jessica Smalls, an exceptional makeup artist who worked with us during the Angela Simmons photo shoot and asked her a few questions. Read what she has to say.
What was your inspiration for today?
My inspiration I drew from Angela’s tan. She just came back from Miami and she has this really gorgeous brown sun kissed skin and I just wanted to make that my focus. I wanted her skin to look really hydro luminous with a really pretty natural glow.
So I used a lot of highlighting and contouring to really define her cheekbones and give her a more pulled together and sculpted face.
I decided to go with one look for the entire shoot, just to give it some sort of coherent factor; being that her outfits were going to change I wanted the look to stay the same.
Just in general, what is your approach?
My approach with new clients is to see how their day is going. I base the look and energy of the shot off of them. So, if they are having a really good day and they are really vibrant I go with a lot of bright colors. If they are having more of a calm day, I will keep it more on the natural side. One of the things I always focus on is the skin. You can do minimal work when they have amazing skin. I try to make the skin look as perfect as possible, as healthy and natural looking without making the skin look overdone or dragged out.
Favorite looks that you have done, and some of the things that you like to do.
I would say that one of my signature techniques would be a bronzed skin. I always use a bronzer, it may not be as heavy on everyone, but you will have bronzer on.
I just feel like bronzed skin equates healthy, glowing, happy and youthful skin. I try to incorporate that into every look that I have. I also am a fan of highlighting and contouring. So you will notice that Angela is really highlighted and she’s slightly contoured and that is just to bring out her structure. Angela is a naturally beautiful girl; I just wanted to really pop her features, especially her cheekbones. She has lovely cheekbones along with an amazing complexion that she just got from Miami. I wanted to really make that pop. To help me do that I use a shimmer, bronzer and a blush. You will notice that she has amazing highlighted and contouring cheekbones that just pops right off the page.
