No Labels Just Beauty was started by Licensed Esthetician and Professional Makeup Artist, Elizabeth Jones.
Elizabeth, aka "Lizzy" believes that if you look
good you feel better.
She uses her talents as a makeup artist and Professional Skin
Therapist to help people look and feel their very best. Struggling with troubled skin all of her life, Elizabeth knew right from the start that she wanted to do something to help people feel beautiful about the skin they're in.
Lizzy joined the beauty industry in 2007 as a Makeup Artist
and Personal Beauty Advisor for Sephora, consulting with clients on
makeup/skincare and teaching makeup lessons. In addition to Sephora, Elizabeth
has a professional background working on set for tv, film, theater, photo
shoots, fashion shows, and bridal. She was a theater makeup designer for
California State University Long Beach Players Theater and California Repertory
for three years.
Although Elizabeth could touch lives through makeup, she
wanted to expand her knowledge into skincare as well. In 2011 Elizabeth became
a licensed esthetician through the state of California. Taking advanced courses
at the International Dermal Institute and Greet the Day Institute of
Integrative Oncology, Elizabeth became certified to provide advanced skincare
treatments and comfort chemo touch on clients who are currently under treatment
or have a history of cancer.
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you
for talking with me and my readers about your experience as a makeup artist
working behind the scenes at fashion shows. You’ve
been doing my makeup for A Stylish Love
Story for over a year now, and I am always super impressed with the results.
You are also a beautiful multi-talented woman and I want you to know that
I truly admire you and your work!
Currently, you are doing professional makeup artistry for
your own business called No Labels Just Beauty, are consistently featured as a plus-size model, and also work as a skin care
expert. Just how long have you been working in the beauty and fashion industry,
and what was the experience that made you realize that becoming a makeup artist
was an art form that you’d like
to pursue as a career?
My
passion for this industry started very young. As a child I was always getting
into my mom’s makeup and making homemade “masks” for doing mini facials on my girlfriends
when they came over. As I got older, I struggled with acne from about 6th grade
on. Anyone who has had a pimple knows
how acne can affect your whole life and self-esteem. I really got into makeup from about 6th grade
on to hide my acne from my classmates. As I got older, friends would ask me to
do their makeup for special events and proms. I noticed that doing makeup was
not work for me, but rather fun and I was always learning new techniques and
tricks to make it look better. I have been in this industry for over 10 years
now having experience with fashion shows, theater shows, television,
photoshoots, and retail. I took every opportunity I got to do makeup and have
visited some amazing places that no other job could have given me. I even got
into plus-size modeling because of my makeup connections! Makeup is my first
love, however because I struggled with my acne, I fell into skincare as an
esthetician. I soon found my second passion as a skin therapist. I could not
only help people feel beautiful with makeup, but also touch their lives through
helping them with their skin problems. Skincare and makeup go hand in hand. Now
my career has taken an exciting new turn to be able to work in the skincare
industry as an educator while still freelancing with makeup.
While collaborating
with you, it’s
become very clear to me that you love doing makeup. What is it about working in the beauty
industry that makes you want to dive into work every morning?
I find
that this industry is all how you look at it. Some people give makeup a
negative light however, I see makeup as a way to express yourself! Not only
though colors or boldness, but also how you feel about yourself. Just a little
mascara and lip gloss can perk up your mood and make you feel better. If you
have ever heard the term “look good, feel good”, it really makes sense. If you
do not think you look the way you feel, then you are not going to be able to
feel your best. I love doing makeup because I love the end result; a smile and
confidence in that client that they feel the best about themselves and can
conquer the world.
You have a great deal
of familiarity functioning behind the scenes in the fashion world. Can you tell me a little bit about the
preparation you go through before a fashion show and how much time you
typically have to get a model’s makeup done?
Fashion
shows are a whole beast on their own. You will show up between 3-4 hours before
the show and get the ‘looks’ from the lead artist for the show. You will have a
meeting where all the artists will gather around and watch the lead artist do
one model's makeup with the look. Every artist goes to their station which can
vary in size and set up their makeup and brushes and get ready for the
craziness. The models will rush in going from makeup to hair, or hair to makeup.
You have between 10-20 minutes to complete your makeup look on each model,
sometimes less depending on the show. It can get very crazy backstage as the
models are getting final looks ready. Sometimes you are doing makeup on a model
as they have another person putting an outfit on them and another person is
fixing their hair. It is a very intense fast-paced environment. I love that
exciting atmosphere.
How does catwalk
lighting effect how you apply or adjust makeup?
Lighting
can make or break makeup. If the lighting is very harsh it can make the makeup
disappear. If the colors of the lighting are too yellow or red, they can change
the colors of the makeup on the model's skin. If the lighting is too hot the
models will sweat, or it can cause the makeup to warm up and move around, or
sweat off. Makeup artists always need to take lighting into account whenever
they are doing makeup for any event.
What are some of your
preferred products to use on models for fashion shows and are they supplied for
you or do you have to bring your own?
Some of
my must haves that I always need in my kit are my Beauty Blender, brushes, airbrush
gun with compressor, and setting powder. I typically stick to cream and liquid
based mediums for complexions because they are easier to apply, blend, and fix
if there are any changes to be made; powder makeup is harder to fix once
applied. As for the eyes, I always use waterproof makeup just in case the models
sweat or their eyes get irritated and tear up. Makeup is very rarely provided
for you. You are expected to bring your own makeup kit and provide lashes for
the models. You always need to be prepared.
It must be insanely
hectic before a show. What was the most
stressful experience you’ve
ever gone through backstage?
When you
are backstage anything can happen. One show that I was working on had a crew of 10
makeup artists with 40 models that needed to be touched up and quick changed
into a different look in less than five minutes. So each makeup artist had to
change the makeup look on a model while the model was stepping out of one
outfit and putting on another outfit. It was a very cramped space and there were
people doing the clothes change, hair change, and makeup change. If you can
imagine, it was craziness.
On the day of the
event, what is the most important thing to remember when working in a scenario
like this?
The most
important thing is to be in your designated space during the time of the show
and make sure the models are on time. If you run late, you make the model late because the show is timed out down to every second with the music and lighting.
There really is no time to lose focus.
What tips can you share
with aspiring makeup artists?
If you
like to work in a fast-paced environment and work well under pressure, this is
the industry for you. If time management is something you struggle with, then practice
a full makeup application in under 30 minutes. Always learn from every makeup
artist you meet because those tips and tricks make you a better artist and
might end up saving you time. Also, I recommend newer artists work in a retail
makeup store to experience working on multiple clients at a time. This will
help you with working with different skin types and concerns. You will also get
to learn all the different makeup brands, colors, and textures available
out there.
What advice would you
give makeup artists on “What Not to Do” while working backstage at a fashion
show?
A lot of
fashion shows will not let you take pictures on your phone, especially since you
are not allowed to post the looks on social media before they have gone live on
the runway. You do not want to be the one to spoil a designer’s big reveal.
Watch your etiquette when it comes to gossip and clients. You never know who
you are working on or who they know, so always keep it a professional environment.
Tell me about the most
positive and memorable experience you’ve
had while working behind the scenes.
One
particular show I worked on I ended up working on the designer of the show. She
enjoyed my makeup application and attitude so much that she
brought her mother (who is the owner of another major clothing company) over to
have her makeup done by me. It was a wonderful networking experience and I ended
up receiving more work. You never know where opportunity awaits!
Thank You for sharing your experiences with my readers Elizabeth. You did a fantastic job! I feel like I have a better grasp of what it’s
really like behind the scenes of a fashion show now and I hope my readers will
be able to take away some useful information as they move forward in their
careers as makeup artists.
See a media clip of Elizabeth on this Youtube Video from her work on the KTLA Morning Show:
If you are interested in seeing more
of Elizabeth’s work or would like to hire her for your special event, please
visit her website:
Please Follow Her on Social Media:
Instagram @nolabelsjustbeauty
Twitter @makeup_ur_mind
Facebook @No Labels Just Beauty by Elizabeth Jones
