Behind the Scenes Interview with Makeup Artist Elizabeth Jones from No Labels Just Beauty

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:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpWW1UDzOJo&feature=youtu.be

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:

www.nolabelsjustbeauty.com

Please Follow Her on Social Media:

 Instagram @nolabelsjustbeauty

Twitter @makeup_ur_mind

Facebook @No Labels Just Beauty by Elizabeth Jones