Volià!

Christian Chauveau, the academy I attended in Paris was no joke. 

It was 5 days a week, 8 hour days of makeup makeup makeup and all taught in French.

Did I speak French? 

No. 
It didn't matter. I understood what was going on and I was loving all of it.

Growing up, I was always using my hands to express creatively. My hands understood how to communicate visuals very comfortably and from this I found a real love for painting and drawing. With a mother who was always into her fashion and beauty (she is an amazing hair stylist) and through discovering my own love for it all, it was inevitable that I would be the friend who would design the makeup on my girlfriends faces for school dances or nights out.  I loved it. I loved seeing my creations and how it made each one of girls feel. 
Eventually that fun hobby of mine turned into a career...


I started working as a professional makeup artist in New York City but I wanted to take it to another level. What better of a situation for a wanderlust girl like me but to pick up and move to another country to gain that "next level." 


It was during my attendance at Christian Chauveau that something special happened.  My hands definitely worked the magic of makeup on a higher level because of my day in day out practice and the incredible instruction from the teachers, excuse me: les professeurs, but that wasn't the biggest tool I took home from mon ècole. 

The real magic was how they trained my eyes to see makeup...

Perfection was taken to a new level. 
Just when I thought I had everything brilliant, one little eyebrow hair would be off, they would fix it and Volià! 
NOW it was perfect.  
Their "photoshop eyes" taught mine to SEE everything and I cannot express enough how valuable this is to my work.

Living in Paris and attending this incredible academy was one of the best things I could have done for myself. Besides the brilliance of what the school had to offer, my surroundings in Paris where a constant source of inspiration. There is so much emotion to that city. From the beautiful architecture to the lovers in the street kissing in a crowd in midday light (something not as commonly seen here in the US) Emotions run wild in Paris and I took it all in. 

There was nothing easy about picking up and moving all my life as a young adult from New York to France. I have never been a fan of easy though so I didn't think twice and left the US.  I did not speak French and friends were limited at first. But I was committed. I would commit myself to being away until... Well, I really had no plan on when I was going to return, I just knew the moment would come to me if it was suppose to. Eventually it did. I came back to America with a fresh stock of inspiration, skills and some serious drive to succeed.  

The memories I took with me while being a student living in Paris are priceless.

xXRXx

I drew inspiration from Venetian masks for an"artistic"face I had to create for school

My sketch idea

(click on images to see larger)

It was shot in black+white by mistake so the colors are not captured but I still adore how it came out.

EVERYTHING was taught in French. I love looking back into my notes. 

My diploma :)

Maquillage Artistique

To become a makeup artist today you do not need any degree, certification, or license... you simply need to have a makeup kit and be able to apply makeup.

As a result of this you find an extremely saturated industry full of many who are reaching with brushes for the stars... literally and figuratively speaking.

With so many out there titling themselves as makeup artists how do you deem who is actually an artist over someone who knows how to apply makeup?  Defining an artist many say is a matter of opinion. True.  In the world of makeup artistry there are many people who know how to create a fantastic "smokey eye" or paint on "natural"makeup.  Then there are the others.  The one's who know how to influence and complete the image by having their instincts put them in synchronicity with the concept and reveal it through their makeup. Understanding the concept and talent I feel, is one of the most important things to realize when on a job. Knowing how to influence and complete the concept through your makeup is what can ultimately define one as a artist and not just a makeup artist.

My career in makeup stems from my love for transformation not from my love for makeup products. As I child I painted and drew everywhere from walls to sketch boards to canvases. I loved to create. I started makeup professionally with out schooling at first and eventually as I became more serious about my future as a professional makeup artist I did attend schooling for it. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to move to Paris and attend a world renowned artistic academy for makeup,  Christian Chauveau while being submerged in one of the most beautiful and artistic cities in the world.

It was here that my eyes were trained to meet the skills of my hands and see makeup on the most perfected technical level. Kind of like photoshop eyes.

The teachers there are no joke. Just when you made the face perfect, they would show you how to take your perfect to a new level. After months of schooling and a life in Paris I returned to New York City to embark deeper in my career. The interesting thing was that eventually I found to become a true artist I had to un-train a lot of the methods I did day in and day out at Chauveau while still keeping my photoshop eyes. I discovered how my approach to each job had to be different and stem from some level of inspiration. This discovery actually grew my passion as a makeup artist because it sent me off into the endless world of research.

Researching art, fashion, photographers, models, film, music, poetry, nature, architecture, the list goes on and on.  It's as if I get to escape into a world of what I find to be beautiful, influencial and interesting... one thing learned leads to one more thing to learn, taking it all in and enjoying it like it's Norwegian chocolate, savoring every piece I take a bite of.  THIS is what keeps me inspired daily and pushes my makeup art to new levels. I can never learn enough, I can never know enough, therefore I can always be better... there is no limit and I am in love that.

Now I have created a space where I can offer a peek into my world of work, my passion for beauty and the interesting and of course the people and things that inspire me...

That said, here are some of my favorite artists who's work I feel made a strong impact in their fields and CONSTANTLY move me ...

Kees Van Dongen - the Dutch artist from the fauvism era who stole my heart with every stroke of his brushes

Alice Ghendrih - a Parisian makeup artist who is a TRUE artist...

Proudly she attended my school in Paris too :)

Valentino - the Italian designer who truly understands how to make a woman feel beautiful through his clothes... I feel beautiful even when watching them walk down the runway

Antoni Gaudi - the Spanish Catalan architect who's designs exhibit his influence from nature and are truly figures of art

Paolo Roversi - the Italian photographer whose work with color looks like that made of water colors, soft and angelic... his work stares back at you when looking at it...

Claude DeBussy - This French composers masterpiece "Clair de Lune" is on my playlist everyday and often on repeat when I need to get inspired...

          

xX Roxy Xx