What A Crazy Adventure We Live

Hi, folks, remember me? The makeup, coffee, Castle addict? Miss me? I missed you! So much ... SO much has gone on since January that I am sure I cannot eloquently convey in this post, but let's give it the old college try. Firstly, some good news: Makeup 365 will resume some time in the nex few weeks. I know, right? All of pent up creative energy (exhaustion) needs an outlet and, let me tell ya, jewelry making and drawing ain't cutting it. Some more good news: my mind is made up and I will start the Masters of Makeup Artistry program at MUD come September. Yes, I'm doing it. It's amazing how easy a decision it was once I was told flat out by someone who has been in the industry for 25 years that school was absolutely 100% necessary to get into this field in this day and age. Ok, done and done. I took a tour little over a week ago and between my tour guide (Seneca Cancel) who so wonderfully explained everything, answered all of my silly and important questions, and the actual classes I got to look in on I was over the moon for this place. It helps that I worked with two girls who went there and highly recommended it.

So, yes, school in the fall. Something to look forward to. Back in February my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer right as I was only a few weeks into principle photography on the tv show I managed to land. If you know us personally then you know we have a relationship very akin to Rory and Loreli Gilmore. Best friends first, mother daughter second. We're freakishly close and I took her cancer the stupidest way possible: I dove into work head first, thought only about my own b.s. and ignored it. I won't go into detail, but it took some serious soul searching, a swift slap across the face in the form of guilt from my mother, and a retardedly high level of stress at work to knock me out of it. Readers digest: mom is doing wonderfully, healing nicely, waiting on word about chemo and I am no longer with the production. Allow me to dust myself off and keep moving, please. I would rather not discuss the details.

My focus lately keeps being drawn to things that inspire the artist. Recently a friend of mine sent me a link to the commencement speech that Neil Gaiman gave to the 2012 graduates at the Philadelphia School for the Arts. Is mantra of 'make good art' really stuck with me as did his story. He never went to school (not that going to school is wrong) and he broke the rules, bent the truth and had some luck in his freelance career. Have a gander at his blog and get to know him: http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2012/05/preamble-to-photograph.html I will not soon forget what he said to people who are 5 years my junior and just starting into a world that is full of so much crap and so much joy if you can find it. My new goal is to find the joy and hold it close so that during the crap I can still feel its warmth and realize that things could be so much worse. Oh, and make good art. That's what we do, isn't it? Those of us that choose this freelance life style; nomad around the country from job to job and make art? Whether we write, draw, dance, sing, or paint faces, we make art. Some of it requires further training and some of it just comes naturally. A very good friend of mine and I are on exactly the same road right now. She is going to grad school in December for journalism because passion found her and forced its way into her life, her heart and her mind. Funny thing passion, most people don't understand it. It isn't rational, it isn't stable and it definitely isn't about making yourself comfortable. Everything that passion is is about the uncomfortable. It's thinking outside of your box, moving way passed that comfort zone and finding something I think most people are afraid to seek. I turn to someone else who inspires me possibly more than I should let her:

'I think everybody fears something and then you work through it, and that’s where courage comes in. But in filmmaking specifically, you can’t lead with fear, you have to lead with courage. If you want to tell interesting, impactful stories you can’t be hampered by anyone’s theories of what filmmaking should be. So that’s what I thought would be a great way to start a film company — just create that kind of mantra for filmmaking, create interesting, impactful stories that aren’t blocked by peoples’ opinions of, ‘Oh, I can’t make it for this much money,’ or, ‘That kind of story will never fly.’ It’s just about creating amazing stories.'

Thank you, Stana Katic. About those super powers ... You already have them, chickadee.

I tweeted earlier that my heart hurts and my soul is tired today. A very dear lady in our church passed this morning one month after a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. She leaves behind twin 20 year old sons. Cancer ... Why is there so much of it now? Women my age, MY age, are getting it now. My heart just breaks for these boys, for Margo's best friend who is so broken by her loss and for people who have had their lives affected by cancer. My soul is just worn out. So much has happened the last two weeks between my leaving the production, my mom's surgery and recovery, other things that just don't belong on a blog ... I'm wounded, but it will heal. I'm going to go play with my dog, be with my mother, rub my cousin's baby bump and move on with this crazy adventure that life has been and will continue to be.

Check back later for some joy-filled posts about makeup, school and the dog days of summer. For now ... Make good art and sine timore.

Makeup 365 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 - So behind ...

I know I am SO behind on this and am still not caught up with these five but, to my credit, I spent part of last week solidifying a job and seeing my friend for Christmas. The beginning of this week was devoted to cookie baking and then I had a visitor for the last two days. I will finally get all caught up, but until that day I give you five days worth of Makeup 365:

Day 77:
A little nail art! This Christmas candy cane inspiration came to me the other day and I love a good party nail, so here it is! I used a random white nail polish from e.l.f. and Curve-aceous Sephora by OPI.



Day 78:

A little natural look. I used Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, hot pot gel eyeliner by Pop Candy, Sephora blush in rose fairs, MAC false lashes, and my new warm palette by CoastalScents.com.





Day 79:

Henna! I finally mixed up the last of my henna powder. I found a tattoo on tumblr a few weeks ago that was simple 'miles to go' on someone's forearm. My favorite poem by Robert Frost is 'The Road Not Taken'. Granted the line 'miles to go' is from 'Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening', but the words 'miles to go' make me think of the phrase, 'I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by And that has made all the difference'. I have miles to go in this journey I'm on and it will make all the difference. Anyway, here is the henna:



I want this for real ... however I fear that if this is my first tattoo I will never get another because it will hurt so much ... and how would I wear my sexy Beckett heels?

Day 80:

My lovely Leenie came down to see me the passed two days. We went to an awesome concert, made pancakes, had some great girl time and, natch, did some makeup! I'm not thrilled with this as I think there are some things I could have done much better, but YAY for having a face that is not mine to work on!



Day 81:

I was supposed to go to a production meeting tonight in Philly for a production I'm working on, but things got in the way. Ah well. It was a waste of makeup and a rockin' outfit, but it furthered my makeup 365. Consider this me 'I'm an awesome PA who is still a girl' look.



Cheers!

Makeup 365 Day 74, 75 and 76 - Be Patient

Patience is a virtue that I sometimes lack in a large way. I have been unemployed for 6 weeks(ish) and have found the vortex of 'why haven't I landed a gig since that last film? I apply all the time. I hunt craigslist and other entertainment job websites and email till my brain hurts. Why why why?' If I ask myself why one more time I'm going to ram my own head into the nearest wall. I sat in front of the computer today reading a blog I stumbled across that is written anonymously by a guy who is currently a PA in LA. Reading that blog did two things for me: it gave me real-world knowledge of the industry and it knocked me down a few pegs. My cover letters that would do amazingly in the business world suck as far as this is concerned. I had to make a third resume today ... just for film! *shakes head* I literally got to a point where I was just in limbo. I wasn't depressed exactly, not really upset and most definitely not happy. I was just in limbo. This strange sense of being about to fall off the cliff, but you still think you can fly. Thankfully I had a few things I had to do tonight that got me away from it all for a while. To make it all worth it, I came home to an email offering me a gig. Unpaid, naturally, but how do you think those that make the big bucks started at this? It was like a breath of clean air in a stifling room with no sunlight. Okay. I can do this ...

Makeup 365:

I know, I know! I'm so sorry I skipped out on three days worth of this project. I still have no idea how many of you look at this or if I even need to apologize to those who do (do you miss it when I don't post?), but there it is. Anywho, here we go.

Day 74:

Tonight's project comes to you from where? Tumblr!

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw87barfEU1qf63zuo1_500.jpg

The makeup:

(Pictured: My staple primers, MAC Studio Tech NC15, Make Up For Ever HD Powder, MAC False Lashes, Hot Pot gel eyeliner by Pop Candy, Palladino lip gloss, Mirage palette from CostalScents.com)

The result:


Day 75:

Tonight was my mom's 50th birthday and one of her patients/friend invited us to their country club for dinner. If you don't know country clubs are 'no jeans' type places. I have no problem with this considering I once worked in a business casual environment. It was kind of nice to break out my old wardrobe that I have stuffed into the back of my closet and bottoms of my drawers. I don't have a project or a picture of the makeup for tonight, but here is my look for the evening.



Day 76:

A little nail art! I found this (where else?) on tumblr!

Makeup 365 Day 72 and 73 - Ouch ...

For the record I never said that I was smart. How 'not smart' am I, you ask? Remember that project I did a few projects ago where my face looks like the skin had been peeled away to reveal blue skin underneath? Remember me saying how much it hurt to peel the latex off? I'm stupid. I put latex on my face AGAIN. Class A idiot. And it isn't even that awesome ... *sigh*

Day 72:




And a little poorly done nail art:

Day 73:

Makeup 365 Day 71 - Dia de los Muertos

I have been seeing so many amazing Day of the Dead makeups around tumblr and finally decided that I would do one. Now I only had party city $1.99 cream white (which I hate) and apparently I am still battling that whole 'can do one side of the face better than the other' thing that I have been battling since college. I also used about three different eyeshadow palettes tonight hence no picture of the makeup. I took my inspiration for tonight's sugar skull from a drawing I found on tumblr.

The inspiration:
http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvz1mgZxOw1qg52uko1_500.jpg

My results:

Makeup 365 Days 69 and 70 - Mirage

I am in LOVE with this Mirage palette from CoastalScents.com! There are just so many possibilities with it! It has mattes an shimmers in tones that are not in any of the other palettes that I have. Love love love it. So much that I have used it for the last two days. I didn't take a picture of the makeup, but it is basically everything I have used in the past. If anyone would like to know what it is just ask and I will type up a list.

Day 69:




Day 70:

I have to tell you this is my 'going to the dog park' look. You never know who you might meet ; )





Enjoy!

Makeup 365 Days 67 and 68

Between going to NYC Tuesday night and the storm we had last night preventing photobucket from uploading this entry is very delayed! I apologize, my friends. I will post day 69 a bit later in the day. I have a shepherd costume to make, a dress to press, horses to care for, a dog to walk and a concert to go to which means day 69 may be a bit delayed as well. Life! Anyway ...

Day 67:

I have been getting to the point with this where I am tired of copying everyone else. I am also getting tired of working on my own face, but I digress ... Anywho, I decided I would take inspiration from things around me instead of trying to copy to pros. While copying the pros is a good way to learn techniques it makes you only as good as the person you are copying. I need to flex my design muscles now. So for this one I took my inspiration from a peacock.

The makeup:

(Pictured: My staple primers, MAC Studio Fix Fluid NW15, Make Up For Ever HD Powder, Sephora blush in rose frais, Hot Pot gel eyeliner by Pop Candy, MAC False Lashes, Mirage palette by CoastalScents.com, not pictured: Kat Von D by Sephora lip color in Hellcat)

My results:




I rather like this color combination with my coloring. It may not show up in the pictures, but in the daylight it made my eyes look green which I love. Gray eyes are cool and all, but I love when they change color.

Day 68:

So, nail art. I found this tutorial on how to make tie dye nails. Cool. Go to try it, get two nails in an it is a royal pain in the rear. I am an incredibly patient person with things like this and I got two nails done before I just dropped it all together.

Here is what it turned out looking like:



Looks pretty cool, but it is definitely not worth the trouble.