ABOUT ME

I was always on the artistic side since I was a little girl sketching and drawing, and as far back as I can remember I liked doing hair. I had one of those barbie heads and I used to always style its hair. Eventually I cut it into a short haircut and then could not cut and style it so much anymore but at least it was my first great haircut.  After that I decided I wanted to work on real people.  I remember at about age 9 cutting my younger cousins hair in her bathroom one Christmas eve and then I continued to find subjects to work on.  I was pretty much self taught.  Also I remember watching TV shows with my mom where they did makeovers on people (styling their hair and doing their makeup) and I used to tell my mom "Someday I am gonna do that"  I found it to be so cool.  So I continued cutting hair and eventually started doing my friends makeup too once I got into high school.  I always liked to see the how a person could be changed by just having their hair and their makeup done and how it could change their whole mood and confidence level. After high school I decided to go to cosmetology school close to my childhood home in Greenwich CT instead of college. I had my parents blessing because they saw a natural talent and gift in me for the beauty field. After a year of school I got a job in a local salon mostly doing hair and I started doing very well with that but whenever a person would leave I would feel like they were missing something unless I did their makeup as well as there hair to give them the total look. They were willing to let me do this. I began to take before and after photos of my clients and put them in a mini photo album. So this was my new thing. After a few years of doing that and also makeup for a couple of local photo shoots in CT. I decided I did not want to work in the salon anymore that I would actually rather do hair and makeup on models and actors in NYC.  I spent lots of time too looking at fashion magazines and photo shoots and I was intrigued to give this a try. So I called up Ford Models (the top modeling agency at the time) and told them my goals and asked if I could come in and show them my little makeshift makeup and hair photo album that I had compiled. Low and behold they agreed to meet me. They decided that they liked my work and told me to contact a few fashion photographers in NYC that they were working with.  So I called them up and met some of them that very day while in NYC. These were photographers like me wanting to make it big in the industry. So they were paying their dues and doing many free photo shoots to build their portfolios that agencies like FORD were sending them. So I established relationships with them and began coming into NYC from CT quite often to do the makeup for these photo shoots. I was no longer working at the salon I was taking on something exciting and new. I was nervous at first but learned sooo much and started building a great portfolio. I began working with more photographers and my name was getting around in NYC. I began to eventually get paid work and that was great.  YOU CAN SEE MANY OF MY FASHION PHOTO SHOOTS IN MY GALLERIES ABOVE. I was told by my peers that in order to make it big doing makeup for top fashion models and fashion magazines in America I needed to go to get some experience and some published work in either Milan Italy, Paris France or another one was Barcelona Spain. The doors seemed to open for me to go to Milan Italy. I met another fashion photographer who also wanted to head over there the same time as me so I was happy I would know someone there.  Also I met another photographer who had an apt right in Milan and was willing to sublet it to me.  So that's how I wound up living in Milan for 3 months.  It was such an amazing experience and I met other models and photographers over there from not only the USA but various other countries all doing the same thing, trying to make it big in the fashion industry. So after 3 months I did get some editorial work. For instance I did the makeup for a 3 page fashion spread for Mexican Vogue. I came back to the US with more experience and got some more work in NYC not only fashion print jobs but fashion shows too.  After some years of living in NYC and working I eventually got married and moved to New Jersey.  My husband was from here.  Since it was SUPER HARD to become a famous makeup artist in NYC for major magazines and get steady work. I decided to start to freelance out in NJ and I got some work doing makeup for corporate print ads, TV and video jobs. I also started freelancing for many well know cosmetics lines in the various department stores. I worked for companies such as Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, Chanel, Christian Dior, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Elizabeth Arden and many more. I found out that not only was I good at makeup but I had a mind for business and I good at sales too.  So I freelanced for quite a few cosmetic companies for a while traveling to stores like Nieman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales  to be one of their makeup artists for their big events.  Eventually after some years of doing this I decided I wanted to add doing makeup for weddings to what I was doing.  I was not gonna do the hair since I am not so good at updo's as much as hair cutting or simple styles.  Instead I found hairdressers that I could partner with to do the hair styling for the weddings and I would do the makeup.  So that brings me to where I am today. I specialize in Bridal Makeup as well as doing makeup for the other things I mentioned above.  In other words I am a freelance makeup artist.  I have had quite a few years of experience and worked in many different aspects of the business. I hope you enjoyed my story and again feel free to take your time looking at this website and seeing the many people I have done makeup for and looking at the many photo galleries I have. I always liked taking pics of my work along the way.  I look forward to hearing from you, meeting you and working with you!  If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me!