The Powder Group brings back The Artist Summit!

Any reader of this blog knows I am team The Powder Group all day long.  I can't recall how I first stumbled upon them and their fearless leaders Michael DeVellis and James Vincent but my artistry life hasn't been the same since.

Back in 2008 the very first event I attended upon embarking on my pro makeup artist path was The Artist Summit, which you can read about here, and I was giddy like a kid on Christmas.

3 levels of quality education and product at my disposal minus the crowds, I was in love.

From the very beginning the team at The Powder Group was super knowledgeable and willing to answer any and every question I had, and to this day even though they have grown by leaps and bounds, that has not changed one bit.

While I adore The Makeup Show, I think that for any aspiring or seasoned artist attending the Artist Summit is the way to go.

I am uber excited that they decided to bring it back and if you act quickly you can take advantage of some great rates on the event.  I am a TPG Pro Member so I can already tell you that the event has piqued the interest of many who have already made travel and lodging arrangements so you may want to stop wasting time and make your plans and get your tickets ASAP, I am also talking to myself here.  See below for further details.

ADVANCE TICKET PRICES END

ON MAY 31 - FOR NON MEMBERS!

TPG PRO MEMBER RATE EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 30! $100 HOLDS YOUR SPACE FOR THE ARTIST SUMMIT!

The most inspirational names in beauty will gather for the first time at The Artist Summit! From October 6 - 9, two hundred of the most driven, focused and committed professionals in the business of beauty will come together in Provincetown, MA for three days of insightful and inspiring discussion about artistry, career and industry at The Artist Summit 2013! And, now $100 reserves your space at the biggest pro event of the year! 

Produced by The Powder Group and hosted by Michael DeVellis and James Vincent, The Artist Summit will bring the pro community together in a way that no other makeup event has before. This is an entirely new The Artist Summit event and will consist of one, singular program that all attendees will participate in - so you won't miss a thing! Plus with no vendors, product exhibits or retail area, your focus can be 100% about you and your career development!

The Artist Summit has been designed to redefine and deepen the foundations of your business, strengthen your expectations and aspirations, and inspire you to create your most successful career imaginable. The Artist Summit will move your business forward and will profoundly effect your career!

The three-day event will consist of an ongoing series of one-of-a-kind seminars and talks that will include more than a dozen industry leaders presenting all new programs, each of which are exclusive to The Artist Summit. This program will never repeat itself at future The Artist Summit events, so please do not miss this one-time-ever opportunity!

 

THE ARTIST SUMMIT PROGRAM INCLUDES:

Chris McCarthy - Beyond Belief
Corissa St. Laurent - The Essential Art of Engagement Marketing
Crystal Wright - The Big Change

James Vincent - Inspiring Artistry

Kate Leydon - Incorporating Wellness

Linda Mason - An Artist's Approach
Marietta Carter Narcisse - Getting Down to Business

Michael Angelo - Redefining Your Personal Success

Michael DeVellis - The Power of Community

Michael Duenas - Achieving Intention

Sarah Lucero - Defeat is Not an Option

Victoria Stiles - Creating Your Industry Voice 

PLUS SUPPLEMENTARY WORKSHOPS

NOW AVAILABLE FOR REGISTRATION! 

Two supplementary days of hands-on workshops will be held on October 10 - 11.
These optional sessions are at additional fee and open exclusively to The Artist Summit attendees. Registration is now open for all workshops, to The Artist Summit attendees exclusively.  

  

Orlando Santiago + James Vincent Inventing Editorial

James Vincent + Sebastian Smith Understanding Digital Photography  
Dianna Quagenti + Michael DeVellis Detailing Your Work
Sarah Lucero Beautiful Makeup
Michael Duenas Hairstyling for Beauty 
Dani Fonseca - sponsored by Temptu Pro Extreme Cover 
Orlando Santiago Thinking in Black and White 
Dani Fonseca Using Color Everyday 

Erica Carr - sponsored by Make Up For Ever Bridal Beauty and Beyond   

 

To register for hands-on workshops, and for complete event details, session descriptions, presenter bios and ticket purchase information for The Artist Summit 2013, please visit theartistsummit.com, thepowdergroup.com or contact us at 212.627.7447. Please note that our presenters, session topics and schedule are subject to change.   

THE ARTIST SUMMIT IS LIMITED TO ONLY

200 ATTENDEES!

TPG PRO MEMBERS! 

NOW GET YOUR ADVANCE TICKETS THROUGH JUNE 30!

$100 DEPOSIT RESERVES YOUR SPOT!

TPG Pro member advance registration rate extended through June 30!

TPG Pro members $490.00

After May 31, rate for non-members cost will be $790.00  After June 30, rate for TPG Pro members will be $590.00

$100 Deposit will hold your space and guarantee the advance purchase rate! *Tickets must be paid-in-full by September 1. Deposits are non-refundable but may be used toward other TPG programs if unable to attend. 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS!

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT JOINING TPG PRO 

WWW.THEARTISTSUMMIT.COM

The Makeup Show NYC 2012 Sneak Peek f. James Vincent

photo c/o James Vincent (James on far left)

I had the pleasure of speaking with James almost a year ago to the day in preparation for The Makeup Show NYC 2011 (read that interview here).

Since then he has added many frequent flier miles (Berlin, Chicago, LA, Orlando, etc.), tears, and experiences to his folio including keying a number of shows for New York Fashion Week.

Here we focus on the offerings of TMS NYC taking place this weekend as we catch up with James in the midst of his hectic schedule.  One thing about James is though he is constantly on the go he always has time to mentor fellow artists and we love that about him.  Keep reading to find out what is planned for TMSNYC 2012 and what I will get James for our anniversary!  LOL *insider*


SJS: Hi James!  I just have a few questions for you I know you are super busy gearing up for this weekend

JV: Oh yeah, its a little crazy *laughs*

SJS: I actually spoke with you last year on May 9th so its almost a year to the day since we last spoke

JV: Oh so we have like a standing date...

SJS:  YES! *laughter*

JV:  Did you get me an anniversary gift?

SJS:  I will bring it to you Saturday at the Blogger Preview!

JV:  Ok the first year is "paper"

SJS: Ok, I will keep that in mind! *laughs* The Makeup Show has really upped the ante this year it seems.  What I notice is that not only you as the Director of Artist Relations and Education for the Makeup Show but also the brands that will be exhibiting at the event have really listened to what we as artists have been saying and taken it into account to bring what I believe will be the best year of TMS NYC thus far.

JV:  Well thank you, we hope so.  You know, we are always expanding and I think one of the things we try and do is be an industry only show.  We really try to give artists at all levels of the industry exactly what they need for their kit, for their education, for their promotion, for their career, in every aspect.  So when we look at the vendors coming into the show there is definitely an edit and we try, instead of bringing in , you know, a million brush lines, and younger kids, we really try to bring in brands that people are excited about.

So this year we brought in a little more prestige; NARS is joining us as one of the sponsors of the show this year which is amazing.  We also have Anastasia, Ellis Faas (images on this site are amazing), and Lime Crime and Benefit Cosmetics joining us for the first time.  Some of those brands don't traditionally give artists discounts so coming in the way we did with YSL last year or the way we introduced Smashbox a few years ago and their pro program its really become a show that brands will use to re-brand themselves with professionals.  So thank you for saying that, it really means a lot.  We work hard to kind of cater to the artists.

SJS:  Keeping that in mind, how do you manage to excel and improve each year?  It just seems like it gets bigger and better.  We come in, we are already excited and then you all surpass expectations.  Is there a thought process?

JV:  There is definitely a lot of thought, but we have a great team that really understands the industry; experts coming together and saying what do we really need for makeup artists as a resource?

This year on top of the 125 brands that will be there and on top of the education we really decided to focus on career and being a resource again so we are introducing even more career focus with people like Jed Root who is one of the biggest agents in the business and focus on kind of overcoming barriers and getting to the next level with Crystal Wright and Michael DeVellis.  We also are introducing our first career fair which is what I think a lot of people are concerned about.  So many artists go to school or start assisting or try to leave their full time jobs and get into artistry and we wanted to be able to set that up so we have a first taste at a career fair.  We have over twenty brands that will be there with their human resource department doing interviews, looking at resumes, looking at portfolios and making decisions on who they need to hire for the New York market and beyond.

SJS:  When that email came through I could have done cartwheels all up and down...

JV:  *laughs*

SJS:  That is amazing and it is something that, like you said we take these classes and we just don't know, like what is the next step?  Unless you have taken the class with Crystal {Wright} or Michael {DeVellis}...

JV: or with James Vincent!

SJS:  I have not taken yours yet!  But it is on my list *laughter*

JV:  *laughter* I am just teasing you.  Crystal and Michael are two of my mentors so...we also have the Industry Insiders Panel which is kind of a revisiting of our Working in New York panel.  This year we have worked hard to include editors, publicists, art directors, brand owners that can really tell people how to bring their careers to the next level.  We also brought back our Pro Pods which allow people that one on one time.  So not only will you have the chance to attend the seminars, the forums, and the lectures but you will also have a chance to get a one on one review of your portfolio and business materials from experts like a Crystal Wright or a Lianne Farbes or a Michael DeVellis so its really about being a resource this year.  And our theme this year for the show was building a career because I think that there are so many people that need the tools to take their career to the next level

SJS:  Right and not just the physical tools that we think of like the brushes and the makeup, but the thought process, the mindset and the tools of that nature to get to the next level.  Yes!  Very good!

As TMS NYC continues to expand its reach across the globe do you find that you have to alter the message to address the needs of the artists in the region you are visiting or is the language of makeup universal?

JV:  Well we always have.  Every Makeup Show has a personality of its own, although they feel very similar because of the production we bring behind it and the education but we do cater to the artist in each individual market.  At the LA show for example, where there is more film and television other than a Chicago market where it is so much more heavily influenced by bridal; the Berlin show which has a lot more FX and hair because makeup artists in Berlin are required to go to school for hair and makeup.  The European market we had 25 different countries represented last year so we have to be a little more bilingual  in what we do there so yeah we definitely respond.  With the introduction of the Orlando show for my southern market I think we have really created a great way to bring the message south.  And what we find there is a lot of people with families, a lot of moms and people working in that way.  So yes it is difficult because we do cater each show but it is easy because we set ourselves up to work in that way.

SJS: I love that the beauty blogger also has a place at TMSNYC, they bring, what I feel, is a unique perspective not only to the brands but to the artist as well.  What drove the decision to focus more attention on what is essentially the consumers best friend in beauty buying?

JV:  Well we have been friends with the bloggers from the very beginning.  I think the first show we may have had seven bloggers and I used to walk them around the entire show because it was such a small group.  Now this year Melody has had over 350 requests from bloggers to come to the show.  So we're big fans of the bloggers because they are such an active part of the community.  They make information and  understanding new techniques and trends as well as new products much easier for makeup artists.  So we really embrace the blog community and social media as a whole.

If you are in NYC already there is a makeup meetup tonight at Fontana's and there are a number of great events taking place this weekend which you can find here.

Thank you to Melody for arranging the interview and thanks to James again for taking the time to give us a sneak peek of whats to come this weekend.

Stay tuned for more The Makeup Show updates!

Welcome to 2011! Whats in store?

I hope that everyone enjoyed ringing in the New Year!  I spent the time relaxing at home with my family and chatting on Twitter.  I had grand plans of doing a NYE look video for YouTube but so did everyone else and a LOT of them featured glitter so I opted out.  I DID however do a look today to celebrate the bold way we enter into a new year - full of ambition, not afraid to take chances, focused on the promise of an improved existence. 

So the look is the first in a series that I will call - Go Bold, or Go Home!  Think color, makeup myths and just fun fun fun!  Makeup is not meant to be stuffy and put in a box for all to fit into.  I want to explore the other side of beauty in the new year.  Here is a sneak peek at the look:

This look also starts Day 1 of Tia's fun challenge of 365 Lip Looks.  We are to challenge ourselves to rock a different lip look each day of this year and document it.  Feel free to join in and share the looks either on your blog, via Twitter or Facebook.  For those saying/thinking I dont even have 365 lipsticks/glosses, fear not - when you combine the products you have you can create new ones!  You can use pigments with gloss, shadow over lipbalm, rock liner all over your lip and nothing else - challenge yourself to think outside that box, I implore you!

For those that do not know I was accepted into the Crystal Wright Live 2011 Internship Class along with a group of other amazing women in different walks of the fashion and beauty industry.  I will update my progress here on the blog and my Twitter account but you can also follow all of the Dream Team members by subscribing to our Twitter list.  I am so very excited to be working with and learning from Crystal Wright as well as each of my fellow interns!

In a couple of weeks I will be taking a class hosted by Elevate Artists featuring Celebrity Hairstylist and Makeup Artist Daven Mayeda.  The class is On Set Hairstyling for Make Up Artists and I am BEYOND excited.  Stay tuned for updates and behind the scenes info from that.

I plan on continuing the blog, doing more videos (even talking more in some HA!), continuing to further my knowledge as a makeup artist while adding to the services I provide and just investing more into myself and my family.  I hope you all have your eyes set on a prosperous and fulfilling new year and cheers to each and every one of us as we embark on a new journey.

I Wanna Be an MUA - Michael DeVellis & Crystal Wright Edition - FINALE!

Now that they have schooled you on how to make the best first impression that you can (hope you were paying attention) now comes the part that everyone wants to know: What should go on my site/in my portfolio???

People bombard Michael with questions on a daily basis and flock to Crystal's seminars on just this very thing so to hear it first hand was indeed a true honor for me. I hope you learn from it as much as I did.

Your Website

You gave that contact your card, it better have had your website information on it. This gives that person you met another opportunity to connect with you. You website should contain the following:

• your contact email (ideally this would be yourname@yourname.com, not mua@prettyfaces.com, contact@shadesofbeauty.com, or anything like that)




• your contact number (a business line, with no music on the message and do NOT answer your line after 9p, its a business line for goodness sakes)




• your work (show your work online, even if it is one picture)




• your layout should be consistent, have the same font throughout

So you made your contact, they viewed your site and now they want to see your portfolio. How do you choose what to put in your portfolio? Continue reading to find out the tips to get your started...

Your Portfolio

Michael and Crystal shared a different opinion on this topic. Michael thought that having one picture did not equal a "portfolio" and in the traditional sense it does not. Crystal on the other hand that if you have a strong presentation and that picture is strong then that may be just enough to sell your brand. She once hired a fashion stylist who had nothing to show her at their initial meeting but concept boards of things she would have done on particular shoots. Meaning she cut fashion layouts out of magazines and did boards around those looks except instead of say that Miu Miu pump or Balenciaga bag she would have replaced it with a Chloe boot and a Marc Jacobs bag. So it may not always be quantity but it is always indeed quality.

Remember that any image you choose should follow these rules:

• Am I proud of the image (not the story around the image, not the makeup that day, the image as a whole). The images should tell the story of who you are as an artist.
  
• Does this image represent my current level of expertise? (knowing that this will undoubtedly change if you are indeed serious about becoming a makeup artist)
  
• Would I hire myself based on this picture?
  
  
• Show the makeup, no styling needed. The makeup should be the only thing on the page
  
  
• Do beauty images to open the book as they set the tone. The image that closes the book leaves a lasting impression (use Allure and Glamour magazine style images as a guide)
  

If you cannot stand firm behind the image based on these rules, then they say, remove the image - do not use it. You dont want to weaken your brand. Remember 100% true to your brand at all times, no matter what.

Once you have something to show keep these things in mind:

• A portfolio is not 3 images. Say to the person you are meeting with something along the lines of "I am just starting my book but I have these images that show my work..."
• There are expenses involved with being a makeup artist - hire a photographer that you think is an awesome photographer and PAY them if you have to. Sacrifice now for goal achieving later.
• Be ethical and have integrity at all times
• Remember to impart the rule of 9 into your marketing (I touched on it a bit here)
• You can make an impact with 1 good image and the belief in yourself
• Be fearless in your presentation (remember the stylist with the concept boards)

I hope this helps - good luck! For those attending The Makeup Show NYC be open , connect, connect, connect, soak up all that you can and most of all have fun!

I Wanna Be an MUA - Michael DeVellis & Crystal Wright Edition-Part I

The NYC Makeup Show is RIGHT around the corner as I am sure most of you know and it is a wonderful opportunity for those interested in getting started as a makeup artist to soak up as much knowledge and technique as they can as well as for those more seasoned artists to learn about the latest products available and also brush up on their skills.

I, unfortunately will not be able to make it to NY this weekend (believe you me I really tried to make it happen) because my first movie is premiering on Sunday (YAY!), but I really wanted to share this post in order to encourage you to get as close to front row center for this seminar as you can. Even if there arent any seats left, STAND UP and pay very close attention to the knowledge that will be dropped on you.

Michael DeVellis of the Powder Group and Crystal Wright of the Crystal Agency are two people that you want to know and want to learn from. A lot of what they tell you is just common sense but you would be surprised at how much of it you didnt even think of. For instance, be in control of your business, be where people can focus on you, know your audience, be committed, understand your business, be PUNCTUAL! I mean hello??? The stories that they used to convey these simple yet powerful messages of how you can be successful as a makeup artist will make you laugh but at the same time you are thinking would someone really do that???? They did, learn from their mistakes!

Michael and Crystal wanted to let us know that a lot of people may get into the business for the wrong reasons. Yes, it can be glamorous but it is a LOT of hard work. You do NOT have a day off and it is not for the faint of heart. You have to hustle every single day and you need to keep you pipeline full. If makeup is indeed your passion that is fine - do it, but you better do it well!

One of the MOST important ideals to impart when building your brand is that of relationship building. Billy B touched on this in his seminar as well (you can read about it here, here and here). Once you understand the dynamics of relationship building you are well on your way (here's a hint: Impart the rule of 9!).

Once you make a connection - make it memorable for the person you met. Introduce yourself as Makeup Artist (insert name here) or (insert name here), Makeup Artist, keeping in mind that you are your brand so image is important no matter how superficial that may seem. Be generous, meaning if you are meeting an artist that you would like to assist do not be all about you. How can you help them? Do your homework. Say what you can do for the artist that you want to assist. Be consistent, and be repetitive (this goes back to the rule of 9 - learn it!).

When you have met the person/people remember that the business card you give is not important, its the one you get. Make sure you follow up with a link to your site (you do have a site dont you???), send a PERSONALIZED thank you card, NO EMAIL, NO TEXT! (GASP!)

If this is someone that you have met before, always reintroduce yourself. It is your job to remind someone who you are. If someone forgets you look at it as an opportunity and approach in a different way each time.

Again, a lot of these things seem matter of fact but you should know them and know them back and forth so that to call them into recollection is second nature. Stay tuned for part two - where Michael and Crystal give advice on what you should include in your portfolio!