On Saturday, June 26, 2010 I met up with celebrity makeup artist, Sam Fine.  This little meeting came about from me tweeting back and forth with him for beauty tips, and overall advice on becoming a successful makeup artist.  I thought to myself, he’s told me he lives in Brooklyn; why not ask him if I can meet him so he can sign his DVD Fine: Basics of Beauty.  If you follow him on twitter (@SamFineBeauty) you will know that he is extremely down-to-earth, engaging, encouraging and more.  Before I continue, I just want to say if you have any interest in makeup or makeup artistry follow him on twitter, NOW!

 He’s very handsome in-person, and tall.  I mean, well, everyone is taller than me lol.

This is a summation of what was discussed during our little meet-up on Saturday.

Sam Fine’s Advice on pursuing makeup artistry as a career

-It’s not a hobbie.  Doing makeup here and there does not make you a freelancer makeup artist, it’s a hobby. 

-Take your artistry & interest in this business seriously. 

-Work in an environment where you will always be around makeup, which is working at Sephora or a makeup counter. Do this even if you have to work there part-time.  This business is always a hustle.  

-In your spare time, take classes, assist, do test shoots.

Building your portfolio

-Always use professional models. Contact agencies and ask them to put you in contact with new models. 

-No one wants to see weddings, before and after shots, pictures of friends and family whose makeup you’ve done.

Assisting him

He says people always ask to assist him.  He says it’s hard for people to assist him because there’s a science to what he does.  Everything he does is done with intricate detailing, involving several steps. If people assist him, especially for the first time, they’d only be in the way because they wouldn’t know what to do.  At the end of the day, it may end up costing the people who he’s working with thousands.

Products

He says to use what you feel comfortable with, however, creams are easier to work with and more versatile, especially for filling in lines, and working with people who have acne scarring.

-Foundation – Black Opal, Dermablend, Iman

-Primer – He doesn’t use one. He uses a thick moisturizer to prime and moisturize the skin.  He uses one from Kiehls.  I can’t remember the name right now though. Sorry about that.

-Setting Powder – Yves Saint Laurent Poudre Sur Mesure Semi-Loose Powder Natural Radiance.  He said this is a great powder to use because it doesn’t get chalky, and you can use a lot of it.  “Always have a product you can use a lot of” he says.

Create your signature. 

He said that everyone knows when he does a face because he has a certain look that has evolved into his own over time.  That’s something every makeup artist should aspire to achieve. 

Don’t conform to the rules.  Makeup artistry is a field that allows you to be creative. 

Pick up a copy of his DVD Now!