Easy come...easy go...

Carly Rae Jepsen won the Canadian Idol and hit the #1 US Billboard Charts with her hit song "Call Me Maybe" along with the #1 spot in 20 other countries around the world. In the last week I got hired to do her hair and makeup two times...and released two times when her Canadian makeup artist was able to pull through with her American working Visa. Come on Carly Rae, Call Me Maybe!!
www.artofmakeup.com

Models, Heartache, and Sauvie Island

    I was on Sauvie Island Tuesday for a creative test photo shoot. I decided I'm in love with Sauvie Island. It's beautiful out there. There's houses that float on the river. For a brief moment I decided I would move there, and then I remembered I had a six year old daughter, we would have no neighbors, and we already love where we live now. Maybe I'll get a summer house on the river where I can spend all day on my boat...when I get a boat.

    Oh yeah...I'm supposed to be working. This cute, bubbly, pretend model couple are blowing bubbles just outside an immaculate airstream trailer when a breeze trails across my face and then...what's that I smell? What's that familiar smell? My stomach turns, not in a eeuuw that smell was bad kind of way, but something just punched me in the gut kind of way. I realize it's the fragrance the male model is wearing on his skin. I know exactly what it is, but I can't remember the name. "What's the name of that scent you are wearing?" I kindly ask.
    "Sandalwood."
    "Oh," my stomach twists again. Why does it have to be sandalwood in all places? Especially in my new favorite place.  Sandalwood was of course what the ex-boyfriend wore that shredded my heart into little tiny fragments and left it up to me to try to figure out how to put it all back together again. And I'm not good at puzzles.
    With technology the way that it is, and my masochistic artistic nature the way that it is, I woke up this morning thinking I'd google the smell and take just one more whiff. That's when I realized you can easily take another look or listen and fill your nostalgic needs anytime via internet, but thank God I can't look up the smell.

 www.artofmakeup.com

The Simple Life

   The other day I had a test shoot out on Sauvie Island, the outskirts of Portland where the farms are, where you can pick your own berries in the summertime, swim in the river, and get lost in the corn mazes at Halloween time. It's not even that far of a drive, so I hadn't imagined it would be much different from the city itself. I was wrong.
    When I arrived to the shoot location, I nearly passed the unmarked dirt driveway. Fortunately a truck pulled in at the same time as I did with an unnaturally handsome boy peeking out the window. "Is this where the shoot is?" I asked.
    "Yes," he answered with a dazzling smile. It was pretty evident. I followed his dusty path down the road and parked my car as the beginning of what felt like an oddly voyeuristic day began. He slammed his car door and swiftly strode into the arms of the bikini clad model that awaited him near his truck. They embraced for what seemed to be an enormous amount of time.
   "Hi!" I brightly smiled at the two of them. "Where should I set up?"  The gorgeous specimen of a male pointed to some kind of habitat. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't kept up.

    "You can set up in here," he said. "It's not fancy, but this is where I live."  Wow, I thought. This is new. Ok.
    So that was my first impression. I wasn't too impressed I should say, but things grow on you.  As the day went on, I awkwardly watched this sexy young equally hard bodied couple pretty much makeout with each other, because that was the theme of the shoot, for about four hours straight.  They rode his motorcycle, played along the river and smeared berries on each other. I watched the sun set over the river, and I thought...you know what, if I were young, beautiful, lived on a farm on a river, and had a muscly model boyfriend, I wouldn't mind a bit about living in a tiny trailer with no belongings. Ah, the simple life!

www.artofmakeup.com

Adidas Yoga

Adidas Yoga

Believe it or not, these clothes were about 3 sizes too big and we had to bunch and clip them where you can't see in the shot. I can't believe we somehow made them look like they fit. These girls held these yoga poses for about 4 hours straight. Their legs were burning by the end of the shoot! Actually, well before the end of the shoot...but the shoot must go on!

www.artofmakeup.com

Going for Gold!

Working with all of these athletes makes me feel so out of shape! Ashton Eaton not only won the GOLD for the decathlon for this summer 2012 Olympics, but he holds the WORLD RECORDS in BOTH the Decathlon and Heptathlon events. I'm proud when my daughter spells a word or ties her shoes. Imagine how proud his mommy is! This picture is from People Magazine. I got to go work out now...

You CAN be a MOM AND DO ANYTHING!

One of the questions I get asked as a makeup artist is, "Can you manage a free-lance career and raise a child?" Well, I did, and I'm still doing it! Being free-lance often means getting last minute jobs, and it isn't always easy to spontaneously juggle child care and work, especially when you don't have family living close by, but  you know what? Somehow you figure it out.

Imagine if you were raising a baby, and training for the 2012 Summer Olympics? Well, that's what Kara Goucher did. I got to meet her (doing her hair and makeup) and her family for a Redbook Magazine photo shoot. Her baby is under two and is already sprinting down the track! His daddy is a marathon runner too. I wonder where his future lies... Check out the inspirational article about being a mom AND an Olympic athlete.

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Home » Hey London, the Moms are Calling! - Page 4

 

Hey London, the Moms are Calling! - Page 4

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Photo Credit: Ari Michaelson

Marathon mom

Kara Goucher, 34

HER HOME TEAM: Husband Adam, 37; son Colton, 22 months

Two years ago, Kara sent shock waves through the racing community when she announced she was pregnant and taking a yearlong break. The NCAA cross-country champion had been on an incredible roll, running her first half-marathon and beating British phenom Paula Radcliffe, then running her first marathon (in New York) and taking third place, and placing third again in Boston. "A lot of people were like, 'Now? Why not wait until you feel burned out?'" Kara recalls. "But Adam [also a track star] and I had been putting off having kids for years." First they were waiting until after the 2004 Olympics, then the 2008 Games. But after the IAAF World Championships in 2009, "I realized that there would always be another reason for postponing," so they took the plunge. Now Kara is back, ready to get down to business. "I was passionate about racing before my son," she says. "But he has added another layer, because I want him to see that dreams are worth having and that there are sacrifices worth making."

NOT FOR WIMPS 

"I get up around 6:30 a.m. to have breakfast and wake up Colt before leaving at 8 a.m. [A nanny watches him till Kara comes back at noon.] If it's a non-speed session, I run 90 minutes, then lift weights for an hour. If it's a speed-session day, I warm up for an hour before doing 12 to 16 one-mile runs or a steady 22-mile run. I come home and take a nap until Colt wakes up from his. We hang out until 4 p.m., when Adam takes over so I can do an easy run, about an hour, and stretch. I log 120 miles a week, running every day, twice a day. There is no weekend."

HER MOM ROLE MODEL 

"My friend Paula [Radcliffe, who famously won the 2007 ING New York City Marathon about 10 months after giving birth to the first of her two children] made me believe I could have a running career and a baby. And once Colt was born, she often talked me down from the ledge. I was so tired, I was like, What was I thinking? She told me to hang in there, that it would get better. And sure enough, at six months, I hit my stride."

THE ROAD BACK 

"It took a full year before I felt like myself again. I'd see all these celebrities who lost the weight so quickly, but I couldn't lose the last five pounds--and I run over 100 miles a week! What was even harder was getting back into the competitive mind-set. I ran when I was pregnant, but the number-one rule is to never push yourself. I had to relearn how to push through the pain."

TOUGH LOVE 

"Before Colt, I wouldn't run with Adam [who's retired from competition now]. He's faster--men just are--and he's used to leading the pack, so he's always one step in front of you. But after Colt was born, Adam ran with me day in and day out, because I needed help just getting out the door. He even pushed Colt in the jogging stroller when I didn't want to leave him. Of course, I was shouting, 'Stop one-stepping me!'"

KISS AND RUN 

"At the Olympics, my mom will take care of Colt--feed him, give him his bath, get him ready for bed--so that I can relax and sleep without the baby monitor. I'll do the fun stuff like kiss and snuggle with him, then leave. But this setup will last for only two days. I'd miss him too much."

Read more: Kara Goucher - Female Olympic Athletes Who Are Moms - Redbook 

This is Rob Reiner

I had the great pleasure of working for the second time in my career with the director of some of your favorite movies, and some of the most memorable and funniest moments in film history, Rob Reiner. I'm sure you know what moment I'm talking about when I mention his film, When Harry Met Sally, or A Few Good Men, or the many moments in This is Spinal Tap, or Stand By Me, and everyone loves The Princess Bride, The Sure Thing, and Misery. He's hilarious in person, super personable and down to earth, and a really nice guy.

When Celebrities Call

Only two times in my life have I been truly star struck by a telephone call, and one time just took me plain off guard. The first time I felt star struck by the phone was years ago when Ben Kingsley called me looking for a hairdresser for his wife, and the second time was today when Barbara Walters called me to see if I was bringing rollers to do her hair on Thursday. I startled myself when I returned Penny Marshall's assistant's call, and Penny Marshall answered my phone call herself.  I found giving Ben Kingsley a scalp massage and doing his makeup in a private room less intimate than his unexpected phone call while parallel parking my car in front of Bourgeois Pig in Hollywood. I know when I run the blow dryer through Barbara Walters’ freshly washed hair in her private hotel room, I’ll feel right at home. When she trusts me to apply her makeup and prepare her to face viewers across the world, I know I will be calm and confident. But when I reached for my phone this morning and heard that Barbara Walters distinct familiar voice right there in my living room, speaking through my cell phone, I couldn’t help but get overwhelmed with disbelief. I shared the voice with my husband. “Barbara Walters just called me!” I said. She was right there in our house. She could practically see me with no shoes on, dishes on the counter, and my daughter’s books spread across the floor.

It’s a weird thing when a celebrity calls your cell phone. My cell phone is like a part of my family. Actually, it might be even closer. I take it everywhere with me. In fact, there is rarely a moment we are apart, and if by chance I forget it, panic ensues. I am very attached. So when a celebrity calls my cell phone, I almost feel like they know me.

I used to have Ben Kingsley in my cell phone address book. It was fun to scroll through my address book and see his name fly by. Yeah, Ben Kingsley is in my address book, I used to show off to my self.  I don’t have that cell phone anymore. You better believe Barbara Walters is in my new one now.

Social Networking

    Constant Contact gave a seminar today on social networking. They talked about how marketing your business today is really not about marketing, it's about networking. The majority of the population is now trusting total strangers online to make the bulk of their consumer decisions on how to spend your money, which doctors to go see, and how to spend your leisurely time. I'm guilty of it. I trust. This is the new way of making decisions. Technology is moving so quickly, that just the idea that I didn't have the use of a cell phone or a computer for the majority of my life is astounding.  Cell phones came out and then boom! Technology just seemed to have exploded from there.  You have to constantly ride the latest wave of technology if you don't want to drown, or get gobbled up by the younger more savvy entrepreneurs.

So this is what I got out of the seminar today: Post more on facebook, update my blog regularly, start my twitter account, stay more active on linked in, start a  youtube account and make some videos, look into pinterest, google plus, constant contact, hoodsuite, and then check my analytics to measure my social media engagement to find out which posts are most effective. It all sounds very manipulative, doesn't it? And I thought we were all just connecting   and sharing.

 The internet and social networking has really changed our lives. Is it more effective? Are our businesses doing so much better? With all this online connection and time in front of the computer, are we really feeling closer to one another, or is our closest companion beginning to be the computer? That is the balance we must all strive for, finding real connection with real people while trying to survive in this computer age society.

Today's to do list: Facebook post...check! Blog post...check!

HOW TO APPLY MASCARA

The other day I spoke to my BFF, my confidante, and my advisor since the age of twelve. Conveniently my advisor friend is now a Psychiatrist, which makes her advice to me over the many, many years quite professional. Yes, I have been receiving professional advice for free, and a lot of it. This is the perk of having a Psychiatrist for a good friend. But do you know what she asked me in our last phone conversation? “How do I apply mascara? It always smears all over the place, makes a big mess, and then I end up washing it all off.”

“What?” I ask. This cannot be. I was horrified. How can any BFF of mine not know how to apply mascara, especially after so many years of freely granted wisdom on everything from slaying my first kiss to slaying a husband? The question haunted me.

“Please, write a blog on it!” she requested. “This will be your payment for my psychiatric advice.”

Of course I will. I need my therapy! Here is my blog:

First thing’s first. Look for a mascara formula that matches your personality, your mood or the event. Are you going to work? Is it for a party? Mascaras come in every formula from sheer and natural, to thick and voluminous. There are primers that build the lash before you even apply the mascara, and there are mascaras that you can’t even tell are on. Look at the box and read the description.

Choose your color. There are brown mascaras that give a subtle natural look, and there are bright colors such as blue and pink for a trendy makeup look. There’s brown black and blackest black. There’s even glitter mascara for some extra sparkle.

Choose your brush. Some mascara brushes are made to create length, while others thicken lashes. Some brushes claim to eliminate clumps. Usually a lash lengthening formula is paired with a brush that will individualize each lash and give the illusion of extra length. The formula should not be thick or clumpy. Brushes that thicken lashes are paired with a thick formula that fattens each lash. The box will say what the mascara is supposed to do. We can only hope it keeps its word.

Lastly is application. When you pull the mascara wand from the tube, there is usually a glob that sits on the end of the wand. Either scrape it off inside the tube, or wipe it off with a paper towel. If the wand looks too saturated for repair, dip it back in the tube and try again. The mascara brush should not have gobs of mascara on any part of it. Then apply. Brush under the lash, even over the lash, and in between if you must, and don’t forget the tips. The more saturated the lash, the thicker and longer it will look. You can apply two and even three coats if you’d like. If you want natural, just sweep a quick tint of color and be done with it. If you see any clumps you can either keep brushing with your mascara brush until they’re gone, or use a clean mascara comb to eliminate excess mascara, and separate lashes. When applying mascara to the bottom lashes, lightly sweep your mascara brush from side to side, and eliminate any clumps.

Now can I have my therapy, please?

To Be or Not to Be...

Being free-lance is not easy. People think that we are lucky to have so much freedom and flexibility, but in actuality, it can be quite the opposite. When you are a free-lancer, every fun activity you schedule in life is mentally categorized as "tentative," because when you get a job, the job comes first. As every free-lancer knows, every time a job is completed you are unemployed again, and more often than not, you don't know when the next job will come.  Therefore, you have to take the jobs when they come. I can't count the number of times that I have made plans and had to cancel them to take a last minute job. If you want to be my friend, or spouse, then you have to understand that's the way it goes.

Now does this sound like freedom? Not exactly. But on the flip side, every time I get a job I'm excited. It's an accomplishment to get hired or even called back by the same person when there are so many others like you to choose from. Every time you work you have to be your best, because if you aren't, they don't have to have you back. It's a little awkward and uncomfortable to always be around people you don't know, but it's an interesting challenge to learn how to quickly bond with all kinds of different personalities.

Last weekend I was handed an extraordinary opportunity to work with some extraordinary people, and as always, I was so excited. The owner of a highly reputable agency in Los Angeles, called Zenobia, called me out of the blue and asked me if I wanted to work on an Oprah Magazine shoot with an L.A. photographer. Of course I did. When the photographer saw my work, she asked if I could also work with her the next day for a Weight Watcher's Magazine shoot. Of course I did! And to top it off, this agent asked if he could be my rep. Of course he can! He is so on top of it that even during the weekend he responded to my emails within five minutes. What kind of life is that? After thirty years, he still owns his business, and it is doing very well!

The Oprah Magazine shoot was for a story featuring two ambitious young college students who started their own nut butter company called Wild Squirrel Nut Butter, which is already selling locally in major grocery markets. They are only nineteen years old and ready to be entrepreneurs. Good for them! The sky is the limit when you work for yourself. And the Weight Watcher's Magazine shoot story was about a woman who took charge of her body and her life and lost 58 lbs., recovering from a debilitating Rheumatoid Arthritis. Good job!

Taking the risk of taking charge of your own life in whatever form it might be may not be the easiest route to go, but there's a chance it could be the most rewarding and exciting way to go. And once you go for it you'll never look back and wonder what life would have been like if you pursued your dream.

Working in the Elements

Bella's House in Twilight

Having lived in Los Angeles my whole life, except for brief winter vacations to the east coast or a quick jaunt to the mountains to play in the snow, I had never really experienced much change in the weather. My working life hadn't seen the need for much more than sneakers and a light coat to bring me warmth and comfort. In fact, I usually found myself seeking sunblock and shade up until now.  After working in Oregon, I quickly learned how to prepare myself to work outside in the rain.

I just finished working on a two day shoot for FX network's TV show, DVD on TV, airing March 12, 2012 with host Dave Holmes. We travelled to several locations where the movie Twilight was shot. Dave gave the inside scoop on each location. I was looking forward to seeing the locations, and I knew it would be an easy job with only one man to take care of.  Even though I knew it was going to rain, I still chose my stylish new boots to wear over skinny jeans. I wanted to make a good impression. I wore modest black gloves and my down insulated rain coat. Then we headed to the Columbia Gorge.

I had been to The Gorge before, but I forgot how windy it was. My toes and fingers were so cold, they were actually burning. My face, neck, torso, and legs were cold too. My comrades were wearing long underwear under their jeans, but mine were too tight.  Even my makeup was frozen. When it began to rain though, at least I had my handy umbrella and my plastic waterproof set bag, so my makeup and supplies were safe.

Waterproof Set Bag

With host Dave Holmes

I learned quickly though. The second day I brought no less than: 2 pairs of warmer boots, including the hiking boots I chose to wear, 3 pairs of wool socks, fleece long underwear under my jeans, rain pants in case I needed to wear them over my jeans, a scarf, warm hat, thermal shirt under a light fleece jacket under my snow jacket, and warm snow gloves. I was comfortable. I stayed dry. My makeup stayed dry. And I got to spend the whole day thinking about Robert Pattinson. Yes, I looked like a dork. I probably am a dork, but I was warm and happy.

To see more Twilight photos, go to my Facebook Page, then go to Twilight Tour photo album www.facebook.com/CelenaRubinMakeupandHair

Inspiration from Nature

It was such a gorgeous clear blue-sky day today that I took two walks to the park. While I was there I discovered tiny white daisies popping up all over the damp green grass. It’s barely even February. Could spring already be pushing its way through the earth? I panicked a little. We haven’t even gone sledding yet! Well, we’re heading to the mountains tomorrow. I want to make sure I get to experience every season to its fullest. 
I think my favorite thing about each season is watching the colors change. I love seeing bright white snowflakes floating down from the sky as much as I’m excited about seeing all the new flowers in Springtime. Each flower has it’s own dramatic hue. It’s magical. Summer brings a new set of colors with its dazzling red and pink sunsets and lush green forests. In the Fall I’m amazed that a tree that was once so intensely green, can change into a brilliant red, orange or yellow.
These are colors that inspire me, colors that I find in nature. I once spent the day at The Long Beach Aquarium, studying the color combinations on tropical fish, so I could apply them to my next fashion shoot. The colors on fish are extraordinary. The combinations of colors with patterns are proof that a higher power exists. That’s all I need, tropical fish to make me feel spiritual. I take these colors and I apply them to my art. They give me new ideas of color combinations, and inspire me to use colors that I may not have reached for. It might be just one bold color on a face, maybe a lip, a cheek or an eye. Moderation is the key, but have fun with it. Get inspired by your environment, and then color yourself with it!

Welcome

    As I stand quietly observing, listening, and sometimes even empathizing, with the wave of a brush I have quietly crept into the lives of some of the most dynamic, charismatic, intelligent and successful people in the world. My job as a makeup artist is to help these people look and feel their best, so when they step out of my chair and into the spotlight, they can share their talents with confidence.

    This blog is a compilation of tips and tricks of the trade, as well as the thoughts and experiences in the life of a professional Makeup Artist