Mia A. Moriguchi Hawaiian Professional Make-up Artist Interview
Enjoy this excellent interview with Kauai, Hawaii native Mia A. Moriguchi professional makeup artist / esthetician (residing in Honolulu, Oahu).
This Q&A finally has some good information about permanent makeup from someone who knows.
A good quote from MiA: “The one thing makeup can’t cover up is a bad attitude.”
Q: What is your favorite or most exciting aspect about your job?
A: Seeing my clients faces when I’m finished, it always makes me happy to brighten someone’s day!
Q: Tell a little about yourself personally and if you attended school or you are a self taught makeup artist?
A: I’m originally from Kauai, but I moved to Oahu for college and ended up staying after I graduated. I did take makeup artistry courses to become certified from Susan Page Modeling Agency when I was in high school, but most of my training was from assisting a makeup artist doing hair and makeup for weddings.
Q: Do you think going to school for make-up artistry is important to excel in the business later on?
A: I believe that going to school helps you to get started with a basic understanding of makeup, it does help to have that credential when you are applying for jobs or memberships. Makeup classes however are very expensive, and I believe that you learn the most from just practicing like crazy. My mentor told me that it takes about a hundred faces before you can get enough experience to start your career as a makeup artist.
Q: Did you always want to be an artist, or did you stumble upon your talent by chance? Who or what inspired you to become a makeup artist?
A: I was always interested in art, I loved drawing and painting as a child. I always knew I wanted to do something artistic but I didn’t know what until I was in high school. My mom had told me about the makeup classes from Susan Page, and that they were coming to Kauai to offer them. I finished the basic and advanced courses and earned my certification. I was so excited after I had finished that I did a bunch of my friend’s makeup for prom.
After I moved to Oahu for college I put makeup on hold to concentrate on my studies, and it didn’t surface again until about my fourth year in school. I had seen an ad in the college paper for an assistant for hair and makeup for weddings. I responded and by the next week started working for Beverly Kaneshige as an assistant. She is probably the reason I am doing what I’m doing today. She is such an encouragement and inspiration to me and is my mentor till this day.
Q: What surprises you most about working as a makeup artist?
A: Seeing how much a person can be transformed both inside and out from just “painting” their face.
Q: Describe your “Classic Approach to Beauty.” how do you define beauty?
A: The one thing makeup can’t cover up is a bad attitude.
Q: What individual products and brands you’re “addicted” to at the moment and you use on a daily basis?
A: I love Cinema Secrets foundation, we use it for weddings and it’s really good at covering up blemishes. For eyeshadows I use MAC, and lipsticks I use YourNameCosmetics.
Q: What are some of the most basic but effective skin care tips in general that you have, that are really important?
A: Moisturize!! There’s nothing worst than flaky skin on shoot day. Sunscreen prevents those dark spots and eye creme softens crows feet.
Q: What is the biggest skin care dont’s?
A: Don’t not use sunscreen!
Q: Have you had an extreme, crazy or bad experience with a skin care product or during a makeup session? If so, what happened?
A: The first time I did the glossy eye look, luckily it was for a short photo shoot, the model’s strip lashes had a hard time staying put!! They lasted for the shoot, but 15 minutes after the shoot was finished the eyeshadow was creasy and the lashes were ready to come off. A tricky look to work with, but definitely worth the end result!
Q: What do you find to be the most common mistakes women make with makeup? What’s the worst thing a woman can do to her skin?
A: Not cleaning your face good after a night out with the girls. Makeup on your pillowcase can cause breakouts. The worst thing a woman can do to her skin is tanning!
Q: What do you think are best/worst trends in the makeup / skin care industry right now?
A: The best trends are always the classic ones, you can never go wrong with natural makeup.
Q: Do teenage girls needs to splurge on high-priced makeup products, or are drugstore items are just as satisfactory?
A: I actually use a lot of drugstore items, and they sometimes give me better results than department store brands.
Q: What feature(s) do you love to accentuate?
A: Eyes and cheekbones!
Q: What are your steps for the perfect, flawless, natural look?
A: Foundation, powder, bronzer, dark brown eyeliner, soft shadows, individual lashes, and lip gloss!
Q: What is a really quick way to change a day look to a special occasion or nighttime face?
A: Dark shadows and eyeliner, with lots of mascara!
Q: What are the differences between applying makeup on models and on real women?
A: Models need a lot more heavier makeup for the photographs. Real women don’t need as much makeup.
Q: In terms of eyeliner, if you had to choose between a pencil, liquid, or creme/gel based, which one would you choose? Why?
A: Pencil, because you can create a soft natural look, or a dark dramatic look with a pencil, and it’s not as messy.
Q: Lip gloss or Lipstick. Which product is best? Why?
A: I don’t think either one is better than the other, if I had to choose one or the other to carry with me I would choose a gloss, just because I like a more natural look and you don’t need to much precision when using a gloss.
Q: What should a client consider before deciding to try permanent makeup? What is the difference between permanent and semi-permanent makeup?
A: I actually have worked at a permanent makeup center, and I have never personally had it done but I have seen it done on others. When considering permanent makeup be sure that the technician doing your procedure is SPCP (Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals) certified & credited.
Also ask to see pictures of their work. Make sure that they use “micropigments” and not tattoo ink, as tattoo ink changes color as it ages. Tattoo ink is permanent and micropigments are semi-permanent, as they will fade away through time.
Q: What brand/type of concealer is your favorite for covering up the after effects of a late night out i.e. under-eye circles, blemishes?
A: E.L.F. cosmetics has a good concealer for under-eye circles, Cinema Secrets makes the best overall foundation as it is a concealer/foundation in one.
Q: Would you share some of your future goals, your life motto, any words of wisdom that get you by in life and professional career?
A: As long as I give God the glory for everything that I do, I know that he will bless me in all those things. He has brought me to where I am today.
Q: What tips and advice do you have for aspiring makeup artists just starting out?
A: Practice, practice, practice, & never give up!
Visit Mia’s makeup artist profile in my directory and her official makeup artist website.
