Walid Zou’bi | Steffen Bloch Professional Make-up Artist Interview
The Q&A is packed with great info only a veteran can provide from great skin care and beauty advice to general tips like being skeptical about fashion magazines and the motivation of any media outlet which is pushing beauty products.
Q: Do you think going to school for make-up artistry is important to excel in the business later on?
A: Seriously not really, unless its specifics like SFX MakeUp and things like that, but most of the greats were self-taught.
Q: Tell a little about yourself personally and if you attended school or you are a self taught makeup artist?
A: A bit of both, studied beauty therapy & fashion design, did a refresher course and sfx makeup.
Q: Did you always wanted 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 stumbled upon it cause my skin was so badly damaged by a dermatologist. My inspirations are my mentors: Serge Lutens & Richard Sharah.
Q: What is your favorite or most exciting aspect about your job?
A: The constant challenges to be more creative and avoid pitfalls of imitating.
Q: What surprises you most about working as a makeup artist?
A: Not a lot been doing it for so long!
Q: Describe your “Classic Approach to Beauty.” how do you define beauty?
A: I prefer striking looks to beautiful ones. And my approach is pared down classical clean make up, thing 50′s Audrey Hepburn, 60′s Veruschka & Jean Shrimpton.
Q: What individual products and brands you’re “addicted” to at the moment and you use on a daily basis?
A: Black Opal / Physicians Formula.
Q: What are some of the most basic but effective skin care tips in general that you have, that are really important?
A: Cleansing moisturizing and Sunblock. Plus good nutrition, and a handful of almonds daily.
Q: What is the biggest skin care dont’s?
A: Suntanning.
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: Not on others but myself, a make up artist used a product (which I won’t name) on my face literally 1 minute later I had an allergic reaction, and my skin was peeling and red and bleeding.
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: Most common mistakes are Blusher/ Foundation/ Concealer + Following Fashion trends, magazines are usually hyping products and they are not your friends.
Q: What do you think are best/worst trends in the makeup / skin care industry right now?
A: Smokey eyes + Glitter + Crzy coloured candy neon colours, done wrong they are deadly fashion faux pas!
Q: Do teenage girls needs to splurge on high-priced makeup products, or are drugstore items are just as satisfactory?
A: Drugstore items be they skincare products or Make-up are excellent for everyone, most of the time you are paying for packaging and a name. Okay some of the high end companies come out with occasional great products which we must buy!
Q: What feature(s) do you love to accentuate?
A: Skin Eyes & Lips.
Q: What are your steps for the perfect, flawless, natural look?
A: Clean well moisturized skin, some concealer minimum powder and some bronzer used as eyeshadow blush and lip colour, very mono chromatic, with a dark green eyeline and dark brown mascara.
Q: What is a really quick way to change a day look to a special occasion or nighttime face?
A: Just add a bit more colour intensify, add eyeliner and more mascara then change lip colour for a darker more lustrous shade, accentuate the eyes!
Q: What are the differences between applying makeup on models and on real women?
A: Sometimes for a model the looks have to be more dramatic and intense, theatrical if you will, and you have to take the lighting into consideration too (this applies to both models and normal women.
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: Cream gel. then liquid (actually I use them all plus eyeshadows too!
Q: Lip gloss or Lipstick. Which product is best? Why?
A: Depends on the look and the duration. But I go for glosses made for black skins more intense pigments.
Q: What should a client consider before deciding to try permanent makeup? What is the difference between permanent and semi-permanent makeup?
A: I advise against it. Hate the stuff.
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: Smashbox Camera Ready Concealer.
Q: How about airbrush spray makeup trend? Are these products better or easier to use than standard sponge or finger application? If yes when would you recommend using them?
A: Hi-definition has made airbrush popular but in general I like to use the old fashioned way.
Q: What do your clients think of you? What are some individual testimonials?
A: Creative artistic ( I am a painter too) & generally one of Jordan’s best.
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: Why Bother with the small stuff! And get everything in writing.
Q: What tips and advice do you have for aspiring makeup artists just starting out?
A: Get a supplemental education in business, have varied hobbies and interests. Be inquisitive, learn about other cultures and mostly just be true to your dreams.
Visit Walid’s MySpace profile here.