Sinead Kravetz of Albany – NYC – Make-up Artist Interview
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’ve always been an artist in the broad sense of the term. I began creating alternative makeup looks on myself about five years ago, and since then my talents and skill have evolved rapidly, especially within the last three years.
I began thinking seriously about a makeup career as a Freshman in College. I’m also a horror goon, and am in love with gore/splatter makeup. Tom Savini has really been an inspiration in my hobby.
Q: Tell a little about yourself personally and if you attended school or you are a self taught makeup artist?
A: I’m a twenty year old self taught makeup artist and a Junior at SUNY Purchase College majoring in Media, Society, and the Arts. I’m extremely interested in special effects makeup and stage makeup, but also do a variety of other kinds of makeup.
So far all of my makeup skills are self taught. I’m an artist in many ways outside of makeup, evolving from sketching, painting, sewing/clothing design, sculpting, craft work, jewelry, etc. Most of my skills were self taught but developed throughout High School and into College.
Q: Do you think going to school for make-up artistry is important to excel in the business later on?
A: Most of the skills of makeup artistry I feel can be self taught, but it also depends on the person. Going to school for makeup artistry definitely gives you a leg up in getting work, and can be an easier way to learn the skills instead of teaching yourself. I personally am looking into schools and classes that would broaden my makeup knowledge and skills.
Q: What is your favorite or most exciting aspect about your job?
A: The versatility. I love that I have more flexibility than any other medium. I can create several different looks in a day, on the human body. Also how realistic it can look, I love morphing into a zombie and really grossing people out, if I can convince someone it looks real then I’ve been successful.
Q: What surprises you most about working as a makeup artist?
A: How much I learn every time I work on a new face. And how much fun I have!
Q: Describe your “Classic Approach to Beauty.” how do you define beauty?
A: Beauty makeup accentuates the natural beauty of the model. Very subtle contouring, lipgloss or even lip balm, eye liner, and mascara will do the trick.
Q: What individual products and brands you’re “addicted” to at the moment and you use on a daily basis?
A: Arbonne Nurturing Day Lotion with SPF 20 is a great daily moisturizer I found within the last year. I’m also definitely stuck on MAC’s “Lady Danger” matte lipstick.
Q: What are some of the most basic but effective skin care tips in general that you have, that are really important?
A: A few friends and some models that I have run into have extreme facial breakouts and tend to cake their foundation on to hide it. This leads to continuous break outs, and in my opinion you shouldn’t be ashamed of something everyone has.
Breakouts need to be taken care of, not just covered up and dealt with later. Washing your face twice a day [one rinse in the morning with or without soap depending on your skin type, and once before bed] and not leaving any makeup on overnight is a start.
Paying attention to your skin type and taking care of it properly according to that type is very important. Also witch hazel is a natural astringent that should be taken advantage of. When using products or washing I feel that it’s important to stay as close to natural as possible. Honey and avocado are natural moisturizers that can be used weekly or more for dry skin.
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: So far I have had either great experiences or ones that were average. Sorry, no fun stories to tell!
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 often women don’t realize what looks best with their skin type, face shape, etc. Women either keep it simple or tend to go too extreme without knowing it looks crazy. I think it’s important to test out the boundaries of your face and body so you know what looks great and what doesn’t.
Also taking risks once in a while are key; bright colors or funky designs, even subtly, are a great way to switch things up a bit.
Q: What do you think are best/worst trends in the makeup / skin care industry right now?
A: Permanent makeup is something I don’t personally agree with.
Q: Do teenage girls needs to splurge on high-priced makeup products, or are drugstore items are just as satisfactory?
A: Depending on the item, I think drugstore items can suffice, especially for younger girls who shouldn’t have to use much makeup anyway.
Q: What feature(s) do you love to accentuate and why?
A: I love doing eye makeup. Between the eyes and eyebrows are great palettes with the most unlimited possibilities. I started doing my own eye makeup before any other kind of makeup.
Q: What are your steps for the perfect, flawless, natural look?
A: Face primer, foundation, concealer for under the eyes, lip balm or a light lip color, eye liner, mascara, and bronzer for contouring.
Q: What is a really quick way to change a day look to a special occasion or nighttime face?
A: Darken the eye tones and add a splash of color as well as a lighter highlight, add blush or bronzer, and darken the lip color or add lip gloss. It also depends on the look, you may only need to do some minor touch ups and add some cat eyes instead.
Q: What are the differences between applying makeup on models and on real women?
A: With models you tend to be creating a look for television or a magazine. These both call for specific hues or products to enhance their face or something flattering after used through media [certain looks or colors don’t translate well through television]. You’re using different types of foundations and dramatic or high fashion looks.
When working on a woman for Prom, a wedding, or a night out you’re giving her a look that will translate well to other people. The look is often times more subtle such as a beauty look or a flashy night look an extremely dramatic smokey eye to the brow is usually not what they’re looking for.
It’s good to stick with neutrals and lighter colors when working with these types of looks with natural or nude lips.
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: I prefer crème based. I use MAC’s “Blacktrack” for my cat eyes and leopard spots, I feel that it’s the easiest to work with and last the longest with minimal smudging and running. Pairing it with liquid something for detail or an extra oomf is also great. Liquid liner lasts just as long and also rarely smudges or wears away.
Q: Lip gloss or Lipstick. Which product is best? Why?
A: I’m a bit stuck on this, I love matte lipstick for its consistency but I love lip gloss because it lasts longer and when it wears away the color still remains.
Q: What should a client consider before deciding to try permanent makeup? What is the difference between permanent and semi-permanent makeup?
A: When considering permanent and semi-permanent makeup procedures, a client should consider the possibility of uneven tattooing, allergic reactions, etc. A client can also hate the results, and removal of the tattoos is not only expensive but difficult. Makeup is not so difficult to apply daily. Especially if its relatively the same day to day.
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: Many times I actually use Mary Kay’s medium coverage foundation which seems to work fairly well. I still have to experiment with different concealers, though.
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: I personally plan on teaching myself how to airbrush, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Q: What do your clients think of you? What are some individual testimonials?
A: Well I’m fairly young in this career, but so far everyone I’ve worked with has enjoyed my company and the way I work, and more importantly, my work!
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: I know that as long as I have faith in my talents I’ll get where I want to be with this career. I plan to go to makeup school either in New York or California after I graduate next year, and I plan on applying to MAC so I can get licensed through them. I want to do makeup for the rest of my life, so I’m going to do it, where ever and whenever I can.
Q: What tips and advice do you have for aspiring makeup artists just starting out?
A: Well I’m just starting out, but I guess just have faith in your skills and yourself and if you really have those things you’ll be successful.
Connect with Sinead via her Make-up Artist Facebook profile.
