Make up artist of the
month
By: Areka
Areka@excapethematrix.com
The setting for this
particular interview couldn’t have been better. I walked right into the
delicious aromas of freshly lit candles, fashion
pictures dotting the
walls, and music to keep the ambience alive. Meeting Roshe was an
absolute pleasure. Immediately beginning with the tour of the classroom
with mirrors plentiful, the separate area for facials and make up
artistry, and ending with the boutique to purchase Roshe’s very own make
up line along with her other favorites. These are available for the
students and public customers alike. This is just a tidbit of what we
actually talked about. This go-getter is moving at an extraordinary
pace and there isn’t a red light in sight! I personally consider this
an interview with a friend and inspiration. Read on to see what I
mean…
Areka: What is the real definition of make up artistry, is it a form of art or just a part of fashion?
Roshe: It’s actually both and then it’s also apart of self-esteem. As far as fashion of course you can accessorize with your make up. I’ve worked with women over the years in retail setting as well as fashion show setting and it’s just an accessory. You know someone will say can I wear blue eye shadow can I wear brown eye shadow, you know its an accessory just like people would wear earrings or whatever. As long as you are applying the product correctly, it can be just that. If you don’t apply it correctly then the color can be wrong for you. As far as artistry it’s a way to express myself as a make up artist on the canvas, which is the woman or the man depending on the circumstance, and it’s artistry for the client because it helps to evolve them into another subject. I’ll teach someone how to do it be it an everyday client who wants to have a day look for work, it sometimes help a woman feel more powerful, it helps them to raise their self-esteem in different areas, you know if they had a scar that they have lived with or they never knew how to come out of their shell, make up can be that vehicle. So it does a lot for people, it’s not just lipstick!
Areka: You mentioned men and make up, that was a question I had, I know celebrities have photo shoots and they apply a little something to blend their skin, but when you think about men you don’t think about make up…..
Roshe: Well it definitely
comes into play a lot because if you’re doing a man for a photo shoot,
just say there’s a rap group and they’re launching their cd and you know
they don’t want make up, they’re thugged out they don’t want that kind
of thing (laughs) BUT, there’s a difference between a well groomed
gentleman on a picture and a gentleman that just rolled out of bed,
threw on his clothes and got in front of the camera and its not
necessarily about looking like you’re made up but just well groomed and
you do little things to take the shine away to make the skin look more
even and even as far as brushing a mustache or getting the hair going in
the right direction, all of that is involved in what I do so..they see a
difference. So you just have to be gentle with those clients and get
them to feel that they can trust you.
Areka: (laughs) I’m not
trying to make you look like a woman.
Roshe: Right, (laughs) I
usually just call it male grooming as opposed to you need your make up
done.
Areka: That’s a good way to put it, I think it would be more comfortable to come in and say “I’m going to get groomed” not get my make up done.
Roshe: I have to work
with them as far as facials. I do facials for men and I help correct
different issues, ingrown hairs or issues that they’ve lived with
forever, and you know they’re like “oh no, I don’t want that stuff on
my face, I’m not going to be no pretty boy” but it’s not about that,
it’s about taking care of your skin. Once I get that, they usually end
up being the best clients.
"I love teaching what I know because it was a
gift to me so I would like to share it with other people"
Areka: Now my other question was, everyone is an individual, so what things go through your head before you even begin the client. Do you think about their skin tone, shape of their face?
Roshe: Well really I look at the client, and as I look at her I look at her skin tone, her brows, her lips, I look at all of that but then I talk to them to find out what kind of person they are. You know, are you a very fashion forward person and you want your eye shadow out there like bla- doww! Or are you just really meek and you like something soft and natural and you don’t want to make a huge statement with your make up. So you have to build a quick relationship with your client to find more about what they want. It’s more about what they want then what I think she should look like.
Areka: Most make up artists don’t have the entrepreneurial spirit, most make up artist haven’t stepped out the box, they do fashion shows and other events, but you went further, Maybe three steps further and got the school, the boutique, and your own make up line, so how did that come about?
Roshe: In retail, because I managed cosmetics departments in major department stores and handled a lot of different lines. I’ve managed individual counters you know like Estee Lauder and things like that and in those settings I’ve always had those women that wanted to learn more, I could only spend so much time with them at the store. And out in my freelance life, I would still free lance even if I did the retail stuff, they would want to know “how do I do this?” so I’m drawing face charts and I’m doing all this stuff, and then also along the way I would run into people that been to training, you know maybe cosmetology school or other schools of training still wanted me to teach them how to do eye shadow. And I’m like “ didn’t you just say you went to school?” (Laughs). So that started happening on a really regular basis, so it was a blessing placed in my heart to just go on and go forward and do a school. And I love teaching what I know because it was a gift to me so I would like to share it with other people. I remember before I got started in this business I always wanted to be involved with this kind of industry, be it modeling or with make up because I’ve always been an artist. I was really intimidated to go into the cosmetic department, I would walk around the outside looking, it was kind of scary, and once I got in here I vowed to always find that person that felt that way and get you and bring you in and say “you know it’s really not that deep, let me teach you how to do it”.
Areka: Would you consider branching out or just keeping it in baltimore?
Roshe: Well it is in my long-term plan to branch out. There are other states that need this kind of training. I’ve researched in different areas so once I get this up and running, I do plan to move forward and do this in other areas.
Areka: Ok, and to some
fun questions! Who is the number one person you would love to work with
and why?
Roshe: hmmm…I would love to work with Iman. She’s been an inspiration for me from the very beginning. She’s always been beautiful, just a beauty icon. And I know that she would have tons of information and knowledge to share with me. I watch her very closely, she’s always been a class act so I would love to speak with her because she’s evolved from the model to the business owner, author and so on.
Areka: that kind of leads me to what celebrity is most flawless in their make up or appearance? Is that Iman as well? Someone you always see and they always have it together. You know sometimes Jlo has her days and then sometimes you know…its like ughh!
Roshe: hmmm…well you know what, I would say Oprah Winfrey. And I say that because you know there are some days she is before the camera and she might not be made up and she is herself, and sometimes she’s before the camera and she’s flawless. But even when she’s working out and she has on no make up and her hair might be messed up and she doing her thing, that takes a sense of being flawless to be in front of the camera and be yourself and not hide behind always being perfect because none of us are always perfect. Im not totally flawless today, I got all kinds of stuff going on! You still have to move forward, you still have to be there for your public. You never catch her in a bad attitude in front of the paparazzi throwing her cell phone (Laughs)
Areka: Are there any minor everyday things that we as women or men should just do everyday. Something maybe you shouldn’t be caught without or a golden rule?
Roshe: You should always cleanse, tone, and moisturize twice a day. If you notice your skin has this shine on it in the morning, that’s what your skin has purged the night before so you want to cleanse that off. Then in the evening after you been in the elements all day (pollution, smoke, medication you take), do you want to go to sleep with all that on your face? You prepare your face for the night of rest so it can be fresh the next day. If you take care of your skin the make up can be an accessory.
"there’s a difference between a well groomed gentleman on a picture and a gentleman that just rolled out of bed..."
Areka: so that soap and water at night just not going to get it! (Laughs)
Roshe: and women of color don’t think we should wear sun block but more women of color die of skin cancer because they don’t realize they have to protect themselves too. Skincare is a major focus of mine, yes I am a make up artist but I also label myself as a skin care specialist.
Areka: were there any obstacles you faced while getting the school started? Something that made you almost say forget it.
Roshe: umm Well just everyday life. You just have to stay focused on your goal that you know that you want. What kinda kept me going was the work I had already put in. so why quit if I been working on this two years, three years. Why let that work go down the drain because I got tired. It got really hard towards the end but when I pressed through that the blessings have been just rolling in. I encourage anyone to
Areka: What information should prospects be concerned about? They may not have any experience at all or they may have been to school.
Roshe: Oh it can be either. There’s people that never touched an eyeliner, you know that just might really really want to get involved in make up and fashion. I encourage them, there might be someone that’s been doing make up for twenty years and they don’t have a license and they don’t want to go to a long class and they just want to hurry up and come in, it’s for them too. I’ve had photographers call me that just want to do make up for their own shoots, fashion designers that get tired of hiring make up artists. There’s been nurses that aren’t even in this field and don’t even wear make up that are tired of what they do and they want a change and by it just being a 40 hour program and because I work my schedule it makes it convenient if you work a full time job, you can come at night, if you days, you know whatever. I have a quick class where you can get it done in a week or I have one that takes a little bit more time. I’ve had a really good response with it
Areka: So the classes are set up to where they are monthly; do you have to register?
Roshe: Yeah you have to register, basically I have two, well three schedules that I offer and it goes every single month. I have one full time class, which are Monday thru Friday 9-6pm and its straight thru Monday thru Friday. Then I have a part time course that can happen either Monday Wednesday and Friday from 6 in the evening until 10 at night or Monday Wednesday Friday from 9 o’clock until 1in the day. So that gives all the options and that course is actually a three-week course. Monday Wednesday Friday straight through for three weeks and the last class which is a Saturday includes your exam.
Areka: And what does your exam consist of?
Roshe: Well the exam is a real brief written exam and you answer some questions to make sure you understood the really important things I need you to learn and then I have a clipboard and you are actually assigned to bring in a model, It can be whoever, and you have to do a complete make up application from beginning to end from the consultation to finishing up and that’s the exam. I try to keep it as un-intimidating as possible. It takes a lot to sign up for a class and I don’t want the class to keep you up at night and I don’t want it to stress you out. This should be a fun thing. And you don’t have to buy your make up I supply all the make up for the class all you have to have is a set of brushes.
Areka: So what’s the price range for the classes?
Roshe: The total cost of the class is 905, and that includes your registration, your book, your supplies and your tuition.
Areka: That’s good!
Roshe: And once you finish, I actually built relationships with different companies that will send make up artists out on jobs almost immediately once they get their license.
This interview ended in more in-depth tours of the actual make up line, purses that are handmade by Roshe and the sign up of my own interest in the make up classes!