I know it's been a few weeks since I have posted about my fabulous time in Orlando for The Makeup Show. I wanted to let the dust settle a bit since it took me quit some time to settle from it myself. I had to absorb all that happened, the things I learned, the people I met and the overall fun I had.
I will need to break up the posts because if I put my whole experience in one post, you lovelies would be reading a Cosmopolitan magazine instead a blog post!
I will start this journey with an awesome phone interview that I had the honor to have with the wonderful James Vincent. I was able to call him up and have an awesome interview with him about a week before the event.
I had 10 minutes to ask him anything I wanted to ask, and he is just one of those people, you just gravitate to. He is genuine, kind and just a doll to be around. He made interviewing a celebrity makeup artist a joy.
So without further due, here is my interview with Celebrity Makeup Artist and Director of Artistry for The Makeup Show James Vincent.. ( queue the applause here) :)
ABBOE: You have accomplished a lot in your life with your makeup artistry. What gives you that drive to wake up every day to do what you do?
James Vincent: I love what I do, I love the industry and I think that my career is different than most because so often for makeup artists, you might be the only artists that you are with, but for me because of The Makeup Show, I meet makeup artists of all levels of the industry and we've really worked to build a community, & I think that keeps me going. There's a community that really didn't exist before.
ABBOE: What made you decide this was what you wanted to do as a career?
James Vincent: I kinda of just fell into it. I say I'm kind of an accidental makeup artist. My background is in Social work, I was writing my thesis of women of color and the white beauty myth, when I started working for MAC cosmetics, probably 18 years ago now, and just stared doing celebrity work & fell in love with it, and I think once you get makeup in your blood, it's difficult to do anything else.
ABBOE: The Makeup Show has become the "go-to" event to premier the latest and greatest in makeup. I'm sure there are tons of people that want to bring the show to their city, what made you want to add Orlando to the mix as appose to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale?
James Vincent: We had done a Miami show a few years ago and what we really needed to do was find a city that was a southern city, and that brought Florida & the south together, but was also affordable for those artists that might just be starting out or freelancing, and may not have the income to travel to an expensive city. So NY is a relatively expensive city for people to travel to stay. Miami is just as expensive, so it just made sense to do Orlando, which is a great international city. They are known for their touristry. It just made it easy because now even just a few weeks before the show, people can get really affordable flights, really afford hotel rooms. It really has also allowed a lot of artists to share with their families finally what they do. Because they can bring their families to Orlando. The families are enjoying the theme parks while the artists are kind of at the show. It's been a really cool, different city, but we did look at Atlanta, we looked at Houston & we looked at New Orleans we also looked at Miami and we really felt like Orlando was the most central & the easiest to kinda get to and stay in.
ABBOE: Well I'm glad you chose Orlando because it's closer to me.
Both giggled.. :)
James Vincent: And there is such a great market there, I think Florida is so recognized for the talent that's there, especially for hair & salon industry, & Bridal industry. So we wanted to put a spot light on the talent that exist there.
ABBOE: Besides The Makeup Show, do you have any other projects that you are currently working on or are in the works?
James Vincent: I do. The Makeup Show is pretty much my biggest project because we do 5 shows a year now. But I'm still a working makeup artist. I just met with my agent last night ( This interview took place on Friday October 26th).. and I have a number of celebrities, I'm the beauty editor for Love Cat Magazine & Makeup Magazine. I'm ( they use the term celebrity makeup artist) for Style Haul for the super styles. I'm going to be writing a column for Beautylish, so I have other than The Makeup Show that keeps me probably the busiest. I have a million other projects going on.
ABBOE: I did see that Style Haul segment you did with Evelina
James: Oh I love her!
ABBOE: She is adorable, I love her!
James: She is great!
ABBOE: What's the one tip you can give ladies to do as a morning routine that can make them feel fabulous all day long?
James Vincent: I think.. hmmm, I think brows are a really great way to kinda get your day going. Bringing in a little bit of a fill in to the brow. It can frame the eyes, the face & make you look more awake. It allows you to kind of bring across your mood. Because brows provide expression, so maybe you are having that day where you don't want to talk to people, make the brow a little more aggressive, you know the days where you really wanted to flirt a little bit make it a lot softer. I don't know, I don't have 1 tip, I guess that maybe, treat yourself. Makeup is fun, I guess that's the biggest thing. I think so many women now have so much on their plate that to take the 10 minutes for themselves is a luxury, I think that it's really important to do that & take that time and make yourself feel special & make yourself feel pretty .
ABBOE: Thank you once again for taking the time to speak with me and I look forward to meeting you in person in Orlando.
That was the end of the interview. We hung up, and I felt so inspired by James. He is amazing.
I was able to meet him at the Pre- Blogger event and was able to speak to him. I told him who I was and he quickly remembered and gave me a huge hug!
Of course I had a chance to snap a pic with him ;)
XOXO
