Lady Ja'Ya - This Week's Rising Star **Updated**

I started writing this blog and doing the Image Maker posts as a medium to inspire others in the beauty, fashion, and grooming industry. I felt it was important for industry new comers to have the opportunity to hear the stories behind the talent that’s responsible for the images that we celebrate on the editorial pages, print ads and runways as well as in the music videos. Each and every Image Maker story is unique, however the underlying message is the same, each star rises at its own pace and in it’s own time, and that they’ve put in the w-o-r-k to get to where they are today, there are no over night successes here.

Just as important as it is to celebrate and hear the stories of those that have “made” it, I thought it would be űber inspiring to hear from those that are blazing the trail and are on their way to their own creative destinies, so I created the “Rising Star” for all the barbers, makeup artist and stylists both hair and fashion that are out there hustling everyday to solidify their places amongst the Image Makers.



My first Rising Star is more than deserving of the designation and I’m so proud to give the Rising Star inaugural post to Ja’Ya. Lady Ja’Ya is probably one of the hardest working ladies I know on Twitter (yes Twitter, so sue me! LOL) Ja’Ya beats faces from day to night. Some weekends she goes from early morning photo shoots, to weddings and then from weddings to late night fashion shows, where not only does she do the makeup but works the runway too! Some days I’m exhausted just by reading about what she’s up to next. So, keep reading to find out what inspires her and where you’ll find Ms. Ja’Ya in five years because I’m convinced that she’ll be exactly wherever it is she wants to be!



BEAUTY SCHOOLED! How long have you been in the industry?

Ja’Ya: 5 years

BEAUTY SCHOOLED! When did you know you wanted to be a makeup artist?

Ja’Ya: When I was 15, I used to watch my mom and my aunt do their makeup and would ask a wholeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee lot of questions! Lol. A lot of my techniques I use today I got from watching my mom. I used to model as well and I would love how the MAC artists would dress and beat my face backstage, I was like THAT’S what I want do!

BEAUTY SCHOOLED! What inspires your work?

Ja’Ya: I’m inspired by positive energy and confident people.

BEAUTY SCHOOLED! Who are some of your favorite makeup artists?

Ja’Ya: Kevyn Aucoin he was the king of Blending to me, Miss Bianca A. (Director of makeup artistry for MAC) She’s the queen of skin, and Mr. Marcus Miller, the king of eyes.

BEAUTY SCHOOLED! What celebrity would you most like to work with?

Ja’Ya: Ooooooh I would so love to work with Janet Jackson, She’s such a natural beauty I would beat her face into tomorrow : ).

BEAUTY SCHOOLED! What types of projects are you working on now?

Ja’Ya: I'm the lead Artist for Colored Pixel Photos. I also run my own makeup Business Prissy Chick Faces. Also, I will be working with some up and coming R&B artist and a local record label.



BEAUTY SCHOOLED! Nice! You’re a busy lady doing big things. Where do you see yourself in this industry in say 3-5 years?

Ja’Ya: In NY beating faces for everyone who's someone. I’d also like to still weddings. I love doing weddings so much! : )

To see more of Ja’Ya’s work visit her site and be certain to follow her twitter.

**Update** Our Rising Star did makeup for her first music video!




Ciao for now…Class is dismissed!

It's All Relative In HD - MAC Master Class

Last week I attended a MAC Master Class at Chicago’s MAC Pro store. The class: Demystifying Hi-Def, was headed by Emmy® Award winning makeup artist Marie Delprete and celebrity makeup artist and Director of Makeup Artistry for MAC Gregory Arlt.

Demystifying Hi-Def addresses the conflicting information regarding makeup application for HD, debunking the myths and providing the facts.

In addition to being very informative the class was also plenty of fun. Both Marie and Gregory do a fantastic job at holding their audiences attention.


There was the customary introduction, Gregory introduced Marie and provided us with a little background on her makeup career. She took over from there and immediately delved into the challenges associated with doing makeup for Hi-Def then followed by some achievable solutions, which she also performed on a model. Watching Ms. Delprete work was definitely a treat.

Have you ever scene a photograph of an actor or model and thought to yourself I wonder how the makeup artist did that? Well… I had plenty of “Oh so that’s how…” moments throughout the three-hour workshop. Besides how many people can say they had the opportunity to see an Emmy® Award winning makeup artist at work? While most people are celeb groupies I’m rather fascinated by the people behind the scene (the makeup artists, the hair and fashion stylists) that are responsible for the images we see.

Next up was Gregory, he’s so charismatic that you instantly love him and understand why his clients do too. Gregory did his model in real-time (that means he talked and worked). While the tips and techniques Marie provided were mostly for television, Gregory schooled the class on “real world” red carpet techniques, you know those images that wind up on the pages of US Weekly and People magazine. What I enjoyed most about Mr. Arlt’s presentation is that though his model was Caucasian he provided the product equivalent to the shades he used for darker tones.

I give the class a B+, only because I felt there was way too much information to cover in that short period of time. Also, it's been my experience that instruction with hands-on helps me to retain information better than just taking notes. I would really love to see MAC create a hands-on HD workshop.

Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned artist I definitely recommend this class, I’ve discovered that no matter how much you know there’s always something you can learn by watching another artist’s makeup application.

You must be MAC Pro member to attend MAC Master Classes. For more information regarding classes or becoming a MAC Pro member visit the MAC Pro website.

Ciao for now… Class dismissed!