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!