Up Close and Personal with Hollywood Makeup Artist "Artemis"

Recently we had the opportunity to spend the day with Hollywood Makeup Artist "Artemis." She is a fabulous Hair/Makeup Artist and has made quite a name for herself in the plus-size community. This past season our team had the pleasure to work with Artemis on our Spring/Summer Collections photo shoot. She made myself as well as plus-size models Denise Bidot and Shameyka Thompson look incredible and mixed it up for every look. She was extremely helpful on the shoot and showed off some amazing skills so I decided to bring her in for a little interview so that our readers could get to know a little about her.

Our readers want to know about you....tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started as a Makeup Artist?

While in college, I was a theater major. One summer, we put on Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible. I played Harriet Putman in Act I & Sarah Goode in Act IV. The cast needed a makeup artist to transform a bunch of kids into a variety of characters, and I volunteered to learn. So, I taught myself a bit of age makeup and thus fell in love with the art of makeup. When I graduated, I had desired to go to makeup school, and unfortunately, did not follow my heart, and ended up as a teacher for a couple of years. After 9/11, when I lost my teaching position due to NYC’s budget cuts, I suddenly found myself unemployed. I bumped into a woman who introduced me to Mary Kay Cosmetics, and soon my reintroduction to the world of beauty began. I fell in love with makeup and skin care all over again. I credit my experience with this company with giving me the guts to realize my dreams and my true God-given potentials. Because of this, I now live my dream as a makeup and hair artist here in Hollywood.

You are known as one of the top MUA in the Plus Industry and also for your incredible Beauty editorials in Plus Model Magazine. Tell us how you made your way into the Plus Industry and was there any one particular shoot or gig that paved that way for you?

Firstly, I had always admired and desired to be a Plus Size model. But, as I am barely 5’2, I am definitely not the industry standard. The first Plus model to test with me was Mica Habarad. Soon, I was being contacted by various Plus models and photographers to hire me for shoots. I was on a shoot for PLUS when Maddy asked me about being a Beauty Editor for the magazine. Since I have a creative writing background, I was very eager to marry two things that I truly love, writing and beauty.

I have had the pleasure to work with you on numerous projects and you are always on top of the trends and are always so pleasant to work with . How do you stay on top of the trends and so positive in such a competitive industry?

I stay on top of trends by following a variety of magazines and fashion shows simply being in the know. It is my job to be in the know.

I stay positive in this competitive industry because I truly believe that my work speaks for itself.

Do you have a favorite look or style/era that you absolutely love creating?

I have many looks that I love to create and recreate. I have always been a fan of the elegant 1940’s and the fabulous 1950’s. I love creating artistic looks and have become well known for the fantasy images that I help create. I also truly love creating the no makeup look, allowing the face to look fresh and to glow.

It never fails that before a very important audition or shoot I get a huge pimple. What do you suggest for those unexpected/unwelcome breakouts?

I usually suggest a salicylic acid or a sulfur based acne product applied directly to the blemish. Also applying a little of Visine to it will also cut down the redness, as it would for your eyes. Do not pick at it because it will scab. It is challenging to cover up a scab or a bleeding blemish.

Here is how to cover it after you have applied your acne medication:

Apply foundation as usual. Using a pointy concealer brush, dab concealer directly to the blemish. Powder face as usual. With a Q-tip apply a very tiny amount of oil free moisturizer (solely to moisten the bump). Then with the other side of the Q-tip, apply some powder to it. With your concealer brush, paint over this with concealer, alternating with the brush and tapping your fingertip around the edges to blend it in to your face. Finish with loose powder on the area. Doing this, will last most of the day, but I do suggest keeping your tools with you, in case you need a small touch up!

What are your absolute favorite products for the following, and why:

Hair- No Frizz Living Proof. I use this product to enhance my natural curl with minimal frizz.

Nails- OPI Nail Color in I’m Not Really A Waitress. This is my absolute all time favorite red nail polish.

Skin- Mary Kay TimeWise Age-Fighting Moisturizer. It has retinyl palmitate in it which is a vitamin A derivative. I have been using it for years and love how my skin looks and feels as a result. Anyone I recommend it to is also happy with it!

Eyes- Max Factor 2000 Calorie Xtreme Waterproof Mascara. I often have allergies and this mascara stays in place when my eyes tear up.

Eyebrows- Tweezerman tweezers. Ergonomically designed to easily pull stray hairs without cramping your fingers when you hold it! I have a pair in pink! Tweezerman gives a lifetime guarantee and will sharpen them for free.

Lips- Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose. Gives me moisture and a beautiful red stain to my lips.

What advice would you give to any aspiring makeup artists who are looking to build a solid career in the industry?

Start shooting right away. You need photos of your work in order to get more work. Become an expert in your craft and always strive to be better and better and never stop dreaming of who & what you can become.

Do you have any "Words of Wisdom" for our readers?

I have some words of beauty wisdom. There are only a couple of rules that I believe one should follow when she is applying her makeup.

1. Foundation must match your skin-tone exactly! You do not want to look as if you are wearing a mask. Your skin should always look like your skin, just a bit better.
2. Start with a little so that you can add and always be in control. Logically, it is easier to add on product rather than to wipe it down and start all over
3. Blend! Blend! Blend! And did I say BLEND! Your makeup will look more flawless if it is all blended to perfection.  Blending creates a beautiful soft focus effect.
4. Creating color harmony is necessary to beauty. Do not match your eye shadows to what you are wearing (this is very dated). Instead, your lips, cheeks, and fabric closest to your face will look best if everything is either cool or warm.

Lastly, my list of random questions for our readers to REALLY get to know you....

Who inspires you? God. My marriage. Life in general inspires me.

What is your favorite scent? Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb

What is your favorite color? I have many – generally all of the colors of the rainbow!

If you weren't doing makeup what would you be doing? Writing poetry and painting while living in a house on the beach.

Who is your favorite Plus Size Model? besides me LOL – Kate Dillon has been my favorite since I remember seeing her in MODE.

If you were stranded on a dessert island what 1 thing would you want to have with you? Lip balm

What would you eat for your last meal? An authentic Greek gyro from Trikala, Greece (my husbands home town where they make them very special)

Favorite book or favorite read? Like Water for Chocolate

Favorite song or band? Annet Artani’s “Alive”

Special thanks to Artemis for spending the day with all of us here at Swak Designs. We absolutely loved having here and enjoyed learning so many new things about the Beauty World. If you haven't ever had the pleasure to meet or work with Artemis please feel free to check out her work on her website www.makeupbyartemis.com, introduce yourself and show her some love.

Dimitrios Dance School Greek Dancing

The Pippi Longstocking Collection (Pippi Longstocking / Pippi Goes on Board / Pippi in the South Seas / Pippi on the Run) $43.69 PIPPI LONGSTOCKING COLLECTION - DVD Movie...

The Chorus (Les Choristes) $14.99 By getting nominated for Academy Awards in both the Foreign Language Film and Best Song categories, Les Choristes (The Chorus) made a rare (for a European film) double impression at the 2004 Oscars. This sentimental tale follows the arrival of a new teacher at a remote boys school in 1949 France (the war is a largely unspoken but ghostly presence). With disciplinary problems rampant, and the polic...

Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham, Deron Johnson & Najee Live At The Greek $9.17 Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham, Deron Johnson & Najee Live At The Greek - Stanley ClarkeThis product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply....

Belly Dance For Beginners $6.99 Belly dance is fun, exciting, sensual and suitable for all body types and fitness levels. With this centuries old art form you' ll improve muscle tone, increase flexibility and range of motion while achieving better posture and a new sense of confidence and self-expression. Taught by world-renowned Egyptian belly dancer, Leila of Egypt, Belly Dance for Beginnersis divided into three sections:...

Barbie: Princess Charm School $9.58 BarbieTM stars as Blair Willows, a kind-hearted girl who is chosen to attend Princess Charm School: a magical, modern place that teaches dancing, how to have tea parties, and proper princess manners. BlairTM loves her classes -- as well as the helpful magical sprites and her new friends, Princesses HadleyTM and DelancyTM. But when royal teacher Dame Devin discovers that BlairTM looks a lot like th...

Fisher-Price Fun 2 Learn Preschool Center $59.99 This 2-in-1 playset makes going to school fun. It creates a child-sized school-like environment that encourages imaginative play and learning. The center comes to life with speech, sounds, music, lights and fun characters. The light-up screen and clock character teach letters, numbers, shapes and weather. Kids can follow the lights to learn how to write. Or they can use the light-up shapes for dra...

Greek and Roman Civilizations Book $13.64 This book features historic explorations, biographies, time lines, maps, and activities that will interest your students and enable them to understand more about our world today! 112 pages - Grades 5 - 9...

Greek Mythology Activities Activities to Help Students Build Background Knowledge About Ancient Greece, Explore the Genre of Myths, and Learn Important Vocabulary. 80 pages....

Song School Greek $22.07 An excellent introduction to Koine (New Testament) Greek for the youngest of students, Song School Greek is composed of thirty-two weekly lessons, each of which contains songs, fun vocabulary, illustrations, handwriting practice, stories, games, and activities. Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Table Normal mso-tstyle...

The Siren Song (Cronus Chronicles, Book Two) $2.57 Inside an ordinary middle school in an ordinary city, a small redheaded eighth grader is doing something very ordinary, indeed. Ever since Charlotte Mielswetzski and her cousin, Zee, saved the world, life has been rather ordinary. Ordinary, that is, if you call being ultramegagrounded (in Charlotte's case) or treated as if you might fall to pieces (in Zee's case) ordinary. Either way, heroes des...

A Midsummer Night's Dream: The Applause Shakespeare Library $6.89 This Applause edtiion allows the reader and student to look beyond the scholarly reading text to the more sensuous, more collaborative, more malleable performance text which emerges in conjunction with the commentary and notes. Readers and students are fa...

Stanley Clarke (Double Bass) - Live at the Greek $11.86 Disc 1:Minute by MinuteStratusBuenos AiresAll BluesGoodbye Pork Pie HatHer Favorite SongSchool Days

Stanley Clarke (Double Bass) - Live at the Greek $11.86 Disc 1:Minute by MinuteStratusBuenos AiresAll BluesGoodbye Pork Pie HatHer Favorite SongSchool Days

Greek Mythology for Teens (Paperback) $14.46 "Greek Mythology for Teens" takes classical mythology to a new level by relating ancient stories to the culture, history, art, and literature of today. The book uses the innovative approach of reader`s theater to teach mythology to teens, asking them to act out the stories and become engaged in a common learning experience. By looking at topics instrumental to both mythology and modern culture, teens are encouraged to question topics such as heroism, foolishness, love, and more. Each chapter builds on a particular theme found in the central myth and includes activities, discussion questions, and exercises that connect the myth to the modern world and everyday life. Visually appealing sidebars also give background on Greek and Roman mythology and culture. "Greek Mythology for Teens" takes the classic myths taught in school and turns them into an engaging, interesting, and modern way of looking at old material.

Greek Theatre Performance (Paperback) $46.54 In this book, David Wiles introduces ancient Greek theater to students and enthusiasts interested in knowing how the plays were performed. Theater was a ceremony bound up with fundamental activities in ancient Athenian life and Wiles explores those elements that created the theater of the time. Actors rather than writers are the book`s main concern and Wiles examines how the actor used the resources of story-telling, dance, mask, song and visual action to create a large-scale event that would shape the life of the citizen community.

A Song for Summer $9.89 A love story about a young Englishwoman who takes a job as house mother at a Viennese boarding school just before World War II breaks out.

Exploring Greek Manuscripts in the Gennadius Library (Hardcover) $71.33 Greek manuscript production has a long and fascinating history, covering almost every a rea of intellectual, religious, literary, and administrative endeavor in the Greek-speaking world of the medieval and early modern eras. Exploring Greek Manuscripts in the Gennadius Library features 12 essays on the tremendously rich and exquisite Greek manuscript collection of the Gennadius Library. Each of rich and exquisite Greek manuscript collection of the Gennadius Library. Each of the authors is a leading manuscript scholar, and each chapter is illustrated by color plates highlighting some of the most interesting and beautiful examples held in the Library`s care.The Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the Greek Paleographical Society have joined together to produce this volume on Greek manuscripts in both Greek and English. Their publications marks the relaunch of the Gennadeion Monographs series and allows the American School of Classical Studies to continue its commitment to bilingual publishing.Maria L. Politi is President of the Greek Paleographical Society.Eleni Pappa is a researcher at the Academy of Athens.

Olives, Greek, 15 oz., Sunfood (raw, sustainably-grown) $9.5 Olives Greek

Music and Cultural Politics in Greek and Chinese Societies (Hardcover) $69.87 Music and Cultural Politics in Greek and Chinese Societies, Volume 1: Greek Antiquity is the first part of a three-volume set that focuses on the intriguing but often underexplored interaction between music and song-making, on the one hand, and practices of cultural politics, on the other. The scope of this three-volume set is comparative and transhistorical. Given the abundance of relevant evidence with regard to Greek antiquity, the first volume investigates major aspects of this intricate sociocultural phenomenon exclusively in ancient Greek societies, with a special emphasis on archaic and classical song-making, Attic vase-painting, Athenian drama, Platonic philosophy, and Hellenistic performance culture. A second volume will explore parallel manifestations of the interplay between music and cultural politics in Greek antiquity and in ancient and medieval China. A third volume will focus on comparative material from ancient, medieval, and modern Chinese and Greek societies across a transhistorical scope of investigation, drawing on a variety of musical and performative genres.