Brands I use and My background

The 2 most often heard questions are what products I use and how I got started in makeup, so I thought I'd give some insight.

Brands I use:
I strive to continually grow my knowledge and skills, as well streamlining my kit while keeping great options. This means that my products and brands are always changing and evolving. I don't limit myself to one or two (or even 3 or 4 brands), but I do like to try out pro brands, high end consumer brands, and accessible lower priced items as well to get the best choices, regardless of what everyone thinks I should be stocking.

My favorite airbrush foundations are Kett and Temptu. For my color products I have a host of brands including Stila, mac, NYX, NARS, Smashbox, Inglot. I have a bit of a product addiction, so it's always changing. I have recently started stocking some products at my studio, so if you're coming there for the first time, you will have the opportunity to pick up a some of the products that I use on you. Or maybe just a new foundation for every day.

My Background:
I grew up outside of Cleveland and moved to Columbus to attend college. Only certain that I loved performing and being creative (and perhaps a bit entrepreneurial), I studied Theatre with little direction as to what type of job or career I may end up doing.
With my degree from Ohio State University in Theatre, I spent a good amount of time putting wigs on people, contouring faces, and styling people in a rushed situation. After finishing school, I kept working in my retail sales position and it took me a while to realize that my true passion was in makeup. I was hired by Chanel to be a counter manager, then I was quickly recruited for Benefit as an Account Coordinator since I had a few years as a top performer in my sales job. After a while working for just one brand, I decided to go freelance and worked for many brands at once as a guest artist or training artist for: Urban Decay, Tarte, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Stila, and others.  I got to train with so many brands, worked as a Regional Education Manager for a brand and got certified at Sephora University with the Train the Trainer program. After so many years of traveling, I became restless working in retail and launched State of Face in 2008. I continue to train with other artists in New York and Chicago at trade shows, mentor up and coming artists and partner with other area artists to learn from each other. I am constantly grateful for what seemed like an impossible dream....becoming a reality.
Even after doing makeup for 12 years, I still get excited each day about being in a profession where I LOVE what I do. Not too many people can say that and I do my best not to take it for granted. I take pride in my work and in my relationships that have come from it.