Hi folks! I wanted take a brief break and break something down for you all, considering that I have been asked a lot lately about the school I had attended. The school I had attended was initially called Yorkville School of Makeup and Esthetics. Before it became George Brown School of Makeup and Esthetics, Yorkville School of Makeup and Esthetics operated in the heart of Toronto’s high-fashion and luxury district. During this era, it was the definition of an industry-focused boutique academy. It was built purely around hands-on, practical execution real-world salon/editorial standards and direct immersion into Toronto’s beauty elite.

I had enrolled into one of the top two makeup artistry schools in Toronto, recognized in the industry, founded by a lovely gentleman who is an established makeup artist, I had the pleasure of meeting and conversed with on several ocassions. All of my professors/instructors were active, established makeup artists working in the industry. Whether it be television, fashion and editorial, film and so on. 

This allowed me to build my portfolio with an established working photographer in fashion and editorial. I also had the pleasure of meeting many respected folks that worked for several makeup companies from Make Up For Ever, Cover FX, Smashbox, MAC if I am not mistaken, I mean this was around 2007, and there were many more brands that came made an appearance. I mean, after all, I took a break as I was getting busy with my makeup career before continuing and finishing with my education. I have had two exams; practical and written. 

Upon studying makeup history, I had not only learned the obvious but also the social, political and economical culture of each decade, along with the eras, in regards to how each makeup look was formulated. For example, the flapper look is a political statement; it is political. I have studies the inventions and innovations of each decade. Another example, despite the television having been around for years, it was at the 1939 New York World Fair that introduced the television to the world. I have learned all about studios, for example how studios used to edit studio images of the icons. Along with studying decades, I have studied films, icons of the decade that had impacted the decade, such as Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra’s cat eye to mainstream which became “the look” and introduce the cat eye for the first-time, John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever where he and the film introduced and brought disco and disco fashion mainstream. 

I have learned colour theory dating all the way back to Isaac Newton. I have had to study black and white photographs to determine which colour was used, so I would break out my colour wheel. 

As you can see my education was in depth. With all of this knowledge I am happy to share it with you all, along with my experience of working on set in television, fashion and editorial and all of it, based on the products I have used. 

Okay, let’s shift to Real FX which differs from Special FX. Often times people compile them into one. There is a differentiation. Real FX is what I am trained in and one of the elements I learned in my film class. I can age someone up to twenty years maximum, to age someone by thirty years is a stretch for me, I can do it however depending on how old the actual person they may need to visit Special FX. Special FX can age someone from let’s say a twenty-year-old to and eighty-year-old, Ben Nye has done this for film, several of times. Real FX is creating bruising, bullet wounds, blood, black eyes, etc. Ben Nye’s bruise wheel is commonly used and used a lot. It is fantastic, so is the cake liner, the corrective colour concealer wheel, blood, latex and so on, there are many more products that are phenomenal. These are just a few examples. I have learned how to read scripts specifically as a head makeup artist. 

I do know airbrushing and I know how to create the airbrushing look without having to rely on airbrushing, so in other words, I know which products, tools and technique to use to create the same effect without relying on the actual airbrush technique. 

This is the gist of what I am trained in. Obviously, I am trained in television and fashion and editorial having worked in this medium, specifically television which was my first assignment ever in makeup artistry, while I was still technically a student. 

I am thoroughly and in depth trained in skincare. I am trained in professional hairstyling from a licensed hair stylist, which in Canada is legally accepted and required to obtain a certification in makeup artistry. My technical title is makeup stylist. 

All in all, I’m a traditional, technically trained visual artist, similar to a painter except my canvas is face and body. That is what my certification of makeup artistry entails. 

Over a decade later, I had gained an education in marketing and management, after having being offered positions to work as a copywriter and marketer. I had enrolled at University of Toronto. This is where I had gained an education in marketing and management. Oh, and copywriting. As for brand management, it was required to obtain course material at Harvard Business School, which also allowed me to attend lectures and seminars to which I did.

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?