I get a lot of questions from fellow colleagues and aspiring makeup artists so I thought I would start a FAQ blog to help my friends who have questions. Feel free to ask me questions so I can post more. 

Q:  Where did you learn to do all those cool makeup fx?

A: I always loved makeup and experimenting. I started playing with makeup in high school. I bought a lot of beauty makeup books and then fx makeup books. And tested out the various methods on friends and family. 

I also went to makeup school. I took an 8 month master class at Joe Blasco ( in Orlando) and was taught by so many brilliant makeup artists who are very successful in the TV and film industry. I attended every class and lecture and even went to school early when there was a guest speaker. I made sure to stay in contact with my teachers. 

Also, learning on the job is inevitable. Unless you are working on a low budget project and you are the only makeup artist, you will be working with the best Department Heads and Keys in the industry. They are usually more than willing to teach you their methods so that they can give you some responsibility on set. 

Also, any makeup artist you work with will eventually “talk shop” and you will start swapping makeup secrets. 

Q:  I know you do a lot of special fx (especially cuts, bullet wounds, etc.) What resources out there have you found the best to stay on top of everything? I like to always keep my eyes and ears open and was interested in your thoughts. 

A: I take a lot of classes and learn from everyone you meet. If anyone I admire/know has a class, I fly to LA or anywhere to find out their methods.  

I buy lots of special fx books. The best one I recently bought is the monstrous makeup manual I got the cd version to keep it on my iPad and laptop (since its a pdf) 

I always consult my mentors/friends when I need to do a new fx or want to know their method. My mentors have been in the business way longer than I have and they have so much valuable information on everything and anything so I always ask them first. 

I made sure to keep contact info for all my teachers so I can ask them questions any time I don’t know how to do something. 

Also I google a lot, I like to see whats out there to see how others do it. There are a lot of YouTube videos and forums where people post their methods. I like to copy and paste the best methods into a word or pdf file for future reference.

Also if I see something cool in a movie or TV show, I contact the dept head for that production and see if I can pick their brain and chat them up about the fx products used. 

Another method I use is going to a makeup supply store and asking the people there how they would do a specific fx. Most fx makeup artists I have met are so supportive and are willing to share their methods. It’s not top secret to them and I love that they will give away their methods to the next generation. I have found that some of the same people have come to me to ask me how I do something, since it might be a different method than they learned. This is why I love the special makeup fx community. 

It’s all basically trial and error and I use my friends and family to test out new methods all the time. 

Q: How can I get myself out there ? like book more jobs I’ve been doing alot of testings to build my book..

A: First, I get myself out there as much as possible. Networking and meeting people is a must. I have a webpage (www.NancyMendoza.com), a blog ( this one), a twitter account (@NancyMendoza), Facebook Fan page ( https://www.facebook.com/NancyMendozaMakeup), I have a LinkedIn account and I also have a profile on any and every makeup artist networking site on the internet. ( google it and start creating your profiles ASAP)

Cruise the want ads on Craigslist, ebay ads, mandy.com, indeed, monster, etc. I’ve downloaded every single job search app on itunes. whenever I’m bored and waiting around somewhere I look through the want ads and see if anyone is looking for a makeup artist. 

If you are interested in doing wedding makeup, go to wedding conventions, or talk to wedding planners. Forming a good partnership with them can be valuable. 

If you want to get into fashion and editorial makeup. You will need to be in the scene more. attend fashion shows. Talk to any local designers or even Fashion design students and offer your services for their fashion show or photo shoots. 

Getting into TV and Film is not as hard as you think. I started by contacting film school students and offering my services for their projects ( don’t charge them too much they don’t have a budget and are students!) This is a great place to start getting photos and film for your demo reel. 

 Word of mouth is very important in my field. The best jobs I’ve gotten were from a friend or colleague recommending me. Some of those jobs were passed on by friends who were already booked and needed someone they could trust to take their place. 

More to come……