Let's catch up!

Hello! I have been away a long time but that does not mean that I have not been busy.  So many things have happened since my last post and there is so much to catch up on and write about. I will be adding new posts in the next few weeks to show the highlights of the past 6 months of activity in my makeup journey. 

Let's start with my new business name. Makeup by Ali is out the window and now I am called Lady Kellett Makeup Artistry.  Why Lady Kellett? Well my British husband's company name is Sir Kellett Productions, so I thought it only fitting to play on both of our UK heritages and go with the Lady Kellett name. Hope you like it! I changed my Facebook page, started using Twitter, and am working on my website.  Please see the links to the right for my FB and Twitter profiles and please like and follow me! 

In the meantime, there are two amazing makeup looks that have produced my favorite pics so far.  Both photos are being used as signature photos for marketing projects (facebook, twitter, blog, etc). 

I just love the colorful looks!   

The first is this colorful high fashion look. 

The second is this peacock eyes look (which you may recognize from the top of the blog).

Stay tuned! 

YouTube Tutorials

I love YouTube makeup tutorials and they have been very helpful to me in supplementing my formal training.  Here are 2 great tutorials made by friends of mine at Academy of Glam. 

This one is about how to get the J-Lo glow look by Alexandra McWilliams. 

This one is about how to get the Megan Fox look by Chloe Duke AKA "Girl Gone Glam".

Great job ladies!  

I was also contacted by Web Design Schools Guide and asked to repost this article they made about YouTube makeup tutorials. Here is their intro: 

"You don’t have to go to a cosmetics counter or salon to get a professional-grade makeup lesson. Simply get on YouTube, and you’ll find thousands of comprehensive and easy-to-follow makeup lessons taught by professionals and non-professionals alike. These makeup experts can help you create any type of look, while demonstrating proper application techniques and sharing their favorite products."

40 Masterful Makeup Lessons on YouTube (click link)


There are countless YouTube makeup tutorials for you to explore... some are made with better quality than others, so pick and choose.  But most importantly, have fun and try something new! 

Avante Garde / Gold Leaf & Lace

Two amazing workshops at Academy of Glam that both use airbrushing in creative ways... Avante Garde and Gold Leaf & Lace. The Avante Garde airbrushing workshop was really an exercise in pushing my boundaries. I love to do the natural, pretty looks, but this one was asking me to do a high fashion, wild, bold, colorful look.  This was stressful enough (I practiced the eye the night before for several hours), but then when I get there the instructor, Cliff Turner, says we have to use stencils!  Oh no, I was not prepared for this, I didn't practice this! Stress! Now I have to let the teacher in me step aside and let the artist take over... after a little panic session finished I chose my triangle stencil and just did my one eye with the practiced look and the other eye with my airbrushed stencil.  In fact I think it came out much better than if I had done both eyes the same. Funny how things work out when you have to change plans quickly! And with the beautiful model Chloe Duke, everything always look amazing! Anyway, I am really happy with the result and this is just an example of how Academy of Glam pushes your creative boundaries! 

Now for Gold Leaf & Lace... what can I say? I was so excited for this one. Not only do we learn how to use airbrushing with lace on the face (how cool is that?) but we also learn how to use goldleaf to accent and make a beautiful work of art.  I used one of my favorite color combinations for this look - purple and yellow/gold. And I felt with this work that I was almost painting instead of applying makeup.  It felt so comfortable and free. This is the first time I really had that feeling of an "artist" in the true sense of the word - like I was just using the model's face as a canvas.  Speaking of model, I was fortunate to work with the beautiful Nayeli Fanfan, a professional model who has worked at the Ft. Lauderdale and Miami fashion shows.  She was so amazing. Also we were fortunate to have the talented Rick McCawley as our photographer.  His photos always capture the makeup and model in such beautiful ways.  I loved this workshop and this photoshoot.  I want to do it over again and again...  Nayeli and Rick can both be found on Facebook - check them out!

These are examples of the amazing things you can learn at the Academy of Glam.  Like I said before, I am a teacher. But now I feel like I am an artist too! 

Reflections, Transformations, Business, and More...

As I finish one chapter in my journey (Multi-media class) and begin the next (Masters class), I have to reflect on how much I have learned about myself in this process.  As a teacher, I have a very analytical approach to everything I do, but this process has forced me to balance that with the ability to "let go" of my need for perfection and just be creative. I have learned that if I do let go, things still turn out fine and often much better. I have discovered that I love making women look beautiful. I have experienced the feeling of doing something completely for myself.  I have given myself a creative outlet and a new love of beauty. I have learned that I can use my natural ability to bond with people and relate to a variety of personalities to make the ladies who sit in my chair feel comfortable, relaxed, and happy. I have seen the power of the transformation on someone's sense of self-worth and how it can lift the spirits. And along the way, I decided that I needed my own transformation and so I decided to lose weight... lost 20 pounds so far and feeling great!

As I go through this journey, I have greatly appreciated the support of my friends, who have been so diligent in commenting on my photos on my Facebook portfolio, and even referring me to others for makeup jobs. As a result I have booked wedding makeup jobs in Feb, March, May, and possibly June.  I love the idea of doing weddings! Such a beautiful day and every bride should be pampered and taken care of by someone who will listen to them, talk to them,come to their location and make them look and feel beautiful...

I have also ordered my business cards and built a Facebook fan page called "Makeup by Ali", and I hope to continue this journey as a successful business venture. (Please go and "like" my page ----  link on the sidebar here...)

Front of my business card

I really love the idea of having 2 lives... I've got my school job by day, which is very comfortable and easy for me, and then I've got this other life at night/on weekends... makeup, photoshoots, art, creativity, fashion shows, glamour, etc. Its like the best of both worlds! I love both of them and I love how it shows that people can have such contrasts in their activities.  I often have been working on a model at the Academy of Glam, and in conversation ask what they do for work... to my surprise I have met teachers, nurses, psychologists, college students, businesswomen, and countless other occupations, all coming to have something "else" in their lives... something to make them feel special and different.  Something to make them feel beautiful and glamorous and more than what can be represented by their "normal" life. Well I am happy to give that to them while they are sitting in my chair. I am happy to be able to help them transform as I too am transforming. 

Women are truly amazing and there is no one way that any woman can be categorized. So bring out all sides of your personality, do something for yourself, do something that makes you feel special and maybe something that others would not expect of you. You don't have to do anything crazy like run away or give up your responsibilities, or leave your job or husband, or whatever. You don't have to choose one facet of your personality over the other... they are all important and should all be appreciated. As Victoria Duke says, just "Find your passion"... For me it was makeup artistry that helped my transformation, and I am so grateful to the Academy of Glam for giving me the opportunity to find it. What is it going to be for you? 

In the meantime, I move on now to the Masters class, where I will be doing some crazy, funky, creative, artistic looks.  It is both a fascinating and scary venture at the same time. But I am excited to see what I can create and who I will become at the end of it. Thank you to all who have taken the time to read my blog and please continue to keep up with my journey!  Much more to come!