Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Pinsky
Hi Lori, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Beauty and fashion have inspired me for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Montreal, Canada which was the hub of the Canadian fashion industry. Both of my parents were creative people and were accomplished painters and sculptors, so I grew up surrounded by creativity.
My mom was also very much into makeup and fashion. I’ll always remember her huge makeup drawer which I loved to organize when I was a young girl. I was so fascinated by all the textures and colors and especially how she used to apply them to create so many beautiful looks. In Canada, we didn’t get all the name brands like they had in the United States so when we visited a few times a year, my mom, without fail, would always pick up the classic deep red Chanel lip liner, lipstick and matching nail polish. She introduced me to luxury beauty brands at a very early age, She also taught me the importance of skincare and encouraged me to make it a part of my daily routine.
As a teenager, my love for makeup became stronger. I had a subscription to “Seventeen” magazine and would try to replicate the makeup looks of the season. When the MAC store opened its doors to Canada in the mid-eighties, my biggest joy was taking the bus downtown and visiting the makeup counter for a few hours. I was like a kid in a candy store and I would come home with all types of wild colored lipsticks and eyeshadows and wear it to school the next day!
After graduating from university with a completely unrelated degree, I still didn’t know what direction I was heading in career-wise. Still, instinctively I knew I always loved the beauty and fashion world. I moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in the early 90’s and one day I stumbled across an ad in the newspaper for Makeup School – my “a-ha” moment! My parents didn’t approve at first as back then it wasn’t common for people to be makeup artists. I enrolled anyway despite the hefty tuition fees and disapproval. I studied everything from color theory to corrective makeup to makeup for photography and learned how makeup styles evolved throughout the decades. What I loved most was how transformative makeup is and how one simple step can change one’s features. It seems that my creative genes didn’t fail me after all!
After graduating and receiving certification in makeup artistry, I freelanced doing headshot makeup and worked as a makeup artist for different brands for in-store events like Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and Stila. I also dabbled in music videos and TV commercials.
When the Paris-based makeup brand Make Up For Ever came to Canada, I got a job working as a counter manager and honed my skills there. Since this brand was created for makeup professionals, it was a little challenging at first to learn, as it was a very extensive line: there were over 1400 products with over 125 different color eyeshadows alone! It was definitely what I would call not consumer-friendly and they only hired professional makeup artists as they needed them to instruct and educate the clients on the products and how to use them correctly. There was no better place to practice makeup than having all different faces in the makeup chair all day long.
At that time, Vancouver was very busy with filming. After working as a counter manager for a few years I was promoted to regional account manager of all Western Canada accounts. It was a part-time position so I got a chance to work on a few films while still working for Make Up For Ever. After working on set I realized that the lifestyle of the film industry wasn’t for me. The key makeup artist who I was assisting at the time told me I should get into weddings as my style was very clean and had a knack for bringing out someone’s beauty with a light hand.
I started advertising in the few local wedding magazines they had at the time and slowly my name circulated throughout the city. I became extremely busy, doing on average of 3-4 weddings a weekend. Business was booming!
In the years that followed, I continued freelancing doing makeup for fashion magazines, commercial photoshoots, headshots, really anything – I just wanted to dabble in all areas. I also became a makeup instructor at The Vancouver Film School, a global leader in entertainment and arts education. It was there that I found another passion: teaching.
When I moved to Los Angeles in 2003 I had to start from scratch. Luckily, I got my wedding business going very quickly and still freelanced a lot until I had children. Of course, my life changed after starting a family and I slowed down for a few years to focus on them, but later social media came into play and it was a whole new world. Soon enough, every Instagram user started to believe that with YouTube tutorials, they could become the next Kevyn Aucoin. After my lifelong passion became a trend, it was very challenging to get back into it. With time, I’ve gotten my name out there again and back to building my brand. I’m so fortunate to get to do what I love every day, and as I look back on how I got here, I am filled with gratitude for every step of my life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being in the freelance world is never smooth sailing. You always need to hustle to get work and your reputation is everything. I think I’ve always been driven and had the perseverance to succeed. I’m a doer so I get things done!
When I first came to Los Angeles I had gone to see some makeup agencies thinking they would hire me. However, they told me I’d need to assist other more established makeup artists at the beginning so I could learn from them and get to know the industry here. At that time I had been doing makeup for so many years I just couldn’t see myself assisting, but in hindsight, I really should have considered it. I think it may have led me to another path.
After I had my son in 2009, YouTube had just began. My husband, who is a film and TV editor encouraged me to start a YouTube channel as he thought this platform was going to explode. At the time, I couldn’t imagine being on camera as I just had a baby and was always so exhausted! He thought I was always great at teaching and the 40+ market was wide open for makeup tutorials and tips. I’m not very tech-savvy and my insecurity and fear of putting myself out there got in the way so I never did the YouTube channel. Now, 15 years later, I could have been one of the OG YouTubers.
Social media saturated the industry with an influx of makeup artists and influencers and made it more difficult to get work. Back in the day, we were only a handful – a hot commodity. Now, we’re a dime a dozen. I think my experience and personality go a long way in my success. I’m also business-minded so I know how to promote myself and get out there. Like I used to tell my students, you need to get out there and knock on doors; work is not going to come to you.
Of course the Pandemic was another challenge as I didn’t work for close to a year. When I did go back, it felt strange and clients didn’t feel as relaxed in the makeup chair. It was a very awkward and scary time but I overcame it by taking a course and becoming certified in health grade sanitation training for makeup artists, which really just reinforced what I already knew. So with proper personal protective equipment and skills to protect my clients, I was back to work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve been a professional makeup artist for nearly 3 decades. I’ve worked in all facets of makeup including film, fashion, events, retail, and instruction. My specialty is enhancing someone’s beauty without looking overdone. I always say if someone sees the features first and not the makeup, that’s a sign of a good makeup.
I also love teaching makeup. I do one-on-one lessons for teens and moms. My background in teaching gave me great knowledge and I love to pass on all the tips and tricks to my clients, especially things they will not learn on YouTube such as how every face is unique and that learning makeup is also learning how to get your makeup to accentuate your own unique features.
I think what sets me apart is that I always want my clients to feel comfortable in their skin. I am a professional and will always do what’s right for my clients, however, if they don’t feel comfortable with something, I won’t do it. They’re the ones wearing the makeup, not me, so they need to feel like themselves. My goal is to always make them look and feel amazing!
If they feel beautiful then I did my job. My clients have always said I have a calm demeanor and I make them feel relaxed when I do their makeup. I feel most proud of my work when they look in the mirror and say ” I love it”.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I love taking photographs and I’ve always been into photography. I even studied photography at school and developed my photos in a darkroom! However, I dislike being in front of a camera and always prefer to be the one taking the picture.
I’ve been featured on several television shows for my expert makeup advice and my knowledge of makeup trends. I loved seeing the footage after the fact but being on camera wasn’t an easy feat for me.
One time I was hired to do makeup for an “A&W” TV commercial and the hand model came into the room with not the nicest looking hands. They ended up using my hands to shoot the commercial and I even got paid residuals for months. I never did become a hand model though.
One thing people don’t know is I also have an obsession with belts. I’ve been collecting them since the 80’s. I own a whole collection and a lot have come back in style.
Lastly, even though I do makeup for a living, I cannot watch horror films and see blood and gore, even knowing it’s all special effects makeup!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.loripinsky.com
- Instagram: @loripinskymakeup
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/loripinskymakeup
Image Credits
Leslie Talley Photography
Steve Steinhardt Photography
James and Jess Photography
Edsger Photography
David Fierro Photography
Josef Isayo Photography
