September 13, 2016

Meet Burbank Makeup Artist: Gisele Joves

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to super fly Gisele Joves.

Gisele, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I always loved playing dress up and that included makeup. I would watch my mom put on makeup and think how beautiful. When she left the house, I would sneak into her room to put on her clothes and makeup. I was a totally different person and it felt liberating.

I thought that I would want to go that direction but went into finance for the Air Force and also got approached to do Mary Kay. It seemed like the natural thing to do. I was also going to community college to finish Associate in Business degree. Before I knew it, I was working a regular 9-5 job and doing Mary Kay on the side.

A couple of years past and I got engaged. Unfortunately, we broke it off 5 days before the wedding. All things considered, I was devastated and needed a change so I decided to finish my Bachelors Degree in Greenville, South Carolina. During those years I didn’t have a steady income and applied at Merle Norman in Haywood Mall. I learned more about pageant, prom, and bridal makeup because it was a big market in the south. Eventually, I became a top sales consultant at Merle Norman and makeup artist. I never thought I would go back to it after I got my degree.

I worked in advertising, window treatment design, and as a radio/tv show host in Florida. I wasn’t happy, so I moved back to Los Angeles, California to pursue my passion in entertainment, acting. After working several side jobs, I was presented with the opportunity to do makeup for actors and models.

Now I have the privilege to make someone feel their very best and turn them into a work of art. Along with makeup, I have found joy in acting, singing, and now designing. I am in the works to come out with a makeup purse for the general public. In pursuit of all facets of my creative side makes me feel blessed. I enjoy the friendships I have made, to laugh, and pursue life from a window of beauty.

Has it been a smooth road?
Makeup has not been a smooth road at all. When you start in Los Angeles especially there are so many established artists and the market is saturated with just graduated beauty school students.

So startup is basically on you. I had to offer services for little to no money to people in the industry just to get a portfolio going. On top of that, I bought all my products before making a profit. Luckily, I have had experience with how to do makeup for sets because of being an actress myself.

I would talk to people who needed headshots and makeup for independent films. Eventually, people liked me and loved my work. My regular clients are Minimalist Movement Marketing and Katie Cordero Makeup. It’s all about building genuine relationships with people.

Have you ever wanted to stop doing what you do and just start over?
In the beginning, when I started doing makeup I worked very little. Building clientele was quite a challenge so yes there were times I looked for work doing odd jobs and gigs that really didn’t let me express my creative side. If I did get offered makeup gigs like on certain sites sometimes photographers did not follow through. In one message from a photographer, she wrote that she needed makeup artists, models, and wardrobe people for her shoot but that everyone should be on time and be professional.

I thought great this is going to be an amazing professional shoot. Unfortunately, there are a lot of flaky people in the industry. I took on the job to get more pics for my portfolio, and that same “professional” photographer stood me up.

I was excited because she was going to use designer dresses and models that would have been great for my portfolio. She didn’t give me the full details of where we would meet. I waited an hour and a half for the shoot. I was at the Pasadena City Hall with my makeup kit and waited. I called and messaged her but got no response. So I left very frustrated.

In about 2-3 hours later she messaged me saying she just had more than 15 people to manage and thought she sent me the meeting place info correction. She did not. She sent it to all the others but me. At that point, I was really frustrated and did not pursue many unpaid shoots for a while.

Honestly, working dead end jobs and gigs motivated me to start up again. Eventually, I did shoots for friends and other photographers again. I built my portfolio and clients loved my work. I realized there are obstacles to overcome but what will make me happy?

What would you tell someone who is just starting out?
My advice for others starting out in the makeup field is to have another job that allows for you to make money when you are trying to build your portfolio. Start making connections with people and ask if they need a makeup artist for their shoot.

I was fortunate to have friends that were models, actors, and makeup artists that needed me for their shoots. Look on websites and answer ads that need makeup artists. If you are starting up you need pictures. Always, follow up for pictures. Let your personality shine but always be professional and clients will want to work with you again.

What are you most excited about these days?
I’m most excited about helping people become the best person they can be. I want to influence people in a positive light by encouraging them to reach their goals and dreams. I feel like a smile is the best makeup. Getting to know people you can talk about food, beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and spirituality.

I’m a conscientious eater so I get a lot of my food from the farmer’s market and drink alkaline water to better my health. Since I’ve done that I have modified so many recipes and made it healthier. My health has changed so much just by changing my diet. I’ve come up with recipes that use more vegetables in a very healthy, hearty, and delicious way. Soon I’ll be sharing my recipes online as well!

With beauty, I always love to share natural methods in skincare and not just makeup. Faces are my canvasses so prepping the skin is important to me. Many women are not educated but I’ve taught many people throughout the years not neglect their skin. I look forward to teaching more and posting vlogs coming soon.

I’ve always loved fashion. My favorite type of fashion is dresses. It’s easy, beautiful, and effortless. Looking your best for whatever style you want to be is art too. You are showing your personality and creative side. I would love to come up with a fashion line that represents my personality and lifestyle. I’m already in the works for a makeup purse design that I’m super excited about!

My lifestyle is to follow your passion and creativity. I’m taking singing lessons, acting lessons, and I’m always learning to enhance my skills. I just finished recording a cover and feel accomplished in one of my dreams which is to sing. I’ve sung since I was a little girl but never had technical training. Now that I’ve done it I feel more confident. Acting has been another passion and it’s always great to work on my craft. I love making people feel something in class or on film. That is one of my favorite things to do is to touch someone with a story from a scene even if it’s just to make them laugh.

Spirituality is ever changing for me. I went from being a good little Catholic girl to Christianity to now believing in the Universe and God. I was searching for what was right as I experienced life. I now know we all are connected and come from one source. We all have a path and it’s up to us to follow that path and pave the way. We are infinite beings learning and being a force in this world. At my core I want to my life to be positive, lead to love, and change the world. I know I sound like a hippie but that’s just the way I feel.

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