Today we’d like to introduce you to Brady Allio
Hi Brady, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up in the small town of Juneau, Alaska, I discovered my passion for makeup at a young age. As a self-proclaimed artistic nerd, I found comfort in expressing my feelings and experiences through drawing and painting. However, it wasn’t until I stumbled upon the TV show FaceOff on FX channel that my love for makeup truly blossomed. Watching the talented artists on FaceOff create incredible special effects makeup pieces sparked something inside me. I was captivated by the idea of transforming faces and bringing characters to life through makeup. From that moment on, I began experimenting with makeup more and more, honing my craft and learning about the makeup industry.
During my middle school and high school years, I took every opportunity to practice and perfect my skills. I would sneak off to Fred Meyer in my hometown to purchase cheap makeup products and spend hours creating different looks in my bedroom. Halloween was my favorite time of year, as I would challenge myself to create gory, creature-type special makeup looks using cotton, corn syrup, and red food coloring. As I entered high school, I realized that I wanted to pursue a career as a freelance makeup artist. I delved deeper into the world of makeup artistry, learning techniques and studying the work of industry professionals. I knew that this was what I was meant to do – to use makeup as a form of self-expression and creativity.
When I graduated from high school in 2018, I decided to pursue a graphic design major at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. I was intrigued by the idea of being a part of the Deaf community on campus, as well as exploring my passion for graphic design. However, at the young age of 17, I was not fully prepared for the challenges that came with moving away from my small town in Alaska to a bustling city like Rochester. My first semester at RIT was incredibly tough, and I soon realized that my heart was not fully invested in pursuing a career in graphic design. Feeling lost and defeated, I made the difficult decision to withdraw from RIT and move back to Juneau, Alaska.
It was during this period of exploration that I came across Make-Up Designory in Los Angeles, California. I decided to enroll at Make-Up Designory and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Choosing to follow my heart and pursue a career in makeup artistry was not an easy decision. It required hard work, dedication, and a willingness to overcome any obstacles that came my way. But through perseverance and a never-give-up attitude, I was able to turn my dream into a reality.
After graduating from Make-Up Designory and receiving my certificate, I was ready to take the makeup world by storm. I started by creating a freelance makeup platform on Instagram and building a portfolio website to showcase my skills. On my first gig, I had an opportunity to assist my best friend Gabrielle LaFleur on a music video gig. It was an eye-opening experience that taught me the ins and outs of working on a set and how to ensure the makeup and hair look flawless on camera.
However, the road to success wasn’t always smooth sailing. I faced challenges in getting gigs due to writer strikes, but I didn’t let that deter me. I decided to apply for a part-time receptionist position at Make-Up Designory to gain more experience and network within the industry. This proved to be a wise decision as I was able to book more gigs such as Fashion Shows, live demos, and Events during the writer strikes.
As soon as the writer’s strike ended, I wasted no time in seeking out opportunities in the film industry. I was thrilled to land a position assisting Marianne Beer, the Head of the Makeup Department, on my first film gig for Lifetime. The experience was exhilarating, and I knew that I had found my passion. Since then, I have had the opportunity to work on ten films this year, and I am eagerly anticipating more projects in the future. Each project has brought new challenges and learning experiences, and I am grateful for the opportunities that have come my way. Makeup has not only become my profession but also my true calling.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I was born one hundred percent Deaf – nothing, nada, zip! I couldn’t hear. American Sign Language was my first language and I didn’t start to learn my second language, English, until I started kindergarten; I was learning two languages at the same time growing up and still am currently. I would sometimes have a language barrier but I wouldn’t let it stop me from fully understanding what was going on, I immediately took action to clear up the language barrier by typing it down onto the note app on my iPhone or writing it down on actual random paper. I do still have a language barrier currently, here and there depending on the people’s ability to understand my voice.
When I was six years old, my family and I went to Seattle, Washington to get my surgery to get a Cochlear Implant. Which helped me to hear a little bit but was not fully clear all of the time, there would be times when I have to ask someone to repeat themselves. The implants themselves consist of two main parts. There is an external portion called the processor, it looks like the letter “C’ that goes around my ear. It includes a microphone, a speech processor, and a transmitter that all take in sound and convert it to electric impulses. The second portion is surgically placed underneath his skin. It consists of a group of electrodes that collect stimulation and send them to different regions of the auditory nerve, which detects sound in the brain. (Cochlear Implants do not restore hearing, but rather give people a “sense of sounds,” according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website.) That means I can understand some simpler sentences, and that I can understand the words of those I am around a lot, such as my family, friends, and coworkers. The rest of the time, I rely on an interpreter and lip-reading. But with the speech therapy, I took during whole my childhood until my sophomore year in high school. I loved to speak with my friends, coworkers, and families…I wouldn’t stop talking and talking, I’ve also gotten so many compliments on my speech skills and was impressed with how clear, and smooth my voice is.
Once I moved back to Los Angeles after COVID settled down. I realized there were a lot more challenges than I expected for myself since I didn’t have the same equal access to everyone else. There were tough times like rejections, and gigs interviews but they immediately thought I was not qualified enough to be part of their projects due to the commutation/understanding. With some help and support, I managed to do at least 20 gigs including 10 of those gigs are films with IMDb credits, I feel so incredibly proud of myself for how much I’ve accomplished and for showing people that I can do anything. There is still more to come, I am not finished reaching my goals yet.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a freelance makeup artist, who loves to explore new versatile types of makeup. Working across various sets like fashion shows, theater, music videos, film/TV, and events sounds like a thrilling adventure, where I get to showcase my skills in different makeup genres. I am always eager to push my boundaries and try out diverse beauty makeup looks or special effects. I like to keep my makeup skills in a variety of types so I can show everyone that I can do anything, like any beauty makeup looks or special effects or creating molds of prosthetics. I am most passionate about special effects since I can do any gory, creature looks, it’s always so much fun creating a character that isn’t “commonly fully human”. I am a unique artist because I am different, I think and speak differently from other people since I don’t have the same hearing ability and I use two languages, American Sign Language and English.
It always excites me to be on set! When I am on set, I am able to ensure my makeup looks great on the screen and see when I am needed to step in to do touch-ups of powders, lipsticks, or any other makeup. I also enjoy meeting new people on the set, I take any opportunities to network. Networking has helped to get more job opportunities. I am proud of my efforts to put myself out there and make small conversations with almost everyone on the set during the day. I would say my proudest moment was when I got to work with a very successful entertainment family in Hollywood for a family birthday celebration.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
As a freelance makeup artist who is Deaf, I believe resilience is the most important characteristic of my success. Despite facing potential communication barriers and discrimination in the makeup industry, I have learned to be resilient and confident in my abilities. This determination has allowed me to navigate challenges, build a loyal client base, and ultimately thrive in a competitive field. By staying true to myself and embracing my unique identity, I can have a positive impact on my freelance career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bradyalliomua.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugg.mua/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15841655/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
Image Credits
Gregg Heckler
Evan Sickora
Mario E. Carranza
Joshua Mesnik
