As I was leaving a job on a sunny Saturday in Manhattan, I thought about how grateful and fulfilling it feels to do what I love. I didn’t always feel this way! I almost dropped out of Makeup Forever Academy. I was overwhelmed by living away from my three year old daughter, being an immigrant in such a weird political climate, and feeling like I couldn’t fit in!! I happened to run into Michela Wariebi and wound up telling her how I felt. She made me feel heard, seen, and acknowledged. Her constant encouragement gave me the confidence to stay in school. Her words have stuck with me ever since, and I promised myself to be in service of those who serve others. That's why I felt compelled to write this article!!
I met Michela while attending Makeup For Ever Academy and first realized the depth of her knowledge when I overheard her explaining her approach to red lipstick. She walked in with her big smile, excited to get to know us, and we started chatting. Her message felt personal even though her class had 30 other students in it. Her humility and honesty enabled me to open my heart and receive her input with zero resistance. It was honestly the first time that I ever heard a makeup artist talk about makeup in an approachable and strategic way.
Her feedback is direct and easily understood. Even though she wasn’t my teacher, we definitely had interactions that genuinely inspired me and her attitude is infectious in the best possible way. For two years I watched Michela being her unapologetic self which moved me to write this blog, hoping that she can see how she influenced many of us who love her and cherish her heart and mind!!
As makeup artists, we all value the importance of continued education. We know how necessary it is to elevate our artistry. Attending classes also shows our commitment toward this industry and, while there are so many options out there, you have to understand how to navigate them and what is worthy of your investment. This is why I’m recommending the SKIN class taught by Michela Wariebi taking place in NYC on April 10th/11th.
Here are four reason why you should absolutely make it to SKIN, a makeup masterclass taught by Michela Wariebi.
Complexion
If you’ve ever visited Michela’s website you will see that working with unique complexions is one of her strong suits. It’s not a coincidence, it’s SCIENCE, and you can learn how to do it too!! Michela’s two day hands-on workshop offers technical knowledge that will help you master working with any skin color. You will explore different techniques to help you recognize what skin type you’re working with, how to treat it, and which products to use. We all know that prepping skin is key to great makeup, but we also know that every skin tone comes with its own challenges. It’s not always that easy! Learning scientific and strategic placement of colors will help you deliver the best skin and complexion! You’ll be training your eyes to see undertones, hues, and shades. By attending this class, you’ll be elevating your color theory and learn the science behind adjusting colors to achieve perfect skin every time!
Making smart purchases
Michela’s knowledge of products will help you navigate what is worth buying. You’ll learn why some products are intermixable and why some are not. I’m talking about deep knowledge of how to keep your color correction from moving around without caking the face. It’s overwhelming out there. There are so many products and so little education on how to work with them. We have all stood in makeup stores wondering what we should add to our kits and what can we skip. Michela’s advice has helped so many Academy students professionally navigate products and make smart purchases.
Effective feedback
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to learn from someone who’s good at giving you feedback!! Specific feedback will help you not only improve your artistry, but it will also give you the confidence to know you really nailed it and move forward with the remaining steps of your application. I struggled with finding someone who could pinpoint mistakes and most importantly what the required steps were to fix it, without ruining everything else. Michela will diagnose the error and actually guide you. Her honest feedback will help you focus on finding a solution and gain confidence in the future while facing similar challenges.
Because you have to meet Michela!!
You want to meet Michela Wariebi. Trust me. You will learn how to embrace your style and celebrate yourself. It is really is all about her energy! Her warm personality and passion for teaching is bigger than your fears, and her humility and light spirit provide you with the best learning environment. Her encouragement will help you feel like you can experiment with makeup and not be afraid of that bold red liquid lipstick you hesitated to apply for so long. Her sense of humor will keep you watching your phone waiting for her to go on a live stream because you know whatever she does, she owns it!! Whether she’s shaving her head, making pepper soup or voicing her thoughts on a certain product, I want to know what Ms. Wariebi is up to, what book she’s reading, and when her next class is!!