I started working in beauty in my teens back in Colombia, beauty has always been my dream. Another one of my dreams was to be part of the creators group of Hollywood films, so I moved to the U.S. to pursue that dream. I went to the UCLA extension in the early 90's for ESL classes and got involved with the film department, where I learned the basics of how movies were made. For makeup purposes, I learned how to break down the screenplays scene by scene and how to create the characters looks from those screenplays by using the art of makeup. I also learned various tools that have helped my film and beauty career. I had offered my makeup services to those students who were graduating from film school, they had to make their own movies in order to graduate. I did makeup for 6 student films, as an exchange for a copy of each film and my credit in them. To create my first reel, I got the scene that would feature my best work from every single one of those films, then I put the scenes all together in a VHS tape. Remember this was the early 90's and the internet didn't exist yet :) I made many copies from that original reel tape and mailed them, along with letters, to multiple production companies, asking them for a job as a makeup artist in their productions. I was working in a salon in Beverly Hills at the same time I was going to UCLA for my ESL and film classes in the evenings. One of my clients from the salon, a Mexican actress who was starting her career in Hollywood, had a very important studio screen test for a movie, and recommended me with one of the producers to do the makeup for it. The actress who recommended me was Salma Hayek and a week later after the studio saw the screen test, she got her first starring role in Hollywood and I was offered my first Hollywood film as a Makeup Dept. Head for Columbia Pictures Studios, called DESPERADO starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. Also, I have always loved beauty and editorial makeup and I have been fortunate to be able to do it all throughout the years. I now have over 40 Hollywood productions in my resume, countless editorials and red carpet events. I love beauty :)

One of my biggest beauty influences growing up was Vivien Leigh, I grew up watching Hollywood movies and I was obsessed! With the movie Gone with the Wind, I saw it more times than I can count when I was a kid, Vivien's beauty was flawless, her skin! And OMG her lashes were everything!! Another big beauty influence was Sofia Loren, her exotic beauty, her beautiful shape cat eyes and again those lashes! 

I have been proud in most of the moments in my career, but there is one moment that stands out, and it was when I saw a film that I designed the makeup for called SIN CITY. The production and the process of making this film in a digital format, was one of the first and ahead of its time and because of it, I didn't know how my makeup would look on the big screen. I got the same feeling when I designed the makeup for its sequel A DAME TO KILL FOR. There were makeup challenges during both productions and I was very happy with both results.       

Some of my beauty practices that I swear by and have done for years are:

Washing and exfoliating my face every night followed by a night moisturizer cream. Also, I use a gentle moisturizing liquid shower soap with a loofah for my body twice a day. I try to take a shower every night before I go to bed, it helps me relax and have a good night sleep. Some people find this tedious to do, I get it, I used to think the same, but I came to realize that this whole process only takes 10 minutes and I have saved my skin by doing it. Another must beauty practice is sunscreen, the sun is unforgiving to us all, so it is a must. Other beauty practices that I would like to have more discipline with are:

8 hours of sleep, a bottle of water when I wake up, praying, meditating, and exercising every day. I came to realize that most of the beauty practices I like to achieve have nothing to do with beauty products lol! 

I have a couple of playlists on my Spotify. Chill House and Top 50- Global. One must know what's up ;)