I never stop learning. Whether it be teaching myself how to use new software or understanding a trendy new technique, my education as a business owner and artist is never over. I think that is why I enjoy the multiple hats I wear so much. In today’s blog I wish to take you behind the scene of a MASTERCLASS with one of my favorite educators: Carlos Gruber.
I met Carlos while teaching at LaSalle Collège. He has loads of experience and a very glamorous approach to makeup artistry. From the moment we met we instantly knew how different and complementary our styles were. I wanted to see how he achieved his looks and he wanted to play with my face (his words exactly).
I am quite proud of the brand I am building and am learning each day to celebrate each win. It isn’t easy for me because I am a perfectionist and trusting my process can prove difficult at times like these…
That being said I also notice every place where I wish to improve or alter my techniques. I’ve gone as far as Toronto to learn how to do airbrush makeup artistry and I wish to attend seminars all around the world to perfect every part of my work.
Thankfully Carlos isn’t too far from downtown Montréal 😉
Here is how a Carlos’ MASTERCLASS goes:
He welcomes you into his cozy, classy and ultra feminine workspace. Complete with portraits of past collaborations, Carlos chose black, white pink and silver accents to adorn his studio. You will also find portraits of Carlos’ beloved mother, his inspiration in everything he does.
I am very detail oriented and couldn’t help but notice the Miss Dior perfume and scented candles on his side table. Everything smells and looks fresh, almost floral…I was very impressed.
Once seated the 2X published artist started working on my skin. Each consultation starts this way but his use of products was different than what I had experienced in the past. I am seriously considering bringing some of those elements into my practice as well.
Carlos then moved directly to my brows blending fine tip applicators with products I was unfamiliar with. Here is a closeup of the before and after results.
As you can see my brows were very soft. I focused on a more shadowy approach to ensure they were seen but not too harsh. My signature being natural-glam I felt this was the way to go, especially for more mature clientele as portrayed here.
Now I would never be so bold as to unveil a master’s tricks but I will say you can expect MY work to head in a more defined direction from now on. He then showed me how he layers shimmers, glitters and satins to create dimension in his eye work. Again, expect some of that during your next session!
Overall I just feel as though Carlos takes control of his sessions more than I do. One of the moments that continues to stand out to me was when we spoke on our respective clienteles. I explained how my generation is very oriented towards social media for inspiration. How we show up to hair, make-up or nail sessions with a pre-thought out way we want the artist to create for us. I spoke on how this approach is sometimes a nuisance to us as creators because all we want to do is bring out the best possible version of our clients.
The entire conversation incites in me a desire to go back to the drawing board and restructure my appointments in a more organic manner.
And so the day concluded, my head was full of new ideas. My passion for makeup artistry was once again renewed and my shopping once again elongated by a few rows…
As you will see the next time, or first time, we glam together I’ll be leading differently.
I shall apply all I consolidated teaching at LaSalle Collège, all I learnt with Joanne Parks (check her out) and all that Carlos instilled in me as well.
Gabbie McGuire Beauty will provide a more personalized experience removed from social media expectations, trends or other. You can rediscover me at my booking platform here. I would be honored to welcome you to the next phase of my artistry. 😉
Classes, shopping and all may seem like a lot but this is a process I wish to repeat yearly once the pandemic is over. No matter the investment I will always push my education to new levels for my clientèle, readers and followers.
For next time…
So the next time an artist’s rates seem unreasonable please consider all the dedication they have for their craft. Understand that we bill not for the time we take for each face but for the time it took us to have the ability to glam like we do. Behind each of us is a teacher, a business person, a student: and we NEVER stop learning!
