Makeup to Go!

…dedicated to the Art and Craft of Makeup

Instagram Facebook-f Twitter
makeup to go blog tania d Russell makeup educator Los Angeles San Francisco
  • Home
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Testimonials
  • Services
    • Personal Services
  • 5ST Member Resources
  • Contact
MAKEUP TO GO BLOG

Bookings

makeup to go blog tania d Russell makeup educator Los Angeles San Francisco behind the scenes

Tania D. Russell...

Tania D. Russell is a career media makeup artist of 25 years and counting with a career that has run the gamut from early hip hop videos to print advertising. Her work has appeared in magazines such as Elle Sweden and Runners’ World, on TV shows for clients such as BET, MTV, and HGTV, and for more commercial fashion and beauty clients than she can remember.
Instagram Facebook-f Twitter
makeup to go blog tania d Russell makeup educator Los Angeles San Francisco
Work With Us
visit the blog
Contact us

makeuptogoblog
It used to be me, too. I used to think that dolin It used to be me, too. I used to think that doling out affiliate links was sales-y, smarmy, influencer-y (back when I thought being an "influencer" was automatically a bad thing), you name it. Really, I was just insecure. What turned it around? Getting asked by certain clients. Hello? Recommendations is kinda part of my job. For us makeup pros, this isn't about liking every product we ever touch or going on about the latest fad trending on social. This is about making the recommendations we were already making in ways that serve our customers hence serve ourselves as well. #winning For me that looks like; - Only linking my Hero products that I can recommend with my whole chest. - Not talking about every product I ever try (which in our cases can be a lot so I don't start recommending until a product reaches Hero status). - Keeping it relevant to my audience. There may be some related things that might fly but ya know, no one is coming to me for fashion advice, for example LOL - Social can only do so much so I don't go on an on about it on social. YMMV but again, that's not the content my peoples are looking for from me so I don't go on and on. - Long form, evergreen content on the other hand? Oh yeah. 👍🏾 As a "micro influencer" with around 2K followers on this platform, I've still grown active and engaged mailing lists, my blog gets a regular good amount of hits, and I have an active Substack. With little or no "push" I'm good for a few $$$ a month through my links. I'll take it! 👍🏾 Interested in a few $$$ of your own? Comment "AFFILIATE" and I'll send ya my wee guide to help you get started. Is Affiliate Marketing of any kind part of your makeup career matrix? #mediamakeupartists #makeuptogoblog #mtgfivesmallthings #promakeupartists
Are you ready for Q3? Let's talk strategy! The ye Are you ready for Q3? Let's talk strategy! The year is half over. Are you crushing those goals? Even if things haven't gotten off quite the way you wanted them to, it's never too late to start and to go up! Here's some things I would do to set yourself up for the second half of the year. 1. Clean up your social. Update your bios, make sure all the links work, make sure your Profile looks tight, etc. Instagram - for example - said they were getting rid of Highlights so I let mine go. Turns out Highlights are still there, so gotta clean 'em up. 2. Get over your fear of LinkedIn. LinkedIn's reputation of being corporate and business focused is true but people that work in corporations like Procter & Gamble and Nike and whatever fashion/beauty brand you could name are all on LinkedIn. Hello! Fix your profile, get your information current, and get after it. 3. Clean up your affiliate links/platforms. I recently looked at my Amazon Storefront for the first time in forever and I was horrified. My ShopMy shelves were a mess too. Clean it up, make sure info is current, fix links, etc. ** Want a lil resource to help you with your Affiliate Marketing and monetizing your expertise? A post is actually coming later, but comment AFFILIATE and I’ll send ya the resource now 👍🏾 ** 4. Do some significant outreach. Outreach should be a constant in your life anyway but I always focus on doing some high-level promotion at the end of Q2 beginning of Q3 so I can catch various happenings through the end of the year. 5. Learn Something. If your Summer tends to be slower, this is a good time to add some more tools to your quiver. From adding new craft skills, to upping your tech or business acumen, any new education is always time well spent. What goal do you plan to crush to close out the year? Want an assist? Comment AFFILIATE and get the Affiliate Marketing workbook and info on joining the Five Small Things Membership so you can go all the way up 🆙 to close out 2025! #mediamakeupartists #makeuptogoblog #mtgfivesmallthings
Looking for an affordable way to stock your kit? A Looking for an affordable way to stock your kit? Aren't we all! (Update: link in bio to find the one nearest you 🤗) But as professionals we also have to be discerning about the products that we use. Depending on the client type we have what we have in our kit may (or may not) matter. And above all else we need fresh product in good condition. I was recently reminded of the treasure that is The Cosmetics Company Store. The Cosmetics Company Store is Estée Lauder's own store to handle their overstock, discontinued items, etc. etc. so on the downside they only sell Estée Lauder brands. But on the very upside these Estée Lauder brands are 50 to 75% off of retail. And considering that most legacy brands like Estée Lauder don't give a pro discount, that's pretty sweet. Brands carried at The Cosmetics Company Store include Mac, Tom Ford, Estée Lauder, Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, Bumble and Bumble, Dr. Jart, and Too-Faced. So not the latest greatest flashy new Instagram brand but a lot of long timey solid kit performers. I went specifically because another artist friend of mine mentioned that they still had the original formulation of MAC Studio Fix which I personally was never a big user of but I wanna compare the old formulation to the new formulation. (video coming soon 👍🏾). But if you were a fan of the original formulation not only can you get it there but I paid $22 instead of $44. 👍🏾 My trip to The Company Store was dope. What other hidden treasure shops have you found to stock up on your kit on the c̷h̷e̷a̷p̷ less expensive?
Full elaborate makeup can be Hella fun and artisti Full elaborate makeup can be Hella fun and artistically satisfying. But that's not what defines a makeup artist per se. Being able to assess and deliver the needs of our client is what makes a professional makeup artist.
I am born and raised in California however both my I am born and raised in California however both my parents families are from Texas, so I've grown up my whole life with consciousness of Juneteenth. My dad was born in Texas and spend time there before moving to Oklahoma and then ultimately ending up in California and then my maternal grandmother was born and raised in Texas. Most of my extended family is in or from Texas. And if I was with extended family we would celebrate Juneteenth quite significantly. Red plays a significant role in the celebration of Juneteenth. It's a symbol of both the bloodshed of our ancestors and the resistance and fight for freedom. Needless to say it's an interesting holiday in the context of the current times. Now, I've always been a red lipstick girly. Yet how many times have I heard as a Black woman - particularly of my complexion - that I shouldn't wear red? (hint: many) The first time I heard this missive was actually from one of my own cousins, during a Juneteenth gathering, where are all the food and decorations were based on red. Yet my red lipstick was somehow beyond the pale lol. I don't know if I was supposed to be ashamed of having fuller lips or ashamed of being this complexion or if it "wasn't lady-like" (my Texas elders were "sidity" like that), but needless to say it didn't stick and I've been ignoring that rule my entire life. I LOVE bold color on deep skin and no I don't feel any need to "tone it down" with a brown liner. So as I'm heading out the door to go support a Black business and check out this Black owned bakery in the area, I am putting on my red lipstick and my red top – similar to this picture – as a subtle nod to my ancestry, and a tiny little act of resistance. And later today I'll take a sip of some sorrel punch and have a chuckle - as I often do - at that silly admonition from my cousin. Enjoy some red velvet cake and have a happy Juneteenth y'all!
What do you do when you get a call for the Opporun What do you do when you get a call for the Opporunity of the Century? Buy new products for your kit? Maybe buy some things to do some kit depotting and organizing. Well really, you probably shouldn’t do anything you weren’t already planning to do just yet — you aren’t booked yet. As freelancers it’s vital to understand the difference between Options, Holds, and Confirmations and also to know what a Release is. Why? Because until you are formally Confirmed, you aren’t Booked HENCE your time is still open for someone who wants to *book you*.

Too often I see emerging artists online devastated because they thought they were booked and they made plans and this and that only to find out someone “went another direction”. That’s why Options and Holds are for. However until someone all the way commits, *you* have options too.

So how long should you stay in the Twilight Zone before you release your time and move on? Some artists have hard and fast rules, others (like myself) go on a case by case basis. One thing all of us experienced folks have learned — likely the hard way — is not to let someone just sit on our time. Communication is key throughout the negotiation process.

We talk about this and more in the Five Small Things Membership which is taking on new comers for the 2nd half of 2025. If you want some info, support and community, comment MEMBERSHIP and I’ll send ya some info. #mediamakeupartist #makeuptogoblog
Follow on Instagram

All images copyright of respective photographers | Many thanks to Sonya Bowman Photography, Saryn Christina Photography, and Together in Wellness RN for BTS and Portrait Images

Website Designed using Bluchic Themes | All content © 2008-2023, Makeup to Go / Tania D. Russell except where noted
Disclosures | Official Giveaway Rules | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy