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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.
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Hitting "send" just now made my heart race on the Hitting "send" just now made my heart race on the real. You know that feeling when you're about to do something that could either move your career forward or blow up in your face? That's what I've been working on these days. At 55, with decades in this industry and a solid client history, you'd think the hard stuff would get easier. Plot twist: it does not. I'm still pushing myself to do the things I hate - cold calls, networking events where I know nobody, sending proposals and counter-proposals that might get rejected. But the great @mariettacn Marietta Carter-Narcisse taught me many years ago: "To make the deal, you can't be afraid to lose the deal." Nerve-wracking? Yep. But also empowering. Here's what I keep reminding myself (and what I tell my students): if you want something different, you have to DO something different. When I was starting out, my drive to ditch the safety job and go full-time pushed me through every uncomfortable conversation. Today that same energy still exists - I'm still ambitious, and I still have goals I'm chasing even at my big age and doing this for a long time. The biggest thing holding most artists back isn't talent. It's putting yourself out there when your comfort zone is calling your name. It's doing the ick business stuff when all you want to do is make people beautiful (or ugly depending on what part of the biz you're in 😉) I get it. I keep telling myself I should just ride corporate makeup into the sunset. But that's not being honest with myself about what I want. Staying comfortable might feel safe, but it won't get you where you want to go. What's one hard thing you can do that could change everything for your career? If you want information, support, and community in figuring out and reaching your goals, consider joining us in the Five Small Things membership. Link in Bio, or comment COMMUNITY and I'll send you the details 👍🏾
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!
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