I don’t know about you, but, when it comes to Halloween, I love celebrating but for some reason don’t always love dressing up. Perhaps it’s because… I’m an adult? Lol… or maybe because every option for women is a scantily clad ________ (fill in the blank)? 🤷🏼♀️ Or because by the time I get everyone in the family dressed up I have no energy? 😅 So, what I love to do, especially because I am a makeup artist, is to do Halloween makeup so intricate that all I need to wear is usually black, my favorite, and apropos for the holiday:)
Insert… Tiana.
I’ll brag on her since she doesn’t brag on herself. She is Mariah Carey’s makeup artist along with several other celebrities. My 12 year old self still very much idolizes Mariah. (I’m a lamb … ) The same hands that touch Mariah also touch me every Halloween. 👻😂 Tiana is so incredibly talented. We worked together at MAC when I first moved to California and we remained friends – that was over 13 years ago!
Every year, she does my makeup for Halloween. Three years ago, I was a deer…it’s become super popular but she perfected that look on me, I swear! Last year, I was a cat and this year I did pop art. I am always inspired by the makeup she does on herself. In fact, that’s precisely where I got my inspiration for all three years.
With Halloween approaching, we invited Jacquelyn and Leah from Beijos to join in on the spirited fun so we could show you how to get your creative juices flowing without committing much to an entire costume. Unless of course you want to go all in and in that case makeup is still very much a necessity.
Without further ado… meet Tiana Rae Holiday.
Alatheia and I go way back to Nordstrom MAC South Coast Plaza. We hit it off right away and our sons are the same age now. It’s been years and it’s really flattering to have an amazing makeup artist like her ask me to do her Halloween makeup each year and her Holiday Card makeup. Especially since she is so into fashion and the latest trends. She keeps me up and informed, a payoff that works in the beauty industry. Always learning, always pushing each other and recognizing people for their talents. I appreciate her love towards my craft, appreciatie her as a friend and as a hardworking mom in the industry.
How did you become a celebrity (Mariah Carey, Rosario Dawson, etc) makeup artist?
I have been in the industry for almost 20 years. My mom owned a hair salon in my small mountain town growing up, Big bear Lake. She kinda pushed me to do makeup for her clients but I was a tomboy and didn’t really love makeup. Funny how things turn. When I was 18 years old I applied at Nordstroms and opened the Armani Cosmetics counter. Later transferred to the MAC counter and eventually the MAC Pro store. By networking and working jobs that didn’t pay on the side, I found a mentor, Natalie Macgowen, who was in the business a very long time. She took me under her wing and showed me how it was in the Industry . She later opened her own agency, Macgowen Spencer Agency and signed me; I did commercials, music videos, photo shoots and celebrities. My very first gig with her was a music video for Velvet Revolver. Networking and knowing so many people from MAC has opened many doors for me. Someone I know from MAC, Maile, started a huge successful beauty on demand mobile service, Beglammed, and I stepped in with them. That’s where I met Mariah Carey, Rosario Dawson, Noah Cyrus and many more. Did a segment for Halloween Makeup on Good Day LA. I’ve been very lucky and fortunate to be where I am and it’s only because of the people I’ve met along the way and the chances I’ve been given.
Tell us about your Halloween makeup, specifically…
Halloween is my favorite time of year, so blending makeup and Halloween came very natural for me. I love a theme, costumes, things dark and creepy. That is where my most creative looks come from. My son and I have “couple costumes” every year ’til he tells me to take a hike. Some of our costumes have been Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein, Beetlejuice and Lydia, Darth Maul and Queen Amidala, Chucky and Bride of Chucky, to name a few. I always love a good skeleton // Dia De Los Muertos and clowns. I get my inspiration from movies, tv, Instagram and entertainment – especially Tim Burton. I practice on myself when I’m feeling stressed or not creative, it pushes me out of my box.
If I could do anything on an adventurous client it would be not only stop at the makeup but also do the hair and styling and than have a photoshoot based around that look. I never get enough pictures or good pictures that showcase the makeup. I like runway looks and avant- garde. The look isn’t what matters necessarily but the face features and costume is what seals the deal. I eventually want to do all of Tom Burton’s characters and then make up my own characters that other people want to reproduce.
The creative wheel is always a good one to be on.
I book clients for Halloween starting as early as a year out. I like to have an hour and half to two hours per look. Sometimes more of it’s more detailed.
The best way to book me is through email tiana@tianaraeartistry.com.
Follow Tiana on Instagram: www.instagram.com/tianaraeartistry
#tianaraeartistry