Sunday, January 8, 2012

Interview with Makeup Artist, Blogger and Beauty Editor Melissa Rich

By Will Deyamport, III, Ed.D. Candidate













Melissa Rich is a beauty editor, correspondent and make-up artist from the Washington, DC area. As the saying goes, "when you look good, you feel good" and Melissa's passion is to encourage and help women recognize and utilize their full potential. Connecting with women worldwide, Melissa has become the must-have girl in the online beauty community.

Through her experience with modeling and as an on-air talent for a local news and entertainment portal, Melissa became a self-taught artist and the go-to-girl for beauty advice amongst, family, friends and coworkers. Melissa felt there was a need of simplicity for everyday women looking for beauty advice and trends online, so in April of 2009, she launched VanityRich.com.

Will: Tell the readers about yourself. Where did your passion for makeup come from?

Melissa: I have always loved makeup since I was little. I used to love watching my mom put on her makeup and transform from beautiful to even more beautiful. I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup outside the house, but my mom allowed me to play dress up at home. As I got older my mom became more relaxed with the rules, so I could wear lip liner, lip gloss, and eye shadow. Once I started college, I started wearing more makeup and after a while I became the go-to-girl among my friends, family and coworkers for makeup tips. That’s what inspired me to start my beauty blog, www.VanityRich.com in spring of 2009, to share my knowledge of beauty and hair products and tips with women worldwide.

Will: Did you go to school or were you self-taught?

Melissa: I’ve never gone to school for makeup artistry. I’ve been self-taught through trial and error – what works, what doesn’t work and I’m still learning. I go through magazines, books, watch tutorials on Youtube and practice on myself and others.

Will: What do you like most about what you do? What are the drawbacks?

Melissa: When it comes to makeovers, I love how women react when they see themselves beautified. It makes me feel good, that they feel great. With blogging, I love feeling connected to my followers and other bloggers. I wouldn’t say it’s a drawback, but, blogging is a 24/7 job -- I find the content, edit, manage the blog, promote on social networks, respond to all comments/emails, produce and publish the videos, monitor stats, and so much more. So at times, it can be a lot, but, it’s my passion.

Will: Describe your approach to make up and skin care? Walk me through your beauty regimen.

Melissa: If you don’t take proper care of you skin, no amount of makeup will ever help, so skin care is essential. I used to work at Sephora, and working there taught me a lot about skin care. Before I would just wash my face in the morning and at night and that would be that, but now, because I experience acne from time to time and I’m in my late twenties, I have to consider products that help fight acne and that are anti-aging.

My beauty regimen in the morning consist of: Cleansing my face with a cleaner that fights acne, applying correcting serum to my face – helps fade post-pimple pigmentation and evens skin’s tone and texture, applying an oil-free moisturizer to my face to keep my face hydrated, I apply eye primer to my eye lids to keep my eye makeup from creasing, oil-free face primer which helps my makeup last longer. As far as makeup, I usually go with a natural look, neutral eye shadow, black eyeliner and mascara, bronzer, highlighter under the eyes for a glow, lipstick and finishing powder.

In the evenings, I remove my makeup with wipes, apply cleanser, toner, serum and finally apply moisturizer. I exfoliate twice a week.

Will: Are the most expensive products better than the more affordable ones? What products are you most ardent about?

Melissa: I can wear L’Oreal, Milani, and CoverGirl and also wear the more expensive brands, like Make Up Forever, NARS or Laura Mecier. I think it all depends on the product, the look you’re trying to achieve, and what works for you. The only thing that I won’t go cheap on is skin care products. I have oily skin and as I mentioned earlier, I break out from time to time, so the products that I like usually more expensive than drugstore brands.

Will: What are some of the biggest mistakes you see women doing?

Melissa: One of the biggest mistakes I see women doing, is wearing the wrong color foundation, and I’ve been guilty of that myself. The proper lighting is key. Also, since we tan more in the summer, you should have a different color foundation for the summer than for the other seasons. Sometimes you have to do a little mixology to find the right color foundation.

Will: What tips do you have for work? Can those looks transition to evening?

Melissa: For a work appropriate look, going neutral is always safe. Try warming your cheeks with a peachy or bronze blush, a neutral or pink lipstick, mascara and a thin line of eyeliner.
To transition to evening, apply a thick line of eyeliner and a darker shade of lipstick.

Will: For women of color, what are the challenges you see?

Melissa: The biggest challenge for women of color is finding the right color foundation. We come in some many different beautiful shades and unfortunately, a lot of brands don’t offer a great variety for us.

Will: Give me a 5 minute makeup routine women can use in the morning.

Melissa: Five minutes isn’t enough time if you’re doing full face makeup (foundation, blush, eyeliner, mascara, blush). I actually did a video titled, “10 Minute Makeup Tutorial” for the working woman on the go. I think it’s important for women to invest in themselves, whether it’s spending more time in the morning to apply makeup, working out or reading a new book every month. I always like to put my best face forward, you never so know you might run into or meet. So if I don’t do anything else, I will take my 15-20mins in the morning to beat my face.

Will: What do you want women to know about makeup that I didn’t cover in this interview?

Melissa: It’s funny, when I meet women who don’t wear makeup, the inclinations that they have about it, but slowly but surely, they convert over. Wearing makeup isn’t about covering up your flaws or being “fake”, it’s about enhancing your features. Just as we wear bras and handbags, it’s an accessory. A pretty inexpensive accessory, compared to the trendy handbags and shoes, if you ask me. Believe it or not, looking natural requires makeup too. Of course, you don’t have to go all glammed out like Beyonce, you can still keep it minimal. Try something new for a change, and I promise you, you’ll look and feel amazing. When you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you do good.

Will: Final thoughts?

Melissa: Be good to yourself.

7 comments:

  1. Really good post!!

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  2. Mr, Deyamport,

    Sorry for the misspelling of your name! I have it now! :)

    -Lindsay Curtis

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mr. Deyamport,

    The post above probably does't make any since considering my comment that was supposed to go before it did not post! Let's try this again... :)

    Hi! My name is Lindsay Curtis, and I am a Health Education major at the University of South Alabama, located in Mobile, Alabama. I am taking a class called EDM 310. This class allows us to learn many different types of technology to use in the classroom. Our class blog is found at http://edm310.blogspot.com/ and my blog can be found at http://curtislindsayedm310.blogspot.com/. I am assigned to your blog for this semester, and I am excited to start interacting online. I have never used a blog before, (hints the above comment) so this is all new to me!
    I read your interview with Melissa Rich, and it was wonderful! Being a woman, I can relate to Melissa's love for the beauty industry, it is in our blood! Being a future health educator, I plan to promote well-being, health, and fitness. I am aware that some students won't have very high self-esteem, and I want to make the classroom a warming place for that student to get plugged in, Just as Melissa uses her love for beauty as a door to influence others, I will strive to influence my students in a positive way! Melissa is a beautiful woman, inside and out! Thank you for your interview, and for your time!
    I think that I will enjoy my blogging experience with you! It is pretty amazing how much technology has shaped our lives. What would you say is your favorite technological advancement?

    Thank you for your time and posts!
    -Lindsay Curtis

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lindsay, thanks for visiting my blog. I want peoplegogy to be a space where people can learn a variety of things that actually improves their lives, and I want it to be a space of inspiration and empowerment.

    As for my favorite technological advancement, it would have to be the internet. Without it, we wouldn't be able to stream movies into our homes or mobile devices, we wouldn't be able to have social media, and millions of Americans wouldn't be able to pursue their dreams of a college education.

    The internet has revolutionized the world like no other advancement.

    How often are you required to stop by my blog?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mr. Deyamport,

    I agree that the internet has revolutionized the world, so much it is scary! I am required to check up on your blog for 2 assignments, the first was above, and the next assignment will be on your most recent post. I plan to check up on you often, I love reading the info on your blog!

    ReplyDelete
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  7. I do appreciate your valuable information. Its glad to read something informative like this. Love you work.


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