My Face Chart and Beauty Tips App!

IMPO's first post for 2014 is going to be all about a product that I invented with my business partner Kim Greene!

Kim Greene (right) and Melissa Street (left)

Kim Greene and I became friends about 3 years ago. We quickly realized that we shared a passion for makeup artistry and for teaching young artists. Like me, Kim has been a professional makeup artist in the film and television industry for the past 20 years. She has also Department Headed some of the most iconic films of our time, like Terminator Salvation, Charlie’s Angels, Pineapple Express, This is 40, etc.

Last year, we decided to start a new business called GreeneStreet Beauty, which is all about “beauty-education, career and lifestyle improvement!” Our first endeavor would be to create a revolutionary app for the iPhone and iPad called, My Face Chart and Beauty Tips. 

We had never made an app before and had no idea where to start, but we knew we wanted to do something different. Plus, we wanted to create something that would become a useful tool for makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts. We also felt there was a lack in our industry when it came to finding good face charts that looked like real human beings and not perfectly featured mannequins!

Our app allows the user to create a customized composite by selecting different facial features – face, eye, nose and mouth shapes. Then, turning that composite into a personalized face chart that actually looks like the user or the client sitting in a professional artist’s makeup chair.

Our My Face Chart and Beauty Tips app quickly became a big hit with professional artists around the globe. Artists working in the film, television, theater, special effects, bridal, fashion and print industry, as well as YouTube artists, found the app to be extremely useful when designing looks for their actors, models, and clients or for their YouTube tutorials.

Phoenix design by: Angie Davis - GoldieStarling on YouTube

Makeup designed by: Kim Greene

Bridal artists no longer have to rely on generic face charts they get off the Internet. By using our app, the artist can ask the bride to email a photograph of themselves, upload it into the app, create the composite to look like their bride and then print out their bride’s face chart.

Using actual makeup, the artist then applies it to the chart, makes detailed notes in the note section on exactly which products are used and then takes the chart(s) with them to the bride’s consultation.

This process makes it much easier for the bride to decide on a look she loves because she can see how the makeup will translate onto her face since the chart actually resembles her own unique facial structure and features! The makeup consultation process is now smoother, more professional and extremely personalized!

Makeup designed by: Beauty by Stacey

Makeup designed by: Aaron Devon Gomez

The app also contains our “pro tips,” which allow the user to learn exactly how to sculpt the face or facial features using classic contour and highlight techniques. These written and visual tips are useful if you want to diminish a certain facial feature or play up a feature that you love!

For beauty consumers, our My Face Chart and Beauty Tips app makes it easy to be like a Pro, by designing and practicing party, prom, date night, job interview or other special occasion makeup looks on your own customized face chart. 

Just take a “selfie” and upload your photo into the app or choose an inspirational photo of a makeup you like from a magazine, book or if you are planning your Halloween look, upload a pic of a character makeup. Choose your facial shapes and print out your face chart. Apply the makeup you want to wear directly onto the chart or you can use colored pencils, crayons or colored markers.

Ursula designed by: Ag

Bride of Chucky designed by: Olivia Hawthorne 

For the film, television, theater or body painting makeup artist, our app is great for designing makeup looks during the script and character breakdown process and to show your director during preproduction. Your designs will easily translate onto the actor or actress and keeping continuity will be much easier.

Makeup designed by: Kim Greene for The Goldbergs

Makeup designed by: Edward Coronado III

Students in beauty school find the app helpful too because they are able to create thousands of different face charts and practice their makeup application. In school you are asked to bring in models, but models are not always easy to find and usually friends or relatives end up in the makeup chair. 

As an artist you need to be well versed in proper makeup techniques for different eye, nose, lip and face shapes, so you can make everyone look their best. Our app provides a way for the student to perfect their skills on various ethnicities and because the app is designed for the iPhone or iPad, you can easily access the app for quick reference on the go!

For more information about our My Face Chart and Beauty Tips app, you can visit Greene Street Beauty’s website – www.greenestreetbeauty.com.

To purchase the app click here!

We also made a helpful instructional video:

We invite you to connect with Greene Street Beauty via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter! We also have a great YouTube Channel for those interested in learning more about the world of television and film artistry! 

Kim and I also developed a mentoring program for artists who need career advice – visit our website and click on Mentor’s Corner for more information on our one-on-one Skype counseling sessions and our upcoming workshops!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it...by Cathi Singh

Hello IMPO readers and subscribers! I wanted to let you in on some very exciting news that our very own Melissa Street has been keeping secret until recently.

Melissa and her very good friend and professional colleague, Kim Greene, have combined forces to form a new company called Greene Street Beauty. This duo brings 40 years of experience in the beauty industry to consumers, students and professionals via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.

Currently, Greene Street Beauty is “under construction” while forming their first beauty app for both the iPhone and Android, which will be available in 2013. In the meantime, these ladies are bringing their knowledge of the film and television industry, proper makeup application, as well as providing support to students by filming tutorials and how-to videos for their YouTube Channel.

In order to get the word out about this new venture, Greene Street Beauty is running a contest on their YouTube Channel right now for all subscribers – please see the video below and make sure to subscribe in order to be entered! Also, make sure to “Like” their Facebook page because a little bird told me that another contest is forming over there too!

But, let’s give you a little bit of background info on both Melissa and Kim, just in case you are scratching your heads and asking yourself, “Who are these ladies?”

Melissa Street has been a freelance makeup and FX artist in the film, television, print and live event industry for the past 20 years. She attended the acclaimed makeup school, Joe Blasco in Los Angeles, California, and as luck would have it she would be mentored by the late, great Stan Winston, who gave her the opportunity to apprentice in his lab and help out on some big blockbuster movies that became iconic films – Terminator, Aliens and Invaders from Mars!

In 1992 Melissa moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where she worked on several live shows at the MGM Grand and Monte Carlo Hotels, as well as other live productions and music videos. There she met an amazing makeup artist, Jim Sacca, who took Melissa under his wing and helped form her career by giving her the opportunity to work with the incredible James Earl Jones.

In 2001, she relocated back to Southern California and began to form and build relationships within the freelance production community. Melissa would spend the next 12 years working hard to expand her business Epic Makeup, which now serves clients such as NBC, CNN, CBS, Food Network, Telemundo, E!News, ESPN, HBO and Comcast to name just a few.

She has worked with celebrities from Ron Howard, Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Rock, Jeff Bridges and Suzanne Somers to famous musicians like Carlos Santana, Foreigner, Kenny Loggins and Chris Ledoux to comics like Carrot Top and Louie Anderson.

Currently, Melissa works on national and local commercials, non-union films and television shows, YouTube web series, industrials, corporate videos, news media productions and live theater. She also co-owns InPoint Productions, owns and writes for this blog, as well as her industry blog, Epic Makeup and she has her own personal YouTube Channel.

Kim Greene is first and foremost a “filmmaker!” She has been Union Makeup Department Head on some of the biggest and most memorable films of the century, including Terminator Salvation, Anchorman, Superbad, Charlie’s Angels, The Wedding Singer, Scream 4, The Three Stooges, The Green Hornet, This is 40 and the soon to be released Identity Thief, to name just a few.

Her IMDB credits read like a “who’s who” in the film industry and she has been a personal makeup artist to Woody Harrelson, Drew Barrymore, Christina Applegate and Neve Campbell.

Kim began her career by studying under Vincent Kehoe, who was among one of the best makeup artists of his time, as well as an author and teacher. Mr. Kehoe would help Kim development the foundation for her skill set and prepare her for a tremendously successful makeup career. She would then move forward to meeting and working directly with Ron Berkley, who was so impressed with her that he brought her on to the Black and White music video set with Michael Jackson.

Kim is also an innovative entrepreneur and developed a very successful line of cosmetic bags both for the professional and consumer. The Kim Greene Line was originally formed because she realized there was a need within the professional makeup artist community for sturdy, easy to clean and comfortable to wear set and actor bags used to store and transport makeup from the trailer to the set for touch ups during filming.

There was nothing available at the time that wasn’t heavy, canvas and dark, which when you combine those three elements make it difficult for an artist to find the makeup or tools that they need efficiently. She became so frustrated with the bags that were on the market that she set out to change the standards.

Today, almost every professional makeup artist in the film and television industry uses The Kim Greene Line of bags at work everyday and they have helped many other Department Head’s keep organized even on the most hectic sets, like American Idol! Her bag line is great for travel and can easily fit inside your carryon luggage and because the bags are "clear" passing through TSA with those 3 ounce liquid bottles is a breeze!

When Kim is not on a film or television set, she teaches at professional makeup schools, writes incredibly informative blog posts on Kim Greene’s Tips from the Set and films tutorials for her personal YouTube Channel. She has also been a guest judge on season 2 of the SyFy Network’s makeup artist show, FaceOff, hosted by McKenzie Westmore.

So as you can see, these two are really the Dynamic Duo of the makeup world (I’m just not sure which one is Batman and which one is Robin). Together they hope that their passion to educate the public about the beauty industry is welcomed with open arms.

I hope that you take the time and opportunity to subscribe to their YouTube Channel, interact by sending them a comment, suggestion or question and “Like” their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter. They are always willing to reach out and answer your most pressing beauty questions and help ease your frustrations, so give then a shout!

Spotlight: Yaby Cosmetics

Probably the best perk of working in the film and television industry as a makeup artist is meeting other professionals in your field. You bond over being a freelancer, seeking advice on upcoming projects, products that work and don't and you share techniques and tips that improve your current skill level.

A few years ago, this Pro was lucky enough to meet a lady I had admired for a very long time. I had known of her reputation for being an outstandingly talented MUA through colleagues and because I had seen her published work. What I didn't know was that she was a kind, generous and compassionate person who would always be available to help bounce around creative ideas or provide advice on a shoot.

Liz Yu with world renowned makeup artist, Roshar and his model at IMATS NYC

Liz Yu became a makeup artist because of her obsession with flawless skin and naturally, that became her trademark. Basing out of Toronto, Canada, Liz has worked on many beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and film and television projects. I learned quickly after meeting Liz that we would become good friends. She is also an amazing effects artist and somehow she found the time during her career to make and manufacture a professional cosmetic line that is a staple in most professional kits.

Her product line is called Yaby Cosmetics and she launched her range in 2007. With an extensive color line for the eyes, lips, cheeks and face, this product is so highly pigmented you will appreciate the immediate pay off without having to reload your makeup brush. Her colors blend evenly and are so finely milled that they work into the skin with very little effort.

Yaby Cosmetics blew me away because at first, I doubted that a little tiny pan of eye shadow could provide me with such amazing quality. O ye of little faith! I should have trusted the fact that, as a professional, Liz knows exactly what products we need to have in our kits and the fact that those products need to work! She spent so much time, money and effort on this line in order to bring it to professionals, as well as consumers that I almost wanted to argue with her over the insanely affordable price!

This Pro has a huge range of products from Yaby Cosmetics in both my HDTV/Film beauty kit and my FX kit. Just one of Yaby's pre-filled eye shadows palettes contains 40 colors and I love her lip palettes because they contain 20 of the most wearable colors around and you can easily mix the colors together for a custom look.

Liz even made it easy to depot your collection of tube lipstick and put them into empty pans, which she sells and then pop them into an empty Yaby palette. No longer do we need to carry around tons of tubes in our kits and the palettes make it easy to coordinate colors for quicker application. You won't be digging around your kit, pulling off caps trying to find the lipstick color you need for that big shoot!

Same goes for eye shadows, cheek colors, powder foundations and concealers. All of these products come in pre-filled Yaby palettes or you can make your own! Plus, this line's foundations, cream and liquid, are beautiful. They blend smoothly and won't cake on the skin for a natural appearance or confidently build up the coverage with several applications if you need without the worry of a “heavy” makeup look!

Yaby Cosmetics also has a line of skin correctors and concealers, brow colors and cake liners, which this Pro uses on every single shoot. My team of makeup artists also carry an extensive array of Yaby in their kits! We wouldn't be caught dead without them on set! This line is completely customizable and the palettes are magnetic, which keeps our kits diverse and filled with color, while keeping volume to a minimum!

Yaby also makes it easy to keep a beautiful range of color in my personal makeup bag too, which means I can easily change up my look from day to night without lugging a bunch of makeup with me in my handbag!

Below are a few pictures from Yaby's color line, as well as a YouTube video from IMATS Toronto 2011 posted by MakeupTalk.com.

You can purchase Yaby directly from their website at www.YabyCosmetics.com or online from Camera Ready Cosmetics at www.camerareadycosmetics.com.

For more info on Yaby Cosmetics visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/yabycosmetics featuring more photos from magazine shoots, adverts and gorgeous makeups by Roshar!

All photos courtesy of: Yaby Cosmetics.