Meet Megan
Hi, I’m Megan. It’s great to see you here!
I have been a fan of visual arts for as long as I can remember, in fact it was my original plan for my future. Drawing & painting; specifically portraits, were my life until one day a few girls that I peer tutored in art asked if I would do their makeup for prom. I had always loved makeup, but I had only ever done my own makeup & a friend’s here and there; but I said sure, why not! I discovered I had a true passion for makeup artistry & began my journey into the social media space of creative makeup. It was a wonderful balance of the art I had held so dearly to my heart & something that was far less stressful in it’s permanence. If I didn’t like it; take it off & try again! After falling in love with makeup artistry & taking clients whenever I could; I decided it would be in my best interest to complete some schooling around my subject matter. I completed a 3 year program to gain my title of “Master International Makeup Professional” with QC Career School (Makeup Academy) in Ottawa. Although I still consider myself self-taught, it never hurts to have the word “Certified” in your bio (hehe).
Proms & graduations were my most booked appointments in my early years; creating colourful & sparkly looks to match specific personal styles & dresses. Meanwhile balancing 1-2 creative makeup looks a week to get my name out there. I slowly started to trickle my way into the wedding space; which is now my area of expertise. I have been working as a Freelance Makeup Artist in Quinte West, Prince Edward County & more for over 5 years; helping clients achieve their makeup dreams one appointment at a time… and I have nothing but lovely & gracious things to say about this job. My career is so beyond rewarding & I couldn’t have done any of it without you. To every person who liked a photo, shared a post & mentioned my name, thank you. To all of you who have so kindly welcomed me into your home with open arms & respected me as a person as well as a service provider, I appreciate you more than you know. And after all of the ups & downs over the past few years, I am forever grateful that you all allow me to still be here, painting faces.
Prep is important!
Makeup is a collaborative effort, & I want you to start out fully prepared! As much as I love taking creative control - I want your makeup to feel like you. Here are a few things you should know before you attend your appointment!
Please arrive with your hair tucked away from your face; I do have dent-less clips to secure any stubborn pieces if necessary! This ensures I can blend makeup down the neck & into the hairline.
Wear something you don’t mind getting a little face powder on & that you can easily take off when makeup is completed! Tank tops, zip ups, tie up robes or button down shirts work best!
Please ensure you have a clean base to start off with. Although I do wipe down the skin to cleanse any surface oil, I do not have the time set aside to remove a full face of makeup or stubborn mascara. Show up makeup free & ready for skincare!
If you have any photos of yourself in makeup that you particularly liked, inspiration photos of makeup looks, pictures of what you will be wearing, your jewellery, your hairstyle, etc,. please feel free to show me ahead of time or right when you sit in my chair! All of this info will help me a create a look that flows smoothly with your personal style, your outfit of choice or the setting for the day!
Be prepared to answer questions about your skin, as well as preferences for makeup. I may ask you questions along the lines of; What’s your skin type? Where do you get the most oily/dry? What do you typically wear for makeup on a night out? Do you have a preference about the tone or colour of your eyeshadow? Are you a silver or gold girl? What kind of coverage would you like on the skin? What colour of lipstick do you typically gravitate towards? And so on. All of these questions help me gage what kind of makeup look you are looking for. Even if you don’t have a solid answer for me, even throwing out a like or dislike can help me gage what directions to head with your specific look & it doesn’t go unnoticed when this preparation has been done in advance.
If you have any allergies, skin conditions, ingredient/product sensitivities, viral or bacterial infections (such as cold sores, pink eye, styes, etc) please inform me ahead of time. There is absolutely no shame in sharing this information; it is extremely important for the safety of yourself & others to advise your artist ahead of time so that they can take the proper sanitary protocols & safety measures to avoid any cross contamination or the spread of any ailments.
Posture, please!
Getting your makeup done can be an extremely relaxing experience for many of us; as it should be! But keep in mind your body & head posture when getting worked on by a professional artist. Sitting up & forward in the makeup chair will ensure we can reach the most detailed areas of the face without causing extra strain on our backs. Personally, I tell my clients to sit forward for me, for their head to be up & as level as possible (no sleepy heads around here!). I will always ask my clients to close their eyes, to keep their eyes closed when liner is drying, or to look up/down when necessary. Don’t feel stressed about not knowing how to sit “properly” in a makeup chair, I will kindly let you know of what I need from you to complete my best work possible!
Hygiene
As a makeup artist, cleanliness is incredibly important in creating a safe environment & application for your clients. These are a few of the protocols I follow to ensure the utmost sanitary practices for my clients.
No double dipping; no applicator that is re-dipped into a product is used on a clients skin. Product is either dispensed using the applicator to a clean palette or the back of a sanitized hand, or using a disposable applicator that can be applied to the skin & then thrown away. No applicator should touch the product again after touching the face.
Cream products; cream formulas can harbour bacteria in a way that powder products do not, therefore I never dip into a cream product unless with a clean brush or spatula to be dispensed rather than to re-dip. This goes for all cream bronzers, blushes, liquid foundations, concealers, etc - all must be dispensed or pumped out to a clean surface.
Powder products; all powder eyeshadows, bronzers, highlighters, face powders, etc are wiped down & saturated with 70% alcohol to ensure cleanliness.
Lip Liner; lip liner can be used on clients but must be immediately sharped & soaked in 70% alcohol to sanitize. Essentially you are cutting off any of the product that touched skin, ensuring a clean surface every time. If a client has a viral/bacterial infection, disposable applicators & one dip methods are necessary. I never use a lip liner, or eyeshadow brush on affected areas.
Lipstick; all lipstick have been de-potted from their original packaging - no bullet will ever touch a clients lip! Liquid lipstick & glosses are dispensed before application.
Brushes & Tools
I first will wipe off any stubborn product from my brushes or palettes using rubbing alcohol & paper towel. This takes off any excess oily product; lipstick on spatulas, mascara on lash fans, foundation on palettes, etc. I then set up my assembly line of brushes, with a bucket load of antibacterial Dawn dish soap! I go through this stuff like crazy! Dish soap is tough enough to cut through the oils in makeup, while gentle enough on my brush bristles to keep them in great shape. I was the entirely of the brush; bristles & handle included. For a little extra care, I will occasionally do an extra dip into a hair conditioner to keep bristles soft & maintained. Once brushes are rinsed, I typically like to towel dry them to remove any excess water. I will take Lysol wipes to give a good wipe down to all brush handles & metal tools. Then I like to do a quick dip to saturate the bristles in either 70% alcohol or Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner (which kills 99% of bacteria). I lay them flat to dry on a drying mat & paper towels, then sort & store away in my brush buddy by style & function. Voila!
Did you know that I bring enough sets of brushes to every job to have a full set per person? On average I carry around 10+ sets of brushes with me to every location. That means 10 foundation brushes, 10 pairs of tweezers, 10 lip brushes and so on and so forth. This to ensure that I never use the same brush on more than one client. After using a set of brushes on a client, I section them off into plastic bags to be taken home & cleansed later! This saves the both of us time on jam packed days & ensures a fresh set of brushes for every client that sits in my chair.
Touch Up Kits
Did you know that every individual service over $80 comes with a complimentary touch up kit? My touch up kits (more like mini emergency kits) are put together, by me with the utmost love & care. Each kit contains:
blotting sheets to take away excess shine
powder puff (pre-loaded with powder)
sample size of the lip colour I used on you during your appointment
gum & floss
tissues (duh!)
makeup wipe (or cleansing balm with request)
wet wipe
bandaid
paper straw to keep your lips untouched
All of my brides receive a full size lip product matching the colour I used during application. A lipstick will always be included & a lipgloss will be added if gloss is requested during trial run.
Luxury samples are kept in my bag at all times. If you have a product question, don’t be afraid to ask! I may just have a special something for you to try out!
Booking Policies
To secure your appointment a non-refundable deposit is required. Deposits are calculated based on the particular booking & service cost. Individual bookings begin at a $20 non-refundable deposit; for bridal services expect a deposit in the $200 range. These funds are deducted from your total cost & you will be left with a remaining balance. All deposits are non-refundable & non-transferrable unless stated otherwise. If cancellation occurs, deposit will be retained. Appointments are not held without payment. The remaining balance of the service is due on the date of completion.
