Make Up Artist of the Month
Interview
with Eva Marie Denst
CEO Extraordinaire of Make Up Mania
Fast Facts on Eva the CEO Extraordinaire: raised in Denver, Colorado, Bronco fan, attended the University of Bridgeport, lived in New York City, was a punk rocker, loves astronomy, owns and operates 5 different companies, has groovy taste for way cool things, and is about to take over the world of makeup, so watch out! Read about our exciting founder and CEO of the very sassy site Make Up Mania.
Tell me how you became
a makeup artist?
The
story starts when I was 5 years old and rubbed cold cream on the bathroom
walls. I got stuck in there because my hands were so greasy. I couldn't
get out and my Mom had to call a neighbor over to take off the bathroom
door so I could get out. I was in a lot of trouble. I vividly remember
that I was doing a facial! I think it was born in me. I'm kind of funny
like that. My sister and mom had makeup and I was banned from it. I loved
to play with makeup put it all over the walls and closet doors. Naturally,
for awhile, I was not allowed to play or use makeup in the house. When
I was 14 years old, I started going down to the big department stores
and buying makeup. The saleswomen would ignore me because I was a little
girl, but I would actually buy stuff. I was intrigued with makeup. I read
Vogue magazine since I was 14 years old and looked at all the pictures.
I was a full-fledged makeup junkie by age 16. I did all my friends makeup
in high school. I have had my hands in makeup literally since age 5.
What did you do after
high school?
I
went in a couple different directions. I stayed in fashion, art and design.
I booked bands, sold real estate, and designed jewelry. My training in
college was in retail and fashion merchandising. At one point in my real
estate life, I decided to go back into the retail store market. I got
a job with the May Company in downtown Denver. I was hired as the counter
manager for Ultima II Cosmetics. I started selling makeup, and doing makeovers.
That eventually led me to become the top counter manager for Ultima II.
I stayed with the department store for two years and then got bored with
it. I moved outside the retail store and became an outside sales consultant
for Aveda. I sold mainly in the salon market. I had a subconscious revelation
after working for Aveda that I would try to be my own boss. Someone asked
me along the way if you are doing exactly what you want to be doing in
5 years, what would you be doing? I said, "I'm doing film makeup around
the world."
How did you begin to
pursue that dream?
I
went around to beauty schools in Denver because I had decided to get my
Aestheticians license. I met a woman at one particular school who asked
me what I wanted to do. I told her my goal was to go to Hollywood and
become a makeup artist. She brought out a brochure for the Westmore Academy
of Cosmetic Arts. I looked at it and decided right then I would go to
Hollywood and become a makeup artist. I also found out that Marvin Westmore,
makeup artist, and director of Westmore Academy, did the makeup on "Blade
Runner". Blade Runner was my favorite movie so naturally I was sold on
attending his school. I went on to receive my Aestheticians license, and
enrolled at Westmore Academy.
What did you do after
graduating from Westmore Academy?
After
I graduated from Westmore I got on a big commercial for Nike. There, I
met Rick Geyer who is the wigmaster at the LA Opera. I began working for
the opera; I worked at a local Hollywood beauty supply, and also began
teaching for Westmore Academy. All these jobs allowed me to come and go
in case a long-term film job came along. That was great for me because
I was a budding makeup artist and I was able to make income without committing
to a full-time job. About a year after graduating from Westmore, I began
working full-time in the film industry.
How did you acquire
the teaching position at the University of Southern California?
I
was teaching at Westmore and a call came into Marvin from USC. William
Tuttle, a famous makeup artist, who taught the CNTV Makeup for Motion
Picture class at USC, had retired. It was the end of the summer and they
had not found a replacement instructor. I don't think Marvin was interested
in the position so they started asking teachers around the school. No
one else seemed to be interested, I'm not sure why because it has been
a wonderful job. I called and sent my resume and I got an interview. It
was the perfect timing. I had just returned from working on a tour with
Cloris Leachman, "Grandma Moses". USC was looking for someone who had
worked with celebrities. Cloris Leachman fit the bill, and I got the job.
You are a Union Member
in IATSE Local 706, Make Up Artists & Hair Stylists. How did you become
a member?
You
either have to be on a union film for a certain amount of days to qualify
to get in the union. You can't be on a union film unless you are in the
union so there is always this catch 22 for a non-union makeup artist.
The other way to get into the Local 706 is by tracking your non-union
days worked. I was kind of in that realm. I knew if I got on the right
film I could probably go union. A film came up that went union, called
"Boogie Nights". This job was a lot of extra work. I came in whenever
we had big calls. Boogie Nights had so many club and big party scenes.
I actually finished my 29th day and was waiting to get a call for my 30th
day. I got my 30th day and was able to join Local 706. Boogie Nights was
a wonderful film to be apart of with a great group of artists and production
team. I went down and signed up after the film, that was 3 years ago on
September 27, 1996.
Tell us about the test
for your Journeyman classification for Local 706.
I
took my union exam a year to the date I joined in 1996. Taking the test
was one of the most exciting days of my life (other than when Make Up
Mania launched). Your peers are there judging you on a test of your profession.
It is the ultimate testing situation for your craft. You have to go in
with enthusiasm and excitement!
How did you get the
idea to start Make Up Mania?
I
actually got the idea while working on Boogie Nights. I started talking
about it with someone I was working with; about retailing on the Internet,
that was in 1996. I am not sure that Make Up Mania would have worked in
96 but that's when the idea got started. I decided to create the first
professional on-line retail site. My idea was fully developed by a PR
firm in Denver and launched on June 14, 1998. I knew I wanted the site
to have a fun atmosphere. I wanted to have a store with elevators, and
floors of merchandise in a virtual store. I wanted caricature based characters
that served as personal shoppers, based on people I knew in my own life.
Mainly, I wanted a friendly, fun shopping environment.
How has Make Up Mania
changed since the launch date of June 14, 1998?
It
has been the wildest roller coaster ride! When we launched it was like
puppies being born! It was so exciting; we actually saw the first loading
of Make Up Mania on the Internet. I will never forget that day. With anything
that has creativity, ownership, and money at stake there is always a lot
of roller coaster rides. People have decided to leave the company, people
have come and gone, some have wanted to compete with Makeup Mania, and
most are intrigued with what we are trying to do. We have gained a foothold
in the community of makeup artistry, e-commerce, Internet creativity,
and have acquired a talented crew of employees. Most importantly, we have
come into our own.
How do you decide what
products to put on the page?
First
and foremost we want professionalism on the page. In Hollywood, makeup
artists are spoiled with huge amounts of supplies and unique professional
products. I wanted to get those same products out to the rest of the world.
If I was a makeup artist in another city, state or country I would want
access to these products. We have brought in standard, basic professional
products. I also want to provide a fun shopping experience and have a
niche in other realms. I built the gift floor for things like incense.
Is the product unique, will it sell and is it practical, are the determining
factors in what I choose to sell on the site. We try to keep ahead of
trends and the emails help us with that process. One thing I wanted to
offer our customers was the idea that not everything that's good is expensive.
I also believe there are some expensive things out there that are really
good. I wanted to mix both of those ideas together.
What is your biggest
selling product?
La
Femme is one of our biggest sellers, also Professional Artists' Brushes,
and girLActik (anything glitter).
What are your favorite
products?
I
always like the new products. One line that I think is really cool is
the Solar F/X. No one can resist the color-changing nail polishes. And
I recently fell in love with their "Overexposed" lipstick - it goes on
so smoothly & it's a fabulous color!
What's a day in the
life of Eva the CEO of Make Up Mania like?
I'm
a CEO because I started the company and because I'm an entrepreneur. I
have always had that entrepreneurial spirit in me. But being an entrepreneur
doesn't prepare you for management, personnel, art dept., etc. A lot of
my job is filling in the niches of what doesn't get done. In the morning,
I come in and check to see where our orders are and make sure the bills
get paid. There is a little bit of time each day when I get to supervise
where Make Up Mania is going.
Give us your secret
to becoming an entrepreneur.
Whatever
we do in life teaches us to do something. My life is a culmination of
all the things I used to do: booking punk rock bands, designing jewelry,
selling real estate. All these things helped me to create and develop
Make Up Mania. Everything in life is a training experience. Take all your
life experiences and put it together with what you truly love. The hardest
thing is to trust yourself to go out and do it. Have the courage to make
that step and say, "I can do it". It takes a huge amount of ego to go
and do it and a lot humbleness to not step on valuable support around
you. Balancing the creative chaos and the straight objectivity is an art
- the true entrepreneurial spirit! And always get good people around you.
I love the crew here, I am so lucky!
What are your personal
career goals as CEO for the millennium?
My
goals are:
- Retain the creativity with my staff. Let everyone here grow and obtain their goals so they can become what they want within the millennium.
- My technology goal is understand where we are going as a company moving into better systems, accessing 4th generation websites and understanding how much is out there and use it to our benefit.
- A personal goal is to have my own office. And spend more time creatively managing Make Up Mania vs. the day-to-day busy work.
Back to main page of the Make Up Mania Crew's InterviewsBack to Vanna in the Valley
Other Star Interviews:
Michael Burnett
Marietta Carter-Narcisse
Marvin Westmore
Eva Marie Denst
Ian Goodwin
Melinda Douglas
Art Anthony
Gregory Arlt
Beckie Kravetz
Douglas Noe
Karen Westerfield
Tina K
Rick Geyer
