Celebrity Make-up Artists

As I sit here at my computer, printing classroom stuff for my wife, the TV drones on in the background. A rerun of "Criminal Minds" ends and an infomercial comes on, touting some "miracle" cosmetic product being sold by a "celebrity make-up artist" that I have never heard of. 

God, how I hate the term, "celebrity make-up artist." 

We are make-up artists. We often work with celebrities. That is what we do. If we gain some modicum of fame for our association with a celebrity, well, that's pretty nice. 

But, we are not celebrities. I call bullshit on any make-up artist who pretends otherwise. 

Infomercial "celebrity make-up artists" are the modern day version of old timey snake oil salesmen. Selling the same old products, hyped by competent publicists. 

A while back, while in Las Vegas for the Daytime Emmys, I ran into a minor celebrity and her make-up artist in an elevator. The minor celebrity informed me that her make-up artist aspired to be a "celebrity make-up artist," and "could I give her some advice?"

My advice was thus...

"Do not aspire to be a 'celebrity make-up artist.' Aspire to be the best make-up artist that you can be. Aspire to help your clients to become glamorous celebrities. And when and if that happens, enjoy your association with your celebrity client. But, do not mistake your client's celebrity for your own."

I continued...

"If you want to be a celebrity, become a successful actor, yourself. Or, you know, star in a viral sex tape. That worked for Paris and Kim." 

"But, if you want success as a make-up artist, eschew "celebrity" and embrace the success of continual employment."

That is all I have to say about that.