9 Questions with Johnny Lavoy

How long have you been doing makeup and hair? OK I already see where this is going. I started in the business over 20 yrs ago . Yes, I was just 5 yrs old. lol

How did you get started? It all started when I was about 10. I got a haircut that i could not restyle when i got home. So my mom took me back to the Barber and told him to teach me how to style my hair. I guess she got tired of me complaining every morning. I learned how to style my hair so well that, when the same thing happened to my sister It was me who had to wake up every morning and Do her hair. And that was the start of my career . I knew hair was my passion at that point. I found out that in order to get a license, you had to have your 9th grade education. So that's when I started to train.I won a bunch of competitions while i was in high school and took a job for a product company doing platform work at the age of 18. I was doing shows over the country. I became friends with the make up artist that worked with us. And that's where my interest in make up started.

How does the preparation process differ for you when you are doing hair or makeup? Well actually the prep is pretty much same for both. The first thing I do is research. I try to gather as much information about the job as possible. If its working with a celebrity for the first time I go right to wiremage.com and gettyimages.com to see them made up at different recent events. If its a editorial I try to get a idea of what the team is thinking in terms of a story and research appropriately.

What is the last trip you took for pleasure? Well I kinda cheated. This Summer I went to Italy to do Giuliana's wedding.[Depandi-Rancic's, host of E!News] So I went a week early to enjoy Rome. So it was a work/pleasure trip.

What is the last trip you took for work? I guess that would be The Makeup Show Miami. But I was also in Mexico and Turks and Caicos within a three week period. All good trips for a cold February!

What one makeup product can you not live without? This is hard . But I guess moisturizers because if the skin looks healthy you almost don't need anything else.

In one word, can tell me something about yourself that few people know? A.D.D

Is there one thing you do for every makeup application? Yes. Groom brows. If the brows are a mess it throws off my Mo Jo.

What are you doing tomorrow? I recently reconnected with a old classmate. I learned that she is now teaching hair at the school we graduated from. I also learned that 5 of the students qualified to compete this competition called Skills USA. It was the same competition that I won over 20 yrs ago that launched what would become my career. I asked to meet the students that are going to Skills USA and offered to help them - she was saying that they use me as an example of what you can accomplish with hard work and determination - and they love that i work with famous people - lol. So, tomorrow I am going to the school to coach the kids for their big competition before I have to go to the Salon. It feels so good to able to give back and help the artist of tomorrow try to get to another level. So wish them all luck....

Join Johnny Lavoy at The Makeup Show NYC May 18 and 19. Johnny will be presenting Bridal and Event Makeup - a hands-on workshop open exclusively to attendees of the show. Additional fees apply for hands-on events. You can also see him at The Powder Group booth thorughout the day Monday May 19 www.themakeupshow.com

9 Questions with Chad Hayduk

What made you want to be a makeup artist?
As a kid, I was always fascinated by monster makeup and forensics. My dad used to buy me lots of books on monsters and my favorite toy was my "Hugo- Man of 1000 Faces" doll...sort of the Barbie head for boys! You would glue all sorts of fun things like eye balls, hair pieces and moustaches on him.

How did you, Trae and Scott [Hodge and Catto] come up with the concept of Three Custom Color? As makeup artists, we were never satisfied with the colors that were available to us and we often had to blend our own. With the custom end of our business, we could than make any color we desired. In addition, we decided to create a multi-functional Ready to Wear line of products that could be embraced by ALL- regardless of skin tone, age or skin type.

What is the most memorable project you've been asked to do last week I keyed makeup and hair for the movie A Four Letter Word that one of mydearest friends wrote and starred in. I got to design crazy drag makeup, use lots of sparkle and because of the long hours and tight schedule had to really put my concealing and blending abilities to the test.

Do you feel being a man in the makeup industry has helped or hindered you? It has definitely helped! Women tend to feel more comfortable working with a man for some reason- especially a gay man!

What excites you about a project? I love the creative process, brainstorming and collaboration. My mind goes a million miles a minute when approached with a new project. I find inspiration everywhere I go. Traveling the world have been the biggest influence on my work.

What is the last makeup job you worked on? For fashion week, I keyed the Carlos Campos and K-Swiss fashion shows, I just wrapped a movie called Between Love and Goodbye and am doing some design work for Julianna Margulies new TV show, Canterbury's Law.

What is the one biggest mistake artist make when doing men's makeup? Men should never look like they are "wearing makeup." I have seen many guys with too much color on the skin whether it be foundation, bronzer or lip color. They really just need to be cleaned up, groomed, concealed and powdered where needed. A little bronzer is great but don't make it look like blush. And watch the mascara- most guys have good lashes and don't need any!

Can you tell me one thing that people won't know about Three Custom Color? That my two partners, Trae and Scott, and I were club kids when we met in College!

What's your favorite color? I love all color but I would have to say the truly indescribable aqua blue that is color of the water in the Maldives.

You can check out more about Chad's thoughts on Men's Grooming at www.threecustom.com Then meet Scott in person at The Makeup Show NYC - May 18 and 19 at Metropolitan Pavilion.
www.themakeupshow.com

Perchance to Dream

We all have dreams - relationship dreams, career dreams, lifestyle dreams.

Over time, some of those dreams turn into our goals, and some of those goals turn into our realities.

The difference between these three states of our ideas can be marked by many factors - but two of the most important ones I have found in my life are determination and passion. Determination to do whatever it takes and work as hard as one has to, in order to turn dreams into realities; passion so strong that it gives you energy when you are exhausted, faith when you feel doubtful and such pride in what you are accomplishing that nothing can stop you. Today, on the occasion of my 41st birthday, I have found myself thinking about the people I have known in my life who are living the reality of their dreams.

I think of my friend Johnny who, when we first met 20 years ago, spoke of opening his own salon and working as a makeup artist and hairstylist around the world. Johnny recently bought a building to which he relocated his existing salon, and has expanded into a beautiful new full spa and salon. He is also now represented by one of the top artist agencies in New York working on celebrity clients across the globe.

I think of my friend Jack who, when we met working on a charity benefit 14 years ago, had only just begun to seriously explore moving from his work as a prominent CPA into his long term goal of producing theater. This past year Jack celebrated his first Tony Award win as one of the producers on a huge Broadway hit and has moved on to produce not only theater but film projects.

I think of my friend Kimberly who I met over 10 years ago as she was running one of the most respected businesses in the beauty industry and who left to begin her new path as the owner of her own marketing businesses around the time I started my own business. Kimberly's business has evolved into the development of a new area of business, and she is currently in the midst of launching one of the most exciting new concepts in the salon and retail industries.

These are only three of many - but three that come to mind first when I think of those people I know who understand the difference between dreaming and doing. These three friends understand that in order to reach your realities you have to be willing to evolve - to allow the changes in your life that you didn’t anticipate, to lead you in a direction you may not have expected. They understand that they are likely going to work too much; that they need to surround themselves with people who support their goals, share their vision and are excited to see their dreams become realities; and that they have to expect some mistakes along the way. They also have some other things in common - they also done the work that was required, and expected nothing to be handed to them without earning it. Tthey have asked for what they have needed, worked hard to gain the respect of those in their industry and each have a high level of personal and professional integrity. They also understand that there is risk in any dream.

I also think about my own goals when I was a student at University, how they changed when I began my career in the makeup industry, and how they evolved even further as I started my company - The Powder Group. I think of the 12 to 18 hour days I now work, the 7 day work week and the long time that has passed since I had a real vacation. I think of the work done on holidays and, yes even on my birthday. I think of the goals I have had since I was younger, some of them personal some professional, and the ones that I have been able to turn into realties, and that it is those same things that Johnny, Jack and Kimberly understand that have helped me reach some of my most lofty goals.

But for every one of my realized dreams, there are many more - both personal and professional - that have yet to come. As I celebrate the beginning of another year, I also celebrate the accomplishments of my first 41 years as I look to the future and to what’s next, I have finally begun to understand why the hard work all feels so absolutely right, where I get the balance to be able to make it all work, and how I can begin to move toward my next reality. I have realized that the work doesn’t get easier as you reach a goal and move onto another - there is just more work to do, and perhaps a different way to do it and that evolving your career, your life and your relationships is an essential part of growth. That for every foggy horizon there is an unknown shore waiting for you to take your first step onto unspoiled ground - a step that can lead to many paths - just so long as you have the perseverance and patience to wait for the fog to clear and the path to become apparent.

I think of the times when people have said to me “you need to make time for yourself” - and that all this time I have been missing the proper response to that comment. The truth is this is all time for myself. When your life is filled with your dreams and your work is your passion, every bit of work and every long day becomes for you, and the next reality is simply a little more hard work away.

Michael DeVellis