O
to use the ladies room. While I was winding
my way through the store, my mom talked
to a few makeup reps in cosmetics. By the
time I came back from the restroom, an
employee of Bloomingdale’s corporate
was there to meet me. After talking for
a bit, they hired me on the spot to work
their new cosmetics counter, Glowhaus. I
couldn’t believe it! School, housing and a
job in four days.”
Over the course of the next two years,
Chloee says her life in New York City has
been one of working hard and being ready
for anything. She completed her education
at Makeup-Designory in seven months
and then landed a job with Pat McGrath
Labs, the makeup line created by legendary
editorial and runway makeup artist, Pat
McGrath, whose company is valued at $1
billion. Chloee has also taken on some
freelance makeup artist jobs, which is helping to get her
name noticed in the industry.
“I’ve been so lucky to work for Pat McGrath Labs,
promoting and using her products on some of my jobs. And
this year, I also won the 2019 Battle of the Brushes at the
IMATs. It’s the International Make-Up Artist Trade Show
and is the world’s largest celebration of makeup artistry.
I won first place in the beauty competition for Make-up
Designory. I hand painted my model from head to toe and
created the look in two hours. It was so thrilling to win.”
As part of her prize, Chloee assisted a top makeup artist
in the industry for a BAZAAR Magazine photo shoot, was
featured on IMATs social media, and won $1,000.
Currently, Chloee is working for NARS Cosmetics,
representing and endorsing their products while continuing
to freelance on evening and weekends.
“My goal is to be good at everything, natural make-up,
special effects, wedding, glam, all of it. I want to be very
well rounded and work in multiple mediums, from TV and
n the verge of becoming a
full-time student at Robert
Morris University, 2017
West Allegheny High School
graduate, Chloee Borgialli, had a nagging
feeling college was not her destiny. The
daughter of two artist parents—as well
one in her own right—she wanted to
pursue her dream of working in the
makeup industry. Just two years later,
Chloee is living her best life so far and
creating beautiful faces along the way.
“I had an amazing upbringing,”
says Chloee, from her office at NARS
Cosmetics in Manhattan. “I lived with my
mom most of the time, but spent summers
with my dad in Wyoming. It’s definitely
Chloee Borgialli
been a guiding force in developing my
artistic style, which is a combination of
urban and country.”
A dancer since age two, Chloee remembers her mother
allowing her to wear makeup at a very young age and even
doing her makeup for her for competitions—until the age
of eight.
“We had gotten into an argument because my false
eyelashes kept falling off. Since then, I’ve been doing my
own makeup. After I stopped dancing, I started doing
makeup for my dancer friends on the side. It was a lot of
fun and I knew I wanted to become a professional makeup
artist.”
Chloee also remembers the day she convinced her mom
to go to New York City instead of college.
“I basically begged her to let me try,” says Chloee. “She
was very hesitant about it but relented and told me we
could spend four days there, but I had to secure housing, a
job and enroll in makeup artist school. If I didn’t secure all
three, we were headed back to Pittsburgh.
It was a whirlwind, but in the first two days, I enrolled at
Makeup-Designory and found housing through the school.
It was such a relief, but finding a job was difficult. On the
final day of our visit, we were walking down the street
headed to our hotel when we stopped into Bloomingdales
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“
“
New Yorkers are not a sympathetic crowd, and anyone who’s
lived here has gone through the trenches and worked really hard
to get where they are, which is what I’m doing.”
WEST ALLEGHENY
❘
FALL 2019
15