LEANNA HALE continued from page 38
“The main quality about Airbrush is the
finish; it’s very smooth, you can make it
light or heavy. It goes on top of the skin so it
doesn’t really clog pores,” says Hale.
Airbrush paints cost around $300 just
to get started. With the character photo
shoots, one color of airbrush paint isn’t
enough to create Hale’s desired look, hence
the hefty total price tag.
With regular makeup, Hale looks for
consistency and the degree of pigment in
the foundation. She frequents Sephora, and
favors brands such as Kat Von D, MAC, and
Clinique. Some clients prefer makeup that
is ultra-pigmented and some prefer makeup
that is not so pigmented. “If it has a lot of
pigment in it, it might be a little less easy to
blend,” says Hale.
Hale will sometimes create a base coat
with regular makeup first before applying
airbrush makeup, maximizing the makeup’s
wear time.
Before the actual day of shooting, Hale
practices her looks on the models first. Hale
uses Pinterest and other research to collect
inspiration, but some ideas of hers have no
existing visual guidance. “Sometimes I have
something in my head that I want to do, but
it’s not out there so I have to practice it to
achieve it,” says Hale.
Recreating the same look completely,
from practice to photo shoot, can be
challenging.
Hale reveals that there is more to the
Monster Girl concept that she wants to
add on. In the future, she hopes to create a
beach setting, with the monster character
in the sand, and another at a local snow
cone parlor, with the monster’s snow cone
overflowing with fake brains. “These
little ideas pop in my head,” says Hale.
“Sometimes I never get to them, but they’re
still there. They’re waiting.” i
See Leanna Hale’s Pin-up Zombie Monster
Girl Series on YouTube.
SAMMI MCKEE continued from page 40
Sammi’s makeup artistry on
models during Fashion Week
was featured in both Vogue
and Forbes and she was invited
back to style models’ makeup
February, March, and April of
2016 in New York’s, Los Angeles’
and Atlanta’s Fashion Weeks,
respectively.
Fashion Week requires a
fast-paced, demanding level of
work from designers, models,
hair and makeup stylists, and
everyone else involved. One
model, having been awake and
walking in shows since 4 a.m.,
couldn’t even manage to stay
awake in the makeup chair. “She
kept falling asleep, and I was
holding her head and putting on
the eyeliner,” says Sammi.
Back home, Sammi also
does makeup for photo shoots,
magazines, and engagement
and wedding photos. This past
42
INSITE FEBRUARY 2016
November, Sammi had a tear
sheet for the retro and modern
pin-up themed magazine
Delicious Dolls and will also
have another one in February.
Sammi is most known for
doing an intense smoky eye,
though she’s able to tone it down
for her neutral-inclined clients.
“More dramatic makeup is the
way I tend to lean, and I guess
it’s really worked out with the
high fashion because it’s super
dramatic,” says Sammi.
Sammi shares a space at Sola
Salons Studios with makeup
artist Leanna Hale, with whom
she collaborates often for
weddings and other events.
The two do their own separate
photo shoots with other artists.
“We always come back together
and bounce things off of one
another,” says Sammi.
After years of makeup and
hair styling, Sammi is able
to visualize what would look
best on a client in her chair by
considering the shape of their
face, eyes, lips, and personal
preference. “You have to learn
how to help them tweak it and
make it fit them,” says Sammi.
While 90 percent of her
daily work is performing highdefinition color on her clients,
Sammi also works on men’s hair
and even beard trimming as
part of her repertoire.
Sammi also speaks at events
in the community, including a
Texas A&M University sorority
fashion show and various high
schools. She explains how she
didn’t always have approval
from others of what she’s doing
as an artist. “Now the same
people that were the ones
telling me, ‘You shouldn’t, you
shouldn’t’ are now the ones
telling me, ‘Oh my God, that’s so
great, I can’t believe it.’”
After experiencing life in
New York for fashion week,
Sammi says she fell in love with
the city. Once her youngest
daughter graduates from high
school and is settled in college,
Sammi plans to move to New
York to continue doing makeup,
hair styling, and collaborating
with photographers and other
artists for photo shoots. “I
always knew that I wanted
something more than living in
a small town,” says Sammi. “I
wanted to be more than what I
was supposed to settle for.” i