I Went Viral!

Nothing to do with makeup - but on my other YouTube channel. It's called SpaceLisaa and it's where I post my personl videos. As you know, I'm currently living in Vancouver. We love our hockey here, and June 15th was the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver lost.

Riots happen all over the world and for a whole host of different reasons. The riot on June 15th was initiated by a group of people who specifically set out to start a riot and were fueled by drunken teenage boys and angry bludgering idiots. They got caught up in testosterone and mob mentality, reasoning that because all hell had already broken loose this was their one chance to tap into their primative instincts and destroy everything with no consequence. How very wrong they were. In the age of social media, people like myself who were downtown that afternoon captured the violence on camera. My fiance and I each had a camcorder and between the two cameras, I was able to put together a compilation of the riot:

Part of the reason the video went viral was because I edited it immediately after arriving home. I had it uploaded to YouTube by 5:30 am the next morning and posted links on a few riot related facebook pages. As of today this video has 262,534 views. Unfortunately someone else decided to steal the last portion of my video (three girls defending their BMW) and upload it to their youtube channel. It was removed due to copyright but only after he'd reeled in a quarter million views. I have the same clip on my channel and between both of my videos I've got 435,832 total upload views. If you add the copyrighted video that means that this footage has been watched about 750,000 times. Pretty crazy, eh?

So what happens when a video goes viral?

Not much, but I had three things come of it: First, I got a phone call from the Washington Post in Washington DC, wanting to do a phone interview. Aleksandr and I were then featured in this article. Secondly, I got an invitation from Youtube to form a partnership for the video. I chose not to, only because I didn't want it to get flagged as inappropriate - I want everyone to be able to watch it without having to sign in to YouTube. I wouldn't have considered this except that the clip of the girls defending their car got flagged, and it's the same video! Thirdly, I got an email from MTV Canada asking for permission to use some of my footage in a show they aired called Impact: Riot!. Check it out, my name is in the credits! The opinions of some of the people on that show really pissed me off though. The Vancouver riots were NOT about an underlying political corruption, or making a stand against unemployment in Vancouver! Dumbasses.

Next step: Make Fillabula go viral! Haha. I did get an unexpected email this morning from YouTube offering a partnership for my Fillabula channel, which I found extremely bizarre. Especially since it's for the whole channel, not just the video. My one lonely upload so far (my Witch Elf video) has only has 9,681 views... hardly anything in YouTube world.

So far just setting the stage for more to come, hopefully I can entertain a few people with what I do, even if it is just my friends and family for now =)

Ciao <3

Lisa

A Lesson in Skin Care

Guess what? ...I got the job at the spa! It's a high end beauty and health establishment offering medical grade skin care solutions. The amount of information that I need to absorb is a little overwhelming, but I love it. Since things are slow in the way of makeup, I'll take a couple of minutes and talk about skincare instead.

Most importantly, Sunscreen is necessary if you want to avoid premature aging. You need a broad spectrum formula that offers UVA and UVB protection with an SPF above 15 - but preferably 30. Make sure you get up close and personal with the vulnerable skin around the eye area! And no, not all sunscreens feel greasy and smell like sunscreen.

A decent cleanser followed by a toner will remove makeup, impurities, and excess oils; exfoliate dead skin cells; and balance PH levels. If you have oily/combination skin, choose a foam or a gel cleanser. If you have dry skin, choose a cream cleanser.

Vitamin C serum is the secret to an effective anti-aging regime. Every day our skin is exposed to the environment: radiation from the sun, air pollution, cosmetics, etc. This exposure causes the outermost protective layer to deteriorate over time, allowing oxygen to penetrate into the deeper, more susceptible tissues. The molecules deep in your skin will start to oxidize and release free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that bond with surrounding molecules which in turn become unstable - creating a chain effect resulting in loss of elasticity, slower cell turnover, fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and irregular cell behavior.

Vitamin C (a.k.a. L. Ascorbic acid), is an anti-oxidant and collagen booster. It will prevent the oxidation of surrounding cells and neutralize existing free radicals while increasing the production of collagen. It is most effective as a serum because liquid is absorbed deeper into the tissues than a cream or a gel, which are both solid state. Be sure to press the serum into your skin with your fingers each morning after cleansing and toning. If you use Vitamin C you will notice improvement in overall skin tone and texture, but bear in mind that not all Vitamin C formulas are created equal. Serums that contain L. Ascorbic acid in its rawest form are the most effective as opposed to brands that claim Vitamin C but dilute their formulas with a base, upsetting the natural PH balance of the skin.

Exfoliation is an important step in improving skin texture and Retinol Treatments are superb exfoliators. Retinol is a form of Vitamin A that will resurface the skin by sloughing off dead cells, which encourages regeneration of new cells. It also accelerates the production of collagen and elastin, kills bacteria, and helps heal wounds. Acne is caused when dead skin cells fall into pores and cause irritation - since retinol removes the dead skin cells, it also helps clear up acne. It's a very potent treatment so you will probably notice your skin starting to peel slightly after a day or two. This is supposed to happen - it means the process is working. Start off doing a retinol exfoliation once per week and work up your resistance from there. Apply the retinol at night after cleansing and toning, but before moisturizing. When you're on retinol, it's extremely important that you use sun protection every day as you will experience increased photosensitivity. You'll notice a clearer, brighter, smoother complexion and reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, and discolouration; especially if you use retinol in conjunction with Vitamin C.

And finally, moisturizer. You'll need to moisturize each day and night for optimal results - this will help nourish and hydrate the skin and retain moisture and elasticity. You'll notice softer, more comfortable skin and smoother makeup. Maintaining a high natural moisture factor in skin cells is important because you want to avoid transepidermal water loss, which will result in skin irritation and sensitivity.

These are the products I'm using right now for basic preventative skin care: sunscreen, cleanser, toner, Vitamin C serum, routine retinol treatment, and moisturizer. I could go into more detail with peels, masques, facials, eye creams, skin lighteners, glycolic acids, acne treatments, etc... but I'm still learning and I already feel as though I've just written a prologue for a textbook, or an infomercial; take your pick. The moral of the story? Make sure you get your Vitamin C, boys and girls.

Ciao <3

Lisa

The Film Industry is Redonkulous

I'm in a bit of a dilemma.

I can be a terribly indecisive person. I really struggle over choosing the right course of action. Well, I've just been interviewed for a part time job at a spa - this is my first job application sans Miles: my ex-manager who was giving me an undeserved shit employment reference. I'm really excited because this job would import some stability into in my life and allow me to learn professional skin care. I'd be able to work on some makeup gigs and my own projects on my days off, which would be perfect. In the meantime, I've just completed my first day of three weeks' demo work for Maybelline. It was, um... alright, I suppose. I don't know if I'll be able to make it through the next three weeks of Walmart, though.

So that's all fine and dandy, but then tonight I was looking at Craigslist and came across a posting seeking a Makeup Artist with experience applying lace hair pieces. Food, travel, and accommodation would be covered plus a day rate comparative with lower-tier union rates. That's a good job. Involving travel. It pays well. I want that job, but I can't have it if I keep the Maybelline job. On one hand, I would probably make invaluable industry connections. On the other hand, I need income, and I hate backing out of something once I've committed to it. How am I supposed to work in the film industry and make contacts plus enough money to pay the rent? How do I know which opportunities are worth losing my day job over? I've decided to pass this one up and keep the Maybelline job, which might have been the wrong decision, but I will never know. Maximum frustration, right there.

Another dilemma:

Have you heard of a show called "Face Off" that runs on the Syfi and Space Channels? Special effects makeup artists compete in a series of challenges and their makeups are judged by some of the industry's finest. I really want to be part of that show. They just announced a second season yesterday and my adrenaline hit the ceiling - I started planning my audition tape and everything. Then I read through the fine print and realized that you have to be a U.S. resident to enter. My adrenaline proceeded to fall to the floor.

I emailed the casting and asked if there was any way they would consider allowing a Canadian. After all, Conor, the first season's winner, was apparently from Ontario (Although he might have had duel citizenship or something). The response I got from them was that they were considering changing it, however at the time the casting was only open to U.S. residents. They clarified that you didn't have to be a citizen, just had to be living in the U.S. 

Now what do I do? Do I go through all the effort to make an audition tape anyway, and hope that maybe they might accept my entry? I know the chance I'll ever be on that show is practically non-existant. Sometimes being Canadian sure has it's disadvantages, eh?

Ciao <3

Lisa

Roadbumps and Candyland

Well kids, looks like Comic-Con will not be happening this year. We decided to refund our passes since we were unable to get tickets for the Saturday. I like to think of this project as postponed rather than cancelled - I still have big plans for Comic-Con and fully intend to see them through completion. That chapter will just have to come a little later now.

In other news, I am engaged to my boyfriend and we are starting to think about planning our wedding! As exciting as this is we are going to have to keep it on the back burner while I focus on my job search, which has in fact taken an unexpected twist recently. I have had so many positive interviews where I was sure I'd gotten the job, however they have always fallen through in the end. While I figured this was a normal product of our current economy, my apparent incompetance was still getting on my nerves so my mom suggested that I recruit someone to call my previous employer to see what sort of reference he was giving me.

I worked with Lordco Auto Parts for almost three years fresh out of high school. I was a very good cashier, and after two years was promoted to head cashier. I had a decent amount of responsibility preparing the daily balance paperwork, working out discrepencies, and basically managing the cash department. I also had a really good track record for sales: I ranked high in company-wide sales incentives a number of times, winning gift cards and vacations in the process. My performance reviews had always been positive.

I had a friend of mine who runs his own business offer to call my ex-manager as if he were considering hiring me for a sales position with his company. Well - Miles gave me quite the manipulative review. It was generally positive, but he worked in that I was "absent-minded", that he would not rehire me for sales, only as a cashier, and that I was "a different type of person". What is that supposed to mean anyway, that I am a "different" type of person? Different from whom? This was completely unexpected to me; however after talking with a few of my old co-workers I discovered that Miles had apparently taken to badmouthing his former employees and that I was not the only one who had experienced this type of petty injustice. That's pretty low, hey?

I immediately removed his name from my resume and have since been hired for a temporary position with a marketing company as a demo artist for Maybelline and I'll be promoting their new Fit Me line in Wal-Marts across the lower mainland of British Columbia. It's for three weeks, four days a week, and I start tomorrow.


Things are looking brighter already, and I've been having lots of fun doing Model Mayhem photoshoots with my soon-to-be-sister-in-law, who is very pretty and likes to model. With more job searching and a trip to Calgary for my Gramdpa's 80th birthday coming up, and eventually a wedding on the horizon, there is a lot to look forward to (and I still need to make time for my side projects!).

Ciao <3

Lisa

Rainy Days in February

February is over, and another month has been checked off the calendar for 2011. This has not been the most glamourous month for me, that's for sure. Now I know I had anticipated posting the video where I turn my mom 21 again by Valentines day, but I encountered some problems. Where to begin? I overlooked the temperature of my oven, accidentally baking my molds out at 450 degrees. They didn't crack (because they were reinforced) but the plaster became brittle and porous and therefore the foam had a rough texture to it. Secondly, my sculpt should have called for a two part mold but I did it in one. I couldn't get it closed as tightly as I wanted, it was terribly difficult to open. And finally, my sculpt itself carried too broad a jawline and the nose looked a little odd. What I got out of the trials was confidence that if I go back to square one and resculpt, it will work.

Since work has been pretty slow so far this year I've actually been spending most of my time looking for a day job - something steady in the makeup/spa world. I'm definitely experiencing the wrath of this troubled economy, hopefully March will see things looking up a bit.


P.S. Comic Con tickets went on sale February 5th. I must have clicked refresh a thousand times and in the end was not able to get 4 day passes. I did manage to get single day passes for Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. The Masquerade - that's where I wanted to unveil my impossible creation - is on Saturday. Looks like we're going to have to return our passes and try again for 2012.

Ciao <3

Lisa

Chronicles of a Makeup Artist

I'm Lisa, an aspiring hollywood makeup artist exploring the film and entertainment industry in and around Vancouver, Canada.

I have this wild imagination and passion for creating complex, beautiful, funny or downright appalling characters. My kitchen doubles as my effects lab where I work with foam latex, gelatin, and other magical materials to bring these elaborate fantasies to life. Right now most of my days are filled with desiging my own projects or searching for work on independant or student film productions while living in downtown Vancouver with my boyfriend.

I'm very excited that I've decided to San Diego's Comic Con International 2011, and I can sense that it is going to be pivotal. It'll be my first Comic Con (one of the worlds largest pop culture events) and I've got very big (and possibly career-boosting) plans for that weekend.

This year my two major goals are to become unionized and to build up my YouTube channel. All large-scale film and TV productions are under a union - and to work on those sets, you need to be a member of said union. There are two unions here in Vancouver. One is A.C.F.C. (The Association of Canadian Film Craftspeople), and the other is I.A.T.S.E. (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees). In order to apply for union membership, you need to have set experience and pass a written exam. This means collecting lot of independent work to build up your resume plus you have to know the details of your craft as well as the politics of working on set. In an industry where it's all about who you know, it can be hard when you don't really know anybody yet.

On the other hand my YouTube channel is more of a personal endeavor. I just can't get enough of what I do. I keep coming up with ideas that I just have to bring to life. I love filming, documenting, and editing. So far I've only made one video. It was a 'test run' of sorts. I did my friend up in a bodypaint modeled after my Witch Elf character, Lisabeth, from Warhammer Online. I played for a year, kicking butt doing medieval quests in skimpy little outfits and riding my dinosaur around. I didn't enjoy the PVP (player vs. player) that much though. When I became too high of a level it was all about PVP, so I started playing Oblivion instead. Anyways, I finished the bodypaint at 2 am and went downtown with a couple friends to videotape people's reactions. You can watch our little excursion here:

It's an exciting time and my mind is racing with ideas and projects, some more formed than others, and I'm just beginning to work them into reality. My next project I plan to turn my mom into a 21-year-old again using prosthetic makeup. I'm sculpting the prosthetic at this point, and the video should be released by Valentine's day!

Ciao <3

Lisa