If you want to talk about basketball, you would talk to Earvin "Magic" Johnson. If you want to talk about the latest advances in medicine, you would talk with Dr. Oz. And if you want to talk about beauty, you may want to talk with Cloutier Remix celebrity makeup artist Saisha (pronounced Sigh-ee-shuh) Beecham.
Beecham , who lived in Atlanta for 15 years, has enhanced the natural beauty of several high-profile clients such as Steve Harvey, Cindy Crawford, Usher, Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Roselyn Carter, Sanaa Lathan, Vanessa Hudgens, Taraji P. Henson and many more.
Beecham, who is known for her flawless "face-lifting" makeup technique, will host a one-day Makeup Master Class on Sunday May 15 at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, 165 Courtland Street NE, Atlanta.
The limited-seating event is sponsored by Make-Up Artist Magazine and Cloutier Remix, which represents an elite group of makeup artists, hairstylists, manicurists, and wardrobe stylists.
With her 15-year career as a freelance celebrity makeup artist, Beecham has achieved what she was fascinated with as a young girl. She loved fashion and entertainment. Here is how this former Atlanta hair salon worker used her dreams to help her rise all the way to Hollywood makeup stardom.
Q: What was your early journey to makeup and how did an interest turn into an expert career?
A: Well I actually was always an artist. I draw and paint naturally. Anything that I see, I can draw. I thought if you knew how to paint and draw — that means you have to be a starving artist and be poor. So I knew I didn't want to pursue that as a career. I was actually pursuing an acting career. I was living in Atlanta and I went to Los Angeles for a summer with roommates. It was five of us piled up in a duplex. It was just a fluke. We ended up in a building and somebody was like "You guys look like you must be going to see Vincent Cirrincione." And we were like "Who's that!" And then the guy said, "I don't know, but just all the beautiful women go to see him." So we went up to the board to look to see who that was. And we just barged in his office like gangster actors. So we gave our headshots, and his assistant was looking at us like "Oh my God! How dare you come in here like this. There's no way he's going to see you."
Apparently she was wrong because he asked her to call us back the next day for an interview. He ended up being this huge manager who's known for getting black actresses to A-list status. He's Taraji P. Henson's manager. He's Halle Berry's manager. He met with all of us and out of everybody he told my agent that he wanted to work with me. I told him that I had run out of money. I was going back to Atlanta the next day. He was like "It's okay, come back in six months to a year. I know I can help you. Something is telling me that I'm supposed to help you do this." So I was in Atlanta just grinding and hustling, trying to save money to go back. Then all my roommates started falling off one-by-one. Everybody was like "I'm not gonna go back." So then it was down to just me. I was like 'what can I do to get more money because I'll have to live in LA by myself.' So I started doing makeup on the side, just to make extra money. I was working in a hair salon at the time. As soon as I started doing makeup -- I guess because of my art background -- I picked it up quickly. I got a lot of attention immediately. The first year doing makeup, I landed Usher as a client. I traveled the world with him. He basically gave me my big break. 'Cause once you do someone of that caliber nobody else says no. Everything kind of took off.
Q: So before your break with Usher what other makeup work were you doing?
A: I started out doing like Black Men's and Smooth gentlemen magazines. I was basically teaching myself to do makeup while I was doing these ads. I was working with LaShawnna Stanley who owns Ethnicity Models. She had a lot of connections from booking her models for these magazines. What she would do for me, because they wanted her models, was to say "You can book her if you use my makeup artist." So she definitely helped put me on by doing these little things.
Q: What exactly is the "flawless face-lifting" technique that has brought you such acclaim?
A: When I do makeup, I look at it as more of a science. I'm sculpting the face, I'm not just applying makeup. I am actually trying to create something younger and fresher. So with my strokes -- I stroke everything in an upward motion. Because when you are painting on a canvas the direction of your strokes determines how everything looks. If I apply makeup in an upward motion it's going to look like the face is more lifted. I just have little techniques and little things that I do that just lifts the face and kind of makes the woman look younger. So many people are putting on so much foundation and so much contour when you can actually get that young, youthful, and beautiful sculpted face with less product. It's all in your application and how you apply it. What I'm doing in my class is teaching you when to contour and when not to...and when to contour a lot and when to contour a little.
Q: Is this your first Makeup Master Class ever or just the first one being held in Atlanta?
A: I did two workshops in Atlanta. They were hands-on and they were really small. It was more like classroom-style. So this is my first-time doing it on a big stage with a microphone where I can accept more people and can give all the information.
Q: Would you say that the upcoming class on May 15 is for people with small neighborhood-type beauty salons or is it for people with affluent and high-profile clients?
A: This class is for everyone. This is for high-profile, low-profile, everyday women, models, hair stylists, makeup artists and for anybody that wants to know how to properly do their makeup. So many people are looking to YouTube and Instagram for tips. But unfortunately some of the techniques used in these videos are performed incorrectly.
Q: Your bio states that you are a firm believer in mind-over-matter and achieving goals regardless of obstacles?
A: I'm very optimistic. Everything that I'm living right now, I spoke as a teenager in high school. I believe that when you speak things, you speak things into existence. People don't realize how powerful words in your thoughts are — especially if you're constantly thinking negative thoughts like "I'm not gonna make it. I'm probably not gonna even get it." You are creating that for yourself. I definitely believe that you can do anything that you put your mind to...If you are putting in the work to get there — you will get there.
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saisha Beecham Master Class: Seamless Dimension The Secrets to Contouring & Brows includes the latest techniques in highlighting, contouring, and creating the perfect smokey eye. Watch Saisha create two different looks during this live demonstration which costs $175. The class includes a gift bag valued at $350 featuring brands such as M.A.C. Cosmetics, PUR, Sephora, Murad, Ofra Cosmetics, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Pevonia Skincare, BioDerma, Vita Liberata, Smoke & Mirror Beauty Lashes and many more.
1-2:30 p.m A mixer will include networking and onsite portfolio reviews by Make-Up Artist Magazine publisher Michael Key. The cost is $30 and does not include gift bag.
2:30-5:30 p.m. Cloutier Remix Master Class: How to Agent & Brand Yourself will teach you how to agent and brand yourself as a freelance makeup artist or hairstylist from Cloutier Remix Director, Madeline Leonard, and Marketing Specialist, Lauren FitzGerald. Cloutier Remix is one of the top beauty agencies in Los Angeles, representing prestigious beauty talent for over 30 years. Topics to be discussed during this workshop are how to build a portfolio and website, negotiating, social media, how to be remembered, signing with an agency and more. The cost $175. This class as a single course does not include gift bag.
You can also sign up for the Combo Class Package: Saisha Beecham Class & Cloutier Remix Master Class. The cost is $300 with savings of $50 by attending both classes. This class combo includes the gift bag valued at $350.
Register for tickets at Eventbrite.com .
About the Author
