We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cici Andersen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cici below.

Hi Cici, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

I moved to Hollywood to become a monster-making, special effects makeup artist. I’ve spent the last 15 years learning and working on sets both in Hollywood and across the world. It never ceases to amaze me the incredible talent that’s out there, and it’s such a gift to work amongst such artists. Some dedicate their entire lives to perfecting their craft.

Early on, I was told to not diversify my skills too much. “People will be confused” they said. Hair people stick to hair, makeup artists to makeup. Special effects has it’s own boxes you could fit into- mold making, foam running, sculpting, and project foreman.
By far, that was some of the worst advice I was given. Before moving to Hollywood, I was a licensed cosmetologist working at a hair salon. The knowledge I carried from that craft into my career on set has been invaluable. I believe it’s a big reason why I was able to department head many non-union shows successfully and have stayed working even during slower production times.

In my career as a hair and makeup artist I was fortunate to have had mentors that instilled in me a deep love for the history of the craft. The advantage of knowing history is having a broader perspective. You may not be able to achieve all your goals in a year, or even two. But it’s incredible what you can have accomplished in a decade.

I came up in the industry at an interesting time. When I started, Youtube and Instagram was just beginning to boom. Some successful Youtubers were the first to give me on-set experience and seeing their process gave me insight into the film-making process I would otherwise not have learned. I worked with some of them for years.

Some folks in the motion-picture industry looked down their noses at what we were doing. We weren’t “big league” and we definitely had small budgets. Today, some of those online creators are starring in their own TV shows, or have guest roles in major films. I’m happy to say some of those relationships have stayed with me all these years and I’ve been fortunate to grow with them.

I’ve jumped around in my career, despite the advice I was given to stick to one thing. I’ve been an educator, and a content creator. I’ve even started my own Youtube channel dedicated to the topic of Beauty History. Today I’m learning to make digital art. Inevitably, all my worlds have now begun to collide. Knowing hair, makeup, sculpting, painting, video editing and film production has been incredibly useful as I branch out into digital art. There is an exciting new world out there to explore, and I’m not afraid to jump in. Nothing is wasted.

Cici, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got into the beauty industry by chance. I was at a fast food place with my boyfriend at the time, standing in line waiting for food. I casually mentioned I needed to find a job so I could pay for my expenses at college. As luck should have it, there was a gentleman named Oz standing behind me who worked at the coolest salon in my area. He told me to come in and apply for an apprenticeship, and I did. A few weeks later, I began my journey in beauty at Hugo’s Hair Salon in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Today I the services I provide go far outside the salon industry. I do hair, and makeup for personal clients as well as film production. I create characters and design beauty makeup. I also style wigs, apply special effects makeup and some body painting. But outside traditional film, I also work with brands as a content creator and video maker. Today I am expanding my skills to include AR makeup artistry online.

I believe my clients value me because I can solve their beauty needs in multiple arenas. I’d call myself a “beauty executive” if I could. I can handle almost any hair and makeup problem and find a way forward that makes the client feel confident.

I’m extremely proud of the community I’ve built and the talented artists I can also call friends. We really are a magical group of people that can bring your wildest beauty and character design dreams to life.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Even though I continue to work inside the beauty space, I’d say I’ve already changed careers once when I left the salon business in exchange for film making. It was a major pivot that opened up my world significantly while also having it’s fair share of challenges. Leaving the salon industry meant giving up a stable income, benefits, and for me personally also moving across the country away from my family. I went on an 11 year journey before I was finally able to join “the big leagues” as they say, and make it onto the set of my first major motion picture.

After a series of events following Covid 19, and the Writers and Actors strike of 2023 I find myself again looking for new ways to reinvent myself. The advent of AI software has been a big topic of conversation lately and I’m interested to see the direction the film industry and all it’s parts go in from here.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice

I believe NFT’s are en essential part of the online structure to ensure artists can both claim ownership, and sell digital assets to collectors, while collectors can be sure of their authenticity.

For the nay-sayers who claim digital spaces can be hacked, let us not forget the fortunes that have been spent on forged artworks by individuals and museums for ages. There will always be rotten apples in the bunch. It shouldn’t stop artists from expanding and making a living off their art.

I hope to use NFT technology in the future as I evolve as an artist,

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.ciciandersen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciciandersen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ciciandersen
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciciandersen/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CiciAndersen

Image Credits
Demon makeup applied by me and artist Julie Hassett on Ricardo Vargase