We recently connected with Cristina Bartolucci and have shared our conversation below.

Cristina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?

I started my career as a film and television makeup artist. I studied art in college and loved sitting in front of my actor, using makeup to help them feel their most confident. Actors face an onslaught of judgment, which is especially difficult because emotional vulnerability is their stock and trade. I wanted to be a safe space. This was back in the late 90s and early 2000s. I watched actors of color struggle with DPs who had no idea how to light them. They would light the room without understanding or frankly regard for how skin tones with more melanin or different undertones would react. You only have to look at films like IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK and MOONLIGHT to see it done right. As a white makeup artist, I was anything but off the hook in this regard. Actor’s like Phylicia Rashad took the time to help me get up to speed. My increased knowledge and understanding of how to work with skin of color helped me be that safe space for more people. Thankfully, there is more diversity behind the camera now.

Cristina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As a makeup artist, I had the opportunity to work on literally hundreds of faces in my twenties and early thirties. Projects included PULP FICTION, FELICITY, TWELVE MONKEYS, DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE and SCRUBS. These experiences gave me an instinct for what people, mostly women, were looking for in their cosmetic products. My partner and I started a makeup company DuWop, on the set of a popular television series and ended up inventing the world’s first lip plumper, Lip Venom. We won product development awards for “creating what’s missing from your makeup bag”. The company thrived for a decade before hitting some hard bumps. I walked away when it no longer aligned with my values and began working in corporate cosmetics to support my family. Once my kids left home, I decided to return to school to study screenwriting, which was why I originally came to Los Angeles. I graduated this year with my MFA from the AFI Conservatory. I will turn sixty this year and write scripts about the sublimely ridiculous experience of being a human.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Most definitely. I’ve always found deep solace and inspiration in entertainment that makes me think and helps me feel less alone. I don’t need film and television to help me get in touch with my emotions. I’m there. Too much sometimes. I need art to help me make sense of these feelings while opening my mind to new ideas. Now that I have some living under my belt, I have challenged myself to create work that offers that to others. It’s a tall order, but having a consistent writing practice and telling my inner critic to sit down and shut up are key to moving forward.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I’m going to go way back for this one. I was working as a personal makeup artist for an actor on a film. This man had a wonderful team he worked with regularly. He was not able to bring them with him on this particular project for logistical reasons. I was foisted upon him, and he was not happy about it. Being young and co-dependent, I could feel his annoyance, and it undid me. I couldn’t even remember my name around him. I would cry in my car on the way home from set. One day, he made fun of me in front of the crew. Not nice, but things had devolved between us to the point where things like that were bound to happen. I found the courage to confront him, thinking it would be my last day on the job. It wasn’t. He backed off, but, at this point, I just wanted out. I arranged a meeting with him to discuss finding my replacement. He asked me to stay. This was a huge decision because at that point, I was more than willing to walk away. What changed my mind was his young son who was playing basketball outside his trailer at the time. He was the best kid, kind, funny and confident. Seeing what kind of a dad he was, convinced me to trust him and stay. We built a great connection, and it ended up being one of my best work experiences. I know this change would never have happened if I hadn’t found the courage to stand up for myself that day. It was the last thing I wanted to do in the moment, but turned out to be the best choice I could have made.

Contact Info:

• Website: cristinabartolucci@gmail.com
• Instagram: @mcristinabartolucci
• Linkedin: Cristina Bartolucci