We were lucky to catch up with Tania Russell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tania, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

To understand how I came up with the idea for Makeup to Go, you have to understand what makeup education was like all the way back in the 1990s when I started my journey as a makeup artist. In short, there was no makeup education outside of going to makeup school, and there were only a few schools to go to. And – at least back then – when you went to makeup school in Los Angeles, the presumption was that you would become an artist for film and television. This left a tremendous void in the education available because if you were more interested in beauty/fashion/photographic makeup – as I was – there were really almost no resources.

The internet was just becoming a thing and a group of makeup artists – myself included – used to live on this one makeup artist message board. Nearly everyone from that board have gone on to highly successful careers. During our time on that board many of us got into the Union, signed with our first agents, etc. and we started advising newer up and coming artists on their careers. A real conversation that came up regularly was whether or not it was worth investing in Makeup School. The general consensus was that beauty artists could probably learn more by just paying to study under a working artist directly. It was at that time that I joined a site called “Makeup Mentors” where working artists offered private lessons, and my teaching journey began, and the seeds of Makeup to Go were planted.

Tania, 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?

I am a 25+ year makeup artist for photography, specializing in advertising, specifically commercial and lifestyle brands. Because I did go makeup school, however, I didn’t go through the same channels that many beauty artists do; I have never worked at a makeup counter, nor did I ever have a bridal makeup business. When I was growing up, my obsession was actually with fashion and photography. I was obsessed with my mother’s fashion magazines. I was obsessed with the early shows showing runway like Fashion TV and Style with Elsa Klensch. The clothes, the photography, the glamour, the makeup, *that’s* what I wanted. After makeup school, I was kind of lost for a while because the film/tv/FX makeup I was taught was not even remotely what I wanted to do. A few years later, however, I was fortunate to meet a woman who owned an agency that represented artists working on the types of projects I wanted to work on. She never represented me, but she has been a mentor for me for decades and through her I learned the ins and outs of working as an “agency” makeup artist, which I would now call a photographic makeup artist.

Makeup to Go became my way of paying it forward. It is an educational hub for emerging artists who want to work as Media makeup artists. For the longest time, emerging artists really could not get information on what career options exist. Nowadays, there is a lot of online chatter but there still really is not enough meaningful, real information that can help an artist propel their career. The latest looks, the latest products, this or that influencer, sure that’s all fun. But that doesn’t help emerging artists build their careers.

I think one of the key things that sets me/Makeup to Go apart is that I am still a working artist. Even when I taught formally in schools as a guest or a specialty instructor, I was working in the trenches as a makeup artist. Therefore when I talk about what it’s like to acquire new clients, meet with agencies, negotiate rates, work on set and with talent, I’m not talking about it theoretically or referencing what it was like “back in the day”. I’m talking about being a working makeup artist right here and now.

I’m very proud of the fact that I have former students who’ve gone on to assist under major artists, become agency represented artists themselves, work on major campaigns and/or celebrities, etc. It’s not easy and there is no short cut or express lane, but if a young artist puts in the work, they can have a real career.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Social media really is an amazing tool that clearly did not exist when I started my career journey lol. In one day you can do the same amount of research and get the same amount of information that would have previously taken a month at the library and working the phone. Not only are there countless photographers, stylists, and other creatives to connect with, there are so many fantastic artists doing great teaching in all different facets of the makeup industry.

I lucked out and early on found my mentor. Otherwise, I would have been spinning my wheels doing work that wasn’t leading me in the direction of where I wanted to go.

Not all advice is good advice. I encourage emerging artists to get advice from artists/professionals who are actually doing what it is you want to do. A special FX artist may be amazing but doing that is not going to teach you how to be in a position to eventually work on beauty campaigns. I’m a great teacher (if I say so myself ;-) ) but the work I do has nothing to do with Bridal and eventually owning a bridal team. You might love someone’s online glam, but that has nothing to do with working backstage at Fashion Week. The right advice will get you a lot further, a lot faster.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Makeup to Go’s tagline has always been “dedicated to the Art and Craft” of makeup, and that has not changed. What has changed has been my perspective on teaching as I have grown over the years. One marked change has been the changes with regards to equity, inclusion and diversity within the industry itself. I never thought of myself as a “Black makeup artist” in the sense of I never thought that meant I could only work on one group of clients. And in fact I’ve built a career where I’m known for my skin work and the fact that I absolutely can work on **anyone** who sits in my chair.

However once I got into my teaching career, a (non-Black) student remarked to me how glad they were to have a Black instructor in makeup school. Not only was I a working artist, but I just saw things through a different lens and it really opened their eyes to things they had not thought about.

That aspect of the industry is still a work in progress. We still see videos of Black models/talent having their skin tone shade mis-matched or artists not knowing what to do with their hair. Cosmetics brands are still coming out with incomplete complexion ranges that don’t cater to all skin tones. Or worse coming out with really bad shades or trying to call shades “universal”. It’s important for any serious makeup artist to be able to navigate the global landscape.

Therefore – while I as an artist may be universal – another key part of my mission with Makeup to Go is diversifying the beauty industry starting at the educational level.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.makeuptogo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeuptogoblog (@makeuptogoblog)

Image Credits

Personal Photo Photographer: Sonya Bowman

Photographer: Nicholas Horne

Photographer: Sonya Bowman

Tania D. Russell

Tania D. Russell