A visit to a M·A·C training facility

I have ridiculously talented friends. I will discuss that topic at length later when I introduce my "friendors" (friends/vendors) for our wedding, but the two ladies above are a very specific breed of talent. Ashley and Jessica both work in the beauty industry, and they both happen to be my bridesmaids :) The photo above was taken after Ashley tried some pretty blue shadows on Jessica, and it was BEFORE Ashley became a M·A·C Cosmetics artist, so you can imagine how many skills she's acquired since then. For example, check out the amazingness she created for the Coast Guard Ball last year:



I am a far cry from model material, but Ashley definitely has a knack for highlighting the best in everyone. When she asked me a few weeks ago to be her "model" for a new M·A·C position try out, I wanted to ask her "Are you sure?" but instead blurted out "Of course!" I selfishly wanted to get an anthropological glimpse at the inner workings of the M·A·C brand. I hoped it would be like going backstage at Disneyland and seeing Donald Duck with his head off, which I did actually see 10 years ago when my high school marching band performed at Disneyland.

We arrived at a huge ring of corporate office buildings situated along the waterfront in Emeryville, home to the regional M·A·C training facility. Every few months, all employees at every counter in the Bay Area must make a pilgrimage to the facility to learn about the season's latest products and techniques. This is no small undertaking, as the company tends to completely overhaul and reinvent itself with each season. Artists are expected to know every product's name, ingredients and applications, which they learn during eight-hour marathon classroom sessions at the training facility.

Of course, I'm completely talking from a naive outsider's perspective on this topic. I literally had no idea what was going on when we walked into the unassumingly inconspicuous office space and were greeted by two facilitators, who introduced themselves as "Missy and Victor." I later came to find out (amid "oh my God" exclamations from Ash) that Victor was Victor Cembellin, a celebrity stylist and artist who is regularly on television and jet setting around the world. He was so humble and genuine in person that I would have never guessed what an industry star he is. I love meeting successful people who don't have a chip on their shoulders.

Ashley disappeared into a conference room for an interview with several senior M·A·C artists. Judging from the laughter and chatter coming out of the room, I guessed that she was doing a great job. Her warmth and authenticity is absolutely endearing, and I figured that she was probably charming their pants off. I sat in the waiting room with the incoming interviewees, trying to not eavesdrop on their buzz word-laden chatter.

I was going to attempt to mimic their discussion here, but even now my brain cannot process exactly what was said. I know that the gorgeous skinny blonde with fringe bangs was discussing one of the new lines (called "All Ages, All Races, All Sexes") but then she started talking about "keys" and managers, and I felt like a civilian hearing military acronyms for the first time. The entire beauty industry is a mystery to me, and I still find myself in awe of anyone who works in it.

As the interview went on, legions of all-black clad artists floated in and out of the office. Their clothes were tailored within a centimeter of their lithe, almost identical bodies, and there was a sense of androgyny between their chiseled, angular features. I still can't really tell you how many men were in each group because they were all so intimidatingly and arrogantly pretty. "Fierce" was the first word that came to mind as I tried not to stare while they glided by holding Starbucks cups and iPhones. I felt embarrassingly old and frumpy in their presence.

Ashley emerged from her interview triumphant. She was happy to say that she felt at ease and honest with the panel. They asked her questions about her goals in life and her philosophy on make up, which she had not prepared for. She thought the interview would center more on her knowledge of products and her sales records, but all of that information was already available in her file. They even knew that she had written an informal product review on a new line of essential oils, which Ashley had only distributed to the people at her counter. Apparently, her supervisor had slipped the regional managers a copy and Ashley got major kudos.

A new facilitator invited us into a large classroom-like office, with fancy multimedia equipment positioned in strategic areas of the room. One long wall contained all of the M·A·C products in display-like configuration, and the adjoining wall was a solid glass window with a view of the San Francisco Bay. Along the opposite wall, with perfect access to the natural daylight, were two make up seats for demonstrations. We entered the room with one other artist and her model, then were immediately thrown for a loop when the artists were told to trade models.

Ashley was prepared for this possibility, so she immediately went to her new model and began asking her questions about her skin type. My new artist disappeared to the product counter without speaking much to me, then returned five minutes later armed with everything she needed. Her demo was rushed, messy, and stiff. I left the room with brush streaks where foundation had not been blended, and I wasn't wearing mascara or anything on my lips. I looked like I had started my make up and stopped halfway. For this reason, I decided to not take pictures of the demo finished product. It was a little pointless.

Ashley, on the other hand, did a rockin' job displaying some of the new mineral products and finishing her model's makeup within the 15 minutes she had. We left the facility just happy that it was over, and while we don't know Ashley's status as a contender for the new position, I was just glad I got the chance to learn more about her job. I have a renewed sense of respect for M·A·C make up artists, even though I still know nothing about their products ;) What can I say, we all have our talents and make up just isn't mine. I'm okay with that, because I have some amazingly talented friends to help me in that avenue of life <3