Daily TribuneTrends, products and technology will continue to change, so never stop learning and adapting. Growth does not happen overnight. It comes from showing up, doing the work consistently, respecting every person on set, and always striving to be better than you were yesterday.
JUAN Sarte III
Beginnings
I started my career after college working as a talent caster for an advertising agency. My job involved auditioning models for television commercials and print campaigns. Through that experience, I was exposed to the world of advertising productions and gained a firsthand understanding of how shoots come together. During casting sessions, I would often do the models’ makeup for their auditions, and eventually the creative teams began noticing my interest and talent in makeup. That led to my first professional makeup job on a television commercial.
From there, my career as a makeup artist gradually grew. I eventually expanded from advertising into fashion, working on editorial shoots and magazine projects, and later had the opportunity to work with celebrities, many of whom began requesting me for their endorsement campaigns and advertising shoots.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges when I started in the 1990s was access to professional products and resources. Unlike today, where international beauty brands are readily available in malls and online, the local market was very limited. Most of the products available were drugstore brands, and if you wanted professional-quality makeup, you often had to purchase it abroad or ask someone traveling to bring it home for you.
Another challenge was that we worked entirely on film. There was no Photoshop, no digital cameras and no instant playback. During editorial shoots and advertising campaigns, once the final Polaroid was approved, only the photographer knew exactly what was being captured through the lens. As makeup artists, we wouldn’t see the final images until they were published in a magazine, printed in a newspaper, or released as part of a campaign. Looking back, those limitations became some of my greatest teachers. Because retouching was difficult and expensive, there was little room for error. It taught me to be meticulous, precise and disciplined in my work. Every detail had to be right before the shutter clicked, and that mindset continues to influence how I approach makeup today.
Where I am now
I am still working as a makeup artist for advertising campaigns and celebrity endorsement shoots. More than three decades after I started, I continue to work with brands, agencies, and many of the same celebrities I have collaborated with throughout my career.
Wisdom
Over the years, I’ve learned that being good at what you do is only part of the equation. Professionalism, reliability and how you treat people are just as important. The beauty and fashion industry is smaller than people think, and your reputation will follow you throughout your career.
I started at a time when there was no digital photography, no social media and very limited access to professional products. Today, young artists have more tools and opportunities than ever before, but the fundamentals remain the same. Good work comes from skill, discipline, preparation and attention to detail.
Trends, products and technology will continue to change, so never stop learning and adapting. Growth does not happen overnight. It comes from showing up, doing the work consistently, respecting every person on set, and always striving to be better than you were yesterday.
