Bobbi Brown Editorial Makeup Artist Cassandra Y. Garcia Shares Important Makeup Tips for Pros and Novices
Bobbi Brown editorial makeup artist Cassandra Y. Garcia graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Child and Family Development before finding a place for herself in the competitive and rapid makeup industry.
While the shift from children's services to makeup artistry may appear to be a puzzling career move, the San Diego-born makeup artist has always had a knack for doing makeup, whether it was for a special occasion or girls' night out.
Garcia secured her first makeup job when she was still in college, working at a Bobbi Brown counter at Nordstrom Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego. There, she became entrenched in cosmetics and interested Bobbi Brown's inspiring and empowering philosophy, which is "Be Who You Are."
Garcia was so taken by the message that she decided to do more with the brand. She interned with the Artistry Trainer on the west coast and then moved to New York (fulfilling a longtime dream), where she was eventually able to work alongside the master herself, Bobbi Brown.
"Working with Bobbi, learning from the best, tops the list for sure. She's incredibly meticulous and has an eye unlike any other. She constantly teaches me to see things that I wouldn't normally see. It's always about stepping back and looking at the big picture," Garcia said to Latin Post.
When it comes to product diversity, Garcia insisted that Bobbi Brown Cosmetics has ahead of the curve. She shared that the brand was the first to offer consumers yellow-toned foundations, because Bobbi Brown understood that all women, from fair to dark, have yellow undertones in their skin. Today, the brand offers foundation in more than 20 shades, which likely covers all skin tones.
Also, the industry overall has changed, which is good news for women everywhere, as "the cosmetic industry as a whole is finally coming around to the fact that beauty comes in all colors. So whether you're shopping in a drugstore or upscale department store, there are more options than ever for all women."
With the volume of makeup companies in the industry, particularly in New York City, artists must always be at the top of their game and they must stand out. Luckily for Garcia, her "Work hard, always learn, be humble and never ever stop laughing" attitude has positioned her to do incredible things in the industry, such as doing the makeup for the cast of "SNL" when they went to the Emmy Awards and her first fashion show at New York Fashion Week.
The very talented makeup artist shared some of her wisdom, offering a few tips for pros and novices, alike. She stated that the right moisturizer is the secret to beautiful makeup. According to her, when skin looks good, everything else looks much better.
"For novices, I'd say play up your favorite feature and remember to have fun, you can always wash it off if it doesn't look good! For pros, it's important to remember that there's always something new to learn. One of the biggest ways I learn is by watching my peers at Bobbi Brown," said the incredible Mexican makeup professional. "We have an incredible team of BB PRO artists who each have a special makeup expertise. If you don't have access to other artists, you can still learn by studying professional artists' Instagram accounts, watching YouTube tutorials. I recommend the Bobbi Brown channel for great makeup lessons and by reading magazines."
Garcia also shared a few commonplace mistakes when wearing makeup, which includes not wearing the right color foundation ("You should never see a line of demarcation between the face and the neck"), not applying liner as close to the lash as possible ("You should never see a gap between the lashes and your liner") and forgetting about the brows ("A groomed brow frames the face and completes any makeup look").