Makeup Artists Converge in Milpitas for Auditions

Note: An audition for the Wedding Bells fashion show will be held on May 1 in Milpitas.

Fashion shows aren't just about clothes anymore.

With a stroke of a brush, a group of makeup entrepreneurs promote a brand of cosmetics in the Bay Area fashion scene that caters to minority women. Their celebrity looks are modeled after starlets such as Eva Longoria, Lucy Liu, Alicia Keys and Gabrielle Union.

The brand, Motive Cosmetics, isn't found in retail stores and doesn't use the same distribution strategies of, let's say, Avon. A team of independent distributors hit up fashion events and their built-in audiences. 

Otto Leung, Erin Chen, Amy Trang and Long Duong, to name a few, are entrepreneurs, not makeup artists. For two Sundays in April, they've auditioned freelancers who want to build their portfolio by working a fashion show.

During the regular 9 to 5, they have day jobs. On the side, they hope to grow demand for Motives by exposure and word of mouth.

"We've been running local trials and selecting some of the local participants to be part of an event called Wedding Bells 2011," said Otto Leung, event coordinator.

The fashion show is a featured part of the wedding expo sponsored by Galleria Shows, scheduled for June 12 at the . The event caters to South Asian women and expects to draw about 1,000 attendees, according to organizer Sonali Obaid.

The April 2 audition, held at a house in Milpitas, included a demo and a timed session that involved at least a dozen artists with models.

"Since I'm starting out, it's the best way to do it," said makeup artist Angel Sablan, who lives in San Jose. "You know, anytime I get to do makeup for people … do it for free, [I] get pictures and build my portfolio," she said.

"I think it's a great way to network and meet other makeup artists and other people basically in the industry," said makeup artist Marwa Eshmawy, a Santa Clara resident.

It's also been good exposure for the team of Motives distributors. Earlier this year, they were selected to provide the makeup for contestants of the Miss Chinatown USA 2011 pageant in San Francisco. 

The experience convinced at least one makeup artist to switch brands. Tamisha Gardner, who worked for Mac for five years, was now demonstrating the look that the makeup artists were to achieve with motives during the audition.

"I think most of the artists did follow directions, and they were able to achieve the look," said Gardner. "Each artist has their style, but you're a better artist when you can replicate a look."

The Wedding Bells fashion show caters to South Asian brides, featuring flowing skirts and fitted tops heavily embellished with crystals, stones and traditional Indian embroidery, according to Sonali Obaid of Galleria Shows. 

Popular fabrics include chiffon, crepe, velvet and net, while popular colors are burgundy, various hues of red, coral and fuchsia.

"It's a lot of hard work and takes dedication," said Otto Leung. "If you have a lot of passion, it's really not difficult to break into the business."