Model For A Day (Glam Slam)

Look out Gisele. Look out Kate Moss. There’s a new model in town. Me.

LOL! Not really, of course, but I did get to experience a photo shoot complete with professional hair and makeup. Even a fan to blow my hair. Yes, you know you’ve hit the big-time if you have someone fanning your hair, while a photog snaps away like crazy — ha!

Here’s how it all went down. My friend invited me to a fun event to check out a preview of NARS NARSissist Spring Collection where they were doing personal photo shoots complete with hair and makeup. I am way too shy to do something like a photo shoot, but told my friend I would come just to check out the makeup and catch up with her a bit as well.

I got to go to MILK Studios in Hollywood, where they had a really cool set up for a day of glamour. NARS had a few makeup artists on hand, including their incredible editorial makeup artist Uzo, and my friend asked if I would let Uzo do my makeup. I really don’t wear a lot of makeup, and I didn’t want to waste her time, but I gave in and said, ‘Ok, just my eyes,’ so I could try to pick up a few tips.

Here is what I learned from Uzo:

Anyone Can Wear A Smoky Eye: Just go for a neutral palette, if dark colors are too bold for you. Uzo used all neutral browns and told me she wanted to create a matte look like “suede.”

Blend! Blend! Blend! I am always so worried about not drawing a straight line with eyeliner, but she said it doesn’t matter…just blend it in and when you think you’re done, blend some more.

It’s All About The Brush: The key to blending well is not only what type of brush you use, but how you hold it. Uzo taught me I would have more control if I hold the brush close to the bristles. She also had me play around with a couple of brushes, to see which worked best for me.

Knowing I don’t wear much makeup, Uzo stayed away from concealer and simply created a glow on my skin blending one of the multitasking NARS The Multiple sticks on my cheeks to warm them up. That, and a neutral lipstick, was it — she made it look great. I did learn a few things, but admit, it never looks the same when I try it myself!

After makeup, celebrity hair stylist Adir Abergel, whom I’ve known for many years, asked if he could do my hair. I was so embarrassed because my hair was filthy, but he’s done EVERYBODY — Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, and Jennifer Garner, to name a few — and so I thought, why not go for it?

He sprayed some dry shampoo, curled a couple of strands with a curling iron, snapped in two hair pieces (which happened to match my hair color perfectly) and boom! Within seconds my hair looked beachy-wave AWESOME!

Then it was photo time. I felt so very silly and now have all kinds of appreciation for people who do this for a living. Someone fanning my hair? I mean, really? But you can see the final results with my new photo below — I think it looks AMAZING!

Thanks all — it really does take a village!

— Ryan Patterson