When we see every celebrity grace red carpets and attend highly publicized events and parties, we sometimes forget that their whole look from head to toe is often handcrafted by artisans and professionals who work behind the scenes.
From Beyonce's famed makeup artist Sir John to Cardi B's publicist Patience Foster, the team behind the talent are key players in how we experience celebrities. There is a whole team of people that exist beyond the celebrity, and without them, the stars that we know and love would not be quite the same.
I sat down with celebrity wardrobe stylist Jayne Do, celebrity publicist Kiki Ayers, and celebrity makeup artist Camara Aunique to get the scoop on what these behind the scenes queens contribute to celeb style, appearance, and reputation.
The Stylist: Jayne Do
Jayne Do Celebrity StylistPhoto by D. Hinez
How She Got Her Start:
I was a baby when I started, literally. At the age of three was when I created my first design. I have ALWAYS wanted to be a fashion designer. Throughout grade school, I designed clothing and accessories for many competitions, showcases, and fashion shows. You could say I was the "go-to girl" in Houston for a very long time. I was 14 when I began fashion styling, completely by accident. A Missouri musician loved the way I dressed and paid me to dress him and his then girlfriend for an event. I've been a stylist ever since that day."
How She Honed Her Brand:
"Instagram has been very instrumental in that regard. Over the years, I've experimented with many aesthetics. It wasn't until this year that I found one worth sticking with. When styling my celebrity clients, I incorporate my artistry by simply enhancing what they already have to offer. I am very minimal in my approach, many of my clients come to me to aid in cleaning up their image or to take them out of their comfort zones and into the next level of their careers."
Draya Michele for PLEEZER MAGPhoto by Jarrelle Lee
How She Overcomes Job-Related Obstacles:
"Getting consistent clientele as an unsigned artist and figuring out my value were the biggest struggles for me. In addition to that, I am not the most social, hence the alias Jayne Do, and you have to be sort of 'in your face' in this industry. Each of my clients/gigs add a new lesson for me to learn. Some valuable and some completely unnecessary but the industry is too flawed to ever be perfect so I just roll with the punches."
"Each of my clients/gigs add a new lesson for me to learn."
Her Career High Point:
"My greatest accomplishment today is my debut fashion guide, DEAR STYLISTS: A Guide to Upgrading Your Fashion Styling Experience Vol 1., it was the second book I've written, but my first to be published. DEAR STYLISTS is a seven-book series that features Draya Michele on the cover and literally tells you everything you need to know as a beginner stylist. I genuinely believe that this series will change the course of fashion styling forever. I am super proud because for many years, all I've ever wanted to do was create jobs and expand the fashion styling industry and I truly believe that it's a step in the right direction.
Jayne DoPhoto by D. Hinez
Her Advice To Up & Comers:
"Do not let celebrity styling be your initial focus because it is not as glamorous as it seems. Style your everyday people first, learn the industry, and master your craft because once you're in the industry, your reputation is all you have and you will ruin it fast by not knowing what you're doing."
Click here to follow Jayne Do on Instagram.
The Makeup Artist: Camara Aunique
Camara Aunique, Celebrity Makeup Artist
How She Got Her Start:
"I got started working at Macy's. I used to ask other artists to show me how to do makeup. No one wanted to so I taught myself. As I've grown, I've had some amazing artists take me under their wings and [continue to] show me the way."
How She Honed Her Brand:
"The celebs I work with, we always seem to mesh well together. I ask a lot of questions and always make sure I'm giving them the look they want and if it doesn't go well the first time, I keep trying until I find something that makes them happy. It's not about me when I'm working with anyone. It's about how I make them feel."
How She Overcomes Job-Related Obstacles:
"I think a lot of people look at us artists that work with celebrities and think they've made it. That's the end result so they look like, 'Okay, move over my turn.' (Laughs) It doesn't work like that. We're all out here with families to feed. Some days, we're not working. Some days, we're crazy busy. Everything takes time. And know that it could take 10 years for that one year of success!"
Her Career High Point:
"My most recent accomplishments is partying at the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture with Lisa Price, founder of Carol's Daughter. Having dinner on the patio to celebrate 25 years of Carol's Daughter and having a private tour of the museum while it was closed meant the world to me."
Her Advice To Up & Comers:
"Take your time, relax, don't overthink it. Ask questions, but be the expert."
Click here to follow Camara on Instagram.
The Publicist: Kiki Ayers
Kiki Ayers, CEO of Ayers PublicityPhoto by Sana Nodelman
How She Got Her Start:
"I am a self-taught publicist, so I got my start by watching what I would see publicists do as a journalist. I had no experience prior to starting my own company, so everything is trial and era. I learned how to write press releases and pitches by reading so many. I learned how to obtain clients by just reaching out to people I wanted to work with. I feel like in 2018, there's nothing you can't learn how to do. Everything you need to know is just a Google search away."
"In 2018, there's nothing you can't learn how to do."
Why Publicists Are So Needed:
"Publicists are vital for celebrities because when you're in the public eye, it's absolutely important to portray to the public the best image for your career. That's what PR is. Publicists make sure everyone knows all the latest projects you're working on and make sure that you're seen. We do damage control, set up interviews, press runs, secure interviews for TV shows, radio stations, magazine covers, and anything where you can promote yourself or product. It's vital to a person's success."
How She's Overcome Job-Related Obstacles:
"The unseen obstacles you face as a publicists is that nothing is routine. One day, you might be pitching for hours and the next, you might be flying out of the country for a major movie premiere red carpet your client is in. You could be on vacation and then it's cut short because your client is caught in a media scandal and then you have to do damage control. It's a very hard job but very hard and rewarding too."
Her Career High Point:
"One of my greatest accomplishments and celebrity collaborations is doing the gift branding for Jamie Foxx's 50th birthday party, as well as being hired as head of PR for Floyd Mayweather's 41st birthday party. I had one day to get media to come out and it was a huge success."
Photo by Sana Nodelman
Her Advice For Up & Comers:
"The best advice I would give is to not be afraid to put yourself out there. I think people often wait for opportunities to come to them, but in this industry you will have to make a lot of things happen. It won't happen right away so you shouldn't get discouraged. Just be persistent and continue to put yourself out there. Instead of looking for recognition, you should try to create opportunities and the rewards will come to you."
Click here to follow Kiki on Instagram.
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
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Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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If, while on your continual journey to get the best out of your own tresses, you’d like to learn how to get them healthier than it’s ever been, I’ve got seven acids that are typically known for skin use that can be just as beneficial to your hair as well.
1. Salicylic Acid
When it comes to your skin, salicylic acid is beta-hydroxy acid that is great for your skin if you’re looking for something that will exfoliate it, clear out your pores and dissolve dead skin cells. In fact, this is why it’s an acid that is quite popular when it comes to treating acne.
Your hair will enjoy salicylic acid because, if you’re looking to remove product build-up, you want to soothe an itchy or irritated scalp or you’ve got some dandruff flakes that are totally driving you up the wall, salicylic acid has the ability to treat all of this. Either purchasing a shampoo that contains this ingredient or adding it to your favorite scalp scrub is probably the most effective way to get the most out of it.
Just make sure that if your scalp is sensitive or dry that you approach with caution. In these instances, it could end up irritating your scalp more than helping it out, so use a very little bit in the beginning to make sure that it vibes with you.
2. Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that can help to even out your skin tone as well as slow down the signs of aging. The properties in it help to do this by reducing hyperpigmentation and boosting collagen production in your skin as well as keeping it hydrated.
Why is it great for your locks? For one thing, lactic acid is considered to be a humectant. This means that it pulls water from the air so that your hair is able to remain moisturized.
Another thing that makes it a winner is the fact that lactic acid breaks down dead skin cells on your scalp (so that your hair follicles are able to flourish), it can help to soften and detangle your hair (making it a helpful addition on your wash days) and it also helps to protect your tresses from heat styling tools and UV damage. Applying a hair rinse that’s made up of part lactic acid and part water can work wonderfully (so long as you apply it once a month, tops; more than that might be too “intense” for your hair strands).
3. Glycolic Acid
Glycolic acid is a water-soluble alpha hydroxy acid that is actually made from sugar. Your skin will adore it because it smooths the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improves the texture of your skin, gently exfoliates, clears your pores and brightens up your complexion overall.
The reasons why you should consider this acid for your hair is because it helps to keep your scalp youthful (and yes, there is such a thing; check out “Your Scalp Ages Six Times Faster Than Your Face. Why It Matters.”), removes excess sebum (that could be clogging up your hair follicles) and it helps to keep your hair moisturized. Your best bet here is to make it a part of your pre-shampooing ritual.
4. Succinic Acid
Succinic acid is an acid that is made from sugar cane and contains antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Although it doesn’t exactly exfoliate (like many of these other acids do), it can still be beneficial to your skin when it comes to reducing the kind of irritation that is associated with eczema, decreasing the bacteria that leads to breakouts and keeping your skin pretty hydrated.
As far as your hair goes, this is an acid that is worth trying out because it helps to balance the sebum that is on your scalp, remove dead skin and product build-up that can irritate your scalp and clog your hair follicles and, succinic acid is also beneficial when it comes to reducing dandruff and helping to prevent hair loss. Most people tend to apply this as a serum.
5. Hyaluronic Acid
I’ve officially sung the praises of hyaluronic acid on this platform before. One example is via the article, “Why Your Skin, Hair, And Nails Need Hyaluronic Acid Like...Yesterday.” On the skin tip, hyaluronic acid is great because it deeply hydrates your skin, contains anti-aging properties and can even bring relief to vaginal (including vulvar) dryness.
Your hair will adore this particular acid because it aids moisture to it (including your hair follicles), will help to improve your hair’s texture and it also soothes scalp dryness, nurtures the cuticles of your tresses and decreases frizz. Using a serum rich in this acid as a pre-poo or as a leave-in conditioner is recommended.
6. Azelaic Acid
If you’ve never heard of azelaic acid before, this is your lucky day. It’s a dicarboxylic acid that, when it comes to skincare (and hair care) products, is usually synthetic. Anyway, if you are looking for a way to reduce inflammation, even skin tone after a breakout or if you want to use an exfoliant that will improve the texture of your skin overtime, you might want to give this acid a shot.
This one makes the list as far as your hair is concerned because, if achieving more inches is your current focus, azelaic acid might come in handy. That’s because it is able to strengthen your hair, thicken your strands and also stimulate hair growth from within your hair follicles.
7. Glutamic Acid
Glutamic acid is actually a type of amino acid. Skin-wise, it’s great for deeply hydrating your skin as well as protecting it from pollutants and damaging UV rays. Also, if you’re looking for an acid that treats skin dryness or “tightness,” this could be the answer to your prayers.
Since glutamic acid is also considered to be a humectant, it’s another acid that can moisturize your hair. As a result, it can decrease breakage while helping your hair to feel smooth and look shiny.
BONUS: Amino Acids
Speaking of amino acids and hair, please try to keep some amino acids in your diet at all times. The reason why is because, since your hair is made up of mostly protein (keratin, to be exact), amino acids are pretty darn effective when it comes to helping you to maintain the overall health and well-being of your hair.
Ones to prioritize include proline (it boosts collagen so that your hair strands can maintain flexibility); arginine (it increases blood flow to your hair follicles so that they can receive the nutrients that they need); cysteine (it helps to keep your hair follicles healthy); alanine (it helps your system to produce more collagen), and isoleucine (it strengthens the tissues that help to make up your hair strands). All of these are available in supplement form or you can use Google to see which foods contain them.
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Although it might initially seem odd to apply acid to your hair, as you can see, certain ones will work miracles for it. So, test them out to see which one tickles your fancy.
Hell, since they work for your skin as well — it’s a two-for-one deal that is worth every penny!
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