Dayton Fashion Week Introduces Makeup Artist ShaTerra Mills!

My interest in modeling is wavering but a couple of months ago my interest once again peaked and I decided to test the waters and submitted my photos online to a couple of agencies in larger markets. Mind you, I’m 32 years old and let’s face it in this industry I’m no spring chicken, so I knew my chances of getting signed were slim especially since the majority of the agencies that I applied to made it very clear of their age restrictions and let’s just say I’m about 9 years past that age but I’ve always been a bit rebellious and submitted my photos anyway—and to my surprise a couple of weeks later I was contacted by one of the top modeling agencies in the world Factor Women which was formerly Elite out of Chicago—reminder in 2001 I was a Regional Semi-Finalist in the International Elite Model Look Competition so not only was this a little boost to my ego but I also felt the pressure to prove to people that you can teach an “old” dog new tricks!

The most recent photo’s I had were almost 2 years old so I started looking for the perfect photographer and long story short I found ARC Light Photography who provided the hair stylist Chelsea Berry and the makeup artist and I just happened to be familiar with his makeup artist ShaTerra Mills of Priceless Beauty Makeup because she is on Dayton Fashion Weeks makeup team! Though I have yet to make that trip to Chicago to visit Factor Women I decided to make this photo shoot kind of an introductory to the DFW Team and set up a Q and A session with ShaTerra who is a former member of the U.S. Army, who recently received her first publication in Ellements Magazine based out of New York, and will be doing makeup for Project Runway’s Althea Harper’s fashion show this weekend.

DFW – When did you know that you wanted to be a makeup artist?

ShaTerra – I knew I wanted to be a makeup artist after I seemed to have exhausted all ends of the spectrum of modeling that I could take. My passion had moved elsewhere. I knew I still wanted to be in the industry and I started off as an artist at an early age by freehand drawing so it only made sense to go back to what I truly knew which was showing my artistic abilities.

DFW – What work goes into planning a photo shoot?

ShaTerra – Planning for a shoot is a process. It means taking the time to clean my kit to make sure I have all of the proper tools needed for that particular project. Whether it’s restocking on disposables, new lip colors, hand sanitizer, etc. I always double, triple, and quadruple check my makeup kit the week before, the day before, and sometimes even a few hours before. I am very anal about making sure I am prepared.

Also, I love to know what’s going on so there is no confusion whatsoever. I am all for knowing the concept weeks in advance and keeping in constant contact with the involved team so that everyone is on the same page.

DFW – Describe what you did for my makeup during this photo shoot.

ShaTerra – I viewed your outfit changes beforehand to visualize a look that went with the concept and vision you were trying to portray. From there, I added a slight touch of golden metallic to your eyes to give off a light sparkle and made sure your lips popped since the style spoke of fierce elegance to me.

DFW –  What are some myths and mistakes regarding makeup application?

ShaTerra –  People tend to believe that caking on eyeliner makes your eyes bigger and that the more expensive makeup is, the better the quality. Caking on eyeliner to the point of raccoon eyes can cause your eyes to appear smaller or even as though you have a black eye instead.

Expensive makeup brands are not always the best for you or your skin type. People not knowing their skin types and how to color match foundations is another key problem–it’s all about experimenting with what looks great on you and what works best for each individual person! The biggest mistakes people make when it comes to makeup is thinking they know it all or that YouTube has all of the answers.

It’s important to cleanse and moisturize daily and let your skin breathe. Too much makeup can be harsh on the skin especially those with sensitivities.  Proper cleansing techniques will allow you to keep your skin hydrated and remaining flawless.

DFW – What are the hottest looks for Spring?

ShaTerra –  I am VERY excited about the upcoming Spring looks. Pastels and mattes are definitely going to be in for shadows for daytime looks. Peach and rose flushed cheeks will never seem to die. Different hues of reds for the lips are also popular as well as light metallic and shimmers for evening wear. The bare faced look and flesh toned lip color is becoming a very popular look on the runways.

DFW – What are your future goals?

ShaTerra –  I have very extensive goals for the future but I am taking things one step at a time. I am surely gearing up to travel more with my craft and networking! I do have several projects underway right now that I’m very excited about and I’m hoping to get a few more publications under my belt by summer. Maybe even get picked up by an agency or two. The sky’s the limit!

DFW –  What is the best part about being on the Dayton Fashion Week Team?

ShaTerra – The best part of Dayton Fashion Week–that’s a hard one! So far, I’ve loved everything about being a part of the Dayton Fashion Week team. Dayton has so much potential and seeing the talent first hand is amazing! We have so much in store and it is blooming by the minute! I cannot wait for July to get here. Everyone is so supportive of each other and they’re hard workers. It’s just great to be a part of history in the making!

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For more information on ShaTerra Mills and Priceless Beauty Makeup please check out PricelessBeautyMakeup.com.