Living in LA as a 20-something opens you up to several events to get your makeup done - I've experienced my fair share of makeup artists and while they were never terrible, after I had my makeup done by Gray a couple times, I understood the difference between good and Gray-t (oh god, who is letting me make these jokes.)
There are honestly a few things that set apart Gray from other makeup artists, that for someone like me (a little socially awkward, slightly indecisive), make her an indispensable asset I will constantly go to:
-Timeliness : she is always early to set her station up, as opposed to JUST when she's expected to be there.
-Her Station : robust, full of a lot of great products and tools. I felt like she actually understood her craft and the right way to beat a face (I'm plenty aware of beauty trends, though). Additionally, she is incredibly clean and fully prepped, hygienically.
-Makeup Applied : this could be broken down in a lot of ways, but I will keep it simple. I feel like Gray's area of expertise is making you look like yourself, but more youthful, more well-rested. I really dislike the way foundation generally sits on my skin (I use Nars' tinted moisturizer exclusively) but she blended it so well, it felt like it was my own skin. She understands tones, but at the same time, listens to you. The way she does my eyes + brows blows my mind though. Brows are super important to face shape and I feel like I always look so much softer but properly framed after her; it only accentuates the soft blending in her eye looks. I always end up with compliments because Gray just makes me look soft and pretty.
-Personality : For me, this is the absolute best best part. Gray asks a lot of investigative questions that have put me to ease. When I am unsure of what I want, she pulls up references related to some key words I might have thrown around and helps me direct my desires into something that will actually look good on me. At the same time though, she is wonderfully honest if she thinks what I want is not what I *need*. Her communication skills honestly really make her transcend into another universe of makeup artists. Social interaction can be hard for me and I feel at ease in her makeup chair - as if I was just hanging around with a friend.
To summarize this lengthy review because being concise is not my strong suit, I could not recommend Gray as your future MUA more. read more