I am hair stylist, makeup artist and beauty blogger. I truly LOVE what I do and there is not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for the talent, creativity, and opportunity to be able to do what I love each and every day. I’m also grateful when AMAZING opportunities come my way!

For those who may not know who George Papanikolas is allow me to introduce him to you. George is one of the hottest and most sought out after colorists in Hollywood. He works for Matrix and has an elite celebrity clientele including Kim Kardashian-West, Khloe Kardashian, and was labeled by Allure magazine as the one of the country’s top colorists. He has mastered the French, free hand painting technique called Balayage. And for these reason and more I’m completely obsessed with him and his work 🙂

I do my best to stay on top of current hair and makeup trends as well as attend educational workshops and events to stay on top of the latest techniques. Balayage is huge right now! And so I had to attend George’s class to make sure I was giving my client’s the best hair color always! And so I purchased my ticket for the class.

Two weeks before the class, I get a call from Matrix asking me if I would like to the makeup for the models for the class as the artist scheduled had to cancel. I was beyond excited and said yes immediately!

So this past Monday I drove into NYC to do makeup for this fabulous class. We did model prep at J. Christopher salon in the Village. I met George and he was the nicest and most gracious man! I even got to watch him in action which was super cool and I learned so much. I did makeup for three of the four models and the look was a smokey eye, glam, lashes, fresh skin and a nude lip. Here are some pictures of the models before the show

(Our gorgeous models Christine, Nina and Portia)

The models were all so great to work and easy going, which always makes my job faster and smoother! In addition, everyone from the NY Matrix education team was friendly and great to be around. The vibe throughout the whole day was filled with creativity, good energy and good people.

After model prep, we went to L’Oreal Professional Soho Academy in NYC for last minute touch-ups, a walk through and then show time. A few minutes into the show I was able to leave the backstage area and watch George in action. He did not disappoint! He shared how he got started in the beauty industry, how he got his start working with celebrities, he demonstrated two different hair coloring techniques, shared his favorite color formulas, and answered a ton of questions. After the class was over he stayed behind for extra question and answer as well as photos.

(George Papanikolas and I right before the class started)

I have to say this was an overall great and fabulous opportunity for me and I’m beyond thankful to have been asked to participate. Meeting someone as high profile as George Papanikolas and being able to learn from him was a bonus! I was on Cloud 9 all day, night and even on Tuesday morning…lol!

(The beautiful models after class was over. Group shot with myself and my co-worker Lena who is apart of the NY Matrix education team)

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Till next time dolls!! Enjoy the weekend
Xoxo

Stefanie