I started exploring makeup at a young age out of a desire for something more than everyday life. My life then was in Poland during the time of communism. The whole idea of fashion and makeup was... very limited. When I got my hands on some Western fashion magazines, I found myself drawn in, and hooked. 

Flash forward to the States and my first job in a department store cosmetics section, where I discovered a great deal of joy in helping women look their best. Having attended business school in Europe, I gave the corporate world a whirl, but it just didn’t feel creative enough for my mind and hands, which also liked to draw and paint. The day I entered the Make-up Designory in New York, everything came together for me. The instructors and the energy there were fantastic, and I’ve never looked back since.

After graduating, I connected with photographers and the fashion world, and eventually opened my studio. I find fashion delightfully removed from real life, with so many possibilities for artistic expression and creativity. Makeup, hair, wardrobe, art direction and photographic style all working together to craft the characters and create a story—this is what moves me. I like to be challenged and push boundaries, so I’m particularly drawn to projects that help me continue to grow as an artist in this sense.

When I work with clients for weddings or events, I find the experience moving in a more personal way. Emotions often run high, and clients can be understandably sensitive about the look we are creating. Here, the key is really to have a heart-to-heart talk about you and the look we’re after. My staff and I often enjoy a great connection with our clients; this one of the really nice things about our work.

What is great makeup? I believe it has a lot to do with helping people to feel confident. When makeup reflects your personality, when it brings out your natural beauty, you feel fabulous and it shows. Great makeup also looks as good in person as it does in photos. In this sense, I generally like to keep makeup relatively light and comfortable. I have countless products in my makeup kit, but if I can make a person look great with five products, there is no point in using twenty. 

Making people look beautiful and feel great... I can’t think of any other work I’d rather be doing.

Aleksandra Ambrozy