Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Van Meter.
Hi Andrea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! My name is Andrea and I do a lot of makeup for the St. Louis area. My passion for makeup started at a very young age. Every year as a kid, I always looked forward to Halloween. Halloween meant the face paint came out. It was the one night of the year you could be anything you wanted, and my dad would always do any creepy makeup on me that I wanted. As I got older, I wanted to create my looks. Between beauty makeup and special effects, I would stay up late on the weekends and do my makeup, wipe it off, and redo it repeatedly, teaching myself. As the internet became a thing, so did tutorial videos. I learned about all kinds of new products and techniques. Before creating my prosthetics, I used tissues and latex to build the characters I wanted to make. As I got older, I started doing makeup on friends and friends of friends. Eventually, my name got around, and I started doing basic beauty makeup for photoshoots. Through networking and building myself, I’ve met some of the most incredible people in this industry and had unique opportunities I wouldn’t have imagined. I’ve done makeup for countless photoshoots, commercials, music videos, haunted houses, and events. Over the years, I’ve realized Halloween doesn’t only have to be one night a year. The beauty of art in makeup is that you can create any character, look, or creature at any time of the year.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t feel any road in this industry is going to be smooth. You quickly learn who to work with and who not to. There are points where I’ve gotten in my head too much at times and have turned down some great opportunities because I felt I wasn’t equipped enough to handle the job when I very much was.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize more in special effects makeup, although there’s less of a constant need for it than beauty makeup is.
The project I’m most proud of is a look I created for The Devil’s Carnival Alleluia movie premiere. I sculpted the entire thing out of clay, cast it, and successfully made a mask for the first time. I ran into many problems, but I didn’t give up. Meeting the cast and watching everyone who created this character all freak out when I walked toward them was an enriching experience.
While there are many makeup artists, and they’re all fantastic, what sets me apart is my speed and honesty. A lot of times during photoshoots, time is money. You need to create a great look and fast. I’m always honest with clients and let them know if something needs to be in my wheelhouse. I will only recommend someone else if I feel 100% of my capabilities on that project. I want their vision to be good and my work to be good.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alluring.sinistry
