This weeks feature Friday I’m talking with  fellow makeup artist and  friend Joy Fennell. Joy is a true  inspiration her creativity and   keen knowledge of what it takes to be in this business is refreshing.  Joy and I met about 4 years ago and quickly  discovered  we had a love for  jet black eyeliner and high fashion magazines! Currently residing in New York City Joy took some some time to answer  questions about the  makeup business give us her thoughts on real versus fake!

Tell the people who you are and where you’re from?

joy fennell and I’m available Internationally but currently reside in NYC. I was raised in Maryland.

How did you get started in the makeup business?

i was attending the University of Maryland at College Park and wanted to take a semester off but I knew that Mommy Fennell was going to be upset so I decided to have a game plan already in place before I told her my plans. I always painted, drew, etc but I was especially interested in makeup for some reason. So I decided to try my hand at getting a job at the makeup counter (I had never done makeup before except on myself) and low and behold I got the job. I was really shocked and the rest is history. Just an fyi, I did go back to finish my degree. That was a must.

When creating looks for a client what things inspire the look you come up with?

hmmm, that’s kind of a hard question to answer because every client and what they want/need are different. I always make it a point to listen closely, look at references which could include but aren’t limited to  pictures, swatches and history books, etc. I try to get a feel of the emotion behind the collection from the designer and see what they are passionate about.

What 3 products have to be in your Makeup Kit at all times?

M.A.C. Smoulder Pencil, Rodin Olio Lusso and DiorShow Mascara

How do you stay grounded in the fast paced, constant hustle of a business such as this?

I try not to take myself too seriously. I recognize that it is a stressful business but I love it. I never want to be in a position where I see myself as bigger than anyone else. I believe in myself but I don’t ever want to be a person that believes in their “own hype.” That’s dangerous. I also surround myself with people that aren’t necessarily in the business. They keep me grounded. And I love them for that.

Plastic Surgery / All Natural?

Both. I’m open to doing whatever you want to do to make yourself feel better. No one knows your insecurities and what parts of your life that you might have been bullied about. So, if its going to make you feel like the person you always felt inside, why not? I’m not a fan of people that go to an extreme with it because then that presents another set of problems but do what you need to do to make yourself happy. I’m trying very hard to get out of judging people. I’m not there yet but I want to move in that direction.

Everyday women love a lot of the editorial looks they see on the runways and magazines, should these makeup styles be saved for the runway or is it cool for them to incorporate these looks into their everyday makeup ?

Well makeup is just like a couture show. You take some things while leaving others on the runway. The everyday woman can see a dramatic look and use the lip from the look instead of using the whole look. But, if you feel feisty, try your hand at doing something daring. Hey, life is for the living!

Tell us something readers should know about you and your brand?

The only thing that I would say is to just keep checking in on me and what I’m doing. You never know where I’m going to go.

Website: www.joyfennell.com

Tumblr: Joy Fennell Does Makeup www.joyfennell.tumblr.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/joyfennell

The December issue of Brink magazine is here and LM lipsticks are featured in the Holiday Gift Giving Guide! The models look hot rocking LM  lipsticks shades  in Grind Time  & Love, they look so sexy, so beautiful you can’t just have 1 you need all 9 shades which look great on every skin tone. Click the Brink Mag link to view the December issue  which is online only  and if you want your very own copy you can order from MagCloud.com

My uber stylish friend Radio Rose who’s a stylist in NYC posted the music video of singer/songwriter Shyvonne’s newest hit *DAMN* on her Face Book page. My jaw dropped I was PUMPED! I loved the makeup, the clothes, the energy, all of it  and said I have got to interview her for LM, I know our readers will love her so here it is!Peep the interview Love & Lipstick…

In case you didn’t know Shyvonne from NY  is making her mark and I’m loving everything about her!

The look is around the way girl swag!

Makeup and hair boldly on point

Her voice  is butter!

Tell the people who you are and where you’re from?
Shyvonne, singer/songwriter from NY.

Are you more of a singer/rapper or a little bit of both?

Definitely a singer. I only rap when I freestyle with friends (and yes I can spit lol) but only for fun. I love music, and I am a singer in every way.

I loved your song “Second Chances”, who are some of your musical influences?

Thanks, that’s a little bit of a throw back. “Second chances” was produced by Melo X, and its def one of my favorites but I tend to only perform it with live band. I have so many musical influences, I’m really all over the place.  From Robin S and 90s house music, to
Adele, Beyonce, Cee-lo, NERD, Kelis. The list goes on…

The video of your new single “DAMN” is crazy hot! What’s the inspiration behind the track?

I was recording a song with producer Kingdom one day and I had messed up and said “damn”. When we listened to the playback I was like wow that sounds like a song. Kingdom then did his thing and looped the word, and made the track. On the way home from the studio that night, I saw a cutie on the train and that was the inspiration for the song. I wanted to have a female empowering song that encouraged woman to go get what they want! DAMN!

Your looks in video for “DAMN” are so fun, and “around the way girl”! How much does the role of makeup and hair play when it comes to your “Look”?

Anyone who says makeup and hair doesn’t play much into their look is lying lol. Its one of the many great things (although also at times frustrating) about being a woman. I express myself through my hair a lot. I change the color very often, and my stylist Paul Lodge has been amazing at dealing with my hair ADD lol. As for makeup I’m lucky enough to have an amazing makeup artist as my sister, Renee Sanganoo. I tend to be a little simpler with my makeup because I do the most with my hair. But a bright lip, long black wing, and bronzer is always essential, and she always knows how to make me look my best. So that combined with Radio Rose who styled the video, we have lots of colors, and fun accessories.  I wanted the video to feel real, to feel NY, to feel like us, and to me it definitely does.

What’s one thing people always notice when they meet you?

People are always like wow your hair is _____. Lol as if I didn’t know it was a normal color. But I don’t mind, it comes with the territory of having had every color hair in the rainbow, definately a conversation starter.

If given the opportunity to be a makeup artist for a day who would you want to makeover and why?

Oh man that’s a hard one. I’m a firm believer in to each his or her own, and just being confident and making it your own. I’m just gonna leave my answer as that for now lol…..

When audiences come out to your shows what can they expect from Shyvonne?

Nicki Minaj

Today’s Feature Friday goes to two ladies LM  enjoys working with so much, Nicole Mitchem photography and Tina Jackson of Style Attic! We started early  and boy did we start off well! Mrs. Jackson was not only the one styling the shoot, she was the model in FRONT of the camera! Yes she held it down doing new bio and promo pics for her site which is coming soon! When I tell you there is nothing better than a stylist, styling themselves there is NOTHING better! Every single thing she wore was friggin HOT! I didn’t take to many pics because they are so epic, I don’t want to spoil the surprise but these 2 here are certified bangers. I  could see  see myself wearing this  so I had to twit pic . My BB pics do the blue ensemble no justice but believe me when i say it was on point.

Throughout  the shoot we did beautiful clean natural makeup, natural eye and lip, which was perfect for  her, she has the most beautiful big eyes which is a makeup artist dream but I chose to keep it simple. As  for the last look I brought the eye color up! I added a  purple-bluish looking  loose eyeshadow and a slightly thicker  black eyeliner and a soft lavender  lip, ummmm gorgeous! I did choose to  mostly play up her skin, Tina has beautiful skin so I  used my new highlighter pen form MAC  in Bright Forecast and a old beauty powder called Brunette. Since  we were outside most of the day I wanted to keep the skin luminous and not work against nature because so that glow you see is all Tina’s  , she  looked AMAZING!

Tonight  Lipstick Mixtapes is  doing an interview LIVE yes LIVE with Orlando’s #1 Leader in Cutting-Edge Entertainment Orlando Live Streaming. We will be talking with host Peter Murphy about Spring/Summer Beauty trends for 2011. The show is filmed at downtown Orlando’s most Stylish Gallery City Arts Factory and goes LIVE at 10pm. So click on Orlando Live Streaming around 9:50 pm to make sure you catch the whole show and see us dishing out Spring /Summer Beauty and fashion tips!

Love & Lipstick