I recently got to sit down with my very busy make-up artist, Christina Natale, and talk to her about her craft and what she loves about doing make-up. Christina does make-up for most of my Le Cadeau shoots and she’s been working with me for several years on many different projects. She’s also had her boudoir photographs taken by me and I wanted to get her take on doing make-up and the Le Cadeau experience.

Robin: Hiiii!

Christina: How are ya!? I actually just got a phone call, I’m really excited right now. I’m doing a video this week for Neako.

Robin: That’s awesome! Great to hear you are busy as always. I wanted to ask you a few questions for my blog so I can introduce you to new clients and let them get to know you a little bit. Sound good?

Christina: I hope my answers are ok, I’m not very good at interviews. (laughs)

Robin: (laughs) I’m sure you’ll do fine. This will be short and painless. Lets start with, when did you first become interested in make-up?

Christina: Honestly, since I was about 6 years old I have been in about every make-up bag you can ever imagine. Its sickening. It really is. I used to have my own fashion shows when I was little. Full face of make-up. Half dressed cause nothing fit me. And I’d put on fashion shows for my cousins. (laughs)

Robin: Awww, so you discovered early on what you wanted to do! That’s cute.

Christina: I did. I did. Fashion and make-up I feel obviously go hand and hand with each other. So that was something that I was very very passionate about as well but I went to school for fashion for 3.5 years and I was starting to finish up my program and I was realizing – I hated this. I did not enjoy doing this. I wasn’t as passionate about it. That’s when I decided to focus on make-up.

Robin: A similar thing happened to me in school when I switched from film to photography. I really found my passion.

Christina: Yes. I realized make-up was my calling. It was my calling. And that I found I was naturally good at it.

Robin: What’s been an interesting gig you’ve done?

Christina: I loved working on that Emmure video. You had different looks for everyone. It was a fun environment.

Robin: Do you find working with celebrities is harder than working with “regular” people?

Christina: You wanna know something, honestly, no. Believe it or not, sometimes they are a lot easier. I find. Do you find that?

Robin: Sometimes.

Christina: Sometimes yea, not all of them. (laughs) But for the most part they are both enjoyable. Regular people… (laughs) Celebrities and regular people. I never look at it that way. Regardless, you have to be in tune with what the person wants. Everyone wants just as much attention as a celebrity does and everyone deserves that attention.

Robin: Yup. I would agree with you 100%. I think anytime I’ve worked with a client, its been about making them feel comfortable and producing a great image. So what’s been rewarding about doing make-up for boudoir shoots?

Christina: I love them. Its not something that is rushed. Its simplistic beauty is what it really is. Its about bringing out your pure, natural features. Thats really what it is. Being that I work with you and also did one, I see both sides of it.

Robin: What about your experience having your photograph taken?

Christina: Its comfortable. You really just get to be in your own skin, which is amazing. You don’t feel like you have to pose a certain way, or look a certain way. Its you and the camera. I loved the whole experience. Its almost a time to free your mind. I was thinking a lot during that shoot.

Robin: Really?

Christina: Not whether the pictures were ok. I was just thinking, this is comfortable. It felt good.

Robin: Thanks so much for talking with me. Le Cadeau is a project I’m incredibly passionate about and I love having you be a part of that excitement and passion.

Christina’s work can be found on the site
Below are some images of Christina at work, as well as a before and after. Contact Christina at xnatalex@yahoo.com