Nice to meet you!
As a long-time international, celebrity makeup artist and green beauty educator, I’m dedicated to dispelling myths, helping you find the very best safe cosmetics, and teaching you my secrets for enhancing your natural beauty at every age, so you can be empowered to make healthier choices, look fabulous and radiate confidence every single day.
I spent the first 24 years of my life in So Cal (I never say Cali) and from there I lived in Oregon (so green!), then moved to Italy (Ciao bella!) and later NYC (how you doin’?) to work alongside fashion’s greatests. In the Fall of 2015 I traded in the big city hustle for the nurturing Pacific Northwest again.
When I’m not traveling, I’m cozied up in a cottage with my orange kitty building a digital dynasty sharing the beauty secrets that have changed my life and the lives of my clients, which I’ve learned over decades working as a makeup artist and healthy beauty expert with women of almost every age from over 50 countries.
I love that I get to help women like you clear out the toxic junk from their makeup bags and confidently reclaim their beauty through my highly popular online courses, in-person and virtual lessons, articles and videos with millions of views.
From top models and celebrities, to working moms and retirees, the most common thing I hear is they want to feel amazing and look like the best version of themselves — without having to be covered in makeup.
And I agree!! While makeup is my jam, I spend most of my week naked-faced because I don’t think it’s necessary to slather it on Kardashian-style every day (or ever).
To me makeup is a way to enhance, frame, magnify and play.
But that’s not where I started...
I know all too well how it feels to look in the mirror and feel un-pretty.
Growing up on the beaches of Southern California, I tanned my pale skin, colored my hair blonder, worked out 4 days a week, and got padded bras to try and fit the standard of curvaceous “Barbie pretty” I was surrounded by.
Having battled with acne for 10-years, I remember the frustration of attacking it with every drug and topical treatment available to no avail.
It took a lot of internal work to feel truly feel beautiful – without trying to be someone else’s version of pretty.
Now even as the sun damage from my past creeps up, and the signs of aging march forth on my face, I get more compliments now on how radiant I look than I did 15 years ago. And how I did that is what I’m excited to share with you!
A makeup artist using natural products was (and still is) an unusual path, so people often ask me, “how did you become a ‘green’ makeup artist?”
The makeup artist piece came first, then a specialty working with women over 40, and finally the green piece fell into place.
It’s weird to confess, but talk show makeovers on afternoon TV inspired my life’s work around the age of 13. The powerful transformations were riveting.
At first, what I learned about makeup application (BYT: Before YouTube) came from reading magazines, books and an instructional VHS tape my mom got with her makeup purchase off an infomercial (which I watched about 20,000 times).
Becoming a specialist in over 40 makeup
At the tender age of 19 – too nervous to apply to a big department store cosmetics counter — I got a job at a makeup boutique that catered to an older clientele.
I taught myself the nuances of working with mature skin and learned how to sculpt features that had the magic effect of rolling back the clock. Before long, women were specifically requesting me to do their makeup and teach them my “age-defying” makeup tricks.
Post-college I had the innocence and audacity to demand my dream position at a cosmetics brand in color product development.
After almost 2 years learning how to create new colors and products, I set off through Europe, and in those 5 months I had my heart broken, my eyes opened to new ways of being, cultures and languages.
Instead of returning to my previous life in California, I went to work for a best-selling spiritual author, and trained as a life coach in Oregon for a stint.
To skip over quite a few details, at age 26 I became the CFO and HR director at a multi-million dollar music distribution company. Though I enjoyed my work, I felt myself getting further away from the dream of becoming an international makeup artist — the thing I had secretly pinned up on a vision board in my closet.
Not willing to play the regret game, I quit my job, sold off most of what I owned, and used air miles for a ticket to Milan.
I arrived with no job prospects, or even a place to live….but spent the next two years in Europe thriving as a makeup artist.
The moment I dedicated myself to natural makeup…
Working backstage at Fashion Week, where models have their makeup done five or six times a week, I saw how their skin became sensitized to “high-quality” professional brands of makeup to the point they couldn’t tolerate it anymore.
But no one could seem to explain these severe reactions.
During that time I met May Lindstrom who was a model at the time, and is known now for creating one of the natural beauty industry’s most beloved skincare brands. I was still struggling with acne, and at her encouragement, I switched my traditional products for natural alternatives, and my skin was clear and glowing like never before!
After more research, I soon became convinced that a lot of the traditional ingredients used in cosmetics are harming both our health and our environment.
Challenges of going green as a pro makeup artist
I risked my career when I became one of one of only four makeup artists in the world working in fashion (at that time) who was committed to using safer, natural products.
In 2009 it was near impossible to find high quality, natural makeup that provided the finishes and textures I needed to achieve the effects I wanted — and there were no resources online to help!
Soon I started to figure it out…
When I came out as a “green makeup artist”, I figured everyone who cared about their health, animal welfare, and making a more environmentally sound choice would be clamoring to hire me.
Instead, I was ridiculed for bucking the establishment of the huge beauty brands that ruled the industry, and my income stream.
I was told to “keep it under wraps” if I wanted to preserve my reputation in fashion.
Nevertheless in 2010 I started the first iteration of GreenBeautyTeam.com.
I took a big risk to live my dream traveling and working around the globe, doing makeup alongside the very top fashion industry folks in New York, Milan and Paris, and another by going green.
What’s made it worth it, has been the honor of helping thousands of women (in person and online) be healthier, feel amazing, and look fantastic — while supporting ethical products.
That brings me to you
Whether you’re just starting down the path of switching to natural cosmetics, or you’re ready to overhaul it all, I’m here to help guide you through the process so you can finally feel empowered to make the very best choices for you.
Through my free articles and videos, paid lessons and online courses, and anything else I offer — the goal is to make it meaningful and valuable for you to help you cut through the confusion, cast away the shackles of not-enough-ness, and step into the truly radiant, vibrant woman you are meant to be.
I don’t claim to know everything, and I’m honest about my journey because all of us are learning and it’s not always easy.
Just know that you don’t need to go it alone. You’ve got me on, and by your side.
Please make sure you download one of my free toolkits to help you clean out your beauty bag from harsh chemicals and if you’re over 40, then grab this toolkit of my best, tried-and-true beauty tips. Can’t wait for you to see what’s inside.
That way you’ll also be subscribed to my newsletter so we can keep in touch. I read every single email and comment (even if I’m not able to reply to them all) and am always doing my best to create more goodness for you.
I’m thrilled we’re connected and I look forward to our journey through Healthy Beauty together.