The following is a fictional parody, not approved of, nor authorized by, the celebrities named. None of the events are true.
No harm is intended toward the celebrities named.
Furthermore, publication of any and all trademarks contained herein are not authorized by, associated with, nor sponsored by the trademark owners.
~~~
The Makeup Artist 3: Gabrielle Union gets a makeover.
~~~
I stepped out of the jet-black SUV onto the sidewalk just in front of the beach. Warm, rosy tones mixed with cool blue ones to form the famed Miami skyline. The warm golden sun, just rising, heated my skin and completed the picturesque sunrise. The boardwalk lay just in front of me, with a gorgeous beachfront cabana ahead. The golden sand beckoned me to run barefoot across its surface.
I was in South Beach, literally steps away from the most beautiful beachfront view I'd ever seen.
As the driver unloaded my equipment, I checked my reflection in the vehicle's dark windows. I wore a paper-thin wool dress that came just above the knee. The soft black fabric caressed my toned frame perfectly. I cinched my waist with a wide gold belt that matched my gold ballet slippers, and added dark sunglasses to shield my eyes from the radiant sunlight. My hair, falling in loose waves, was pulled off of my face with a jeweled headband.
I took off my sunglasses, inhaled the salt water in the air and marveled at my good fortune.
I got the call last week from Francine, a production assistant for Essence magazine, with instructions to arrive on set at 6am. Their fashion and beauty departments were doing a special cover story featuring the gorgeous Gabrielle Union for their upcoming anniversary issue.
I was especially excited since this was my first out-of-town gig. I was flown into Miami last night, and was delighted with the luxurious hotel room that the Essence staff reserved for me. The Setai Hotel, located right in South Beach, was one of the best, and I was absolutely thrilled with the choice.
As I admired the majestic sunrise, it reminded me of how great life had been lately. I could hardly believe that my makeup artistry business was going so well. I was so fortunate to be working with some of the most famous African-American beauties in the business, and I loved every minute of it. My good luck, and maybe my cute look and fun personality, were working overtime to get me the perfect jobs.
~~~
It had been over two months since my longtime friend and former boss, Charlene Drew, passed my name along to Essence's fashion editor, Rose Grandon.
Soon after, I met with Rose about her ideas for the shoot. We met at the magazine's private photography studio in NYC. Once I arrived, I learned that Constance Sharpe, the magazine's beauty editor would be joining us for my interview.
Rose Grandon was a fiery spirit with red-tipped locs to match. She was a gorgeous beauty, just over 6' tall and lean, with elegant, slim features. Her light complexion was smooth and satiny, and looked absolutely delicious. Her brightly printed blouse and slim pants drew my eyes right to her. Normally I try to be quite reserved around women while I'm working, but this lady had me mesmerized from the very beginning.
In contrast, Constance Sharpe was a quiet beauty, adorned with a honey-brown complexion and long, curly hair in a stunning chestnut shade. She stood about 5'7", with a lush, curvy figure. Her bright, pretty smile quickly put me at ease, and her delicate features piqued my interest. She wore a pretty royal-blue wrap dress, and her honey-colored cleavage immediately captured my attention. I'd been dating women for quite a while now, so I was incredibly pleased to be in the company of such lovely ladies.
The three of us hit it off immediately. As we chatted, I found out that Rose studied dance as a young girl, but quickly decided on a career in fashion once she learned how to sew as a teen. Later, she studied fashion design, where she learned about garments and their construction, and how clothes flowed on the body. She told me that she developed most of her sense of style by just studying regular people off the street. She said that she was fascinated with the clothes people wore, and how they developed their own personal style. Though she was just in her late 30s, she steadily worked her way up from unpaid college intern to fashion editor of the prestigious magazine.
She offered me a cup of tea, and I watched her make her way across the room to the kitchenette in the studio. She still danced as a hobby, and her walk was so graceful, that I held my breath watching her glide across the floor.
Constance didn't speak much at all; she mostly nodded as she made notes in her daily planner. I noticed that it was the new style that came decorated with an expensive alligator-skin cover. She also quickly typed notes into the newest Blackberry.
We spoke for a few minutes about the look they wanted for Gabrielle's photo shoot. Rose booked the beautiful African-American actress in order to both feature her new projects coming out, as well as showcase the hottest clothing lines of the new season.
Rose was very specific about the style she wanted for the overall layout: Her vision was to showcase Gabrielle as a fashionable South Beach socialite. The ocean view just beyond a lavish beachfront cabana would be the backdrop, and Gabrielle would model rich silk dresses, modern separates and stylish swimsuits.
Thankfully, I had done a similar look before, and both ladies were pleased at my results as they flipped through my photo book. Once we agreed upon a fee, they agreed to book me as part of the style team. I was particularly grateful since I had little experience with shoots this big.
Appreciative of the opportunity, and wanting to make the best first impression I could, I wore a fitted light blue blouse with a short, midnight-black skirt that seriously tested the laws of decency. Though I was petite, just at 5'4", I worked hard to keep in the best shape possible, and they both seemed to appreciate it. I noticed that Rose's eyes lingered on my legs a bit too long, but I was used to flirtatious women. She was too cool to approach me then, but I decided to keep my eyes on her. Constance continued to hold back, but as she hugged me goodbye, I felt her soft hands gently caress my back.
This was going to be an interesting job.
~~~
Today's shoot was pretty straightforward: Gabrielle was the sole actress for the layout. Once she arrived, she'd go directly to wardrobe. When her final fittings were completed and her hair was styled, she would come to me for makeup. She would then be dressed and photographed directly on the beach.
The set was designed as a luxurious oceanfront cabana. Vibrant red, gold and blue tapestries were draped from the roof to the sand. An ornate sleigh bed sat in the middle of the structure, surrounded by small tables decorated with exquisite antique pieces. Tens of candles, all unlit but very colorful, also adorned the space.
A second, smaller "styling" villa was steps away, and housed the wardrobe and makeup rooms. Inside, racks of clothes sat by the door. A large table in front of a grand, full-length mirror was positioned toward the back of the room.
Two small production trailers sat between the two structures. The first trailer, I learned, was for catering; the other for additional equipment.
As I walked into the styling villa, I heard a loud voice behind me.
"Nikii!"
I spun. Rose quickly moved to embrace me. "I'm glad you're here." She checked her watch. "And you're early! Even better!" She grabbed my hand. "Gabrielle is scheduled to be here shortly. In the meantime, let's have some breakfast, shall we?"
I walked with her out to the catering trailer. Stepping in, I was pleased to see an elaborate buffet of delicious items. Grabbing a plate, I filled it with a selection of fresh fruit and a couple of warm, flaky croissants.
Following Rose, we walked outside to a short bench right on the beach near the sidewalk. We chatted for a few minutes, all the while me noticing her eyes again on my exposed legs underneath the hem of my dress. Chuckling, I silently bet that she'd hit on me before the day was over.
All of a sudden, a dark SUV pulled up to the curb just behind our bench. A woman with a medium-build and dark sunglasses hopped out of the passenger's side and walked over to us.
We stood as Rose spoke first. "Hey, Melinda!" She turned back to me. "Nikii, this is Melinda Brown. Melinda is Gabrielle's personal assistant. Melinda, this is Nikii Clarke. She's today's makeup artist."
Melinda tipped her shades down to her nose and regarded me with an icy stare. "Nikii Clarke. I hear you're friends with Charlene Drew?"
"Yes, Iā"
