First Look Fridays: Makeup Artist Veronica Lorenz

The creator of the super-cool, super innovative beautyblender. A makeup artist on such fan favorites as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the fan favorite The Hunger Games. Chock full of amazing makeup tips and tricks. Oh, and let's not forget makeup artist to such celebrities as Sofia Vergara and Diana Ross. That's makeup artist Veronica Lorenz. Read on to discover how beautyblender came to be, how to make your lashes look thick and lush, and so much more.

How did you first become interested in makeup, and what led you to become a makeup artist?
I grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, where I started figure skating at age 7. I also did ballet and gymnastics, but kept with skating because it was the most challenging. When I was 12 or 13 I started competing nationally, and at 17 I began skating professionally as a troupe member of “Holiday on Ice.” I like to say I “ran away and joined the circus,” we went from city to city performing and even had clown and dog acts. I traveled with the show in Europe for 6 months. We had to do our own makeup and the other girls loved the way I did mine so I was being asked by a lot of them to do theirs as well.

After the ice show I was hanging out on the street corner with my punk rock friends when a casting director came up to us and said, “Hey, do you wanna get paid to do what you’re doing now?” So I went down to the set of a show that turned out to be the pilot for 21 Jump Street and hung out in front of the camera. I ended up working as an extra throughout the whole series and soon after decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

In L.A. I realized that while I loved being on set it was the behind the camera stuff that interested me the most, particularly the visual elements. At the same time a surgery I underwent caused nerve damage in my right hand and arm and I had to learn how to do everything left-handed. After some soul searching, learning how to do makeup left-handed seemed like a challenge for me. So I decided to quit acting and go to Cinema Make Up School. My decision paid off almost immediately, the first job I got was during my first month of school assisting the owner of the school on a commercial.

You've worked on some really interesting TV shows and movies, from Buffy to The Hunger Games. Do you have any favorite looks you've created or moments that have stood out?
The Hunger Games was certainly a standout moment. As a makeup artist who works the full spectrum, sometimes I’m reminded to “rein in” a little bit. For instance going from a "real people" type of movie like Bridesmaids to something like Star Trek requires two very different types of makeup. With The Hunger Games, there was no need to “rein in,” which was very liberating. And working with Diana Ross and Sofia Vergara is always exciting.

I absolutely love beautyblender. What inspired you to create such a fun product?
Thanks! I created beautyblender out of necessity. I first started using that shape of sponge, hand cutting it myself, in my FX work, but with a different type of sponge material. I was airbrushing all of my beauty makeups at the time and didn’t have a portable tool to touch them up on set. So one day I came up with the idea to use the teardrop shape with a softer, smoother material, and after a few years of research and development, voila! beautyblender was born.

What are your top 5 favorite beauty products?
1) beautyblender and blendercleanser. For obvious reasons. It’s the ultimate applicator. You can apply 75 percent of your makeup with it. It’s environmentally sound and you can recycle it!

2) Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. Does not fail. Ever.

3) Revlon ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex Foundation. It does what it says it does. It stays. I’ve used this on everyone, especially with dancers who sweat a lot, and it still stays. Touchups are minimal. You can also thin it down for a sheerer formulation. Still stays!

4) Dior eyeshadows. Beautiful colors and the formulation is lovely. You don’t get any fallout from it.

5) Make Up For Ever Genevieve False Lashes. So beautiful. You could almost get away with doing no other makeup than putting these on and look completely done.

What are your top 3 makeup tips?

1) Set your foundation, concealer and creme blush with loose power and your damp beautyblender (no need to wash it between steps). Then dip your (same) beautyblender in loose powder, tap off the excess, and stipple over your makeup. It leaves your makeup with a fabulous satiny finish that lasts longer, so you don’t have to touch up as often.

2) Apply powder to eyelashes before curling and applying mascara for thicker, more luscious lashes.

3) Blend, blend, blend! And then blend some more!

Being a makeup artist must be fun -- but what do you do in your spare time?
Being a makeup artist is fun! I’m very lucky to be able to play with my toys, work with incredibly talented people and get paid for it! In my spare time I play housewife and mother. I have a daughter, Tesla, who will be 3 in July, and my husband, Pat, who at times acts the same age, so my spare time is all about my family. I’m also working on cool new ideas for makeup tools ... stay tuned!

Click here for more information on beautyblender. Visit Veronica's personal website here.