From law school aspirations to the MAC makeup counter, Fredrick Sanders eventually found his way to beating the faces of some of our favorite celebrities and during New York Fashion Week including: Alek Wek, Debbie Allen, Tamela Mann, Kelly Price, JoJo and many more.
“I’ve never taken any formal classes, the only training that I have had was most through M.A.C. Through that, it was mostly product knowledge. I have a vision when I see a person,” Fredrick says. “I visualize what I want them to look like and I use the tools that I am given to bring to light what I see in my head. That is what sets me apart from the makeup artist who have had training,” he said regarding what sets him apart from other makeup artist and how his lack of training has actually helped him be more creative and not hindered by how other people execute their artistry.
Fredrick is all for the current makeup trends, but loves a good classic beat. “I think people are beautiful the way that they are,” he says. “I try to recreate that beauty and let them see what I see in them. My favorite look is to make them look as natural as possible, but flawless. Skin is important. My goal is about creating a flawless canvas,” he continues.
YouTube has sprung up some opportunities for makeup enthusiasts to show their talents in the world of makeup artistry, but Fredrick stands by the idea of learning makeup artistry from a proven makeup artist. “I’m an educator first, I can’t do a contour client and show it on YouTube and say that this is the law, that this is the only way that you do contouring. Every educator knows, you educate people on different levels. You meet them where they are. YouTube is difficult because you can only capture a certain audience,” he says. Although, he does use YouTube as a tool for inspiration in his work and to stay current on the trends. Being current is definitely apart of the technique.
While you can find Fredrick on the road at big Hollywood events giving these celebrities a good face, he is also grinding on his own brand and projects. Runway to Reality is a makeup class that Fredrick is heading and taking on the road starting in March in Dallas, TX. He will not only showcase his talent and technique, but he will be teaching your everyday makeup lover to experienced makeup artists the tools of the trade. The idea is for him to be able to touch each student in his class and in order to do this, he has capped the classes at 25 people only.
For aspiring makeup artist who want to get into the industry, Fredrick recommends a focus on customer service. “Every experience that I have had. Every irate customer that has sat in my chair prepared me for where I am now. When you are a celebrity makeup artist, it is not about your art because there are makeup artist that come a dime a dozen that can do what you do faster and probably better. You have to understand that there is a dynamic when you work with people that you have to be a people pleaser or people person,” he says. “It’s about making them feel like they are the star, they are empowered by that through makeup.”
And if showing his technique and tools of the trade are not enough, after hearing Fredrick’s story, you realize the beauty and importance of following the dreams that are planted in your heart. Because who knows where you will end up if you just took that leap. “This is my God given gift. God gives everyone gifts, its just up to us to discover it and walk in it,” says Fredrick.
Written by: Venus Austin of pinkklipstick.com
For more information on Fredrick Sanders, follow him on social media at: http://twitter.com/fred4face, Instagram: http://instagram.com/fred4face, and Facebook:www.facebook.com/frederick.w.sanders
