Taneil Britton knows what it takes to make people feel good about themselves. That’s why she went to beauty school and has become an expert in foundation application with the camouflaging brand, Cover FX. She’s extremely dedicated to her makeup career, signing each email she sends with: “I can change someone’s life with the stroke of a brush!” Here, see what brush strokes she needed to take in order to get where she is today and apply yourself to your own makeup career.

What is a day in the life of Taneil like?
It depends on the day. The days when I’m in town (NYC and PA) things are great. My job is to go into my stores and educate the employees on the products, teach them how to become foundation artists, and show them how to grow their businesses to reach productivity.

When I’m out of town, life is a little more intense. I have limited time with my outreach locations so when I’m with them I have to really make it count. We all know traveling is not FUN!!!! But I love the experience and I would not trade it for the world.

What’s your educational background?
I graduated high school and then went into beauty school to study and master the art of makeup, skin care, and hair care. I have a license to do all three skills. Makeup has always been my passion. I change people’s lives everyday with something that I Iove and enjoy doing.

How did you get your start?
After I graduated beauty school, I worked in Nordstrom as a manager for the advanced skin care department. I came across Cover FX at a seminar and instantly fell in love with the brand. Cover FX launched in my location and in three months I sold so much of it that they came out to meet me.

I met with Jenny Frankel and she asked what I was doing to have such great sales. I told her it was amazing I could sit someone down and whatever the concern was it disappeared once the makeup was applied and it looked like real skin. The client was a new person — they looked younger, held their head higher, and they even walked away differently. I couldn’t believe it! Soon after our meeting I joined the Cover FX team.

Have you ever worked with celebrities? If so, who was your favorite celebrity client and why?
Yes, I have worked with some celebrities. My favorite hands down is Lee Thomas, news reporter for Fox in Detroit. He has a skin condition called vitiligo, which deals with the pigmentation of the skin. I recently did his makeup for his documentary on TLC and it was so amazing to work with him. He has a book and a website about “Turning White.” Take a look at his stuff – he’s great.

Please tell us a little bit about Cover FX.
Cover FX is a brand with a purpose! We are the foundation authority and global complexion experts. Our goal is to educate people to become foundation artists. It is the foundation destination. In my years of working with complexion products I have NEVER found anything close to what Cover FX is. I don’t say this because I work for them; I work for them because I can say this. The foundations are the truth in what foundation should be.

Tell us one of your beauty secrets.
Skin Prep FX is an amazing product that nourishes and hydrates the skin, has vitamins and antioxidants, and is a makeup primer. Nothing can take its place in my eyes.

What’s the best part of your job?
Changing peoples lives. I always say it, but nothing is more rewarding to me than making someone feel beautiful. When you look good, you feel good and like you can conquer the world.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Recently, traveling has been challenging for me.

What’s your advice to aspiring makeup artists?
Practice make perfect. Be playful and think out of the box. There are no rules in makeup application. Try it — you might like it.

This is the true story of how a hospital camouflage foundation artist teamed up with a chemical engineer and a dermatologist to form an up-and-coming successful makeup brand.

Cover FX has an amazing story. I hadn’t heard of the company until a few months ago, but ever since then I have completely fallen in love. And their background and history proves just how thinking outside of the box can help you be successful in the workplace.

Lee Graff (the camouflage foundation artist at the CosMedic Clinic at a hospital in Canada), Jenny Frankel (the chemical engineer), and Dr. Neil Shear (the dermatologist) have worked together since 1985 developing their cosmetic brand. Helping people who had serious skin problems due to rosacea, scars, acne, and various imperfections, Graff has taught patients to use this camouflaging brand to feel better about themselves.

“My dream was to help men and women with skin conditions face the world with confidence by offering them makeup products with therapeutic benefits that would perfectly match their skin tone, be affordable, well tolerated by even the most sensitive skin and achieve a perfectly natural, flawless effect,” says Graff.

The brand is really remarkable, in fact. There are more than 30 foundation shades that can be closely matched to your skin color. The products also contain SPF, which in today’s world is a very important feature to protect your skin against the strong rays of the sun. Additionally, products are cruelty-free and the packaging of the products have become more green. You’ll find concealers, primers, bronzers, brushes, and more at Cover FX. It’s all about your skin with Cover FX so check out all it has to offer.

And while you’re at it, think about what you can do to think outside the box of your current career, especially if you’re unhappy and want to do something you’ve always been passionate about. It seems that you can really steer your career in a direction you may not have thought possible. Who would have thought a chemical engineer and a hospital staffer would make a successful cosmetic brand?! What a great way to be beautiful!

- Amanda Fornecker

I was working from home yesterday and needed to run out to get some coffee – stat! I wasn’t going to be gone that long and really didn’t want to get all dolled up; I mean, what’s the point? So I threw on some clothes and then contemplated whether I should do my makeup or not. When I finally decided that it was going to be a makeup-free day, I got a little uneasy. In fact, I contemplated finding a drive-thru just so I wouldn’t have to get out of the car, therefore limiting my possible, random run-ins with people I hadn’t seen in years. They could never see me looking like this, I thought.

What is it that makes me feel like I need to wear makeup? It’s not like I haven’t gone out without makeup before, but I’ve had a particularly unfortunate bout with acne recently, as apparently my body thinks I’m 15 again. However, upon thinking about this more, I’m not so sure it’s a need to wear makeup, as much as a routine. It’s kind of like when I forget my watch at home – I feel completely naked for the rest of the day. I think not wearing makeup makes me feel the same way.

I am certainly an advocate of using makeup to enhance what you already have. Makeup is not something you use to create a facade, in my opinion. You look like what you look like – now it’s just up to you to make yourself look presentable. And I really don’t think it takes an obscene amount of products either, especially if you already have rather non-problematic skin.

Not everyone feels this way about makeup, I realize. I have a ridiculous obsession and like to freelance as a makeup artist. In my opinion and experience with others, makeup makes you feel better. In fact, Taneil Britton, a professional makeup artist for Cover FX cosmetics, said just yesterday that she has heard so many stories of people who refuse to leave their house because they are embarrassed by some sort of skin problem. When Britton shows them how to use makeup, she really feels that she changes lives and I think that’s just amazing.

How do you feel about makeup? Can you live without it or is it something that completes you every day?

-Amanda Fornecker

The economy may be quickly shrinking, but that doesn’t mean that all businesses are suffering. In fact, beauty schools are doing a pretty good job of staying afloat during this tough economic crisis, as more and more beauty-obsessed individuals ditch the cubicle for the beauty salon classroom in a variety of beauty school concentrations.

I’ve always had a love of makeup. And I think this economy has kick-started those who have felt the same way — into a new career where they can pursue their passion and make a different life for themselves. While they may be changing their paycheck just a bit (cosmetologists average between $30,000 and $48,000 before tips, according to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools, AACS), they are pursuing something that can have a large payout in the long run, especially if they own their own salon or spa.

Take this recent NY Times article, for instance. It’s interesting to see all the beauty school professionals talking about beauty school popularity. Lynelle Lynch of Bellus Academy says in the article, “The industry is much more sophisticated than it once was.” This is definitely true as I believe the industry has moved away from the negative stigma that once was associated with the beauty industry. It takes a quite skilled, creative, and dedicated individual to pursue a beauty career. And an even more daring person to change careers entirely.

Beauty school isn’t just about the particular trade you’re about to study. It’s also about getting a well-rounded education that will give you the skills to really go out and conduct business. Classes in ethics and business practices are generally included in a curriculum that also emphasizes the history and chemistry of your desired profession. It’s quite a diverse field and students work hard to learn both on paper in the classroom and on mannequins (and eventually people) in the salon.

The NYT article also brings to light the fact that beauty schools are increasing in locations and enrollment:

At this time in 2008, Bellus Academy had 180 students; today it has 240. The number of students at Empire Beauty Schools, which has 89 locations, was up 17 percent from April 2008 to April 2009; enrollment at Paul Mitchell Schools, with 91 locations, increased 14 percent from May 2008 to May 2009.

Additionally, the AACS suggests that this is a wide open field. In fact, in January 2007, there were practically 1.7 million individuals employed in the beauty industry. And it continues to grow. “Salon owners reported 484,660 job openings were filled during 2006,” says the AACS. “This represents an average of 1.3 openings per salon. Nearly 40 percent of all new positions were filled by inexperienced workers.”

This all just goes to show how many opportunities exist within the beauty industry. There is lots of potential to get the job you desire. If you’ve always had a passion for beauty careers then maybe it’s time to consider the career change. Schedules are flexible so continuing to work and taking night classes is certainly possible. You just need to find the right school for you. Let us help you begin your search and even do some research about some of these accredited programs.

-Amanda Fornecker