Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Beware: Common Scam on Makeup Artists...Who Accept Credit Cards

Various versions of Square technology
CC by National Museum of American History


I know that this scam is not specific to Makeup artists. In fact, the continuous attempts that have been made on me have nothing to do with the fact that I'm a makeup artist. They have everything to do with the fact that I accept credit cards.

I don't know what site they peruse to find their targets. Could be Yelp?
Basically, these scam artists want someone who accepts credit card and will always have the need to combine your services with the services of another vendor who "does not accept credit card" so that you can charge for both services (yours and the other vendor) on your credit card and take out cash to pay the other vendor. Of course, there is no other vendor. The person is setting you up to meet them for said service at a particular place and time with a particular (large) amount of cash on you.

Fortunately, I have not ever fallen for these scams but the thought of what happens if you do go through with one of these "opportunities" terrifies me. The fact that there are such terrible people out there that are willing to do this to a human being who they know nothing about is terribly disappointing.

There are some common practices that I have noticed within all of these attempted scams. I want to share them with all of you who accept credit cards for a service so that you can recognize these tell-tale signs and not fall victim to these horrible scams.
  1. The scam artist is NEVER able to talk to you on the phone. They can only communicate with you via text or email. I've heard different excuses as to why (i.e. they are mute, they are deaf, they just had surgery on their vocal cords--these are all reasons I was actually given. Yeah, its been tried on me a lot.)
  2. If via text: the phone number is never local. Its always an out of town area code. 
  3. Grammar is terrible. These people's first language is obviously not English. 
  4. They immediately ask if you accept credit card. They don't ask about pricing or any other details until after you confirm you accept credit card.
  5. They are never tiny budget projects (such as one person getting their makeup to go out). In my case, they've been things like...two daughters who require a couple of days of advanced private makeup lessons or a fashion show with about 25 models. 
  6. They contradict themselves if you communicate long enough. One person told me they couldn't talk because they had surgery on their vocal cords....later in the conversation they said they couldn't talk because they had just had lung surgery. Ummm what? Another person sent an email telling me that their fashion show was going to take place in downtown Jacksonville. When I asked for a specific address he gave me an address in Miami Beach. Idiot. Get it together, scammers!
  7. They always have another service that they are receiving at the same time (i.e. for the fashion show job it was a hair stylist; for the private makeup classes it was a driver for the two daughters) and that service provider does not accept credit card. They ask you to do the favor of charging the other service provider's fee to your credit card processing system and paying the other service provider with cash. 
At this point, hopefully you either bitch them out and tell them you know they are trying to scam you or you just stop communicating with them all together. 

I hope that this helps even just one person who is thinking of providing a service for someone displaying these signs. If this has happened to you, please go to the comments to share your story or any tell-tale signs that you may have noticed (if its been attempted on you more than once).

Unfortunately, some people out there can been terrible and completely careless about how their actions affect other human beings. So lets kill their attempts to do evil by spreading and sharing knowledge. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Instagram Makeup Artists to Follow for Inspiration

I'm always looking for new makeup artists to follow to find inspiring makeup photos and tutorials. Here are a few of my favorites on Instagram:

@ElyMarino or visit instagram.com/elymarino

@MakeupbySuzette or visit instagram.com/makeupbysuzette



@MakeupShayla or visit instagram.com/makeupshayla


@Maya_Mia_y or visit instagram.com/maya_mia_y

@ssssamanthaa or visit instagram.com/ssssamanthaa

@SusiMakeup or visit instagram.com/susimakeup

@VillaBeautifful or visit instagram.com/villabeautifful

@Lindasteph or visit instagram.com/lindasteph

@lindahallbergs or visit instagram.com/lindahallbergs


Feel free to submit any of your favorites in the comments.
And...if you want to follow me on instagram...




@Faceperfection or visit instagram.com/faceperfection

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Security Detail: An alarm system you wear on your wrist - (Reblogged)

Don’t you just hate how unfashionable a can of mace is? And the emergency button on your iPhone? Ho-hum, amiright?

For more stylish peace of mind, check out Cuff, a San Francisco start-up founded by a former VP of product development at Restoration Hardware.

The bracelets, necklaces and key chains in the Cuff line ($35 to $150) act as a personal alert system. The brand’s innovative technology, CuffLinc, is a small device embedded into the accessories that connects to your smartphone and sends alerts to your trusted network when you’re in a threatening situation.

Here’s how it works: Download the app and designate family and friends to receive alerts in case you come across trouble. A subtle touch of the wrist or neck will ping everyone in your network and identify your location via GPS, and it won’t stop until someone responds.

Style aside, we find it remarkably comforting to have a security blanket wrapped around our wrist. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with feeling like James Bond’s sexy counterpart.

The Cuff collection is available for preorder now, with delivery scheduled this fall.



Reblogged via PureWow

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Photoshoot with Natalie (Not me, Another One)

Here are some photos from a photoshoot with iFashion Photos for Deco Models. FacePerfection did the hair and makeup. We shot at Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach. This model was Natalie, former model who is getting back in the game.

Lets start with some Behind-the-scenes shots:



Next...the lifestyle shots:













And finally, high fashion...





I need to update my website with new photos, so if you see any in particular that you think I should display, please...let me know!

Friday, February 28, 2014

Photo Shoot with New Model: Lindsey

This is part two to my previous blog post Photo Shoot with New Model: Denise. In this blog post, I'm going to share photos of the second model, Lindsey. Lindsey was also modeling for the first time but she's a natural. Its not just because her body and height makes her perfect for modeling, she just has "the look". She's also as sweet as can be. So great to work with her.
I took my own picture of her while we waited. She even looks awesome on a phone camera.

 Soft and Natural




Dramatic
Behind the scenes







Behind the Scenes



Color + Drama = Fashion



Questions? Comments?
Let's hear it!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Photo Shoot with New Model: Denise

I had the pleasure of working with such a great crowd on a photo shoot recently. I did hair and makeup. The shoot was to build a look book for two brand new models. In this blog post, I'll be sharing the photos from my shoot with the first model, Denise. This was Denise's first time modeling but no practice was necessary for her to be as beautiful as she is. To make my job even easier than it already was, I was working with a great team. iFashion Photos was the photographer: a team of two fellow Cuban (I'm Cuban-American) ladies with a great attitude and sense of humor. The laid-back vibe and non-stop joking made the shoot so much fun. I can't wait to work with them again. The modeling agency that we were doing the shoot for was Deco Models in Miami Beach. Thank you for this job, Deco Models!

Ready to work with my tool belt!

All set up and ready for Model #1


First Look: Soft and Beachy





Bring in the Colors!


Casual Pastels



Soft Burst of Color


Do you have a favorite look?
Questions? Comments?
Please post!