Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

To say that Billy Brasfield, known as "billy b" in the beauty industry, is simply a Makeup Artist would be an understatement. While some things in Billy's life have been black and white, such as his decision to leave Mississippi for New York, there is much more depth to billy b that goes beyond skin deep.

A world renowned Celebrity Makeup Artist painting faces from the Red Carpet to the small screen, billy b has never forgotten where he came from and is on a mission to revitalize his hometown of Aberdeen, Mississippi. I have been a long time fan of billy b the Makeup Artist, but now I can firmly say that without a doubt I am an absolute fan of billy b the person.

Shannon: Before venturing into the beauty industry, was there another career path you had set for yourself?
billy b: I ventured into the beauty industry by accident. For me, it was a matter of survival. I moved from a tiny Mississippi town (Aberdeen), and only knew NYC was where I wanted to be. I faked my way through the audition process for The American Academy of Dramatic Art, but had never thought of being an actor and had no experience whatsoever. It was a just “way” of getting to NYC, with my parents paying for it. I attended 1 semester and dropped out. My parents were not happy with the move and insisted I return to Mississippi.

After quitting school, I was forced to move out of housing, my parents cut me off financially, so it was sink or swim. I moved into a YMCA in Times Square and only had experience in retail, so I went to Macy’s Herald Square (because it was the only store I knew of from watching the Thanksgiving Parade on T.V. while growing up in Mississippi. They had a job in cosmetics so I lied and said I had experience, got the job and luckily discovered my talent there doing makeup on real women.

Shannon: When you began doing makeup, who were the makeup artists that you admired for their work?
billy b: To be honest, prior to my retail job selling makeup at Macy’s, I had never given any thought to who actually did makeup for magazines etc. I always liked fashion etc., but was so naive from Mississippi, I had never thought about it until I started doing makeup and then of course became aware of Kevyn Aucoin. He was already a working makeup artist then. I knew he was southern, so I was intrigued. He became my makeup hero.

Shannon: Are there any emerging makeup artists now whose talent you marvel at?
billy b: There are so many incredibly talented makeup artists out there known and unknown! I always say in my classes that every Sunday there are thousands of incredibly talented singers in church choirs that can sing circles around Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, but will never have record deals or be famous. It is the same with makeup artists. There are so many talented artists (known and unknown) who are unsung heroes.

Shannon: Which do you enjoy more: creating a story for a photo shoot, creating a story for a video or creating the look of a celebrity for the red carpet? Why?
billy b: The answer to that question depends on so many factors, but I enjoy it all. I think the best thing about our job is that it is something different everyday! The answer for a photo shoot depends on the photographer, the model, the hair, the stylist, the magazine, what type of makeup I am asked to do etc. For a video it depends on the video concept, the director, the director of photography, the singer, the song etc. For the Red Carpet, all of the same factors come into play. Making a magic image isn’t just left up to the makeup artist. As a matter of fact, making magic is a RARE thing and absolutely a "team" effort, but I LOVE the challenge every time.

Shannon: You just launched your own brush collection, billybBeauty Paint Brushes, what inspired you to create your own collection and how are they different from other brush lines on the market?
billy b: I’m glad you asked this question! I have always been very particular about my brushes. I think tools make all the difference in the world. For me, there are several factors, but the MOST important is that the brush help me do what I want to do. The shape, density, texture of the hair etc., but I also wanted to do a brush that is comfortable to use (ie. the length, weight, etc.) All of those factors are important. I designed the brushes for me; brushes that I use everyday to make my job easier. I am making tools that I love and use with the hope that others will love them, but I made them for myself. How they are different for me is that I incorporate some aspect of every great brush I found. Now I love every aspect of every brush I have designed; they are meant to be light and comfortable to use. This collection is ever evolving and what you see is not the final collection. I am in the process of designing a retractable lip brush and I'm sure I'll be inspired to design more brushes in time.

Shannon: You are a keynote speaker at The Makeup Show run by The Powder Group and now you will be doing The American Beauty Tour with them, as well. Do you find that you enjoy being out in the spotlight teaching pro's and non-pro's your techniques more so than being "behind the scenes" for your work, or is it equally rewarding?
billy b: This is a good question! I don’t know how this whole “teaching” and “speaking” thing happened, but I do enjoy giving back. I didn’t have anything like this available to me when I started out and if I had had the opportunity to learn from someone “who had been there” it would have helped me so much. When I speak/teach, I just try to be honest. I just “tell it like it is” and people seem to enjoy it. That makes me feel good, yes. I receive the most incredible letters after speaking. It always amazes me what exactly helps someone. It’s not always about watching me work or learning a tip about makeup. It’s nice to know I might validate, teach or inspire someone. It is a totally different type of satisfaction than creating makeup.