When one of my sales reps comes to your store, he or she is able to answer any question you throw at them. I also stress service. When I was a makeup artist, I always appreciated salespeople who would listen to me and honestly care about the information they were giving me. You can always sense when somebody's telling you the truth, or when they're just trying to sell you. I absolutely will not permit my salepeople to sell makeup just to stock up shelves, because it doesn't do me any good having my products just filling up shelf space and not being sold. It's important to handle sales with honesty, integrity and care. You never go wrong that way. So it's a matter of having a good product and hiring reps who share my goals.

LR: Any merchandising tips for store owners?

JB: Know your client base; don't order products that you know you're not going to be able to sell. And don't allow your shelves to go bare before you order. Write up an order - even if you scratch it down on a piece of paper - find the fax number to the order desk and fax it to us! Don't wait for someone to come around and service the account all the time, because it may be awhile before that rep can come around to you. And you shouldn't use a rep as a crutch - use a rep only to answer questions or to help you out whenever you really find yourself in a pinch.

LR: You have two training centers- one in Hollywood, California, and one in Orlando, Florida. What types of makeup artistry do your schools teach?

JB: We teach the same curriculum at both schools, and we offer courses and programs that teach absolutely all phases of makeup artistry, from the simplest, natural makeup to the most complex, prosthetic, mechanical character makeup.

LR: How did your school start?

JB: I fancy myself as the forerunner of the professional makeup school. There was a tiny little school back in '66, '67 - and it still exists today - that was advertised as a makeup school but it really wasn't; it was a salon where women could learn how to put on their makeup. I saw their ad in the paper and went there and said, "You know you guys are really missing the boat. I'm a professional makeup artist and I could put together a curriculum for you - and subsequently a school - that would be the first of its kind in the world." Well they hired me, and that became the first professional school for film and television makeup. Of course, there were colleges and universities that had been teaching what they called professional makeup for eons, but these were drama teachers who were really just teaching theatrical makeup.

LR: Thank you so much for taking the time today to share all your wonderful stories. Any final comments?

Note: Joe Blasco wishes to thank Lisa Randazzo and the publisher and staff of Beauty Store Business Magazine for the wonderful work in composing the original article which the contents of this article was based upon and slightly edited for updating.

Joe Blasco Cosmetics is currently compounding special body makeup for the soon to be released new Flinstones film 'Viva Rock Vegas' Heading the team of top makeup professionals is Christina Smith. This film will feature a wide variety of very innovative and fascinating character and special make-up effects created by Matthew Mungle. Mr. Mungle, who also lectures at the Joe Blasco Make-up Center in Hollywood, was the first recipient of the, "Makeup Recognition award," which is bestowed to Joe Blasco Graduates who have demonstrated great talent and achievement in their art. At the ceremony, which was conducted during the Joe Blasco Makeup Center's 21st anniversary, Mr. Mungle's, "Hand prints" were cast in stone and placed in the newly remodeled Hollywood School's Makeup Museum.

Since Late September 1997, Joe Blasco has completely restaffed, remodeled and expanded the Joe Blasco Makeup Artist Training center in Hollywood, redesigned and expanded his line of cosmetics (which debuts worldwide during mid July and August 1999) and in Miami Beach, has just opened the first of seven national Joe Blasco Cosmetics centers! This center is a makeup store, a makeup salon, and an instructional facility which features advanced makeup lectures and demonstrations on all phases of professional makeup artistry. The new seminar system, which each of these centers will offer, is Mr. Blasco's next stop in the process of advancing the evolution of makeup education. Each center features very comprehensive seminars conducted by top entertainment and makeup industry professionals.

The new system permits individuals to experience the most important phases of makeup artistry in a fast and easy to understand three-day and five-day intensive seminar, which is designed for the enrichment of knowledge and the continued higher education of makeup professionals.

Newcomers to the field will also greatly benefit from these very intensive seminars. Attendees will be eligible for a partial scholarship at either our Hollywood or Orlando facility! The amount paid to attend the seminar will be automatically deducted from the tuition at either our West Coast or East Coast Makeup Artist Training facilities. In addition, graduates from our formal training centers will be eligible to attend the seminars at a reduced rate as well!

For information concerning Joe Blasco products, the Joe Blasco Cosmetics Center (now open in Miami Beach!) and/or the Joe Blasco Makeup Artist Training Centers please call 1(800) 553-1520.

Joe Blasco...
Always Imitated Never Equaled™.