Instructor Profile: Lorraine Smith

“This career gives you the luxury of being creative.”

Lorraine Smith has been teaching the Beauty 101 course at Make-Up Designory’s New York campus since January 2007. She employs a realistic approach grounded in practical techniques to teach students the fundamentals of beauty make-up. With every class she teaches, she strives to help each student master the craft of creating a flawless make-up application in 30 minutes or less.

Her approach has been honed through decades of professional experience, starting in 1988 and spanning retail, make-up training and education, and location work. After attending the Christine Valmy School of Esthetics in New York City, where she received her certification in beauty, Ms. Smith worked as a freelance make-up artist for Toni & Tina, Urban Decay, and Benefit Cosmetics before accepting a full-time position at MAC Cosmetics. During the ten years she spent at MAC, she was promoted from a Retail Artist to a Trainer, ultimately becoming part of the company’s management team. Ms. Smith has worked with video directors such as Little X, Chris Robinson, Benny Boom, and Jesse Terrero. Her clients also include prominent musicians, politicians, actors, and entertainment personalities, from Senator Hillary Clinton to 50 Cent, G-UNIT, Cee Cee Winan, Lisa Price, Angela Bassett, and Melinda Williams, the founder and owner of Carol’s Daughter.

Ms. Smith cites her husband and son, and the accomplishments of her colleagues as major sources of inspiration and ideas. She also gets inspired by music and trying out new make-up products. Ms. Smith loves sharing her enthusiasm and expertise with her students every day. Her advice to aspiring make-up artists? “Be patient, hone your craft, and have fun!”