You may recognize the name Mon Petit Chou if you've been reading for a little while, I attended an event called 4 M's there a few months ago. Amanda Hopcraft is the owner, and lead makeup artist at Mon Petit Chou Spa & Salon here in Saint Augustine, Florida.
I've had the pleasure of getting a facial and having my makeup applied by Amanda in the last couple weeks. She is amazing! Such a fun, positive individual with a genuine love for what she does.
*Disclosure. The makeup application was part of a styled wedding shoot I will share with you in the future, and Amanda offered the facial to me in exchange for a post on Mon Petit Chou that you will see in the next couple of weeks. There are affiliate links within this post, if you make a purchase that originates from an affiliate link that I share I may make a commission provided the terms of the affiliate relationship have been met.
Now that the legalities are taken care of, onto meeting Amanda! :)
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| Amanda Hopcraft Makeup Artist |
Being a makeup artist was always my first choice and my first love, after of course I got over the whole wanting to be a veterinarian, actress or astronaut phase. It was just one of those careers that wasn't deemed “appropriate” for someone who was college bound by my counselors. I went onto undergraduate and went to beauty school at night; it was definitely something I wasn't letting go of. I dabbled in the makeup field doing friend’s weddings while attending undergraduate. After I finished undergraduate I honestly didn't have the self confidence to peruse my real dream and my real love. I took a job teaching elementary school a my first real job out of college, two years later I found myself at a huge road block. I was a part of a massive county wide cut back; little did I know it was a total blessing in disguise. Going back to grad school was always in the cards, for awhile it looked like it would be Psychology but, I knew that I really wanted to open my own business, I took my GMATs and applied for grad school literally 14 days after I found out my contract wasn't being renewed. Flash forward to five months post graduation, I was applying for jobs everywhere and I just felt like there was never a good fit. After months of applying I finally decided to pursue my dream job. I approached my husband and we discussed making a go of it for six months, if things didn't work out, I would go back to looking for work full time. That was October of 2010, I formally started Amanda Hopcraft Makeup Artist in January of 2011, by June (my six month mark) I had already exceeded my goal to make a go of the business. I guess that’s the long answer to say it was my passion that drew me to the beauty industry, it’s what I was born to do it just took me a little while to figure that out. As it turns out though, both of my degrees have helped me out immensely and they were exactly what I needed to get to this spot.
Describe your signature look; what sets your style apart from other makeup artists?
My style is really focused on polished, clean makeup. My passion is using products for their intended use and using them correctly. I love to transform a woman into a better version of herself and that’s really my style, polished, kicked up, natural beauty.
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| Makeup Amanda did for one of her favorite boudoir shots. |
Oh man, this question, it’s safe to say that working mostly with brides and boudoir clients I have seen my fair share of interesting things. I often get asked if I deal with bridezillas and the honest truth is that I may come across one or two a year and I do makeup for almost two hundred weddings a year. But to keep the innocent protected we’ll save those stories for another day.
I do have a great memory though of when I participated in a charity event with Help Portrait a few years back, it’s an amazing event that gives people who live in communities a chance to have their portrait taken for free. I had a young girl in my chair who couldn't have been more than fifteen, she was in foster care and had never had her photo taken for anything other than school, her foster parents brought her in because they wanted to have a portrait taken of her. As she sat in my chair she told me a little about herself and how she would never allow anyone take a photo of her because she never felt pretty enough to do so. After I finished her makeup she cried and told me how amazing she felt, she went on to have some amazing portraits taken by my friend Brittany. That moment still sticks with me to this day. It’s easy to get caught up in the negative stuff and the dramatic stuff but, I like to focus on stories like this one. Ultimately I’m in the business of making women look and feel the best and honestly, that’s why I love my job!
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| Bridal Makeup by Amanda Hopcraft |
Find a concealer you love. Concealer is definitely one of those underutilized beauty products. Concealer can do so much more than just cover blemishes, a good concealer can be used to highlight and contour your face, brighten your eyes and take years off wrinkle prone areas. With all that being said I say find a concealer you love because there are so many formulas, colors and coverage levels it make take time to find the perfect brand. I recommend once you find one you love that you purchase three colors, one that’s the same color as your skin for hiding blemishes, one that is a shade lighter than your skin tone for covering dark circles and highlighting and one that is a shade darker than your skin tone for contouring.
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| Behind the Scenes with Amanda applying makeup. |
In no particular order:
- Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose- since I first discovered this product it has yet to leave my purse. Its really unlike any lip balm you have ever tried and to even call it lip balm doesn't do it justice. They make a variety of sheer colors that I just cant get enough of but, Rose is my go to.
- Urban Decay Naked Palette (The first) – This product like others on this list is one you will find in my personal makeup bag as well as my professional kit. The colors are so versatile and can be used on really any skin tone, they are also highly pigmented giving a great color pay off. With that being said, I must say that the color Sin is my favorite and I may use it so often that I have a backup single pan of just it in my makeup bag.
- Besame Classic Color Lipstick in Chocolate Kiss – I found this lipstick a few months ago and now I just cant live without it! Its definitely my new signature shade, which by the way I think everyone should have.
- Amore Pacifica Oil Free Gel Moisturizer – Its pretty much the most amazing moisturizer I’ve ever tried! I’m addicited!
- Gluten Free Haircare- I have Celiac Disease so gluten free everything is a must but, there are a number of Gluten Free haircare products that I rotate through including Neuma, Orbie and some Amika products.
I really enjoyed getting to know Amanda a little better and I hope you did too. She definitely provided us with some good tips and recommendations on products I'd like to get my hands on.
In the future I would like to bring my readers interviews with more prosperous women under the age of thirty. If you are interested in being featured please email meaghanmae@gmail.com.
