Billy B. gives us a sneak peek into his bag of makeup tricks.		March 1, 2004 American Salon
	As a freelance makeup artist, every time I go to work it's a different story. That's what makes the job great, but there's always more to discover. I've learned a lot over the years, mostly the hard way-by trial and error. I thought I should shorten the learning curve for everyone else by sharing some tips that have stuck with me. Although I mostly work with performers, some of my tricks also work well on salon clients. I've known Beyoncé she was 17 years old, and it's been very exciting watching her grow, not only into a beautiful human being but also into one of the biggest stars in the world! Getting her ready for a televised performance in a stadium is very different than, say, preparing her for the same in a studio. It's important that she look fantastic for the audience in the stadium, but my focus is always on her looking amazing on TV. Think about it: There may be 100,000 people in the stands, but they can barely see her except on the big screens. But there are millions of people at home watching, and the TV performance will live forever and be seen over and over. So I don't exaggerate the makeup for the people in the seats. It's not Broadway! One of my tricks is to use milk of magnesia on her skin before		Beyoncé and me before her performance at the AIDS benefit in South Africa.
	the live performance to help prevent perspiration. I apply it like moisturizer, then apply the foundation and makeup as normal. I use a full-coverage cream or stick foundation, and waterproof mascara. As I apply the makeup, I keep layering a dusting of loose translucent powder over the entire face-the eye shadow, blush, eyebrows, even the lip liner and lipstick-to help the makeup last. This technique is great for bridal clients who need makeup with staying power and who may perspire more than normal on their special day. Since Beyonce's such a wild woman on stage, I try to avoid lots of sticky lip gloss while she is performing to keep her hair from getting stuck and to give her one less thing to think about. I usually line the lips and use a bit of a stain or leave them natural and apply a balm or something similar. Makeup on the body is important also. In some cases I may be creating a tan, which requires completely painting the body with foundation. MAC makes a fantastic liquid waterproof version called Face and Body. I combine it with Iridescent Powder/Loose in Golden Bronze in the palm of my hand and mix them together for a golden-tan look. The concoction is easy to work with, and that's important for body work. You don't want the artist to end up looking streaky or ruin her costume. You can also just use the mixture on the face for clients who want temporary color for an event. These are just some of the things I've learned along the way. Luckily the journey continues.