By Nina Livingstone
Every weekend Jacquelyn Vokey would spend her Star Market paycheck at the Saks Fifth Avenue makeup counter. She was still in her teens and had yet to realize that she was financing her future.
“I would buy makeup and do it for hours every day,” she said, explaining that she memorized how the salespeople applied the makeup and replicated it by touch.
By 18, Jacquelyn was doing makeup for her co-workers and by the time she was in her 20s it was her profession.
“Do you know how many people said, ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that?’ But I wanted to do makeup for real, like the different types of makeup and I wanted to learn every single one,” she said.
Jacquelyn went on to read books by famous makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin, author of “The Art of Makeup” and “Making Faces.” She gained hands-on experience through people such as well-known special effects artist Phil “Skippy” Adams, who taught her how to create the perfect zombie for a movie being shot in Worcester. (It’s all about the right shade of gray, she explained.)
As Jacquelyn’s reputation has grown, so has her circle of clients, friends and supporters. From major fashion shows to local films to many a bride, her makeup style has had its brushes with fame.
Jacquelyn even did my makeup before the filming of my TV appearance on “Stories From the Stage.”
To learn more about Jacquelyn, visit her Instagram site or give her a call at (978) 401-8376.
During her most recent visit, Jacquelyn answered these Nina’s 9 questions while putting the finishing touches on my eyelashes.
Jacquelyn Vokey at a special event.
NINA: Can you share some the more challenging and humorous moments in your career?
JV: The most challenging would have to be New York Bridal Fashion Week. They don’t give you the location address until the day of — it’s like super top secret. We ended up being on the cover of Women’s Wear Daily which was like the most incredible thing because that’s where you want to be.
The funniest moment? It was the mother-in-law of the bride — she was like a Bridezilla. She wanted to have ’80s hair [big hair] and she wanted her friends to have ’80s hair — we’re talking the mother of the groom, not the bride. And they all had short, thin hair.
NINA: If you could offer a woman (or man) a makeup tip, what would it be for someone in their
30s? 40s?
JV: I think that as you get out of your 20s and go into your 30s, you want to refine your look a little bit. Use an angled eye shadow brush. So instead of using a liquid liner, use the angled brush as your liner. Try a brown under and on top as that makes you look youthful. And when you get into your 40s also do the browns — the flat browns, not the dark browns, under and on top.
NINA: If you could invite four celebrities to your home for dinner, who would they be and what would you serve?
JV: Nelly Furtado, Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and Larry David. I got to meet him. He was in Edgertown. He was nice, but he definitely has a character that he goes into. What would I serve them? I might feed them Thai food, but a whole spread. I would bring the chef over.
NINA: Picture it, you’re 25 years old, where would you be? And would you do anything differently?
JV: I would have gone to college sooner and hoped I’d meet the professors and the people that I eventually met. I think my life would be a little bit different if I had done that.
NINA: What is your idea of a getaway vacation?
JV: We go to the Cape a lot. We love Hyannis, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.
NINA: What do you like most about yourself?
JV: I think the fact that I can talk to anyone. People just talk to me. I’m inviting, I don’t know what it is. No matter who you are, I try and make people feel comfortable. I think people look at me like a strong person, maybe because I am tall. Maybe they need a hug. I look like a good hugger.
NINA: What should we know about you before meeting you?
JV: I talk a lot!
NINA: Rewinding time, what was your happiest moment?
JV: My wedding day … I’d like to say when my first daughter was born, but that was 36 hours of labor, and it was so embarrassing – she was 10 pounds and 32 and 1/2 inches long. I was very young and my belly was so big and there were these Harvard Medical School students and they wanted to watch so I had like 12 people in the room when I was giving birth.
NINA: Are you a Netflix fan? TV streamer? If so, can you share a favorite show?
JV: I haven’t had much time for TV lately. I like crime mysteries – the movies, the fake ones.
NINA: What is your most treasured possession?
JV: My children. I love them so much.
NINA: What is the one thing you can’t live without?
JV: My husband.
NINA: Who is your biggest inspiration behind your work?
JV: Myself. Knowing that I could do something and doing it.
NINA: Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in 5 years?
JV: My kids are young and I want to wait until they’re older before I think about expanding. Expanding takes a lot of time and you need to build a team.
NINA: Any favorite cosmetics?
JV: MAC cosmetics and Christian Dior. My favorite perfume is Coco Mademoiselle
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© Nina Livingstone, “Nina’s 9,” Destination Mirth
