The Maquillage Maverick

What do Madonna, Barbra Streisand and Beyonce Knowles have in common aside from their being recording superstars? Why, a good make up artist, of course! All three, and almost all A-list actors, have a good working relationship with their maquillage expert of choice. The three mentioned above have a make up artist in tow whenever they travel as part of their entourage. In the book Making Faces by the late artist par excellence Kevyn Aucoin, he emphasized that make up can make or break any aspiring celebrity-to-be. Picture veteran actress Meryl Streep in her role as snow queen mag editor Miranda Priestly in the hit flick The Devil Wears Prada, without her smoky eyes, rouge and well-glossed lips and you have an old tired hag.

In this corner of the world, make up artist Jesse Glova burst into the fashion scene most recently with a series of cuop de grace. A contemporary of another celebrated make up artist Wenwen Zaspa, Jesse packed his bags and traipsed the world. This story might as well be dubbed as "Around the Globe with Jesse Glova." He went to Europe and learned a lot working in London, Paris, Milan, and other European capitals, as an assistant to in-demand stylists. After his European sojourn, a tour of Asia ensued as he became a vocalist cum make up artist cum stylist for a band of musicians. "Its touring in with the band that I was able to experiment with different looks on stage and those applicable to your daily life," quipped the outspoken beauty authority. Now he is everywhere. He alternates with Zaspa in beautifying tri-media personality Jude Bacalso in his popular television show Jud Morning. He was chosen to set the look for Miss Valentines staged recently with its Bollywood theme as conceptualized by Django Diola. A pictorial for a glossy mag here, a video shoot for a five star hotel there, not to mention his ubiquitous presence in almost all the major fashion shows in this metropolis, Jesse Glova's burst of energy is enviable.

"I love my work. Satisfying a client's request, no matter how challenging, is like adrenaline to my system. On some days, I start with an early call time for a wedding and end it with a fashion shoot til the wee hours of the morning. And I'm still the bubbly Jesse Glova everyone knows!" concludes the maquillage maverick.