Inside The Life Of A Makeup Artist & Reiki Practitioner in Hawaii
Aloha, Welcome to Honolulu Hawaii Celebrity Makeup Artist, Lifestyle Blogger and Reiki Practitioner Brandy Gomez-Duplessis blog, Inside The Life Of A Makeup Artist. She shares makeup tips, how to, on set entertainment, BTS, beauty industry pics, bridal makeup, and beauty testimonials, all while living with Lupus, Fibromyalgia, RA & Asthma. This Oahu Hawaii Makeup Artist and Blogger was selected by her peers as The Top 15 People to Follow During The Golden Globes. In 2018, Brandy was introduced to Reiki at her Rheumatologist doctor appointment. After seeing what Reiki did for her Lupus she decided she needed to learn it. In 2020, Brandy received her calling to become a Reiki Practitioner and a Spiritual Life Coach. Her first goal was to help ALL auto immune warriors. But after seeing what COVID did to her peers, Gomez-Duplessis decided that she need to help everyone that her Spirit Guides sends to her. Gomez-Duplessis says she will use her hands once again, this time instead of making people beautiful she's going to help heal them and make them a happier person, by doing Reiki. So, follow her on this new journey as she does Healing Touch Reiki Sessions in Hawaii on residents and tourists…and yes BLACK PEOPLE do live here in Hawaii.
Waking up early to work today at the posh and luxurious Plaza Hotel is a perfect setting for this beautiful Saturday morning. When I arrived champagne was already being served. So I know this is going to a great day. I always love doing makeup on women who really understand my artistry is a gift. They value my talent and made a fancy party around it just so I can do their makeup really touch me.
How will you be spending your Saturday?
It’s the first day of summer and I could not have asked for better weather. But guess what it’s also National Selfie Day & Stila Cosmetics “Love Your Selfie” event in New York. So guess where I’m going to be today, yep yep, you guess correctly. I’m going to be with my Stila family in New York taking selfies all day with my girl lifestyle blogger Ilse.
The event took place at Hotel Americano on the rooftop at La Piscine with panoramic city views. Stila was introducing the #STILASELFIE collection from the new fall line. The new products consist of products that will get you selfie ready. The new items consist of: One Step Prime, One Step Correct, One Step Illuminate, & the #33 Brush.
Many of my new followers may not know that I was a Stila rep back in the days. The last time I got to work with Stila talented Creative Artistic Director Sarah Lucero was May 2012 in Boston at the Prudential Center. So it was nice to see Sarah again today at this event.
The shopping was fun, see for yourself. I’ll show you the Stila goodies I got at the end of the article. I didn’t get the new items but hopefully they will send them to me. I’m stilling using my old packaging of Stila products. I’m such a fan of the Stay All Day Line. I love it for myself personally and I luv using it on set. You might remember seeing that I used Stila products last week on actress & singer Maite Perroni when I was doing her makeup for her media day.
After the event Ilse and I went down to the bar to enjoy our beautiful night out in New York City.
Heaven’s Hue Highlighter, Stay All Day Foundation & Concealer in Liquid & Cream, Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick, Stay All Day Liquid Liner
Sometimes my work days can be very glamxurious, well today is one of those days. I started doing makeup on Jamielyn around 8am at Arlo SoHo Hotel. Jamielyn needed new headshots for her new restaurant in New Orleans so she asked me to beat her face again. Photographer Karl Ault who is based out of both Brooklyn and New Orleans arrived to the hotel around 10am. Right after the photoshoot we headed out because Jamielyn had made reservation for brunch at the fabulous SoHo restaurant Hundreds Acres. It was such a beautiful day that we were able to walk to the restaurant.
You all know how much I’m obsessed with Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Whenever I can find a Krispy Kreme location I would order a dozen just for myself, OMG and if it’s warm I might go in for a second dozen. Well guess what, I found something just as delicious. Hundreds Acres have on their brunch menu something so fantastic that I have to share with you. It’s their Hundred Acres Donut, it’s an orange glaze that’s crushed with hazelnut and dukkah spice. OMG, I never enjoyed anything like this before. Don’t sleep on the frozen yogurt pop, its strawberry yogurt with granola and catskill honey. If your in the SoHo area please make a stop to Hundred Acres and asked to sit outside in the garden and make sure you have your camera ready for selfies.
Ladies, have you ever been so excited about a girls night with a girlfriend that lives in another state? Well, last week that was me. One of my favorite girls, Jamielyn or should I now say Chef Jamielyn & business owner was coming in town (New York) for a photo shoot. She needed new head-shots for her business and she wanted me to do her makeup. I always enjoy doing her makeup she was like my muse back in the day. This is how we actually met about 9 years ago on a crazy set, at a photo shoot in New Orleans. Jamielyn use to be really busy back in New Orleans in the modeling and fashion scene. We luv to talk about fashion, makeup, family, careers, food, and we luv taking pics of our every step. Jamielyn is the girl who doesn’t mind talking selfies. She’s the friend who will take her time to take great pics of you from the right angle. Lord, I know I sound vain but you know what that’s who I am and I don’t apologize for my self-love and I know I’m not for everyone and I’m OK with that. So when I find girlfriends that mirror me, chillld my day is going to be fanciful when we get together with no husband & kids around.
I took the train into the city that afternoon and headed over to SOHO. We stayed at Arlo Hotel SoHo a very modern style hotel with micro rooms but so many different spaces inside the hotel that you will get lost in it almost forgetting that you’re at a hotel. And if you’re a blogger & influencer you will luv this hotel. So many places for great pics and content. I look forward to visiting this hotel again for materials. Once I put my suitcase up we hit up The Good Story, it’s their rooftop bar with an amazing view of the Hudson River. Originally, when we were going to attend the Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic on Saturday but we could not reschedule the photo-shoot so we attended a Veuve Clicquot party on the rooftop. Jamielyn started right away with Veuve Clicquot new Rose and I needed a frozen margarita because I was a little parched. Then the rest of the evening it was Veuve Clicquot Rose…we luv us some champagne. Weather was perfect, music was on point, drinks flowing and the conversation never stopped.
Next stop, The Dutch Restaurant for dinner also in SoHo. We were catching up so much that we almost missed our reservations but we didn’t. We didn’t get all fancy we went straight from the rooftop bar straight to dinner. The only thing we freshen up was our makeup, of course. Restaurant was busy and every plate I saw as I walked to my table looked delicious. We wanted American food that had that New York feel with a flare of New Orleans. Let me tell you we got just that. We continued the Rose champagne going so Jamielyn goes let’s just do a bottle. I have to return to The Dutch for that New Engand Lobster, it was exquisite!
I’m so glad I rocked my VANS…I wear black almost everyday and if I could make this my signature shoe I would. These slip on’s are so comfortable on my feet and by the end of the day my feet never get swollen when I wear them. We wanted to walk off the drinks so we walked back to the hotel just enjoying our conversation, while stopping to take pics. It was still early so we went to the Arlo Liquor Bar order more champagne, sat in the courtyard and just enjoyed the beautiful weather. By midnight we were ready to head upstairs because the photo-shoot was scheduled for 8am. We both needed to sleep, we may look young but we’re not. Don’t you luv when you get with your girlfriend who you don’t see everyday because you both live in different states and life happens. But when you catch up it just flows.
*My lip color is Absolute New York for my Lip Mousse in Royals
Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m heading to New Orleans for NBA All Star Weekend to work and I can’t be so elated. On this trip my travel companion is my daughter Envy. She wanted to go home to party while visiting her friends. Hubby dropped us to the airport and us girls were on our way. Being that I been the Key Makeup Artist since 2010, Michael and I have gotten use to me working out of town on this day. But I always find a fun creative way to leave them cute gifts at home.
Did you see my beauty testimonial in Life & Style magazine, if not here it is.
Because I knew we would have a full day at the airport we decided to grab food and a cocktail. We ordered food from Anglers at LaGuarida airport.
So I order the Viva Villa, a Patron Silver tequila, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup, for $14 but my drink didn’t look like the picture. After speaking with the waiter this was the best they could do he said. I’m a girl that order food by presentation and packaging. My complaint is when businesses advertise the food /drinks one way and bring out something totally different. Anyway, I did enjoy the lobster but I didn’t eat the bread and I luv my fresh hot crinkle fries.
After I got my grub on I decided to get some work done with all the updates coming in about the celebrity talents. I found me a quiet spot at the airport spread out all my stuff and I ordered myself a drink on one of those tablets. Oh, I was straight got a lot done while we waited to board.
After leaving the airport I only wanted to make one stop and as I WISHED the red light was on at Krispy Kreme. I order 2 dozens of the original doughnuts and now I’m complete.
I’m so excited to announce that I will now be represented by Elisa Valentina Agency in New York for all of my freelance entertainment assignment.
The fabulous and gorgeous Founder and Executive Director Zulema Arroyo-Farley of Artz Cure Sarcoma was recently featured in Ocean Drive Puerto Rico magazine. The photo shoot was shot at her beautiful home on the Upper East Side in New York. Zulema is being featured because of her fight with sarcoma and how she work really hard at bringing awareness to sarcoma. Zulema and I met through a mutual friend Lifestyle Blogger Nashelly of Fabulatina. This superwoman Zulema not only is fighting sarcoma she’s also fighting lupus, so that’s how we bonded. I’m always so proud of Zulema, she just never stop, she goes hard everyday. So when she asked me to be a part of her glam team I was definitely honored. This photo shoot was so FAB, I took tons of pics & videos to share with you. If you have time check out her site because this beauty has a great story. 
My makeup goodies for today’s photo shoot
Hair Stylist Mia, Owner of Dry & Dash used Bellami hair from the KHALEESI collection
All of the beautiful clothes were from Zulema closet
That hair is GOOD!
Photographer Manuel Del Cruz
Always luv working on set with Mia she’s so talented
Zulema had unlimited champagne served on set for us
One of the many makeup looks of the day. Using my Absolute New York eye shadow palette on set
It’s a WRAP….LUV YOU LADIES!
Last year at this time, I wasn’t healthy enough to work backstage doing makeup at New York Fashion Week. Due to being diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme disease, & RA, I was too weak to even attend events, bloggers lounges, or anything that I had to get out of bed for. This year my body is cooperating with me. I guess it missed Fashion Week as much as I had (…lol). The last few weeks I’ve been shopping my press kit letting everyone know that I’m back and able to resume creating those glamxurious faces. Here are a few pics from past Mercedes Benz Fashion Week of me working backstage doing makeup.
Today I’m at one of my favorite places in Connecticut getting my manicure & pedicure so when I step on that concrete jungle runway I look & feel my best.
To all my autoimmune warriors who’s days don’t looking promising and you’re missing your old life, I promise there’s light at the end of the scary tunnel. You will get your old life back, even if its just a little bit of it. We can conquer our new reality. We can adapt and endure the struggles, embrace and relish the good days, and most of all live, love and laugh ( a glass of wine, a spa day, and a nap doesn’t hurt either).
Well I going to finish getting pampered. I’ll see you in the beauty pages 😉
