By Jennifer Snowdon
It’s Fall and back-to-school. Students’ pencils are sharpened and crayons are at the ready to reflect and write about: “How I spent my summer vacation!”
In many ways, I feel that I’m just coming back after a long ‘way-cation.’
By ‘way-cation,’ I mean everything I’ve been away from during Covid! Away from everybody and everything during lockdown; missing any possibility of work as a makeup artist; tossing out so many ideas for the future that are impossible to recoup; stranded from all the wonderful family and friends gathering in person, and away from hugs!
I was inspired by this excerpt of Welcomehumans by Lindsey Uluwehimailani Morriss:
“With your first breath in the morning light,
what is it that you want to commit to
again and again? Can you say it out loud?
What matters to you
now more than ever?
Where does your energy
yearn to go now that the
world has stopped?
What is worthy of your time and heart,
your prayers and thoughts
your blood and guts?
What will you choose to place your value on?
With a once in a lifetime chance,
a moment out of time,
the movie’s been paused,
and you have the power
to decide what plays next.
Welcome to the re-evaluation of the century.”
In the newness of this Fall season, I do not want to forget when everything stopped and the re-evaluation of all aspects in my life began.
I spent days in contemplation and meditation, praying for the quieting of my mind and the rush hour life of before. Then came the evaluation of what was still relevant, followed by days of purging files of creative plans and projects that no longer would have a place; serious plans of re-location that were not just put on the back burner, but in the shredder. I faced the regret of all that hadn’t been accomplished already and the important work that was often brushed aside for the busyness of the day-to-day.
I was left holding one file, one idea that first came to me in 2007. It’s been rescued from the “regrets” pile and launched into action, something relevant and worthy and inclusive of all that I love. My comprehensive skills as a makeup artist combined with the intuitive understanding of what I have come to know as the essence of everyone, allows the uniqueness of each individual to be brought forth in appearance. My intention in carefully teaching custom makeup techniques is to let the inner light shine forth, both in person and on camera.
It is my pleasure to introduce:
MAKEITUPTRUE
Virtual Makeup Coaching Sessions
for individuals and corporate groups.
I have many people to thank who helped and advised me through this entire process. I’ll be acknowledging them on my Social Media platforms for some time!
Check out the website and amazing results on The Gallery:
If you have any questions about the Services offered, feel free to contact me directly. All contact info is on the website.
Jennifer Snowdon
Jennifer Snowdon, Makeup Artist for film and television, has 25 plus years experience in the industry. She worked on the first High Definition camera tests with David Niles, who was building the camera for Sony. That insight into the cameras to come created a different lens for her makeup work and it wasn’t fully realized until the cameras became the standard ten years later.
Keeping pace with the wave of visual online marketing, communication, and now performance venues, she has just launched a new facet of her career. She loves teaching makeup applications for individuals and groups, whether for the marketplace or for landing that special role with a video audition.
Virtual Makeup Coaching sessions at …MAKEITUPTRUE.com
Currently, she is Makeup Department Head for WONDERAMA and working closely with David Osmond, Emmy Nominated Host.
Premiere of Season 7- September 17. TV and @WONDERAMATV.
In her love of the Indie Film world, several of her favorites are available on Amazon Prime now. One of the favorable outcomes brought about by the Pandemic was when virtual content became high demand, opening up viewers to so many incredible Indie filmmakers.
Favorites to work on and watch:
“Threebound” with Kate Forsatz, writer, director, producer, actor, and an NYWIFT member. A smart Rom-com watch.
“No Pay, Nudity”, starring Gabriel Byrne, Nathan Lane, Francis Conroy, and many more Broadway stars; Directed by Lee Wilkof. A New York story for all creatives in the industry. Comedy and poignancy both.
Makeup Dept. Head for the NY Unit of “EDEN”, a Foreign Film with Greta Gerwig and directed by Mia Hansen-Love.
In the Documentary World, Key Makeup Artist for PBS “American Masters - August Wilson - The Ground on Which I Stand” with greats such as James Earl Jones, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Frankie Faison, Kenny Leon. She felt honored to work with these legends and to hear the tales of the inspired life of August Wilson.
In Theater she loved creating real-life characters such as Dr. Martin Luther King in “The Man in Room 306”, Craig Alan Edwards, 59 E59 Theater, and Katherine Erbe as Pat Nixon in Checkers, Vineyard Theater.
A member of NYWIFT for so many years of invaluable connections, networking, mentoring exchanges both for Jennifer and by her for others, with education from panels of women willing to share their expertise, that she loves offering her makeup skills to the yearly events, The Muse Awards and Designing Women.
Related Posts
Maria Miles Previews the 2025 New York Greek Film Expo
As former NYWIFT Board Member Maria C. Miles finishes up her first year as President of the Hellenic Film Society, we sat down with her on the eve of the New York Greek Film Expo to discuss her time with the organization and what we have to look forward to at this year’s fest. Mary is the founder of an entertainment law practice with offices in New York. Maria’s practice focuses on all areas of entertainment law, including film (narrative and documentary), music, literary publishing, and digital media. She has represented award-winning producers, directors, writers, actors, television hosts, multi-platinum recording artists, and corporations in the fashion and sports industries related to their entertainment matters. Maria is the Executive Director of the Hellenic Films Society, USA, and served as Secretary of the board of New York Women in Film & Television. She continues to serve NYWIFT as their legal counsel. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema and the School for Visual Arts, as well as an Adjunct Instructor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Amy Heller
Welcome to NYWIFT, Amy Heller! Amy is the co-founder of Milestone Films, an award-winning film restoration and distribution company dedicated to rediscovering lost and overlooked films. After fleeing academia, Amy found her passion in the independent film world and co-founded Milestone with her partner Dennis Doros in 1990. For 35 years, their mission has been to restore forgotten cinema, particularly films by and about women, people of color, Native Americans, and LGBTQ+ community members. Amy spoke to us about her journey in film distribution, the evolution of the industry over four decades, and her exciting upcoming transition as she passes Milestone to the next generation.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Courtney DeStefano
Welcome to NYWIFT, Courtney DeStefano! Courtney grew up in a small town, where she spent hours devouring old movies and pouring through every indie-film magazine she could get her hands on. She graduated with a BFA in Film & Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts before embarking on her editing career where she worked with clients like CBS, Bravo, Showtime, BET, NatGeo, Discovery & TLC. She’s spent the last several years dividing her time between chasing after her three young sons and hiding in her home office to write. Her work has been recognized by the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, PANO Network, Hollyshorts and the PAGE Awards, among others. In our interview, Courtney discussed her small-town inspirations, how editing informs her writing and directing, and her latest short film.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Sara Newton
Welcome to NYWIFT, Sara Newton! Sara is a director and cinematographer based in New York and Los Angeles. She is the creator of the MDR Sketch Comedy Show on PBS and has recently returned from an expedition in Antarctica, where she filmed a documentary. Her digital comedy sketches, produced under brands like Made by Tom and Sara, Nightpantz, and Conservation Comedy, have collectively garnered over 5 million views. With a strong foundation in television production, Sara has coordinated hit reality shows such as Love & Hip Hop (VH1), Bridezillas (WEtv), and Nellyville (BET). Her extensive experience in physical production led her to spend six years at Gunpowder & Sky, where she managed production across various platforms and developed sizzle reels for network pitches. Additionally, she served as the cinematographer for the experimental film Dust Flow: A Meditative Experience, also produced by Gunpowder & Sky. As of 2025, Sara is Head of Content for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and is set to direct a feature film this fall. Sara shares her journey as an unconventional storyteller who is not afraid to explore new platforms and storytelling formats.
READ MORE
Comments are closed