• My thank you gift

    • December 5, 2015
    • Author | Celena Rubin

    Yesterday was graduation day. It was also the fashion photo shoot day, so there was a lot of people here and a lot going on! It was so much fun to see the students do their final hair and makeup for their big photo shoot day, and the models were gorgeous! I can’t wait to see the pictures. At the end of the day when all the chaos died down and students were saying their goodbyes, they took me by surprise and presented to me a very special thank you gift.

    TheArtofMUBook

    A while ago I casually mentioned the Kevyn Aucoin book, The Art of Makeup, that was the inspiration for my business name, a name that I kept as my personal free-lance website name for many years before I used it to create my school name, shortened to Art of Makeup. When I was in school, my makeup instructor had it in my classroom, and I was enthralled with the beautiful images that littered the pages. I proceeded to collect all of Kevyn’s books, yet somehow I never got the one that inspired me the most. Sometimes it just goes that way. You don’t gift yourself the way you gift others.

    Well, it took a group of students who listened, got together and bought me the book I’ve wanted for years, and personally signed by all of them. Yes, I cried. And then when I told my husband, I cried again. Sure, it’s just a book, but it’s what it represents that means the most to me. It is from a time in my life that I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a full-time professional free-lance makeup artist with all of the opportunities, adventure, and excitement I knew was waiting for me on my road ahead. I looked at this book with the same thrilling anticipation that I get to see on my students’ faces every time I meet a new group of people in my classroom and get them started on their road ahead. Aren’t I lucky to experience it again and again. I don’t expect thank you gifts from my students, but I am so grateful to receive this one. It’s the perfect gift. Thank you guys!