At Rouge Makeup Studios in New York, a door opens and in walks the masterfully tailored man with the Disney-deer eyes, perfectly trimmed hair and an intoxicating smile. His name is Sam Fine and he is responsible for making such celebrities as Patti Labelle, Tyra Banks, Monique, and Beyonce (to name a few) look as stunning as they do.
Grasping his container of water, he takes a seat and prepares to record the NOMA News online TV interview, but first we get to talk to him. His voice, deeper then expected, resonate the kind of confidence that one would find in a politician or a television correspondent. He adjusts himself in his seat and then begins to share with us who he is and how he got started in a career he didn't even expect to be involved in.
“I've been artistic all my life,” he says while taking a sip of water. “I was an Illustrator. I started working behind the cosmetic counter to make extra money. While there, I became interested more in the craft so I started assisting the other makeup artists and learning what I could. As an artist I understood color and composition so It was a natural transition for me. Before I knew it, I was working my first Fashion show.”
It was at that fashion show that his life began to change. He was working one chair and in the chair next to him sat Naomi Campbell, a supermodel that he had come to respect. When her makeup artists didn't show, it set the stage for Fine's first celebrity booking.
“She (Naomi Campbell) had been watching me and I guess she liked what I was doing because she approached me and said that she would like to work with me. That's how I got into celebrity makeup. The beautiful thing about celebrities is that they are all beautiful, so all the tricks work. All you have to do is enhance what they already have, but you do have to do it skillfully.”
Born in Chicago, Fine says that he really learned everything about makeup from his family. His mother and one of his sisters wore make up and he knew the emotional impact that it had on them, while his other sisters wore little or none.
“Once you learn how makeup emotionally connects with an individual, it helps you adjust to that individual and understand what works and how to educate that person.”
When asked who inspired him most, he began to glow and laugh as he chimed “Joseph”
“Joseph was my best friend and he was really committed to the business. I believe in any field, a person needs to pattern themselves after someone who is doing all the right things and making all the right moves. For me that was Joseph. He was such a great example. He was out there hitting the street and showing his book, but most of all , I would watch his hand as he performed such intricate and gorgeous work. I found myself wanting to be just like him and it made me work harder.” Almost blushing Sam Fine continued, “Magazines also inspire me. I buy everything and look at the models and makeup. I've been doing this for 16 years, so over that time some things have changed and some haven't, but at the core, the basics remain.”
As one looks through magazines thru the years it becomes obvious that like fashion, looks changes with time. We asked Sam Fine how does he keep up with the times.
“Some things are basics and some things are trends. Its all about understanding the difference between the two.” he said with authority. “A lot of people are airbrushing for High Definition filming, but all HD does is add a grade of light to the subject so you just adjust. I mean I think it is a wonderful tool for some artists and clients especially in the wake of HD, but Im still a basics guy. You just have to fine tune your work. If I spend 2 hours or so on a face, I know what im going to get and I know it will stand up under the scrutiny of any kind of photography and filming. When I did Gabrielle Union for the Neutrogena Commercial or when you see Monique about to Host the BET awards, I wanted to make sure that the work stood for itself and I believe it did.”
Over the years , Sam Fine has been celebrated and has received many accolades for his work, but one thing that most people don't know about this artists, is that he was one of the first African American spokespeople for a major cosmetic company.
