Meet Olivia Wander | 2x Pro Makeup & Special Effects Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia Wander and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Movies. Growing up I was always surrounded by film culture because of my dad. We had a specific room just for our movies, all alphabetized, He introduced me to the many genres of film, which lead me to learn more about the makeup movie magic. On SyFy, there was this show called “Face Off” where special effects and makeup artists from around the US to compete in SFX challenges. This definitely piqued my interest into the creative world even more. I wasn’t entirely sure or even knew that I could do makeup artistry as a career choice, all I knew was that I wanted to have a career with some sort of art form.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Honestly, getting into makeup artistry felt difficult to me. When I first gained my interest I wasn’t the best at it and definitely DIY’d a lot of my materials for any special effects pieces I created. And always compared myself to other artists online and, again, never thought I would be good enough.
But, attending The Art of Makeup School and Make Up Designory, to earn that official and professional teachings, to help me gain my footing in this career. I knew that after some schooling, and a couple of certificates, my skills were great enough to get myself onto sets, but I always second guessed myself and my skills. Over the last few years, I have gained my confidence with each and every project I work on and each client that I gain.
What sets me apart from others is my work style. It’s very versatile, enhancing features and a persons natural beauty, telling a story through art. I mainly enjoy being able to create glam or high fashion looks. And slowly getting myself into bridal makeup as well.
I’m most proud of my growth and confidence with my art. With being more comfortable with trying new things for the first time and pushing myself into creating even more.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Obviously the beach, any beach really, depending on the time of year. My personal favorite, Manhattan Beach. That one is my favorite place to go since it is a quieter place to relax and read. As well as Sunset Beach. Museums are always a fun way to spend a few hours of enjoying different levels of art.
I would want to bring them to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, mainly so I can geek out on all the exhibits.
A lot of my friends/family are food lovers so I would definitely take them to different vegan restaurants to try out, but especially bring them to my favorite French bakery; ID-Eclair. Monty’s Good Burger, Gokoku Vegan, and Jinya would be essentials on the trip, then we will discover new places to try out.
My goal is to travel around a bit more so then I have places to show off and make some fun memories. Frankly, the best visits are the ones with new trips and experiences.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents. Overtime they have showed support in my love for artistry; putting me in art classes since I was five and allowing me to express my interest in art going forward. They were especially helpful with researching trade schools to attend for makeup artistry, as well as helping me move states to pursue my career.

Website: https://oewander.wixsite.com/looks-by-liv

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mua.oliviawander/

Other: Book me on Books: https://booka.com/providers/1075

Image Credits
Frida Ljungqvist @picturedbyfrida