50Prior to pursuing her dream of being a makeup artist of 13 years in the beauty and entertainment industry, Deida worked as a paralegal for the Public Guardian’s Office of Chicago’s Cook County. During the day, she advocated for abused and neglected children; but her love for makeup led her to moonlight as a makeup artist at night and on the weekends. It didn’t take her long to trade in her cushy,nine-to-five job for a more creative and rewarding career in makeup artistry. By assisting some of Chicago’s renowned makeup artists that include Marcus Geeter and Reggie Wells; Deida later signed with Ford, Inc. as an artist in 2000.  In fact, it was her love and passion for makeup artistry that gave her the courage to take a leap of faith.  She left the “Windy City” in June 2002 and moved to Los Angeles.

While living in LA, Deida quickly ascended to become one of the most sought after make-up artists.  She landed jobs to numerous commercials, television productions, editorials and personal appearances including fashion shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC.  Moreover, she was one of nine artists selected to work as a celebrity makeup artist on Oprah Winfrey’s Legend’s Weekend in 2005.  Deida states: “This extraordinary experience was the epitome of my career as an artist.”  Currently, Deida travels between Los Angeles and Chicago at the request of her clients fulfilling one of her life’s passion.

Why a career in makeup: “I felt compelled to express myself creatively — and making faces more beautiful was a natural choice for me.”

Favorite cosmetic lines:  Makeup Forever, NARS and Black Opal.

Her philosophy on beauty: “Reel beauty is skin deep.”

Best beauty tip: “To get a bronzing look: mix a little gold eye shadow with your moisturizer of choice.  This creates an illuminating glow for the entire face.”

According to Deida, what is “reel” beauty:” It’s a way of giving back in the community. Deida started a 501 (c)(3) organization, called “Reel Beauty” in Chicago, Illinois. “Reel Beauty” is a mentoring program that targets at-risk girls helping them learn about the importance of self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence. The mission of “Reel Beauty” is to provide self-esteem workshops  that will assist young women to become productive citizens within their environment as they re-discover their beauty inside and out.  It is our goal at “Reel Beauty” to take an active role in these young girl’s lives. In June 2011, Reel Beauty, Inc. launched it’s international program in Tanzania, Africa.

Namedropping: Honing her craft on everything from editorial shoots, television and film productions and personal appearances, Deida has touched many famous faces, including: Basketball Superstar Michael Jordan, Juanita Jordan, Shaunie O’Neil, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland formerly of Destiny’s Child, Keisha Whitaker (wife of Forest Whitaker), Letoya Luckett, KeKe Palmer, Sherri Shepherd,Tichina Arnold, Rolonda Watts, Lisa Raye and actor Micheal Jai White. Hip Hop artists include Common, Ludacris, Bow Wow, DMX as well as the Philadelphia rap group, The Roots to name a few.

Resume Available Upon Request