Shoko Kubota is a freelance on-location makeup artist. She’s been a professional makeup artist for 8 years and her portfolio includes weddings, modeling, and editorial photoshoots. She also works for PURE luxe Spa as a skin care specialist in Sarasota,FL. I sat down to a delicious happy hour Friday asking her about makeup tips and trends of the season.

First I had to ask her about the red lip trend. Personally I’m not a huge fan and I found out neither is Shoko. I loved how she described the lips: “The lips are sexy as they are and the ultimate form of femininity.” She suggests opting for a neutral lip shade & focusing on accenting another part of the face or trying another color. Ex: a tint of fuschia colored lipgloss accented on the inside of lip with a neutral color lining the outside

December is packed with tons of holiday parties & I’m always stumped on how to change my makeup for this season. When I was fifteen I could get away with the fairy gold glitter dust sprinkled all over my eyes but now I need more ideas… Shoko likes smokey or cat eyes, bold fun colors and flawless baby skin. She reminded me that smokey eyes doesn’t necessarily always mean the standard black/gray shades. You can use any color to create smokey eyes. Shoko likes using a nice golden tone.

Shoko’s top 3 favorite brands:

1. Toni & Guy

2. Dior

3. Chanel

What does Fashion mean to you?

“Fashion and makeup specifically, are the ultimate creative tools. Anybody you want to be you can – from a rock star to Jackie-O.”

An example of Shoko’s work:

JB Photography