Meet Trailblazer Mariolga Pantazopoulos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariolga Pantazopoulos.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Mariolga. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I was always that girlfriend that everyone has, that does everyone’s make up on Friday nights. Make up just came naturally to me, but I never saw it as a career. When the time came to go to college, I decided to move to NYC, with my very broken English, to go to art school. I sold three paintings to pay my airfare. It wasn’t easy, but I wouldn’t change one thing. My best friend and her sister were both going to school in Boston and I came one summer to visit and never left. I decided to finish my bachelor degree in fashion merchandising and marketing. While in school, I was still doing everyone’s make up. I started doing some local fashion shows, dabbling in the theater world, and did my first photography test. No one was giving me much direction, but I just loved every minute I was able to shoot. For that reason, it feels like I haven’t worked in years!

My first job was given to me by Steve Cicco, the photographer I interned with. I used to style, do hair and makeup on the models for his fashion photography class at NESOP. At the time I didn’t realized how lucky I was to be part of that class, I learned so much about lighting and how important it is for my work.

All my work came from word of mouth, I would do jobs from general entertainment music videos, TV pilots, weddings, headshots, make up counters and everything in between. I never said no to testing with new photographers and trying new things, and by taking that risk, I got to meet the late Kim Kennedy. He believed in me more than anyone else I knew, and helped me get signed with my first agency in NYC. At this time I was already a mom of two beautiful ladies that traveled with me everywhere I went. My jobs started to change for the best, and I was able to get represented locally (Boston) and in Miami as well. Even though I was busy working, I always took time to keep testing and adding new work to my book.

I have been a freelance artist for about 17 years, and still love it. Because of this industry, I have traveled to places I never imagined I would see, met the most interesting people, and worked for fashion magazines, celebrities, catalogs, and advertisements. I also curated a small make up line called Define: Beauty. Simplify, empower and define the beauty you only possess was my tag line.

Now that my children are teenagers and going through their own struggles, I can’t deny I like being able to be a little more local for them. I still travel, test, and work practically full time, but with a little more balance in my life. Currently I am represented by Anchor Artist under their special bookings section.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Like any road, there are ups and downs and can get a little bumpy at times. In the beginning, I didn’t really know how rates worked, how to get more work, and even if my work was good enough to be printed. I never assisted another artist, so I guess I can say I am self-taught. My biggest advice is to surround yourself with people that are producing at the same level and commitment as you are, or wish to produce. Collect people, connect with people & create your creative tribe. Test as often as you can, send your images to agencies, and be open to constructive criticism.

Being a mother of three children has definitely made things challenging, but not impossible. I was asked once when I announced my third pregnancy “what about your career?’ and that’s when I realized I wanted it ALL. I wanted to continue to travel for work, buy a house, take vacations, book out for first day of school, and continue to be as creative as possible…So I traveled with my children and babysitters, pumped my milk in RV’s on location, made menus for days I wasn’t around, and color coordinated calendars to keep everyone in the loop.

I am a believer that there are no limits, and we are the only ones in control of our life. Check your ego outside and if it’s not working change it, at the end of the day its only make up, not brain surgery.

We’d love to hear more about MARIOLGA Make Up Artist.
I am a freelance make up/hair artist. I believe I specialize in beauty make up. Most of my clients like the way I naturally enhance the person’s features. One of my favorite ways a client has described my work was that it “looks like it’s melted into the skin, not on top of the skin”.

Make up is about creating a visual illusion, not different from a painting. To me the face is a three dimensional canvas that we can manipulate by using shadows and moments of light to enhance, advance, or recede a feature. I believe having an art background sets me apart from others, also having degree on fashioning & marketing makes me understand what a client is trying to convey with their brand and who their customer is.

Early in my career, I realized that print (magazines, catalogs, advertisements) is my favorite venue of work. I also enjoy doing one on one beauty consultations and teaching seminars. I believe that skin should look like skin, and that where the makeup is applied has a bigger impact than the amount used. Understanding undertones, color theory, and balance is important in order to keep make up application in harmony.

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I learned at a very early age that we are here in borrowed time. Losing my oldest two siblings before finishing high school, then my mother by the age of 23, and my dad by 27 made me realize that every day counts. How this relates to my success? It made me value the people in my life, and the reason why they come in and out of it. It taught me to never take for granted time and live my life mindfully and to its highest potential. I am known to be a pretty open book and some might say I over share, but I believe the way we can heal and help others is by sharing our stories.

My dad was an alcoholic and probably one of the most talented people I ever met. He was my first art teacher and critic. The one that told me to surround myself with people that create at the same level, that an artist is born not created, that education is like a crown that no-one can take away from you, and to use my last $5 to buy a beer for myself in his name.

Like many other women, I have been sexually assaulted, molested, battled eating disorders, and struggled with depression. It’s not about the experience, it’s about what we do with it. I have learned to be grateful for my personal struggles, and release them, because without them I wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t be the person I am and I can actually say I like who I have become. Some people describe me as strong, I think we are all strong and capable of changing our lives. Sometimes all we need is a little fire inside us, mine is always burning.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.anchorartists.com
• Phone: 617-590-9160
• Email: mariolgamakeup@gmail.com
• Instagram: @mariolga
• Facebook: Mariolga Nido Pantazopoulos

Image Credit:
Photographer: Kolby Knight
Models: Danielle van Grondelle, Emily Doyle, Ray Russell, Kate Novakinson, Allie Barrett

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