Day-Glo

Here is an editorial I shot with uber-talented photographer, Ashley Anthony. She also did all the wardrobe styling for this shoot and is truly a woman of many talents!

What a fun day with two fabulous ladies! We had so much fun in the sketchy side of town and were nearly kicked out of the venue (the ever classy Tub and Tan in Portland) due to the fact that the owner suspected we were shooting for nefarious reasons. All in all, it was a great day!

makeup note: Day-Glo was the name of the game so I kept things bright, bright, bright! I didn't even know I could get my colors that bright; no photoshop used here!

photos - Ashley Anthony
model - Mei
makeup & hair - Amy Gillespie

















Amy Gillespie, makeup artist, Portland, Ashley Anthony, fashion, editorial, photo shoot

Photography Workshop with Quavondo and Solstice Retouch

This last weekend I had the unique opportunity to lend my assistance to a photography lighting and retouching class here in Portland. The workshop was put on by one of my favorite photographers of all time, Quavondo, and Pratik of Solstice Retouch.

I have to say, I was so impressed with these guys! I've known and worked with Quavondo for several years now; we met in the infancy of our careers. His talent knows no bounds and I'm constantly amazed at his work ethic, heart, and passion. Pratik was new to me but after a little research online and hearing some of the feedback on the workshop, I feel privileged to have worked on a project with someone of his caliber.

I believe Quavondo and Pratik are planning to take this workshop on the road so if you are a photographer looking to hone your skills and learn from the absolute best, definitely take the opportunity to contact them for more information. Based on the praise and feedback I've heard for the Portland workshop, you won't be sorry.

Here are a couple grabs from Quavondo's blog.
photos - Quavondo
editing - Solstice Retouch
models - Jessie and Erika
hair and makeup - Amy Gillespie




Amy Gillespie, hair, makeup artist, Portland Oregon, photography, photography workshop, lighting, retouching, fashion, beauty, Quavondo, Solstice Retouch

some days are way too easy

Here's a quick little ditty to brighten your day. The fantabulous Brandon Witzel and I met up a while ago to discuss some ideas to mess around with and ended up going in an edgy beauty direction. Kelly, our amazing model, was a perfect fit for the project. In makeup terms this was one of my easier shoots as I kept things more simple and graphic; I didn't want to do her a disservice and burden her beautiful face with tons of makeup and therefore used minimal product - a tiny dab of foundation, blush, lipstain, and a brow pencil. The styling was a fun aspect too. It can be difficult to find a stylist to collaborate on a test so I often find I have to pull props and wardrobe and sometimes even make pieces in order to have a shoot come to life. It's amazing what can be accomplished with a little yarn, glue, and styrofoam :)

I kept the colors soft with punches of muted red on her cheeks and lips to bring out her beautiful blue eyes. In regard her eyebrows, I feel like the bleached eyebrow trend has been driven into the ground so I wanted to go in a different graphic direction. I've seen Groucho Marx inspired brows in two different magazines (although I'm sure there are more people doing this and I'm probably late to the game per usual) and this is my take on what I feel may be an upcoming makeup trend. Enjoy!!

photos - Brandon Witzel
makeup, hair, & styling - Amy Gillespie
model - Kelly, Q6












Amy Gillespie, makeup artist, hair, makeup, photo shoot, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, LA, editorial makeup, fashion makeup, beauty makeup, Brandon Witzel, Q6

and the beat goes on

Just a quick post today. Here are some quick grabs from a shoot I did with photographer Matthew Brush about a month back. We shot in The Dalles, OR, a town about 80 miles east of Portland on I-84. It is known as the windsurfing capital of the world and therefore quite windy. It was extremely cold all day long but thankfully sunny. Many kudos to Cora and Kate, our awesome models, for sticking it out so long in their short shorts!












photos - Matthew Brush
hair - Shamus McClellan
makeup - Amy Gillespie
styling - Nikki Brush and Michelle Clabby
miodels - Cora and Kate, Q6


Amy Gillespie, makeup, makeup artist, Portland, Seattle, LA, fashion, photo shoot, editorial

busy bee

So my life has been crazy, hence the delay in new posts.
I've been busy with tons of shoots, traveling to LA, and cramming in hours working for Dior (one of my side gigs). More updates on all of these things, especially my trip to LA, to follow. For now, here are a few quick grabs from a shoot I did with amazeballs (her words, not mine) photographer, Shelli Wright.

photos - Shelli Wright
makeup & hair - Amy Gillespie
models - Option Model and Media












Amy Gillespie, makeup artist, hair, fashion, photo shoot, editorial, wedding, Shelli Wright, Portland Oregon, Seattle Washington, LA, Los Angeles, west coast, Option Model and Media

Kate is lovely...

...and that's simply all there is to it.


Some new photos from fab photographer Brandon Witzel and stylist extraordinaire Rebecca Westby.








photos - Brandon Witzel
styling - Rebecca Westby
makeup & hair - Amy Gillespie
model - Kate, Option Model and Media




Amy Gillespie, makeup, hair, fashion, beauty, editorial, bridal, photo shoots

Happy Christmas!

Some holly, jolly, holiday inspired photos to warm your day...











photos : Brandon Witzel
styling & wardrobe : Rebecca Westby
hair & makeup : Amy Gillespie
model : Alexandria, Option Model and Medial