Carol’s second big break came when the world-renowned photographer Herb Ritts chose her portfolio for a photo shoot with Christy Turlington. The opportunity, Carol exclaims, “rocketed my career into a whole new dimension.”

The life of a makeup artist.
Although it seems as if Carol easily stepped into her place as a premiere makeup artist, her struggle to remain at the top never ceases. Carol independently started her own makeup up line, LORAC (Carol spelled backwards), to help women everywhere get the same glowing look as her celebrity clients. She now has two dozen employees working for her company, and her products can be purchased at Sephora and other boutique stores. As a makeup artist, she says “you are never done. LORAC could be a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week job.” And sometimes it is. She travels internationally as CEO and Spokesperson for her line, and remains involved in every step of its development.

Being a makeup artist definitely has its excitement. Carol created Madonna’s legendary look and stigmata wounds for her “Like a Prayer” music video. “Madonna was beyond a pop god at the time,” she says. “I had to take a very deep breath because I needed to use prosthetics with which I had little experience—but I did it!” Her work on the video also helped bolster her reputation. “The video garnered a tremendous amount of controversy, praise and press which really benefited me.”

To succeed in the beauty business, Carol learned to develop and maintain a positive outlook. “I keep the focus on doing the best job that I can, period,” she says. “That means always acting professional, being on-time, maintaining a pristine makeup case, being of service to those around and focusing… I stopped caring what people thought of me. That attitude—above all else—has kept my career moving forward.”