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.”

Pro tips.
When creating her looks, Carol focuses on natural beauty and a simple, clean technique. Using too little or too much makeup is the biggest error she notices on women. In her words: “Too much or too little ain’t a good thing!”