By Jose Lozoya | Staff Intern
Professional makeup artist Dee Dee Cardenas has transformed the looks of many, from Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders to 2015 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen Samantha Sun. She will be hosting a makeup master class at Focus 4 Beauty Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, to share some of her top beauty secrets.
Although her job as a professional makeup artist has taken her all over the United States, Cardenas found her love for cosmetology in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
“I was always around glitz and glam, and at some point I realized it was a hobby for me,” Cardenas said. “I’d like to say I was somewhat brainwashed by my mom because she always had me in pageants since I was 3.”
One of those pageants was Little Miss Plant City, which Cardenas won in 1995.
In high school, her friends always asked her for makeup advice, and her peers quickly noticed her passion for makeup. Cardenas became the go-to makeup artist for events like homecoming, prom and pageants.
After high school, Cardenas enrolled at Paul Mitchell The School, in Tampa, to pursue a career in the field of hair and makeup.
When she graduated from Paul Mitchell, she was hired at MAC and became certified. She credits MAC for polishing the skills she already had.
It didn’t take long for Cardenas to land herself a serious gig as the lead makeup artist in a Channelside fashion show when she was just 19.
“The fashion show was very fulfilling to me, and that was when I realized that I had chosen the right path,” Cardenas said.
Since then, her work has been seen on billboards, advertisements on the walls of Tampa’s International Plaza, commercials and on the faces of music recording artists.
Working with the Bucs cheerleaders started when she was an assistant for another makeup artist at a Bucs cheerleaders photo shoot.
“It was very unexpected and last minute, and I jumped at the amazing opportunity,” Cardenas said.
Two days later, Cardenas was contacted by the cheer manager, who was impressed with her work. Since then, Cardenas has been contracted for four football seasons.
Her work for the Bucs includes doing makeup for the home games.
“The home games are always fun because they remind me of pep rallies when I was in high school,” Cardenas said.
Another one of her duties is being a makeup artist for the cheerleaders’ week-long calendar photo shoot.
“It’s my favorite part because we all go to the beach and hangout,” Cardenas said. “It’s hard work all week long, but it’s also a vacation. How many people can say they have a job like that?”
She always looks forward to the iconic calendar coming out.
“It’s very gratifying to see my work in print that will be seen by thousands of people,” Cardenas said.
Some of the cheerleaders have become close friends with Cardenas. She’s even done work for them on a personal level. This year she did makeup for four of the cheerleaders’ weddings.
Now she’s back in her own city to teach aspiring makeup artists hands-on training as they are starting out.
“If makeup wasn’t my passion, teaching would be,” Cardenas said.
The idea for the makeup class came to Cardenas when she realized she could be both a makeup artist and a teacher at the same time.
The very first class was at the Tampa Bay History Center last year. After seeing it succeed, she decided to move the class to where her passion all started: her hometown. Cosmetology school Focus 4 Beauty was the perfect place to host her class.
“It’s an absolute pleasure and it’s very refreshing to be a part of a school that has the beauty industry and their students as their first priority,” Cardenas said.
Focus 4 Beauty student Marina Conde remembers being inspired by Cardenas’ work while seeing it on the internet when she was 13. Conde has already attended one of Cardenas’ classes.
“She is a super-talented artist, who is both knowledgable and is hungry for the beauty industry,” Conde said. “What sets Dee Dee aside from other artists is she genuinely loves what she does. Her goal with a guest is to make them feel beautiful by changing their natural beauty rather then hiding it behind makeup.”
As for the future, Cardenas is letting her career take a life of its own by not having concrete plans.
“I live every day by putting my faith in God, and he has always blessed my career,” Cardenas said. “Eventually, I’d like to travel and pursue some bigger opportunities, but it’s always been a goal of mine to come back to the Tampa Bay area when I’m ready to settle down. Right now, though, its all about the makeup game.”
The Makeup Master Class
When: 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20
Where: Focus 4 Beauty, 631 E. Alexander St.
Price: $200; $100 if student
Contact: deedeelcardenas@gmail.com
