Meet Derek Medina, Professional Makeup Artist
Derek Medina, a Bronx native, found his calling while doing makeup for fashion shows at Katherine Gibbs College. Medina then began freelancing for fashion photographers and stylists, and had his work published in various magazines, shooting covers, fashion editorials, and ad campaigns. Medina has almost 20 years of experience in the beauty industry working for celebrities and cosmetic brands. He is currently a freelance makeup artist, working independently around New York City and New Jersey on photo shoots and teaching makeup classes. He also works part-time with Kryolan Professional Makeup as a cosmetic retail artist and workshop instructor.
What made you fall in love with Omnia?
I was introduced to the Royal Brush family about 5 years ago and have been hooked ever since! They have easily taken over my brush kit and are hands down my absolute favorite brushes, ever! They are true artist brushes, from the long-stemmed, tapered handles ergonomically designed to rest perfectly in your hand as you paint your client’s face, to the specific and varied design of each brush.
What are your favorite Omnia Professional Brushes?
Below are a few of my favorite, must-have Omnia Professional brushes. A common thread between these brushes is their versatility and I always keep a few multiples of each!
This is one of my favorites from the Omnia Professional collection! I love a brush that's versatile! This small detail brush is great for detailing your eye shadow, awesome for adding precision to the crease, and it's also great for smudging out that under eye! Furthermore, it can add soft pops of shimmer to the tear duct or is a great alternative to a lip brush.
The BOM-265 is also another favorite and must-have! It makes a great soft focus, all-over powder brush! It’s perfect to set under eye concealer or for lightly powdering a full face. I've also used it for a great all-over shadow brush and/or eyeshadow blending brush.
I've mainly used this brush for applying foundation on face and body. It’s a great buffing brush for any cream foundation and/or highlight and contour! Unfortunately, I only have one of this brush but I will definitely be adding a few more of these to the arsenal!
This little baby is a great eyeshadow blending brush. It’s the perfect size to either sweep color completely across the lid or to blend out a crease!
I often use this brush to apply eyeshadow primer and/or cream eyeshadows. However, due to its angled, contoured shape, I have done a complete eye look with just this brush!
This brush is, for sure, a must-have and I have found it to be ideal for that perfect nose contour, whether it’s a very soft daytime look or severe, snatched nose!
This angled liner brush is perfection! The precise angle, brush density, and length will aid you with ease in applying either gel, liquid, or shadow to your lash line. It can also be used to create a sharp cat eye!
Now this small (and I do mean tiny) dense, flat, detail brush is also great for cleaning up eye liner or fantastic for a brow! You can stamp in hair-like strokes of color to a brow for a soft natural brow or snatch her all the way up!
You can follow Derek Medina on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or visit his website to learn more about his work.
