Maria Pecoraro began her career brimming with passion and natural creativity. Using makeup as her medium, the skin as her canvas, and the eyebrows to frame, she has been committed to elevating her skills and mastering her techniques for more than 15 years. In 2011 she enrolled in the prestigious Jemma Kidd Makeup School in London, UK, and began working tirelessly with private clients in her hometown of New Jersey. She soon landed a full-time gig as the makeup lead on a popular morning show in New York. With a daily 2 am call time, she worked with the stunning host, a variety of well-known faces, and the elite few who were guests of the show. Those guests included celebrities who often arrived behind schedule needing everything Maria had to offer. The experience was priceless.
In her free time, she pursued the world of beauty and fashion. She made connections with many top artist agencies. Streeters, Julian Watson, and L’Atelier often called upon Maria to assist their artists for NYFW, on editorials, and for larger campaigns. She took every job never asking the rate. It was the experience she was after. Before long fashion and beauty photographers were reaching out and asking her to collaborate on shoots with top models.
Before she ever received her first paycheck in New York, however, it was a 2013 vacation to Los Angeles, California that left Maria and her husband, Chris, wanting their future to include living a West Coast life. They spoke about it often, not knowing how or when. And if you have come to know Maria on any level, she undoubtedly talked about their plan. A plan that included making a career for herself in LA. As it turned out, the pandemic made plans that no one saw coming; closing old doors and opening new ones.
Maria finds that her most rewarding work lies somewhere between enhancing one’s raw, natural beauty and defining that beauty through the most flattering artistic expression. She is fearless in the creative process, learning everything she can about her subjects well before a collaboration begins. Her understanding of color and composition, combined with a refined hand and superb eye for detail, continue to make her an artist of choice and one that is trusted implicitly.
Maria lives in Los Angeles.
Full Disclosure: Maria is fully vaccinated having received both Pfizer vaccines in 2021 and the Moderna booster in 2022.
Barbicide COVID-19 Certification click here.
Drawing by Jamie Lee Reardin, Los Angeles