WarPaint International Beauty Agency: 10 Questions with Jessica Mae Koza

Hair & Makeup Artist - Jessica Mae Koza

Business: WarPaint International Beauty Agency
Location: Chicago, Illinois IL
Experience: 15 Years
Profile: WarPaint International Beauty Agency
Website: www.warpaintinternational.com

1. Introduction: What's your story?

Hi my name is Jessica Mae. I'm a veteran multi-media makeup artist. In 2010, my husband and I founded WarPaint International Beauty Agency.

WarPaint International is an on-site “beauty-on-demand” agency. We specialize in intimate, luxurious, on-location wedding hair & makeup experiences in Chicago, Minneapolis, New York City, and Jacksonville, Florida. We know weddings! With thousands of happy brides serviced over 10 years in business - we are true professionals that strive to make your day flawless.
Our team of hand-selected and experienced Artisans is passionate about perfecting your special day. WPI Artisans are interviewed, technically tested, receive ongoing education, are nationally background-checked for your safety, and are expected to have the highest standard of sanitary practices.

WarPaint International is the Ultimate Symbol of Luxury and Excellence in Hair & Makeup Artistry.

2. What's your experience as a bridal hair & makeup artist? How many brides are in there in your portfolio?

My experience as a professional makeup artist is extensive. I have hundreds of brides in my portfolio as well as celebrities, public figures, sports figures, professional musicians, corporate CEOs, international models, and more. The team and brand that I have built have a collective experience in these areas of hairstyling and makeup artistry of tens of thousands of clients in four different cities.

3. What are the different packages that you offer and which one is your most popular package?

We offer bridal hair packages, bridal makeup packages, and wedding party ala carte services for wedding party members. Packages in New York have different pricing than our other markets. We offer corporate hourly rates for editorial and commercial work as well as consumer pricing for nights on the town and life events when a client would like "beauty-on-demand" in their home or hotel room.

4. Do you have a team of assistants or will you be the only artist that day? What will happen if you're sick or have an emergency on the wedding day?

I have an extensive, award-winning team in several cities.

5. Do you charge a travel fee? For what distance? What does that cover?

We charge an Artisan dispatch or travel fee every time they leave their home base. If you are within 30 miles of our base zip codes, you'll only pay the travel fee. These fees vary by city. If you live more than 30 miles outside the base zip code, then mileage for roundtrips per artisan will apply at the IRS standard rate of .65/mile.

Our zip codes are:
Minneapolis 55403
Chicago 60611
Manhattan 10017
Jacksonville 33218

6. Can the bride book a wedding makeup trial appointment and will you also do a trial before the wedding?

Trials are mandatory with WarPaint International and part of the bridal hair and makeup packages. In rare events, when a bride is from out of town, and can't make the trial we'll move forward without it. Any bride wanting her wedding day to be as stress-free as possible from the beauty vendor side will want a trial to color match their skin tone, address skin-related issues, talk about eyes, lips, etc. The same goes for a bridal hair trial, specifically is the bride has very long hair and wants a specialty updo.

7. What beauty products do you use and would you be open to the bride using her own make-up?

Many brides and wedding parties request their own makeup due to sensitivities and the growing number of people having reactions to in-organic products in beauty products. Generally speaking, our teams use professional hair and makeup products that you typically don't find at your local makeup counter. Periodically though some artist do have big brand favorites they keep in their kit, like MAC Cosmetics, Graftobian, Ben Nye, etc.

8. How can you make the bride's wedding makeup last and look good in photos?

Experience, Skill, Airbrush Foundation, Setting Sprays and other tricks of the trade that can enable our clients to enjoy a humid July wedding day in the midwest without seeing a crease.

9. How long will makeup take on the day and how long will you be staying for on the day?

Generally speaking, the bride's makeup application can take up to one hour. Our team schedules appointments at 45 minutes each with no more than 5-6 services (whether it be hair or makeup) per Artisan. Our time includes padding for interruptions and corrections or touch-ups. If one has a 20 person wedding party with all members getting hair and makeup (40 services total), we'll send 8 artists and need a window of 4 hours for each artist to complete their scheduled services.