Gilbert Soliz:
A Man For All Seasons, Sets, and Stars
Once upon a time, in the hills of Reedley, California, Gilbert Soliz – like many makeup artists before and since – became enamored with his mother’s and his aunt’s unique beauties. It wasn’t long before he got his own brushes at the local Rite-Aid – at age 16 – and since then, there was the path to and then the experiences as a licensed Esthetician, a Celebrity Makeup Artist, and an industry insider.
These are roles he plays and things that he does. Who Gilbert is will inform, influence, and inspire you. Sit back. The makeup game is about to change.
I don’t know if Gilbert would say as much, and following his instinct appears to be a superpower. After graduating from high school, he became a Certified Nurse’s Assistant (CNA). His initial plan: become a licensed Esthetician, finish nursing school, and pair his medical skills with his love of artistry in a cosmetic dermatology or plastic surgery practice. “I had always been fascinated by extreme transformation, be it through surgery or special f/x.” In the years he worked with older adults, he had the opportunity to study the skin’s anatomy, which was not only a precursor to the beauty school curricula, it was the beginning of Gilbert’s approaches to makeup artistry and skincare, as well as his understanding of how the skin performs.
And after working for nearly a year in a convalescent hospital, followed by two years as a home health aide, Gilbert realized he was better suited to work in beauty. In that world, he could provide care while being the inherently creative person he’d been since childhood. When asked what moved him from the healthcare industry to makeup artistry and estheticism, Gilbert – not one afraid of hard work – declared, “Working as a CNA felt like work,” and those who have been in the workforce for more than a minute can cosign here. The trick to doing exceptional work, making a difference, and, if needed, changing the narrative, is to do something hat doesn’t vex, trouble, or exhaust you. For Gilbert, that meant doing something that, since his youth, “was always fun and came naturally to [him].”
What Gilbert’s not likely to tell you is he had been asked to do makeup for friends’ special occasions – weddings, parties, graduations – since swiping right meant shading eye color. As sure as he was to leave Reedley to a bigger city, where bookstores’ inventories included the glossies, and he would read them cover to cover as though he was in the library (because, young ones, the real fashion mags are expensive), he was putting looks together for everything from slumber parties to house parties to club nights. Before he graduated from high school.
This decision – leaving the nursing world – was an instinct-based action because cosmetics and Gilbert had paired since he was a wee lad. The son of a hair stylist became aware of the power of product from his mother. While many of us can recall being in the room while parents cooked or folded laundry, how many of our mothers taught us how to style a look while vacuuming? Corina Alanis knew music videos, and while she neatened the house, she schooled Gilbert on the clothing, patterns, and trends that were as much a part of the video as the song. Surely, her direction to “always be creative” was in mind when he borrowed his mother’s black eyeliner, followed by her lipstick.
If Corina planted the seed, Gilbert fed, watered, and cultivated it. His first move in the professional cosmetics world was in-store, at Macy’s. Those who have worked in big retail will appreciate what prompted Gilbert to apply to work there: “It wasn’t until I saw all these boys and girls dressed in black, faces painted for the gods, behind counters, selling makeup. It was in that moment I knew I wanted to do that, to be that.”
Apply to work at Macy’s he did, only to be met with the usual narrow-minded HR response when an applicant isn’t the job description word for word. Apparently, his three years of working with vulnerable people, providing care and support on policy and with creativity wasn’t sufficient. Gilbert didn’t have enough experience. He thanked the HR wonk for her time, headed upstairs to the cosmetic area, and introduced himself to the department manager. “Hi, I’m Gilbert. HR sent me up to introduce myself. I’m just up from my interview.” He delivered this patter with his power-carrying smile, which is as signature to him as his eye color. Shelly, the manager, bluntly and immediately, said, “Follow me.” The next day, bedecked in his night-before purchased black shirt from Charlotte Russe, Gilbert arrived at the Benefit Cosmetics counter. He spent the day pulling (more like cultivating) clients, and he did some of what used to be called makeovers. At the end of the day, Shelly hired him. Before you ask, Shelly’s office was separated from the human resources individual who declined Gilbert.
Let’s pause for a moment, shall we, and tip our hats to Shelly, the cosmetic department manager at Macy’s in Fresno, California. She saw that the door through which Gilbert wanted his foot could open.
In 1999, Gilbert enrolled at Federico Beauty Institute, graduating in 2001 with his Esthetician’s license. While he matriculated, he worked his way from Benefit to MAC. In the 1990s, the brand whose acronym is Make-up Art Cosmetics was the look. Founded in Canada, MAC exemplified the opportunities for natural beauty’s enhancement and artistic expression beyond what seemed possible. During our conversation, Gilbert declared that he “loved what the brand represented and I knew in my heart of hearts that one day it would be my home.”
Before his first scene on the Macy’s stage could be repeated, and he was denied a role at MAC because – apparently, and again – he did not have the experience they were looking for. Our boy, with artistry and insight in his blood, wasn’t having it. “Through a bit of research,” he boldly stated, “I found another MAC counter, 150 miles away in Monterey, that was set to open. Without anyone’s blessing other than my own, I applied, interviewed, and was hired.”
In that moment, Gilbert knew “if I wanted to live the dream of working backstage and creating beauty campaigns, I would have to take the wheel and not allow anyone to control, or dictate, my destiny.” MAC put lipliner in the hands of countless people (its core color being the wearable-by-pretty-much-everyone-in-the-world Spice), and it provided the milestone that helped to catapult Gilbert’s career. He worked at MAC in Monterey, California for a year, and then moved to Los Angeles. As Gilbert would say, he shifted into 5th gear. Between networking and shoots with photographers, he landed a job on “America’s Next Top Model” Cycles 7 and 8. Cycle 7’s shoot in 2006 occurred during Gilbert’s first year of ten at Sephora LVMH, first in Los Angeles and then in Manhattan.
While few people are likely to see the connection between nursing assistance and makeup artistry, Gilbert has brought the people part of cosmetics back to the industry. Say what you like, and it’s been about trend, fame, cross-promotion, brand names, and social media metrics for a while. A long while. When discussing where this truly inspiring artist finds inspiration, Gilbert was clear: “The biggest source of inspiration is the individual, the client. I will research the person before we meet so I am familiar with their overall style. So much of what I end up doing comes from our initial interaction. Personality and style play a role, for sure, and the ideas of where I take the makeup are generally prompted by the woman or the man in my chair. So, inspiration changes all the time.”
What this has to do with being an assistant nurse is being aware of who a person is, being willing to see as many characteristics and attributes as the person presents, and wanting to build on those to strengthen, enhance, and celebrate the person. While at Sephora, in roles that varied from client interaction, national education facilitator, brand ambassador and liaison, product development for the Sephora PRO Collection, subject matter expert supporting PR, marketing, and education, and for The Sephora PRO Team, creative and artistic direction, as much as he created, Gilbert educated. This way of doing things, these ways of being, are key to who he is and how he does.
During Gilbert’s life in New York, where he’d moved due to his job at Sephora, he experienced something of a second tipping point. In January 2010, while he was the Sephora Pro Team Lead, Gilbert went to Paris Fashion Week, where he did makeup backstage under the iconic Pat McGrath for the Dior, Valentino, Givenchy, and Galliano Men couture collections. The vibe, the energy, and the experience backstage at Dior was as significant for Gilbert as it was to have seen the Macy’s staff work the room in 1999. According to Gilbert, he “had new fuel. And to move into this world – the world of high fashion – I needed to work amongst creatives like Pat McGrath. To do this, I needed a new methodology, and that meant being agency represented. The quality of work by lead artists, which I’d researched over the years and had now been part of, was made possible by agents.” And our boy created a portfolio of his campaigns, videos, and brand tutorials, signing with representation in 2016. Since then, he has never been without an agency rep, and is currently represented by The Only Agency.
No one was surprised when Gilbert was hired as the Global Makeup Artist for Marc Jacobs Beauty (MJB). In April 2021, he left to be an independent artist. This was always his goal, and he glimpsed what this could really be during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world dealt with a virus that affected everything and everyone, Gilbert worked. He hosted one-on-one consultations with clients remotely, and shared his perspective: “This was a fun and interactive way for consumers who were stuck at home to learn, practice, and play while receiving customized routines, product suggestions and skill-building techniques. It was therapeutic, I think for all of us, to share mutual conversations about beauty topics. And it was rewarding to know that people left feeling empowered and more confident.” It will take a hell of a lot more than the coronavirus to prevent Gilbert from creating and educating.
Between mid-2019 and April 2021, Gilbert has been busy. His artistic accomplishments include the following shoots and productions: the video for “React”, a track on The Pussycat Dolls comeback album (2020), Carmít of The Pussycat Dolls for the cover of QP (published Spring 2021), the video for Rico Nasty’s “Own It” (late 2020) and the video for her song with Kali Uchis, “Aquí Yo Mando” (shot in Colombia, March 2021), the cover of Antidote (Fall-Winter 2020), the cover of HUNGER The DIY Issue (Autumn/Winter 2020), and being the lead artist on the “Clarity” Tour North America 2019 for EDM and pop star Kim Petras, Savage X Fenty by Rihanna with Indya Moore + Rico Nasty (Los Angeles, October 2020), and the videos for “La Luz” and “Telepatía” by the genre-bending singer-songwriter Kali Uchis (Colombia, March 2021).
23 years and counting as a Celebrity Makeup Artist, being agency represented, working on five of the seven continents on behalf of beauty projects, being an LGBTQA advocate and prepping for A.L.C. Lifecycle 2022, where he’ll bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise funds for the foundations that are helping to end HIV/AIDS, The Gilbert Guide (stay tuned for more here), and more to come.
If you feel overwhelmed by all of these productions, rest up: Gilbert will be on In Step Beauty each quarter to share his abilities, insights, and exclusive information. You can learn more about Gilbert on his website, his videos, and his Instagram.
