MWS Employee Spotlight: Gabriella Pizzo

Gabriella Pizzo previously appeared on our blog creating a fabulous Chappell Roan-inspired Halloween look! You might also recognize her from our popular Instagram series: Friday Night Live which she hosts with Celeste Vanya. We sat down with Gabriella to chat about her past, her passion, and what brought her to this moment of being our Employee Spotlight of the week!

Gabriella Pizzo

What specifically does your job entail?

I am one of the makeup associates as well as one of the social media managers. My day-to-day mainly consists of helping customers find products to suit their needs. When there happens to be a quiet moment, you can find me filming myself stocking the shelves or swatching new products.

Gabriella st work

How did you get your start in the industry?

I started with designing the makeup for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Lakewood Theatre in Madison, Maine. Funny enough, that is where I met Cheryl. I was working on distressing costumes and set pieces for a play called Anatomies when Cheryl offered me a job at Manhattan Wardrobe Supply. Once moving to New York, my first solo job was for a web series called Shrews, which sparked my interest in film makeup specifically.

Gabriella assists at the studio

How do you keep yourself organized?

I try my best to stay consistent… and maybe one too many checklists on my phone.

What’s the most difficult scenario that you faced being an MUA?

Overall, makeup is fun, but the most difficult thing to do is advocating for myself. As a freelance makeup artist, I’m basically running my own business.

What is your favorite part about your job?

I love chatting with the client! It’s so fun to peek into other people’s lives. Having two cats is always a great talking point, and if you know me, I love talking about my cats.

Gabriella working with client

What skills are the most useful to cultivate in order to be successful in makeup?

Communication. As I said before- advocating for yourself is a major part of the job of being a makeup artist. That and making connections. You have to know people to get jobs, and on top of that, once you have the job, you have to be able to communicate with your collaborators on both what they want and what you can do.

What is your favorite product?

Right now, I’m obsessed with Danessa Myricks’ Liquid Blurring Balm. It helps to extend the wear of the makeup while blending the powders into the skin.

Danessa Myricks’ Liquid Blurring Balm

What is the one thing you never leave home without?

My lip combo and sunscreen, of course! Both definitely need touch-ups throughout the day.

Tell us about your most harrowing moment in-store! What moment brought you the most joy?

Halloween. Always Halloween. It is the busiest and most exhausting time of the year, but it is so great when customers tag us in the look they pulled together.

Gabriella creating a Chappell Roan inspired look

Tell us a little bit about your history with Manhattan Wardrobe Supply.

Like I mentioned, I started working part-time as one of the makeup associates. After making a few silly videos with Celeste, both of us also added Social Media Manager to our titles.

Customer service with Gabriella

Now I’m working full-time and creating content when we have a free moment in the store! And the rest – is history!