Have you ever had a déjà vu when you were talking to someone and you realize that you have already met them? Sometimes it’s right away, and sometimes it’s after you walk away.  As a makeup artist who has worked with many celebrities for many years, sometimes this happens after I see actors on the screen.  Sometimes, I have worked with actors who are either in the beginning of their careers, or just not as well known even though they have had small character roles in countless films. I had a déjà vu recently, and I was so surprised to realize who I had met and done makeup on!

My daughter and I religiously watched the last couple of seasons of World of Dance.  The dancing is phenomenal, and it was a fun clean show that we could enjoy together.  The judges are top celebrity status with Golden Globe nominee and #1 Billboard chart singer, dancer, actress, Jennifer Lopez, Grammy Award winning singer songwriter, Ne-Yo, and Emmy Award winner and arguably one of the top competitive dancers in the world, Derek Hough.

One evening it struck me, “Oh my gosh,” I thought.  I remembered doing makeup on two young dancers, a brother and a sister, who told me they moved to England when they were kids to study dance.  I had a one year old baby at the time, and that story clung on to me, as it was hard to imagine sending your children away at age 10 and 13.  The interview was for a 20/20 ABC News story on the duo and their rise to stardom on Dancing with the Stars.  I quickly told my daughter that I thought I might have done Derek and his sister Julianne Hough’s makeup, and grabbed my phone and googled their story.  Sure enough, their history was as I remembered it, and thanks to YouTube, we found a clip from 20/20 that I worked on.

That was an exciting realization. Now when I see them on TV, I can say, “Hey, I did their makeup!”

By Celena Rubin, Owner & Instructor at The Art of Makeup School