Katrina Brooks takes her makeup skills to the campaign trail

With seconds left until the cameras went live, Katrina Brooks rushed on the set. A belt of tools around her waste and a tiny brush in her hand, Brooks put the finishing touches on Jake Tapper before the show got underway. As the candidates make the rounds to the major news networks, they trust makeup artists like Brooks to make them appear polished on camera. We spoke to Brooks about how she helps the candidates put their best faces forward on screen.

Are you a makeup artist just for Jake Tapper’s show or for all of CNN?

It’s actually been a crazy week. I work for Kriss Soterion. She has a makeup line called Kriss Cosmetics. She’s local. I’m actually from Nashville, Tennessee, so she flew me in here for the week. We’re covering not only CNN, but NBC, MSNBC. We have people at Fox, too.

How many candidates have you made up?

I’ve only done three of them so far. Hillary brings her own makeup artist.

Do any of the candidates have special requests when it comes to makeup?

No, they are all super laid back. It’s awesome. These are the best people to work for because everyone is like, I trust you. That’s all I want to hear.

Who else have you done makeup for besides presidential candidates?

In Nashville we have mostly country artists come in to my salon. But here, we have a lot of news reporters, all the anchors, any of their guests. It’s been constant with people sitting in my chair. I just get them good, and they go off and do their thing.

How do you think the makeup effects people’s appearance on TV and the way voters perceive the candidates?

I think it makes them look more important. It gives them the glow they need. With HD now you have to be really careful that you can’t see it. They have to look amazing and like they don’t have makeup on.

Do the candidate’s staff give you notes going in?

Not really. You have to feel their vibe. If they come in and they are really pale, you definitely need to warm them up. Or, they will look like they are not alive on camera.

How is doing makeup for TV different than doing makeup for everyday?

The lightening. You have to contour a lot. You have to change the skin-tone color, so that when the light is on them it looks more normal. It’s definitely an art.

What’s your best makeup tip?

A little goes a long way.

Stephen Cobb contributed to this article.

Photo by stockarch / stockarch.com through creativecommons