All upstanding professional makeup artists have a portfolio of their work. Clients can flip through photos of looks to see if the artist has their desired style. But for one makeup artist, gone are the days of thin plastic album inserts.

Makeup artist Chenese Bean took her portfolio to the next level with a full-color book of her past work. "Instead of just having images in a portfolio binder with pages that have photos that can be easily removed and replaced, I wanted it to be something a little bit more sturdy because I'm sending these off to photographers, advertising companies and creative directors throughout New York, Chicago and L.A.," Bean says.

Professionalism and security were Bean's top priorities. After working as a makeup artist for 13 years now, she wanted her portfolio to stand out from the crowd and make people who see it want to pick it up and look through it. But she didn't want to run the risk of people stealing her work either, which was why she decided to print up a book of her own.

So after gaining inspiration from the coffee table books many brides order from their wedding photographers, Bean selected photos of her previous makeup work to fill a 21-page book. While she works her magic on wedding days throughout the year, this particular portfolio focuses on her masterpieces outside the bridal world. "I don't just work with brides all the time. I'm on the entertainment side as well, so that's what this is pretty much displaying," she says.

Bean currently is working on a second portfolio, however, that will showcase the bridal side of her business. "It's actually the same concept, just a different type of photos," Bean says. "All photos from weddings from 2007 until now."

While she has send her portfolio across the country, Bean also has stayed true to the Cincinnati scene, and she has sent her book to several local photographers. And obviously, she keeps copies for herself to show potential clients. For more information about Bean and her makeup artistry, check out CheneseBean.com.

PHOTO CREDITS

Photos courtesy of Chenese Bean