Meet Kimber Parrish: LA Campus Instructor

MUD LA Associate Instructor Kimber Parrish is an accomplished make-up artist with over 16 years of experience. Her skills and talent include beauty and character make-up, as well as fabrication and hair styling. After graduating from the Make-up Designory Journeyman Program, she worked at Universal Studios Orlando for over 14 years. Here she worked on Universal Studios’ special engagement events such as Halloween Horror Nights, Grinchmas, and Mardi Gras, as well as managing the Prosthetics & Make-up for the Art & Design branch of the Entertainment Department. During this time Kimber continued to be a freelance make-up artist, creating make-up for music videos and film and television. As of 2018, we welcomed Kimber to the MUD team as an Associate Instructor at our LA Campus!

Get to know Kimber below.

How long have you been an instructor at MUD?

Almost one year.

Which Campus do you teach at?

I am an Associate Instructor at the LA Campus.

What class(es) do you currently teach?

I spend most of my time in Special Make-up Effects 201, but I also teach Beauty 101 and Beauty 301.

What brought you to MUD as an instructor?

I graduated from MUD in 2003, and I jumped at the opportunity to become an Associate Instructor. I love helping people and I loved my time as a student.

What is your career background in make-up?

I started out loving beauty make-up, but after graduating MUD I developed a passion for FX make-up. Once I graduated, I got hired to work on a year round make-up team that was mostly theatrical FX characters for live events. I’ve also worked on numerous music videos, TV shows, commercials, and photo shoots.

What skills or insights that you’ve developed over the course of your career have you been able to pass on to your students?

16 years of on-set experience.

What do you feel is unique about MUD and the experience offered to students and instructors?

The passion for make-up, the continued education for the staff, the curriculum is always evolving to keep up with new techniques, and the entire staff just wants to help each other and help students succeed.

What brought you from the professional world of make-up to the classroom?

I enjoy passing knowledge on to those that want to grow! Even on set.

What do you love most about your job as an instructor?

Helping someone figure out how to achieve their dreams.

What is your most memorable experience in the classroom?

The look on the students’ faces when they finally understand how to achieve the lesson that day.

What is your favorite make-up look or technique to teach?

Every look has a purpose and for that reason I love it all!

Do you have any advice for someone just starting out as a make-up artist or for new MUD students?

When I was a student I would get frustrated if I couldn’t “get it” on my first try. So, my advice is that you will never get it on your first try, that’s why we practice. Each time you practice you will get better and better until you finally feel confident.