Business Profile: Making Faces Parties, Mount Kisco

Transforming the body into a breathtaking portrait is just one of the things Margie Nugent is known for.

This talented body artist, face painter, henna expert and owner of Making Faces Parties in Mount Kisco said she has another mission in life–to bring smiles and a sense of empowerment to the people she paints.

The personable entrepreneur wasn’t always in a position to offer such benefits. A domestic abuse survivor, Nugent has worked her way from having nothing to operating a vibrant small business. In the early 2000s, the Bronx native relocated to Mount Kisco after leaving her husband of five years.

Although Nugent earned a degree in fashion, buying and merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology and had been a successful jewelry designer, she found it difficult to land on her feet.

Employed doing administrative work, she stumbled upon a Craigslist ad for a part-time face painter. That gave Nugent the impetus to eventually start her own venture, Making Faces Parties, in 2009.

“I was always the one who was helping other people start their own businesses,” Nugent remembered.

A 15-week course offered by the Women’s Enterprise Development Center in White Plains gave her the confidence and the tools to pursue her dream.

Making Faces Parties offers something for everyone. At a party Nugent could be painting the face of a five-year-old at a birthday party, applying special tattoos she’s made for kids at a pool party or enhancing the physique of a body builder through body art.

Nugent is also available for corporate events and has worked in day care centers, sporting events, Sweet 16 parties, bar and bat mitzvahs, fundraisers and other events.

The business may seem as simple as slapping on some paint with a brush, but Nugent said it’s demanding and takes much skill.

“It’s an industry that people think they can get into, until they try it,” said Nugent, whose older son, Lonie, 21, works with her as a face painter and balloon twister and also applies glitter tattoos, a new technique popular among teens.

Nugent especially enjoys working with women who, like herself, have had to overcome obstacles.

“They all wanted to be invisible at one point,” she said. “Body painting women has a certain healing aspect to it.”

It’s also empowering when her clients realize the beauty of her painted designs and how they help transform their bodies, and more importantly, their self-image.

Henna art is a relatively new addition to Nugent’s slate of services. She uses a natural plant-based stain to create unique designs on their hands, feet, back or chest, or even on the tummies of pregnant women. Nugent, who is also an ordained interfaith minister, said her deep spirituality blends well with this centuries-old art form.

Continuously retraining herself and researching new painting techniques, Nugent has learned to apply traditional, modern, Moroccan and Arabic forms of henna to the body.

In addition to the work she performs at parties and on individual clients, Nugent also spends a considerable amount of time talking about her work at several public libraries and at conventions around the country.

Nugent uses only professional, FDA-compliant cosmetic makeup that is approved for the face and the skin. She never uses acrylic, poster or other craft paints or markers, which are not approved for skin use. She also maintains a strict cleanliness regime with her tools.

“If you just want the smiley face, I’m not your person, but if you want the memory, I’m your person,” Nugent said.

To find out more about Making Faces Parties, call 914-714-8069 or visit www.makingfacesparties.com.