Judith August and the Magic of Serendipity

BY JOAN S. PECK

As we move through life, there are things that happen that we’re unable to explain logically. If we’re lucky those are the times in our life where things seem to fall into place and satisfy our desires, whether we’ve only thought about them or have spoken them aloud. When I met with Judith August to discuss her life and her cosmetic business, she delighted in the idea that much in her life had been more than happenstance. So her story begins…

Judith was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. At the age of 16, Judith went on a modeling interview to become the “May Girl,” which meant she would become the image of the store modeling everything from fur coats to dresses to dishwashers. She got the job and her photos were all over the newspapers for the next three years.

Part of her job allowed her to meet the models from New York City who came to strut their stuff on the runway and the photo department during the store’s events. She became enamored with them.

When she was 17, Judith met her mentor, Aida Grey, through her friend’s mother, who was a client of hers. Aida Grey was the cosmetic guru of Beverly Hills and was the first person to develop custom-blended foundations. It was the beginning of a great business relationship throughout the years. Wanting more than what May Company had to offer, Judith packed her bags and left for New York City where she was successful working as a photographer’s model.

However, during that time, Judith ran into a serious hereditary problem which made it hard to compete in the “perfectionist” world of modeling. “The bags under my eyes would never allow for great camera work. No surgeon would operate because I was too young! While some girls would sink into the premature wrinkles of defeat, I took it on as a challenge and started the lifelong study of Camouflage Cosmetics. I realized that I was not alone because ‘everybody’s has something to hide.’” Judith mastered lighting, makeup artistry, and camouflage techniques, allowing her modeling career to flourish for almost 20 years.

Judith married and moved to New Orleans with her husband. She wanted to open a cosmetics store but she had no money to do that. When she sought a bank loan, the bank made a deal with her. They’d loan her ½ of the money needed if she could raise the other half. She came up with the idea to open her company as a Limited Partnership and again, fate stepped in. Through a friend’s mother and her many social contacts, she was able to raise the money and open the cute little 300 sq. ft. store, Let’s Face It. It presented many exclusive lines of cosmetics and perfumes and became an instant social success with lines of people waiting to squeeze into the small store each Saturday. It was definitely the place to go to get ready for all the parties, proms, and balls that the New Orleans was known for. The store received the “YWCA Award for Excellence” and was the “Mecca of Makeups and Makeovers.”

Many celebrities and makeup artists from Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and New York came to the “Big Easy” as “Special Guests” on her television show, Let’s Face It, broadcast on 36 different networks. It was a perfect platform for Judith and her guests to speak about cosmetics and her passion for concealers.

In the 1980s, Judith moved back to Los Angeles and became the training director and community outreach person for the Aida Grey Company. She became in demand for her lectures speaking about how to look younger longer. She also developed contracts with plastic surgeons to help their patients after surgery to use concealer and makeup to cover any bruising that had taken place. Judith had come across a cosmetic pencil made in Germany that everyone seemed to love, but it had no contact information. She was not to be deterred. She worked with the doctors and developed her own cosmetic pencil formula and located a cosmetic laboratory in the United States that manufactured cosmetic pencils. When the final product was complete, the doctors asked Judith what exactly the pencil did. Her response was “Simply everything!” Thus, the Everything Pencil was born.

When the Everything Pencil (pictured below) was featured as the Editor’s Choice in Allure magazine in April 1986, the response to the small ad was overwhelming, and Judith August Cosmetics Solutions was born!

Today, she constantly works in partnership with top cosmetic laboratories in the USA, and together they create relevant products that cover up and conceal just about everything for everybody. This includes under eye circles, rosacea, vitiligo, acne and blemishes, age spots, scars, post-operative bruising, birthmarks, tattoos and more. She designs her products to achieve beautiful and effective results, from simple annoying flaws to serious coverage. “It’s all in the formulas, colors, and textures that make them work,” states Judith. She realizes makeup plays a pivotal role in the psychological well-being of both men and women. “Looking good is not superficial. It measures health and image and encourages self-esteem. If you’ve got a problem, we’ve got the solution.”

I was blown away by Judith’s very successful book, Gotcha Covered – The Compact Guide to Camouflage Makeup. It is an exquisitely illustrated, 110-page guide, providing detailed tips and tricks. This “at home” guide is available for purchase through her website (JudithAugustCosmetics.com) and as a Kindle download through Amazon.com. When you leaf through this book, you will understand there is no better or more complete book than this for any cosmetic camouflage. It is the ultimate answer and primer for any person who wants to camouflage a skin issue or for anyone who is a makeup artist or in the cosmetic business. This book proves Judith is the maven extraordinaire of the camouflage business.

I was curious to learn what enticed Judith to write the book. “Two reasons, really. The book took five years to complete because of all the photographs, testimonials, and content. In my 40 years of being a part of the cosmetic business, I have a wealth of information that I wanted to share. This isn’t just about beauty because everyone’s birthright is to look good. It’s certainly not about vanity. It’s simply a motivational book on looking good and how to do it!

I also wanted this book to be a legacy to my four grandchildren—two of whom live in New York, and two in New Orleans. Since I don’t get to be with them every day, they don’t really have an understanding of who I am and what I do. This way, they’ll have a better understanding of that.”

We’re all aging—it’s a fact. However, how we view that is what can make a difference. I read Judith’s blog, The O Word, written in 2013, and thought by sharing it, you’d have a clearer understanding of how she sees herself and others as we age. It’s all about perspective.

“It was my birthday last month and my darling friends took me for lunch. As we were all “living” in the second half of our century, we boohooed all the hateful words associated with the word old. “Older is a much better word than the word old,” I said. “There is a marked difference in attitude and intent.”

The Thesaurus describes the “O” word as aged, mature, elderly, cantankerous, prehistoric, primeval, archaic, outdated, obsolete … all terms that have no relationship to the way I feel every day. I am still 36 in my mind, although certain parts of my anatomy don’t react in the same delightful way. (Who knew that peppers and sausage for breakfast would be stricken off the list of food to eat?) Bottom line, while I refuse to be stuck in the world of “Old,” I can handle the world of “older.”

Looking around me, my friends do their best to stay in shape: walking dogs, water aerobics, Pilates; yet, many of us have more doctors’ appointments than ever. Does that mean we have to get Old? “Good Heaven’s NO!” My friend Barbara just ran a 5K marathon at 80-ish and wondered why she was so tired at the end of the run.

Remember when you were 5 and your 28-year-old mother was “old?” And God knows as a teenager, you could never imagine sex at 60. Getting older is all relative.

Aging can affect us in incredible ways—both the bad and the good. Fortunately, with today’s modern products and techniques, our bad habits don’t have to show. Over time I’ve watched the changes on my own face. Through my business, I am fortunate to work with chemists and colorists designing camouflage makeup that works for me and everyone else. I love creating wonderful products that give us a fresh, young appearance, covers age spots and dark circles, and fills in wrinkles, allowing us to look amazing right through the elegant years. (Notice I didn’t use the “O” word?).

I have a good friend who compares aging to the feline world. Babies are kittens, the 20s are kitties, 30s are cats, 40s are cougars, 50’s-70’s lioness, 80’s the sphinx—the wise one who simply looks back upon history with candor and interest. We can also change the dynamics of the word by simply adding a few letters: “Old becomes Gold with Untold tales of adventure and Bold stories of glory and wonder.”

Life is longer than ever…enjoy, live, love, hug, and pass along wisdom. Be young in your mind. We still have a lot to do…there’s still time. Like I have always said…old is someone else! It’s just another “O” word!”

Looking back upon Judith’s journey to develop her business, I can see how serendipity worked in her favor at times. But the truth is that for fate to step into our lives, we have to have a desire we want to be met, and we have to recognize the Universe’s “gift” as it is presented, and be willing to act upon it—do our part—to create what we want. When you meet Judith August, you can’t help but admire all the parts she played in her success and continues to do so each day.