Mario, the son of a barber and seamstress, was born in Toronto, Ontario. Mario was trained by his father at a young age of 5, watching him cut hair while sweeping the floors of his father’s barbershop. By age 17, Mario had to make a decision between two lifelong dreams of becoming a fashion designer or hairstylist. By the age of 19, Mario was able to combine his knowledge of fashion, passed down from his mother, and the skills of hairdressing from his father, to become an incredible hairstylist.
In Mario’s early years as a stylist, he began to admire two hairdressers who’ve taught countless others and continue to influence the way hair is styled today. They are Vidal Sassoon and Martin Parsons. Mario’s cutting techniques were inspired by and developed while training at Vidal Sassoon. His ability to create stunning updos was through techniques used by Martin Parsons and his own creative imagination and skills.
Throughout his 17 years as a full-time hairstylist, Mario has worked both in the salon and on-set, whether it’s for weddings, fashion shows, or photoshoots. In April 2010, Mario opened his own salon & studio with his wife and business partner, a successful makeup artist. He also works for First Lady as a Hair Extension Specialist, travelling through Toronto and Canada for annual Hairdressing trade show conventions. His passion is in transforming one’s hair to suit their face shape, and working on set for photoshoots and editorials in Toronto and across Canada.
As a child, Cherie was always fascinated with faces and makeup. Magazines were her inspiration, studying the models faces and using crayons and markers to draw over their eyes and lips. One day in grade school, Cherie discovered there was a career in applying makeup to others. Since then, becoming a Makeup Artist was not only her dream but her passion in life.
Today, Cherie’s work has been printed in fashion magazines such as Fashion China, Viva Magazine, Photo News and Panoram. She also appeared numerous times performing live makeup makeovers on Cityline with Marilyn Denis. Her resume includes working for the biggest beauty brands – MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, Nars, Giorgio Armani, Anna Sui, Cover Fx, Nuxe Paris Skincare and Trucco Cosmetics. She works on various fashion shows, photoshoots, and music videos. She also travels throughout Canada and internationally for magazine editorials, working closely with her husband and business partner, a well-established session and salon hairstylist.
In 2009 Cherie became a top 5 finalist for Makeup Artist of the Year at the annual Contessa Awards. This was her first time entering the awards but definitely not the last. It’s the details in her work that makes her stand out from the rest, and knowing how to work with each face to enhance the features, as opposed to overpowering it with makeup.