Martayla Poellinitz, or "Marty" as I call her, is a 23-year-old girl boss. Marty is many other things however. Originally from Hershey, PA, she traveled to Pittsburgh back in 2012 to attend Duquesne University as a marketing and supply chain management double major.
Marty originally became interested in makeup the summer before her senior year of college, in June of 2015, and it didn't exactly come naturally at first. She spoke with me about how she first learned the basics, and then dove into more experimental styles.
"I went to a really strict boarding school for a decade of my life. Imagine that, 10 years, which is a lot considering I’m only 23. There, I wasn’t privy to experimenting with my style by wearing different clothes and makeup. I had to wait until college. I still cringe at the first outfit I ever wore to a party. Long sleeved scoop neck green blouse with bell bottom day blue jeans and black $5 flats in 80 degree August weather. Ugh. I've definitely come a long way. Back when I decided to do the #100daysofmakeup challenge, that was the ultimate factor that pushed me to create more with my face. Considering my makeup journey started with lip art, I've invested a lot... A LOT of time into growing my lipstick collection, and when I saw how many colors I could pull off, I realized how many different lewks I could create. I've worn every color of the rainbow in multiple shades. My favorite color right now is Clover by Anastasia Beverley Hills. It's a grey with purple undertones and it's magical. I will admit, I also enjoy being the person who can decide to wear grey lipstick and pull it off."
I will say that I can definitely attest to Marty being the kind of person that can pull off nearly anything. I first met her working with another local photographer Sam Hershberger, on the same shoot. She came along to lend a styling eye, photograph and model as well. I was completely flabbergasted at how effortlessly she would jump behind the camera, throw an accessory my way, take off an article of clothing, swap it for another, and then jump into some shots with me. She's truly so multitalented and her expertise in all of these different facets of creative work really work well together.
Marty later reached out to me to be involved in another project of hers. "Currently I’m working on a project titled “Beauty Through Time” and it's me, just exploring beauty trends through different decades. I'm fairly new to the beauty scene I've only been doing this for 2.5 years, so I find it interesting to go back and see what people deemed beautiful and exactly how makeup styles have changed. Especially now with current fashion trends exploring different decades; even now on the runway I can see many nods to 60s beauty trends. So my main idea is to explore several decades and imitate their styles but put a modern twist on it. How would someone today wear those styles?" she said. I was honored to say the least to be involved in her first shoot. She was incredibly professional and thorough with what styles she wanted to achieve. She sent me sketches of her makeup ideas and photo inspiration of her styling ideas. When it came time for the shoot, we were so prepared, and as cliché as it sounds, we really just vibed well together. She is rather meek and doesn't give a ton of direction, but her feedback is always meticulous and constructive, and the positive reinforcement is exactly what someone in front of the camera needs to feel comfortable.
We worked in collaboration with another really talented photographer Joe Lowrey. He too worked well with us and it was all a very collaborative effort. I truly believe that the shots really reflect that as well.
Marty says that she isn't sure what's next for her, but she hopes to continue this project of styles through time, and make as many connections in the process. This team player attitude she has will take her far, and I am so grateful that I get to sing her talents to the internet. I would recommend her in a heartbeat for any styling, photo, and makeup needs. You can find her at @martymoment on instagram