MARY KAY REPS GET LESSON FROM A PRO

Professional makeup artist Danton Thompson shared a few of his secrets over the weekend with local dealers of Mary Kay cosmetics.

About 150 Mary Kay representatives from Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois attended the two-day event held at the Holiday Inn's Oak Room. The seminar featured demonstrations and motivational speeches by the Arizona native, who works professionally under his first name.

"He is awesome," said Jana Jateff, senior sales director of Mary Kay cosmetics in Cape Girardeau. "I think the neatest thing is that Danton emphasizes that beauty is inner -- makeup just enhances that and brings that woman out."

Danton began his career as a hairdresser and shop owner in 1972 in Scottsdale, Ariz. His big break came in 1981 after singer Stevie Nicks admired a French braid worn by one of Danton's customers to a concert.

"That was back when Bo Derek had worn all the braids in the movie `10,'" Danton said. "(Stevie Nicks) saw my client and had her people go get her, and four months later she called and asked me to do her hair for her first solo album cover and videos."

Danton moved to New York following his work with Nicks and became interested in makeup. He gained renown as director of the Christine Valmy International School and began doing freelance work to stay abreast of industry trends.

A trip home to Phoenix resulted in a demonstration for his sister, who was a Mary Kay director. Danton "fell in love" with Mary Kay cosmetics and began to use them exclusively. He also realized he had another calling and quit his job at the school to conduct seminars across the country for Mary Kay beauty consultants.

He is not employed by the company; instead, independent dealers interested in his instructional seminars contact him so they can learn how to improve their customer service.

"I really try to get them to realize they're changing people's lives," Danton said. "They need to understand that, because the whole philosophy of Mary Kay is really more of a lifestyle. The education they give is so valuable to people."

Danton conducts 200 independent clinics for Mary Kay representatives each year, in addition to his work as a credited makeup artist and beautician for the `Remember WENN' weekly television series on the AMC cable network.

He continues to work with special projects outside of his Mary Kay seminars. He has worked with a broad spectrum of people, including politicians Henry Kissinger and Jimmy Carter, rock stars Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks, and actors Christopher Reed, Shirley McClain and Jason Alexander.

He also has been a makeup artist for several major networks, including CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and Turner Broadcasting.