This past weekend, I spent time in Chicago. The reason for going was to take a one-day course at Glam Lab Makeup Studios to become a certified makeup artist. But, you know me… I had to make the most of my time there. So, grab a coffee – (hopefully, it’s our It Works! Keto Coffee) and relax. Let me take you through a couple days in the city.
Transportation – Amtrak and Uber
For starters, I booked a ticket on Amtrak at least a month in advanced – which costs me about $30 – round trip. I have no problem taking the train. In fact, I would prefer to travel by train to keep me from always driving and putting the wear and tear on my vehicle.
Anywho, I’ve never really had any problems riding the train. The seats are pretty comfortable. I usually get pretty good leg room. There is an outlet beside the seat for electronics and it’s always great knowing there’s a train car with food and beverages available – if needed, as well as restrooms.
Once I arrived to Union Station, I headed towards Canal Street to grab an Uber and head to my hotel. There was time to see other Chicago sites, but I chose to head right to my room.
Where I Stayed – Hotel Felix
Union Station to Hotel Felix is only about 2.5 miles. It costs me $8.76 for an UberX because I didn’t care to wait and ride in a car pool – although it was half the price. On some occasions, I don’t mind. But, then there are some occasions where I just want to get to where I am going as quickly as possible. And, this was the case this time.
Hotel Felix is a quaint, little boutique hotel located at 111 W. Huron Street. It is neatly tucked in between the Godfrey Hotel and Troquet River North. Troquet River is an indoor-outdoor French bistro with a bar – which I stopped in for a cocktail at the bar after checking in. The staff was friendly and the prices seemed pretty affordable for downtown Chicago.
Outside of the hotel are a few, fun and whimsical art pieces that I admired. The inside is very luxurious looking with a small sushi bar tucked away in the lobby. And, let me just tell you that the sushi is yummy! That’s what I had for dinner since didn’t feel like going out of the hotel for dinner. I’ll take a couple of Philadelphia rolls. Please, and thank-you. And, now I want more – as I write this.
Anywho, the rooms are very small. I didn’t mind, though. I was only there for a night.
Glam Lab Makeup Studios
Sunday morning, I got up pretty early to get to packing. After checking out, I hit for an Uber to take me to Glam Lab Makeup Studios – which is about 3 miles away and costs about the same as the previous Uber ride. I just made sure to tip a buck or two.
After arriving, I noticed I was quite a bit early, so I walked down the street and sat in McDonald’s for awhile until it was time for the doors to open.
As the doors opened, a flood of women wearing all black filed into this small studio – sitting on the corner of W. Chicago Avenue.
Upon arrival, we checked in and paid our fees. Once all of us women were checked in, we sat audience style, followed along in our syllabus, and watched the demonstration.
There was a short break for lunch and shopping in-house for your makeup kit. Following that, we broke up into pairs and began working on each other’s makeup application following the steps given in the syllabus.
There is demonstration makeup provided, but I would strongly encourage people to bring their own kits, if they already have one. For me, it was pretty frustrating trying to create a look with tools you don’t have or are unfamiliar with. My glam partner experienced the same frustration.
But, you know what they say, though.
A good makeup artist can work with whatever they have – so, of course, we made it happen!
After our times was up, we spent time discussing the business aspect of starting your career as a makeup artist, followed by evaluations, certificates, and photos.
I’ll give more details in a future post.
Saying Goodbye
Once final networking took place, I was back in an Uber headed back to Union Station to meet up with a good friend for some good conversation – as I waited for my train home. In the blink of an eye, two hours had passed and it was time to head home. Wonk! Wonk!
Farewell, Chicago! Until next time.
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