Maxi from Lifetime’s Blush:  Search for the Next Great Makeup Artist hasn’t lost his outlandish style, wild sense of humor, or his reputation in the makeup world.  Despite much criticism on his hit reality TV show for his seemingly diva-like attitude, Blush opened doors for Maxi in an indirect way.

“I received more response from being voted The Best Dressed Reality Star on E! Television’s The Soup than I did by being a contestant on Blush!” the reality TV star said while standing outside of The Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City during The Makeup Show NYC.

A well-dressed reality star indeed, Maxi was a head-turner during this year’s Makeup Show, hosted by On Makeup Magazine and The Powder Group, wearing a sequin head-dress on day one and a lavishly ruffled blouse on the second.  Assisting Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) creator and professional makeup artist, David Klasfeld, Maxi drew a crowd at the already popular booth!

Signing on to a reality TV show is a make or break career move.  For professional makeup artist Maxi, it was an opportunity to showcase his work in a different light.  “I’ve worked with big names such as Lady GaGa and Christina Aguilera but mainly for music videos and events, not print” he says.  “I wanted to showcase my work in a different form and to a larger audience” he explains.

The reality show did just that and Maxi gave a voice to his work as it was showcased to millions of viewers.  Unfortunately for Maxi, a quick route to fame came at a cost.  “When another contestant would win a challenge, everyone would applaud, including me” Maxi said.  “But when the episode would go to final edit, they would cut to a clip where I was rolling my eyes”, he goes on to say, “the clip was from a totally different moment and taken out of context.  I was genuinely happy for the winner, but they did not show that”.

When asked what is next up for the talented artist, Maxi reported that he has been offered his very own reality show!  “Two shows are in the works at the moment– one that may focus around my life including my work as a makeup artist and hanging out with my dog Silly, a long-hair Dachshund, or a makeover show” replied Maxi.

We will be seeing a lot more of Maxi in the future!  He will be appearing as an educator at this year’s International Makeup Artist Trade Show 2009 (IMATS) in Los Angeles, California, taking place on June 20 and 21.  Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) will be presenting the talented young artist and he will be sharing his knowledge on creative makeup.

Photo: Victoria Stiles