Learning special effects makeup in her native Hudson Valley helped open the door to local indie film productions based in Dutchess and Ulster County, NY.

Along with skills in various forms of makeup, ventilating lace facial hair & wigs, or refreshing her prosthetics abilities, Lani spent part of 2020 completing the 600-hr education requirement for an Esthetics license in the state of New York.

With this foundation of caring for the skin, our body’s largest organ, becoming an Esthetician gave Lani a unique edge and appreciation for the art of makeup.

Lani Barry has been a working makeup artist since the age of eighteen, but you could say the story started earlier.

As a particularly precocious, cheeky, and over-opinionated child, it made sense to her mother to stick Lani in after school activities that would provide an outlet for such shenanigans - as opposed to recreationally clowning her way through elementary school.

Like many of those today who are employed “behind-the-scenes” in the Entertainment industry, Lani migrated from a youth spent downstage in local theater, to learning backstage crafts, and eventually found her place behind the camera instead of in front.

Moving to New York City provided opportunities like a theatrical makeup & wig making apprenticeship at The Juilliard School, a summer with the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico, learning to work swing tracks on Broadway, finally returning to set of film and television as a member of IATSE Local 798.