Go to Billy B's Web site and you'll see a list of Hollywood heavyweights the professional makeup artist has worked with -- Beyonce, Sharon Stone, Pink, Mary J. Blige, the Dixie Chicks, Anna Kournikov -- to name a few. His lush looks range from au naturale beauty to straight-up sexy.

Billy B co-hosts a workshop during Milwaukee Fashion Week with hairdresser Syd Curry on Monday, Oct. 6 and crafting the look for the Gilles Montezin runway show that same night (alongside Curry).

OnMilwaukee.com: How long have you been in the industry?

Billy B: About 20 years.

OMC: How did you get your start?

Billy B: I am from a tiny town in Mississippi, and I literally got out of there as fast as I possibly could. I had gone to New York on a school trip, and I just wanted to reinvent myself. I was running from myself like a lot of young people do, which of course didn't work! I (went to New York) and didn't have any friends or family there.

The only thing I had ever done was retail, so I went into Macy's and said, "I want a job in display," which was ridiculous of course. I had the worst accent; like "Hee Haw." The women asked if I could do makeup, and I said yes. So, I sold makeup on the main floor and taught myself how to do makeup on real women.

I was so naïve and green. My town in Mississippi had 3,000 people. There wasn't even a department store! I had no point of view or direction whatsoever. I had no idea that (being a makeup artist) existed as a career. I clearly had an innate talent and was lucky enough to discover it.

A woman came up to the counter one day and asked her if I could do her eyes. And she was this fabulous light skinned African American woman. I had never seen other cultures in Mississippi. I was fascinated by this woman. I did her makeup and when she looked at herself when I was done she said, "You're way too talented to be in Macy's." And I looked at her and I said, "What else is there?"

Later I found out that this girl worked at Vogue. It certainly opened the door to the rest of my life. And I have no idea who she was! So, I worked at Macy's and tried to make enough money to put a portfolio together.

OMC: What is your lifestyle like now?

Billy B: I have done tons of celebrities, and I still do. The problem I have is when people reduce (my job) to just that; there's so much more: Fashion Week, music, magazines. The great thing about this career is that it's something different every day. Next week I might do a music video or album cover; the next week I might do an ad for Bloomingdale's.

I'm based in New York -- that's the core of fashion. I have a home in Los Angeles. The only thing in L.A. are celebrities! I'm very lucky to have the best of both worlds.

The thing about this job is it's not a job, it's a lifestyle. I have been successful and very lucky. It requires tons of travel. You have to really, really love what you do or you can't do this.

OMC: How are you involved in Milwaukee Fashion Week?

Billy B: I will be holding a workshop on the last day (Monday, Oct. 6.) The day will culminate with myself and Syd Curry who are speaking together, and (we are also) designing the look for the Gilles Montezin show.

OMC: How do you collaborate with a fashion designer to design a "look" for the show?

Billy B: It sounds funny to say, but I've been doing this for so many years so I've paid my dues, and it affords me a lot of creative freedom. But it's my job, so it's not about me when you're creating a look. You're there to provide a service. It depends on the star, artist or director. If you're really lucky, it's a collaboration.

With Pat (Field), I've known her for a while, and sometimes you're lucky and have that organic connection with someone. You're operating on the same wavelength and you just click.

With the designers I really love working with, it's bizarre; I'll have an idea in my head and I won't tell them what it is. In that first creative conversation, they will literally say what they had in my head.

OMC: What is the Billy B "look"?

Billy B: People say to me (not friends) that they can tell (a look is) mine before they see the photo credit. I don't know how I would describe my work. I feel that I'm versatile and I love a little of everything. I love eyes.

OMC: What products do you love?

Billy B: I'm not married to any particular brand. I like to work with things that work well and are easy. As a consumer, you know what you love. I like combinations of things. My color tends to be in palettes. There's not one color that stands out. When I do someone's blush, it might be six colors and I don't know what color it is and I don't look at it like that. I do like really saturated colors, things that are rich in pigment. For a makeup artist, it's more abstract.

When I do a smoky eye, it's the way southern women cook; you ask them for the recipe and they say, "I don't know how the hell I made that." But they'll make it the same every time. I'm the same way (with makeup).

A great eyelash curler is imperative for everybody. Certain things aren't all the same; there's a huge difference. There are only two other (eyelash curlers) that I know of that are great eyelash curlers. Most are crap. You can go to Rite Aid and spend $8 or spend $15 on one that's great. Every woman should curl her eyelashes every day.

L'oreal Voluminous mascara is great. I don't understand someone spending $30 on mascara.

I like clear lip gloss. I'm a huge fan. You can go to the drugstore and buy Wet 'n Wild and pay $2.99 or pay $30. At the end of the day clear lip gloss is clear lip gloss. Then it comes down to if you like it sticky, etc. I choose makeup solely for the way I can work with it. For consumers it's different because it's how it feels, tastes and all that.

OMC: What beauty mistakes do women make?

Billy B: Eyebrows! If you don't know (and most don't) how to shape your eyebrows, this is what I tell women: if you don't have the money to get them done every month, go and get them done once. Then you can see the shape they're supposed to be and you can do them yourself. When your brows grow back in, or if they start getting out of whack again, you can go once every three months, or twice a year. It's the single most drastic thing that can change a woman's face.

Makeup is supposed to be fun! You can wash it off; it's not permanent! The goal is not to cover your skin up but to have pretty skin. Makeup it supposed to accentuate. It's used to highlight features you have or you can completely erase them and start over. It's like two extremes. That's the beauty of it. It shouldn't be intimidating. I'm not big on rules -- If you're 50, and want to wear cobalt blue eyeshadow, have at it, but learn how to use it.

OMC: Where do you find inspiration for your looks?

Billy B: Because I am self-taught, the way I taught myself was solely on inspiration. I never had anyone show me how to do anything. The way I learned how to do makeup was looking at people like on the subway -- what looked good, what didn't look good, why did it look good? I would practice and learn from my own mistakes.

Then I stopped buying magazines. It was liberating for me because then you find your own inspiration. I'm a huge collector and love going to flea markets and thrift stores and iconic movies from every era. Part of the job of being a really good makeup artist is knowing iconic women in history. I'm intrigued by that stuff; it's my job. I mean, if a photographer makes an obscure reference to an actress then you have to know who it is.

OMC: What are the trends in makeup this fall?

Billy B: Trends are created from a cosmetic point of view. They're created by cosmetic companies to make consumers believe they're hip if they do a certain thing. In general, I don't really believe in trends. I believe that trends don't work for everybody, and they don't make sense for everyone to follow them.

What I always say is that your personal style is how you look best. Practice that look every day. If there's a trend you like, take part of that trend and introduce that into your basic wardrobe and incorporate it. You find what works for you, what time you have and what aspect of your face needs help.

Trends on the runway: I don't know who predicts them or how that happens. It's weird and it's tricky for me -- I don't know how that works. I do what's right for the job, the person's face and I think that's how a real person should look -- what works for them.

What's your personal style?

Billy B: I don't think I have any personal style (laughs). I just saw a saying recently and thought, "That's me." It said: "You either have incredibly personal style of how you look or a concrete personal style in the way you live." It's the way I live for me. I wear jeans and T-shirts and I could care less if it's Gucci or Old Navy. I have both. I buy what I like. I'm not driven by labels by any means.

OMC: What was your favorite look you've ever done for an event, fashion show, etc.?

Billy B: David and Blond Philippe. They were just inspiring. The show was inspired by "Legend"-it's an early Tom Cruise movie, it's about fantasy. I rented it and it's just this wild, fantastic fairy tale. It was incredibly fun to do. I love what I do, and the more, the better. I can do beautiful, natural makeup-but it's fun to do a challenge and just paint.

OMC: What are the best and the worst things about working with celebrities?

Billy B: The best thing is when you really respect their work. When you're really lucky enough to work with someone who is really talented.

The worst thing is the people around them. Their publicist, their manager. (A celebrity is) a woman just like you that happens to be in an extraordinary situation. They're just people doing their job, but it's in front of the world. The people around them are the ones that are nuts. It's like this machine around them. That's the hardest part.

I'll give you an example. (Sometimes) you go to go work with someone you've never worked with before, and you get a three-page e-mail that says, "Don't address them any other way than this, do not smoke, do not look at them, cover your tattoos up if you have them." And you get there, and the first thing (the celebrity will) ask is, "Do you smoke? Let's go out and smoke."

There's this ridiculousness created around them (by these people), who are nobodies. That's the worst part of the job.

OMC: You are opening a salon with Syd Curry, who's also appearing in Milwaukee Fashion Week. When is that opening?

Billy B: It will be called the Billy B Beauty and Syd Curry salon. It's in Aberdeen, Miss. (Where Billy B grew up). It's the first and only flagship store for Billy B Beauty.

It's almost finished, but we're not sure when it's opening. I think it will officially be open in December.

Everyone thinks what I do is so glamorous because I work with celebrities but it's just a job. It's a great job, just the same.

Isn't it ironic? Not to get all Oprah on you, but I had to leave (Mississippi) and I was running from who I was and found all this success and fame -- and you realize: you're the same person. So, you can go home and celebrate your success.