about debi drennan

about Debi Drennan, the founder and creator of DAKOTA

Although DAKOTA just launched in June 2005, it has been in the making for many years. Emmy Award winning Makeup Designer, Debi Drennan, President of DAKOTA COSMETICS has been creating this line for almost as many years as she has been an artist.

"So many times I wished I had a product that did what I wanted or a product that was a specific colour. So, I would have to go looking for it. If I couldn't find it I would have it made. As years went by the products accumulated. I would use them on my actors and performers and everyone loved them. I realized, as time went by, that I was selling my makeup and skin care almost every time I used it on someone. So I decided to take it retail and let everyone discover DAKOTA."

Debi has been a Makeup Artist since the early seventies starting her career at CFTO TV in Toronto now known as the CTV NETWORK. After experiencing a tragedy in her personal life, the vice president of CTV at the time offered to train her for a career position. She jumped on the opportunity to be a makeup artist and the rest is history. Although she started as a trainee, it was not long at all until she was the Head of the Makeup & Hair Department for the Network.

While at CTV, she was the key makeup artist on such shows as The Littlest Hobo, Hallmark Hall of Fame dramas, Stars on Ice, Miss Canada Pageants, and the list goes on. In the fall of 1982 her husband who is also in the television industry, was offered a two-year contract at CJOH TV in Ottawa. Debi freelanced in Ottawa for CJOH TV and Crawley Films. As well, she worked at Parliament Hill, working for people like Margaret Trudeau, Pierre Trudeau, Brian and Mila Mulroney, and on one occasion was honored with the opportunity to meet with the late Princess Diana. While in Ottawa, Debi also returned to school where she received her hairstyling license.

In January of 1985, she returned to Toronto. Her husband went back to CTV but she remained freelance and launched her film career. She was head artist on many Canadian and American series like Diamonds, Due South, La Femme Nikita, and This is Wonderland. She was also make-up designer on Movies of the Week, like The Brady Bunch, and Sins of the Father. In addition, she was head make-up designer on feature films, like The Company Man and Its a Boy Girl Thing (to be released in the summer of 2006). She was key make-up artist on many mini-series', such as Me and My Shadow: The Judy Garland Story for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award for 'outstanding achievement in makeup'.

Since then, Debi has been honored twice with being one of 5 nominee's for The Canadian Makeup Artist of the Year from CNOMA (The Canadian Network of Makeup Artists) for her work on This is Wonderland. She was also announced as one of Lancome's Top Choice Artists for 2004.

Her career has found her with hundreds of famous Canadian Faces. To name a few, Paul Gross, Camilla Scott, Wendy Crewson, Cara Pifko, Micheal Riley, Leslie Neilson, David Elliot, Marty Short, Neve Campbell, Graham Greane, Keri Ann Moss, Katherine O'Hara, Kevin Zegers,  Sheila McCarthy, Jackie Richardson and the Late John Candy and Al Waxman.

International faces include Misha Barton, Autumn Reesor, Bijou Phillips, Melanie Griffith, Sharon Osbourne, Juliette Lewis, Mickey Rourke, Lucy Lui, Gina Gershon,  Farrah Fawcett, Cecily Tyson, Melina Kanakaradis, Richard Jenkins, Shelley Long, Poppy Montgomery, Felicity Huffman, Harvey Keitel, Paul Haggis, Marg Helgenberg, Peta Wilson, Amy Adams, Delta Burke and the list goes on and on.

Debi has taken her experience, accumulated over many years, to create DAKOTA. She is now presenting it for everyone to experience. Now, you too can have the complexion of a movie star, the lips of a singer, or the eyes of a drama queen.

Dakota is a makeup line by a makeup artist. Enticing, colourful, and truly artistic.