Kiara Shannelle - Makeup Artist
As the owner of Kiara Shannelle Makeup Artistry, Kiara has been building her own business for five years—but has been inspired by the art of makeup application since the high school prom days. Today, in addition to bridal looks, she specializes in commercial and beauty work. Growing up in the arts and with a love of drawing and photography for as long as she can remember, she’s remained true to her passion for artistry with every client she’s worked with. Above all, we’re inspired by her determination for making a name for herself—especially in 2020.
The Basics:
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Current city: Jacksonville, FL
Alma mater: Florida Career College
Degree: Cosmetologist
Very first job: Shoe Sales, World Foot Locker
Hustle: Makeup Artist + Owner, Kiara Shannelle Makeup Artistry
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
So, so many! But I have to say my sister, Brittinee. She is the definition of perseverance and strength. She knows me through and through and has encouraged me to build myself up when I thought I should give up. She speaks life into me, and to my art, continuously. She’s a visionary in her own field and sparks fire into everyone she meets. Even in the roughest seasons of her life, she rises above any obstacle. She’s my person!
What’s a movie/TV series ending that wrecked you for weeks?
*Sigh* Game. Of. Thrones! A N D, the latest phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU—Nerd alert). I screamed in the theatre during the battle scene of End Game.
What’s your go-to coffee order?
Iced oat milk latte with lavender and honey!
In your opinion, which era served the best looks?
The 90’s!
If you could only work with one makeup product or tool, what would it be?
Sheeesh—that’s hard! I’d have to say my cream foundations. I love to focus on skin, and I’m in love with cream products right now.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
This October will mark five years that I’ve owned my own company. I have been a licensed cosmetologist since 2011, and I love glamour makeup. In 2014, I also started part-time as a full body waxer for a local waxing salon. I work there two days a week, and the rest of the week is dedicated to my business. In cosmetology, I specialize in bridal makeup as well as commercial and beauty work. A typical workweek includes waxing and trials for my brides. In the evenings, I’m more than likely updating my social media and website, and participating in a few makeup hauls here and there! If I’m prepping for commercial work, I like to spend a few days researching the talent, going over call sheets, time schedules and any special requests, as well as any other prep. I like to research past media the talent has been previously showcased on for my makeup application reference. For instance, does the talent seem to like bright colors or muted tones? Do they express themselves with their hands more, or their facial expressions? Do they speak with their eyes, or with their smile? With commercial sets being mainly about the client promoting themselves and their products, all of these things are essential for commercial makeup placement. Noticing these things I believe enhances my artistry. Once home, it’s time to sanitize and restock my kit for the next day!
When and how did you first become interested in makeup? When did you know you wanted to make makeup artistry your career?
Truthfully, I’ve been drawing since I was five years-old. In art school, I was a portrait artist; I LOVED drawing faces. In 10th grade, I had my first photography class and thought I wanted to be a photographer because I loved portraits. But when prom rolled around and all the girls started thinking about their hair and makeup, I found myself suddenly interested in applying makeup. I became fascinated with the way makeup transformed peoples’ features; I loved the way eyeshadows intensified someone’s eye shape and how blush brought life into the face. By the time senior prom and graduation rolled around, I was asking all of my friends if I could do their makeup and fell in love with it! I knew then that I wanted to be a makeup artist.
In your opinion, what are some of the pros and cons of working independently?
A pro of working independently is that I love being able to have control of my career. God-willing, I can take a client everyday or every other week if I were to choose to. But, with that also brings a level of personal sacrifice. Sometimes, I may miss important things because of work.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
I believe going to an art school helped me prepare for the world I’m in now because it was an interactive experience. As an art major, we would have showcases where we presented our art and explained our world views and perspectives in reference to our work. In cosmetology school, we had to talk through the service as we were providing it. Those practices come in handy for guiding my bridal clients, for instance, through the application and booking process. Art showcases in grade school and on the salon floor in cosmetology school were both about fluid conversations about your work mixed with self-promotion. Presenting yourself at networking events and displaying your artistry during bridal trials—and even on social media—are the same in many ways. Of course, being a business owner brings administrative work. To be honest, we didn’t focus much on academics or business in either school. We had academic classes, of course, but my main focus was on my major, visual arts. In cosmetology school, it was all about the craft and sanitation. There was nothing about contracts or scheduling, so starting my own business came with a lot of trial and error pertaining to contracts, budgeting, and time management.
How did you attain some of your first clients? How much of a role did social media play in that?
In 2011, instagram as we know it just simply wasn’t “Instagram” yet. It’s hard to think of a world before social media being the megaladon it is now, but print was still king back then! The goal then was to be featured in the local wedding magazines and hair salon catalogues. I can’t express enough what a horror it was to open a magazine and see your work, only to realize that they printed the wrong phone number or salon location! My first ever bridal client came from sparking a conversation with a bride-to-be as a sales associate at David’s Bridal! I didn’t know if I was allowed to promote myself as a makeup artist while selling bridal gowns, but truth be told, that’s why I applied for the job in the first place! If I couldn’t get published in the local magazines just yet, word of mouth was and is still one of the best things.
How do you balance your art and creativity with the visions of your clients?
I believe that every artist has a signature. We all present certain touches to our art that draws our clients to us in a way. I love to mix these touches with the visions my clients have.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
Being a woman has impacted my professional experience in a strong way. Women have to show grace and strength in the same breath, and learning that has helped me in becoming the business woman I am today. Community over competition is key when it comes to empowering each other as women in our industry!
Specifically, how has being a WOC impacted your professional experience? What can we do to create more supportive and inclusive work environments inside and outside of your industry?
Being a WOC, I’ve always known that I needed to strive that much harder than most of my peers that aren’t POC. I knew when I showed up for a job, I needed to be 20 minutes early instead of 15. I learned early on that I needed to speak in a way so I was not looked over, but also not loud enough to aid into any stereotypes. I knew that I needed my work to be damn near flawless so I was remembered by my work and not my appearance. Ask us to be a part of a project, cause, or booking because of our skill set—not for your brand’s personal gain or to show how inclusive a brand or vendor is. Recommend us for all jobs, not just certain ones. It’s more insulting to use people of color once or twice to disingenuously advertise how “inclusive” a brand or vendor is than to not use us at all.
Are there any cosmetic brands that you use on your clients that provide a diverse range of products? Or that you’d recommend for WOC specifically?
Yes! For WOC I always recommend brands that have a broad range of color choices for EVERYONE. WOC have many undertones, not just warm. We are neutral-based, as well as olive and cool-toned. If a brand's medium-to-deep range is only five colors, that isn’t the brand for us. Some brands I love that provide such ranges are L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, IT Cosmetics, Lancôme, Fenty Beauty and Pat McGrath Labs.
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
Simply making a name for myself. I’m proud that I started my own business! Self-doubt is a crippling thing. I’m proud that I pushed myself to seek out my joy for makeup artistry; being able to use my God-given gifts for good and to have started this journey I’m on!
How would you describe your own personal style of artistry? What is the vision or style that you aspire to create with your clients?
My style of artistry is based on enhancing my clients’ features instead of altering them. I’d say my style is clean with sultry elements. I focus on each individual client and their uniqueness. Your features are unique to you, I want to bring them to attention.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
So many! To name a few: Mali Magic, Danessa Myricks and Nikki Makeup. Their art is impeccable! They are all masters of their skill and business. Their aesthetic shares the same type of glowing and clean artistry that I love. They enhance their clients' features instead of altering them. I’ve been in awe of them for years!
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
First and foremost, give yourself grace. Don't be so hard on yourself. You are human and you are wonderful at what you do. Honor yourself and your achievements. Stand strong and firm in your decisions. Take that leap. Be proud of yourself, but not too prideful to not ask for help when you need it.
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