September 14, 2016

Meet Valencia/Santa Clarita Makeup Artist & Esthetician: Ashley Harris

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Harris.

Ashley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Bakersfield. As a young girl I always watched my Mom apply her makeup, and of course, would end up playing in her makeup. I still remember the first time I had my makeup professionally done. It was for my Jr. High School graduation, the artist’s name was Frank. I was so fascinated by the way he was using different brushes and colors to enhance my features. Needless to say, I was mind blown and felt like the most beautiful girl in the world. I am the only child, so my Mom and Grandma were and still are my biggest supporters.

I had never been a person you would describe as “talented” but my Mom encouraged me to be involved with some sort of group in High School. Not being the most athletic, I didn’t know what to choose, so I signed up for my High School Colorguard (drill team). After hours and hours of practice, I fell in love with the sport of the performing arts, and the rush you get from performing was something that I lived for in my High School years. What I also soon discovered was that my teammates would come to me for help with their makeup, false eyelashes, or hair. It wasn’t until I was constantly being complimented on my makeup that I realized I could make my passion a career. Once I graduated High School in May 2009, I went straight to school in OC to become an Esthetician. I graduated from Paul Mitchell The School, The Skin Academy in December of that same year and then in January of 2010 passed the state board exam and received my license.

There was a fear that I wouldn’t be “good enough” as a makeup artist so I wanted my license as a backup plan. I returned home to try to find a job as an Esthetician, and it just wasn’t working out for me, so my Mom said, “why don’t you go to makeup school?” I didn’t realize that there was makeup schools out there, so we planned a trip down to LA to look into makeup schools. I ended up attending Cinema Makeup School and completed the Master coarse which is everything from beauty makeup to special effects makeup. I moved to Koreatown and lived the “city life” which was new to me being from the suburbs. I worked a retail job on the weekends and went to school 5 days a week. Once I finished my coarse with Cinema, I felt confident enough to apply for my dream job, MAC Cosmetics. I have admired MAC artists since I was in high school. I passed the extensive interview process and I was in! I was a MAC makeup artist! I then moved to Santa Clarita. I am now just shy of being with MAC for 5 years and I have worked my way up from being a freelancer to now a manager. I am so thankful for the experience that the company has given me. I can’t wait to see what my future holds.

One day I hope to have my own business and work with some of the best makeup artist is the world.

Has it been a smooth road?
Not everything in life is easy, I was taught to work for what you want. For me, there was usually some sort of internal challenge, when I was younger I had self-esteem issues but I tried to not let that hold me back. I realized around the age of 19 that you have to have a positive outlook on life for the positive to come back. I interviewed twice for MAC. The first interview they told me I didn’t have enough experience so I worked so hard that when I had the chance to interview again they wouldn’t be able to tell me no. The second interview about a year later, I nailed. Then I passed the most nerve-wracking interview, the actual makeup application. I knew my personality could get me far, but if they didn’t like my artistry I would have been devastated. I had to remind myself, you know what you’re capable of, just show them. And I did! That was one of my biggest obstacles so far in my career. My motto is “Everything happens for a reason.”

What’s your outlook for the industry over the next 5-10 years?
I would one day like to own my own business. I am young and have already made it so far, but I would also someday like to work on set, and one of my biggest dreams would be doing more editorial work, things that have no limits and the creativity is limitless.

Has there been a particular challenge that you’ve faced over the years?
One of my biggest challenges is a little more personal. The feeling of your never good enough, the fear of failing. I still learn every day, how to take negative thoughts and turn them into something positive. There’s a chance that your artistry won’t be someone’s cup of tea but there are so many talented artists in the world that you can’t take it personally. When I was first starting my makeup career, I made mistakes but that’s the best way to learn sometimes, and I love speaking to seasoned artists to see what their techniques are. I’m here to help people feel beautiful and have a positive impact on them.

Let’s change gears – is there any advice you’d like to give?
As crazy as it sounds, I think getting a start in a retail makeup store is one of the best learning experiences you could ever get. You get the touch every type of skin, every eye shape, and even address different issues a customer is dealing with. Most of them you open their eyes to something they would have never thought to do. I think a challenge for new and even experienced artists is the takeover of social media. Everyone has a “makeup artist” at their fingertips, but they can’t come through the screen and teach you how to do YOUR makeup. I say take all the opportunities you can, and don’t ever sell yourself short.

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