Life & Work with Tomas Antonio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tomas Antonio.

Hi Tomas, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Tomas Antonio Trejo. I was only seven years old when I discovered makeup, and it became a powerful tool to cope with life. I remember locking myself in the restroom and putting makeup on and I would daydream of what I wanted my life to be.

As time progressed I stayed inspired by my mother, Alma Mendoza who is one of the best underrated hairstylists. I continued to learn hair color through her.

I was only 15 years old when I got my first job at a beauty supply in Oxnard California, called AAA Beauty Supply. It was actually a temporary job. But because of my knowledge with chemicals and my charming personality everyone fell in love with me.

I helped women and men reach their hair color goals, with my advice and knowledge.

Plus, the sales were up the roof! And I’ll be honest: I’m not a salesperson, but I’m sincere and genuine, so when I recommend it a product is because I genuinely stand behind it.

At the AAA beauty, my skills over developed with my community. From there, I did so many nonbeauty jobs.

Eventually, I ended up at MAC Cosmetics. Which was the job I dreamed of since I was seven years old.

Locked up in the restroom putting makeup on. Which no matter how much I tried to remove after. I always got caught. y’all know eyeliner is hard to remove off!

However as I got older, I discovered I loved beauty so much because it lifted people’s spirits. It’s powerful to make a woman feel beautiful and special; after all, a woman is where we came from,

That’s why I appreciate and respect our women. Aside from that, before I started to earn big dollars, I struggled! I had to do many free jobs long hours or low budget to build a portfolio. Inclusive sometimes the beauty department gets the most challenges. Don’t be discouraged. It pays off.

So if you want to be an artist, anything is possible; however, you must put in the work and pay your dues. It takes time to grow and become great.

Nothing has been handed to me, and that’s why I take pride in what I do.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Hours are long, money is tight, and sometimes we deal with bad attitudes. Hey, it’s part of the job, we must comply and build thick skin, not everyone is going to love our work, just know sometimes it’s not you, or it will discourage you.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I became a freelance after I did eyebrows for benefit. I wasn’t ready to go solo, but you never really are. You just have to take the risk and dive into it. After all, it’s all built on faith. Believe in yourself. Allow yourself to dream.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Value yourself, don’t sell yourself short. Learned your value. I didn’t always know my worth, I had been through the wringer up and down. I’m not always the most confident even though I pretend, and that’s okay we are human and we all have insecurities. Be on time. Bring your A-game and keep a positive attitude. It’s almost like we are cheerleaders. Our clients depend on us for confidence. Show up ready and with your tool neat and clean. People love that.

Pricing:

• Regular salon makeup $175, production or tv jobs may double or triple
• House calls starting at $250, depending on the distance
• Brides makeup it depends on location, however for the salon, it’s $300
• Hair styling starts at $150, but also it depends on the travel

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @antonioglam