Meet Josiah Arellano

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josiah Arellano.

Hi Josiah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have loved makeup for as long as I can remember. I started messing around and doing it on myself around the age of twelve, and as time went on my passion for the art grew. After graduating high school, I was eager to dive headfirst into the beauty industry. After moving to Los Angeles to attend one of the most prestigious schools in the state, I gained more knowledge and technique. I moved back to Denver in 2022 in order to give my business, Awaken Beauty, one hundred percent of my attention. As time has gone on my skills have aged like a fine wine, and my passion for making people feel beautiful has grown with it. I specialize in doing makeup that is unique to the client; I tweak and perfect my skills to make sure that the look suits my client perfectly since I believe that makeup is NOT one size fits all. I love doing special effects, wedding, and editorial looks. I am hoping to grow and gain more clients that trust me with their looks as time goes on, and can’t wait to see where my passion for beauty will lead me.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Since starting my business I have had many bumps in the road, but I think that is what separates me from my competitors. I take each hit with a grain of salt, stand back up, and use my failures as motivation to improve. One of the biggest struggles I have faced is having the time to create some of my favorite looks. I am quite tied up with bookings, a separate job, and everything that goes along with owning a start-up company. I give 100% to any project I work on, and can find it hard to stop myself from over perfecting. Another struggle I faced is being a male artist, I’ve been faced with people who questioned my knowledge or ability to create a look for someone where they then assume I’m gonna turn them into a drag queen or just judge me as a male artist.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am extremely passionate about makeup and have loved it for as long as I can remember. I focus on creating unique, beautiful looks that are personalized to my clients. I do everything from editorial to bridal makeup and put a little bit of love into every look. I have been featured in multiple magazines and newsletters for my outstanding customer service and commitment to making my client’s visions come to life. I think that my outlook on the beauty scene is what sets me apart. A lot of people like to believe that makeup is a “one size fits all” type of thing, but I have strayed from that view. I believe that it is a top priority to use the client’s natural beauty as a baseline. Using each and everyone unique and beautiful feature as a guide. When creating a look, my goal is to have my clients get out of my chair feeling the most confident they ever have in their carefully curated look.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I aspire to be one of the biggest names in beauty one day, and I know I can get there if I keep up my hard work, and dedication to the craft. I look up to many makeup artists, in awe of their abilities, and strive to be better every day. I aspire to create the most outrageous, beautiful, unique looks in the game, and be able to share my art with the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.awakenbeauty.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakencosmetics/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552811794792