Check Out Raelynne Rose’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Raelynne Rose.

Hi Raelynne, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today. 
My love for makeup started in middle school. I was knee-deep in my emo/scene phase and using makeup to experiment with different looks. I loved the way I could look dark and mysterious one day and feminine and light the next. This was right before people started doing makeup on YouTube, so it was all trial and error for me. Coming out of that phase, I started doing makeup for my friends for school dances, and I fell in love. I would ask people to get foundation matched at a makeup counter and bring that so I could use it. I’d keep the foundation as payment and started building my kit that way. I would practice on anyone who’d let me after high school, but it was when I started working at beauty counters for different makeup brands, where I really learned to work with various skin types, tones, and shapes. Prior to doing weddings, I was very lucky to know people who were photographers and writers, and they would ask me to do makeup for photoshoots here and there. Though I enjoyed it, I learned quickly that it wasn’t the space for me. When I took my first wedding, I fell in love with the process, the emotion connected to it, and the overall experience. A few years into it, I realized there was a major demand in LA for artists that did hair and makeup, so I watched videos and tried to attend various classes to learn special occasion hair. The majority of my clientele come from word of mouth, so I have been blessed over the years being able to continue taking clients and networking with my fellow artists to work with and/or refer clients along the way without paying for marketing. I’ve taught some friends hair so they can expand their clientele as well, and it’s been such a blessing thus far to not only spread that knowledge but also learn from them too. As I’m approaching my 16th year in this business, I’m learning that I’m loving the business aspect of it more and more. I like coordinating the contracts and timelines, hiring other artists, and encouraging them to network as well. I have a lot of friends who do this full time and I just want to see their businesses flourish too. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Funny story, I remember when I worked in my first makeup counter, I had a client that sat down in my chair, and she had no eyebrows. I grew up in the 90s/2000 when eyebrows weren’t the focal point of the face, and I was “blessed” with one thick eyebrow right across my own. Apparently, up until that point, I only worked with women with a similar “problem” because I didn’t even know where to start. I completely forgot where eyebrows sat on the face. I tried different things before having to call over a coworker to help. I remember that day so vividly and made it a personal mission to perfect it. Other than that, I have always held a full-time job in addition to doing this. There was a point where I wanted to do this full-time, and I’d say the major challenge I faced was just the lack of belief in myself. I became a mom at 23, and I felt like I couldn’t step away from a stable paycheck to focus on this, so I felt like I was learning so slowly. I have always had immense respect for those that invest in themselves in this way. Looking back, I feel like I should’ve just gone for it, but I don’t regret any of it. I have been able to grow my business at my own pace while growing in my career at the same time. I am so grateful to be able to have multiple streams of income, one where I get to be a little more analytical and one where I get to be more creative. As I get older, I’m seeing how those two worlds need each other, and I have surprised myself at times with just how much I am able to do. My daughter is 10 now and she has grown up around this work ethic. I really want her to see that we can have it all. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a mobile hair and makeup artists for weddings and special occasions. I specialize in natural beauty makeup. I wouldn’t say that this sets me apart because many artists do this beautifully, but it definitely has contributed to my success. I think what I’m most proud of is the relationships I’ve built along the way. I have done makeup for people for their first school dance all the way to their college graduation. I have been able to teach hair and other business tips to some close artist friends and have watched their work progress, as well as their businesses, grow. I’ve also taught clients how to do their own makeup in a way that achieves a look that helps them feel confident. I’ve learned over time that I get the most fulfillment in these things rather than following the latest trends or creating the newest looks. 

Pricing:

• Hair $150
• Makeup $150
• Hair & Makeup Package $250

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raelynneroseartistry/

Image Credits
Glenn Clancy
Maelani Janel Photo
D. Chanel
Janice C. Photo
Joe Kim
Carmelisse Photography
Villa Visuals