Check Out Aldrich Chica’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aldrich Chica.

Hi Aldrich, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! My name is Aldrich Chica, I’m a Beauty/SFX Makeup artist based in Los Angeles California. I started getting into makeup back in high school when I did theater. We had to learn how to apply our own stage makeup and I would help my other cast mates with their makeup from time to time. In 2013, I worked at a Haunted House in Houston as an actor and started to fall in love with special effects makeup as my makeup artist would apply my makeup every day. I started to pick up tips and tricks here and there and in 2016, I started working as a makeup artist at the same haunted house. After working there for a while, improving my skills and deciding what direction I wanted to go career-wise, I decided to move to Los Angeles to attend a Makeup School and further my education.

In 2019, I moved to Los Angeles from Texas and started freelancing once I graduated from school, where I started to incorporate beauty services as well since I learned that was the bread and butter of the industry. I wanted to make sure I could be a well-rounded makeup artist who can do beauty, sfx, body painting, airbrush, sculpting and more! Moving by myself to a whole new city was a challenge, but I’m so proud of myself for how much I have been able to accomplish in these last 4 years I have been living here. From working on films, commercials, photoshoots and more, I have been able to get in tune with my makeup artistry. Being an only child and first-generation Colombian, I had to learn fairly quickly about alot of challenges I had to face in my life. Thankfully having a great support group with me has really helped with my confidence and motivation to continue to moving forward. Hard work really pays off, and I’m constantly learning more every day. Working as a makeup artist as well as an actor is really a game of balance from working makeup gigs to making sure to turn in my auditions on time. I always try to remember all the obstacles I have already had to face and how to overcome them. Like my grandma always tells me, “Siga Adelante” which means “Keep Moving Forward”!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has truly been a bumpy road but every mistake you can learn from and improve on in the future. From having my parents not fully trust me in my decisions career-wise and my own mental challenges, I had to really place myself first and truly do what I love to do. I couldn’t bare to not do what I love doing and then further on in my life have so many regrets or “What If’s”. From my parent’s standpoint, moving from Colombia to the USA to live the “American Dream” and make sure I had more better opportunities than they did, I can fully understand their perspective of making sure their only son succeeds. While I have not fully gone the path they wished, slowly the more I have been here, they have slowly supported me more and more. Being able to navigate a new city full of opportunities is basically a game of chess. Being able to promote yourself, create meaningful connections and collaborating with amazing artists takes time and skill. I want to be a successful, well-rounded makeup artist and continue to be a bilingual actor. I have learned so much about myself here and will continue to learn, grow, and pass on my knowledge to others.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When I started as a makeup artist at the haunted house in Houston, there I learned most of my special effects skills, including sculpting, prosthetics, airbrush, injuries, and more! It also helped with my speed of application since we needed to apply makeup on multiple people in a short amount of time. From having the knowledge of both beauty and special effects, it has helped me with being able to apply/book for multiple gigs here. From being referred to from the amazing people, I have had the honor of working with to being able to promote not only myself but also my talent! I love being able to use my makeup artistry to fully think outside the box! Things that set me apart are my personality, being able to connect with all sorts of people and deliver an amazing makeup, whether it’s making someone feel beautiful, to giving the person the confidence to step into their character. As an actor as well, I have been able to really appreciate and connect with what all goes on behind the scenes to create projects. I left acting for a little bit once I moved to LA, but have been incorporating it more in my life by submitting to auditions for photoshoots, films, commercials, theatre and more!

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Likes: I really love the diversity the city has when it comes to people and food! So many cultures to learn from and different walks of life to experience. I have been able to connect with many people who are “transplants” to the city, learning from their experience on the different challenges they have also had to face and truly seeing we are not so different! The main reason I moved out here is because of the endless opportunities the city has to offer when it comes to makeup and acting gigs. Dislikes: Why have street cleaning hours and ticket cars when I have never seen a street cleaning truck. Also, why must I have to triple-check on where to park every time I want to go out? It gives me so much anxiety! California is only getting more and more expensive to live in which doesn’t help many artists who want to stay here and accomplish their goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aldrichchicamakeup.wixsite.com/aldrichchicamua
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aldrichmua/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AldrichSFX/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH2YS4qenVrc3NhqjLSG75w

Image Credits
(Image with curly-haired girl) Model: Cierra Creer Photographer: Daniel Mareno | (Image with bruised eye girl) Model: Lorelei Hansen | (Image with girl in gold makeup) Model: Sydney Rice | (Image with blonde guy with colorful makeup) Model: Nick Rice