Daily Inspiration: Meet Aliana Moss

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aliana Moss

Hi Aliana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve loved skincare and makeup products and how they can make us feel for as long as I can remember. I moved from Boston to Los Angeles to pursue my passion of makeup artistry. I started out assisting some well-known makeup artists and going to makeup school, which then led to more networking and opportunities to work in different areas of the industry. One of the beautiful things I love about this career is that there are so many different ways to work as a makeup artist & men’s groomer. As a result, I’ve gained broad experience that allows me to be versatile for my clients and their varied needs.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s a journey with twists and turns along the way, that’s for sure! I’ve worked in so many different areas of the industry and have learned that sometimes what you think you want to do might not be what you actually enjoy the most. It’s important to have an open mind, and I’m a big believer in saying YES. For example, working doing men’s grooming was something where the opportunity came organically, and I realized I really enjoyed it.

Then there’s the unpredictability of being a freelance artist. The last 5 years have been full of challenges. No one was prepared for Covid, and because as makeup artists we work so closely with people, our industry really felt it. After that, there were the strikes. You learn to go with the flow and pivot and must be prepared for uncertain times. Having a support network of other artists is really important and I’m so grateful for my makeup artist family. Because it’s such a unique industry it really helps to have people who understand the ins and outs and can support each other. You also need to have passion and gratitude and really love what you do to keep going.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My goal is always to empower my clients to look and feel their very best. Whether I’m working with an actor, a musician, model, athlete or personal client, the look needs to be clean and beautiful. I always set out to accentuate my client’s best features. It all starts with radiant happy skin, so that’s my initial focus. I love skin that looks like skin and doesn’t look made up. With men, sometimes there can be redness and unevenness; it’s about neutralizing and achieving the most natural look. For women, again the base is so important. That and a good lash (one of my specialties) can really do a lot for a face! Besides actual artistry, the energy we bring to the job is so important. I’m often told I have a calm energy and I think it’s really important to be able to leave everything else outside the doors and create a peaceful environment for my clients.

How do you define success?
Although I’ve been able to check off many of my career goals (traveling to fashion weeks in NY, London, Milan & Paris, working on a network TV show, working the superbowl, being published in magazines, traveling and working festivals and seeing my clients walk the red carpet and win awards) there will always be new goals, new boxes to check. So to me success is doing something you love. Being fearless and following your dreams. Showing up with purpose and intention. Knowing you helped someone look and feel their best. Supporting yourself and your family doing what you love. Spreading love and positivity in the world through working in beauty. All of these are successes that might not be measurable and may go unnoticed because they happen every day, but they deserve just as much celebration as the big check marked box moments.

I also have new projects I’m excited about: writing an online beauty column (She Talks Mag) and developing a skincare line. So every day that I get to work doing something I love, I feel so much gratitude. It’s a constant reminder that we define and make our own success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alianamoss.com
• Instagram: @alianamoss
• Facebook: @alianamossmakeup
• LinkedIn: @AlianaMoss