Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Cota.
Sam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
What peaked my interest as a makeup artist briefly begins in childhood. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone had just been theatrically released & I fell in love with a character who I saw a bit of myself in. It wasn’t until I was a bit older when I started to see and understand what bts (behind the scenes) in films were. Seeing the Harry Potter franchise bts gave me the idea of wanting to somehow be a part of the teams that helped bring these movies to life.
Fast forward a few years I find myself leaving college due to unforeseen medical issues & stuck not knowing what to do next. School was all I knew and without a purpose, I became severely depressed. It wasn’t until I was talking with my best friend one day and he encouraged me to apply to retail makeup jobs. He knew how much I enjoyed makeup and when he brought that as an option, I didn’t realize how much I missed being creative.
I took his advice and later that same year, I began my journey at Sephora. Here was where my artistic passions grew. With the support of my Sephora family, I quickly learned how to apply makeup on others, work with so many skin types & tones, and was where I found my passion/happiness again.
A few years passed and I had outgrown my time at Sephora and was ready to pursue my next steps as an artist. The idea of wanting to become a makeup artist for film surfaced again. Prompting my move to LA where I struggled for a few years not knowing how to start this journey. Luckily I finally figured it out and now have been a makeup artist for several films, shorts, commercials and even editorials.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I struggled when I moved to LA. I didn’t know where to start and didn’t know anyone in the city besides family so I went back to work at Sephora but this time as a makeup rep for several beauty brands. For an entire year, I stayed working with these brands learning and connecting with other artists who were doing exactly what I wanted to do.
I was still trying to figure out how to start become a full-time artist when the pandemic hit. Pausing the little progress, I was beginning to make. When we were able to come back to work, I reconnected with the artists I was able to keep in touch with and was able to start working full-time in retail again.
Then an artist friend referred me to the producer of my first feature film and my incredible mufx friend, Mimi Myer (@screaminmeemz on ig) took me under her wing & gave me my first paid gigs ever. Then a spark lit inside of me and what I needed to do began to click.
I started to connect with other creatives on Facebook and was fortunate enough, with the support of my amazing boyfriend, drop down to working part-time. Now that I wasn’t full time I was able to take about six months of free tfp work, trying to build my portfolio and build my network. During this time, the incredible connections I made lead me to my next job or referral.
And after 2 years of trying to become a makeup artist in LA I had my very first month full of bookings. I was still working in retail when this happened and didn’t leave the security of having a consistent job scared that this wasn’t going to be the norm. Then the same thing happened the next month. I was fully booked but I was still scared to leave the comfort of retail. Finally, on my 3rd month filled with bookings, I booked my second feature as a department head (this job was going to cover my expenses for the next month). Then in that same month, I joined the incredible team at Photos by Jamaal Studio becoming their Key MakeUp Artist.
Having these two jobs and now having four months where my sole income came from bookings. On October 19th, 2021 I finally took the leap of faith to leave retail. Just this month I celebrate my first year as a full-time professional artist.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in beauty makeup and male grooming for all skin types and tones. I love the simplicity of getting to create looks that don’t seem like someone is wearing makeup or making someone look and feel their best even if that means adding a bit more. My beauty makeup is soft-spoken and sometimes has details that will subtly catch your eye.
I use so many different products to achieve these looks but never will it feel heavy. I even have had talent tell me they forget they have a full face of makeup on with how light it feels. Anyone who sits in my chair will find themselves looking their very best. That is my style of makeup.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was a bit of a misfit. I grew up as a ward of the court. Meaning I was taken from my birth parents and placed in the care of my eldest aunt. It wasn’t until my oldest sister adopted me that I grew into myself. I played varsity lacrosse and field hockey all through our high school and spent a lot of my time with friends and my chosen family. I took many art classes and found myself painting, going to the library, thrifting and exploring the city when I wasn’t with friends or playing sports.
Then I fell in love with makeup when my sister’s ex-girlfriend introduced me to winged eyeliner and red lipstick. She was passionate about makeup and had an incredible collection and it naturally the passion came to me too.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SamCota.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Sam.Cota
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11617209/
Image Credits
Belva Chan Rich Visuals Myself bts of the feature Looking for Her Tiarik Cooper Elaine Torres Mercy Hasselblad Crusty Valentina Socci Photos by Jamaal Chalik Douglas
