Daily Inspiration: Meet Sarah Holland

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Holland. 

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my career in makeup and hair at the age of sixteen working with a Baltimore-based pageant styling hair and makeup team before attending artistry school in Manhattan, New York in 2019. Despite the uncertainty of Covid-19, I moved to Los Angeles to further pursue my career with a focus in commercial and fashion makeup. Within 8 months of moving to Los Angeles, I was functioning as a full-time freelance makeup artist and hairstylist with multiple publications and consistent high end clients such as Sak’s Fifth Avenue, red carpet attendees, and many beautiful brides. To say the risks paid off would be an understatement, my time in LA has been an extremely validating part of my journey.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say that is has been a road equal in both blessings and challenges. I have a wonderful support system and parents who afforded me the opportunity to go to an accredited artistry academy, however, mid-pandemic Maryland was not the busiest place to be a make-up artist and up until that point in my career I was always working side jobs waitressing or in retail.

While the opportunity to move to Los Angeles was exciting, it was also extremely intimidating. I left behind everyone and everything I knew and spent the first 8 months on a tight budget while working primarily for free on collaborations or assisting in order to grow my network and clientele.

Looking back at that phase of my time here I can say it was all very worth it. As I gained confidence in my craft, I also gained courage in myself to leave the extremely unhealthy relationship I was in and make it on my own in one of the toughest cities in the country. For the past year, I have been working as a full-time (often fully booked) makeup artist and hair stylist specializing in commercial advertisement, private clients, and bridal.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
It wasn’t originally my intention, but I have really found my niche in natural or “no makeup” makeup. There’s something so satisfying about analyzing flaws and discoloration and making very minor corrective tweaks to make someone’s skin look flawless without it being obvious that they’re wearing any makeup. It’s served me very well in booking commercial advertisement and headshot clients where people need to look like the best version of themselves without noticeable alterations. Additionally, there is a huge aspect of the bridal market who want to look authentic on their special day and not completely made-up into someone different. For those kind of clients, I love using just a bit more coverage with noticeable bronzing, blush, and some drama around the eyes to create a beautiful fresh face. The look on a bride’s face when she sees how beautiful she truly is, without caking on heavy foundation, concealer, liner, and lashes is so fulfilling.

I think what sets me apart from other artists is my experience and my willingness to keep learning. At 23 years old I have so much time in this career ahead of me, yet I have almost 9 years of professional experience in wide variety of applications. BUT, despite my confidence in my experience and skill set I never approach an opportunity as though I’m too good for it. I’m always open to assisting other artist because I truly believe there’s always a possibility to learn from someone else – even if it’s an example of what not to do. The moment we stop being willing to learn is the moment we choose to stop growing. The most exciting part of all of this is to realize how much success I’ve achieved by my early twenties and that this is really only the beginning.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
My parents have easily been the biggest support system of my journey by allowing me to start working in the industry while still in high school and granting me the opportunity to go to school and become certified. They might not understand much about my line of work, but they are always there with advice or to be a sounding board as I navigate the business and client relations of being a freelance artist. My friends and family back home in Maryland are incredible cheerleaders and their pride for all I’ve achieved warms my heart and the few friends I’ve made here in Los Angeles have been life-changing.

My first LA friend, Aleah Gilbert, is incredibly naturally talented hairstylist working through a program at the famous LuxeLab salon in Santa Monica and she is also my spiritual and business bestie. She’s been so encouraging and supportive, she always ,takes any opportunity to spread my name or get me clients and she always has my back.

Nika Geneva, a skilled celebrity makeup artist who I met through an assisting position has been great mentor and become an even better friend. She’s been navigating the freelance business in LA for years and has been the sounding board for many of my business choices this year as well as helping me become an even better artist.

Possibly one of the most influential people in my life this year has been my roommate Justin Macala. An extremely well-known fashion photographer of thirty years and someone I started working with in January, he changed the course of my life. After finally getting out of my past relationship I had nowhere to go and was extremely intimidated by trying to find my own place in a city with such high living cost. When he learned about my situation, he didn’t hesitate to offer me the spare room in his apartment to rent. While it may seem unorthodox to some for a young woman to move in with a photographer she barely knew in Los Angeles, he created a safe and peaceful space for me to navigate the most stressful and overwhelming point in my life. Not only do we continue to work together on a regular basis, but I think it’s safe to say that “roommate” doesn’t begin to cover it; He has become a very cherished friend.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarahelaineartistry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahelaineartistry/?hl=en
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/sarah-elaine-artistry-los-angeles
• Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/sarah-elaine-artistry/7dbf15c0368b027a.html