Life & Work with Ciarra “Cici” Pringle of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ciarra “Cici” Pringle.

Hi Ciarra “Cici”, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Ciarra “Cici” Pringle is a multi-talented creative and healer based in Los Angeles, with over 9 years of experience as a professional Makeup Artist, Men’s Groomer, and Special FX artist. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Cici’s journey into beauty began during her competitive dance days, where makeup became an early expression of identity and transformation. What started as a passion quickly evolved into a full-fledged career, refined through formal training at Elegance International in Hollywood. Her work has graced major platforms including Variety, High Snobiety, Ambassador Magazine, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Jennifer Hudson Show, showcasing her dynamic range from red carpet glamour to high-impact editorial and cinematic FX.

Alongside her artistry, Cici is a trauma-informed yoga instructor and sound meditation guide, with a deep commitment to healing from the inside out. She discovered yoga during a pivotal time of depression and personal transition. Through breath, movement, and stillness, she found a pathway to reconnect with her mind, body, and spirit. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while the beauty industry paused, her personal yoga practice flourished. In 2022, she completed her first teacher training at Hot 8 Yoga in Sherman Oaks, and she now teaches classes infused with breathwork, reiki, visualization, sound, and various yoga styles including Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, and Yoga Barre.

Her unique background in both beauty and wellness allows her to hold space for clients and students in deeply intentional ways helping people feel seen, nurtured, and confident. Whether she’s behind the scenes of a music video, guiding a student through a grounding sound bath, or helping someone find their inner and outer glow, Cici’s mission remains the same: to empower others to feel beautiful, whole, and aligned.

She continues to grow in her craft while teaching, mentoring, and collaborating across creative and wellness communities, proving that true beauty begins within, and radiates far beyond.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Both the makeup industry and wellness spaces have had their challenges, so no I can’t say it’s been a “smooth” road. I can say it’s been a growing road, a rewarding road, with twists and turns, dips even. Breaking into the makeup industry with little experience was a challenge and finding work that was paying at my level was really hard. In LA makeup artist feel like they come a dime a dozen and a lot of people were and are willing to take that free work for exposure. Not to say I never did, I absolutely still would depending on the circumstances but that’s no way to make a living and grow a business. I have also felt like as a black woman in the industry we’re easily overlooked and must prove ourselves twice as hard to book certain jobs. I think networking and a good work ethic is what helped me build clientele and repeat customers. Being on time on set and present really helped me continue to book work with directors, producers, and photographers I had worked with before.

Stepping into the wellness space has had similar challenges as the wellness industry is being colonized and gentrified in every way. Some rooms I’ve taught in have felt entitled or made me question if I was good enough to be teaching. But after practicing for nearly a decade it’s important to me to honor the teachings that brought me deeper into my practice, such as breath work, mediation, being of service to my community, taking time for rest and reminding others they deserve it as well. Keeping that authenticity sometimes can be challenging in the rooms when the western world looks at yoga more as a workout than understanding all the other principles outside of the asana (poses) practice.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do a handful of things getting to fuse both of my loves for beauty and wellness. I currently teach vinyasa yoga, yin yoga, sound meditation, barre, and other group fitness classes at several studios and gyms in the LA area. As well also hosting my own events and workshops that I’ve specially curated to be safe spaces for Black, Brown, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ to come practice or learn for the first time. I believe wellness should be accessible to all people and all people should feel safe and seen where they are practicing. I think that’s what makes me most proud in my work. Making people feel safe, seen, and helping to open their minds and hearts to something they might not have given a chance to before.

I’m also taking freelance work for makeup clients photoshoots, tv/film, commercial, fashion shows, headshots, creative collaborations. I specialize in and am most known for natural beauty makeup, I truly like to enhance a person’s natural features so they leaved my chair still feeling like themselves. But on the flip side of that I absolute love any opportunity to create something outside of the box. I did a lot of character design and avante garde makeup on myself when I was still self-teaching but going to FX school really opened my skill set up. I love working on projects that are on the creative side requiring me to use bright colors or abstract looking designs. I feel like my diversity in all areas of my life is what sets me apart from others but also is what I’m most proud of. In makeup school I was told to stay in one lane. To pick one kind of makeup and do that, I didn’t listen and I’m so happy I didn’t. I’ve had an amazing career

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can reach out to me for wellness collaborations via Instagram @SoulfullYogiCici or come support my summer series “Soulfull Sunset” the last Sunday of every month June-September at Balboa Park in Van Nuys. We meet in the grass near the waterfall side and it’s all donation based, making yoga and sound meditation accessible to everyone.

For makeup collaborations or to book me for your next project my portfolio site is www.Looksbycici.com , you can send an inquiry on the contact tab.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.looksbycici.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulfullyogicici/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/lookitscici/