Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendal Lopez.
Kendal, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began doing makeup in my sophomore year of college at the age of 19. This was a pivotal time in my life, as I was transitioning from the girl who only had four makeup brushes in her bag to a full-fledged freelance artist with an entire kit. It began when I noticed how potentially “beautiful” I could make this application process on myself and others.
I took my personal artistic growth in small increments, going from one eyeshadow (MAC Brown Down) to an entire eyeshadow palette (Urban Decay Naked I Palette). I didn’t find myself referring to Youtube tutorials, my prior experience with following a tutorial demonstration actually ended in a catastrophe. The best support I received was when I started my first cosmetics job at Macy’s Impulse Beauty counter.
Upon getting hired there, I was submerged into the makeup world head-first. I was exposed to brands I had never used before, such as Smashbox, Tarte, Too Faced, Philosophy, and Ingot, just to name a few. With the support of two amazing artists at my counter, Melissa, and Sophie, my journey to success accelerated. My clientele began inside of Macy’s, with ladies coming in for specific needs and me doing my best to accommodate those needs.
But, I began to have this growing curiosity. Are some of these individuals purchasing from me just as lost as I was when it came to makeup shopping? Stuck in this same makeup routine, they have been doing since 2010? I always took the opportunity to ask questions. This took my “customer service” experience to a new level.
These women trusted me, and I took this opportunity to build relationships with a handful of them. From Macy’s on out, I took my time with every client experience that faced me. I promoted myself as a businesswoman, outside of the department store. This is where my story lies today, in the faces of my clients.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Struggle builds character. I should probably get a tattoo of this somewhere. The makeup community has its positives and negatives. I have had exposure to different situations in my time of being a part of this community.
For starters, I have worked plenty of different retail-cosmetics jobs. I found a significant lack of support among most of the retail positions I held. Sure, the gratis (aka free makeup) was all fine and dandy, but there are many individuals who do not want to witness your own personal growth. The struggle in this was being aware of those who wanted to see you fail. Once you can acknowledge a presence like this, treat it as irrelevant.
As I reflect back, I wish I could have taken my own advice. I found myself so emotionally invested in a lot of what people thought about me, which held me back for a couple of years. These feelings put my artistry on the back-burner and allowed my frustration and anger to persist on. Today, I no longer allow these emotions to control my passion. You’re not always going to be someone’s cup of tea, but you can always be your own cup of coffee.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am the face of my business. My specialties include a flawless makeup application for each client who chooses to book me over the next artist. I like to center the focus of my looks on the clients face shape and structure, and always make the eyes the focal point. A lot of people who recognize me for my makeup say that the eyes are what I bring the most delicacy to.
I have big eyes myself, so it has always been a fun challenge to make them pop even more with vibrant colors and bold looks. I believe what sets me apart from other artists in the community is my attentiveness to detail for to each client. I always make sure not one piece of the look is out of place on my client’s faces. I want them too look their best and feel confident in their final look as much as I do.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is finding a hustle that brings you happiness. It is critical to recognize feelings of doubt along the process leading up to your success. Without these feelings, you are sometimes left without motivation. If I don’t overcome the self-doubt, I find myself in a week to month long rut.
To overcome this is the biggest success to me, as someone who constantly has to create new and flawless material. Small successes are what pave the way to the larger ones. You must be able to appreciate the small victories while traveling down the path you’re on.
Pricing:
- Full Makeup Application Including Lashes- base price $100
- Wedding Day Makeup Application- $150
- 1:1 Demonstration – $50 per hour (max 2 hours)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/kendallopez/
- Phone: 714-290-0892
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kendallopez/
Image Credit:
@drakehackney, @faze1er, @bytinaguerra, @giorhivers
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
