August 23, 2016

Meet Koreatown Makeup Artist: Kelsey Lynn

Local Stories

“Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful!”

That’s the mantra that professional makeup artist, Kelsey Lynn lives by. Born in San Diego, California to an African-American father and Filipina mother, Kelsey has an artistic eye for beauty and culture. Although raised in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, she currently calls Los Angeles, California home.

Her journey into the glamorous world of makeup began in 2008 when Kelsey decided to take her passion for makeup and turn it into a platform for other young women to learn from. She showcased her talent on her very own YouTube channel which she began while attending college. Kelsey attended Towson University near Baltimore, MD and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Art + Design. She remembers rushing back to her dorm room from class excited to create her next makeup tutorial or haul. It was then that she realized that makeup artistry was what she definitely wanted to pursue.

During the following years, Kelsey would devote a large amount of time (and money) to building her makeup kit and portfolio. She would also take on freelance makeup jobs for special events, such as weddings and proms, all while managing her corporate career as a print design manager for an insight and technology firm supporting Fortune 500 executives. In this role, Kelsey’s natural talent for connecting with people and understanding their needs really shined bright.

It was strength, drive, along with the support of her family and friends that pushed Kelsey to follow her dreams and move from Maryland to Los Angeles. In LA, Kelsey enrolled into the Master Makeup Program at the Cinema Makeup School. There, she gained a plethora of knowledge and received hands-on experience from leading industry professionals on a range of makeup techniques, including everything from your basic beauty methods to special effects makeup.

Kelsey completed her courses at Cinema Makeup School and graduated in January 2016. She is now well on her way to slay a fabulous career in makeup artistry and will continue to shine like her favorite highlighting powder.

Has it been a smooth road?
Though it’s been rewarding, it’s had its challenges with things not happening as quickly as I thought they would. I’m learning that patience is a necessity. I’ve been working on a lot of short films, so the job spans across 2-3 days. It probably took about 6 months after my first gig before my work started spreading around and I began booking more gigs. That time in between gigs is where you have to be patient, but consistent. I have to constantly practice and perfect my craft so that I don’t get caught up in the day to day responsibilities and challenges and forget what I really came to LA to accomplish. The other struggle has been maintaining somewhat of a social life. I realize that I’m a dime a dozen in the “dream chasers” category in LA. A lot of the people I meet are hustling, trying to get ahead. That’s their focus. Being away from my family and friends back east, it can be hard when I want someone real to hang out with. A lot of people here, including myself, are always going to be interested in what others can provide for them and their careers, and that’s ok. It just doesn’t always make for lasting friendships and people you can really confide in when the reality of the struggle hits you hard.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Definitely! The makeup industry alone is always innovating. New products are being developed all the time, old formulas are being improved, etc. In the beauty world, there’s always going to be a new/revived trend that women (and sometimes men) want to try out. For example, contouring is really hot right now. You can’t walk through a makeup or department store without seeing dozens of products labeled for contouring. The same goes for makeup in the entertainment industry. Special effects makeup can take hours, but over the years people have developed products that help cut down the time an actor has to stay still for makeup. And with the growing popularity of clearer cameras and televisions (for example 4K), it’s going to be even more important that true makeup artists learn the skills needed to ensure whatever make up their doing is clean and realistic.

What would you say has been the biggest challenge for you over the course of your career?
Maintaining a good balance, and not letting life circumstances keep me from making progress. Chasing a dream is not an easy thing. At all. It requires so much focus and dedication, and if you’re not good at compartmentalizing all the things you have going on in your life, it would be pretty much impossible to make progress. Most of my family and friends are back east, and I truly cherish those relationships. When they’re hurting, I am too. When they have celebrations, I miss out on them. Family struggles, money (school loans, rent, bills, etc.), maintaining a social life in a city where lots of people are only interested in what you can offer them, dating, eating healthy, working out, etc. These are all things that I’m constantly thinking about on a daily basis…on top of trying to make progress in the beauty and entertainment industry. There are times when I have a bad day on set and I think, “screw this, life would be easier back home,” but I can’t let one or two or even a few bad experiences ruin my dream and goals. I had to learn to just roll with the punches and build a thicker skin. I’m learning that what helps me is to reflect on the progress I’ve made. Sometimes I get so caught up in living day-to-day, that I forget how far I’ve come from where I started.

Let’s change gears – is there any advice you’d like to give?
When you finally make it to LA, hit the ground running and don’t look back. Seriously. No one is going to hand you anything in this city and especially in life. You have to work for it. If you’re starting out at the bottom of the barrel, accept every job (well, as long as its safe). I have done several things for free because I needed work in my portfolio, or I needed the experience. I think the top two things that hold people back from going after what they want is fear and not getting paid what they think they deserve. I had those thoughts too, and I still do sometimes. But like I said, no one is going to do it for you. Every job I was afraid to go to because I felt inexperienced, I killed it. Every job I did for free even though I needed and wanted money has either led to another job (that actually pays), or I learned something new or had a new experience. Also, attitude is EVERYTHING in LA. People would rather choose to work with someone with a good attitude who does mediocre work than to work with the person who comes to set angry or on some pedestal. Be humble. Everyone here is trying to make the best out of their hustle, so check your attitude at the door, and never think that a job is beneath you.

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