Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Armijo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nicole. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Brighton, Colorado, and at a very young age, I was obsessed with beauty. I was one of the lucky ones who knew exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up. I think I was around seven when I told my mom “I’m going to move to LA”. She was like “yeah, yeah, yeah”, probably thinking it was just a phase. Hair was my first passion, mostly because I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup until I was 13, but makeup quickly became a part of the equation once the ban was lifted. I did hair and makeup for neighbors, friends, family–basically anyone who asked. I put on fashion shows at family functions and glammed all my friends for big events like Prom. (When you have a knack for hair and makeup you make peace with always being the last person to get ready.) I studied magazines and watched music videos over and over trying to replicate their hair and makeup. I distinctly remember a moment in High School when it dawned on me that I could get paid to do both hair and makeup. What?! Right then and there, I did my research and I made a plan.
By the time I turned 18, I think my mom realized that seven-year-old me was onto something, especially when I packed up and moved to LA. After years of dreaming about it, I took the leap as fast as I could. I graduated High School in June 2002, turned 18 in September and, by November, I was starting makeup school. I went to Makeup Designory, aka “MUD”, in Burbank and took the “Stylist” course, which included hairstyling, makeup application, and wardrobe styling. My love of makeup grew a lot over the next six months as I learned all things beauty. Once I was done with my training, though, things got real. I ran out of money because when you start in this industry you work for free. Well, I only saved enough money for the time spent in school. Rookie mistake. So I moved back to Denver, saved money, and within nine months, I was back in LA.
Once I was back in LA I hit the ground running, I networked, said yes to everything I could, and ended up at an online network called NGTV. I started as a receptionist and worked my way up to Head of Hair & Makeup. I had three hosts that I took care of on a daily basis. I juggled interns, assistants, and shot lists. I was fortunate to travel all over the world with the network while earning lots of credits on IMDB. I am super grateful for this part of my life. I learned a lot about the entertainment business plus I met some of my closest and dearest friends.
Since that point, I’ve worked on live shows for VH1, published work in multiple magazines, TV/commercials, red carpet, and worked with social media influencers. The first question I get asked when introducing myself as a makeup artist in LA is “who is the biggest celebrity you’ve worked with?” My current resume includes names like Paris Hilton, Cara Santana, Janina Gavankar, Carrie Keagan, Holly Candy, Paris Hilton, Gene Simmons, Jon Voight, Whitney Port, Damon Wayans Jr, and Kevin Hart. One of my favorite experiences was touring with One Direction.
After all that experience with glitz and glam and celebrity, I came to realize my favorite makeup client is actually the everyday woman. Not to say working with celebrities isn’t fun, but I absolutely love working with those who have little to no experience with makeup. Educating and sharing tips and tricks really makes my heart happy.
Currently, I work for Glamsquad as their Regional West Coast Expert. I started as one of their first makeup artists in the LA area, and I’m now responsible for onboarding, education, and management of the entire West Coast makeup team, including Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Bay Area. I’ve brought onto the team over 300 makeup artists and opened the markets in OC and the Bay Area. It’s a very unique job. I get to do makeup while having my hands in the business as well. I truly love what I do!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. This industry is hard. I had a regular client for almost seven years with the network and she got a great opportunity in NYC which left me with no regular income. I went from working full time with one person to having to pick up a waitressing job to keep up with my bills. It was a reality check for me and a lesson. I am so grateful to have my friends who referred me as much as they could to their industry friends. I did what I could to get my foot in the door at agencies and networks but nothing really came of it. You gotta know the right people and literally be at the right place at the right time. For example, I was at a bar with my boyfriend Jesse, one of our friends is an agent. She got an email that evening saying the men of SNL need grooming for the Emmys. I was sitting next to her having a drink, she looked at me and asked if I was available. “YES!” She booked me right then and there. This was two years ago and I had the credentials but it’s not the first time an opportunity like this has happened to me.
Please tell us about Regional West Coast Makeup Expert for Glamsquad.
I currently work for Glamsquad as the Regional West Coast Makeup Expert. Glamsquad is an on-demand beauty company offering hair, makeup, & nails. I am responsible for onboarding makeup artists on the West Coast. My day to day, I go through resumes, hold auditions to determine who joins on the team, I hold masterclasses on a monthly basis keeping our team up to date on the newest trends. With all of that on my plate as my full-time Monday-Friday job, I take my personal clients. Weekends really aren’t weekends in our line of business but again, I love my clients and I love what I do!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is the summers. Not having anything to do but just being alive. I loved being creative in any way. I’d make up my own dances in the living room. My sister and I would make our own videos with Barbies. Times were simple. I loved being a kid!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.glamsquad.com & www.armijobeauty.com
- Email: [email protected] & [email protected]
- Instagram: bitesizeartist
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