April 17, 2017

Meet Stephanie Navarro of Brides By Stephanie in Echo Park

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Navarro.

Stephanie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised on Chicago’s South side from a humble, hardworking Mexican family. I was just 17 years old when I decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue my makeup career. My obsession started when I got my first introduction to makeup artistry when I was 15 years old on a movie set.

I fell in love with film making and the makeup department. I was so impatient to start my career that I worked on movies all through high school and started planning my relocation to Los Angeles.

I have been a freelancer for 9 years now, I worked on dozens of movies, 100’s of commercials. I love my craft but I needed something else and I didn’t know what! Occasionally I worked with brides when I was referred by friends and I found it to be a wonderful and satisfying experience!

I started Brides By Stephanie in 2013 because I love working with real women when it really matters. The balance between working on sets and working with real every day women is important to me. It’s a rewarding and fun environment and it brings me deep joy to make others feel beautiful on a memorable day. I find my work to be the right balance of hard work and creativity.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Moving across the country at 17 years old was crazy, I know, but I was determined to do it.

My first year in Los Angeles was the hardest. I was grieving the loss of my grandmother who has pass one month before moving. I was navigating becoming a responsible adult, making new friends and learning things the hard way. I remember getting a lot of parking tickets that first year. I moved apartments every year. Finding reliable and trustworthy roommates was difficult as I was so young and naive.

I am grateful for my struggles because I really appreciate where I am today.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Brides By Stephanie – what should we know?
I provide mobile makeup and hair services for weddings. Coming from a film back round gives me a lot of strengths when working with brides. I know how to work well under pressure, manage nerves and can take charge when I need to.

My team and I all have over 10 years of experience and we take pride in having a wide range of work such as celebrity clientele, film and print work. We are not your cookie cutter makeup artists who will do the same thing on every face. We analyze bone structure and take the time to consider each personality to really make our ladies feel their best.

I like to produce timeless looks that don’t overpower the woman underneath. I really don’t like heavy makeup. Makeup should not be distracting! It should be enhancing. That is my philosophy.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My parents were extremely supportive. My mom and dad let me move across the country to pursue my passion! They believed in me and it was brave of them to trust me and let me go.

I have been very lucky to meet amazing people that helped me along the way. My dad always said ‘Hang out with people you can learn from’.

My friend and neighbor was in film school and asked me to intern on his movie when I was 15. He was the first person to help me get an email account, show me how to be tenacious when I wanted a job on a movie, taught me about networking and the importance of contacts and relationships. He opened up my mind to so much more at such a young age and I was a sponge.

I met Aleish Pierce, a celebrity makeup artist at 19. She taught me how to be a professional around clients, how to work with women of color, how to contour before it was popular and I cherish all the stories she tells. When I was young I would call her on the phone for advice and I always had a pen and paper ready to take notes because I valued her time and everything she said.

Samuel Paul is an amazing makeup artist who I call on for advice at least once per year. I met him right after finishing makeup school before I was any good at my craft. Watching him work has changed my makeup application for the better and he’s also the sweetest person you will ever meet. His work ethic is strong and continues to grow as an artist every year. Years later, I am still inspired to be like him when I grow up.

I am grateful for all the support I had along the way.

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