Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Sweet.
Courtney is a true artist at heart, but combined with her work ethic and attitude she is unstoppable. Her efforts are already generating impressive results in the shape of getting major roles with big brands. We’re excited to share her story with you through edited excerpts of our interview with her interview below.
Courtney, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been pursuing some form of art since I can remember. I learned to work with oil paint, pastels, water colors; to play the piano, drums, the saxophone, …you name it and I probably took a class on it, attended after-school lessons, or went to summer camp for it.
I realize now how lucky I was to have a constant creativity presence in my life beginning at an early age, and have always needed to have a creative outlet in my life ever since. I started doing makeup in high school, and got inspired by the art of it when YouTube created a platform for artists to share their tricks with each other. Learning how to blend different colors together to achieve a multi-dimensional smoky eye was a Saturday well-spent. I saved my money to buy MAC makeup brushes one at time (and used my painting brushes for makeup to do the job in the beginning there). I had fun doing makeup on friends and myself over the years, but never thought of pursuing it professionally until I figured out that I didn’t have to choose just one profession, and that I could be whoever I wanted to be.
After college I moved to San Francisco. I wanted to work in finance in the big city, and a year and a half into my finance career I decided to step up my game and pursue my CPA. I enrolled in my first course while working full-time, and quickly figured out that that was not going to be a sustainable lifestyle. So I went back to school and decided I would become also professional makeup artist. I enrolled in a course at a boutique makeup academy to learn how to do makeup on others in a professional manner. I took two buses each way to a studio in SOMA on Saturdays, attending nine hour-long sessions at a time. My teacher, Chris Scott, was kind, quirky, and successful at doing what he loved. He encouraged my makeup career in all the right ways. I assisted, learned from, and was unceasingly inspired by some of the most-renowned makeup artists in the area. My mentors referred me to clients, both to individuals directly and to brands like Nike and Dior.
The energy I put into makeup always came circling back with speed. I created my own website and social media accounts for my business, and by the end of the year I was the head makeup artist for a lash brand in Neiman Marcus I represented. I traveled to train other stores that carried their lashes, became an expert in applying all types of lashes on a variety of people, and taught others how to do so. I recently moved to Los Angeles, where I continue to do makeup and accounting. I’ve found that people in LA don’t tend to find me or my professions shocking or strange, and for that I feel very at home and am also very grateful.
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course not! That would take away all of the fun. Being a self-taught makeup artist means trying everything on your own face first. I’m pretty set in my own makeup aesthetic, and I have sensitive skin, but it doesn’t matter. If there’s something out there that I need to add to my kit to offer the best services possible, it’s going on my face. Also, I rocked some intense makeup looks while I was starting out that I would never take back, but my parents might. Pursuing your dreams at the expense of a comfy lifestyle can be a tough pill to swallow. However, making decisions based out of love for what you do and who you are instead of out of fear has always kept me grounded. Would I like to shop somewhere other than forever 21 someday? Yes. Would I trade my dreams or any of my makeup for it? Only the very unflattering, expensive lipsticks.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m planning on collaborating with other local Los Angeles makeup artists in the near future, as well as continuing my freelance makeup services through my website, the GlamApp, Thumbtack, and GigSalad. I was also recently a guest on a podcast and thoroughly enjoyed giving makeup advice on various topics, and would love to pursue that more in the future.
Let’s dig a little deeper into your story. What was the hardest time you’ve had?
I’d say the hardest, deepest struggle for me as it pertains to my makeup career is deciding whether or not to pursue it full-time; whether or not the decision to only devote part of my professional career to makeup is a decision made out of fear disguised as practicality.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @courtneysweetmakeup
- Facebook: courtneysweetmakeupartistry
- Web: http://www.courtneypsweet.com
Check out her work below:
