Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Valenzuela.
Hi Emily, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I originally got my start in makeup because I grew up as a competitive dancer. I was able to start doing makeup on other dancers for competitions and performances throughout high school and college. After enrolling at Arizona State University, I graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science, in Marketing. In addition, I enrolled through the President’s Scholarship and graduated holding a place on the Dean’s List with Distinction. I also spent most of my days at ASU as the captain of the ASU Hip Hop Coalition. Once I graduated, I decided it was time to make a big lifestyle and career change into makeup full-time. I attended Make-Up Designory in October 2022 and graduated in April. Here, I learned techniques for beauty makeup, hair styling, freelancing, and special effects makeup. I am currently working on gathering various photos for my portfolio using professional photographers and models. My main passion at the moment is beauty and editorial makeup because it allows me to collaborate the most with other creatives. I hope to transition into the celebrity and advertising makeup avenues as well.
Alright, 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?
The biggest obstacle I faced was the original move to Los Angeles. Not only can it be extremely expensive while in school, but making such a large location and lifestyle change was taxing. Not to mention, I made the move to LA on my own. I originally lived by myself in a small studio apartment in North Hollywood. I struggled the first few months to adjust to a new and busy schedule while still trying to do well in school and maintain a social life. Slowly it got easier and I became accustomed to these changes.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a makeup artist that specializes in beauty, red carpet, and editorial makeup. I love a classic glam for clients who have events, photoshoots, films, etc. However, I also love to get a little more creative during editorial shoots. I’ve learned in school to play more with color, concept, and textures within makeup artistry. One of my favorite jobs to work on are themed photoshoots with a clear and unique concept in mind. This avenue allows me to explore different makeup applications while also collaborating with other talented people in the space.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emilyvalenzuela.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/emilyvalmua
Image Credits
Photographers: AJ Calloway, Deverill Weekes, Omar Guerra
