05 Oct Make-Up Mondays :: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due | Austin Boudoir Photography

The Hair/Makeup artist business is tough! A lot of people have asked how I got to where I am today and I tell them, “If you only knew!” Before I let y’all know how I got started, I want to give you a little background info about me.

My name is Lauren, I am 26 years old, married, with 2 children. I was raised in Victoria, TX and moved to Las Vegas with my husband and newborn baby directly after highschool. I was always interested in doing hair growing up but because I was 18 with a child, I needed a job that would pay great and stay steady. After moving, I had my second child. In Las Vegas, I worked as a Table Games Dealer at Paris and Bally’s Casino. Math is my thing! I love Math!!  I worked the ‘Swing Shift’, 8pm-4am. The girls I would see coming in and out of the clubs were gorgeous! They inspired me to really get into makeup!

After living there for some time we started noticing something wasn’t quite right with my son. His pediatrician said that he couldn’t give us a diagnosis because he wasn’t qualified but was 99% sure my baby was Autistic. Hearing that, our family decided on moving back down to Texas to get him the help he needed.

My son got the official diagnosis of Autism and I picked up a job at Ulta when we got back to Texas. I loved Ulta! It really expanded my knowledge about makeup! I worked along side some big makeup artists that taught the tips and tricks of the trade. After being there for about a year, I decided to start going to hair school. I went to school 40 hours a week and worked 40 hours a week while raising two kids. It was tough!

One day while working at Ulta, Elizabeth of Torrid Boudoir, came in and asked for a color match. While doing her makeup she asked if I did makeup outside of Ulta. I said yes and she then went on to eventually hire me.

Two years later, I am her lead hair/makeup artist. She has really helped me grow not only as an artist but as a business woman. She would give me tips and tricks of the trade by mentioning, “I saw this video where this makeup artist had this. You should look it up!” So I would go out and buy it. Anything I needed, she was there. She went on to refer me to other photographers to work with as well.

As of today, I have worked tons of shoots, I hold a cosmetology license, I quit Ulta, built a highly professional kit including $15,000+ worth of makeup, have worked on celebrities, and am even being considered for film and much more!

So as I conclude, I just want to give a shout out to my main girl Elizabeth Zimmerman! Not only are you my partner in crime/business, but I consider you my friend. Thank you for believing in me when I didn’t even believe in myself! I love you!

To my readers, thank you for supporting me and trusting me with your face!

Stay tuned! Next week I am going to talk about choosing the right shade of lipstick for Fall!

Be real, be you, stay beautiful!

–Lauren

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