We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amber Helverson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amber, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
When I was young, I was heavily bullied in school. My dad used to take me to a local hair salon, and my stylist there always made me feel pretty, and important. I knew from there on that was something I wanted to do for people everyday. Being able to make my client feel, and look their best is a feeling I could ever have. I am able to pull out peoples confidence and show them just how unique and amazing each one is!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Amber, and I am a professional makeup artist with about thirteen years of experience under my belt. I really have always loved the beauty industry, and fell even more in love with it from my childhood hairdresser. After high school I enrolled in cosmetology school, and actually started doing hair before I ever got into makeup. I always wanted to be a makeup artist, but at the time it really wasn’t a job yet. I worked at a salon for about five years, but never felt like I was as passionate about it as I was makeup. At the time, everyone thought I was crazy for even pursing the career because it wasn’t a huge market yet, but I felt so drawn to it, I kept pushing. After I left the salon, I went to Sephora as a makeup artist, and was later promoted as an education leader. I was able to work side by side the other makeup artists, training them, and really getting them motivated and excited about the work we did.
I am completely self taught, so I have always made it a priority to stay up to date with all the trends, and techniques, and I’m always learning new things! I also went back to school in 2021 so I could learn more of the esthetics side of the industry, and graduated and was licensed in early 2022. I felt it was definitely a step in the right direction because I was able to learn more about my clients skin, and be that much more of a professional for my business.
I started my business in between the salon and working at Sephora. I free lanced for a free bridal businesses, and after gaining a lot of experience, and knowledge, I decided to branch off on my own. It was definitely scary, but it was so worth the risk. I knew what worked and what didn’t work from working for other business’s, so if I can give any advice, it’s definitely to invest your time in learning as much as you can before you decide to do it on your own! Running a business is very rewarding, but is also very challenging! I also always said yes to any gig, and worked my butt of because I knew what I was working towards.
I specialize in bridal makeup, which for me is my all time favorite area of the makeup world. It’s truly so amazing having people trust you on such a big day, and allow you into a small piece of their life. Going back to school really also helped me prep them for the day of with their skin, and make me a better artist. It’s a very stressful and ever changing environment, but for me I thrive on it! I love the chaos of the wedding morning. The early mornings, long drives, endless emails… none of that matters when you give the client the mirror. All the stress falls away, and you remember exactly why you’re there.
I think what sets me apart, and what I’m most proud of are the relationships I am able to build with my clients. I can’t tell you how many of my clients feel like we’re friends after all is said and done. They’ve confided in me, and trusted me to help them through the whole process. I’ve even been the first person they share they’re pregnant with because they know I’m a safe space, and am there to support them through it all. I really pride myself on creating that feeling for anyone who will work with me now, and in the future.
I really want people to know that in this crazy world of judgement and always trying to look perfect or comparing ourselves to others, you will always feel safe and beautiful sitting in my chair. I will make it my mission to have you leaving like you’ve made a new friend, and that I’ll always be around for you; not just doing your glam! I have walked through life with a lot of my clients, and they’ve even been around for me for some of my struggles and accomplishments. I think in a world obsessed with how we look and what we offer, or what we post on social media, I want to be a corner where none of that matters and we can just have fun!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I grew up in a very rocky environment. My mom had me at 19, and we really didn’t catch a break until she met my dad when I was about 6. They were both young, and turned to alcohol and other substances, which made life really hard especially at a young age. I have three siblings who I took a huge responsibility over, and I was just a kid doing it. I struggled a lot in my early twenties with alcohol, and really felt like I was never going to be anyone, and could potentially end up like the cycle I had seen in my own family, but decided:NO. I wasn’t going to let that be me. I was going to get the help I needed. I was going to work the jobs I needed to get me where I needed. I was going to start living my life again. You’re always going to have hardships in your life, that’s a given, but it’s also your choice to pick yourself up, and make it better. I am so transparent too where I know you can’t always do it on your own. I sought out help, and was able to get my life back together. I’m 32 now, and I’m still learning that balance, but I also know where I could be, and that’s what keeps me so motivated and keeps me going everyday. You’re not your past; it’s what made you who you are today, but you can decide the person you’re going to end up being.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Hands down the most rewarding part of this job is how I am able to make people feel and look at themselves. I think what we do is so special, and I do think people look over that a lot because a lot of people think it’s just ‘makeup’. It’s so much more than that. The product and the trends won’t last, but how you make people feel will be with them always.
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