We recently connected with Natalia Thomas and have shared our conversation below.
Natalia, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I have been fortunate enough to sustain myself through a career in Freelance Makeup & Hair since 2014, having previously worked selling makeup for a few brands to get my bearings in the beauty industry. When I was behind the Makeup counter, I worked on honing not only my artistry, but my bedside manner. I pored over my Kevyn Aucoin books in my time off to shape the skills that I innately possessed; they were my source of education as I was self-taught. One of the things that always stuck with me about Kevyn was not only his immense talent, but also that how you make the client feel is paramount to your artistry. I always try to lead with kindness because it is not only my job to make someone look their best but to leave them feeling great and empowered overall and I feel that is the true key to success along with being easily adaptable and prepared for anything. There are so many directions you can take a career in beauty and every way is unique and yields different outcomes but remaining consistent, constantly learning and growing and remembering why I began my career in the first place, is what has shaped my path.
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.
I was raised by two Cuban immigrants who instilled a sense of self and confidence in my siblings and I. They were raised by glamorous women that loved makeup and my grandfather was a priest in Espírituismo (Spiritualism) in Cuba which he in turn taught us, opening our eyes to the possibilities that transcend beyond this physical plane. I would look at my grandmother’s signature red lip and robin’s egg blue eyeshadow in awe. My siblings and I all danced growing up, I dabbled in theater and would often sneak into my older sister’s room to play with the makeup in her caboodle. My love of stage makeup evolved to being the friend who loved to talk about makeup and skincare. In high school, I would go to the makeup counter with friends where we would choose something fun, and I would use my innate skill and a lot of audacity to teach them how to create looks using the newly sourced product. Growing up, I wish I had known how to voice my dreams of becoming a Makeup artist professionally, but I also did not know that this was something that I could do to sustain myself. I went to college, almost finished my English literature degree, and started off in the workforce planning seminars and conferences for the recertification of welders all over the United States. I would do makeup for my Photographer friends on the weekend, and truly felt like I had found what I really wanted to do with my life in those short moments working with friends. I knew I needed to make a drastic change and follow my dreams, my uncle and cousins lived in New York City and encouraged me to dream big. I gave my two weeks notice, sold everything including my car and with a couple of suitcases and a box of shoes moved onto my cousin Luis’ couch in the lower East side. I found a job the next day at a MAC counter, marching in as if I knew the job was already mine. In my mind it was, I knew in my bones I was in the right place. I used my gift of gab and began making friends and connections, other like-minded artists who wanted to grow in their artistry with me, trading knowledge with friends who were starting out as hairstylists to grow my skillset. I got certified at MAC to work NYFW and worked my way up the hierarchy of prestigious designers and once I left MAC I eventually landed a spot on Pat McGrath’s fashion week team. When the pandemic hit, and my job was no longer viable as a sustainable career, I began doing tutorials online. I found joy and purpose during a time when I had grown to feel absolutely useless. I am now back to freelancing full-time as the world has a need for my physical skill again but now and then I pepper in a tutorial, bringing me back to my love of teaching. My path thus far has felt absolutely divined, guided by my ancestors, whom I know are looking down on me and smiling at the tenacious and creative woman that they encouraged to follow her dreams, be fearless and lead with kindness.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My creative journey is guided by the knowledge that no opportunity that is meant for me will pass me by and my goal is to always leave people feeling better than when they arrived both physically and mentally. Showing up on time, being kind, and being exceptional at your job will always breed more success but it is imperative to remember that every single time you are on set is an opportunity to connect and create with every human on that set. most importantly, if you release your expectation to the outcome of where you’d like your career to be in that moment, you’ll never feel as though your effort or journey has been insignificant.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I assisted a few artists at the beginning of my career who held on very tightly to their client list and never recommended colleagues when they were not available themselves for a job. I wish I had learned earlier that instead, growing a network of talented, consistent and kind professionals is one of your greatest assets. You can’t be available for every job and being able to replace yourself graciously with someone who will deliver the same quality of work that you do is incredibly valuable. Your fellow artists are not your competition, they are your community and will often recommend you for jobs as well when they can’t accommodate a client for the gig themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.duchessnatalia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duchessnatalia?igsh=MW9lamJvd2U4dTE2OQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/12KrQm2c6La/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@duchessnatalia?si=gAN_EQAxmQMk2bql
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@duchessnatalia?_t=ZT-8wbp3ncdujW&_r=1
Image Credits
Frankie Cavalcanti, Sophie Kietzmann, Eva Zar, Joe Gray, Don Nixon