We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lourdes Zukowski. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lourdes below.
Lourdes, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Learning the art of makeup and makeup application truly never ends. With trends consistently changing and being reinvented, there’s always something new to learn. When I first began to fall in love with makeup, it was a lot of watching YouTube Tutorials, specific shorts, and all the beauty content I could. I spent almost every waking moment watching people perfect their technique and trying to do the same. I allowed myself to become fully submerged into the world of beauty and makeup. It didn’t come easily though, I spent a lot of days in orange foundation with my eyelashes barley glued on. Just as any other craft or art form, all it takes is time, dedication and practice.
Lourdes, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Lourdes Zukowski and i am a licensed esthetician, cosmetologist and makeup artist. Overall a lover of all things beauty and cosmetics. My professional career began when I decided to take the jump into estheticians school. Growing up I struggled with having severe eczema and having to learn how to live with it. I found myself constantly looking at product ingredients and always being in the hunt for the proper ways to deal with my skin. Since I was spending so much of my time looking into skincare and makeup products I decided to go to school to get an in depth knowledge on the world of skincare. After completing school and getting my license I got a job working at a local spa/salon located within a hotel. While working there as an esthetician I was approached with an opportunity to become one of the makeup artists in the salon. Immediately I fell in love with makeup artistry. I loved being able to make people feel their absolute best on their important days. Being a makeup artist is a very trusted position. People allow me to see them at their most vulnerable, and trust me to turn them into the best version of themselves. I value being able to make someone feel confident and beautiful. Glitz and glamor aside, people often turn to makeup as a tool to help conceal their biggest insecurities and make them feel safe to walk out into the world. It’s the most rewarding thing, to be the reason why someone feels they’re most confident in their own skin. I often tell clients that makeup is not about covering up what we don’t like but is about enhancing what we do like. Drawing attention to our best and most love features can help us see ourselves in a new light. I always push to show clients how beautiful they truly are.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part of being a makeup artist is being able to make people feel their best. Being able to bring out confidence in people that they didn’t know they had. I often times hear the statement “wow I feel so beautiful” to which I always respond “you are so beautiful”. That beauty is within everyone, I just help enhance it.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
About a year ago I had to suddenly make a big move across state. In doing that I had to leave my current job working at a spa / wedding venue. When I moved I was faced with having to rebuild my career in a new place. While struggling with what to do I decided to go back to school. I went and got another license and once I finished school I switched gears and went into working makeup retail. Working more with people one on one on a day to day basis was a bit of a change but I was up for it. I was no longer working with people on the best most prepared day if their lives but now it was seeing people in a more casual day to day basis. I have all kinds of people come in every day with different question, concerns and needs. It’s a much more hands on approach to people in their day to day life’s but that ability to make a difference is much greater
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @beautybylourdes
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lourdes-zukowski-2b0b1b1b2
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Andra Sheridan