We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marta Gwizdala a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Marta, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
Yes, I wish I had started a little bit sooner, but I also believe that it’s never too late for anything. All the sad and good moments have led me to this moment of who I am now, and I like myself more now than before. I also have more experience, self-confidence, and other developed qualities that I didn’t have before. I have better support from important people in my life. If I had started earlier, I think my talents would have been more improved at a higher level. On the other hand, I prefer to improve these talents slowly and naturally.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
1) About me and my business: I am Marta, I am 27 years old and I recently moved from Poland to the USA. I have been painting since I was four years old and studied art all the way through 19 years of age and later volunteered to teach kids how to paint in the very same programs where I was trained. When I was 12 years old, I won a painting competition and was awarded a trip to Paris for a painting that I made of the old town in Warsaw. This award meant a lot to me, as a trip to Paris, from the recently post-Communist Poland, was difficult to get in those times. Thanks to my wonderful father, I was able to obtain a hard-to-get passport and start my journey
towards my dreams as an artist. Whilst I was completing an internship in Chicago for my master’s degree in International Relations, I grew fascinated with the USA and the American way of life. I also fell in love with my now husband here in the USA (which is, in of itself, a wonderful romantic story for another day), who wholeheartedly supported my growth as an artist here. We just recently moved from Chicago to Wisconsin and have been living here for the past two years. Here I also started my business as a make-up artist for weddings and other special occasions.
I am a Polish woman from Warsaw, living in the USA, who was in France (Paris) and combines and mixes her makeup style from all three of these places: traditional Slavic style, American modernity and Parisian elegance. By combining these three elements, I present myself and what is connected with me historically, sentimentally and as a hobby. Hence the name of the site: Pudrowanie w Garsonierze (Powdering in Garconniere). Powdering is a makeup word, it sounds very elegant. “Garconniere” is a word taken from French; it means a small apartment, a studio. “The” before Garconniere was removed for the sake of speed of pronunciation, but is implicitly included because the French particle “la garçonnière” could also be used. I used a combination of three languages in the name: by removing (the and la) only “in” remained as in Polish, the word “powdering” is in English, and “garconniere” is a French element.
Powdering in Garconniere refers to the Mokotów district in Warsaw: (my own personal sentiment, as I have lived there), where horse races were held and eagerly watched by the Polish elite in the 19th century. At that time, Poles drew on fashion elements from France. A reference to this period can be found in the book by the Polish writer Bolesław Prus entitled “Doll”. I hope that the recipient will associate the site with the fact that he sat in front of an old dressing table with a mirror, grabbed a large, golden powder box with beautiful engravings straight from Paris, and in the background admired the views of Warsaw tenement houses from that period. I would like to present the style of elegant painting in the Polish-French (but also not only) style in various guises.
Getting into industry was easy; I just had to create my business and get started. Staying in the industry is more difficult, like for other small businesses. It requires various skills like self-promoting, knowing how to talk to people, etc. It’s not like I just made a business and created websites, because it’s never enough.
After one year, I finally decided to return to my favorite hobby: art. I became a member of the Cedarburg Artists Guild and I hung a few of my canvases in various galleries in Wisconsin. It’s a work in progress. I am only selling my art via galleries, because it is just my hobby for now. In July, I will be opening my studio at the Arts Mill in Grafton. I believe it will be possible to discuss makeup services in person with me there too.
2) What types of products/services I have. Why it is unique:
What is special about my makeup? It can be described in 5 words: Precise, Unique, Luxurious, Sanitary and Elegant. Together it’s “PULSE”; musical because I do art with the beat. I mean, I literally have music all the time (if it’s possible) when I do makeup, and sometimes, it’s dubstep (laughing).
As a makeup artist,
I offer makeup for weddings (brides, grooms, and the rest of the family), for business meetings, seasonal, engagement, and wedding photoshoots; prom and party makeup, makeup for normal photoshoots, modeling and other occasions . I also offer daytime and casual makeup services. I also offer color analysis services and private coaching on how to apply makeup. My service is mobile too.
I use products not only from the US, but from various other countries, including Europe (France, Poland, etc.) I use high-quality pigments (glitters) from a Polish source. My makeup techniques are up to date with current trends and practice techniques taught by famous make-up artists. I focus on quality and precision. I do not paint in bulk, but rather address the unique needs of each client. I spend as much time as I need on each client to give them a premium service. I make natural make-up that emphasizes the beauty and sweetness of each client.I apply make-up to the skin using appropriate color correction and using the paint wheel (which allows me to emphasize the color of the eyes and the skin tone per the client’s preferences). I also do my own make-up coaching sessions.
I focus on natural skin tones, not on heavy makeup. Instead, I focus on proper, light, and comfortable makeup. I show my clients how to accept their own skin and not to rely on heavy foundation (to help them feel good in their own skin). Hiding everything on the skin does not necessarily look good. I want to make your skin look healthy, natural, and cared for. I use vegan products. I am of Polish descent and my makeup has a popular Slavic/French style. However, do not limit myself to this one style.
I did many classes, courses, and lessons with famous make-up artists in Europe, from whom I draw inspiration and techniques. I have spent my life developing in art from when I was 4 years old. I care for the environment, I use the best selection of products, with which I can recycle. I do mobile makeup for various occasions – not only wedding makeup for brides. I speak Polish and English.
My prices are higher, but I also have offers in different seasons. The price is adequate for the deluxe quality of the techniques and products used. I do makeup for a smaller number of people because am without a team and focus on quality over quantity.
My number of clients is limited, and I am often booked; I work alone (my husband is my driver), so I can’t do makeup on 10 people at once. I also do art exhibits. For makeup, I use brands from the whole world, even from my origin country of Poland. My clients like the cosmetics brands that I use. I also put a big focus on hygiene standard. I use only single-use applicators, I disinfect and sterilize my tools regularly, and I wear gloves. I will not refuse a client with a cold sore, but I will be very careful to ensure the safety of the client, myself, and to not damage the products. My tools are even stored in special place with a specific temperature (laughing).
As a hobby artist, I do paintings. I do mixed media: epoxy resin, sculpture, acrylic, to create 3D art on canvases. I do mostly small pieces, but I have bigger art too. I do mostly art connected with nature, landscapes, animals, folklore, Slavic vibes, mermaids, and food.
3) What problems I solve to my clients:
My calling in makeup is to find beauty in people. I love that feeling, when my bride is crying after seeing herself in the mirror. I love when they say “I feel like a princess” or “I feel beautiful”. For me, all my clients are beautiful. I am focusing mostly on individuals or small groups because I don’t want to treat my work like a factory. I respect a person’s face too much to not spend enough time with them. I am focusing on not only underlining my clients’s beauty with makeup, but also with telling them what I really see. I had many clients who where depreciating themselves, saying things like “Oh, I look very bad today, look at my skin, or look at the bags under my eyes”. Anyone can look not fresh after working super hard the day before, or if they had a bad night. They judge themselves too harshly (especially those women who are business owners like me, that have kids, houses to care for, or many other problems to deal with). They should not be too harsh on themselves, because their body is just tired. My goal is to appreciate them, tell them things that they don’t see. They see bags under eyes, but then I say: “ok, let’s focus on your beautiful long lashes then and underline the amazing color under your eyes”. Then they are a little embarrassed, because they start realizing that I am right, that they have beautiful qualities they forgot about. It’s like with acne: it’s just a small bump on the skin, nobody is looking for it, yet we spend hours in front of the mirror agonizing over it. I focus on simple techniques in makeup that are elegant and comfortable.
My calling in art is to find the beauty in every character. For me, beauty is the strange, unique, innermost mystery of a subject, that brings out the emotions of nostalgia and wonder. In my paintings, I tell stories, fairytales, legends. I have always been seeking to capture this
storytelling in my artwork, be it in my poetry, makeup, or especially my paintings. I was inspired by numerous artists, both known and recent, along the way, and especially by
those with surreal and impressionist works. There is a joy in combining classic techniques like acrylic painting and sculpture with more modern materials like epoxy and color-shifting paint. My paintings evoke a sense of nostalgia, an idealistic, homesick love letter to a home left
behind, with the fantastical elements we tie to our homes as children. These paintings are meant to capture the way immigrants remember the homes they leave as children: idealistic, beautiful, but also mysterious… like a distant, fantastical memory. In my paintings, I combine the rolling green landscapes of my Slavic homeland with the folklore elements found therein. The titles of my paintings are often a play on words, to underline the playful, childlike nature of these portrayals. With these works, I strive to bring comfort to those who miss home and capture their imaginations with a visual sense of awe and longing.
4. What am I the most proud:
I am proud of myself, than I was brave as a immigrant, to create my own business alone (ofc. i have support). I am happy to be in the USA and that I can show my talents (makeup and art). I want to make more people happy.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is witnessing my own growth, creating something that I like, and that someone may appreciate my work.
How did you build your audience on social media?
My tips will be: 1. Being consistent, posting often, even a few times in one day.
2. Using hashtags related to our products/services and area where we provide/sell.
3. Not doing promotion and deals too often. Doing giveaways very rarely.
4. Following trends on social media, like using specific music.
5. Interact with your audience.
6. Support local business owners, talk with them about cooperation.
I am always open for any cooperation related to art or makeup.
I am working on my social media almost every day. I am not a master and I am learning how to improve. It’s good to ask professionals too, or even ask on Facebook groups for business owners. Everyone has a different audience; businesses and their techniques may be different too. It’s about trying and not giving up.
Contact Info:
- Website: the site is unfortunately under construction
- Instagram: @Powderingingarconniere (makeup) @margwizart (art)
- Facebook: “Powdering in Garconniere Makeup” & “MargwizArt”
- Other: Tik tok: MargwizArt Email: powderingingarconniere@gmail.com margwizart@gmail.com I am doing appointments for makeup via Facebook.
Image Credits
Credits: /MARGWIZART/ – My art logo /Powdering in Garconniere/ – My Makeup logo