We were lucky to catch up with Ruth B Medrano recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ruth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

1st. I would reach out to assist every makeup artist or hairstylist I know and admired. I moved to LA in 2012. Instagram hadn’t even been launched yet, so DM’ing artists wasn’t accessible. What I would have done though is go to the agencies and present myself, go to the makeup/hair schools just to get my name out, find the top salons and reach out. And then I would continue to stay top of mind. Offer to assist them or just be around them for a certain amount of time during the week (Knowing that everyone needs a survival job). The key with assisting, especially when you have no idea what you’re really doing as an assistant in the beginning is to remain helpful to the artist, willing to accept correction, and to stay top of mind. These days, I’ve had artists reach out once to assist and then dissappear. By the time I need an assistant, I don’t remember who reached out. So bottom line, shoot to assist a successful artist already working where you want to be.

2nd. I would have gone to Cosmetology school where I actually wanted to work. College in 2023 in my mind for the hair and makeup artist is ALL about connections. Though I was satisfied with my further education, it would have been better for me to build my network from the start up in Los Angeles, rather than head over after I was finished with schooling on the East coast.

3rd. Find a mentor and an artist community. This one is TOUGH. I’ve only recently just hired a mentor because I couldn’t find one who fit my needs. Artist community is also a tough one, this one is very specific, but one of the most important. My advise here is, be a friend and give without expecting anything back. This will one, keep you from being disappointed, but two moves you into the mindset of abundance. There is so much work out here, stand out by being the quality individual.

How could I get here with less capital?
This one is tough. Makeup and hair artists kits can easily be priced at thousands of dollars, and they go up from there. It was a struggle building my kit the first years of my business. It’s really on been the past 4 years or so that I’ve really felt solid in my kit. My advise here is, do your research, what do you like to wear, what has worked well for you and your friends. Research what tops makeup artists and hairstylists are using, and then invest and commit to a few products. You don’t need to have Rihanna or Kim K’s makeup or hairstylist’s kit, you need to have a kit that is specific to your clientelle. Invest in products that are worth their salt, and then practice with them.
Things you don’t need to start: A MU chair, the fanciest makeup kit, the Dior lipgloss, the newest hairdryer.
Things worth investing in to start: A decent makeup light, a hairdryer that gets the job done well, products that work.

Ruth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Ruth a professional makeup artist and hairstylist. I’ve been practicing as a MUAH since 2012. I was always interested in hair and makeup, there was never an a ha! moment, it was always this is what I want to do. I would read books and study the words and techniques on the pages. I would practice hairstyling my sisters hair. In college I went to a school that had a huge emphasis on theater. This is where I really started practicing with makeup and learning techniques as well as wig creating and styling. After college, I moved to Los Angeles, where I aimed to start my career as a makeup artist and hairstylist for movies. I was very interested in going to makeup school and working on amazing sets like Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings. I was able to grab smaller gigs here and there through Craigslist and had a few friends recommend my name for a position with the Salvation Army Media division. I worked with them for quite a few years, still taking different clients and gigs and building up my business and relationships. As I continued to pursue my career, I found I really enjoyed beauty more than SFX makeup and so I tailored my career to head in that direction. These days my niche is in MU&H for all events and commercial/advertising work, and I really enjoy it. It’s my sweet spot.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

With makeup and hairstyling, nailing your brand image down to a specific look is really key. Having a makeup and hair look that you continue to perfect and clients continue to come to you for. This is really where the magic lies.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Consistency. I’m definitely what they might refer to as a micro-influencer. Consistency has been the main thing, posting quality content consistently.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ruthbmedrano.com
• Instagram: @ruthbmedrano
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ ruthbmedranobeauty
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ruth-b-medrano-beauty-los-angeles
• Other: TikTok: @ruthbmedranobeauty

Image Credits
Felicity Murphy Photo (www.felicitymurphy.com)