We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Magwood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.

Andrea, appreciate you joining us today. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?

I don’t ask them. They see what I’m currently doing. If they want to help me along my journey, they will. I have always been a soft seller. I have had family members and friends who have shared the makeup looks I created or the link to my makeup tutorials without my ever asking. At this point, my face is often the proof of what I’m doing; I post my latest looks on my social media – it’s there for them or whomever to share. I’ve learned long ago people are going to do what they are going to do.

Recently, a friend asked me to do a challenge on Instagram, so I thought about it for a few hours, went to the store the next day to buy products, and figured out how to do the challenge. And for whatever reason, that reel accumulated one million views. I could have just not done the challenge, but I did, and here we are. Am I any richer? No. Do I have more people seeing my page? Yes. So I can use that to hopefully drum up some interest in my businesses. For that, I am thankful.

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?

In late 2021, I was working third shift at a job. After work, usually I could not go to sleep right away. Not much was open at 4:30 a.m., especially during the pandemic, so there was only Walgreens and eventually Walmart – no longer 24/7 – would open at 6 a.m. So I would browse the makeup session in either store until I was ready to go to bed. Also around this time, I had received an ad for MAC’s holiday lipsticks, and I decided to buy one. I was a 40-something year old who had never really worn makeup, let alone had interest in it. My go to ‘makeup’ was chapstick. In my 20s, I did let a friend put makeup on me; I even bought makeup – MAC – but the makeup bug didn’t stick.

With the help of YouTube, I started learning the art of makeup, which led to my experimenting. Thus, my wandering the makeup aisles of stores. It started with lipstick. I wore shades or red to work for a month while I figured things out. I’m a person that once I set my mind to something, look out! I will keep trying to figure it out. By the way, I’m still figuring makeup out.

Eventually, all of this led to my recording my experimentation, and showing my progress on YouTube. In 2023, after realizing there were other people who didn’t know how or where to begin with make up also, I decided to make all of this a business. The Beauty Labyrinth is for makeup newbies to learn the art of makeup without the frustration. Learning makeup is a lot. It can be frustrating and overwhelming. And I wanted to help people with that. The beauty world isn’t just about makeup, but also skincare. And feeling better about your skin, can make you feel more confident, just like makeup can. Not everyone wants to learn how to do an award ceremony glam look; they may just want to know how to do their eyebrows or get glowy skin.

So what The Beauty Labyrinth offers is makeup/skincare suggestions, tips/tricks on applying makeup/skincare, and emotional support/guidance on trips to beauty stores. This last one is what I feel sets the business apart. Beauty stores can be overwhelming, frustrating, and confusing. I can help you get through that so that one day you can walk through those aisles unbothered – psychologically because they will still ask you if you need help regardless, but at least you can confidently say no until you are ready for needing any assistance. I may not know everything beauty related, but I can help guide you in the right direction with my advice or research. For instance, the other day while in a beauty store, after an associate suggested a product to a customer that I also use, I gave the customer confirmation it was a good product and how I use it to achieve the best looks.

What I am most proud of with my business is my lash class. Earlier this year, after discovering there was a need to learn how to apply false lashes, I created a class for newbies. Applying lashes takes practice. I don’t care what influencers tell you. I wanted the newbies to get comfortable, less frustrated at the thought of wearing lashes so that it gets easier, and they won’t breakdown at the thought of applying them – whether for a date night, brunch with friends, or every day. And I believe I helped them achieve that. I didn’t demand perfection. I’ve since seen those participants wearing lashes out in the real world. So I will keep offering this class a few times a year.

Have you ever had to pivot?

So I am a filmmaker – produce, direct, write. I did my last film – my first feature – and had distribution back in 2019. To my dismay, I lost that distribution. During the pandemic, I imposed my own hiatus as a filmmaker, as I figured out what to do next. How to keep my creative juices flowing. And learning the art of makeup was that pivot for me. Makeup is art. What makeup artists do is art – makeup brand/artist Pat McGrath has had her head turning work shown on fashion runways and Danessa Myricks’ work has been showcased at the Super Bowl and on Instagram. With my makeup tutorials, I found an outlet to create again. Yes, it’s not going to win me awards, but it’s cathartic for me and, as I’ve been told, helpful for others. Filmmaking is still in me. I approach my videos like a film production. I write down all the products (props) I need, set up my desk with the tools (gear), strike the lights when I’m ready to start, and think about post production – how I will edit, when will I post (distribute), what music might be right (score) for social media, etc.

My films have always been about the human condition, and connecting people through them. I believe my makeup videos connect people of various walks of like through my stories or just sharing new products or techniques to make themselves feel more confident or comfortable in their skin. I often have to remind myself that my makeup journey has not been just a distraction, but another means to an end.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I’m still working on this. My general advice/tips are free – I get most of my questions in this arena, and are usually via text or DMs. My breakdown of certain makeup/skincare routine, trips to beauty stores, etc. are not. I’ve gotten a fair share of questions about makeup/beauty products, etc. from social media. In fact, a few weeks ago, a friend of a friend messaged me on finding a makeup artist for her production. Because I’ve been in the film business and knowledgable about makeup artists in the area, I was able to suggest one and an alternative service if she was unavailable. So I still need to figure out how to gain not just followers but obtain paying clientele through social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/DreaMagwood
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamagwood/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@andreamagwood7050

Image Credits

All photos taken by me.