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

Brianna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Well, I’ll have to take you back to 2014 when, like most teenagers my age, I’d become completely enamored with Instagram. This should give you the full picture of my mindset at the time of creating the “Imperfect” tag. Being plus-sized, I had never felt accepted by my peers, and at this time was still battling with an crippling insecurity issue. Due to my personal perception of being viewed as unattractive, I never acclimated to being a “camera person” (didn’t help that I also had bucked-teeth). But by 2014, I had braces and was more-or-less comfortable taking pictures. You could say I started to enjoy taking selfies.

So, just imagine: I was brainstorming a caption for a picture I just took after returning from a hair appointment. I had previously written something arbitrary, then deleted it. I kept trying to get this word to fit somehow. I just couldn’t get “imperfect” out of my mind, so it was vital that I fit it in somewhere. Then something instantly clicked. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve always felt like I needed to work on these little shortcomings I saw in myself. Until I accepted the fact that I had flaws, and those flaws had been meticulously sculpted into creating who I was. With my head cleared, I posted my photo and was satisfied with the caption, “I’m Imperfectly, Perfect” – and the picture wasn’t half-bad either! That moment made me feel the warmest I’ve ever felt, and cemented my brand name.

I changed my Instagram handle from “@PureBliss” to “@ImperfectedBliss” a few months later, and I’ve kept it that way ever since.

This followed with me establishing myself as a content creator, creating a channel-name called “Imperfectly Bri”. This experience also influenced the name of my freelance makeup-artist service, “A Glo-Up by Bri”.  The message I wanted to spread, proclaimed that imperfection was the most identifiable attribute(s) that made  a person uniquely them, it was a God-given gift, and we should find beauty in every flaw, freckle, and wrinkle. This was my life statement, and it became a mission statement for my business!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Of course!

Hey everyone, my name is Brianna, but you can call me Bri! I am currently a senior at Towson University, graduating with a Bachelors degree, Majoring in Psychology, and Minoring in Family Studies. I would call myself a “street-smart” creative (i.e. – creativity in mostly non-conventional aspects like content creation, digital/traditional art, painting, culinary/baking, and cosmetology with a littleeee bit of photography, photo editing & plus-size modeling on the side!). I’d like to believe both of my parents birthed me with all their creativity bottled into one little baby, and my older sister got the more technical business-savvy stuff!

Creativity has been at the forefront of my interests from preschool age. I loved anything that involved showcasing what my mind has the ability to create from a simple blank canvas. No matter the facet, I perform best in settings that challenge my conventional thinking. When it comes to being a freelance makeup artist, I want every client to experience the same feelings I did when I first had my makeup done for prom.

You get use to how you visualize yourself on an everyday basis. You may lose sight in your own inner beauty. Thus I make it a practice to tell everyone I work with about them being naturally beautiful both inside and out. My responsibility is to show them that I am merely emphasizing their beauty rather than creating their beauty.

I imitate a spotlight for an actor getting ready for their opening night performance. There natural talent already exists; all I’m doing is bringing it to the forefront. illuminating a space by turning on a light and making it visible. I want to be the voice for exclusivity in the beauty industry. That it is attainable regardless of race, skin tone, or ethnicity.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One big lesson I had to unlearn was the view that makeup artists should solely focus on the complexions similar to their own. I had been instructed to exclusively work with people who have skin tones comparable to mine as a black Caribbean-American makeup artist (MUA). The misconception is that MUAs should only work with clients who fall within their shade range.  You will commonly run into professional MUAs who will not service clients outside their skin tone to reduce the probability of making mistakes with application.  Following what you know is simpler. Although this was recommended, I was unable to adapt to that mindset.

The problem is further perpetuated by makeup manufacturers’ hesitation to offer their customers shades in their complexion, leading to several large consumer groups going disregarded. This is a known issue with people who have darker skin tones, but it’s also a problem for people who are exceptionally fair-skinned. As a result, many groups are reluctant to seek out professional MUAs out of concern that they may be incorrectly color-matched, receive poor application results, or be turned away altogether.

The issue of inclusivity became very important to me since I have a sibling who is of a darker skin tone. She – like others similar to her should have the ability to go into a beauty supply store, and find a shade that matches her, that doesn’t oxidize orange, or wash her out with a grey tone. I decided to reject this teaching method, adopting color theory, and learned how to mix colors appropriately for all skin tones, undertones, and complexions. I now have a well-developed portfolio of clients with all different skin tones. There is a want in me to provide anyone who contacts me the comfortability that their need for inclusion would be met.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Like most, I started building freelancing at a young age, it began for me in my second year in community college. A lot of my work was born servicing family and friends. Before I started my business page on Instagram, I used my personal page to post my work. This led to more individuals taking interest in my abilities. The more work I did, the more inclined I felt to start an official business page on Instagram. As I contemplated the idea, the pandemic began in 2020.

Quarantine ultimately guided me into making a business account, and gradually growing clientele. As time passed, my resolve to grow my client base dwindled. It was difficult to stay motivated to continue. Balancing school and work-life balance became taxing.

In moments like this, my advice for up-incoming businesses, content creators, or influencers would be to not give up on the growth of your social media presence. The build to garner an audience is difficult. It takes consistency, and something you are passionate about, you’ll be able to maintain. So, do not give up when it gets difficult, slow-moving, or challenging.

My cousin pulled me to the side and gave me business advice that allowed me to get a second wind. I worked on my social media presence, and have reaped the knowledge needed to maintain it. It has not been easy, but when I became patient, passionate, and resourceful, the numbers became less of a factor, and more of a feeling of gratitude. That the effort I was making has been pulling people in, and inspiring viewers the same way YouTube beauty gurus inspired me to explore makeup waaaay back in 2015. Along with my clients; the same ones who trusted me with transforming them, allowing me to publish their makeovers on my page to others – further helping me increase my client base. Lastly, have a support system that will promote your business. I wouldn’t be where I am without the family members and friends who willingly allowed me to use their faces as practice, and the loyal clients who trusted me to achieve the look they envisioned!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aglowupbybri.as.me
• Instagram: @aglowupbybri (https://www.instagram.com/aglowupbybri/)
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-lewis-3b4373261/
• Youtube: @ImperfectTea (shorturl.at/cJT26)

Image Credits
All images by me Last 2 Images (of me doing client’s brows) credited to: TME (Through My Eyes) Photography