Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dominique Chaney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dominique, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I’ve always had an interest in makeup, from the first time I saw my mother get her makeup professionally done at the Lancome counter when I was a teen. I was hooked. I asked lots of questions and learned what I could from the MUA my mom worked with frequently. I took the lessons she gave me and built from there. I would do makeup for my friends and family. I never really saw it as a career aspiration, more so a hobby that I enjoyed. As time went on I found myself studying looks I saw in music videos and movies and wanting to recreate them. Youtube was just starting to get its foot in the beauty world, so I watched tutorials to perfect my craft. Again just for myself. I soon realized that my hobby was so much more than that. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t change the speed at which I learned the process. The way I learned my craft was very organic. Once the fire was lit, I delved into learning and practicing, reading books from professional celebrity makeup artists and eventually attending classes. I think one of the most essential skills for me was learning placement of products. The how and why. Its not enough to just put on makeup, but to understand the purpose of certain products and how they work uniquely to each face has been so key when you work with a wide variety of clients. One of the biggest hurdles when learning is finding an array of people to practice on. So much is readily available to us, brushes, makeup products, etc. But each face is different, from skin tone, to texture to bone structure. Learning to do makeup on another face is where you really see how well you know your craft.

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?

I have always been a girls girl. I loved playing with dolls, doing their hair, playing in my moms makeup. I never knew that would turn into the career I have today. It really all started for me when I saw my mom get her makeup done by a makeup artist. I had watched my mom put on makeup my entire life, but this was something different. It was like seeing art for the first time. It was a craft. After doing makeup for myself, my family and friends, my best friend suggested I try my hand at makeup artistry. I made a portfolio consisting of photos I did of makeup on myself (cringe lol) and sent it to a coordinator looking for an MUA for a fashion show. She loved my work and the rest was history. At that show I met so many local creatives and found myself booked for photoshoots and events. When I first started I mostly worked in fashion, doing editorial work for magazines, creative shoots and music videos. My life as a makeup artist looks a lot different now. My clientele consists mostly of professional women looking to enhance their beauty for personal and professional events, as well as women just wanting to learn how to improve their makeup skills. I think what sets me apart from others is how I see people. Before becoming a makeup artist, I was a college professor. When you work in that type of industry, you meet all kinds of people. It is important to see them, to understand their needs, and bring out the best in them. I see the beauty in people and I only want to enhance what’s there. To make them feel beautiful from the inside out and to give them the confidence they need to show up as themselves in the world. One of the things I am most proud of is taking the leap of faith and leaving my professional career to pursue my passion. This is truly what I was created to do… to serve others. It is not easy to leave what is comfortable and follow the unknown, but it is worth it! I would like potential clients to know that when you choose me as your makeup artist, you are not only getting professional , quality work, but you are making an investment in yourself. Working with Mystique Makeup is about taking time out just for you, to be pampered, to enhance your beauty, ensuring when you see yourself in the mirror that you look and feel like your best version of you.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have had to pivot quite a bit in my life and career. And honestly haven’t we all. Life is not a linear experience. We will all go through ebbs and flows and find ourselves right where we are meant to be. I have had to pivot from college professor to lead consultant for a one of the largest research hospitals in the midsouth to stay at home mom to full time makeup artist. I started out my career in healthcare education. I taught in the medical field for 7 years before transitioning into the world of the corporate healthcare system. I have always simultaneously worked as a makeup artist while working in these fields, but it was more so a side job that I did to continue to fuel my creativity and passion. I felt I needed my steady professional job as my cushion and comfort, until things took a turn in my personal life. My amazing daughter, who was born with a genetic disease got very ill unexpectedly. Trying to juggle and balance making sure everything at work stayed a float, while dealing with uncertainty, hospital stays and procedures, it was all too much. I knew that my priorities were with my family. I left my career to devote myself to my daughter. In that time I began a journey of self discovery. Who was I if I was not working? That time in my life would lead me where I am today. After my daughter recovered, I was able to get back into the workforce, but this time it was different. It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like me. I had to reconcile within myself that the career that had provided for me and my daughter no longer served me. I no longer wanted to do what I had to do, I wanted to do what I desired to do. What I knew I was called to do. And so the leap of faith began. I decided that makeup was not nor had it ever been just a side hobby. It was my passion and it was time for me to do the thing that made me feel the most me. Now I can proudly say I am a makeup artist with my own freelance business Mystique Makeup. I also work with a major beauty brand that allows me to do what I love everyday. And I am sure I could pivot again on to even greater things. And if I do, I have the confidence that I can do what I set out to do as long as I stay true to myself.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

It’s all about being personable. If clients have a great experience with you, they tell everyone. It’s the free advertisement you need for your business. You must have all of your business parameters in place such as contracts, websites, etc., but who you are and how you treat your clients goes such a long way. Most of my clients are repeat customers because we have built a rapport with one another. Your reputation precedes you. When you go on set or work one on one with clients, it is crucial to be professional, but also amiable. We have a good time and you are going to leave feeling cared for and beautiful. Having a quality service with a winning personality will take you very far. My clients can easily reach me via text, email or through my website. It is important to keep a list of your clientele with their contact info, so that you can send them reminders, specials, etc. to ensure they don’t miss out on all you have to offer. This is a business, make it your own and think about what keeps you coming back to some of your favorite brands. Try to incorporate those things for continued success in your business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mystique-makeup.com
• Instagram: @mystique_makeup
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mystiquemakeup
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/mystiquemakeup