We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gabriela Pazmino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Gabriela, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The project I’m working on is a reflection of my vision for my career and the world of makeup. It’s a journey that evolves with every step I take and every person I meet. To me, this project represents the true purpose of my life.
When I started my career, I was drawn to the idea of using makeup as a tool for enhancing beauty. I saw an industry full of possibilities where different techniques and skills could be applied with rewarding outcomes. However, as I delved deeper into my studies and worked with hundreds of women over the years, I realized something profound. Meeting, educating, guiding, and working with these women, regardless of their culture, race, or ethnicity, I discovered that each one of them possesses a unique beauty. Through their faces, I saw diverse needs, strengths, stories, and battles. I came to understand that makeup is a way to help women highlight, discover, and appreciate their unique beauty.
For me, this career transformed into a service to others. It’s about imparting knowledge so that each person can recognize and celebrate their own beauty. Every time I apply makeup, it’s an opportunity to provide someone with a tool to feel better, to enjoy themselves, to feel good, to embrace new opportunities and new beginnings, to recognize themselves, to accept themselves, or to rediscover who they are. I firmly believe that makeup is not about changing one’s features; it’s a beautiful tool for enhancing them. Through this process, the generosity and ability to uplift others have been a blessing in my life.
Moreover, my life’s purpose is to educate. I believe that sharing knowledge is the best way to grow and empower others. Knowledge opens doors, builds confidence, and creates opportunities. Being an educator in this industry has shown me that giving is more important than receiving. It has taught me the value of empathy over seeking blame or perfection. I’ve learned that everyone has their own stories, and while behaviors, languages, and cultures can differ, love makes it possible to help others. By educating, sharing, and giving what we have, we enable others to grow. True leadership is about leading by example. If you leave a positive mark on the hearts of those you work with, the results are fruitful not only for them but also for yourself.
Helping others and empowering women is the essence of my life’s work. Through makeup and education, I strive to give women the tools and confidence they need to embrace their unique beauty and achieve their fullest potential.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a Latina woman who, before studying what truly made me happy and fulfilled, went through various phases. Initially, I studied economics in my home country, something that never satisfied or made me happy. These decisions were influenced by societal stereotypes, especially since, over a decade ago, the makeup industry had no presence in my country.
Due to various circumstances, I came to the United States and studied production makeup and special effects. This decision changed the course of my life. I will always be grateful to God for turning challenges into blessings and opportunities, one of which was opening the path for me in this career here in North America. Many times, I accepted low-paying or even unpaid jobs to make a name for myself because I knew no one in the industry and had no prior experience.
It’s true that when God gives you a talent, you must know how to use it wisely and, more importantly, place it in His hands and use it for His service. I sincerely thank Him for everything I’ve achieved, as He has taken me to places I only dreamed of and towards goals I aspired to reach.
My journey involved a lot of effort, long hours, meeting targets, and sacrificing precious time with my family. But in every situation, I gave my best, persevered, and understood that God’s timing is perfect. If something comes your way, it’s part of your path to growth, whether it’s good or challenging. Everything comes with a purpose and a lesson. I always ask to be able to take the best from each success and each mistake, to move forward with humility and never forget where I started.
Now, I am grateful to God for my career, as it has given me the purpose of my life, which is my life project. Today, I work as a makeup artist and trainer for Yves Saint Laurent in the Miami region. This experience has taught me that education is the most powerful tool one can share with another human being. Giving it generously, with heart and passion, is a true gift—not only for the receiver but also for the giver. To educate, one must prepare, understand the language, the words, and the realities of people, their cultures, and their challenges.
In addition to my work with Yves Saint Laurent, I also volunteer at a shelter LOTUS house in Miami, where I help women who have suffered from violence. This volunteer work is deeply meaningful to me, as I use my skills to empower these women, providing them with makeup education and helping them rebuild their confidence and sense of self-worth. Every time I visit a YSL Beauty counter or the shelter, I remember when I started and how, with effort and dedication, doors began to open. Everything we work for yields fruits, and those fruits are life’s greatest lessons.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Resilience is the ability to adapt and overcome adversity. I believe that being a mother and learning to prioritize has helped me maintain a strong and stable bond with my children.
As a woman, there were years when I had to put my career on hold to care for my children, to embrace motherhood, and to be present in their lives due to circumstances that demanded my constant attention. Society isn’t always kind to the journey of being a mother while also striving to grow professionally and achieve personal fulfillment. In previous generations and in the culture of my home country, many women gave up their dreams and talents to stay with their children, and the idea of professional development was almost unthinkable.
When I arrived in a foreign country with my children and my husband, we found ourselves in a situation where we only had each other. We either had to work as a team to move forward or give up everything we had built. At that point, adapting was the only way forward, and overcoming adversities has been one of the most beautiful lessons.
Resilience has allowed me to accept myself as a woman, mother, and wife, and to let go of the guilt that only serves as a barrier to progress. I’ve allowed myself to dream, to study, and to turn that guilt into an example for my children, who are my daily motivation. Knowing that my children have a mother who has adapted and developed both personally and professionally, who found her life’s purpose through her talent, and who demonstrates her love in every training, event, and makeup session, while never forgetting that the true priority is always home, love, togetherness, and unity, is incredibly fulfilling.
Resilience is a virtue I want to continue applying because it’s a beautiful way to grow, to step out of the comfort zone, and to become better human beings.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Honestly, I believe that being creative is equivalent to having a world of possibilities, and I think creativity is a great characteristic of what I do because it allows you to give each person something unique and special in makeup. Creativity not only allows you to create and make new things, but it also lets you experiment. I always say that not all products are for all people, all skins, or all faces, but with creativity, you can make a single product have multiple uses, and you can highlight various features. The ability to create lets you harmonize textures and tones, sculpt the skin, and I think it’s a beautiful way to fill a canvas with something perfectly created.
I believe in the unique beauty of every human being, and for me, creativity is one of the most beautiful ways to give each person that world of possibilities that is unique to them.
On the other hand, creativity allows you to adapt. In education, it is very important to adapt content, programs, and information. As you may know, living in Miami exposes you to many cultures, languages, and forms of communication, so creativity has allowed me to make information a diverse resource for better training. I have learned to adapt so that people can understand whether something is more technical or simply easy to remember. Creativity allows us to adapt, discover, and share
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielapazminoartistry?igsh=aHZrY2p5eXBqdGFk&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriela-pazmino-762183133?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app