We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ivy Boyd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ivy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I’ve always been an artist. When I was little, people didn’t ask me what I was doing, but rather, what was I drawing.

I’ve always loved creating. Drawings, paintings, jewelry.

I took private art lessons in the summer. I went to art camp. I got an art degree. I met my husband during graphic design 3 class. All roads in my life have led to art.

For the last 11+ years, I’ve absolutely loved being a makeup artist. It has become not only my job, but my identity and I truly feel it’s what I was meant to do.

All that being said, I’ve actually never dreamt of having a beauty line. Whenever people would ask if it was ever something I aspired to, I always said no, and I meant it.

“What could I do that doesn’t already exist?”

“That sounds like a ton of work.”

“Oh no, that’s probably too expensive.”

Something changed when I realized two important things at an artist’s retreat.

I personally do not need a makeup line, but my clients need one from me.
My clients told me exactly what to build. They told me what they wanted, what they needed, what wasn’t working for them in the current landscape. Most of all, they expressed a strong desire to learn. Like they say, people don’t buy products, people buy people, I realized I was the people my clientele wanted to buy from.

My art background is what differentiates me.
Most makeup artists love the medium of makeup. We love to talk product, formula, pigment pay off, but I’ve always felt a deeper love for reasons that started with art. My love of makeup likely started with my love of Matisse. My fascination with cosmetics probably began with the Gustav Klimt works hanging on the walls of my childhood home. It’s always been a little more meaningful and more fulfilling for me.

Branding
The line began with a call back to my graphic design days, branding. I knew the name would inform everything else so I filled my iPhone Notes app with lists. I made lists of words, feelings, moods.

When I arrived at Portrait, I felt really good about it. It encompasses everything I want to say and the way I use makeup. Your portrait is what you present to the world. I’ve been drawing portraits for most of my life, now helping others refine their’s.

I designed the logo and started making vision boards. The logo was actually inspired by vintage oil pastel packaging I came across while thrifting.

I broke down the style of makeup I do into core product categories. I simplified it into a color palette of shades that always deliver. I narrowed it down to textures that I like to work with and that flatter the skin.

Testing
I began trying tons of cosmetic formulas, from various manufacturers. This was the expensive part. Most of the time, I’d know right away that it was a no. Other times, I had to wear it around, nap in it, cry in it, test it on a few people, then veto it. I always knew something was special right away. I’m a pretty decisive person and that has honestly helped so much in this process.

When I felt good about something, I’d use it on clients and note which colors they were asking about, really responding to. The products for my line had to not only stand up next to the tried and true industry standards I already use in kit, I had to prefer them to those.

Ordering
This has been entirely self funded. I used money I earned from weddings to fund it. When I realized I needed to order more, I’d take on an additional wedding or project to pay for it.

When I placed my first big inventory order, it was at night, when I would do all of my work for Portrait. Only at night did I second guess things. In the daylight hours, I was confident this was a good idea. At night, I’d start fixating on the amount I’d already spent on sampling, inventory and hear those sneaky inside voices saying “what if this is a huge flop and you wasted all that money?”

Content creation
I knew that to be successful, I had to pair great products with comprehensive education.
I filmed and edited instructional tutorial videos for each product, ensuring that no one left my site not knowing how to use something. That part was extremely important to me. I will continue to build this section up, empowering everyone to create. Portrait is for the artist is all of us, and if I can show someone how to find that, I’m thrilled.

Growth
I definitely have plans to expand the line into more categories, including foundation and eyeshadow. I am only adding what people have specifically asked for and thus far, listening to my client has served me well. I won’t expand into a category unless there’s something for everyone. The world makes a lot of different canvas colors and I want to celebrate them all.

At the core of everything, I remain an artist first. I love creating on the human face, connecting with people through that. All roads in my life have led to art, and have been made possible because of it.

Ivy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been working as a makeup artist for 11.5 years in Des Moines, Iowa. I specialize in natural makeup for weddings, commercial projects, photoshoots and also teach lessons.

A lifelong artist, I earned Studio Art degree with an emphasis in Graphic Design from the University of Northern Iowa. I then worked as a graphic designer in the ad agency world until I got laid off, not once, but twice. The second time around, I listened and decided to pursue what felt most natural. I got a job at a Sephora store and instantly loved it. When someone was shopping for a foundation, I genuinely wanted to help them.

Though I’ve always loved doing my own makeup, when I started doing makeup on others, I realized it was the perfect fusion of art and emotional connection for me.

I love art and creating, but at the core of what I do, is loving people. I wouldn’t enjoy this job if I didn’t.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I don’t think you can underestimate the power that lies within the know, like, trust factor. Because I’ve been openly sharing beauty relevant content since 2012, via a beauty blog, YouTube channel, Facebook and now most often, Instagram, people got to know me.

I shared fun content like Halloween makeup looks, but I also shared not as fun topics like hair removal, mental health, my journey with severe melasma discoloration and the failures of natural deodorant.

People grew to like me, because I didn’t take myself very seriously and leveled with them.

Then, as a result, they trusted me. When it was time to launch a brand, they were ready to support a person they already knew, liked, and trusted.

My best advice would be not to overthink your content.
Film in the moment, post and move on.

One thing that can prevent you from overthinking and striving for unrelatable perfectionism is to record within the Instagram app. That way, you just hit post and you don’t have a ton of content just sitting in your camera roll with no plans to post.

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

Feedback is not criticism. I first learned it in college, when we had a class that was called critique and that is literally all we did for 2 hours. You’d put your work on the wall, and take turns anonymously critiquing it. You didn’t even have to be polite about it.

When I started doing makeup, I knew to expect that same level of critique. It definitely stings the first time you get some feedback that isn’t entirely positive but now I remember 2 important things every time.

Feedback is information and information, you can do something with.

Feedback isn’t personal, it’s business.

It’s still one of the hardest things to ask for, but 9 times out of 10, I’m glad to have it and can do something even deeper, better or more special with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.portraitbeauty.us/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivysavanah/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ivysavanah33
• Other: Additional Instagrams https://www.instagram.com/portraitbeautyco/ https://www.instagram.com/ivyboydmakeup/ Additional Websites https://www.ivyboyd.com/ https://wakeupformakeup.com/

Image Credits
Katie Lindgren Photography Nicole Laing Photography Jasper Chung Photography Jake Boyd Photo