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

Jasmine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I gained an interest in Makeup while in high school. Growing up, I was a dancer. I went to a performing arts school in Washington DC, doing continuous performances. I guess you can say I was forced to learn how to do makeup. My father is a huge Star Trek fan who loves to watch the ending credits. Usually, I never paid any attention to them, but one day I did. I saw, “Key Makeup Artist’, scroll by and that’s when I realized, that doing makeup was a real profession. This was at the very beginning of YouTube, and Instagram wasn’t even a thing yet. The makeup industry today was not the makeup industry I grew up in. Back then, makeup was a tight-knit industry that felt heavily gatekept. If you wanted to become a makeup artist, you had to rely heavily on books and the few in-person classes that were offered. After extensive research, I enrolled in a small makeup class, the summer going into my sophomore year of college, and I never looked back. My goal was to do makeup as a hobby but the urge to make a life of it became stronger and stronger. I took another makeup class with Makeup Artist Renny Vasquez the summer after graduating from college, and that honestly gave me the confidence and boost I needed to become an official makeup artist. I took a leap of faith in 2012, moved to Atlanta, and got a job at MAC Cosmetics not too long after. I tell people, I’ve been doing makeup since 2007, but I didn’t make it my profession until 2012.

I honestly can’t pinpoint what I could have done to speed up my learning process, because I believe everything happens in due time. Working for MAC gave me the best hands-on artist training as well as customer service skills. I not only learned how to do makeup on various skin tones but also how to communicate with people from different walks of life. Being in a work environment surrounded by other extremely talented artists, forces you to step outside of your comfort zone. The most essential skill you can learn as a makeup artist is color theory. That’s the foundation that you need to master to be a great artist.

Jasmine, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Jasmine Umrani. I’m originally from Washington, DC, and currently reside in Atlanta, GA. I got into the industry after gaining interest in high school. I was forced to learn how to do my makeup for performances, but I began to gain interest in doing it for others in college. I got my license as an esthetician in 2019. In addition to being a makeup artist, I formulate skincare as well. I learned that black women are the top consumers of beauty products and services, and I wanted to be a person that catered to us, with us at the forefront. Even in esthetics school, the education was geared towards European women. The skincare concerns and treatment for women of color felt like an afterthought. I am well versed in all skin tones, but I pride myself on catering and putting African American and other women of color at the forefront. My clients can tell you that I pride myself on being extremely dependable, trustworthy, and professional in my business. My proudest moment in my career so far was seeing my work on the cover of Essence Magazine with the 2022 Georgia Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Growing up, Essence magazine was a staple in every black household in America. Since the beginning of my makeup journey, I’ve always wanted to see my work on the cover, and it finally came true. My time working with Stacey Abrams during the summer of her campaign will be a lasting memory forever.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a makeup artist is seeing how my passion positively affects other people. Being a makeup artist is more than just playing in makeup. We can connect with women and men on a deeper level by giving them the chance to look and feel their very best. I’ve had clients who never had their makeup done and didn’t have a positive outlook on wearing makeup in general. They told me that I gave them a source of confidence they didn’t know they had. I live but the motto, “If you look good, you’ll feel good”. Knowing that I can make someone feel their absolute best, is the most rewarding and reassuring aspect to let me know that I am doing what I was always meant to do.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Growing up in DC, it was pretty much expected for us to go to college, graduate, and work for the government. Working for the government is a safe and stable career path. I knew at a very early age, that wouldn’t be the road I would take. I’ve always been in a creative space growing up. I’m grateful to have family and friends who support me in my journey, but I can’t say they always understood. When I decided to become a makeup artist, some thought that it would be in addition to an expected job. I heard, “Oh that’s great, but what else?” Makeup was seen as fun, but not as a lucrative career. I’m happy to see that there has been a huge uptick in the creative and artistic world becoming mainstream, but when I was growing up, making a living as an artist, outside of acting and singing, wasn’t the norm. Being an artist and creative, working for yourself, means that you are constantly on a grind. With a lot of us, if there is no work, there is no income. I know a lot of people can’t fathom the idea of that, especially in today’s economy. But, I want non-creatives to understand that for us, it’s not just about what we want we want to do, but that we have to do it. Our art form, whatever it may be, is who we are. It’s our lifeline and living may not be as meaningful without it. That’s what keeps us going when times get rough.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jasmineumrani.com
• Instagram: @j.umranimua

Image Credits
Stacey Abrams Essence Magazine- Gunner Stahl (photographer) Cory Hardict & Mitchell Edwards Rolling Out Magazine- Sterling Pics (Photographer) Image #3- Femqua by Porsha Antalan Image #4 Actor Jahi Winston- Keith Saunders (Photographer) Glitter Aint Gold Short Film- Writer/Director Christian Nolan Woodside Drive Images #6 #7- Bee Trofort-Wilson (Photographer)