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

Alright, Kate thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us 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 started my journey as a makeup artist 19 years ago! I was hired by MAC Cosmetics and received a great deal of training during their Basic Training.

After that, I was blessed that the lead trainer, Joy Thompson, took me under her wing and gave me the bulk of my knowledge. The tips, tricks and lessons she taught me would prepare me for a career as a makeup artist. Soon after my career was further blessed by teaming up with Carl Ray, personal MUA to Michelle Obama. Carl was not only a mentor but a friend and allowed me to work side by side with him on numerous projects and clients. My time with both of them shaped me into the artist that I am today and I am truly grateful.

When I started as a makeup artist, I was living in Washington, D.C. Coming up as an artist in a metropolitan city that was filled with diversity was an immeasurable opportunity. I quickly became adept at working with persons of all age & race. Many times, artists do not have the convenience of diversity in their clientele. I would not have sped up my learning process in the slightest. Practice makes progress and as artists we are ALWAYS learning and growing. 19 years into my career, I still take classes and read blogs to further my education.

My most valuable skill learned was to perfect the complexion of my clients. Learning different skin types, how to shade match and how to achieve the most natural of outcomes. I also spent a great deal of time learning to shape eyebrows. Those are two of the most important features of the face and can greatly affect the outcome of the application if done improperly. Joy used to say, “If the eyes are the windows to the soul, the brows are the drapes”. This stuck with me all these years and shows the importance of the brows to the structural integrity of the entire face.

Early on in my career, we relied on mentors and those around us to teach and guide us. Now, with the rise of social media and online classes – obstacles of learning have been removed. During the pandemic, there were several organizations of Artists that came together to offer online seminars with celebrity artists such as Sir John, and I dove into them with vigor and gratitude.

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

I am originally from Washington, DC – however I have worked/lived in New York City, Los Angeles and now call Oahu home. In the last 19 years I have been blessed to do hundreds of bridal clients, celebrity clients such as Paris Hilton, marketing campaigns for Victoria’s Secret PINK & Mini Cooper (to name a few), as well as music videos and short film. My daughter is beyond thrilled that I have also worked with Blippi and Sesame Street! We film another episode of Sesame Street this weekend and my 6 year old daughter was also cast in the episode! I am so excited for her to join me on set for this amazing opporunity.

As I mentioned, I was officially hired with MAC Cosmetics 19 years ago, but ask my family and my makeup journey started MUCH earlier than that. I was always drawn to cosmetics and my family & friends were my guinea pigs when I was as young as 6 years old. In my teen years, I had extremely problematic skin and I would spend hours in my room learning how to perfect the finish using makeup.

During my time with MAC, I was promoted within 6 months – made assistant manager of a 2M store in another 6 months and then promoted to Assistant Manager of a 5M door across the country! I soon found my calling was going freelance and left MAC about 6 years into my career with them. My first job as a freelance artist was working with Blink 182 for the cover and inside story for Alt Press Magazine.

I believe that a few things that set me apart as an artist is my level of empathy towards my clients as well as my training in diversity. I was bullied growing up for looking different as well as having severe acne. I understand what it’s like to look into a mirror and wish you were seeing something else. I have come to now embrace my features and spend a great deal of time with each client encouraging them to embrace theirs as well. I do not naturally pull towards a heavy contour on my clients (unless specifically requested) and choose to enhance what I can rather than hide. Beginning my career in an area that was a true melting pot of race, gender identity and age – it taught me to embrace diversity and how to successfully work on a complexion that was different from my own. I’ve found that most people just want to be heard & seen. The more you listen and the more empathetic you are – the better your outcome will be both professionally and personally.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Oh yes – I deeply wish that downsizing one’s kit and re-potting product was taught to me early on in my career. It is so important that we preserve the health of our bodies and as we are on our feet for days on end, our kits can get extremely heavy. I also want to stress to the artist community the importance of finding creative ways to use the same product. Multiple sticks are amazing, I carry almost the full line of Nudestix as they are so blendable, multi-purposeful and have an excellent color range. I rarely carry just powder blush as I can achieve the same finish with eyeshadow and lipstick!

It can be hard to part with the beautiful packaging that products come in, but I promise your back & neck will thank you! Start with all of your skincare and I have no doubt that you’ll want to quickly move onto the rest of your kit.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are so many rewarding aspects of being an artist. I love collaborating with a team of creatives and watch our vision unfold. When you work with other people, you are constantly inspired and motivated to learn more and approach things in a new way. I walk away from every interaction having learned something new and with a new team of people I can call my friends and family.

For me, there is almost no better feeling than seeing a client come alive after the reveal. Seeing their eyes light up and knowing that they love the way they look – it’s a magical moment. I love helping people feel good about themselves and how they present themselves to the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katebroadhurstbeauty.com
• Instagram: @katebroadhurstbeauty
• Facebook: KateBroadhurstBeauty
• Twitter: @MakeupMomMagick
• Other: TikTok: @katebroadhurstbeauty

Image Credits
Ijfke Ridgley T&C Photography Getty Images Hunter Abrams Theel Productions Blake Abes