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

Hi Katie, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

My mother, Carol Withers, owns A Perfect Face Day Spa in Ocean City, MD. Growing up, the spa was like my second home. I spent a lot of days there after school, on the weekends, and it was my first job ever when I became of legal age to work. My first interest in the spa was hair. I was so intrigued by the hair coloring process so I asked my mom if I could work as a hair assistant, or “shampoo girl.” I quickly found out that hair was NOT my thing and it did not give me the spark or passion that I initially thought it would. At this time, I was in middle school approaching high school, and started to become interested in makeup. I discovered Jeffrey Star, Jaclyn Hill, and Michelle Phan on YouTube (just to mention a few of my favorite original YouTubers) and began to experiment with makeup on myself. I kept practicing new makeup looks on myself every day and began to perfect my skills. I did my first client ever, my sister, for her high school homecoming makeup and began doing makeup for her friends quickly after that. My mom quickly picked up on my talent and asked me if I would like to start doing makeup seriously at her spa for weddings and special events. Obviously, I said yes! After several weeks of apprenticing and training from other makeup artists and estheticians at the spa, I began taking my own clients at just 14 years old. Throughout high school and college, I worked at the spa on the weekends doing special event and wedding makeup. It wasn’t until a few years later when I was in college that I had my first request to travel and do wedding makeup on-site. It was at this time, that I realized I could reach a bigger market and clientele if I went out on my own and marketed myself individually away from the spa and became an independent traveling makeup artist. Throughout my college years, I was given the superlative “Contour Queen” from my sorority for always having the best makeup, so it was only fitting that I would name my business after my signature makeup step, contour! Contoured by Katie LLC was founded in 2021 and the rest is history!

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

I’m Katie Withers, Head Makeup Artist and Founder of Contoured by Katie. For over 10 years, I’ve been expanding my knowledge and experience in bridal and special events makeup to help women feel confident and beautiful on their special day. I became fascinated by makeup and beauty at an early age and was exposed to the wedding industry through working at my mom’s day spa, A Perfect Face Day Spa, and knew I somehow wanted to be a part of it. At Contoured by Katie, we infuse creativity, innovation, and passion into our work to help women radiate confidence, inside and out. We believe that all women deserve to feel beautiful, so everything we do is in support of that! Our approach to special event makeup artistry enhances your natural beauty while exceeding your expectations for superior quality services. All while meeting the highest standards of hygiene and sanitation to ensure our clients’ safety and satisfaction. Our commitment to quality and excellence allows us to provide a luxury, unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience, every single time.

What makes the Contoured by Katie difference is that we care about getting to know our clients and their wants and needs before we apply any stitch of makeup to their faces. I have heard from previous Brides and bridesmaids that they hated how their makeup looked at their friend’s wedding because the makeup artist executed what they wanted, and never asked them how they wanted to look or what their specific needs were. We take pride in getting to know all the details and intricacies of every client to ensure they have the best experience possible.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started my social media presence for my business first on Facebook and Instagram. When I was just starting out and was not super busy with clients, I would ask friends, family, and models on Instagram if I could give them a free makeover in exchange for photos and videos of the makeup for my social media pages. When you are first starting a business, sometimes you have to humble yourself and provide services or products free of charge or for a discount to get your name out there. I continued do free makeovers in my “off-season” and would take as many photos and videos as I could to consistently post content on social media. Posting consistently on Instagram and Facebook allowed me to build up followers and become a fully booked-out makeup artist. For every makeup session that I do, I make sure to prioritize getting before and after photos and videos of my clients to show my capabilities and talent as a makeup artist. I would advise other business owners in the beauty industry to do the same. Prioritize photo and video content and posting on social media! I would also suggest investing in a high-quality camera to take your photos and videos on because it makes a huge difference in the quality of your content. When the quality of your content is better, the more people will trust you and believe that you are more professional and your work is better.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think the most important things that helped me build my reputation within my market are word of mouth, referrals, and networking. When I first started my business, the only people booking with me were the people who knew me personally. Through their word of mouth, posting on social media, and referring me to other clients, I was able to expand my brand. Not only is it important to ask your clients to leave you reviews and refer you to friends, but it is also important to network with other vendors within your industry. I always make sure with any wedding that I work to network with the other vendors working the wedding, introducing myself, and sharing my business information. It is extremely important to always put your best foot and face forward because you never know who you’re going to meet or who you might end up working with in the future. I have become friends with other makeup artists, hair stylists, wedding planners, photographers, venue owners, etc. and they have all recommended me for future weddings, jobs, special events, and vice versa! Vendor referrals are equally as important as client referrals and both go a long way!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.contouredbykatie.com
• Instagram: @contouredbykatie
• Facebook: @contouredbykatiewithers
• Other: TikTok: @contouredbykatie

Image Credits
Photography Credit: Sterrett Photography