Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lauren Patterson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Lauren 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?
Learning about makeup started at a young age of simply watching the women around me, and playing around with different looks, colors, and products. Growing up, the internet was but a small speck on the horizon of technology, and therefore, my social media and makeup tutorials were found in the form of magazines like Cosmopolitan, YM, US Weekly, and INstyle. I would scour the pages, find looks I loved and try to recreate them on myself. As I grew, I started creating looks on my friends, and once the internet was born, it became a lot easier to learn different techniques and find better products.
After I started my business, I pretty quickly began getting booked for jobs. Besides possessing a knowledge of how to actually apply makeup, I immediately realized that one of the most essential skills needed for this art was a genuine love for people and the ability to multitask. I’m typically working with people who are about to embark on one of the greatest adventures of their life; getting married. I need to be in tune with how they’re feeling that day, whether they’re stressed, excited, or maybe even in shell shock. I need to be able to listen to and reassure them that this day is going to be amazing no matter what happens, and make them feel like the true queen they are. And through all this, I need to get the job done in the amount of time they’ve given me, sometimes under, all while they may be talking on the phone, eating, getting their hair done, and sometimes shedding a tear or two.
Truly, the old adage “Practice Makes Perfect,” is really the biggest key to perfecting and honing this craft. I’ve learned that the only way for me to get better at this artform is to just keep doing it. Maybe one weekend I feel like I wasn’t on my A-game…I need to process what I think I was weak at, and take that knowledge with me into the next job.
Lauren, 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 family is full of creatives. Both sets of grandmothers as well as my mother were painters and pianists. They were always very well dressed, hair done, with a full face of makeup on every day. My older sister and I stood zero chance of not viewing the world through paint-colored glasses. So growing up, I painted and drew everything, and then in middle and high school, makeup was introduced into my world. I started doing makeup for friends, and we would use our 90 minute first period class as an excuse to perfect our look of the day. My love, interest, and talent for the art of makeup grew as I did.
My story with becoming a makeup artist is all about how everything came at the right time and place. Around 7 years ago, after getting married and starting a family, I longed for and was ready to start a career focused around what I was passionate about. I knew I didn’t want to simply work at a makeup counter or retailer, so I started researching master class courses or possible schools in the area. Amazingly, I found a school here in Austin that provides further education and certification for aspiring makeup artists. I took the courses, and started my own business from there. First and foremost, the instructors taught me that it was possible to have a makeup artistry career without working at a counter in the mall. They provided students with a professional grade makeup kit, airbrush included, and were amazing at educating on the fundamentals needed to apply makeup on a wide variety of people.
I absolutely love what I do. I am most proud of the fact that I have centered my business around my clients. In my profession, I’ve realized one of the most important things I can bring to the interaction is the fact that I can listen well. What kind of look does my client want? How does my client want to feel in their photos or at their event? What is my client worried about that day? I love that I get to listen to and counsel people in addition to helping them feel their most beautiful. And when they see the finished look in the mirror? That is the most priceless part of what I do.
A big component of being a makeup artist is being able to properly assess someone’s appearance, skin condition, and their overall coloring in a fairly short amount of time. I need to be able to create a look that will highlight and compliment their features, and fast. While I do love a good “extra” look, what I first and foremost strive for is a look that will enhance the person’s natural beauty. I try to apply makeup in such a way that makes it look like it’s part of their actual skin, even if they have heavy foundation on or are wearing false lashes. I know how to properly use an airbrush machine for foundation and blush, but I also love a good tried and true liquid foundation. Realizing that I can use a lipstick as both eyeshadow and blush in a pinch is true power…the more makeup “rules” you learn, the more you realize how they can be broken. And breaking rules can be fun.
Skincare is also something that I’m beyond passionate about, and I try to incorporate into my business as much as I can. I could talk on and on (and have) about how to properly take care of one’s skin. I have started using serums as primers, and try to use cruelty free or natural products if I’m able. We live in a time and age now where the amount and types of makeup products on the market are endless and can be overwhelming to some, but I get so excited to try out new brands or items. A big part of my job is getting to help educate clients while I’m working. I get a lot of questions about what my favorite products are, or how to apply something at home, and I absolutely love empowering others to be able to recreate a look or use a product they may otherwise be nervous about.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My life is all about adjusting, rearranging, and adapting. I started my makeup artistry business after the birth of my second child almost 8 years ago. A few years later, I had my third and final child, and had to step back a bit from my business in order to catch a breath. For a while there, I limited myself to doing makeup to only friends of friends in order to focus on my children. Once my youngest turned two, I felt ready to bring my business back to life, had a wedding booked, only to have COVID strike the world and shut everything down. It was a really uncertain and discouraging time for everyone, and I wasn’t sure if or when my industry would ever make a come back. I remember feeling really frantic and anxious, wondering what I could do to not lose business. Looking back, it became a season for me to slow down, focus more on my mental health and family, and assess what I wanted to change or improve about my business. Since then, things have been slowly returning to normal, and I don’t feel that panic to find clients or make things happen anymore. I’ve been able to market better and learn the ins and outs of improving my social media presence. Clients are trickling back in, weddings and family photos are coming back, and I’m super optimistic about the future of my business.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think there are some people out there who look at makeup, hair, or fashion and scoff, thinking it’s all a silly pursuit focused on vanity or celebrity. But to me, it’s an artform on par with painting or sculpting a masterpiece. When I apply makeup, I get to paint a living, breathing work of art, and it is different each time. The angles and planes of someone’s bone structure, and the color palette of their skin, hair or eyes are all components that aid me as I create this unique work of art. In fact, some of the same techniques that artists use, such as contouring and highlighting, are skills I also employ to make features recede or stand out on someone’s face. I have the honor of working on a living 3D model, who has the ability to feel worth, dignity and beauty that we get to showcase to the world. Makeup is universal; it’s found in all cultures, all over the globe. Again, it’s an art form. As humans, we get to utilize makeup to enhance our bodies and features, or simply express the fact that we love color and patterns.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.makeupbyloaustin.com
- Instagram: @makeup_by_lo77
- Other: email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Photographer-Lauren Patterson Editor-Sabrina Giese