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

Hi Madison, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

It feels like everyday I have meaningful customer interactions! With my role at Rare Beauty I get to meet customers and community members that believe in the brand and trust us to help them feel like their best selves. I’ve done makeup for people for weddings, funerals, dances, dates, red carpets, celebrating their completion of chemo, you name it! We get a front row seat for the complexity of life and I’m honored to use my craft to connect and empower those I meet.

Madison, 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?

I knew I wanted to be a makeup artist from a young age. I did hair and makeup for all of my friends in high school when we would go to dances or celebrate birthdays, and I led the team for our theater program’s shows. Right out of high school, I went to MakeUp Designory (MUD) in Burbank, and was certified after completing their Master MakeUp Artist Program. I thought I would jump into film and follow that path, but I found myself working for various brands such as Stila, Laura Mercier, Too Faced and MAC.
During this time I went back to school to broaden my horizons as a makeup artist, and a person, and ended up getting a Master’s degree in Leadership Development. Through working in the industry during my schooling, I found that a main tension point I faced as an artist was selling to customers as a solution for their insecurities. It was hard for me to help people cover up things they didn’t like rather than help them embrace their natural beauty.
This is why I am incredibly passionate about the mission of Rare Beauty, and feel at home selling a brand that centers around enhancing natural beauty to be comfortable in your own skin.
I am currently the Sales and Education Specialist for Orange County and San Diego, and I feel incredibly blessed to share myself with customers everyday as I help them find the right products for their “Rare Routine” as we call it.

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

I think there is pressure to present yourself a certain way in the beauty industry, especially on social media. I tried for a long time to curate my page and presence in a certain way, but at the end of the day I am not a content creator and the amount of energy I put into this unsuccessful curation was taking away from how I connected with followers and friends online. I’m still posting and creating when it feels right, but I’m also being more authentic in what I’m enjoying and want to share rather than putting something out there because I feel like I should.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I read the book “Crucial Conversations” in grad school and it was pivotal in my view of communication and difficult conversations, personally and professionally. I’m actually adding it to my “to be read” list for the fall! It helps you unpack the narratives and postures that often go along with difficult or confrontational conversations, and how to step into them authentically and without defensiveness.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: MadisonLeighHilll
• Other: Please include- These thoughts are completely mine and do not represent the views or opinions of Rare Beauty.

Image Credits

Headshot- Taylor Joy Photography