We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ruth Illera a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ruth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

In 2017 I made the decision to become a freelance makeup artist. The first year I spent advertising on Thumbtack and freelancing for a few bridal makeup and hair companies in San Antonio. Working for different companies and having to also find my own clients was not always easy. As a beginner makeup artist you have to be willing to learn from others and be super flexible to gain experience. By 2018 I was starting to get more clients on my own, but what catapulted my business was attending the Wedding MBA in Las Vegas. I came back and decided to revamp my website, create a video and started reaching out to other freelancers to invite them to become a part of my team. Another key factor was deciding to start advertising with Wedding Wire and later on The Knot. Quickly brides started sharing their experience through five star reviews and our company began to be recognized! We won best makeup artist Award in San Antonio in 2019, 2021 and 2025. We have worked multiple weddings and business is growing. Social media presence I’d say is also key as well as having good relationships with other wedding vendors in the area.

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

My name is Ruth and I was born and raised in Spain but moved to the States to attend college. Makeup was always a big passion of mine, so naturally I took some makeup classes at a very prestigious school owned by former Miss Spain and taught by her personal makeup artist, Pedro Gonzalez, who is a well known celebrity makeup artist and very involved in the Miss Spain beauty pageant. I then moved to the States to pursue a career, so I did not get to work in the beauty industry until later on. In 2017, after having had a few different jobs and having taught High School, I decided to start freelancing. I did a variety of jobs, from fashion shows, to photoshoots and a few television ads, however once I discovered bridal makeup and hair, I fell in love with it.

We specialize in helping brides who love soft glam, a happy medium between natural and glam. Our specialty is helping brides achieve a flawless look by providing a makeup application that looks and feels great on the skin and that stays all day while photographing extremely well. What we often hear is “I want to look like myself just enhanced” or “I don’t want cakey foundation”. So if those are your worries, we got you covered!

I hand pick the stylists that work in my team, and I not only look for talent, but also for individuals with a heart and passion for this industry. Luckily I am blessed to work with an amazing team of very talented and sweet professionals.

When you hire our team, you get the whole experience! from our quick communication, to a very individualized experience. We make sure every client walks away feeling the best version of themselves and that is what we strive for every single time.

Have you ever had to pivot?

After graduating college, I was immediately hired as a High School Spanish teacher. I was very happy and loved working with the youth and making a difference in their lives. When my son Daniel was diagnosed with autism, I had to give up my career as a teacher to be able to give him the care he required. The transition was not easy as I still needed to help provide financially for my family. That is why the idea came of becoming a freelancer makeup artist, because I would have the flexibility of mostly working weekends while my husband was able to watch our son. I have never been afraid to work hard, I have had many different jobs throughout my life (I have worked retail, was a flight attendant, a professional cheerleader, teacher and now a business owner). In life, we have to realize that things are not always as we plan, but if we are open to embrace change, we can be surprised at what positive things come our way!

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

This question is very dear to me. I love working with my beautiful clients, and I make sure every time to go above and beyond for them. At the same time, you have to ask people to write you reviews and share their positive experience. This aspect is what has helped my company become what it is today. We hold hundreds of five start reviews across different platforms (Google, The Knot, Wedding Wire, etc). People like to read other’s experiences and make sure they know what to expect. Our reviews mean the world to us! and that is what for us has been key.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lilyflowermakeup.com
• Instagram: @lilyflowerhairandmakeup

Image Credits

@Andreajangphotography
@sageandhoneyphotography
@sungoldphoto
@courtneywarden photography