We were lucky to catch up with Sam Kent recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sam, thanks for joining 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?

When Sam Kent first started her career as a lash artist, she was filled with excitement and enthusiasm. She had always loved makeup, skincare, and beauty, and she felt that becoming a lash artist was the perfect way to express her creativity while helping others feel beautiful.

However, as time went on, Sam began to realize that her skills as a lash artist weren’t quite up to par. She struggled with consistency and precision, and generally wasn’t happy with her work. Despite her best efforts to improve, she couldn’t seem to get the hang of it.

Feeling discouraged and unsure of what to do next, Sam began to explore other areas of the beauty industry. She had always been interested in makeup artistry, but she had never pursued it seriously. However, as she started experimenting with different looks and techniques, she discovered that she had a natural talent for makeup.

Sam threw herself into learning everything she could about makeup artistry. She watched tutorials, practiced on herself and friends, and even took some courses to improve her skills. Slowly but surely, she began to build a reputation as a makeup artist, and clients started coming to her for their special events and photoshoots.

The transition from failing lash artist to successful makeup artist wasn’t easy, but Sam credits her success to her resilience and creativity. She didn’t let her initial failure as a lash artist hold her back or discourage her. Instead, she used it as an opportunity to explore other areas of her passion for beauty and found her true calling as a makeup artist.

Today, Sam is a thriving makeup artist with a loyal following of clients who appreciate her attention to detail, creativity, and ability to enhance their natural beauty. She’s even started offering makeup lessons and donating time to share her knowledge and inspire others to pursue their own passions in the beauty industry. Some of her most notable clients in her first year include: Marshelle Johnston, Miss Denver 2022 and current Miss Centennial 2023, Elena Flannery, Mrs. Falcon 2023, and Kiyomi Olson, Mrs. Eastern Colorado, as well as a vintage makeup publication.

Sam’s story is a testament to the power of resilience and creativity. Sometimes, our failures can lead us to unexpected opportunities and open new doors to success. With hard work, dedication, and a willingness to explore new possibilities, we can all achieve our dreams and find our true calling.

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

“I started out, five years ago with nothing more than a dream. I’d go into my esthetician and lash artist’s studio every two weeks, and we would talk skincare and life for the hour and a half I was there. I eventually mentioned my love for skincare and a dream of becoming a lash artist with my own studio one day, and the next appointment that I came into, she had boxes of practice lashes and tons of tips for me. I was floored by the kindness, but a PCS (military restation) was looming, and the closest school of cosmetology was two hours away from us. My dreams went on hold for a bit, and I continued working a service job to make ends meet.

Then the change of station came. It was time to move on, and we landed in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There were cosmetology schools around every corner, two less than thirty minutes from my house. But covid struck, and the entire world was stuck on pause. Schools shut down, my work shut down, and quickly, two weeks of quarantine turned into more or less a year.

Finally, in late 2021, schools began going back to real, in person classes. I applied to the school of my choice for the esthetician program, scraped together the money and began the program before the year ended.

Going into esthetician school, I thought I wanted a lash bar, with other girls passionate about lashing, my own steady clientele, etc. But very soon, I realized I hated lashing. It was tedious, and hard on your body. I didn’t have the passion for it that I had envisioned when I began school, and I knew it wasn’t something that I wanted to do for the next ten to twenty years. In the midst of learning that I hated lashing, I got covid. I was out for two weeks of class and came back during makeup week.

Makeup had always been something that was self-taught for me. I had loved it since I was a child, beginning with my first play makeup set which I promptly smeared all over my face. I even had to live through the horrible orange mousse matte makeup that plagued the early 2000’s. I had begun attempting falsies at the age of 14, and honestly, I glued my eye shut. But a lot had changed in those years. I regularly had to wear makeup for the job I worked and going through the makeup application portion of our schooling, I found that I was both good and efficient at it. They would always have us group up and work on each other and I quickly fell in love with every aspect of it and took full advantages of the schools supplies for everyday makeup and special effects. I had a few people book me for makeup specifically while still in school and joined Miss Denver’s team after graduating with honors from esthetician school in early spring of 2022.

Working on her team gave me the confidence and the courage to go for it and become a makeup artist. I had always looked up to them, and thought it would be a dream job, making people feel beautiful in their own skin for a living. By expanding what I offer into an online holistic shop, I hope to continue to create a space for others to feel their most beautiful in every aspect of their journey.”

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Thank you for the opportunity to share my story and introduce Bad Witch Beauty to your readers. My name is Sam Kent, and I am the founder and owner of Bad Witch Beauty, a BIPOC women-owned small business that provides a range of products and services for individuals who want to express their unique style through makeup, skincare, and other eclectic wares.

As a licensed esthetician and makeup artist, I have always been passionate about helping people feel confident and beautiful in their own skin. However, as a plus-sized model and a practicing witch, I also know firsthand the challenges that come with finding products and services that cater to my unique beauty needs and spiritual practices. That’s why I started Bad Witch Beauty – to create a space where everyone, regardless of their size, skin tone, or identity, can feel seen, heard, and celebrated.

At Bad Witch Beauty, we offer a range of services, and only use cruelty-free and vegan makeup and skincare products that are specially formulated to work with a variety of skin tones and types. We provide skincare consultations, brow mapping, waxing, and all types of event makeup; from senior photo looks to to bridal, to full body painting special effects, to help our clients feel confident and beautiful in any situation that life may bring them to.

In addition to our makeup and skincare offerings, we will soon be launching an online store featuring homemade candles, wax melts, intuitive readings, and other witchy wares. Our candles are hand-poured with natural soy wax and infused with essential oils and herbs to create a unique and magickal experience. We also offer a range of other witchy wares, including wax warmers, tarot decks, locally sourced handmade teas, and other spiritual tools to help our clients connect with their inner magick and spiritual practices.

One of the biggest problems we strive to solve for our clients is the lack of representation and accessibility in both the beauty and spiritual industries. We understand that everyone’s style and beauty needs, as well as their spiritual practices, are unique, and we strive to create a safe and inclusive space for our clients. We also provide expert advice and guidance to help our clients find the right products and services for their needs.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I think the biggest goal is to create a space, or an item that makes people feel at home within themselves. Whether it’s a look that you get done and you feel like you have to go out on the town because you’re feeling yourself a bit too much and it cannot be contained, or a candle that you love and you just want to take home with you and have for your own personal space.

I grew up in a small town, where being different wasn’t necessarily celebrated, so seeing people for who they are and accepting and celebrating everyone has been a forefront of my business practice. Everyone deserves to feel special, and I truly believe that holistic and beauty practices should be more accessible and inclusive. I have found myself, being able to interact with other empowering and inspiring women, that I hope to be that for someone one day as well.

There’s also just a lot of passion driving it, I really love what I do and am honored every time someone chooses to book with me for their special day or buy from my business. I always dreamed of working in some kind of art industry and wake up every morning grateful for the opportunity that has presented itself.

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

As an artist and as a person, I’ve had to really unlearn perfectionism and embrace trial and error. I’ve found that it is essential to creating work that is truly unique and impactful, but also real. When I first started creating art, I was obsessed with making everything perfect, to the point where I would often get stuck in the planning phase and struggle to move forward with my ideas, or if I did get an idea up and running, I would end up not being able to finish it. Especially if it didn’t go the direction I had envisioned originally. I would even go as far as starting completely over if it was a makeup look, or trashing my pieces of physical art, before I really began this unlearning journey.

Unlearning perfectionism hasn’t been easy, and it’s something that I still struggle with from time to time. But I’ve found that by focusing on the process of creating rather than the end result, I’m able to enjoy the journey and truly express myself through my art. It wasn’t until I started embracing failure that I truly began to grow as an artist. I realized that mistakes and imperfections are an inevitable part of the creative process, and that it’s through these experiences that we learn and grow.

I’ve also learned through this process that there is no such thing as perfect art, and that every piece I create is a reflection of my unique perspective and experience. I try to make myself open to new ideas and approaches, and to create work that is truly my own, whether my canvas is a person’s face, a literal canvas, or even candle making.

For me, this approach means being willing to take risks and try new things, even if it means making mistakes along the way. It means letting go of the fear of failure and allowing myself to be vulnerable in my work. By doing so, I’ve been able to create art that is more authentic and truer to myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eclectic-esthetics.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badwitchbeauty/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badwitchbeauty

Image Credits
First upload: Kendra Anderson In order from left to right: Mazie Mae Antonella Capozzucca Olivia Martinez Rainah Lee Rachel Baker Alisha Taylor Catherine Lee Courtney Lupo Courtney Lupo Courtney Lupo Arielle Wing Arielle Wing Arielle Wing Arielle Wing Courtney Lupo Kendra Anderson Kendra Anderson