We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Thomas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?

If I could go back in time, I would have fully jumped into being a professional MUA as my main source of income. As a single mom for so long I think I was scared of the risk rather than seeing the reward. Even with my career getting to do makeup and some events here and there it really wasn’t until the last few years that I really just took a leap of faith. I think had I had enough confidence in myself to take that leap sooner that my growth would be much bigger than it is right now. I think I would have been able to help other women who were in the same or similar situation.

Sarah, 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?

All of my life I have been drawn to art and beauty, so what better way to have the best of both worlds by being a makeup artist. When I was a kid I remember going into my older sister’s room to watch her do her makeup. I would sit in awe just thinking that one day I would be able to do that too. All throughout high school I would sit in front of the mirror and just play with whatever makeup turning my face into a canvas with the few brushes I had and using my hands as my tools, because what 14 year old had the correct tools for makeup 25 years ago.

Throughout my teen years and even my 20’s I would be the girl to do others makeup whenever there was a dance or an event, little did I know that that’s what I was called to do.

After graduating, I faced a challenging journey of self-discovery, and it took me a while to find where I would fit in this world. After moving a few times, living in different states, living through a bad marriage, and 2 kids later I found myself starting over. What a ride. I thought at 30yrs old you were supposed to already have your life together, and here I was selling my home, moving into my parents home with my 2 small children without a penny to my name. Being a stay at home wife/momma is seriously one of the hardest jobs you will ever have, but if you are ever in a situation where your whole life changes and nothing else to support you, it doesn’t really pay the bills. Recognizing the need for change, I went back to school. I enrolled in an accelerated 9 month esthetics program, graduating early and at the top of my class.

I always loved beauty and was very active in the health and fitness community so I felt like esthetics was a true combination of both beauty and health.

Soon after I graduated I found my 1st esthetics job at Ulta as a skin therapist. I had a great salon team I worked with and I soared. I was able to find my footing. Bought my own home for myself and my children, I was doing facials, and other skin treatments and I was doing makeup! I felt like a kid in a candy shop being surrounded by so many beautiful products. It was there that I started branching off and doing bridal makeup. I was able to work with some of St. Louis’s amazing bridal teams. I was so pumped that someone wanted to hire me to be a part of a day that would forever be so special. Eventually, I hit my ceiling with working at Ulta. I was limited with my practice and I got a job at The Face & The Body Spa where I could advance my education and learn more services. I was working full time, and only occasionally working a wedding and life got busy again. Fast forward a few years, a new marriage, a blended family and 2 more babies I finally found my spark again. I decided to amp up my bridal game. I got a professional kit, started learning new techniques and put myself back out there. I have worked jobs as little as 1 person, to doing a job for a big convention for the speakers going on stage. Now I am an independent contractor for a local STL bridal makeup and hair team and I take weddings and events on my own as well. I went from doing an occasional wedding just a few years ago, to taking weddings every weekend. I am so blessed to be in a place that I can be a wife, a mom, work, and still do something that I love. All I can say is you should never lose hope, even when your world gets crazy, that sometimes we have to weather the storm to see the beauty. GOD is GOOD!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding thing about being an artist is that I can be creative. I think with makeup that you can create so many different looks with different techniques and I love that. I love that with makeup artists that there is someone out there for everyone.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had to pivot in life when I was going through a divorce. I was a stay at home mom and wife, and my entire world was changing. I had to make a new life for myself and my children.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Sarahthomas_mua.esti

Image Credits

blkphotographyphotos,
lam_photo