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

Stephanie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I’ve always had a job. No matter what, I was always working somewhere. I used to work at Hugo Boss, Cotton On, ScienceWorks, Jo Malone London & Oscar Wylee, I was a Taekwondo Instructor, a nanny and a wedding singer! So you can imagine how I felt when I was jobless for the first time in my life. Stressed, worried, bored – you name it. And this was all at the ripe age of… 21.

I didn’t exactly know where I wanted to apply. All I knew was that I was studying a Double Bachelor of Commerce & Arts and that I wanted to pursue Music. Luckily a friend of mine was working at Estee Lauder at Myer and asked me if I wanted to work there. Now before I continue, I just want to give you a little bit of context – I HATED makeup. SO much. I didn’t know anything about it, I never wore it, I didn’t know what the difference between contouring and bronzing was and I sure as hell didn’t know how to apply on false lashes! Fast forward to the present, I was extremely hesitant. I told her I didn’t know the first thing about makeup, but she assured me that I didn’t need to know much to apply. So I did.

Now I had been working at Estee Lauder for about 6 months now and I was somewhat confident with my knowledge in makeup by that point. I was selling makeup and skincare products that I never thought I would appreciate and I was slowly getting into doing makeup applications at the counter. A young girl had been booked in to get her makeup done and I was the lucky Beauty Advisor to take her on – and let me tell you, it was fun. We got to know each other, we shared some laughs, we did a deep dive into what she liked and what she didn’t like and we came to the end of the application where she was in love with her makeup. I was feeling pretty good about myself and I realised that applying makeup on someone else was something that I was beginning to enjoy.

About 2 months later, she came back. For me. To do her makeup. Again.
I was feeling lowkey honoured. Someone wanted specifically me to do their makeup? I happily took on the job and yet again, she was so happy with the results. She then said “You should become a Makeup Artist!” I instantly threw her suggestion/compliment right back at her and said “No way.” She didn’t back down and kept on going about how it would be great for me to start a business and do people’s makeup for a living. Once she left after about 15 minutes of trying to persuade me, the idea consumed my brain for the rest of the shift. I finally thought to myself, “Ah, what the hell. Sure.”

Stephanie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Stephanie and I am a Professional Hair & Makeup Artist. I specialise in Bridal and events and I also my services at my home studio in Laverton or mobile services all over Melbourne.

My vision is to redefine what it means to be beautiful for every individual by providing expertly tailored makeup and hair services that celebrate their unique features, ensuring their natural beauty shines through with confidence and authenticity,

Through expert consultation, bespoke artistry, and a touch up kit to maintain quality, my mission is to empower my clients with confidence, curating an impactful experience that evoke a sense of awe and self-empowerment. I am to foster a warm and inclusive environment where my client’s faces light up with joy, knowing they are seen, pampered and made to feel even more beautiful than when they walked through my door.

Have you ever had to pivot?

By the end of 2022, I was running my business alongside working as a Support Worker, marketing a friend’s business and working for a hair and makeup agency. As much as I enjoyed the financial freedom that it gave me, I wondered why I was working so hard for everyone else and not for myself and my own business. I wanted my business to boom, yet I’m only giving it part-time hours. I realised I needed to take a leap of faith and let go of all my side jobs to solely focus on running my business.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building an audience on social media can be such a challenge! There are constantly new trends and there is only so much time in a day to catch up. What I learnt to build my audience was being active and creating quality content. I pride myself for always responding to my clients as soon as possible and making them feel like they are not just another number. Creating a relationship with potential clients, whether they eventually book me or not, is something I strive to maintain, and hope that this is something my clients appreciate. Creating content is so important in the social media world. It’s easier said than done but uploading at least once a day will make such a difference for your social media presence – and if uploading a post everyday is too tricky, try utilising stories just to keep yourself on the front of people’s mind!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @stephanienguyenartistry

Image Credits
Personal photo and product shots: Mish Winters – @mishwinters