Meet Trailblazer Precious Grace

Today we’d like to introduce you to Precious Grace.

Precious, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been a makeup lover for as long as I can remember. I’ve always had a passion for the art of it. Growing up, I would love to do makeovers on my friends & family. Each time someone would agree to basically let me play on their face my love for beauty grew deeper & deeper. Fast forward to my teenage years, my focus kind of shifted away from makeup I found myself being caught up in everything else that comes with being a teenager & makeup just kinda lingered in the background.

After graduation, I enrolled in college and began to pursue a degree in the healthcare field. I’ve always been interested in health care so I went with it thinking it was my way to a guaranteed career. My heart was never fully in it so I decided to take a break from school. One night while working at my restaurant job, I was serving a group of ladies celebrating a birthday. One of the ladies complimented me on my makeup & asked if I had done it myself. I replied yes, & she informed me that she was the manager of a Sephora store nearby. She asked if I ever considered working in the beauty industry & at that moment, my heart felt like it dropped into my stomach. This encounter came at a time when I’d pray daily for confirmation for what I should be doing with my life so of course, I felt this was IT. By the next week, I was a SEPHORA employee. I LOVED working there my eyes were opened to a brand new world of beauty & my love for it came rushing back like it never left. That love pushed me to grow as a makeup artist. After two years with Sephora, I decided to leave to pursue better opportunities.

Shortly after I became a MAC ARTIST, working at MAC cosmetics taught me SO much and really fueled my passion even more. Everything was great, I received a promotion to management & I was doing what I loved. After being with the company for almost two years, our staff received news that our counter would be closing. As crazy as it sounds, I was excited to hear this news because I know my faith & I knew this was a set up for something greater. I decided to take a leap of faith & go into business for myself. I am now operating in Atlanta out of Encore Salon Suites & building my brand on my own terms.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
I am fairly new in the world of being your own boss but each day is a learning experience. I’m learning that a lot comes with being a business owner & the best way to handle the stress of it all is to take things day by day & learn all you can in the process. I believe a lot of us women are over thinkers & we just can’t help it but it is important to be patient with yourself & allow yourself time to evolve. Do not compare yourself to anyone else trust the timing of your own journey. Be consistent & put your work in. For my young women, perfect your craft at your own pace, I know the makeup community is filled with A LOT of dope artists but instead of feeling inferior find inspiration in all that dopeness. We live in a world where so many talented artists are granting us access to their gifts on all of these different platforms & that’s a beautiful thing utilize that for your own growth. If you’re proud of something you created, SHARE IT, don’t over analyze it, believe that you are good enough to share your gifts with the world as well.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I refer to myself as a makeup artist but that is only a title. I service women & men of all races. I provide services for weddings, portraits, special occasions, photo & video shoots. I use my gifts to remind women just how beautiful they really are. I specialize in building confidence & making personal connections with everyone who sits in my chair. I’ve been told that a makeup appointment with me is like a therapy session. I really enjoy building people up it is what brings me joy I value each of my clients & I make sure that they feel appreciated. I realize that my clients could book with any of the hundreds of artists they have access to but they choose me & I’d never take that for granted.

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I remember watching fashion shows and pageants as a young girl. I would watch with my friends or girl cousins and each of them would want to mimic the models or contestants. As for me, I wanted to be the girl behind the scenes picking outfits and of course making them pretty with whatever makeup we could get our hands-on. I wanted to be the one that created something that would wow the others. I still have that same desire to wow people but now with way more experience. I’m so thankful for those that allowed me to live in my creativity when I barely knew what I was doing. I realize now that all those small moments happened on purpose. Those small moments and those special people helped me to become the makeup artist I am today.

Contact Info:

• Address: Encore Salon Suites
  Suite P
  2011 Bolton Rd. Atlanta, GA
• Email: bookgracetheface@gmail.com
• Instagram: @Gracetheface_
• Facebook: Grace The Face

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