Meet Ashley Langston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Langston.

Ashley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Although I’ve always had a knack for all things beauty related, I hadn’t considered taking on a serious career in the makeup industry until I was about 27-28 years old. Makeup actually started out as hobby while I was in graduate school (2008-2011). I’d spend countless hours in the lab either studying or working on my thesis, and makeup became my creative outlet.

I practiced on both my friends and myself till it got to the point where people would ask for my services. I obtained my M.S. in Environmental & Soil Sciences, so my career goal was to become an Environmental Scientist- which of course is completely on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to makeup. After I graduated in December 2011, I was on the job hunt, but in the meantime I started working freelance for MAC Cosmetics in Memphis, TN in January 2012. I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in June 2012 while still continuing to work for MAC and look for a job in my career field. I eventually landed a contracted position as an Environmental Scientist conducting Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments (in the case of commercial real estate transactions), where I would research and write reports to assess the impact of historical uses of a specific property to determine if those uses pose a threat to soil and groundwater.

While this position was my 9-5 during the week, I still worked for MAC on the weekends. Because the environmental position was a contract position it had a time limit; therefore it was not guaranteed permanent employment. I was still on the job hunt for something more permanent in this field. During this time, I started a website and began reaching out to local Bay Area photographers in hopes of collaborating with them so that I could start building my professional portfolio. There’s a saying “Sometimes it takes getting pushed out the window to realize you can fly,” that applies to my beginning journey. It took rejection from job hunting for me to switch focus and apply it to makeup.

In the summer of 2014, I applied for an Assistant Makeup Artist position for an independent film being shot in the Bay Area. I applied for it, and got it! That was my first time on a film set ever! The shoot only lasted for three weeks, but it was at that point that I realized makeup for production (film/tv/commercials) could actually be a viable career. I decided that makeup was what I wanted to do! I immediately stopped my job hunt for environmental science jobs, and the rest was history. From that point, it was a snowball effect.

Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing worth having comes easy, and I’ve definitely had my share of struggles along the way. I dissolved my marriage during this journey and had to move back across the country in 2016. Life as I knew it was no more, so it was a struggle emotionally and mentally to find a new “normal” while still holding onto my dreams of makeup. Everything came to a halt, and I literally had to pick myself up and rebuild. I moved back home with my parents in Memphis, TN- leaving behind all of my contacts and connections that I developed in California. I had to start over with everything, but I didn’t let it get me down because I knew I could take this as an opportunity to start over wherever I wanted- Atlanta, GA. I like to maintain a great relationship with the MAC counters at home in Memphis, so I was able to start working for them again while I saved my money.

After ten months of living with my parents, I moved to Atlanta in June 2017. I would say this has been the best move I could make for both my personal growth and my career growth. With that being said, that doesn’t mean everything is always peachy career-wise. I try to be as transparent as possible; this dream comes with much sacrifice. I had to start over from scratch in a new market, building new connections, proving myself as an artist and a professional. I’m grateful to be able to sustain myself doing what I love, but realistically there will be times when you’re either super busy or times when you don’t know when your next job will be. You have to learn to save your money for the slow periods. I’ve had to miss out on trips with friends, destination weddings, etc. for the sake of holding onto my money because I know how things can be. It’s not something everyone may understand, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make because I know this career is very rewarding when opportunities hit.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a Professional Makeup Artist specializing in makeup for commercials, film, and television. I continue to strive to be a well-rounded artist, whether it be clean/natural makeup, glam, or character makeup (dirt/grime, scarring, etc.). As an artist, I’ll never stop learning. I’m always trying to better my skills, especially since production makeup artists have to constantly keep up with the changes in technology for filmmaking, especially cameras! What worked on HD years ago may not fly on a camera shooting in 4k-8k resolution!

I’ve had several proud moments in my career, but one that stands out the most was in 2018 when I had the opportunity to do makeup for a music video for my favorite rapper, Big K.R.I.T. I’d been following his music career for many years prior to getting the call to work on his music video, “1999.” During the shoot, did he know that he was my favorite rapper? No! I did my job and kept it professional at all times, but on the inside, I was ecstatic, haha! That was a true full-circle moment for me that also concluded on my birthday (February 14)! What a day!

Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work on several indie film projects in addition to doing makeup on projects for companies such as Sony Playstation, Spotify, Hyundai, Mazda, Target, Pacific Gas & Electric, and more!  Soon, you will be able to catch my work as it airs on the upcoming season 21 of “Divorce Court,” where I currently serve as Key Makeup Artist!  I honestly feel I’m where I’m supposed to be, as I can’t see myself doing anything else other than makeup for productions.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
While makeup in the film/tv industry will always exist as long as filmmaking exists, only time will tell if this “Hollywood of the South” boom will remain in Georgia or move elsewhere. The film industry has no loyalty, so freelancers have to be willing to adjust with the times. This industry can be like feast or famine. Either there’s a lot of work to go around, or there’s not enough. Me personally, I have no intentions on leaving Atlanta and starting over anywhere else, so I have no choice but to hustle and make it work for me here despite any shifts that may happen.