Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Simone.
Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story is a surprising one actually. I’m originally from Buffalo, NY. If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would be a pro makeup artist today, I would’ve laughed. I pretty much did everything wrong per society’s standards. I was a teenage mom. I had my first son at 18. I dropped out of college at 21 and had my second child at 22. For the first half of my 20’s, I was in an extremely abusive and toxic relationship, and by the time I ended it, I had 3 children at the age of 25. I then met my husband, got married had another child by 26. I thought that was the beginning of my life turning around. Well, my marriage ended 2 years later. I call that moment in life my turning point because that is when I finally put the focus on me. As you can imagine, after all of that, my self-esteem was in shambles. I wanted to reinvent myself. Up until that point, I wore little makeup, maybe a little lip gloss and eyeliner. So, I got on YouTube and started to figure out how to do my makeup. I started putting more effort in the way I dress. Once I gained more product knowledge and finally mastered simple makeup, I became fascinated with the creative looks I found on Instagram. So, I started to recreate them on myself and posting pretty regularly on FB and IG. People started to reach out to me and ask me to do their makeup. I tell people all the time that I was forced into being a makeup artist. I had no intention of doing this professionally when I started. The confidence that people had in my skill gave me the confidence to pursue my passion. I’m so thankful for my early clients because it was definitely trial and error. After learning how to master different face shapes, skin tones, and techniques, I got my first opportunity to be published in 2018. From there, my career took off. I went to NY Fashion Week and was able to work with a team there to get some experience in fashion. I’ve had my work published a few times and met some amazing designers, stylists, hair stylists, etc. One specifically named Daykeyla who took my work with her to London Fashion Week and used it as promotion for her set. All of these opportunities I never thought imaginable. I moved to Atlanta a little over 2 years ago because I wanted to play in a much bigger pond. I’ve met some amazing people here and have had the privilege of doing makeup for some reality tv stars. I’m so excited to continue to grow here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Entrepreneurship, in general, has its ups and downs. I think that there is this misconception that when you open up a business that money just comes rolling in. Makeup is expensive. I didn’t realize how expensive this journey would be, honestly, when I started. I didn’t know how to mix foundations to make different colors in the beginning. I didn’t know about undertones and color theory. So, I literally bought every foundation color to make sure I could accommodate everyone. I wasted a lot of money because makeup has an expiration date. All those colors I didn’t use I had to throw out. I promise you don’t know pain until you had to throw a $50 unused foundation away times 10. I also didn’t have the confidence in the beginning to tell my clients why a particular look may not be the best look on them. So, I was letting clients steer me when I’m supposed to be the expert. Then, when the pandemic hit. It took a huge toll on my revenue because in NY we shut all the way down. There was nothing to do, nowhere to go. So, no money was coming in, no appointments were being made, not photoshoots were being scheduled. As a creative, that will take a toll on you mentally. Even when things started opening up again, I had to figure out how to keep my clients safe. You can’t wear a mask to your makeup appointment, unfortunately. So, there have definitely been some challenges along the way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
My name is Ashley Simone aka Thee Makeup Maven. I’m a self-taught Pro Makeup Artist. I have over 7 years of experience. I specialize in high fashion/editorial looks; however, I can literally recreate any look from natural to special effects. I think what sets me apart from other brands is my range. I don’t want to be put in a box, so I don’t put my clients in one, either. I’m big on client experience. I want everyone to leave with a smile. Brand wise I’m extremely happy for my growth and being able to extend my services from New York to Atlanta. I’m available anytime (morning, afternoon, evening, or overnight), so if you don’t see it on my schedule, just shoot me a message, and I’ll accommodate you any way I can. I also travel, so if you don’t want to drive in this Atlanta traffic, I’ll do it for you.
What does success mean to you?
I define success as accomplishing a particular goal or task that you’ve set for yourself. It does not matter how big or small. Social media and society will tell you every day that you are not doing enough. This is your own personal story. So, as long as you’re getting up every day and trying, knocking down your goals one by one, you have succeeded.
Pricing:
- Natural Glam-$75
- Full Glam-$90
- Glitzy Glam-$110
- Editorial Glam-$150
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/thee_makeupmaven_
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@thee_makeupmaven_
Image Credits
Daykeyla
Sosa Digital Media
Lulu Akuey
Billboard Baby
Simone Louesa
