Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Underwood.
Hi Ashley, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Well as a kid I have always wanted to be in the beauty field because that’s what I grew up around I spent a lot of time in the salon with my aunt that’s a hairstylist. Growing up I initially wanted to be a hairstylist but by the time I graduated from high school in 2012 I had gotten a bit aggravated with hair from practicing sew-ins, quick weaves, & doing braids I decided I wanted to try something else instead lol because the hair wasn’t my thing anymore, so I went to my next favorite thing which was makeup. A little after I graduated high school I went and spoke with one of the managers at Belk about how to apply for MAC Cosmetics well shed asked me if I had any experience and of course at the time I didn’t other than on myself lol MAC was always one of my dream jobs so that was very disappointing but hey life goes on…. While practicing my craft I worked other retail jobs Charolette Rouse, CVS, New York & Co. &, etc. March 27, 2016 I started as a clinical tech III at Navicent Health after listening to certain family members that tried to convince me of going to school to be a nurse I thought it’ll be smart to just work in the field first just to see how I liked it and let’s just say that was NOT for me! I did like working with the patients and I learned a lot but that just wasn’t something I have seen myself doing for the rest of my life.
Once I realized that I was going to just stick with being in the beauty field and go on with being a makeup artist I started doing more research, I reached out to Brandi Victoria she gave me some tips and pointers on how to start. August 2015 I attended beauty school in Atlanta, Georgia at Industrial Makeup Academy I completed the course in October 2015 right after that I started mentorship with Brandi Victoria. While mentoring with Brandi V. plus working a full-time job my life was all over the place, I worked 5 days a week doing 12-hour shifts for three years because I had bills plus I was trying to invest in my passion. I literally texted Brandi I know 3 times a week asking her if I should quit yet lol! Early 2018, I started doing makeup out of a salon in Warner Robins, Georgia for maybe about two or three months and that was an epic fail lol, I am glad I had the experience though because I did teach me on what not to do and what to look for once I decided to go to another salon. February 11, 2019 I took a lash extension course with Brandi V. literally the next day I had a client because I had started advertising that I would be starting the service soon, didn’t know it was going to be that soon lol but hey it worked out I got it done. March 27, 2019 was the day I stopped working at Navicent Health and was the day I decided to step out on faith and do what I wanted to do with my career I made the decision to do what I wanted to do that was going to make me happy.
Now, once I left Navicent I was nervous I didn’t know how things was going to go my clientele wasn’t big at all but it was good enough, I was still living at home with my mom so I didn’t have any bills other than my car note, car insurance, & phone bill as long as I had the money for that coming in I was good. I had slacked up on makeup because I started doing lash extensions and that was taking up more of my time because the service took more time and I was just beginning so I was really trying to perfect my craft. August 2019 I started working at BLUXE Beauty Bar & Salon on Saturdays then September 2019 the manager from MAC Cosmetics reached out to me and asked if I wanted to be a freelancer for the company and of course I said YES that was my dream job! October 2019 I became a freelancer for MAC Cosmetics and I absolutely loved it that was the best job I ever had! While working at MAC and perfecting my craft by the Summer of 2020 I became full-time at BLUXE Beauty Bar & Salon. Now here I am today 3 years in business as a full-time entrepreneur, it feels so good to be living my DREAM and to see how much I’ve accomplished just within three years just by doing what I love sometimes have me in tears because I would’ve never thought it was possible. I’m beyond thankful!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Yes, I did have some struggles. In the beginning, my struggle was just staying motivated because the people that I had expected to support me didn’t like some family and people that I thought were my friends at the time. I had that one bumblebee lol that stayed on me and I got through it along the way. As business elevated those family members that didn’t support eventually, jumped on the bandwagon once they started seeing my vision come to play, friends I lost a few of them.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a makeup up artist, I specialize in makeup and lash extensions. I would say what sets me apart from others is my personality along with my passion for makeup being truly genuine, I’m very teachable when I don’t know something I ask, I don’t mind learning and I don’t try to be in competition I just do me. The thing that I’m most proud of is how much I’ve grown as a person in such a short amount of time.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is doing what you love along with being happy and free, just being able to live life stress-free and enjoy.
Contact Info:
- Email: Ashleyjartistry@gmail.com
- Website: https://ashleyjartistry.as.me/
- Instagram: Iam_ashleyja
- Facebook: Ashley Underwood
- Twitter: Iam_Ashleyja
Image Credits:
Image credits: Moye Photography (Darrell Moye)
