Meet Chimari Allen of Crafted By Chi LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chimari Allen.

Hi Chimari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I love telling the story of how Crafted By Chi LLC came to be because it is literally just a matter of a hobby turning into a passion of mine that I wanted to share with other people! I have always been interested in makeup since I was little and once I got to high school that is when I truly started looking into different products and watching makeup gurus on YT and IG. However, I personally did not have much to work with product-wise until college, so I did not wear makeup heavily or that often. When I finally was able to start obtaining the products I wanted, i.e. Anastasia Beverly Hills, MAC, Morphe, etc., I was able to really start playing around with my face. Now of course, it was Freshman year; I had newfound freedom and was feeling myself; I used to think I was BEATING my face, but I looked back at my makeup sophomore year and was appalled LOL. Beat was not the word…perhaps tapped, lightly slapped around if you will.

After experiencing that mid-college crisis regarding my makeup, I got serious about wanting to improve my own skills. I practiced different techniques and using different products multiple times a week using only social media as my teacher. (I really do pride myself on being self-taught because this is not an easy feat!) Eventually, with more practice, I became more confident in my abilities, and my makeup skills and looks rapidly improved. During this process, I realized how makeup served as such a creative outlet for me because there were so many ways to achieve a certain look — the versatility in product usage was amazing to me. There is no “right way” to do makeup, and I absolutely love that.

One of my good friend’s birthdays rolled around and on a whim, I asked her if I could do her makeup; like the supportive friend she is, she excitedly agreed! For my skills at the time, her makeup looked great! This is what truly sparked my passion for doing makeup not only on myself but also on others. It was so fulfilling to see the look on her face when she saw the results. I could immediately see how confident and beautiful she felt; it was empowering. Fast forward a year and some change later and I launched the official Instagram for Crafted By Chi LLC. Since launching, I have had the opportunity to work with a celebrity client; I got invited to work my first pop-up shop with Cocoa Diaries; and I won a business grant for $2700 through the UGA Kickstart Fund. My business is steadily continuing to grow, and I am excited to branch out into some new business ventures in the beauty market soon!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No matter how good something is or may seem, there will always be problems to face down the road — COVID being a huge one. Although being on lockdown during COVID allowed me to bring my business to fruition, gaining clientele, in the beginning, did prove to be a problem, especially with safety being a significant factor. However, as the state began re-opening, I was able to navigate through it by mandating a few of my own rules i.e. wearing masks upon arrival and not bringing extra guests as well as disinfecting all my products and tools after each service (which should be done anyway regardless of the pandemic or not).

As you know, we’re big fans of Crafted By Chi LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Crafted By Chi LLC is a freelance makeup service founded by me, Chimari! I am a self-taught makeup artist who has been officially servicing clients since May 2020 when my page launched! I wanted to turn my passion and personal creative outlet into an experience for others by offering my specialized services ranging from a natural beat to a full-on bold glam! I also offer wedding services and classes for those wanting to learn how to do makeup themselves.

The goal of my services is to enhance my client’s natural beauty. I do not believe that the purpose of makeup is to completely alter how someone looks, but to highlight the features they already have and may not be appreciative of on a daily basis. Makeup is a tool to bring out femininity, confidence, and empowerment that should always be there even with a bare face. It is a form of expressing yourself, so I love being able to share that with those I service; seeing my clients feeling so confident and beautiful after getting crafted makes it all worth it, especially when that same confidence remains after the makeup is taken off!

It is so important to me to cater towards women that look like me especially when there is a shortage of beauty professionals and products that truly meet all of our needs; representation matters! However, I want to make sure that my services are diverse and can be applied to people of all backgrounds because inclusivity is important as well. With my warm, welcoming personality and makeup expertise, I am able to provide every client with a fun and personable makeup experience that they tend to recommend to others.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
To those reading this article, I would love the opportunity to craft each and every one of your faces into a masterpiece! For booking, please visit https://craftedbychi.as.me/schedule.php/. To follow my makeup journey, be sure to follow me at @craftedbychi on Instagram. As I continue to build my brand and expand my business, I plan to eventually move into selling cosmetics and skincare products in addition to providing my services, so be on the lookout for that! Thank you so much Voyage ATL for reaching out to me and allowing me to share my story and introduce you all to my business; I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity.

If you are still contemplating opening your own business or investing more into your craft, I hope I have inspired you to just do it! The time is now! Do not be afraid of setbacks or making mistakes because it is all a part of the process and will ultimately aid you in growing your business and as a person (as corny as that may sound).

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://craftedbychi.as.me/schedule.php
• Instagram: instagram.com/craftedbychi

Image Credits:
Lauren Chappell Cathy Marszalik Cullen Johnson Drayton McJunkins