Meet Jenny Nesvetailova of Jenny Lova in Decatur

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Nesvetailova.

Jenny, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always been interested in makeup. As a kid, I was an avid painter. My favorite thing to do was mixing the colors and seeing how I could arrange them on the canvas. As I grew older, I found myself collecting makeup and trying out new ways to apply it, often using my friends’ faces to practice on. There is nothing quite like the feeling of doing someone’s makeup, having them look in the mirror and smile because they love what they see. My friends often urged me to start doing makeup professionally but I shrugged them off thinking that I didn’t even know where to start.

After high school, I dreamed of going to cosmetology school, but being a child of immigrants, my parents really wanted me to go to college and fulfill other expectations that they had of me. I instead found myself on a path of becoming a software engineer.

That didn’t quite pan out, and a few years later I was working in an office. I knew that what I was doing wasn’t fulfilling me creatively. I finally decided to take the leap and get certified as a professional makeup artist. After a few months, I was lucky to land my first makeup job on a commercial shoot and I loved the fast-paced environment.

After that first shoot, I knew that I had to leave my 9-5 behind. Since then, I’ve worked on shoots with Complex, Nike, Diet Coke, and more. In just a few months I’ve worked on music videos, commercials, and photo shoots and loved every second of it. I’m currently working on building up my portfolio by collaborating with photographers on photo shoots and also hoping to join the Local 798 Union for makeup artists once I meet the requirements. I feel like my journey is just beginning and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The hardest thing was leaving the comfort of my steady 9-5 job. It’s very scary to leave that behind and start working for yourself because your next job as a freelancer is not guaranteed. However, even though I do worry about not knowing what the next job will be, that is also the most exciting part. Getting to do something different every time I go into work is a rush and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Another thing I was worried about was what my family was going to think. My family moved to the United States from Russia when I was nine. I knew that my parents sacrificed a lot for me in order for me to have a better life here. Even though they weren’t overbearing, I knew that they wanted me to go to college and get a secure job. I was really scared to tell them that I decided to leave my corporate job behind to pursue my passion. However, once I told them, they have been very supportive and happy for me.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a freelance makeup artist. I have mostly worked in the commercial video world but also work on photo shoots, music videos and have private clients as well. When it comes to the type of makeup I apply, I enjoy doing anything from a classic beauty look to getting very creative when it comes to shooting more out there projects. I find that I work well under pressure and am a team player when it comes to working on set.

When working on photo shoots, I make sure to spend a lot of time making sure my clients look flawless and each look is cohesive and executed to my best ability. Since I have worked on so many different projects already, I enjoy the challenge of trying out new looks and techniques and making sure my clients are happy with my work.

What were you like growing up?
As a kid, I was more on the quieter side. I always considered myself to be a bit of an introvert, I always considered myself to be a good listener. My mom signed me up to take art classes at a young age and I spent a lot of time painting, eventually settling on watercolors as my favorite medium. Even at a young age, I remember being curious about the world around me and constantly reading and trying to learn about the things I was curious about.

Contact Info:

• Website: jennylova.com
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Stephanie Lennox, Alex Allgood, Brittany Wages

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