Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Pimpleton.
Pamela, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
At eight, I began concocting my own skin care recipes after raiding my mother’s library and stumbling upon a book called, “Secrets of health and beauty” (Linda Clark). In 1997 “Making Faces” by Kevyn Aucoin was released. This book opened my eyes to the power of makeup manipulation for beauty and everyday life. I used to take Polaroids of before and afters to analyze my work… I still have those photos inside my kit to remind me of my true passions and motivators.
My first delve into makeup application for others was in high school theatre. My theatre director, Mr. Avery, introduced me to the process of makeup design for stage. I stubbornly wanted to be a performer but the stage broadened my artistic vision and began molding my passions. Without his teachings, I would have wasted a lot of time focused on the wrong aspect of my talents and skills.
After high school, I moved to California (the Bay Area) and my artistry took off. I freelanced for many luxury brands such as NARS, Benefit, Shu Uemura, and Laura Mercier. This was before the age of Sephora so I worked mainly in the brand boutiques and department stores. I’ll never forget the first time I had that thrill of “I made her look beautiful!” along with the pangs of “Uh-oh. Think I just messed up…”
After Sallie Mae came knocking on my door (aka bank account), I left the Bay Area for more affordable living and Atlanta became my new home. Wanting to expand my industry knowledge, I graduated from the AVEDA Institute of Atlanta for Esthetics and sought employment with a company that embodied exceptional skincare with high-performance makeup. I was hired by Christian Dior and made my artistry home with them for almost seven years. I learned tremendous things with Dior. Exceptional customer service, the power of effective clienteling, and how to truly tailor your artistry skills for EVERY client that sits in your chair (amongst others). I elevated my personal career path in many ways because of Dior. In 2015, I was nominated and won Dior’s prestigious artistry competition and was awarded “Best North American Makeup Artist”.
In 2017, it was time to shake fear away and officially became my own boss. I began servicing bridal, corporate, and personal clientele. Combining my background of skincare, sfx, and beauty enticed my personal clientele to help my business take off. I began servicing corporate events, weddings, and educating artists and everyday people alike. To this day, I have yet to truly market my services. 75% off my business has been referral based. I am eternally grateful for the time spent climbing to success and am looking forward to what the next chapter of my career will hold!
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?
Is anything worth having ever a smooth road??? I have definitely experienced ups and downs along my career. Even a brief period where I believed artistry wasn’t for me and I worked at a bank, now THAT was a struggle in itself lol. Thankfully there were calculators…
Understanding what my TRUE strengths were as an artist and allowing those things to become my niche was hard. Every artist has specific things that they do great, good, and otherwise. You get a phone call offering to pay for something you don’t really specialize in. Please learn from my early mistakes: only accept gigs where the expectation truly meets your capabilities. Today, I apply this theory to every aspect of how I conduct business.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Perfection by Pam story. Tell us more about the business.
Makeup, brow and skin services are my signature mode. I specialize in naturally enhanced beauty, precise sculpting, and a (slightly) neurotic attention to detail. I have absolute confidence that I can service any and everyone no matter what their age, gender, or race may be. I offer a diverse service menu ranging from:
Event makeup (weddings, prom, nights out)
Face and body care (I even have a signature peach facial for…well your peachy parts. Great for the bikini line ladies, trust me)
Corporate functions (conferences, team building events, headshots, etc.)
Makeup education (I currently teach makeup design at KSU and have always offered workshops and classes for artists and consumers alike)
My signature makeup look is what I like to call “Snatchural”. Snatched and natural lol. It’s the perfect hybrid of looking effortlessly like yourself but there’s a certain something that is timeless, elegant, and glamorous (Shout out to celebrity makeup artist, Scott Barnes, for giving me a term that is the absolute definition of my skill set). As mentioned previously, I use my own organic, nothing-but-the-good-stuff exfoliation products (both chemical and physical) in my skin care services.
The main feedback I receive (separate from my artistry skills) from my clientele are my listening skills. I care so much about who I am servicing and respect your opinion and needs. Art is not a dictatorship and unless it goes completely against my professional opinion (and safety), I will always do my best to accommodate those that have booked with me. I have learned the art of communicating and speaking “the language” of makeup which helps me avoid disappointed clients. This skill also greatly affects my makeup design process for stage and film as well. No one wants an artist that they are unable to communicate needs to. And no one wants a bad attitude that’s unmoving and lacks flexibility on set. That’s just bad business.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
TBH, I don’t believe in luck. But I do believe in attraction and manifestation. I have prayed, asked, and meditated in effort to achieve the things I have today. If my mind can see it and it’s in my spirit to attain, there’s always a way to get it. If I don’t get something I thought I wanted, I chalk it up to the fact that clearly it wasn’t meant for me (not really a loss if you were never meant to have it, right?). I trust in the universe to deliver what I truly need for a successful business!
Pricing:
- Call for a complimentary consultation ($0)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.perfectionbypam.com
- Phone: 4702854856
- Email: info@perfectionbypam.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/perfectionbypam
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/perfectionbypam
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/perfectionbypam
Image Credit:
DJ Vancrhonkite, Julia kiecksee, Russell Griffin
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
