Meet Amanda Graham | Makeup Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Graham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
For me, going to school to learn from a makeup artist who has more experience than myself was key. Learning from Lissette Waugh and many other artists throughout my career elevated my artistry and allowed me to find what my style of artistry is as well as technique.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I knew at young age, while in high school, that I wanted to be a makeup artist. I’ve always been drawn to makeup artistry and the fashion industry. My senior year of high school, going into college, I was told by people that were close to me and also not in the industry that if I were to become a makeup artist that I wouldn’t make any money. This made me doubt myself and I changed what I wanted to do. Instead I went to community college and took general education classes until I could figure out what I wanted to do as a career. I hated this so much and still knew I wanted to be a makeup artist. I lasted only a few months before I listened to myself and changed everything. I moved back home to Las Vegas to live with my family and pursued education through L Makeup Institute which focused solely on makeup artistry. I absolutely loved going to school and learning all things makeup! Going to L Makeup Institute is where my mind shifted and I knew I could become the makeup artist that I’ve dreamt of as well as being my own business owner. I knew starting my own business would be hard and a lot of work but I also knew there wasn’t anything else I could see myself doing and the idea of the work I needed to put in to achieve my goals was exciting more than anything!

I learned early on in my career how important it is to have a community of like-minded artists that you surround yourself with. Those artists that you can rely on, to inspire you, to support you, to encourage you, and in return be the same for those artists. Community over competition is what I live by when it comes to my business.

Every bride and client that sits in my chair, I want them to feel comfortable through out the entire process and feel beautiful and empowered when they see themselves. Working with me is a collaborative process, I always ask my brides/clients “How do you envision yourself to look on your wedding day?” I want to take into consideration their ideas and thoughts and then create a makeup look based on those details. I hold a makeup trial with all my brides before their wedding day so we can play around with a few makeup looks so that the bride feels confident with her makeup look. This gives me the opportunity to customize a look specifically for that client and take a bit of stress of the “unknown” off of the bride. On the wedding day, my goal is to make the bride and her bridal party feel relaxed and pampered. I set the tone for the day as I am typically the first vendor a bride sees on her wedding day. I set up my aromatherapy diffuser with an essential oil of the brides choice, apply a hydrating face mask to the bride before her makeup, and carry natural stones and gems in my kit for the bride to hold in case she is feeling anxious. At times I’m also the DJ while everyone is getting ready if a playlist hasn’t been created by the bride or her bridal party. Over 10 years I’ve learned how to read my clients and know when they are feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. There are a lot of emotions present on a wedding day and I feel that it is important for the bride to take a break during the getting ready process if needed and I will be the first one to ask her if she needs this. I value my clients and I want them to know and feel this while in my makeup chair.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Brunch – Toast Gastrobrunch

Lunch – Bagby Beer Co.

Dinner – Mission Avenue Bar and Grill

Beach – North Ponto Beach

Watch the sunset at any beach!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my educator and owner of L Makeup Institute, Lissette Waugh. She inspired me daily while in her classroom and showed me that being a successful makeup artist was possible with hard work and determination. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to learn from her and loved coming to class everyday!

I also want to shout out my fellow makeup artists that I work with often. Janelle Mashtal, Brittany Schott, Raven Reed, and Kim Cook. Without these artists in my community, I would not be able to take on all the clients that I would like to and I also learn from each one of them. I’m so thankful to have these ladies work weddings with me!

Website: www.makeupbyamandamarie.com

Instagram: instagram.com/makeupbyamandamarie

Image Credits
Ellie Koleen – Ellie Koleen Photography Brooke Borough Aleson and Devin Photography