Meet Amy Alfaro | Permanent Cosmetic Artist

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

Hi Amy, why did you pursue a creative career?
To put it simply: Art is my passion. The ability to express my creativity through the cosmetic side of art is a blast! A major reason why I decided to pursue cosmetic artistry was the joy I felt being part of someone’s self love journey; the ability to help someone feel more confident, enhancing the features of their natural beauty with my work, is the most rewarding thing I’ve felt.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m the owner and founder of the permanent cosmetic business, Dark Heart Ink Artistry. I believe something that sets me apart from the crowd is my social media presence; when you scroll through my Instagram, you get to know me and my personality. I strive to keep things professional, but also friendly, even silly, and my reels and posts go a long way to promote this. To me it’s a great way to build up a space of comfort and trust, removing any anxiety surrounding the client and starting the appointment off on the right foot. When someone walks into the shop for an appointment, my goal is for them to know who I am right away and to feel like they are sitting down with someone that they are familiar with.     I’m proud of the fact that I’ve met so many artists that I admire, only to learn that they enjoy seeing my work and the creative reels I post. For me, nothing beats the feeling of someone I look up to in the industry complimenting my work. Looking back from where I started, I’m proud to see where I stand now, but I know my journey is not done. There’s still so much I’d like to achieve. I’m always learning, and I try to do things everyday that will help me improve, so that I can look back and be thankful I put in the work. One of the major challenges I’ve faced, and I still face today, is comparing myself to other artists that create gorgeous work; I used to get down on myself for not being on their level, but it was once said “comparison is the thief of joy”, and that surely applies to our line of work. Rather than being disappointed I’m not at the same level, I strive to become the best version of myself, doing what I do best through blood, sweat, and tears. Another adage I often tell myself is “the grass is always greener where you water it”, and I remind myself of that often; putting in the work is essential to reaching your goals. My time in this business has taught me that great things take time, and some days you’ll feel defeated, but the important thing to remember is to keep going. Everything always seems impossible until it’s done!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of the first places we are heading is the beach! One of the things I love most about California is the beaches, and I love to share them with friends and family when they come to visit. San Diego has so many gorgeous beaches, it’s tough to choose one, but this would be our first stop. A trip down to Balboa Park would be fun and educational, there’s a great bunch of museums and landmarks down there that can’t be missed! When it comes to food, nothing beats seafood for me, and San Diego has no shortage of great places, but there’s also some fantastic barbecue, pasta and pizza spots around here, too. After some time at the beach, traveling up north to L.A. to visit some of their great museums and landmarks would be next; from the La Brea Tar Pits to the Natural History Museum, there is no shortage of interesting and fun stuff. And what trip to California is complete without checking out Disneyland? For people that aren’t from around our state, this is always a must to check out. Fun rides, great atmosphere, and tons of amazing food, it would really cap off the trip.

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’m so blessed to have an amazing group of supporters that will forever hold a spot in my heart. First, my older sister is a huge reason I’m out here in California, I wouldn’t be pursuing my dream here if it wasn’t for her. She believed that I could make a name for myself here, and encouraged me to take the trip out here and begin a new journey in a place I’ve always dreamed of living. Another wonderful person that I will always be grateful for is Kelly Breakall. Kelly took me under her wing within my first week of living here in San Diego, and I immediately admired her work. She’s always had a clear dedication to her clients and business, while maintaining a heart of gold. She is someone I wanted to emulate, from her energy with clients to her worth ethic, she set the standard for me. Kelly watched me blossom, and gave me advice, all while encouraging me to never give up. To all those that have supported me, put their trust in me, helped me grow, I’ll forever be in their debt. Their support means the world to me

Website: Darkheartink.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkheartink_artistry?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Yelp: Check out Dark Heart Ink Artistry

Other: I am not active on Facebook!