Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Fuentes.
Hi Sarah, 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 backstories with our readers?
I am a professional makeup artist and licensed cosmetologist. I have been in the beauty industry for a decade. I first discovered my love for makeup in my senior year of high school experimenting with makeup and learning I was pretty good at doing it on myself. So why not make it into a career, right? I would practice with any of my friends that would let me and decided I wanted to pursue a career in the beauty industry. Even though you do not need a license to be a makeup artist I wanted to have something that I worked for in my name. I went to cosmetology school about a month after graduating high school. While attending cosmetology school I started working in cosmetic retail and would do so for the next 10 years. That was when I really learned how to do makeup on other people. Working in the retail industry afforded me the opportunity to better understand different skin tones/textures to perfect my craft. This is why today I pride myself on being able to do makeup on any skin tone/age. While working in retail I was able to meet so many amazing people. Over the years they turned into clients who would want to book me privately or refer me to others for services such as weddings, photo shoots, or special events. In September 2021 I took a leap of faith and decided to quit my full-time job in cosmetic retail as a manager to pursue being an artist full-time and focus on building my own business. The past 9 months have been so exciting and a learning experience. My clientele has grown tremendously and I have been a part of some amazing projects. I am so excited to see where this journey will take me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being my own boss definitely has not been easy. I have faced some obstacles along the way in building my business and in no way am I done. My clientele consisted mostly of customers from my retail job. After leaving my retail job, these clients were able to book me a lot more and I have gained a lot of referrals from them. Building up my clientele from there has been hard but worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My specialty is in natural glam for all occasions including weddings, however, I have had opportunities to do work for print, TV, and production. I feel my ability to work with people of all ages and skin tones is what I am most proud of. My years of working as an artist and maintaining long-term client relationships I feel are what sets me apart from others. I have many clients who book me for every special event they have, I have one client in particular for who I have been doing makeup for her and her daughters for many years. Watching her daughters grow up and being able to be with them to be a part of all of their milestones from middle school to high school graduation and everything in between has been rewarding. Making connections and fostering good relationships that last over many years is part of how I’ve become successful so far.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t think it’s a matter of “luck”. I think I’ve been fortunate enough to have gained all of the experience I have doing something I love. I’ve also been extremely fortunate to have met a lot of amazing people and have been able to be a part of so many wonderful life events/projects.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahhashleemua/
Image Credits
Sarasota Photo Studio
Ambika Agrawal
