To achieve the dream of being a hair and makeup artist I went through a period in my life where I received no income for two years.

Since I was in the third grade I was a school representative to various art competitions including sketches, water paining, oil painting, cartoons, Chinese traditional paintings ,calligraphies and etc. I won many prizes through these art competitions even though I have never attended any art classes. I often joked that I was receiving an award on stage during the graduation ceremony not because I performed well academically but instead, it would be due to my artistic talents. My love and passion for art and beauty blossomed while I was in high school.

I told my family and friends that I wanted to be a hair and makeup artist when I was about to graduate from high school. I vividly remembered how everyone was so disappointed and pessimistic about my career choice when I broke the news to them.

Similar to most traditional Asian parents, my parents also wished their children to grow up either being a doctor, lawyer or an engineer. When I told them I wanted to be a hair and makeup artist in the future, they told me I would need to at least complete my accounting degree in university. They need to make sure that if one day I fail in my makeup artist career I would at least have a viable alternative career path.

To achieve my dream and my parents’ expectations at the same time, I started studying accounting at the University of West but at the same time I also worked as a skin care advisor and make up artist for H2O plus at Glendale Galleria. One year after ,I was invited to work with Shiseido at Robinson May in Arcadia and became their youngest counter manager at the age of twenty-one.

My working experiences with these two companies helped in improving my English language skills and also furthered my understanding of the American culture. As well, I was able to blend into the mainstream society. This was not easy for a girl who only came to the States from her home town Taiwan when she was 15 years old. I was a really good salesperson and manager for the companies. However I also realized that my passion still lies in makeup skills. When I saw the confident smiles and appreciations on the faces of my customers, I realized my dream and passion has always been and still is to assist girls with my makeup skills and gain those confident smiles. I want all my customers to feel beautiful and blessed.

In order to pursue my dream, I gave up my job at Shiseido counter manager and started studying esthiology at Aveda Academy Houston TX. I passed the State board exam and became a licensed esthetician after half a year’s study. To further develop my makeup skills, I attended the Aveda Academy to learn more about beauty makeup specifically in the New York setting. I also worked as a makeup artist at designer Lisa Thon’s fashion show in the same year at New York fashion week. To further develop my hair styling skills, I went back to Los Angeles and studied cosmetology at the Vidal Sasson Academy in Santa Monica and graduated in the same year.

When I went back to my hometown Taipei (Taiwan) one summer, I walked passed a wedding photo studio without planning. I was touched when I saw a bridal makeup artist doing a bride’s makeup and hair. I felt that to assist brides in their makeup and hair styling also allowed a close relationship, similar to that between friends and families, to develop at the same time. The experience is more personal and intimate compared to assisting professional models or designers for fashion, TV and Magazine shows. I decided to cancel my flight back to US and stayed in Taipei because of this thought. I had the opportunity to work as a bridal hair and makeup artist at Cardier bridal photography studio in Taipei for two years. One month before I turned 26, I went back to Los Angeles and started my own bridal hair and makeup career at home after acquiring sufficient work experiences as an Asian bridal hair and makeup artist.

From 2008 to 2011 I used my own house as the makeup studio for three years. I then set up my Pasadena office due to business expansion. I reached my goal to have a studio in both Northern and Southern California in 2015 when I opened a second branch of the studio in San Jose ( Bay area).

During this time I started teaching makeup and hair and selected the best hair and makeup artists from my own students to join my makeup team. I was not only a makeup artist but also a manger and a teacher/mentor. I started to realize that apart from managing my own team and providing services to my clients, I also have a passion for teaching.

Serving brides and teaching makeup artists are two very different type of services. Serving brides is usually a one-off experience. However, teaching is an ongoing service that takes five to twenty times longer in timeframe. I cannot describe how happy I feel when I see my student’s development and progress in front of my very eyes. They often begin without knowing anything about hair and makeup and develop to when they are able to assist customers with makeup application and hair styling without my supervision. Not only do I teach them makeup techniques and skills but I also become their friends. I realized my students learn faster and better when they accept me and like me as a friend as well as a mentor or teacher.

Fifteen years have passed since I started my makeup and hair styling career when I was 20 years old assisting the first bride when I was twenty-four years old. I have decided to pass on my experiences in makeup and hair styling to people who are also passionate in this industry. If my story strikes a cord with you and specifically you have experienced or are experiencing what I experienced when I was young, feeling lost and lonely through the journey in pursuing your dream, I am more than willing to share my personal experiences with you and be your mentor and teacher to guide you through these uncertain and challenging times. I hope my students will be able to learn hair and makeup techniques from me and like me, also develop their interest into a worthwhile career.