Walking On a Dream

I’ve been on this journey as a Makeup Artist for over 10 years now. When I first started, I was in a tough place—struggling to communicate, feeling isolated from loved ones, and trying to find a sense of community and a job. Then, I had an “ah-ha” moment that I remember clearly: a voice inside me said, “become a Makeup Artist.” From that moment, I was determined.

I applied for a position at Ulta six times before I was finally hired. At that point, I had no car or money. I relied on friends and family for rides when they could, sometimes arriving hours before the store opened. When they couldn’t help, I walked five hours to get to work. No one knew how I managed to be on time; I was committed to building a career despite my circumstances.

After two years at Ulta, I saved enough money to get a car and then applied to MAC Cosmetics three times. When I came down with a severe fever just before an interview, the hiring manager warned me that rescheduling would mean losing the opportunity. I went through with the interview, got the job, and worked through my illness for the first three weeks (pre-Covid times). I spent two years there and became the top seller.

Ready for new challenges, I started commuting from Baltimore to NYC for auditions and meetings. Once, when a friend canceled my accommodation plans and I couldn’t afford a hotel, a distant relative kindly let me stay with them. I ended up walking from Times Square to Bushwick.

In March 2018, I decided to move to New York City. With no concrete plans, I received a call just three days before my move to work on a feature film the day after I landed. Since then, I’ve mostly driven around New York and learned the importance of patience, faith, kindness, structure, and comfortable shoes. Makeup has been more than just a career; it has been a teacher guiding me back to myself and supporting my journey of self-discovery and healing.