Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Spencer.
Hi Angela, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Ever since I was a little girl, I knew the beauty industry was for me. Especially when it comes to makeup. I had lots of older sisters in the house growing up so as sisters do-I would sneak into their makeup kits when they weren’t home and try to recreate looks on myself that I saw in magazines. I would sit in front of mirrors for hours and just do makeup as long as I needed to until I looked like the model in the magazine photo in my hand. This was before YouTube and google had really blossomed. Once I got to high school, I was a natural-born hustler and would charge friends for prom or homecoming makeup to make some extra side money. Eventually, when I got to college, I had YouTube and Instagram videos to help improve my skills and push my creativity. Around this time in college, my sister and her friends got married and booked me for weddings and before I knew it, I was doing all kinds of people I had never met before. That was when I decided to create my business and take it more seriously. It remained a side hustle for a few years in addition to bartending because I didn’t think it would ever become a full-time career for me. Nothing made me as happy or passionate the way that makeup did though. That was when I decided to sign myself up for some private makeup courses with celebrity makeup artists and local experienced artists. After these classes were when my entire perspective shifted. I saw people in the job that I wanted-thriving. I knew it was possible for me and that all that separated me from my dream was believing in myself and putting in the hard work. So that’s what I did. I went all in and quit my other job. I already had pretty steady clientele but knew I needed more. I took on every gig and client that came my way to gain more experience and network. Some were more ideal than others but each time was a learning experience. I did everything I could do advance my skills and push me as an artist even if that meant staying up all night trying new looks. My house had and still has YouTube on in the background at all times. I’m constantly learning and taking notes from other artists. I’ll never be finished growing as an artist but am very happy and proud of where I am in my career now. I’ve grown my clientele over the last 3 years from just having one or two clients on the weekends to the point that I am booked for weddings every weekend through 2023. That is something I thought I’d never be able to say and I can’t wait to see where this amazing job takes me next.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely a challenging journey. Makeup has always been something that I was naturally good at, however, doing makeup on yourself and doing it on someone else are two different things. For me, I think that hardest part has been learning different skin tones and what compliments others and not just myself. I really pushed myself last year to learn and excel at doing makeup on women of color. I went from having a 100% white-based clientele to now having 50-60% women of color clientele and 40% white clientele. This was very important to me. I wanted to be able to do any person that sat in my chair and do them well. You also limit yourself as an artist and as a business when you only stick to your own skin tone. Along with that, growing your kit to be able to carry every foundation, blush, concealer, etc. suitable to every skin tone is not a cheap journey. That’s why this remained a side hustle for me for so long. I would bartend full time for my bills and then just use whatever cash I made from makeup and put it back into my kit. I spent 2 years growing my kit to where it is today. I finally have a kit full of every shade of foundation for every skin type, skin tone, and age, lashes suitable to every eye shape, etc.
Another struggle was developing my studio/makeup setup. I went from just doing girl friends on my couch, to eventually turning my living room into a salon space, and now I have a whole studio space that is my dream set up. Of course, this was not a cheap or easy project either. As my business grew, I would buy one or two things every month until it eventually became what my vision looked like.
Of course, the biggest bump in the road was the pandemic. My business was completely at a halt during the peak times of the Covid-19 outbreak. I went from being booked up for 6-8 months to wedding cancellation after wedding cancellation until I was eventually out of work. I had to put my business degree that I got at SIUE to use and worked at an office until weddings picked back up again. That was probably the most uncertain my life had ever been. I definitely doubted this career and its stability a lot. But once the weddings took off again, they kept coming. It all came back tenfold and I am so thankful to be able to continue to do what I love.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a makeup artist based in St. Louis, MO that travels as well. I specialize in bridal makeup, events, and more. I would say I’m known for heavier “full glam” looks and being a very diverse artist. I think being so diverse with my work and clientele sets me apart. I do anything from traditional American weddings to Pakistani and other south Asian weddings, prom makeup, headshot makeup, photoshoot makeup, editorial makeup, maternity glam, etc. I can fit into every crowd and am good at talking to people. I think that’s thanks to all of my bartending experience.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that communities are very tight in STL. It helps me network and grow my business by word of mouth easily. I am also born and raised here so I always feel like I have a connect or mutual friend with almost everyone that comes into my studio.
I do wish that STL had more celebrities and bigger events like red carpet style that I could be booked for. Sometimes I feel limited to the same kinds of events and glam.
Contact Info:
- Email: angspen21@gmail.com
- Website: https://square.site/book/L5PWCPA3APEFM/makeup-by-angela-saint-louis-mo
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeup_by_angelaa/?hl=en
Image Credits
Joan Fisher
Elise Dunn
Abby Rose Photography
Ray Prop Studios
@Nupeofalltr4des
