Today we’d like to introduce you to Ebony Trust.
Hi Ebony, I am so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story, and how did you get to where you are today?
I was diagnosed with vitiligo at the age of 12. As I grew older, the vitiligo spread. I went through an insecure phase. I started playing around with makeup and fell in love with the artistry that came with it. It is therapeutic for me. I started doing my sister’s makeup, and other close friends wanted me to practice or play on their faces. I didn’t have money to buy the expensive products, so I would go to the makeup store and get samples. The samples were free, but you could only get 3. More and more people asked to do their makeup, too, so I would take a friend with me to get samples. She would get 3 different shades, and I would get 3. This gave me 6 different shades. I started charging $15 to do their makeup. This put money in my pocket so that I could afford to get better products. I did this for a while, and it eventually became another source of income for me. I started a business with no money. I created something out of nothing. More and more people asked me to do their makeup, which became very lucrative. I started doing fashion shows to get more exposure. I wasn’t getting paid for the fashion shows, but I went In getting knowledge on how the behind-the-scenes work. I learned to work under pressure and complete a face within 20- 30 minutes. Everything I learned on my journey prepared me for my work ethic today. Now, my brand is a 6 figure business. I’m a celebrity makeup artist who has worked with artists like K. Michelle, SWV, Tweet, Glorilla, BBWLA Jennifer Williams, and many other reality TV stars.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, being a single mother of two makes things a little more complicated. At one point in my career, I decided to go to school to become an esthetician. I wanted to have more knowledge of skin. I was sleeping on my sister’s couch. I was working full time, going to school full time, and parenting full time. Not to mention, I was looking to buy a house all around this same time frame. Yes! It was a lot on my shoulders. I had to make an executive decision to take a step back from my business. I couldn’t take clients like I wanted to. I felt devastated and overwhelmed. I almost dropped out of school. It was a lot of pressure. With the grace of God, I pushed through and graduated in 6 months. I was going to start picking up where I left off I went to a salon shortly after graduating, and Covid hit. I had to leave the salon, and I had no income again. I got creative and did online classes. The first class sold out in a week. I started pushing my products by doing bundle deals. I then did the classes every other month. I made more that year than the year prior.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My brand is about killing insecurities and empowering queens. I always say when you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you do good. I specialize in Natural makeup. I named it Natural Slay; this is my most popular service. What sets me apart from others is that I like to enhance your natural beauty and play up on your natural features. So even if you wanted the same look as someone else, it would never look the same because no one is the same. I focus on the features of the face only. I also like my main focus to be in the eyes.
The eyes are the window to the soul. Makeup is more than just physical. I want to empower/uplift women physically, mentally, and spiritually. So many women carry a load of wives, mothers, business owners, employees, etc, and there is no outlet for them. Makeup is also very therapeutic. It’s a safe space. It’s just me and my client. It’s very personal. We talk about real-life situations. You’ll be surprised how just listening to women and speaking life into a woman can change and boost that woman’s confidence. I’m proud of how far I’ve come in my journey. I’m an author. I wrote a book titled 3 Ways to Slay. My book is about me slaying in my business, in my personal life, and my spiritual life as well. I sell makeup products that you can also purchase at slayqueenbeauty.com. I’m blessed and forever grateful for all the support I’ve received. I love what I do. I offer makeup classes; I do makeup for weddings, birthdays, events, television, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.slayqueenbeauty.com
- Instagram: Slayqueenmua
- Facebook: Ebony Trust
Image Credits
Kingdom Varsity Media
