Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Mansfield.
Hi Jennifer, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I always have been into makeup and skin care since I was a little girl. After high school graduation in 1995 I was force to go to community college by my father. He said, I would never make any money as a makeup artist. Looking back now as a six figure solo esthetician, I sure proved him wrong. I knew I didn’t want to go to college and knew what my passion was. I flunked out, and said, now can I go to beauty school? I went to Esthetics school and got my license in 1998. I started working at the very prestigious salon, Facade Ltd. in Clayton where I met some of the most influential people in the industry that really guided me and my career. I found myself doing makeup for “The Monday Makeovers” on News Channel 5 and got my first taste of working on set. I was still missing something though, I always had the desire to learn special effects makeup and do makeup in Hollywood. In 2001, I decided it was now or never! I decided I was moving to California. I had $300 in my pocket and only knew one person in San Diego. Not even L.A, but it was close right? Well sort of. The worry I caused my poor mother I hope I never experience as a parent! So here I was in San Diego, somewhat close to where I wanted to be, so I got a restaurant job & every chance I got, I drove up to L.A to tour makeup schools. Six months later, I decided on Joe Blasco Makeup Center West. I connected with an old St. Louis friend who had an apartment in the heart of Hollywood so I moved, took out a loan, and enrolled in school.
I met a fun group of fellow makeup artists while in school and we got an apartment together, I started doing every free job that I could just to meet people in the industry and make connections. After graduation, I took a job at Barney’s New York in Beverly Hills as a freelance makeup artist. Over the 4 years woking there I gained a ton of expeirence in product knowledge as it was a requirement to attend weekly trainings of every line that was sold in the store. This is wear my vast education in product knowledge really started. I gained tons of connections and life long friends that really pushed my career to the next level. Most of the artists that worked at Barney’s also worked on film and television sets and were a step above in thier craft in the makeup artist world. Opportunities came up everyday to help someone on a music video, a tv show, a commercial , or a short film where they needed extra artists. One of those counter managers is now Lady Gaga’s hairstylist.
As time went on, I couldn’t juggle the department store gig with my on set jobs so I stictly focused on set work. Ive done everything from stage makeup for the theatre Dept at USC, Mercedes Benz Fashion week shows, Music Videos, commercials, flying to NYC to shoot Magazine editorials for a one day job, reality shows, short films, war documentaries for the History channel, to doing makeup for guests on The Tyra Banks Show and the occasional workday doing makeup on America’s Next Top Model. One of my favorite jobs was spending the weekend in the woods shooting a zombie movie in a remote cabin in Big bear, jet setting to the Canne film festival in France just to do one person’s makeup for 10 days, then flying back and the same day hoping on a plane to the Virgin Islands for 5 weeks for a calendar shoot. During my time out in L A, I did makeup for a number of Celebrities. A full list is in my resume. Some were very nice, some were not, but I’ll never tell.
In 2009,I found myself pregnant and in a relationship that turned very toxic and abusive. I wasn’t sure how to get out. I waited for the right opportunity and I bought a one way ticket back home to St. Louis to my roots, to be with family where I gave birth to my baby boy.
I connected with some of my old salon friends here in St. Louis and started working as an Esthetician again. I always kept my license inactive in Missouri because there was no way I was repeating beauty school again. For the next 4 years I worked a salon job, freelanced wedding makeup, and at night I bartended at various bars and nightclubs to make ends meet.
In 2013, I met a wonderful man who also was a single parent to 3 boys and is now my husband. Even though I swore never to marry and told him very specifically that I would never marry him, after 5 years, we married on a beach in Mexico. My 9 year old son walked me down the aisle. In 2014, he pushed me to open my own salon, which he built out, Bella Ragazza Salon & Spa in Kirkwood. It was just a 3 chair salon, a makeup counter and a facial room in the back. After 1 year, the salon was busting at the seems and we needed a bigger space. Our landlord had an open space in Des Peres, so we built out a 3,000 sq ft salon and moved the business. After my 5 year lease was up, it was now 2020 and Covid had us all out of work and changed the industry. Nobody wanted to go to the big salons anymore. Everyone was scared. So in June of 2020, my lease was up and I decided it was time for a change. I wanted to focus more on my esthetic services and not micromanaging a big salon. I opened up “The Face Lady” a private boutique spa in Des Peres. My business tripled! Business was booming. I started purchasing better equipment like the Glo 2 Facial machine and the Skin Classic machine which I now am a trainer for the company.
In 2023 I learned that I have 2 very rare vascular diseases that I was unaware of for many years and had formed 3 aneurysms on my right renal artery, inside my right kidney and one near my pancreas. After 8 surgeries in one year, I’m all fixed! I wasn’t letting this defeat me and was determined to get back to my clients. Six months after my last surgery I learned that my building where my spa was had been sold to a bank and they wanted to tear the building down. We had to move and build location number 4! My poor husband is a little tired of building me spas. He’s getting pretty good at it though because this one is the best one yet! We found a great location back in Kirkwood where we started and it is still just me, The Face Lady! It’s definitely a little more upscale than the last 3 salons. I even have an art studio in the lower level! Earlier this year, I did something that I’ve wanted to do for many years. I launched my own makeup line. Bella Ragazza Cosmetics. It’s been a dream for the longest time. I still will do weddings, I’ve taken a break from set work. I stay booked solid about a few weeks out. My sons are now 23,19,17, and 16. We are very active in the Kirkwood community as my 2 youngest are Kirkwood varsity football players.
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?
It has not been smooth. Anything worth it is never easy. I listed some of the struggles in the previous section
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Face Lady is a private one on one setting. I offer top of the line organic skin care line. Eminence organic skin care, Suntegrity organic sun line, a variety of apothecary lines,Three international supplements and Bella Ragazza Cosmetics
Services I offer range to basic 60 min facial to a 2 hour glo 2 facial with biorepeel and nano needling
I also offer microneedling, skin classic( removes epidermal skin lesions) , facial waxing, brow and lash services , and makeup applications and lessons
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Podcast: Pure Skin Talk, Buddhist Boot Camp, Alpha Health & Wellness Radio, The Yoga Connection
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thefacelady.net
- Instagram: @thefaceladystl
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/thefacelady.net
