Today we’d like to introduce you to LaShelle J.
Hi LaShelle J., we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey with Makeup started as a young girl. Growing up watching my stepmother get dolled up and model in fashion shows was the start of it all. The fashion & beauty swept me off of my feet! She modeled and walked with this sense of confidence! I instantly fell in love & knew I wanted that same walk!
My middle school years were the popping clear lip gloss and black lip liner era (well for the older girls). Well me? I was DETERMINED to be a part of it! I started sneaking around wearing my eyeliner, mascara, gloss, and lip liner like nobody’s business. Yeah, that was until I got caught! I just knew my stepmother was gonna kick my butt & say I was trying to be grown, but she didn’t. She simply told me I was too young right now and when it was time, she would show me how to properly apply it. I was so grateful I missed that butt whopping so I waited anxiously.
Well turns out, she kept her word. High school was my year! I could FINALLY express myself through makeup and I can wear pressed powder foundation!? That was the highlight of my life! Lol! My friends ALL wanted me to do their makeup for any and EVERYTHING! I even had girls lined up for our senior-year prom! Still while doing all of this, I NEVER saw a career in my future or even thought of it. Back then, living in the South, we didn’t see Makeup careers being advertised. It was just a hobby. We only had three options, College, Military, or a 9 to 5. So I went on through life just being content with doing my own face.
That’s until YOUTUBE started to rise and tutorials were being watched. I learned SO much watching these videos. I transitioned from pressed powder to liquid foundation, learned how to contour and highlight and snatch my brows!
Compliments were being received literally daily and I can’t count how many times I would get stopped & asked how much I charge. My response was always “ I just do my own makeup”. Still not seeing the potential at the time.
Well fast forward, I started seeing more girls like me & in MY city now referring to themselves as “MUA” and everyone wanted to be “BEAT” I knew then, times had changed. I needed to get familiar with other faces. I started with family and friends models for $25. That helped with my anxiety a lot! Lol! Then when they got sick of me, I posted on social media that I was accepting models. That gained me more people that would tell more people. As I started doing other people’s faces I would get asked if I offered other services such as Lash Extensions. I immediately looked into it, took a class & was certified. Only to find out, I needed a license in Tennessee to do so. My Lash Instructor referred me to a school for Esthetics. I enrolled for that Fall Semester and gained my license as an Esthetician & it is one of the BEST decisions I made in my life!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely NOT! Lol. Coming outside of my comfort zone of just doing my own makeup was hard for me. It gave me anxiety really bad! I remember my hand would shake uncontrollably I could barely do a sharp wing! Omg! Covid also played a role in trying to get my business ball rolling because of the mask mandate.
Around the time I decided I wanted to take doing makeup seriously, the pandemic hit. So many women stopped getting their faces done because of it and we had nowhere to go so there wasn’t a need for it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Licensed Esthetician and newly Licensed Tattoo Artist.
I specialize in Makeup Artistry but I also offer other beauty services such as Lash Extensions, Facials & Waxes with more to come!
I am most proud of my commitment to my gift. I barely sit my makeup brushes down. My passion for it is real. So real, I have done it for free countless of times because it’s therapeutic to me and my hobby! The pay is just a perk behind the passion!
What sets me apart from others is my personality. It flows, vibrates & connects with positive energy. It’s inviting and contagious so I find myself connected to well-grounded clients. Like they were created specifically for me. I treat ALL my clients like family! New & old. I’m a talker and I tend to break the ice EXPEDITIOUSLY! Lol! You’ll feel like you’ve known me forever!
When you leave your appointment you’ll be sure to have had some good laughs and a smile!
What does success mean to you?
I define success as meeting your OWN customized, personalized goals! My success may not look like yours. The definition of success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
Most of us are ALL aiming at something different and if it just so happens to be the same the purpose still isn’t. So, my success is meeting the tailored fit goals I have set for myself along with the goals that are set for my family and the WHY is what makes it all count.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://strutestheticsbylashellej.as.me/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strut_esthetics/
- Facebook: https://m.Facebook.com/strutesthetics/
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/strut-esthetics-by-lashelle-j-memphis
