Today we’d like to introduce you to Raven Herschel.
Raven, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I started out like every other girly girl… obsessed with playing dress up and feeling like a princess. I grew up with a single mom who was my everything and still is the most beautiful woman that I know. She came from a rock-and-roll background and always had amazing eyeliner and lipsticks I couldn’t wait to carry around in my purse and put on whenever I could.
As I became a teenager I didn’t recognize my features as beautiful; I just felt plain and that my appearance didn’t resonate with how I felt on the inside. I struggled with this for many years. I realize now that I was trying to battle my insecurities with applying an unnecessary amount of makeup to cover my face. This was the beginning of a journey I had in discovering my worth and beauty from both a physical and spiritual perspective that would deem myself worthy of later becoming a professional and women’s advocate in beauty.
In my late twenties, I settled into an administrative career, and had the greatest privilege of bringing my daughter into the world. Shortly after she turned one, I enrolled into the Academy of Makeup and Fashion without any expectation or idea of how life-changing it would be. To this day, I am overwhelmed with gratitude knowing it was the best decision I made to unlock a purpose that started in my heart since I can remember… to help women know and feel how beautiful they are!
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My art is seeing the features of a person and bringing light and life into those features that are already there. Everyone provides a canvas and has gifts in their face that create the end result of my artistry. Most women are perfectionists (myself included) and sadly often apologize for things in my chair… such as a wrinkle, redness, a blemish, looking tired, etc. and I’m here to say and show that we are all human and these little things do not define us or our beauty.
What I’ve realized with my work is when we look like the best version of ourselves, we also feel like the best version and helping women feel their best makes my soul happy. I’ve had clients cry when they see themselves after the makeup for the first time or be truly blown away by a compliment I mention that they never saw for themselves. I try not to only be the artist but to be a safe place for my clients to feel vulnerable with their beauty concerns.
I work from the mindset that makeup is personal and supports an expression that is unique to each person. I take pride in listening to my clients to make sure they not only love the result but feel beautiful.
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
The makeup industry is growing like crazy, I wish it was this flourishing when I was younger and had YouTube or a local makeup artist to help me like the younger generations do now!
I think everything overall it is very positive and opening so many opportunities for the artists who work really hard and have love and talent for what they do.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I’m based in Southern California and my latest work is regularly updated on Instagram. My credentials and portfolios are also on my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ravenmakeup.com
- Phone: 805-302-0442
- Email: ravenmakeupartistry@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravenmakeup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ravenmakeup/
- Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/makeup-by-raven-thousand-oaks-thousand-oaks/08cf19801f1b2a27.html
Image Credit:
Caroline Malouf Photography; Camp Collective
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