Today we’d like to introduce you to Libbey Lazarus.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Libbey. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I fell into doing makeup professionally. After I graduated from San Diego State University I moved to Los Angeles to pursue TV and Film. After years of waiting tables and not getting very far I was looking for a change. I remember serving a really rude table and thinking to myself “there has to be more out there than this.” I didn’t go to college to wait tables.
My friends started asking me to do their hair and makeup for weddings and I decided on a whim to go to Beauty School to become an Esthetician.
My first job was in a high end salon and we did a lot of bridal makeup. In beauty school you don’t get a lot of instruction in makeup application. I am self-taught but I started taking advanced classes when I realized how bad my makeup was. In their early years I did the same look in everyone.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think doing makeup is smooth for anyone. You are constantly chasing the next job. Everyone wants a deal and work is not consistent. This is why many of us do skincare and hair too.
The biggest challenge for most MUA these days are managing people’s expectations. Instagram and social media has created a monster with filters and editing apps.
Facetune is an app that many beauty bloggers use to smooth skin and it creates an unrealistic image. People are obsessed with perfection which is not realistic.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kiss and Makeup Now story. Tell us more about the business.
My company is an on location hair and makeup company. Me and a team of hairstylist do everything from Comic Con to weddings. I work with about 6 of the best hairstylist in San Diego and we all work really well together. We learn from each other and really work well as a team.
In San Diego we are most known for Wedding Hair, makeup and Special Effects.
We recently documented a mini makeup over on a 10 year old girl with a skin condition which was amazing. I am also really excited about a web series I am working on called The Keepers with Long Board Productions. It’s an act thriller.
I think what sets us apart is the quality of our work and professionalism. We know we are the help. We know how to behave on a set. We come in do our job and keep our mouths and cells phones off.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
More and more regular beauty bloggers are making changes in the industry. Some of it good some of it bad, no one is inventing anything new. They are just presenting it in a new way to a new audience. For example, contouring has been used in theater for centuries to define the face so the people in the back row could make out a character.
One of the exciting shifts is that for people of color there are many more options. There are a whole lot of WOC that have many more choices for foundation and blush than ever.
It nice to see diversity in the beauty industry. It’s also nice to see how the power of a brand can bring awareness to social problems. For example, Tarte is vegan friendly and has an anti-Bullying campaign. Most lines are cruelty free which is important to me.
Contact Info:
- Address: 12925 El Camino Real J8 San Diego, CA 92130
- Website: www.kissandmakeupnow.com
- Phone: (858) 775-4780
- Email: libbey@kissandmakeupnow.com
- Instagram: @libbeylazarus
- Facebook: Kiss & Makeup Now
- Twitter: Libbeybeauty
- Yelp: Kiss & Makeup Now
Image Credit:
Mallory Eberlin, Gene Higa Photography, MTHL Photography, Connor Corridan
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