Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Cardenas.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
At a very young age, I always knew I loved makeup. At the age of 13, I began as a self-taught makeup artist watching countless YouTube videos. I would practice doing my makeup every day. As my makeup began to improve and as I began high school, many of my peers knew me for my makeup and many often asked me to do theirs for school dances. Of course, I was not as talented back then as I am now, but the practice I got from doing all of these girls’ makeup was worth while for my growth as a makeup artist.
At the age of 16, I came in contact with a makeup artist from San Diego that I had the privilege to shadow throughout many of her weddings. I was her assistant helping her prepare faces for makeup, clean brushes and sometimes even do makeup on bridesmaids. I soon realized, I did not like working for another makeup artist because I wanted to become my own! I knew I had a talent in me, it was just up to me to portray it to the world and so I did.
I enrolled in Drama Queen Makeup Academy at the age of 17 and became a certified makeup artist before I even graduated high school. In makeup school, I did not learn anything new about makeup, however, I was perfecting my skills. I began to post before and afters of my clients on my Instagram and Facebook and saw how powerful social media can be used as a marketing tool. Now, I currently and frequently booked every weekend and am happy to see what else the future brings.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey to get where I am today was not perfect and I will admit there were struggles. One of the struggles was when I started to get many cancellations from my clients sometimes the night before or morning of their events, I had booked them for. Back when I first started out as a makeup artist, my bookings were by “pinky-promise”. In other words, I did not demand any sort of deposit or any filling out of any sort of contract in order to book a client which made it very easy for clients to cancel at the last minute. This was very frustrating not only because it would be a waste of my time washing my brushes the night before and packing all my makeup is very time consuming, but also because I could have booked that space for another client. I solved this issue by securing every appointment with a contract. On the contract, I ask for basic information such as name, phone number, date of the event, amount of clients in a group, if there is a group – and for an electronic signature at the bottom. I also include my terms such as my prices, group specials as well as my cancellation policy. My cancellation policy is stated in the contract which states that if a client were to cancel before 72 hours of the appointment, they will be charged my set cancellation fee. I am very happy that now, due to my contracts, my cancellation rate is at an all time low!
My advice to women getting started on their journey is to know how to respect and value your time. Wasted time often feels worse than wasted money. Invest your time into what will bring you the most profit.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into @Drea_Makeup story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a makeup artist that does makeup for a variety of different events! I have done all sorts of events such as bridal makeup for weddings, Quincenera makeup, high school proms, military balls, baby showers, maternity photos and even makeup for girls going to raves! Sometimes, I even have clients that book me just because they want to feel beautiful for the day or if they are going on a date.
I am most proud of my flexibility. I book clients all day and sometimes in very different cities. Since I do travel, I have found myself in San Diego, to Riverside, to Pomona and back to San Diego all in one day!
What sets me apart from the others is that I am a certified makeup artist. With the makeup industry booming, it is very common to see more self-taught artists than certified artists because more and more people are trying to enter the industry.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo.
Pricing:
- Full Face Application, Lashes Included: $70.00
- Travel Fee: $0.25 cents/mile
Contact Info:
- Email: makeupbydreac@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drea_makeup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.cardenas.artistry/
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
