Today we’d like to introduce you to Phoebe Nguyen.
Phoebe, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always wanted to become an artist but never had the opportunity to pursue a career in art. I graduated with a double major in Psychology and Sociology in 2011. For 4 years, I was confused with where I wanted to take my career. But I knew, I would not be happy unless I was able to artistically express myself in anything I do. I began to dabble in makeup in 2015 and that’s when I created Love P Beauty. The brand then became officially established January 2016. I started with teaching clients how to apply daily makeup looks. Then went on to booking brides. My best friend is a wedding planner, so booking bridal became easier. I was very lucky in this direction! I knew I going down the right path, so I picked up my beauty cosmetology license along the way. From bridal makeup, I began to expand into doing bridal hair, then nails, etc. I got licensed for permanent makeup with eyebrow microblading (eyebrow tattooing). Finally, I grew my career even more and picked up Calligraphy. I believe that out of everything that I do, my artistic abilities are best expressed through doing makeup, microblading, and calligraphy for clients. I’m hoping to expand my business to a storefront one day and to teach other artists who share similar interests. I believe that I’m slowly, but surely, live by my slogan: all things beauty.
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?
I believe that my path was nothing but smooth. It was really strange because up until 2015, everything seemed like it was going wrong. But since I found a career in makeup, everything just felt right. I have a best friend that fully supports me. And through her, I’ve networked with other people in the wedding business. My portfolio has grown tremendously in the last 2 years. Of course, having over 100 reviews on Yelp at 5 stars doesn’t hurt. 🙂
My advice for other women pursuing the same path is: you always have to market yourself. Marketing is key for your own business. Don’t be lazy in this! Whether you have a portfolio of clients or not, you shouldn’t worry because you can just do makeup on yourself and post it as portfolio work. Focus on your craft and self-promote always! Your confidence will show through and clients will book you for it. Yes, you need a website; yes you need business cards; if you are serious about your business, people will treat you seriously.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Love P Beauty story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m very attentive to detail. I think people see this and they appreciate it very much. It makes them feel like I’m worth the money I’m charging. I think that’s what separates me from other artists – my perfectionism. I understand that when you take on a lot of tasks, you lose focus in what you’re truly good at. You’re just doing too much. But I see my business as an art and I’m just using different mediums to express myself. This allows me to do many different things and still be able to showcase my skills.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
I think I just take inspiration from other artists through social media, websites, etc. I am always learning. I always want to learn and there’s always room to get better. There are so many talented people out there so I make sure to take advantage of their posts, videos, and blogs to perfect my craft.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7950 Silverton Ave #103
San Diego, CA 92126 - Website: www.lovepbeauty.com
- Phone: 858-610-6690
- Email: phoebe@lovepbeauty.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lovepbeauty
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lovepbeauty
Image Credit:
Brogen Jessup, Natalie Bray Photography
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.
