Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa September Rodriguez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lisa September. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was originally born in London, England and migrated to the states when I was 5 years old. We moved around a lot and finally ended up in Arizona. At 18 years old, my family was too poor to pay for me to go to college so I joined the Marine Corps, at the end of my 26-year career in The Marines, I retired from Camp Pendleton, CA and decided to make a change in careers. I chose something very far from the military and went into the world of beauty, specifically make-up. I chose Bellus Academy and used my GI Bill to assist me in paying for a Master’s Make-up Program; the program consists of an 8 hour a day, 5 days a week, a 4-month curriculum that covers every aspect of basic Make-up artistry. It was a very thorough, extensive course which embodies all different facets of the industry and there is more than one can even imagine. I graduated in December of 2017 and ventured into the world of beauty, which I will say, with surprise, is quite comparable to its hustle and insane hours, to my military experience. It is not easy to make it in this world, you have to work any and every job you can get your hands on, no matter how last minute, for little to no pay (for months there was no pay) to earn your reputation. It is a cut-throat world, one slip up and you can be fired from a job you never even got paid in. But even with all of that, it is worth it… doing something you are passionate about cannot be overlooked, and every obstacle you get through, gets you closer to where you want to be. A short eight months later, I have been published in four magazines, worked films, TV shows, music videos, Fashion Shows, commercials and photo shoots. It has been an amazing ride and I have learned so much and worked under so many creative minds, that I have to be thankful.
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?
This road is not smooth, it is a lot of hard work, very fast paced, little to no pay, and learning new techniques to the craft itself, has been difficult. Every new job seemed to come up with a type of new Make-up technique that I had not yet encountered. My advice to newcomers is to be open to working new types of gigs, no matter how small; this world is run by networking and every opportunity can lead to another one.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Beautybyseptember – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I work as a Freelance Make-up Artist, which I am not part of a union or work for a specific company, although I do strive to work for either or both in the future. I am trained in various techniques of Make-up such as Natural Make-up, Avante-Garde, Photograph Make-up (Black and White/Color), there are specific techniques for both, Facial Analysis, Base Matching, Shading and Highlighting, Television to include High Definition, Corrective Make-up, Bridal Make-up to include Airbrushing, Film/Tape/Print/TheaterMakeupp, Men’s Grooming, Special Effects Make-up, The Basic Essentials of Hair, High Fashion, Mature Make-up, and Period Hair and Make-up. I do all of the above and am very proud that I am versatile in all types of Make-up Artistry, that would be what sets me apart.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
Anything in this industry is well positioned for women. Women enjoy fashion and beauty and appreciate self-love and care. Women can do anything in any business, industry, etc and most often want to inspire each other mentally and/or physically. There are many opportunities for women nowadays and we definitely take advantage of that and prosper in our workplace.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beautybyseptember.com
- Phone: 858-231-3171
- Email: beautybyseptember@gmail.com
- Instagram: beautybyseptember
- Facebook: beautybyseptember
Image Credit:
Jonathan Sevilla, Liana Kealoha, Luzz Lopez
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