Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Abbasi Sanchez.
Sarah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started doing makeup when I was fresh out of high school for fun. I would do just friends and family for school dances or parties. I wanted to be a makeup artist but I didn’t know how to follow my passion and also turn it into a career. I applied for jobs at Ulta, Mac, Clinique, basically every cosmetic counter at the mall and got no where. I applied at Ulta maybe 5 or 6 times and even went in to talk to the managers and I just remember them being very dismissive of me which was so disheartening, I finally stopped trying. Freelancing never even crossed my mind because I had no idea how to start my own business at 18 let alone have the funds to do it. I was so defeated that I just worked any retail job I could get and started taking classes at my community college since I had no idea what else I wanted to do. I changed my major in college probably 6 or 7 times. It took me 5 years to get my associates because I couldn’t commit to a career path. I remember my mom telling me one day, “Sarah, you need to figure out what you want to do with your life. If you want to do makeup then you need to just do it.” Throughout the years I was still doing makeup here and there.
I eventually took a job in the medical field and I remember telling my husband how I wanted so badly to do makeup and how I regretted not starting years ago. He suggested that I start freelancing on the side and that was exactly what I did. I researched what I needed to start my kit and dived right in. During this time, I also started a blog where I would post makeup looks and talk about products I liked and was using. This eventually led me to starting a YouTube channel. I would do clients on the weekends and work my hospital job during the week, do blog posts, and edit videos as soon as I got home from work until eventually I quit my job at the hospital.
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?
Absolutely not. Partially due to me not having the confidence to dive right in and starting my career in makeup right away. I was scared I wouldn’t be good enough. I made up every excuse in the book to stay at whatever job I was at and I was miserable. That is my biggest mistake. I always thought “Well if Mac doesn’t want to hire me, who in their right mind is going to pay me to do their makeup?” I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to not be scared to follow my passion. I remember all my friends and family telling me to start a YouTube channel back in like 2012 and I always had an excuse why I couldn’t. I didn’t know how to use a camera, I didn’t know how to edit videos. Now, creating and editing videos is one of my favorite parts of what I do. I would tell young women to never ever tell yourself you’re not good enough. You are amazing and the only person holding you back is yourself. If you are passionate about what you do, are willing to put in the work, never let failure be an option, you will be successful. I had a lot of sleepless nights staying up late working on my blog, editing videos, working my butt off on the weekends and working 40+ hours a week. It wasn’t easy but I wouldn’t take back that hard work for anything since it helped me get to where I am now.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Gloss and Talk – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a freelance makeup artist and I also make Instagram and YouTube tutorials. My cousin, Priscilla and I also recently partnered and started having makeup parties where we invite people to join our class and teach a certain technique or look. She’s the brains behind the scene and I do the teaching. I love to teach! This is one of the biggest reason why I love YouTube so much. I want everyone to learn how to do a smokey eye and know how to highlight and contour. I want to help people find their perfect nude lipstick or the best powder that fits their skin type. I LOVE doing super glam makeup. They really get my creative juices flowing and I love when I get to create something that is not your everyday makeup look. I get a lot of requests to do a more natural glam as well. I find a lot of clients that come to me want that “myself but better” look. This is one of my personal favorites. To me, there is something special about keeping the makeup pretty and soft, but just amplifying the natural features of the face. The thing I’m most proud of is my work. I want every single client I’m working on to feel like a million dollars when I’m done with them. I want them to look in the mirror and think, I look amazing! When they leave my chair I want them to feel like the most powerful, confident person in the world. I have worked in the beauty industry before and I have seen people do the bare minimum to collect a paycheck and get that person out the door. For me, what I do is not just a paycheck. It’s what I truly love doing. Nothing makes me feel as amazing as seeing the look on clients face when they look in a mirror when I’m done with them.
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?
It boggles my mind how years ago there was a stigma that women could only do certain jobs. They were teachers, secretaries, or hair stylists. Look at where we are now. We have women pilots, women in the military, women police officers. Jobs that years and years ago, it would have been unheard of for women to do any of these things. Women can do anything and everything as long as they put in the work and passion just like everyone else!
Pricing:
- Full Face – $65
- Makeup Class – $40
Contact Info:
- Email: sarah@glossandtalk.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glossandtalk/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glossandtalk/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glossandtalk
Image Credit:
Matthew Sanchez
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston 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.
