Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Martinez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a child, I saw my mom always rocking that blue eyeshadow and feathery hair. I used to try and do it myself when no one was looking. My grandma and my sister were cosmetologists and I always had that in the back of my mind. However, life became reality and my first of three daughters was born a month after my high school graduation. I started college about a week later for psychology and didn’t decide to pursue that route until about 7 yrs later. That’s when we moved to Albuquerque and I started school at Toni & Guy Hair dressing academy. Every makeup event that was held, I was involved in. And even tho I was amazing at cut and color, I was more interested in makeup. I then met my husband and a few years later we made our move from NM to TX. I got hired for Estée Lauder and Smashbox as a freelancer and my dream came true of working in makeup full time. Ever since then, I worked for some amazing brands including MAC and Sephora where I’m currently a certified artist and training to be a Beauty studio coordinator. I take clients outside of that where I offer makeup and hair services.
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’ve definitely lived a hard life and anyone from my hometown can attest to the struggles of just trying to build a regular life. I never thought I’d make it out of that place much less be successful. I do miss and love my hometown and I’m in no way putting it down, however, our generation wasn’t left with the best of options. My advice, never give up. Dreams don’t come true overnight. You have to work hard and remember that even when things don’t seem like they’ll get better just keep trying. I’ve hit rock bottom and I got up and tried again. I strive to be who my daughter’s idol and are proud of every day.
We’d love to hear more about Eye Candy byEmily.
I do everything. And if I don’t know how, I learn. I love glam makeup and airbrushing but I can do anything except special fx (YET). But I’m learning! Beauty and fashion in any sense are so interesting to me. I love to educate myself on everything about this business. Sanitation can be a huge issue and a lot of people aren’t properly educated on this topic as an artist and as a client. However, this is very important and it takes one time trying to shortcut something for a client to catch something or call you out and your reputation that you maybe worked years for, can be tarnished. This is the very first thing I learned when starting in this industry and continuing education is a way to stay up to date on all trends and topics, including this one.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
There’s so much competition out there that sometimes it will seem like there will never be a spot for you. You may have to work in a place that makes you question your career choice. However, we all start somewhere and we all need experience in many different areas of this industry to fully understand it. Keep going. Great makeup and hair skills aren’t all that make a successful artist. It’s also passion and ambition. And networking! I can definitely say that networking has been a huge part of my career. Don’t burn bridges with clients or employers either. Keep your word and be honest!
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.eyecandybyemily.com
- Email: eyecandybyemily@gmail.com
- Instagram: @eyecandybyemily
- Facebook: Eyecandybyemily
Image Credit:
Amanda Uhl
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