Today, we’d like to introduce you to Steven Coleman.
Hi Steven, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all began circa 2005. I had just moved back to Houston from Los Angeles, CA. I was without a job and came home to perform in the Motown & More Reveue, which was my 4th year performing in the show as a dancer. I was working as a scientist, a microbiologist, to be exact.
After several months of being a starving artist, if you will, I realized that if I wasn’t on tour with someone, that dancing was not gonna get it. So I sought to get back into science so that I could create a decent living for myself, but more months passed by without an interview or a prospective job in sight. The country was in a recession at the time, so even being an individual with a degree, I was not landing a job, not even at Walmart, because I was overqualified.
One day, on the way to get a workout in, I stopped by a store that I often see in the Galleria shopping mall, with tons of people, a dj spinning, and like everyone was just having the time of their lives. The store was MAC Cosmetics. So, I decided to walk in and ask if they were hiring a stocker or someone to unload the truck. The manager replied, “No,” but went on to say we are looking for freelancers.
Not knowing what that was and completely out of my lane, I was like, no, I am not sure that I can do that, especially with no experience. As I say thank you and begin to walk out the door, the manager says hey, now you came in here looking for employment, and I told you what we were hiring for; now, do you need a job, or are you just looking. I stopped and looked and I said you know what I have nothing to lose, I am hungry, I have to pay bills, etc.
Ma’am, what do I need to do? Furthermore, I was scheduled to do a makeup interview (apply makeup on a model) with a 30-minute time limit and apply lashes. I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I knew what my mother wore and did some crafty work on my sister for a dance while my mom was still at work. Needless to say, she saw something in me that I did not see in myself; she called me in to work when the Essence Festival was in Houston, TX, after Hurricane Katrina.
Well, after making my first client cry and request another artist, I then asked if I could have a moment off the floor. It was all too fast, intimidating, and very inexperienced because this was the flagship store, the MAC of all Macs, where the best of the best worked. After studying an artist who I am still very good friends with today, I was able to get back out there with a little more knowledge of what to do. All I needed was a few guidelines and the basics because I am a visual learner. Six months later, I was one of the requested artists in the store and realized that my drawing skills and makeup were both forms of art.
From that moment on, I created my own style, looks, and customer care when applying makeup. This was a temporary job for me until I found a job back in science, at least I thought, but after helping a customer and completing a makeup application on her and her response of not ever thinking that she could look like so, that it altered her thoughts of suicide. I knew instantly that if I could impact people like that, I have discovered my destiny
After 4.5 years working at the store, now a seasoned artist, I was hired to work on a music video, “Ice Cream Paint Job,” by Dorrough, hired by Dr. Teeth. He later needed me at the BET Hip Hop Awards, and I struggled to give him an answer as I could not take off, did not want to be without a job, nor did I want to miss out on a lifetime opportunity. I resigned from MAC, took the job, and here I am 19 years later, still doing makeup with my own company, COLECOLORS.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely NOT!
The first obstacle was back between the years of 2011 and 2014 when the influx of makeup artists in Houston was bananas. Everyone was a celebrity, professional, or just a makeup artist. It became so saturated that I began to lose clients due to cheaper prices, convenience, and people simply trying out other artists. Not to mention my makeup backpack (kit) hand been stolen 5 times throughout my career. I will say after that trial, I did gain quite a few back.
The second obstacle was the COVID-19 years circa 2020 – 2022. I thought that it was over. I closed my studio, and I had NO makeup appointments or requests, which led me to create a new professional resume for corporate and start looking for jobs. Then, I started doing live makeup makeup tutorials on Facebook and Instagram. Some clients started to call just for makeup to make them feel good while stuck in their homes.
I still strongly thought about a corporate job because I really had exhausted my savings and all the stashed funds. Like many small business owners, I did not receive any of that SBA money, and I was sure that that was the end of my career in makeup artistry, but my faith is strong, and COLECOLORS is still in business in downtown Houston, TX.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
COLECOLORS is a small business that has been in existence for 14 and a half years. We provide makeup services for all life events, including editorial (T.V., Magazines, etc.). The company was built from ground zero by a former microbiologist whose career was altered by a natural disaster, which led Steven D. Coleman to become a makeup artist.
I specialize in enhancing the beauty of others, and I am known for my professionalism, accuracy, and 45-minute makeup applications. What sets me apart from others is the experience that is given from the time the appointment is scheduled. I am very proud of my lipstick and lip gloss products. I have six velvet matte liquid lipsticks and six high-shine and buildable lip glosses.
I roll out the Red carpet for all our clients, enhancing one face that is custom to your features at a time. From hometown guys/ladies to celebrities, everyone is greeted and handled with care because I never know the magnitude of the person sitting in my chair.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy is seeing others happy.
Pricing:
- $150 Makeup Application
- $375 Bride
- $600 Private Lesson
Contact Info:
- Website: www.colecolors.net
- Instagram: @colecolorsthemakeupartist
- Facebook: Colecolors – Art Defining Beauty
- Linkedin: Steven Coleman
- Twitter: https://x.com/ColeColors
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@colecolors
- Other: www.tiktok.com/colecolors
Image Credits
CJ Martin – RmFoto, Ke’er – Point and Click Photography, Anzeo David, Mia Gradney, Shelia Pittman, Korie Payne, and Sydney Fisher
