Today we’d like to introduce you to Ada Stewart-Holmes.
Ada, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Well, I am the youngest of 4 siblings. I was basically the only in home child by middle school. My mother worked a lot and went to school. I didn’t have many friends growing up. My mother had me in dance since I was about four years old, so I was always active in dance and sports. But I always needed something to do and something to learn. I’m the only girly girl in my family.
At the age of 12, I learned how to braid my own hair, by the age of 14 I was allowed to wear lip gloss and a little mascara. I became interested in makeup way before then, but my mother wouldn’t allow it. So when I was able to wear eyeshadow, lip gloss, and mascara at about 16/17 I became obsessed with drugstore makeup. I really didn’t know how to apply it (correctly) but because I was allowed I just slapped it on and thought I was the best! I started watching YouTube to see how to apply makeup and different ways I could braid my hair, that’s when I became really obsessed with YouTube and how them girls were looking! I thought to myself I want to be a YouTuber! But because I didn’t look like those “beauty guru’s” I hesitated. I watched YouTube almost everyday but still continued to do my sports and dance. By the age of 20, when I became pregnant with my first son, I thought I should make a YouTube channel and document my pregnancy but quickly said “nobody will watch that, nobody knows who I am”.
By the age of 24, when I became pregnant with my second son, I thought here I am a single mother of 2, I should document my life as a single mother with two young black boys… but once again I hesitated thinking I was going to be judged or no one would watch me. A few years later with YouTube still on my heart, I finally got the nerve to say, you know what if I don’t do it now I will never do it. So I created a channel “Ladi Tattoo Beauty” and began posting videos. I didn’t know what I was doing and really never looked into how YouTube actually goes, but I was uploading videos and that’s all that mattered at the time. I thought I was quickly going to be famous and gain all these subscribers and just live the guru life (whatever that was)! After 2/3 years of having maybe 200 subscribers, I became discouraged because no one was watching me, I wasn’t famous, etc. I met two ladies (which that was another reason for me to start my channel, I wanted friends!) 1. Sherry Chatmon (which five years later we call each other Twin) she was so nice and offered to help me with my channel from all that she knew. 2. Elaine Michelle (my silent mentor is what I’ve called her for years), which came into my dm’s and offered to teach me what she knew about YouTube.
That’s when I started learning YouTube is bigger than what I thought! I started doing hard research and really paying attention to what I was doing. I quickly learned I wasn’t doing most of it right. Elaine told me I needed to change my name and bring a different approach to my channel, she named me A.MaRee Beauty, and A.MaRee Beauty seemed to be an alter ego of mines that I never knew was living in me. Today A.MaRee Beauty sits at almost 3k Diamonds & Gems! A.MaRee has learned some things. I have made a few more friends. I’m far from famous, but I can say people actually notice me in these streets. My boy’s friends and parents look at me like I’m famous. I actually have a few clients that would book me to do their makeup. My cousin allowed me to be her makeup artist on a small film! I’m famous in a small way, just because I finally started my channel. I’m blessed to be where I am right now in my life, but I can’t wait to see where God leads me next!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth road!? Ha is life a smooth road? Nothing that you put your mind too is smooth! I have tried to give up so many times, but growing up I seen my Super Woman do everything (my mother) without giving up! I’ve always admired my mother because she did everything! She was mom, she was dad, she was the fixer, she was the provider, she was that friend, and much more! I always wanted to be like her, but she told me to be better! So giving up has never been in my blood. I have a 12 years old and a eight years old, who looks up to me. I can’t teach them how to be a man, but I can show them how hard I work and how I will never give up on the dreams and promises I’ve made to them before they were born so that they grow up working harder for their own dreams and goals. Never lose focus on what it is you really want to do. Trust me the devil will laugh and try to stop you in any way possible, but you can’t lose focus. It’s so hard as a human to be patient, but keep your faith in God and he will bring your dreams to you when he see fit!
Please tell us about A.MaRee Beauty.
My channel is about everything! I don’t want to be subject to one thing. My channel is based off beauty/makeup tutorials, but I want to be an open book to everyone. On my channel, I share vlogs, which I let you in on my real life and family. I share planner related things, where I talk about my budget and how I plan out the million of things I have going on in my life and how I try to keep myself organized. Of course, I share my love for makeup and how I apply my makeup and review the newest and hottest products that come out. I also started sharing the little bit of cooking skills I have on my channel (which is not much but it’s something lol). I want everyone to relate to me in some kind of way or all ways. I never looked at myself as a MUA, but I have a few clients and I’m not opposed to having more, but I would love to bring more clients to my channel as well.
Who have you been inspired by?
My mother! Anything she puts her hands on turns into “gold”. Anything she sets her mind on, it’s done. My older siblings, they also know the mindset of a hustler and how to get things in life that they wanted for themselves and their families. My circle is very small, but my family is everything I learned in my life.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amareebeauty/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amareebeauty/?ref=bookmarks
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFySqow1zRAcwwQ3bwYO90Q
Image Credit:
Kala Holmes & Myself
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