people continue to try me...
So brief history - Ive been at this makeup thing for five years now. I started right after I had Sam the Girl (my daughter for those new to the blog) and she just turned 5 years old last month. Initially I did makeup as a side hobby, then it turned into a side job/hustle and then 2 years ago it became my full time gig. My support system is iron clad so I definitely couldn't have done it without them but yeah I did it.
Sometimes I think those looking from the outside in perceive me to still be attempting a side hobby...
Case in point, and those who are in a similar line of work, or an entrepreneur of any sort will get this, potential clients reach out and inquire about your services and rates. After providing praise on your work and you disclose your rates they then try to get you to negotiate your rate...
Now I know when I go to a store I cant do that, heck even when I get other services done, say my hair or nails I cant be like oh you know what I wasn't expecting to pay this much for loc maintenance and/or a manicure, are your prices negotiable?
Or you offer your services at a discounted rate and waive a deposit because you are seemingly cool with a person and then they flake on you the day of the service...mind you another paying client could've been in that day/time slot...and now its too late to fill that spot.
Even better is when you constantly have to prove yourself...
If you view my portfolio it contains a lot of clean beauty and though I have a variety of skin tones and ethnicity in my port, for some reason people only zero in on my work on Caucasian clients so they doubt my ability to either "beat a face" (of which I am now pretty much over that term) or apply makeup to anyone other than fair skin.
Not the case, and not that I owe them any explanation but this is my blog so I am just taking proverbial pen to proverbial paper to iron out these thoughts of mine, the reason I have mostly clean beauty in my port is because well clean beauty is what will get you paid.
Sorry if that comes across as crass cause it isn't meant to be but that is a known fact. Not saying you wont get clients doing another kind of makeup but for what I have always had my goals set on, something bigger than my area, I need to be able to service a diverse clientele. I am proud to say that I have done and continue to do just that.
I get questioned on everything from my technique, to how I acquired a certain gig, to what products I use to how long it takes me to apply makeup to what I charge and why and if I feel I lost out on money...PUMP...YOUR...BRAKES!
Honestly, I take most of the responsibility for the questions. From day one I have tried to be open and honest to any and everyone who asks my advice when it comes to this but after a while its like why must I be subjected to your antics time and time again? Now, dont get me wrong I am happy to help anyone who wants to get into this and is SERIOUS about it. Anyone I have helped/mentored in the past, whatever you want to call it, will attest to the fact that I am a no BS zone and I expect a lot of you but I am also very giving of myself and of helping you to get to where you desire to be as a makeup artist if I can.
When will my contributions be enough? I can post images of my work, beautiful work, "beat makeup" looks and its still like lets try to find something to pick at and question. So you know what I do now? Just answer the questions straight to the point. I realize that if I continue to feed into it that just prolongs the issue.
I say all this to say, toughen up your armor and kill em with kindness because you are not their issue.
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Blog Love f. Creatively Yours by Ro
Ro's Birthday Giveaway Day 4:: Milani Baked Blush
My girl Ro has a birthday coming up but YOU get the gifts! Check out her blog for a full week of giveaways. Good Luck! :)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
February Photo-A-Day Challenge-2/1
Kenya, my beauty blogging buddy from Brown Girlz Rock, shared this challenge with a few of us today.
Seeing as though I have been pretty lax in the blogging department I figured this would be a good spark to ignite the passion to blog again.
Day 1 - your view today
Mine is all about preparation, tunnel vision if you will. For what you ask? Stay tuned! :)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
30 Day YouTube Challenge-Day 2-Beauty Trends I Dislike
Not so much a trend as not always believing the hype about every single thing. Free your mind beauty lovers!!! What beauty trend would you like to see disappear? Thanks for watching!
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
30 Day Blog Challenge!
Erin over at Scandalous Beauty is really lighting a fire under a number of us bloggers! First her 30 day YouTube Challenge (which I have yet to post the first vid - I tried, for real yall but the tech gods are not smiling upon me right now...) and now the 30 Day Blog Challenge which she saw over on NikkiMo’s blog.
So I am going to make every attempt to do both...with ATTEMPT being the key word here. Both challenges will begin for me today, since I am already five days behind. I think it would be a bit ambitious of me to try and knock out five vids and five posts in one day...especially if I have a glass of wine when I get home! :)
If you want to join the challenge too, here are the questions. Let me know in the comments section if you will participate so I can be sure to keep up with you! Keep an eye out for my first posts in the challenge.
Day 1 – A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.
Day 2 – A photo of something you ate today.
Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.
Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend.
Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago.
Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.
Day 7 – Your dream wedding.
Day 8 – A song to match your mood.
Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.
Day 10 – A photo of your favorite place to eat.
Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?
Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.
Day 13 – Your favorite musician and why?
Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to.
Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without.
Day 16 – Your celebrity crush.
Day 17 – A photo of you and your family.
Day 18 – Something you crave a lot.
Day 19 – Another picture of yourself.
Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name.
Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy.
Day 22 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently. A letter to someone who broke my heart.
Day 23 – 15 facts about you.
Day 24 – A photo of something that means a lot to you.
Day 25 – What’s in your purse?
Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to.
Day 27 – A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?
Day 28 – Your favorite movie.
Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing.
Day 30 – A photograph of youself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days.
So I am going to make every attempt to do both...with ATTEMPT being the key word here. Both challenges will begin for me today, since I am already five days behind. I think it would be a bit ambitious of me to try and knock out five vids and five posts in one day...especially if I have a glass of wine when I get home! :)
If you want to join the challenge too, here are the questions. Let me know in the comments section if you will participate so I can be sure to keep up with you! Keep an eye out for my first posts in the challenge.
Day 1 – A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.
Day 2 – A photo of something you ate today.
Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.
Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend.
Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago.
Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.
Day 7 – Your dream wedding.
Day 8 – A song to match your mood.
Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.
Day 10 – A photo of your favorite place to eat.
Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?
Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.
Day 13 – Your favorite musician and why?
Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to.
Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without.
Day 16 – Your celebrity crush.
Day 17 – A photo of you and your family.
Day 18 – Something you crave a lot.
Day 19 – Another picture of yourself.
Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name.
Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy.
Day 22 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently. A letter to someone who broke my heart.
Day 23 – 15 facts about you.
Day 24 – A photo of something that means a lot to you.
Day 25 – What’s in your purse?
Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to.
Day 27 – A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?
Day 28 – Your favorite movie.
Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing.
Day 30 – A photograph of youself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Clique Here to Join!
I have been wanting to write about this for a while now and it just so happens that it came up in conversation today which worked out perfectly.
Per Wikipedia - "an inclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity; Membership in a clique is typically exclusive, and qualifications for membership may be social or essential to the nature of the clique."
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| given Lindsay's recent struggles, I wonder if she is still cool with these ladies... |
The definition above is pretty much the norm when researching the word "clique". Seems fair enough but certain words jump out as red flags such as inclusive (Containing (a specified element) as part of a whole) and exclusive (limiting or limited to possession, control, or use by a single individual or group).
I dont particularly care for cliques as I think they carry a negative connotation; I feel the same way about the "in crowd". I am reminded of my adolescent years and longing to fit in somewhere, anywhere until I just said forget it and realized that group membership didnt have to define and shape who I would become as an adult. Fast forward to now and I find myself still dealing with the same teen angst issues that plague those in the middle of youth.
In the makeup community there are a number of groups - MUAs, Bloggers, Fans, Editors - I could go on and on. In those groups there are even subsets for example Celebrity MUAs vs. Freelancers vs. Counter Artists. I think we all share an innate desire to feel a part of something and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem lies when others are excluded, and unfortunately it happens all the time.
In the discussion today, among a chat group I am a part of we all agreed that we are considered a clique however we differ in that we are not, to quote one member "exclusive to each other...but more inclusive...since we have the same interest," she was basically saying that all are welcome. We all agreed. I have heard the comment made that the DC beauty bloggers (another clique association) are some of the nicest around. Again another positive associated with a term that can bring about negative thoughts to some. It is quite possible for the negative to be the image that comes across first.
I am in a few other groups that I either joined or was grandfathered in for some reason or another. Either it was just a thing where I was under the impression that it would be good to learn from like-minded individuals, a business growth opportunity or just a group of friends chatting. I am learning that these groups have at some point or another suffered the fate of an "in crowd" deal where those within feel empowered by excluding others. I have to admit I have had a hand in participating previously. Just recently I had a talk with a friend about how that made her feel and I had to apologize because I knew I was wrong either directly or indirectly by not speaking up when I was privy to others being mean spirited.
In the more professional groups, posts that continue for days come up where people go on and on about how this MUA does this, or this one doesnt do that, oh I cant believe she uses that product as opposed to this one. I mean just really outlandish stuff! And why? To have an air of superiority? Hmm...immature much?
Do you feel a part of a group or clique? Do you feel like you are on the outside looking in sometimes? Are you a reformed 'mean girl'? What have you learned from your experiences? Do you feel the artist/blogger/YouTube community should be more inclusive? Share your thoughts
I won a blog award from Make-up/Music/Money/Me!
Wow I was shocked to learn that I had received a blog award. I like the concept of these - I feel that it creates a sense of community in the blogosphere especially when so many are vying to be discovered as the next big blog and that whole competition bug can get the best of people, in the worst way.
As Jennifer stated in her post this is also my first blog award. So thank you very much Jennifer! I still get a bit taken aback when people tell me they read my mish mash of thoughts. It definitely puts a much needed smile on my face. :) So now lets get down to the business of the blog award!
1. Link back to the person who passed you the award-CHECK!
2. Share 7 random things about yourself - See Below...
3. Award 10 blogs - CHECK!
4. Drop them a note and tell them about it - Will do!
Seven random things about me:
1. I worked at a hair salon for 3 years-it was my first job
2. After working at the salon I decided I no longer wanted to work in a salon...but now I wish I did LOL
3. I always root for the underdog
4. I love black and white movies i.e. anything with Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Alfred Hitchcock, etc.
5. I am a huge procrastinator because I have a fear of failure
6. I have two sets of twin brothers; I am the only girl and the only non twin
7. I love Junior's strawberry cheese pie
I Tag:
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Times They Are a Changing...
I feel like I have done this before but as life ebbs and flows so does this blog...
Started as a beauty blog with reviews, morphed into a diary of my path as an MUA with tips and insider info for emerging artists who like me had to do a lot of research to get the breaks I got as an MUA, added my beauty writing and travels along with videos and basically a mish mash of everything...
Well, as the title says, I feel a change coming on. I feel like the beauty blogging brigade is doing well. When I first started reading blogs, over three years ago now, there weren't too many, a good mix but it wasn't an over-saturated market. And while now I read blogs about pretty much a little bit of everything , I stuck with those that I started with, the ones that were doing it right from the beginning and for the most unselfish reasons - they just genuinely have a love for what they do. I am also happy to say that I can count them as good friends as well. Now they have some success yes but they didn't start the blogs in order to get free product and/or invites or notoriety...not gonna open that can of worms but you catch my drift I'm sure...
I feel like I need a change...like I have already made a change and so therefore this blog as you may have to come to know it will also change. The title of the blog is - Shana Janelle, that's me. I am not just an MUA, a writer, a beauty and fashion lover, a mother, a fiance, sister, daughter...I dont want the blog that bears my name and likeness to just be a one-sided thing. I need for it to encompass the whole of me. I say all this to conclude with this will not be just a beauty blog anymore, or mainly a beauty/mua blog. It will be about any and everything I want to talk about that day, hour, minute, second. If you want beauty only then feel free to check me out as the DC Beauty Products Examiner, if you want to know about me living my life in a relationship then check me out on My Modern Fairytale (at least for the next year, possibly longer, we shall see how I feel once the wedding takes place), for everything else, stick around here.
Still posting, just in a different way. I plan on sprucing up the place a bit as well but it will take a while. As always I thank you for reading and sticking it out with me and again I have not forgotten about the giveaway for my followers! It will be grand, just wait and see! *wink*
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The Truth About Life...
I tried to jump in head first to the world of blogging and the truth is...sometimes life throws you a curveball and you have to maneuver around it.
I have a job, its not in the beauty or fashion industry, but I enjoy coming to work and I enjoy my co-workers. Currently we are facing layoffs, so my job security is anything but secure at this time. Even if I come out of this unscathed, position still intact, it doesnt negate the fact that others will indeed be affected and that, for me, is a tough pill to swallow.
You see, I have never had to go through this before. I have never been fired (I take that back, I worked at Lerner's - yeah before they were NY & Co. back when Landover Mall was open and was doing well there, transferred to the mall near U.M.E.S. during my freshman year of college and was like ok why the hell am I working? College should be fun! So I kinda quit/kinda got fired from there) any time I left a position it was of my own free will. To have that power stripped away from you is quite frightening to say the least.
"The Sig" says we will be ok, and to an extent I know that, but I cant shake the feeling of impending dread, you know? I cant fathom not being able to do what I want to do, go where I wanna go, etc. because we cant afford it. We are far from rich, but we are in a comfortable place and I like that. *sigh*
I share all of this to say that I love my blog. Its my own little piece of cyberspace and I take great pride in it. I have lots of ideas that I want to implement and I have met great people because of it. I apologize for the lack of posts this week but I barely even have an appetite let alone the frame of mind to share my thoughts on beauty products and the like...
I leave you with this - as Valentine's Day approaches, a "holiday" that I dont fret over like others since I feel that the love you have for someone should be shown any day, every day, I reflect on the love that I have around me. The love of my crazy azz friends, the love of my family, the love that "the sig" and I share and the love of T&T kid and T&T baby, that unconditional love, cause I know that no matter what happens here at work, that love will be there regardless. There is beauty in that, and I hope you all have tried it for yourselves and know it to be the truth.
I have a job, its not in the beauty or fashion industry, but I enjoy coming to work and I enjoy my co-workers. Currently we are facing layoffs, so my job security is anything but secure at this time. Even if I come out of this unscathed, position still intact, it doesnt negate the fact that others will indeed be affected and that, for me, is a tough pill to swallow.
You see, I have never had to go through this before. I have never been fired (I take that back, I worked at Lerner's - yeah before they were NY & Co. back when Landover Mall was open and was doing well there, transferred to the mall near U.M.E.S. during my freshman year of college and was like ok why the hell am I working? College should be fun! So I kinda quit/kinda got fired from there) any time I left a position it was of my own free will. To have that power stripped away from you is quite frightening to say the least.
"The Sig" says we will be ok, and to an extent I know that, but I cant shake the feeling of impending dread, you know? I cant fathom not being able to do what I want to do, go where I wanna go, etc. because we cant afford it. We are far from rich, but we are in a comfortable place and I like that. *sigh*
I share all of this to say that I love my blog. Its my own little piece of cyberspace and I take great pride in it. I have lots of ideas that I want to implement and I have met great people because of it. I apologize for the lack of posts this week but I barely even have an appetite let alone the frame of mind to share my thoughts on beauty products and the like...
I leave you with this - as Valentine's Day approaches, a "holiday" that I dont fret over like others since I feel that the love you have for someone should be shown any day, every day, I reflect on the love that I have around me. The love of my crazy azz friends, the love of my family, the love that "the sig" and I share and the love of T&T kid and T&T baby, that unconditional love, cause I know that no matter what happens here at work, that love will be there regardless. There is beauty in that, and I hope you all have tried it for yourselves and know it to be the truth.
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