Meet Denisse Olivas | Makeup Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Denisse Olivas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Denisse, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
To be honest I never thought my life will take this career path, I wasn’t passionate about wearing makeup up until I was 18 years old. When I finished high school, I wanted to be nurse, so I applied to go to college and I was accepted, but then I got married and moved here to the US from Chihuahua.
When I had my first son, I was having trouble adapting to my new life since all my family stayed back at Mexico. I decided to start a Mary Kay business. This was around 2015-2017. Basically, this Mary Kay job consisted of going door to door offering catalog skin care products, so it was pretty fun, back in the day a lot of people liked this brand, and I had a lot of clients. I remember going to my client houses and doing a demonstration of the products, it was pretty fun, and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of women (I guess that’s one of the things I love about my job up until this day).

Once a week the Mary Kay ”leaders” of each group did meetings showing us the new products encouraging us to keep going and to be productive. They also showed us how to apply the MAKEUP the brand sells so we could also include that for our clients not just the skin care. So I guess that’s where it all started.

I started including makeup application after the skin care demonstration on my clients, I left my clients with a nice skincare and a pretty makeup and they loved it! People started calling me not ask me about Mary Kay but to ask me if I could do their makeup for their events coming up and I gladly accepted I would do their makeup and they would buy the foundation and products I used so it was a win win situation.

In 2017 I had my daughter and I stopped my Mary Kay business and focused on practicing my makeup skills on myself.
Every day I would grab my makeup kit and brushes and practice, on myself and on my friends.
I had people asking me to do their makeup so I would do it for free the first client that actually paid me, I charged her $25.00 and I was so happy because she was my first paying costumer.
From that moment I knew it.
After a while of doing social looks I started also including artistic makeup as well! First on myself and then on clients I really loved doing artistic looks in always looking forward to Halloween season.
I feel like when you love what you do it doesn’t feel like you go to work! Because you’re happy with what you’re doing and most importantly enjoying it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think what I’m most proud about is the fact that I created a job opportunity for myself. all from scratch. I was able to create a reputation to my name. And even tho I’m self thought I was able to complete many classes and courses to get ahead of myself and give my clients the best of me! 4 years ago I decided to go to classes and become a hairstylist that way I also offered a more complete service offering hair and makeup to my clients. This decision opened so many doors for me and I started to have a full agenda ever since!.
Nowadays 80% of my clients are based only on recommendations. So when people say Denisse Makeup Artist, they know who I am and the quality work I offer. It took me almost 8 years now to stand where I am now and it was not easy at all, and I feel like I still have a long way to go and a lot of things to learn.
This is a not an easy job, even though I have received countless comments like “this isn’t a real job”, “you’re just playing with makeup” people hear makeup artist and most of the time they won’t take you serious at all.
You NEED to have a lot of patience to deal with all kinds of people. And for other makeup artist out there “Do not let others doubt your work” .

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Colorado Springs for me is the best place to live and to visit in Colorado. I would definitely take my friends for a hike in the beautiful mountains, visit the Pikes Peak.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I need to give credit to all those in my life who encouraged me to follow my heart and my dreams, those who supported me throughout the process, to my husband who would stay with the kids while I practiced and supported me all the time. My mother and sisters who would always have my back and never let me give up and were always behind my ear telling me to keep practicing.
To the person who talk me into starting my Mary Kay business which was crucial for this to happen.

Website: https://www.denissemakeupartist.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denissemakeupartist_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coloradospringsmakeupartist