Meet Lauryn Salzwedel | Pro Makeup Artist

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

Hi Lauryn, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Relationship building! When I first started, I was so intimidated by other vendors’ & their success. I used social media as a way to start connections with others in the industry and took any and every opportunity that came my way. Even if it was not a paid opportunity, I knew meeting and connecting with others in my area would be worth it and it was! Everybody knows somebody getting married, and you never know how making that connection may pay off in the long run. Even though I have grown so much in the last 3 years I don’t need as much of the exposure piece, I still always try to be part of any chance to network with others in any way I can. I attribute a lot of my businesses’ growth to the people I have met and have mentioned my name.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I take a lot of pride on educating myself, continually. I do carry a professional license, although I don’t attribute my technical skill set in makeup to it, I still think it’s important to know proper sanitation which is largely what my beauty school education was centered around. I have taken many masterclasses some some makeup artists who I admire professionally, most notably Makeup by Mario, who everyone knows as Kim K’s makeup artist. These classes were in person and I adapted a lot of the techniques directly from them. I also stay passionate about new products that are being released, I have found a good balance between the ‘tried & true’ and the ‘new & trendy’. My motto with my brides is always a classic look. I take the natural beauty my clients have, and take it to the next level so they still look like themselves, not a completely different person. I never want my brides to look back at their photos and think “why did I look like that” on their wedding day. It has been amazing to see my brides share that exact sentiment with their friends who they know are getting married, and so on and so forth. I finally have so much referral and word of mouth business that I have stepped away from any paid advertising which is huge for me. Its allowed me to start setting boundaries with bookings, so I am working with my ideal clients, and not just anyone who inquires. I am one-woman show, as I say, which can be hard when I am often competing against huge teams of vendors that contract people out. I want the best experience for all my brides, and I know I can give that and what that means to me, but I don’t feel confident that I could rely on anyone else to do that while working under my name. I have seen it so many times, and it’s a hesitation I don’t think I will ever get over. Brides will not only remember the way they looked, but also the way you made them FEEL on the morning of their wedding. That is something that is always at the forefront of my business, and I know it sets me apart from other vendors in this market.

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?
We would definitely go to the Third Ward of Milwaukee. That is my favorite part of the city, hands-down. It reminds me so much of Chicago, with a fraction of the people. It’s a trendy area, with lots of great shops and eateries, and is right on the water, too. We would check out the rooftop of Cafe Benelux, the riverwalk, perhaps some sushi and Screaming Tuna. If it’s festival season, we can walk to the Summerfest grounds, too. It’s all right there, and cap the night off at Camp Bar.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Rachel Windom, owner of Reflections of You floral. She was the first person to ever reach out to me, a total stranger, and ask me to be part of a styled shoot with some more well-known names in the industry. She is such a genuinely sweet person, and so talented & hard-working.

Website: www.mslaurynmarie.com

Instagram: @mslaurynmarie

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

Image Credits
Lottie Lillian Photography, SB Photography, Lusia Studio Photography, Corrinna Nicole Photography