Meet Megan Ribelin | Makeup Artist, Photographer, & Esthetician

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

Hi Megan, how do you think about risk?
I absolutely adore this question. A funny thing about myself is that I love taking risks. I love challenges, spontaneity and variety in life, and I definitely owe it to this trait for getting me where I am today. I’ve had a lot of bad ideas, but a lot of my great ones have come from taking risks. Some of my ultimate risk taking moments in my life have led me to living in Australia for 6 months when I was 16, backpacking around Hawaii when I turned 21 for four months, led me to moving to Crested Butte (my home for over 12 years now), and now starting and running a dream business of mine. Life doesn’t move forward without risks, in my opinion. You have to try new things. It’s good for your soul and your heart. And it just might lead you to the best things in life. It also teaches you life lessons the hard way, but I promise it will also pick you back up. You have to bet on and believe in yourself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I specialize in natural, neutral, and boho makeup looks. I don’t love to over-glam, but I love to enhance. I think it’s so important to still look and feel like yourself on your wedding day or at a special event. I hear all the time that clients have had experiences of feeling too “cakey” or didn’t feel like themselves after getting their makeup done at another time and that just bums me out. I want to enhance the person they are, not bury it! I feel like my approach to a more natural makeup look definitely sets me apart from other artists. I also specialize in elopements. Sometimes elopements don’t get the love they deserve because they are smaller events, but a one-bride show deserves her moment to shine as well. I offer both elopement rates and wedding rates so I am available to all different sizes of wedding groups which has definitely helped me grow my business.

It hasn’t always been the easiest in the beauty industry. I feel like it naturally gets competitive with other artists especially when you are in the same area; however, I try not to pay attention to it. I want to lift everyone up! I try to overcome this by supporting other artists as much as I can whether its on social media or hyping them up to a client, or just cheering them on from the sidelines. It’s super important to me to never make someone else feel like I’m outing them just for having the same passion. If anything, it’s all the more reason to be friends!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live full time and work in beautiful Crested Butte, Colorado. It’s the cutest little mountain town, There is so much to do here it depends on the season! But let’s pretend it’s summer when my friend is visiting. And Crested Butte is the perfect outdoor playground.

I’d definitely take them on a few hikes. The wildflowers are insane here in the summer and there are so many amazing hikes. My favorites are Lupine, Snodgrass, and Three Lakes near Lost Lake. Everywhere you look, there’s a wonderful view. To take a break from hiking, I would take my friend paddle boarding on Irwin Lake or the Slate River. Irwin is the most serene lake with camping nearby if they wanted to camp. And the Slate is more of an adventure for paddle boarding if they were up for the challenge.

CB also has great food and it’s a major perk after getting a fun hike in. My favorite go-to’s are Izakaya Cabin for the tastiest sushi you will EVER have in the mountains (their drinks are super tasty as well), The Breadery for hearty pasta and burrata (drinks also amazing here), and Soupçon Cabin for lunch and dinner. Dinner at Soupçon is really special (for anniversary’s, birthdays, engagements, etc.) and lunch is more casual. Best lunch I’ve ever had though.

Elk Avenue is our main street here where you will find most of our good eateries, fun places to drink and hang out, and shopping. Favor The Kind (clothing) and Bramble and Bloom (plants & flowers) are my favorite shops in town. It’s also nice to just walk along Elk Ave and take in the views of the colorful buildings against the backdrops of the mountains. It’s perfect.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely want to thank my Mama and Nana for inspiring my business. The very name Opal Rose Beauty Co. is named after the two women who have shaped me into the person I am today. I watched these two apply their skincare and makeup daily and the images of watching them do it while I was young is forever engraved in my soul. These two taught me beauty from within will always shine outward. And that outward beauty can always be enhanced. And that’s why I named my business after them. I want to enhance someone’s beauty outwardly that is an expression of who they are on the inside.

Website: www.opalrosebeautyco.com

Instagram: @opalrosebeautyco

Image Credits
Headshot Photo: Myself (instagram: @meginmotionn & @opalrosebeautyco) Photos 1, 7, & 8: Wild and Boundless Photography (instagram @wildandboundless) Photo 2: Scott Buico Photography (instagram @scottbuico) Photos 3 & 4: Cat Galletti Photography (instagram @catgalletti) Photo 5: Mountain Magic Media (instagram: @mountainmagicmedia) Photo 6: KikiCreates (Instagram @kikicreates)