Meet Shaina Paulson | Makeup Artist in the Film Industry

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

Hi Shaina, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I believe it’s great to take healthy risks and take a chance on yourself. If you always have had something you’ve wanted to do or become, go for it! If I never took huge risks in my life I wouldn’t be where am I today with a wonderful and fulfilling career where I get to do what I love everyday. I took a huge risk of quitting my business/marketing job in DC to book a one way ticket to LA with no job and no place to stay and only knew one person there. I saved up money and just followed my passion to be a Makeup/SFX Makeup Artist in the Film Industry. It was the best decision I’ve ever made and if I never took that leap I would’ve regretted it the rest of my life and by the time I’m 80 I would’ve always wondered “what if…” I firmly believe to never let your life stay in auto-pilot where you get to a point where you’re best years have passed and you mentally believe it’s “too late” to pursue what you’re passionate about. The thing is there is never a “too late” it’s a societal construct.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a professional Makeup Artist based in Los Angeles. I work in the Film Industry and work on set for commercials, music videos, short films, feature films, television, and photography. I do beauty makeup, special effects makeup, and body painting. I love the versatility within makeup and how there are so many different avenues you can take. I love how beauty makeup enhances people’s natural features, while special effects makeup completely transforms peoples features. Body painting is so much fun as well where the model’s body is the canvas to transform into a moving art piece. It was not a super easy road to get to where I am today professionally, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am so grateful for the path it took me to get here. I developed my client base relatively fast within about 2 years of moving to LA to be able to become a full-time freelance artist. In the beginning for the first two and a half years I was working like 4 jobs at once doing temp work at an office from 9-5 to bring in a more stable pay check, while doing makeup gigs on nights and weekends and sometimes taking off of work to do gigs, and also I was dog walking, hair modeling, and doing random odd jobs like furniture inventory to be able to make ends meet. It was very sleepless hours juggling everything and trying to pay rent, but I was doing what I loved and that was al that mattered. I knew all the long hours and multiple jobs would build character and make me appreciate each and every gig/opportunity I was given once I was able to have a full time career as a makeup artist.
It was the best feeling in the world when I was able to quit all my side gigs and completely freelance full time. I’m always so thankful for where I have been because it led me to where I am and where I am going. Everything happens for reason on our path and we just have to trust it is all for our greater good that we only see in hindsight. I am so thankful to be able to make art with friends everyday. Work never feels like 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?
I absolutely love LA! There is so much to do in each part of the city, from the beach to the suburbs to downtown to the mountains. For someone visiting the area I would recommend them going to the beaches – the classic tourist spots like Santa Monica or Venice. Or something a little more relaxed like Manhattan Beach or Malibu. I would also recommend seeing Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign, hiking Runyon Canyon or in Malibu, and exploring all the different neighborhoods. The Arts District in DTLA has cool spots and food and breweries. Koreatown has amazing food. Silver Lake has fun quirky shops and restaurants. I would avoid downtown and Hollywood though.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many wonderful and supportive people who I could thank for being where I am today. I have such supportive family and friends who encouraged me every step of the way. I am also surrounded by an amazing community of bad ass makeup artists who inspire me each and everyday. We always learn from each other and can see new techniques, tricks, products, and organizational tips other artists use. I believe in every field no matter how many years we’ve worked in it, there is always something new to learn. I have learned so much from everyone on set in every department and met some truly incredibly talented people. I am so grateful to be surrounded by people with such skill.

Website: www.shainamakeupfx.com

Instagram: @shaina_makeupfx