We recently connected with Amanda Vicinelly and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
When I was a little girl, my grandmother was one of my biggest fans. She asked what I wanted to be when I grow up and replied, “it starts with an R”. Puzzled, she asked, “what?”, “an Rtist”! From that day on we knew I was not going to be a speller! Over the course of my adolescence and adulthood, I have been unconditionally supported by my village. Including my Mom, Dad, bonus parents, and grandma. As a makeup artist, I have serviced hundreds of people struggling with confidence, self esteem, and finding their truth. I listen to their stories, I paint their faces, and I share my own struggles. No one has it figured out. I have learned that the mistakes and bumps in the road are a part of the journey! I’ve always enjoyed the uphill gallop and downhill walk horseback, why wouldn’t I apply that to life? Every day I prioritize making my client feel her best version of herself, which, gives me the confidence to continue perfecting my craft and delivering an experience that ignites the confidence within her. This fuels my own self esteem, reassuring me I am exactly where I need to be. I have become, the Rtist!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I created my brand in 2016, after my loving husband encouraged the idea to uproot my life, quit my corporate career, and start my own business. I had developed an artistic skill painting faces and I wanted to focus on raising my children and building my business. I was afforded the privilege to learn from our areas best artists and open my own makeup studio in 2022. My brand is my name, and I represent the “every day woman”. The woman who may have prioritized everyone else in her life and wants to have an experience looking and feeling her absolute best. Whether this be on her wedding day, for a boudoir photography session, or for family photos, all women deserve to feel beautiful. Makeup is a powerful tool, it can enhance and transform you into anything you wish! My brand is for the woman seeking to see herself how we see her. Radiant, beautiful, and worthy.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I’m most passionate about communication and relationship building. What I do can be intimidating. Without fostering a trusting relationship, I will not be successful in creating something my clients love. My ability to create beautiful makeup on every client in every tone, texture, and gender has propelled my success in my journey. The combination of these skills have allowed my business to grow into something I could never imagine. Anyone seeking to become a beauty professional should focus on perfecting communication and listening. This is an intimate service, and most likely, our client is more insecure than we are. We need to provide a space where she can be vulnerable and comfortable to communicate with us.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
“The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson. Wow, this book is a true gem! I work in an industry where there is a lot of judgement, unrealistic expectations, and unfortunate pressure to conform with beauty standards. This book has helped me significantly in staying true to myself and giving more grace when the pressure intensifies. I have this perception of the world, how vast and unfathomably large our universe is. This perspective supports my attitude to squash the insecurities and keep moving on regardless of what that little voice in my brain says. Do your best, be kind, always help when you can, the rest doesn’t really matter!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amandavicinelly.com
- Instagram: amandavicinellypromakeupartist
- Facebook: Amanda Vicinelly Pro Makeup Artist
Image Credits
Margaret James Photography (first two images) My personal cell phone image 3 AMA Photography is captured in image 4 along with our client Austyn Howard Skeen
