Meet Alyssa Perez

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alyssa Perez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alyssa below.

Hi Alyssa, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I developed a strong work ethic from my parents, both of my parents were born in Caguas, Puerto Rico and migrated here at different ages. While Puerto Rico is apart of the U.S, life is VERY different on the island, so coming to a new place and having to learn a whole new language, culture and lifestyle posed its challenges. Despite the obstacles, both of my parents were both hard working individuals and always made sure we had everything we needed and more. My father was a Vietnam & Panama War vet who enlisted when he was just 17, received a purple heart and became a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marines. He was a police officer for North Adams, Massachusetts Department, a successful business owner of multiple companies and an amazing father. My mother went to school to become a baker and they taught her well because her baking is phenomenal! She was a business owner alongside my father and a school bus driver for the past 30 years. Do you know the saying, “jack of all trades, master of none”? That is how I would describe my parents and from them I’ve learned about every skill you could think of and make it my goal to master them. I can build houses, do makeup, hair, graphic design, sing, dance, and the list goes on. Without my parents work ethic and background, I don’t think I would’ve had as much opportunity as I have today and I am very thankful for that.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a Bridal and Special Events Makeup Artist and Educator. I have been in the artistry industry since I was 15 years old and started Blended Babe MUA in 2014. Blended Babe was created to inspire and empower those who sit in my chair and most importantly to make them feel beautiful. I recently rebranded back in July of 2024 and while I still continue to take clients, I focus on education for everyday women who have no clue where to start with makeup. Makeup is an art, a form of expression and I don’t know about you but it makes me feel good so I want to share that with others! We currently offer both in person and virtual 1:1 classes for any skill level as well as, shop & glams where we go shopping together for items you need for your kit! You can find more details on my website at www.blendedbabe.com.

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?

The most important quality being a makeup artist is resilience, you have to have thick skin. You will deal with a variety of people and personalities and you may not always have the best clients. I have had clients absolutely hate their makeup look and it wasn’t because of my artistry… Sometimes personalities and styles may not mesh well. I always encourage newer MUAs to find their idea client and market to them so every experience is a dream.

Another important area of being a makeup artist is knowing the proper sanitization standards and following them very strictly. When it comes to makeup, you can expose your clients to bacteria and germs if you are not properly following sanitization standards. Each state can be different, but I always recommend reviewing “The Makeup Standard” at www.themakeupstandard.org.

Finally, constantly invest in yourself and your business. You want to do things the right way to protect yourself and your company. Get an attorney written contract, business insurance, invest in quality products in your kit, invest in a website and branding and lastly, invest in yourself and how you present yourself. You are the face of your company and if you look good, your brand looks good!

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I will always advocate to invest effort into broadening your skills and working on your weaknesses. There is a saying “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link” which means even though you have all these strengths your weaknesses are holding you back. Before I went full time with Blended Babe, I worked as a front desk trainer for a physical therapy company and managed multiple employees for over 10 locations. I had to learn how to adjust to different personalities, skill sets and knowledge. My biggest weakness was always my delivery when I faced a challenge with training someone. Even though I could do the job very well and was highly talked about, I was not going to master that position unless I worked on my weakness. I wrote prompts, read management books, attended leadership courses, etc because I was determined to master every aspect of my job. This translates into your company as well, if there is an area you feel you could be better at don’t give up, LEARN. There is always going to be room for growth and you will only be as successful as you work to be. Do yourself the favor and this year go hard to master that skill set or issue and come out on the other side more knowledgeable!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.blendedbabe.com
• Instagram: @Blendedbabe_
• Facebook: @Blended Babe MUA
• Youtube: @BlendedBabe
• Other: TikTok: @Blendedbabe_
  Pintrest: Blendedbabe

Image Credits

Captured By Christina