Meet Justin Douglas

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Justin Douglas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Justin, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience for me was built in the quiet seasons, those years when I was working at MAC, commuting by bus with a kit on my back, wondering if my big break would ever come. I learned to keep showing up even after losing major jobs or facing rejection.

When I was let go from The Braxtons, I had two choices: take it personally or let it sharpen me. I chose to keep my professionalism intact, keep learning, and focus on excellence. That moment taught me that resilience isn’t a single event, it’s the habit of getting back up, keeping your character intact, and staying ready for the next opportunity.

Today, when I walk on set for Love & Hip Hop or step in front of the camera for a campaign, I know that strength came from every ‘no’ I turned into fuel for my ‘yes.’

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m Justin Douglas, a celebrity makeup artist, creative entrepreneur, and the face behind Motivational Mondays, a digital series that uplifts artists and dreamers. Over the past 10 years I’ve gone from working behind a MAC counter to becoming a key makeup artist for hit reality shows like Love & Hip Hop and The Braxtons, as well as contributing to beauty campaigns such as LYS Beauty’s new concealer launch for Sephora.

What excites me most about my work is the transformation I get to create, not just in how someone looks on camera, but how they feel in the chair. I specialize in “soft glam with a pop,” a signature style that blends red-carpet polish with a touch of personality. My clients often say that sitting in my chair feels like stepping into a safe space where they can relax, laugh, and feel seen.

Beyond makeup, I’m building a platform that highlights the stories behind the glam. Motivational Mondays now streams weekly across Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, bringing real-life lessons from my journey in entertainment and entrepreneurship to a growing audience. I’m currently preparing to release my first motivational e-book, Soft Glam, Real Talk: A Motivational Manifesto, and continuing to develop my beauty brand, JustNTime Beauty.

This next chapter for me is about expanding visibility, bridging beauty with storytelling, and showing other creatives that discipline and purpose can take you from a local studio to the national stage.

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?

Looking back, the three qualities that shaped my journey most were resilience, discipline, and the art of building relationships.

Resilience kept me moving forward when things didn’t go as planned, like losing a major client or facing unpredictable call times. I learned to treat every setback as a setup for my next opportunity.

Discipline has been my secret weapon. Whether it was waking up before sunrise to catch a bus with my makeup kit, sticking to my Fame & Focus Calendar, or balancing my on-set work with growing my brand, that daily commitment turned small steps into big milestones.

Finally, relationship-building opened doors that skill alone couldn’t. From networking with producers to creating a welcoming chair for my clients, I’ve learned that kindness and professionalism often speak louder than a résumé.

For anyone starting out: focus on mastering your craft, but also invest in your character. Keep showing up even when no one’s watching, set a routine you can stick to, and nurture every connection with respect and authenticity, those habits will carry you farther than talent alone.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

My biggest area of growth in the past year has been stepping into visibility with confidence. For a long time, I was comfortable being the artist behind the scenes, creating looks for the cast of Love & Hip Hop or The Braxtons. But over the last 12 months, I’ve leaned into being seen as a voice and a brand in my own right.

Launching Motivational Mondays pushed me to show up consistently on camera, share my story, and build a connection with my audience. That experience taught me that visibility isn’t about perfection, it’s about showing up with authenticity and purpose.

This shift has opened new opportunities, including being featured in the LYS Beauty x Sephora campaign as talent, working on more campaigns as a makeup artist, and preparing to release my first motivational e-book, Soft Glam, Real Talk.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that when you embrace your own story, you don’t just grow your career, you grow your impact.

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