Meet Samantha Bentson-Hammonds

We recently connected with Samantha Bentson-Hammonds and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Samantha with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

My parents have always had the most admirable work ethics. I am grateful they started my habits young but my work ethic reached all new heights in 2017 after attending The Route 91 Music Festival, which tragically became the site of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. At the time, I was a makeup and wig technician for The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil and had just graduated from cosmetology school.

The experience of grief I went through after that event was unlike anything I had ever faced. October 1st marked a profound turning point in my life. To cope, I immersed myself in my work—hair and makeup became my world. I transitioned from show business to client-based work, taking on every trade job that came my way. I built my editorial portfolio from scratch, networked in Los Angeles and with modeling agencies in Vegas, and took classes. I did everything I could to avoid processing my emotions.

I can’t say that my approach to healing was the healthiest. I struggled with questions of purpose—why was I spared when so many others weren’t? What was my life worth? What could I offer? I channeled these questions into my work, determined to help people feel good about themselves, to showcase the beauty in everyone, especially in a world filled with so much darkness.

I don’t regret how I got to where I am, but I also wouldn’t recommend it. My advice is to work tirelessly, as if there’s nothing to lose—but not at the cost of losing yourself. I believed that if I wasn’t the best in the industry, I was worthless, that I had to keep climbing to justify my survival.

Art often comes from dark places, but my goal is to share light. The truth is, your mental health is paramount. There is a saying, you have to put on your air mask first. I wish I had approached my healing with a healthier mindset earlier. However, it has pushed my career to the place I am at today. The biggest take away is relentlessness. Don’t give up on yourself. For every opportunity that doesn’t work out, there is a reason it doesn’t, and there will always be more doors that are supposed to open for you.

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?

Sam’s purpose in the beauty industry is to enhance her clients’ inner confidence by amplifying how they present themselves on the outside. After earning her degree from DePaul University in 2014, Sam began her career as a Wig, Hair, and Makeup Artist for Cirque du Soleil. Balancing a demanding performance schedule with a relentless pursuit of growth, she obtained her cosmetology license and honed her artistry on prestigious stages, including The Beatles LOVE, Zumanity, O, One Night for One Drop, and R.U.N.

Her tenacity eventually led her to become the Hair and Makeup Designer for Absinthe and Opium by Spiegelworld in Las Vegas. Over the past decade, Sam has expanded her portfolio across entertainment, fashion, and everyday beauty, attracting a distinguished roster of clients such as President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, Annie Leibovitz, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Lily Allen, Sophia Bush, Jenny McCarthy, Elle King, Måneskin, Danny DeVito, Kerri Walsh-Jennings, Luke Grimes, and Sebastian Maniscalco, among many others.

This year I had my first baby. As a new mom, I am transitioning from being on the ground 24/7 to taking on select clients & establishing building a team of hair and makeup artists in Las Vegas that personally vetted to deliver a new standard of quality to the LV community. As well as rebranding social media channels to more conversational reels about the industry. In a virtual world of tutorials, I want to provide more of a cup of coffee with your beauty bestie vibe where you can ask and receive facts from a pro.

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?

1. Pay your dues. Assist as much as possible. Take classes as much as possible and practice as much as possible. Be the artist you want to be hiring.
2. Never stop learning. This industry has new hacks and techniques every day. If you don’t keep up, you will be left behind. Look at what other artists are doing. Study what has been done before. Brainstorm innovation. Look at what other artists bring in their kits. What techniques are they doing? What social media pages you follow? Look for the “why”- Why are you drawn to them? Pay attention to what inspires you and why.
3. “Find the hole” I remember an alumni came to speak to my college and said that. I have never forgotten it. What is missing from the industry? How can you provide that? If you fill the gap, you separate yourself from everyone else, and then you are in business. Don’t be afraid of the niche.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

Challenge I am currently facing: Being a new mom while maintaining the career I’ve worked so tirelessly to build is the biggest challenge I’ve faced to date. I have immense respect for all moms out there—the lack of sleep alone, combined with the mom guilt, is incredibly tough.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.samanthabentson.com
• Instagram: @sambentson
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?trk=guest_homepage-basic_nav-header-signin

Image Credits

Kerri Lee Wash Jennings and Misty May
Kartiki Gonsalves
The Black Pumas
Lily Allen & David Harbour
First Lady of the United States: Jill Biden
Victor Wembanyama
Yasmine Trinidad – photography by Gaby Duong