Meet Stephanie Sands

We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Sands recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I’ve lived enough life to know that things don’t always unfold the way we plan. I’ve had to rebuild, pivot, and reimagine more than once, both personally and professionally. Being a mother, an entrepreneur, and a woman navigating change has taught me how to adapt, how to listen to myself, and how to keep moving forward even when the next step isn’t obvious.

I draw strength from presence and from showing up for my children, for my work, and for myself with intention. Creativity has always been part of that resilience. Creating beauty, working with color, and helping others feel seen reminds me that growth doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.

At this stage of my life, resilience looks like self-trust. It’s knowing when to push and when to pause, when to hold on and when to let go. I’ve learned that resilience isn’t about being unbreakable, its about being willing to begin again with grace.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I started out backstage, where I fell in love with the quiet transformation that happens before someone steps into the spotlight. That early experience shaped the way I see beauty, as something that should feel supportive, grounding, and deeply personal. Over the years, I’ve worked as a makeup artist, educator, and color specialist with brands like Aveda, MAC, Dior, Ilia, and Clinique, building a career rooted in both artistry and education.

Today, my work focuses on helping people understand what truly works for them. Through color analysis, makeup education, and one-on-one guidance, I help clients reconnect with their natural coloring, features, and sense of self, not through trends, but through alignment. I’m most excited by the moments when someone relaxes, feels seen, and realizes they don’t need to perform to be beautiful.

This chapter of my career is very much about education and mentorship. I’m moving toward more teaching, both with clients and other artists, and creating offerings that feel accessible, thoughtful, and human. I’m especially passionate about bringing color analysis and beauty education into formats that meet people where they are, whether that’s in person or virtually.

At its core, my brand is about refinement without rigidity and confidence without pressure. Beauty, to me, is about coming home to yourself, and that’s the experience I hope people feel when they work with me.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

When I look back, three things stand out as the quiet forces that shaped my career.

The first is intuition. Over time, I learned to trust my eye and my instincts, not just creatively, but in how I move through opportunities, relationships, and change. Technique can be learned, but discernment is earned. The more I listened inwardly, the clearer my path became.

The second is adaptability. My career has unfolded in chapters rather than straight lines. I’ve learned to pivot without panic and to let evolution be a form of strength, not failure. Staying open! Especially when something no longer fits, has allowed me to grow without losing myself in the process.

The third is presence. Some of the most meaningful moments in my work have happened quietly, in conversation, in stillness, in the space where someone feels seen. Being fully present creates trust, and trust changes everything. It’s where real transformation begins.

If there’s one thing I’d share with those early in their journey, it’s this: pay attention. To yourself, to others, and to what feels true over time. Skills will evolve, trends will shift, but intuition, adaptability, and presence will carry you through every season.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My parents influenced me in very different ways, and both had a huge impact on who I am today. My mom was an artist, and she showed me that no matter your age or your situation, you have to do what you love, you have to follow what drives you. Watching her create simply because she needed to taught me that passion isn’t optional, it’s essential.

My dad was an entrepreneur, always full of ideas. He made me feel hungry to build something of my own, to think bigger, to trust that if I had a vision and the willingness to work, I could create a life that felt meaningful to me.

Together, they gave me permission to create and to build, to follow what excites me, and to trust that doing what you love is always worth it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: [email protected]
• Other: [email protected]