Meet Stephanie Cristiano

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

Stephanie , 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?
I get my resilience from my Mother. I was raised to be a caring, empathetic individual and when my Mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer when I was 22 and finishing school, I had to be strong for the both of us. It wasn’t easy trying to stay positive but it’s all we have sometimes. Being a woman means having to be resilient, especially in the workplace and in a world that is constantly testing us. We have to show up for ourselves and for one another, even when it feels impossible. With resilience comes strength and confidence and with all of the challenges I’ve faced I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have been doing makeup and beauty services for over 11 years now. I started my own business, L.A. Principessa in 2019 and decided to take a more spiritual approach when things took a turn in 2020. Learning Reiki and incorporating mediation into my daily practice has helped me bridge the gap between inner and outer beauty. When we can go deep within ourselves, feel our feelings and then express that love & creativity outwardly is when we are most aligned and true to ourselves. I think that is the true definition of beauty.

This philosophy has helped me be a better artist and provide my clients with specialized services that one may not be able to find elsewhere. The way we relate to one another and to ourselves in turn helps us be better to our environment, our bodies, minds and to one another. Healing starts within and when we can learn to love each other, differences and all true beauty shines.

I now offer makeup services, makeup lessons, eyebrow shaping, lash services, personal shopping and Reiki sessions all in the comfort of your own home or business. I love working with brides and Hollywood professionals to relax them before big events, all while picking out the perfect lip-shade and cheek stain to match. It’s like a mini wellness makeover in one!

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 most impactful skills I developed were to not give up even when it felt like the easy thing to do. You never know what tomorrow will bring. Second, taking care of my mental health has been the single most important skill. Knowing my worth and when to ask for more compensation for my time and energy. That one takes time but is always worth it. Lastly, have fun. I think life has plenty of seriousness in it and sometimes you have to know when to let your hair down and breathe out. My advice for folks who are early in their journey is to listen to your gut. It usually will lead you in the right direction if you let it. Don’t give up just because someone didn’t like you or what you could do for them, the right people will come along.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
In the past 12 months I’ve experienced immense loss as well as growth. I lost two very dear people in my life who supported me and my career endlessly. With this I have become a grief advocate and have seen how uncomfortable pain makes people, but how beautiful transformation is once we get there. I’ve had to dig deep to heal from this and in doing so I’ve found my voice and passion and for that I am forever grateful. I think life is about continual growth and sometimes we have to go through the utmost darkness to get to the beaming bright light on the other side.

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