Conversations with Nasia Shields

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nasia Shields.  

Hi Nasia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My name is Nasia, I’m a 20-year-old self-taught creative makeup artist and licensed Mua from Cleveland, Ohio. I’ve been doing makeup on myself for 5+ years and have been doing clients professionally for 2 years now. 

I didn’t come from a lot of money and I grew up with a family who didn’t like makeup or knew anything about it. Before I started doing makeup, I was always an artist ever for 6 years old. I had a passion for the art world and wanted to explore it much further. 

I first dappled into makeup at the age of 15, watching popular beauty influencers back then such as Jackie Aina, James Charles, Jeffree Star and so much more. I started to fall in love with the idea of makeup so I begged my mother to buy my first eyeshadow palette by Jaclyn Hill. 

I played in makeup every day, practicing and coming up with so many looks. After I got better over the years, family and friends began to reach out to me requesting makeup services. I didn’t have an established makeup kit as I do now but I worked with what I had. 

During my senior year of high school, I began to start thinking about my future, whether I should attend college or cosmetology school. I continued to do my research and found a local professional makeup artist who provided licensing classes in order to work in a salon. I decided to take that class back in March of 2021 to earn my makeup boutique license. 

After getting my license, I was ready to start working with clients but I was struggling to find my style of makeup. For someone who’s becoming a professional makeup artist and who wants to work with clients, it’s very important to find your signature style so people can know who you are. You wouldn’t want your makeup to look the same as every other makeup artist or you won’t stand out. So, throughout this process of me trying to figure out my style of makeup, I fell in love with creative makeup. 

My message to others when they see my work, it’s not about looking like the “install baddie” or making others feel like they “need” makeup. My purpose in doing makeup is to show my art, have fun and let others experience my creativity. My goal as a makeup artist is to do work for celebrities, movies, and fashion companies and be on billboards one day. I always aspire to improve my skills and learn new things every day to get better at my job. 

I love to inspire others to know that they can achieve anything they set their mind to. For those who went through adversity, those who come from different backgrounds, and those from around the world. To have a strong drive for something you love, to work hard towards your purpose every day little by little. Even if you don’t come from much, you work with what you have and you can still make something beautiful out of it. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been easy to get where I’m at now and it’s still a working process to get to a certain level in my career. It was really difficult learning the business aspect of the makeup industry, finding my own style, staying motivated during slow times, building my clientele (still a work in progress), and knowing my worth as a makeup artist. 

To help overcome this or deal with these struggles, I’m constantly doing my research, being open to learning new things, perfecting my skills by practicing makeup looks every day, and networking. I had to build everything from the ground up with little to no money and support. It’s also very important to have a strong passion for this career, sometimes you won’t be booked up with clients especially when starting out. People will not take you seriously when first starting a business unless you’re showing consistency and standing out in order to stay relevant. You have to have the will to work hard and learn to fall in love with the struggles and successes of your journey. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Cleveland, Ohio creative/versatile makeup artist, proudly serving all skin tones, types, and ages. What makes me stand out from other artists is that I’m known for having a flawless natural foundation base, not only does it look natural, but it feels natural on the skin. I’m versatile in many looks, no matter if the eye looks are natural or bold and I can also do face/body paint. 

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I like how my city is a diverse community and it’s on the smaller side so when I started doing makeup, word of mouth got around a lot. In order to thrive in any business, it’s important to have a strong purpose and support system. I didn’t have that much support throughout my journey and it’s a constant battle to learn how to not compare my work to others. What helps me stay motivated is having daily healthy habits. Whether that’s working out, meal prepping, checking in on my mental health, journaling every day, or staying balanced in all aspects of my life. 

Pricing:

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nasiareinethemua.as.me/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/nasiareinethemua?r=nametag
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nasia.shields.5
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCHZpAkoPN4yTE8-vxDziGdQ

Image Credits
Nasia Shields