Life & Work with Jennifer Cruz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Cruz.

Hi Jennifer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As most makeup artists, I just enjoyed playing with makeup and enhancing my look, even before social media was popular, even before I had a Facebook. People around me would say how I did a nice job and some would ask me if I could help them out and do their makeup for an even or a night out. I was glad to help them out so they could feel beautiful for their event. I had always worked in finance and banking upon graduating high school and never felt fulfilled. You know when you’re made for more! I got married to the most supportive husband and started my own home day care business to be home with our two kids. For 6 years I worked with amazing little ones and their families.

The mothers I worked for even asked me to do their makeup on occasion and my gifts from my daycare kids would always be makeup products to play with! I never even realized this was happening or how everyone around me knew before I did my LOVE for all things makeup and beauty. I wasn’t getting ready anymore though, I wasn’t leaving my home to go anywhere. I was watching kids all day in our basement turned daycare so I lived in sweats and never did my hair or makeup so I begin feeling down and feeling like I was losing part of who I was. I couldn’t figure it out but I knew I needed to ask fast and make a change.

My kids were both now in school full time so I started trying to consider what else I would be good at. I started looking into make schools and went to google search and typed in the best makeup schools in the world! lol And there were several listed but Makeup Designory was at the top of every list and review. There are 2 campus locations Manhattan, New York and Burbank, California. I already live in cold Ohio so I knew id rather be where the palm trees reside. Now I only had to figure out how to quit on my daycare families, who grew to love me, and present this idea of me attending a California Makeup School for 12 weeks and having no income to pay for it. My family supported my dream of becoming an Ohio Bridal Makeup Artist and we began working on saving for my departure for about eight months.

In January 2017, I enrolled for September-November 2017 Fashion Makeup artistry program to become a Pro MUA. We talked a lot about it as a family to prepare my 7 and 10 year old that mom would be away for a few months achieving a goal. We made it as if your never told old to do and be what your are meant to become. We made and example of me to the kids and hopefully they will see it as a “cool” thing mom is off to do.

In August 2017, my sister and best friend, Nicole, and I began our cross county trip to California. We called ourselves “road warriors”, we barely stopped to eat let alone rest and got to Las Vegas the very next night because of course we have to stop there first for a few days before our finial destination, Makeup Designory, La. We made it to the school where I received my amazing makeup kit and itinerary. I also received my keys to my apartment, The Avalon across the street from the school. I went to go move into my 12 week home and quickly had a reality check!!! I was in a 2 bedroom apartment with 3 other young ladies under 21 and here I am I wife and a mom and 33 years old! Yikes!!!! Not old that but there were tons of forest fires going on around, soot and ashes were everywhere. I was like what the heck and I doing here.

My sister and I stayed my first night there in a hotel so I can digest my new reality and get over my panic attack. She reminded me of my goal, my dream, my mission! I knew I had to go back to that apartment and finish what I came here for. Nicole helped me unpack and get settled before she had to get back home to Ohio and I never felt so lost and all alone. I knew I had to be strong and besides that I couldn’t get my money back haha. For 12 weeks I went to hands on makeup training from 8-4 Monday-Friday. I had a big class of 22 and we were from all over the US. I was the older in my class, the only wife and mom. It was awkward but it was lonely with no one to relate to and cleaning up after my roommates who had always lived at home. But I soaked in everyday there.

I did my homework in the evenings of face charts, brow mapping, eye shadow blending and on the weekends took advantage of the school’s photoshoot hours with a professional photographer to build my portfolio while I was there. I went to makeup shows and did a few makeups for fashion shows. The whole experience was amazing and I am so blessed to have experienced it and achieved my 392 hours in Fashion Makeup artistry Diploma! I am so happy to be concidered a Pro artist and recognized as one by different cosmetic companies getting discounts for using their products. I graduated in November 2017 and drove home and haven’t stop driving to achieve my goals daily.

Every year, I and getting busier and busier with more weddings and growing my business. Since then, I have expanded by getting my Lash Extension Certification and Lash Lift and Brow Lamination Certification so I am able to offer more services to my clients before and after their weddings.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Since coming home from makeup school and returning back to Ohio, my goal was to become big doing Bridal and special event makeup. Maybe some “Real housewives of Ohio” as I call it clients. lol On my drive home I applied at Estee Lauder and immediately got the job, but it was primarily retail and my passion is to apply make on my clients and them to feel amazing and show off their features. I was not happy just selling. That’s not the reason I went all the way to California to the “Worlds Best makeup school. I met a salon owner and began working for her during Prom season and did a few wedding while did the hair. It was definitely what I wanted to do but I was splitting the service balance with the salon owner and it was just not enough income. I needed more, and I still need more.

As of now, I am still working full time day and adding bridal trials to my evenings and providing make for weddings each weekend as my own business. I find all my wedding myself and now gaining referrals from previous and return clients. I am still growing and it’s hard in Ohio since makeup is not a Monday through Friday necessity. Ohio is not big on fashion and commercials or plays here so I can cross that off my list. I also have a lot of “self made” makeup artist competition as well promoting themselves as makeup artists. Social media is a blessing and a curse. It helps and hinders business. It has created high and sometimes unrealistic expectations and 99 percent of makeup photos are edited and photoshopped. What works on one face or eye shape doesn’t work on everyone’s so that is something you have to explain to clients when they come to you showing photos of their makeup look hopes.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Because I’m based in Ohio, I specialize in Bridal Airbrush Makeup. That is what is popular here in Cleveland every weekend Friday-Sunday. I recently have been partnering to do photoshoots and boudoir makeup with several Cleveland photographers, most often Mike Beach Photography whom I am thrilled to be partnering with. I genuinely enjoy every wedding and photoshoot I’m a part of! I’m probably just as anxious as our clients are to get their photos back and see the end results of all our work! It’s such an honor to be sharing in the special memories with them and be the one who adds to their facial features and helps decide on their looks all the way down to their lip color! I think what sets me apart from others is not only my Diploma of Fashion Makeup Artistry From Makeup Designory, studying in California and bringing the skill to Ohio is that fact I do these makeup applications at an affordable rate and all of my clients will tell you I genuinely put my whole self into these looks because I just enjoy the outcome of their joy when they look in the mirror afterward! It’s so fulfilling to hear their “Thank you’s” and read their reviews later. It’s like my fuel to keep fighting to be Cleveland’s Go to Bridal Makeup Artist!

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Surprisingly, I don’t follow many makeup artists or watch tons of makeup tutorials. I like to have my own visions not be consumed by others’ visions.

Plus it is so time consuming getting lost in other people’s tutorials. I also don’t really have interest in doing tutorials or attempting influencing. My joy comes from applying my client’s makeup with a look that works for their features. And see them light up after we’re done and they feel amazing and ready to make their grand entrance. It’s such a pleasure to be a part of their most important day or special events. The hugs I get at the end after handing them the mirror are way more fulfilling than likes or free sample products. Another thing is I still do get nervous people will not be fully satisfied with their looks. Maybe I did to little maybe I did to much. I do still work on my confidence even though I appear to be full of confidence doubts still cross my mind. Something people that know me would never know I feel that way cause I don’t like to share my insecurity.

Contact Info:

• Email: jcruzfacecanvas@gmail.com
• Website: jcruzfacecanvas.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcruzfacecanvasllc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jcruzfacecanvas 

Image Credits
Vanita Green Self Photo
Cirino Photography
Deborah Grace Photography
Heather Danielle Photography
KPhotography
Kayla McCullough
Joe Baker Photography
Mike Beach