What’s the number-one thing women do wrong when it comes to their appearance?  

I can’t speak for every woman out there, but I can share my perspective on what I did wrong. I constantly compared myself to others, and I was never happy or satisfied with the way I looked. I let outside influences affect how I felt about myself. It wasn’t until I was in my late 20s that I chose to shift my mindset, to be the best version of myself and believe in my beauty.

Most memorable photoshoot, client or assignment?

Hands down, Mariska Hargitay. I’ll never forget the moment she said to me, “Value your worth.” She taught me to believe in myself and have self-confidence.

What is the difference between a good makeup artist and a great one?

This industry is always changing, so you have to be flexible, teachable and always willing to grow. Have a business mindset in order to run yourself as a brand. Everything you do represents your brand: how you act on social media, how you speak to someone at the grocery store, how you interact with clients. Everywhere you go, you are representing your brand. 

To me, a leader is someone who motivates, inspires and encourages you to be the best you can be. I was guided by my mentors to get out of my comfort zone, embrace my fears and try new things. It’s living in the present moment—a now-or-never attitude—that led me to stand out in this industry and market myself to clients who were in alignment with my brand. 

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve ever learned? 

To trust my gut. Trust is a part of my core values, and trusting my gut—my na‘au—is everything. It’s how I show up for work: that first good thought of the day. Knowing that I can trust what feels good to me assures me that I am on the right path.

Most difficult lesson? 

I learned early on in my career that those closest to you aren’t always looking out for your best interests. Realizing that was a major source of growth in my career. I didn’t listen to my gut and lost everything I invested in. Like all lessons, it was a blessing in disguise. Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I’m grateful for that lesson.

You’ve been doing makeup for nearly two decades. How has beauty evolved during that time? 

I received Kevyn Aucoin’s book Face Forward as a Christmas gift from my parents in 2000. It was all about emphasizing a woman’s individual beauty. Makeup was changing from the mattified skin and skinny brows of the early ’90s to beautiful, glowing skin being the focus. Fast forward almost 20 years later, and we’re still evolving. The media has begun celebrating natural beauty and perpetuating the idea that skin should look like skin.

There’s also a huge focus on the environment and on eco-friendly, cruelty free and vegan products. Formulations evolved to be longwear, lightweight and to meet the demands of the health-conscious beauty enthusiast. 

What was unique about the curriculum you developed for Bella Torre Academy?

I fell in love with makeup education and always knew I wanted to be a trainer and develop artistry skills. I’d dreamed of going to Make-Up Designory (MUD) school in Burbank, and that came full circle when I met with the school in 2008 and spent a year working with them to create a curriculum that was unique to Hawai‘i.

What we were taught in esthetician and cosmetology school only covered 20 hours of makeup instruction, which is no match for the real world. MUD created an 84-hour beauty curriculum that, combined with Bella Torre’s 16-hour photoshoot curriculum, totaled 100 hours. It was hands on, in depth on every subject and spanned a month and a half of education, which is one of the longest running makeup courses to date in Hawai‘i.