Meet Jasmine Birt (SlayByJ) | Pro Makeup Artist & Esthetician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasmine Birt (SlayByJ) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasmine Birt (SlayByJ), how do you think about risk?
Scared money don’t make no money. If you aren’t willing to take risks then entrepreneurship simply isn’t for you. I’m not saying this to discourage anyone but it’s the truth. As business owners, there’s many times where we don’t know how something will play out but if we don’t act on it, we can potentially miss out on a great opportunity. Now that I’ve finally grown into the “Let go and let God” mindset, everything has been working in my favor and I’m more than grateful.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
SlayByJ LLC enhances the natural beauty of all individuals and makes them feel confident through services such as makeup artistry, facials, and waxing. I’ve been doing makeup for 6 years now. I used to paint when I was younger so artistry and anything beauty related has always been a passion of mine.

It all started in college, at Mizzou. I was doing makeup in my dorm just for fun then people started inquiring about getting their makeup done professionally. At that point, I knew I couldn’t continue doing makeup for free so I started charging $20 per face. I went up on my price each year so by the time I was a senior, I was charging about $60-$70. I remember when I went from $20 to $45 and had a few complaints about me “costing too much.” At first I was hesitant in raising my price again but because I knew my value, I stood on it. Currently I charge $100 for a full face and clients happily pay my rate & tip. My advice to any creatives out there is know your worth and add tax! These gifts weren’t given to us to be downplayed. Your price isn’t too high, they just can’t afford you.

Essentially, I am my brand so I truly believe my personality and work ethic makes my business stand out. I’m a very open and outgoing person. I have some clients that book with me just to experience my energy. I believe in going above and beyond for my clients. If someone needs their face beat at 5AM to look cute at the airport or any other special accommodations I’m always down, just let me know what you need. You can’t find that type of customer service everywhere so that definitely sets me apart from other artists in my city.

Entrepreneurship isn’t easy but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. There’s no better feeling than clocking in and out when you want to and not having anyone micromanage you. This year I was able to do my first celebrity face. S/O Katieeeeee (@KatieGotBandz) I’ve had a few other celeb inquiries over these past few months so I’m hoping to work with more next year. I would love to do Rico Nasty’s makeup! I’ve also been in contact with the Chicago Union’s makeup department head so you guys might actually see my name in film credits next year. I’m so excited for what’s to come!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First of all, I like to eat so we’d be hitting all of the food spots. My favorites are Cajun Boil, Shark’s, Jerk48, and Hamada. I don’t go out as much as I used to but we could definitely slide to Ace or Persona, that’s always a fun time. I’m more of a pop-up shop/bar type of girl so I’d most likely find a few dope exhibits we could go to.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There’s a ton of people who deserve recognition for helping me get where I am today so I’ll just name a few. Shoutout to my old college roomies Ange, Bri, Mo & Kala for always letting me practice different looks on them. Shoutout to my bestfriends Ray, Jess & Abby for always helping me choose makeup content for Instagram & consistently sharing my posts. Shoutout to my boyfriend D for always giving me the best business advice. Last but not least, shoutout to my parents/family for being extremely supportive in every way. Love y’all to the moon and back!

Website: www.slaybyjbeauty.as.me

Instagram: SlayByJ

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-birt-065828149

Facebook: SlayByJ

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/SlayByJ

Image Credits
@shotbyboc @xavierleeds