We had the good fortune of connecting with Karri Anne Eberhardt and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Karri Anne, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Having the freedom to finally be myself is where I find my happiness -to be the artist that I truly am. I am an artist in my heart and I feel bliss when I create. I have a gift to make things beautiful. As a Makeup Artist my medium is makeup and my canvas is the human face; and I get to utilize my creativity to inspire others to feel more confident in themselves. I love using my gift to have a positive impact on others. I truly enjoy inspiring people to feel beautiful and to celebrate their uniqueness.
I am happiest when I am encouraging and uplifting others as well, so I truly enjoy being an Esthetician because I get to give people hope. I am glad to be a safe space for anyone suffering with problematic skin. Many with problematic skin feel stigma, and I understand what that feels like; especially for women suffering with signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance. So I focus on learning about treatments that help improve the issue. It brings me joy to share my expertise to help others to improve the way they feel in their own skin.
Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
How I got to where I am today is the accumulation of my life experiences and interests. As a child and adolescent, I was a visual artist. I had multiple sketchbooks. I would draw and paint all the time. I was not into makeup as a teen. I have also struggled with my skin the majority of my life. As a teen, I suffered with acne, acne scarring, dark patches and as an adult, I suffered with hormonal imbalance skin issues (including adult acne, melasma/hyperpigmentation, and even embarrassing female facial hair). I had sought help from skin professionals many times in the past. I had been recommended topical products that would irritate and burn my skin. I had been put on multiple antibiotics for acne too. I have done hair removal treatments that have left me disappointed with the results. All I ever wanted was to look like the best version of myself and this seemed so hard. I became extremely discouraged about my skin. I was frustrated with the treatment options presented to me, and the progress did not improve. So, I had given up trying to save my skin, and I began to gravitate to make up in order to express the image of myself that I wanted to present to the world. Makeup helped me feel more confident in being myself. This is also the reason for how I developed my natural makeup aesthetic – my gravitation towards focusing on complexion work or skin work.
As an adult, I did not draw or paint as much as I did when I was younger, however, my artistic skills transferred to beauty quite naturally. I still love and enjoy visual art, but my canvas became the face. Being a beauty enthusiast, my friends and family would admire my talent, and for years I would do makeup, brows, and hair by their request. During those times I did not market myself as a beauty professional or MUA to the public, however, I have did have opportunities to do makeup for weddings, model test shoots and brand photoshoots.
While I realized I had a gift for beauty, I hesitated to pursue it professionally, as I had already heavily invested in a college education and it just seemed like a waste for me to pivot into being a creative. I also remember how often I used to compare my artistry to other makeup artists in my city that had a totally different style; comparing myself would have me feel so discouraged. It took me a long time to acknowledge that beauty was my passion and even longer to have the courage to pursue it. Eventually, I stopped comparing myself to others and so my beauty interest and skin journey lead me to learn about skin therapies and so I pursued esthetics. Also when I stopped comparing myself to other artists, I started allowing myself to feel the joy of creating and being free to be my authentic self in my artistry. I am now allowing myself to have fun, explore and evolve my artistic style. I stopped being hard on myself and remembered that art is subjective and my artistry will resonate with the people that will love and appreciate it. In 2022, I finally decided to put myself out there because it was miserable to withhold sharing my gift as an artist. Art is meant to be shared; artists make the world more beautiful. I truly love helping people feel their best.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well I am a native Detroiter, but when I visit Atlanta I love to explore different places than I did on the previous visit. On my memorable visits I had a deep emotional experience visiting the King Memorial Center, I had a great time outdoors while walking The Beltline and seeing all the murals and graffiti art, I enjoyed shopping at Ponce City Market Place, and I also love brunch at Breakfast at Barneys too.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have so many people that have been supportive to me on my journey as a Makeup Artist and entrepreneur. I am super grateful for my dear friend, Michelle Bundy introducing me to the multifaceted, Stephanie Bedell, who has been a great ally to me in my journey. Stephanie is an amazing director, stylist, model, and connector of people and it’s through her that I was able to find and connect with creatives in the artist and fashion community. I want to thank my loved ones and friends that encouraged and supported me to follow my dreams. Also the other creatives that have connected and collaborated with me at the beginning of this journey: Lakia Nicole, Brooklyn Soleil, Stefon McBride, Teneice Carolyn, Allante Jackson, Tiffany Yatooma, Kiara Binion, Jeremiah Brown, my tribe with the Detroit NETWERK, and Buzzfiles.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kaebeaute?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083019716197&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Erin McConnell Zachariah Black Rana Tahboub Allante Jackson Stefon McBride Anna Soustina Jeremiah Brown Kristen Gravlin