Meet Dominique Doyle: Make-up Artist and Beauty Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dominique Doyle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dominique, what do you attribute your success to?
I believe the most important factor behind the success of my brand is my professionalism. There are thousands among thousands of people in the beauty industry here in Atlanta and over the years I have come to find out one of the main things that will separate a GREAT Make-up Artist from a OK Make-up artist (other than their skills) is their professionalism. The Artist who responds to inquiries within a timely fashion will get the job, the artist who shows up on time will get called back, the artist who has a process and customizes an experience for their clients will have a faithful clientele. So for me, it’s all about being professional and offering an elite yet personal service. I want each client to feel like a celebrity, because afterall I am offering a luxury service.   

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career as a make up artist was definitely not on purpose. You couldn’t convince me that this is what I would be doing full time. When I was younger I had aspirations of working in the health field but as I got older I couldn’t ignore my creative gift. I first started drawing. I knew I was pretty good at it when I won the yearbook cover competition in middle school. Then, in high school as a senior project, I had the amazing opportunity to work under some super talented artist to complete a pastel art collection at a intermediate level. College was where I found and developed my skills in make up. I attended Georgia State University where I received my undergrad degree in Public Relations and Marketing. Somewhere between my sophomore and junior year is when I started experimenting with make-up as a medium. Thanks to a friend volunteering me to do a last minute photoshoot. The shoot went well. the photographer liked it and recommend me to another photographer. We created some dope images and everything snowballed from there. Although I was getting great feedback from my work and hustling a few gigs here in there while in school I still wasn’t convinced this would be my career. After GSU I received my Master in Health Administration from Clayton State and went on to becoming a Senior Health Educator for a large non-profit reproductive healthcare organization. My position, was grant funded and after 8 years of working for that organization I was laid off. Little did I know this was a blessing in disguise. Initially I was frustrated, worried, sad, scared, but I had to look at this as an opportunity. It definitely gave me the push I needed to really give make up my full attention. Here I am almost 5 years later, a full time Professional Make-up Artist and business owner of SoChevon where we specialize in enhancing natural beauty through a variety of one on one services as well as online education, coaching and soon products. Building a business and becoming an entrepreneur is not as glamorous as social media might make it seem. Although there is freedom in having your own business and being your own boss, there’s a lot of sacrifice and risk taking involved. The luxuries I used to take for granted like healthcare, retirement, vacation pay all went out the door. I had to, and still am, figuring out how to create those luxuries for myself. It’s all about trial and error. While there are so many things to celebrate, there’s also many challenges. Personally, I have to push myself to look at this as a real business and not just something I’m good at and can make money from. I had to tap into the business side, set goals and put systems in place to create longevity and proficiency. As a creative you want to do any and everything , but I’ve learned sometimes you have to say no and focus on one thing at a time so you won’t overwhelm yourself and step into the entrepreneur blues. This journey has taught me so much about my strengths and weaknesses, I’m grateful for the lessons and the opportunity to grow. When you see SoChevon, think about enhancing beauty from within. Sochevon, is not your “traditional” make up artist which allows a unique approach to my artistry. I love creating a peaceful space to produce natural looks. I make skin look and feel like skin. I make sure my clients makeup lasts all day without feeling heavy or caked, and I show my clients how to be resourceful and efficient by helping them create beautiful looks on a budget that still looks expensive. I have experience working with all skin types. tones, ethnicities and personalities. My clients love that they can still look like themselves, just enhanced. It’s always been my passion to help the people I encounter feel and look beautiful. For me it’s never been just about the make-up but it’s about providing women and men with an outlet to express their style and confidence through enhancing their beauty. The act of doing make-up is actually therapeutic for many and I love being able to provide that safe space. It’s more than a service, its’ an experience. When you look good, you feel good and you do good!

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 since we’re currently in a pandemic, I’d have to be mindful of what we do despite the fact Atlanta is open. With that being said, I’ll incorporate some outdoor activities like bike riding along the beltline into piedmont park or a slight hike at Sweet Water Park. The city looks so much different on a bike or on foot. We’d get dressed up and go for drinks at The Consulate in Midtown, dinner at Rock Steady and dessert at Intermezzo ( not necessarily on the same day). And if it wasn’t for the Pandemic we would definitely hit up some Soca Parties and then Rum Punch Brunch on Sunday. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Website: www.sochevon.com
Instagram: @SoChevon
Linkedin: Sochevon
Twitter: SoChevon
Facebook: SoChevon and Chevon Dominique
Youtube: SoChevon Makeup

Image Credits
Photographer: Christopher Jamar Payne @accordingtocjp