Meet Ambrianna Echols | Freelance Makeup Artist and Beauty Influencer

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

Hi Ambrianna, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Honestly, It was a scary decision. I had been doing makeup as a side hustle even though it’s a hobby I have been into since a young child. I was still working my full time job which I had started in 2012, and would do makeup on my lunch break which was an hour and I would even save my 30 minute personal break for those clients I couldn’t get to on my lunch. It wasn’t something that I had ever thought about doing full time because I was raised to stick with your regular 9 to 5, but in my spirit I kept feeling like I had more in store. I really didn’t have a plan, but I was faced with the choice of quitting my job and walk by faith. It was the scariest thing considered I had 2 children to look after with no definite plans. I did a lot of research and started to brand and advertise my work and with my existing clientele I was able to use them as marketing to gain more customers. I know that this is something I can share with my children and other upcoming artists regarding the knowledge of starting their own makeup business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a freelance Makeup Artist and Beauty Influencer. I have been in the beauty industry for over 6 years. I like to refer to myself as a beauty chameleon because Im not just limited to simple full face makeup applications. I can do simple or complex makeup looks and even special FX. I’m not afraid to try new things and I love to challenge myself. Ive always been really good at art and drawing and took Art my whole life through elementary all the way to advanced placement Art in high school. I learned to draw early on and loved watching the show “Papi’s Land” as a child because there was a segment in the show where he would show you how to draw using the simplest method of shapes. I found it to be very easy. I later would find myself doodling characters and eventually getting into realism drawings. I began playing in makeup around middle school and would use my grandmothers foundation (which was way lighter than my complexion lol) and liked the look it gave which reminded me of a business woman or model. I eventually began playing with eyeshadow and would reference pictures on Pinterest the older I got to better recreate the looks. After high school is when I really took on the craft and practiced for fun and posted pictures online and eventually people reached out for me to do their makeup as well. From then on my clientele grew as more people became interested in the makeup world and would book me for special occasions. It was pretty easy from there because its something I am passionate about and the clients eventually came because they trusted me to do a good job as I do on myself. I’ve learned many lessons along the way such as how to market my audience and better organization such as having a booking website. I used to overbook really badly because I lacked structure and organization. Booking made it easier for client to check availability and book accordingly. I recently launched my cosmetic line which was a great decision being that clients always reach out or have questions about certain products I used on them because they ended up liking the look so having those products readily available is a plus. I want people to know that if you are really passionate about something, put your all into and go for it. You may not have the perfect plan today , but it will come together along the way. What is meant for you will always be, no matter the obstacles or circumstances. I always remind myself that anything worth having doesn’t come easy.

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?
Firstly we would go downtown Athens for food as they have more versatility when it comes to restaurants other than your common fast food chains. There are several options downtown such as Shokitini which is a Sushi spot that also has rooms for groups to do live karaoke which is always fun. There are also different bar options to get a good drink. What’s a trip without a nail date? So of course we would visit one of the hottest Nail Spots in town ” EbonieCharae Nails & Pedicure Spa”. Of course we would need to book ahead because appointments do go fast. Skating and Bowling would be an option as well. There are two Skating rinks in the area , “Athens Skate Inn” and “Fun Galaxy” and then there’s “Showtime Bowl”. On Saturday’s Club Venom hosts different events that we could attend as well.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and Foremost I would like to give honor to God for giving me the gift of artistry and being versatile with my hands and making other feel beautiful. I would also like to give a shout out to my mom for always supporting me no matter what I choose to do. My boyfriend for having my back in whatever path I take and always hyping me up no matter how crazy the idea may seem, my kids for always believing in me and thinking I’m the best/ coolest mom ever because I am an entrepreneur, my best friends, my current clients, my loyal clients, my forever clients, future clients, and everyone in my hometown who has ever supported me whether it was a share, like, comment, or word of mouth referral, I really appreciate you all and love you from the bottom of my heart! You all have played a huge role in my success and when I feel like giving up, you guys always push me to keep going,

Website: www.ambricosmetics.com

Instagram: Ambrianna_mua and Ambricosmetics_

Facebook: Ambrianna MUA

Youtube: Ambrianna Echols