Meet Ariana Dority | Profesional Makeup Artist

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

Hi Ariana, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always been such a girly girl. I’m the oldest and only girl of all my siblings and I always felt good trying different looks on myself whether it be hairstyles, nails, or makeup. Of all the things I dabbled in, makeup just stuck with me the most. I fell in love with the process and being able to create and transform myself with different makeup looks. I used to spend my time at night trying crazy and colorful looks on myself and somewhere along the line, I got comfortable enough to post the finished results online. This sparked some engagement and a following and eventually, I began taking clients. My first ever client was just brows and lashes and from then on I’ve worked in several avenues in the makeup industry including television, bridal, pageantry, etc. getting to be the creative, girly girl I am at heart and making bonds with people who I probably would’ve never met otherwise.

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.
I have always been interested in all things beauty. With me being the oldest and the only girl out of my siblings, I’ve always gravitated to all the girly things in life and I fell in love with doing my own hair, nails, and eventually makeup. It wasn’t until high school that I started actually taking the time to do my makeup every morning, most times in the bathroom at school. I used to carry all my makeup in a ziplock bag. Truthfully, I developed such a passion for makeup that transitioning it into a career came naturally. My first ever paying client was just a basic brow and lash application. I used social media to post the crazy and colorful makeup looks I used to do on myself and when it started gaining traction, people actually began to book me for services. Once I graduated, I began getting booked to do makeup for homecoming and prom, pageants, and eventually I took over doing makeup on my college campus heavily for all sorts of people and occasions. I was booked for my first celebrity client, Yaz the Greatest from Empire and my career began to grow.

During that time, I also got into really developing my brand identity and selling hair and cosmetics to make extra income. I also attended cosmetology school to further my knowledge on the industry from a more professional standpoint. I defined myself as Beauty by Ari and BBA Boutique, eventually transforming into All Things BBA. This is where things became more difficult because as a first time small business owner, I took on 99% of the funding and responsibilities while still trying to build clientele. I began to hire a team of people I knew to help me manage it better and while it was my first team and I still hadn’t really had a firm grasp on my impact in the beauty community, it did teach me a lot of lessons that I can look back on now as I work to expand even more. I’ve learned to not be cheap with my business, while I was young and really made stuff shake with what I had, older me has matured so much more in business that I can more clearly see where I want to place myself in this field.

I took that time to rebrand, grow, and most importantly reflect from my lessons and now as a professional makeup artist of almost 10 years, I have developed a signature makeup style that I call The Polished Glam Experience. All of my glams gives “polished”. I have always loved learning and teaching and now I’ve found a way to be able to combine my passion for makeup and teaching into something that makes me profit and also places me in a position that serves purpose in this industry. I used to sell t-shirts with the motto “TURN YOUR PASSION INTO PROFIT” and I stand firm on the ability to do so. I turned my love for makeup and teaching into a sustainable career and while it has its ups and downs, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I am now a published author, I have written makeup books about my techniques, my work has been showcased and published in magazines, I’ve worked with celebrities, I have dominated the pageant industry as a makeup artist, I’ve been taken to many states as a personal makeup artist to many of my clients, I have clients who have been with me my whole career and have watched me grow. I’ve sold my beauty products in actual physical stores as well. At the start of this year, I held and sold out my first ever hands on group makeup class and I am preparing for my next group class as well as my highly anticipated virtual Polished Glam Makeup Academy.

Now I take everything I have learned over the years and look to share the love I have for makeup to further the careers of others. I also work to continue to expand my business by way of my cosmetic lines. I go by MALIBEAUXTY now (with my cosmetics line) and Polished by Malibeaux as my artistry handle. I got the name from someone in college that said I looked like a “Malibu Barbie” one day and I thought to play on it as MalibeauxAri, just something more unique to me. I work so hard and have hand created formulas and shades and products that are unique to my brand and the industry. While I have been able to do many of these things on my own, I’ve learned to lean on my support system for ideas and criticism and to outsource other professionals to help elevate my brand and business further. I am a businesswoman at mind and at heart and my goals are much bigger than me but with God and a solid mission, I know that my mark will be placed as long as I stay dedicated to pushing my brush more and more each day.

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?
I am soooo not a city girl lol but you can never go wrong with shopping down Michigan Ave downtown. My favorite theatre ever is the Roosevelt Theatre. I am a breakfast girl though and we have to go the Original House of Pancakes, any location and I need to grab the 49’er flapjack special. Literally chef’s kiss. I love being downtown just for the scenery. Depending on the weather, the Butterfly Garden and Brookfield Zoo are great interactive spots to be. I like calm scenery so someplace we can lounge and vibe is always a go to. There’s also this sushi place up north I love but I’m keeping that gem for myself lol.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shed light on the ongoing support I receive from my mother and best friends on my entrepreneurial journey. They are my biggest supporters and I couldn’t thank them enough for pushing me. I also want to thank my granny for the support she’s given me in her time on earth. Also, I want to include my clients because without them I literally could not see the growth I do with my artistry. Thank you all for trusting me. I’ve spent many years developing my artistry and my passion and I could not have stayed focused this long without them in my corner.

Website: themalibeauxtyexperience.as.me

Instagram: instagram.com/polishedby_malibeaux

Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/polishedbymalibeaux