Meet Ashley Short: Pro Makeup Artist, Writer, Activist, and Creative

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

Hi Ashley, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
To be honest, I’m not the most disciplined person when it comes to a lot things in my life. I think people assume I have it all together and that I may follow this structured strategy for success but I don’t. A lot of the habits I have are things I’ve learned from others such as family, past experiences, school, etc. but now in my mid-20s I’m learning how to create habits that best serve the life that I see for myself, not based on what others see for me. I’m a huge visionary and lean on my ability to dream things into reality yet I’m still working on executing and letting go of fear. Fear of success and what it takes to get there. Through all of this struggle, the growing pains of building a business and the back and forth I do with myself as an entrepreneur, I never give up. The most important habit you should have as a business owner, entrepreneur, or with anything you want to see grow, you can’t stop. It may take a long time, it may require a lot of help or guidance, it may even cost you a lot of money but nothing will happen for you if you quit. I’m a huge believer in taking time from something if you need to regroup, revise, or just reset but always return to the work if it’s valuable to you. It’s taking work for me to create so many habits I know I need to get where I want to be but one thing that is embedded into my soul is being consistent in not giving up on myself.

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.
As a makeup artist, my art is multilayered. When it comes to my everyday client services, my art is focused on enhancing the beauty that my clients already have while providing a luxury service that makes them feel and look good. As far as my creative makeup opportunities and work such as editorials, special effects, concepts for music videos and covers, fashion shows, and showcases the focus is beyond just looking conventionally good. I want to convey a message, showcase my techniques and attention to detail, push the boundaries in the beauty industry while shifting what we know beauty to be, and merge the client’s vision and my vision to bring it to life. I’m not as interested in being your typical makeup artist on Instagram. What’s normal and trendy can become boring and exhausting trying to fit into the perfect mold within my industry. I’ve found being true myself in this business won’t bring quick success or form but lays a foundation of longevity and legacy. I am most proud of how something that started off as a side hustle while being a broke college student has turned into a brand that I built from the ground up. I’ve worked and collabed with so many beautiful people and creatives to get where I am today. I am proud to say that I’ve done almost 100 studio shoots since starting my business, have had my work featured in fashion shows, magazines, tv, and multiple social media platforms, continue to build the business aspect of my brand Noire Artistry, and I’m excited to see more growth towards my next goals. Building a brand or business isn’t easy no matter what industry you’re in. For me, the challenge I faced was taking the first leap to start and then be consistent. I always loved makeup and would practice on my friends or in the modeling organization I was in at school but was too afraid to actually start charging people. I took my first clients for homecoming and graduation shoots and from there, I just kept growing eventually establishing a clientele in my hometown, Richmond, Virginia. I don’t have it all figured out and I’m still a student in this game no matter how much I’ve learned. I am still open to learning more as I continue to build towards diversifying my business so I can work on my other passions and businesses I want to own. Diversifying my makeup business will allow me to successfully make multiple streams of income from just one business without having the bulk of its operation based on physically serving my audience and clients. Noire Artistry is a Black-woman owned makeup and beauty brand that serves makeup and skincare needs of clients of a full spectrum of skin tones, skin types, and ages. Our motto is “Beauty isn’t owned by anyone. It is imagined and revolutionized through art, artist, and canvas”. We specialize in studio makeup, bridal makeup, everyday skincare, creative glam, special effects makeup, lash enhancements, editorial beauty, private beauty lessons, and beauty products that provide wonderful results.

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.
I absolutely love city trips with friends so this would be a breeze. Without having an overwhelming itinerary along with my schedule as a full-time entrepreneur, I would focus the visit on my favorite Black-owned spots in the city. One of my favorite things about Richmond is how rich it is in Black history, legacy, culture, and business. I’d start the week on Monday with a visit to the Virgnia Museum of Fine Arts and the Richmond Black History Museum. Although the VMFA isn’t black-owned it’s a nice vibe and they have a few exhibits dedicated to Black and African art as well as a new featured exhibit called “The Dirty South” that highlights early 20th century Black culture of the South. The Black History Museum is cool because of it’s focus on not just general Black history but how that history cultuvated in Virginia. Afterwards, we would hit up The Urban Hang Suite, a Black woman owned social cafe for lunch and local beverages. Sunday Service Soul Food, which has incredibly delicious food and drinks, hosts their open mic event called “Open to All That Soul” every tuesday which has become a ritual for me and my homegirls. Their juice bar nex door “Fountain of Yuice” has the best juices- I recommend the juice called “summe heat” but I swap out the banana for almond milk. On Wednesdays, one of my homeboys partners with Bare Soul Yoga, another Black woman owned business, to lead yoga sessions at the 17th Street Farmer’s Market so we’ll get our yoga on then head to Lillie Pearl for dinner. There brussel sprouts and mac and cheese is so fire. Thursday we’ll do some shopping with Adiva Naturals, a Black women owned health and beauty shop, which is where I get most of my skincare and bodycare essentials from. The vanilla sandlewood body.hair refresher and the crocodile killer body pudding are a staple for me. We’ll also stop by Shakoor’s for our things such as incense, oils, African-inspired decor, shea butter, books, and bean pies. Next door is Seven Stones RVA for our crystal and candle needs. On Friday, we’ll head to the northside of Richmond for Sugar’s Crab Shack which hands down has the best seafood in Richmond. My go-to is either the jumbo fried shrimp, salmon cake sandwich and fries or the classic fried whitening with potatoe salad- please don’t forget the extra tartar sauce. I don’t play about that! I’m not a big club or lounge person but if going with friends, I’m definitely down. If that’s the case I would go to Ace’s Sports Lounge. Not sure if it’s Black-owned but it’s a Black friendly place with decent food and a kinfolk vibe. Soul Taco would be for lunch on Saturday right before attending the Richmond Night Market which will back July 10th. RNM is a monthly family social that has the best local vendors, businesses, artist showcases, and DJ/live band sets. It’s the perfect event for someone new to richmond to a get a little taste of the cultural, arts, and small business scene here in whcih the co-founders of RNM are the cream of the crop of Richmond’s elite culture and business community. Lastly, Sundays are for brunch and the best Black owned brunch spot in the city is Frozay RVA’s brunches at Mini Bar. I mean the brunch bar is so top tier, the DJ set is a vibe, and it should be a crime for that food to taste as good as it do. Chef Frozay understands the assignment everytime.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
If you know me, you know I don’t play about God and my ancestors. I’m a firm believer what I do in this life is not just from my own strength and that I’m always guided spiritually to fulfill my divine purpose. I’m always thankful and trying to show gratitude to my Higher Power for all the things given to me. I attract all things meant for my life and that would not be so without God. I want to highlight my friends and family have been a vital support system not just for my business and creative journey but just overall as I become the woman I was mean to be. Whether that’s through constructive criticism, celebrating everything I do, and pouring into me on days I feel empty. I also want to shout out Black women in general. Black women are at the core of the work I do and have been my biggest cheerleader. So many times have Black women showed up for me when I didn’t know how to show up for myself. Lastly, I have to show love for myself. I know most people struggle to show gratitude for themselves especially publicly. It’s so easy for us, especially as a Black woman, to always be humble and no credit ourselves for everything we do for ourselves and others. I still struggle with that sometimes because I don’t want to come off as narcissistic or “big-headed” yet I’m working to unlearn that. I have to gas myself and celebrate my own wins because who else will do it if you don’t. I no longer wait for others to celebrate me or tell me I’m doing a good job. I do that for myself and find it to be critical for self-care and personal development. I love me and deserve to speak highly of myself.

Website: https://noiremakeupartistry.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegranddamequeen/

Other: My blog: https://www.blacksugahmag.com/

Image Credits
Niqko ( all the photos of my work are done by this photographer)