Meet Chloe Catarina | Makeup Artist

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

Hi Chloe, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Before I started my own freelance makeup business, I had worked in a plethora of different retail makeup jobs. I worked at Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Too Faced Cosmetics, and MAC, to name a few, and every company had generally the same format. You would get a customer, solve a problem for them, and send them on their way, and in a lot of cases, selling was the primary focus. But that just wasn’t for me. I never connected with pushing sales. For me, it was the artistry that I fell in love with!

That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands and start my own business. With Haus of Catarina, I’ve been able to delve deep into my artistic passion, form profound connections with my clients, and be a part of some really special moments in people’s lives while making them look and feel their best!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When working as a makeup artist, I think it’s easy to fall into a specific niche or category; bridal, television, commercial, etc. However, with over ten years of experience in this industry, I’ve found that I work best when I don’t put a label on my skill set! I love natural bridal looks, but I’m also drawn to more extreme forms of makeup artistry. I love anything from no-makeup makeup to corpse paint and those more intense theatrical looks. Having a wide range of artistic interests has always helped me to stay out of creative makeup slumps.

During my first three months of opening my business, I was hustling more than I ever had with my portfolio hoping to bring in new opportunities. To my surprise, I had someone reach out to me last minute for a makeup appointment and it ended up being Mrs. Pat Houston who had me do her makeup for her feature in Billboard magazine surrounding the topic of Whitney Houston and the film coming out about her. To this day, that is still one of the most surreal and proud moments I’ve had with my business. I was able to get to know the Houston family as well as witness Whitney Houston’s famous outfits, awards, and instruments. That helped me to realize that any amazing opportunity could be just around the corner and you may not even know it, so keep going!

In order for me to reach where I am today, I had a decade of experience to help hone my skill set. I had moved around to various states in my career, dealt with every skin type and tone you could think of, and had really found my way as an artist. Although there are times when you feel unsure of yourself in any art field, I found that the more I worked through that uncertainty, the more confident I became. I can say without hesitation now, that there isn’t a makeup look that someone could bring to me that I couldn’t do. Perseverance will always kill doubt.

Throughout my journey, I’ve learned that makeup is more than just products on peoples’ faces. It is an extension of who they are inside which is why getting a look right or wrong can provoke such intense emotions from people. In order to get a makeup look to ignite confidence and passion within someone, you as a makeup artist need to be able to intuitively read who they are, what they’ve been through, what they’ve overcome, who they want to be, and convey that feeling into visuals onto them. This is why every bride, model, or client is so uniquely different because we are all, at our core, unique beings.

Haus of Catarina is my freelance makeup company where I get to express myself as an artist, and where I can use my artistry to help others express their most confident selves. I am also a traditionally trained artist with a background in graphic design and writing outside of my career in makeup. All of these artistic skills have helped me to understand the intricacies of creativity as well as how to express the stories of others through visuals. Whether it be the day someone says “I do!” to their soulmate, the day they announce their pregnancy, or a day when they just want to look and feel empowered, I am here to help bring that magic to life!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think my friend would be utterly shocked to find out I had left my house, to be honest! I’m a massive homebody who loves watching movies and being with my dogs, especially after taking on big weddings or photoshoots full of chaos! But, on the rare occasion that I do find myself sneaking out of my hobbit hole to plan trips–because yes I am a type A planner–I would say this:

We’d have to throw in some artsy days. This would include checking out the SCAD fashion museum (which is the art school that I attend) and seeing their couture exhibits. Next door, we have the High Museum of Art so we have to check that out as well! Then, I’d probably throw in the Museum of Illusions because I’ve always wanted to check one of those out but I feel like I would barf from motion sickness. But that’s fine, it adds to the experience… right?

Then, we’d need to do some classic Atlanta things. This would include doing the World of Coca-Cola tour, riding the Ferris wheel (preferably at night), the botanical gardens, Piedmont Park, and visiting the Margaret Mitchell House. After diving into some Atlanta activities though, I would have to throw in a random axe-throwing day to live out my Viking fantasy dreams.

Next on my list, would be all about food! I would take my friend to Lucian Books & Wine, The Slutty Vegan, The Velvet Taco, The Sun Dial Restaurant, The Garden Room, and Ponce City Market! There are so many restaurants in Atlanta though, I feel like it’s hard to find a bad one. I’d be down to try anything!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to thank my mom who without which I may have never found my love for makeup! Like many makeup lovers out there, it was rummaging through my mom’s makeup that led me to fall in love with all things makeup. As crazy as my makeup ideas have been, my mom has always been there supporting and encouraging me through the process!

Website: https://www.hausofcatarina.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speakingofchloe/

Image Credits
All images belong to Haus of Catarina.