Meet Tajah McDonald | Makeup Artist

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

Hi Tajah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I always knew that I wasn’t the type of person that could just sit and work for somebody else my whole life. All it took was me finding my passion. My mind runs so crazy at times and I’ve wanted to have just about every occupation under the sun at one point in time but as I got older, a lot of the things I used to do didn’t really interest me anymore. One thing that stuck was my love for doing makeup. I loved watching my mom do it on herself when I was a little kid. I loved watching videos of other makeup artists doing their clients’ faces as a teenager. Watching and doing the entire process is like my own personal escape for a moment and helps me to focus my mind. I thought why not turn something I love into a business? All of the work it took to get here was exciting to me. It felt like I was finally doing something for myself again.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I feel the most proud when I see the reaction from a client after a face. That initial smile is so contagious and makes me feel like I chose the right path when I invested in my business. It took a while of me planning and saying I was going to get serious about it before deciding I was going to stop saying it and just do it. I filed my business as an LLC, created my booking site and got honest with myself. I had to tell myself to stop being so afraid of putting myself out there. Some people may like my work and some may not, but I love what I’m doing regardless and I make other people happy when they leave my chair. Stepping outside of my comfort bubble like that was my biggest challenge. The makeup part is easy! So, if you take away anything from what I’ve said, take away this: NEVER be afraid to go after something you love to do. Be consistent and don’t give up just because things don’t blow up the way you want right away. When I get discouraged, I try to remember how far I’ve come and how I’ve prayed to be where I am right now.

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 love sushi spots so I’d probably treat them to a sushi bar or maybe a Thai or Japanese steakhouse. That’s always a good time. Then I’d want to settle so I’d probably ride some scooters around the city for a little and see some sights. I’m a night owl so once the sun starts setting, I’m going to want to do something fun. Either go to a fun reggae club or if we wanted to do something a little more quiet, Andretti’s to ride go karts and play mini golf. Then we have to hit a late night food spot to end the night with our tummy’s right.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout would definitely have to go to my best friend, Jania. She’s the reason I stopped procrastinating and made the jump to taking clients. I wholeheartedly believe I wouldn’t be as far as I am right now if she hadn’t forced my hand and recommended someone to me. Sometimes all we need is that push and she gave that to me.

Website: https://lethalglam.as.me

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lethalartiste

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lethalartistemakeup