work day ” I got to follow my mom around as she ran errands preparing for fashion shows or spent all day in a commercial set as she accompanied an actor that was a minor .
CAM : What ’ s your most favorite thing about doing makeup ? KB : I LOVE making people look and feel beautiful . I love transforming people . I feel like a fairy godmother in a sense . When I ’ m done with a makeup application , and I show my clients their reflection , their reaction is always priceless ! It always fills my heart with joy .
CAM : What ’ s been the most rewarding thing about being your own boss ? KB : Making my own hours , hands down . I ’ m not a morning person ( unless I have no choice and there ’ s an early call time ; I ’ ve done as early as 2AM ). I like being able to come and go as I please and take vacations whenever I want .
CAM : What ’ s something about yourself you wished others knew or that you ’ d like to share ? KB : A lot of people think I ’ m so lucky because of the kind of business my mom has and how awesome both of our businesses run hand in hand . The truth is I ’ m trying to make it in the beauty industry just like every other makeup artist and hairstylist , and I try extra hard to pave my own way and develop an identity aside from just being “ Jennifer Baker ’ s Daughter .” I ’ m super nervous about succeeding , and I lay in bed at night praying to God and asking Him to direct my steps . There ’ s a lot of blood , sweat , and tears that people don ’ t see . They only see what I choose to showcase on social media . It ’ s definitely not as easy as it looks .
CAM : Name something or a matter close to your heart that you wish more people would take notice on and get more involved with . KB : Not necessarily a matter but more of a way of life . When I turned 23 , I lost my health care because I aged out of my parent ’ s insurance . Unfortunately , that same year I was diagnosed with a blood clot . I had to battle getting healthy , all while paying for medications and doctor visits out of pocket . It almost ruined my life and altered my career . Basically what I ’ m trying to say is I want people to take healthcare more seriously . Go get your yearly check up . Ladies go get that mammogram and that annual checkup . Make sure you put your health first . You never want to find out about something when it ’ s too late . Makeup is fine and dandy , but it ’ s important that you are actively trying to lead a healthy lifestyle and getting those check ups as you should . Remember that real beauty starts from the inside , health and all .
CAM : How did you get discovered by other businesses that now request your review of their products ? Describe that first moment when they reached out to you . KB : Two words . SOCIAL MEDIA . I make it my business to wake up and post EVERY . SINGLE . DAY . And use my hashtags . I ’ ve gotten recognition and booked almost all of my clients via Instagram and Facebook if not via word of mouth . I remember a year ago I told my mom ( if you can ’ t tell by now she ’ s like my best friend ) that I refused to buy extensions any longer and the next time I wore extensions it would be because a company reached out to me to review products . Sure enough a year later ( to the week ) someone reached out to me to review both makeup and hair extensions , and since then it ’ s completely caught fire . I ’ m actually starting to get overwhelmed with the amount of products I ’ m getting in the mail to review .
Kayla is a phenomenal independent MUA . You can see more of her work and book her via StyleSeat or Instagram @ yourfavoritemua .
60 CREATIVE ARTIST MAGAZINE