August Feature Makeup Artist – Andrew Thomas
Andrew’s Passion Lies in Enhancing and Transforming People Through Makeup Artistry
Determination. This is a word we hear very often this month with the Rio Olympics. If you have seen even the tiniest clip of the Olympics this summer (it would be extremely hard not to) you have heard the commentators talking about skill, determination and passion. Each and every Olympic athlete has these three things in common, because without them, they don’t have a prayer of making it to the Olympic Games. Once again, sports mimic our lives. These three qualities are necessary to succeed in any area in life.
Sometimes, it is hard for us to find something we are passionate about, other times it is difficult for us to focus or gain the proper skills we need. Having the combination of all three of these qualities is what truly makes a person successful. Our featured makeup artist this month was very young when he discovered his passion for the beauty and fashion industry.
Andrew Thomas was one of the lucky ones who found his passion early in life. Raised by his mother and grandmother, Andrew was constantly reading Cosmo and Glamour magazines while watching in fascination while his mom did her hair and makeup. At the young age of 14, he was introduced to the possibility of a career in this field with the gift a book titled “Making Faces” by Kevyn Aucoin. After being inspired by this book, he knew he would be able to thrive in the beauty industry; he just needed to find his path.
Like most creative kids, Andrew had a hard time choosing a career to get into. He was different from the other kids growing up, but poured his creativity and passion into developing skills so he could succeed in the industry he wanted. He took his first step and enrolled into cosmetology school at the age of 16. His hope was to become a clothing designer, but when he finished the program, he had a tough time finding a steady job as a stylist. Andrew ending up working various jobs including waiting tables, package handling, gas station attendant, and many others, however, he never gave up on his dream.
Throughout many hardships, Andrew had determination to make his dream come true. With that attitude, he eventually worked for a beauty supply company where he learned the business aspect of the industry he loves. Although he was able to finely tune his sales and customer service skills, Andrew knew he wanted a more active role in the beauty business. He had some trepidation about leaving this job but knew that he wanted to follow his first real inspiration that he found all those years ago in that book.
Andrew’s passion for enhancing and transforming people into beautiful and striking subjects led him to become a certified professional makeup artist. This career can only be limited by his imagination, which is vast. Inspired by film, television, music, comic books, nature and the abstract, Andrew hopes to one day take his artist skills to the entertainment industry. Equally important to him is helping share his knowledge to inspire those who are interested in a career in this industry. Andrew believes: when you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you do good for yourself and the world around you. We wish Andrew all the best and know that he will succeed and live out his dreams because with determination, skill and passion, there is nothing that can stop him.
Follow Andrew on his social sites:
Instagram: andrew_thomas_beauty
Twitter: @AndrewThomas83
Snapchat: atbeautyco
