Name: Nicole Rickey
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology
How did you become a makeup artist?
Nicole: “When I was growing up, I would see my mom’s makeup and steal it, hoarding it in my room. It wasn’t until I was about sixteen that I started having more of an interest in actually wearing it. I started with being ‘brave’ and wearing clear mascara and the rest is history. I pretty much taught myself how to do makeup by watching YouTube tutorials. That is why I have a special place in my heart for YouTube because it’s taught me so much about something that has a huge place in my life.”
“After High School, I went to college for biology and long story short, I hated it. It wasn’t me. I made a big decision to leave school and go to cosmetology school. That was one of the best decisions of my life. I even got to meet one of my makeup idols, Mario Dedivanovic, who encouraged me to pursue my passion. A few years after beauty school, I landed my dream job working for MAC cosmetics and met so many talented artists who further helped me tweak my makeup skills. As much as I loved the fast paced world of working at MAC, I quickly learned that I prefer working one on one in a more relaxed environment and decided that I would pursue a freelancing career. I work with clients for their special occasions and also on sets for commercials and short videos when the opportunities arise. From this, I discovered a love and interest in special effects makeup and bridal makeup.” What made you decide to start your own YouTube channel?
“Not only do I enjoy doing makeup, but I also enjoy talking about it. And what better way to talk about makeup than to create my own YouTube channel! It was something I have been wanting to do for a while but never had the time to when I was at MAC. So one day, I decided to be ‘brave’ again and filmed my first tutorial. It literally took me a month to even post it because I was so nervous to put myself out there to the world. But those emotions were short lived when I realized that I have nothing to fear if this is truly something that I love. I may not have a huge fan base like Carli Bybel or Kathleen Lights, but I love creating my videos and sharing my passion with those who come across my videos.”