Today we’d like to introduce you to Azaria.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Like anything else , entrepreneurship is a journey. It started with my love for the beauty industry , I was a true girly girl growing up . During my hair appointments , I remember looking forward to getting my hands on the hair books just as much as my time in the chair . It was very fascinating to see some local beauty professionals being in a magazine and their work being showcased. I can vividly recall/ picture me sitting in the waiting chair flipping through each page & thinking to myself: “One day I will be in one of these magazines!” . That was the start of my determination, because it made me realize my big dreams weren’t so far fetched & all of them are very possible.
When I was in elementary school I can say that’s when I really started practicing for myself , and seeing what my interest were . I was always creating new hairstyles , then when I got bored with doing my own hair , I would have my sister be a hair model and see if I enjoyed doing someone else’s hair more . I can say it was more enjoyable but I still had the urge to give all areas of beauty a try . In middle school , I was obsessed with nails ! Like clock work I would switch my nails out every two weeks if not every week .
Towards the end of middle school that’s when I started entering the makeup world . Makeup quickly grew to be my happy place, I noticed it was a feeling hair & nails didn’t give me internally.
During the summer into freshman year , I really started getting serious about makeup and really learned about it . I started thinking about my future after high school & I decided I wanted to go to cosmetology school. That was just the beginning of my journey! Once I started cosmetology , I was really in my tunnel vision mode . I was focused & determined to plan for my business and what I wanted after I finished school . I started planning a lash line — my initial drop was pushed back due to Covid, but once things settled down I dropped my first launch . Having products that were mine, was an indescribable experience. It was a great push for me during that time to get my name out into the world .
For the last 6 years I’ve been pushing for my business and venturing back out into hair services, and newly waxing services! I always strive to grow and keep my business in the same direction. I dropped another product in May of 2025 , a lip care line . It includes : a lip oil with many different flavors & lip scrub duo set with matching flavors. Both have amazing benefits for your lips while leaving them very hydrated and smooth . A rebrand for my cosmetics was very necessary , and it was a successful outcome . I really underestimated myself with that . I took some time to reflect about that drop , what I can do better & what I can do different. I’m planning to have another drop soon !
The balance between services and products is not easy but it is doable . Sometimes one may get my attention more than the other but I give my all to them both .
My journey is like no one else’s because we are all different and there is only one of us ! For me , it’s my story , my determination, my grit , my faith, my passion, & will to grow in every season, and so much more that got me to where I am today!
I don’t regret anything along the way, everything happened the way that it was & is supposed to. All the mistakes, trial & error, taught me very valuable lessons and improved my skills . I wouldn’t have it any other way , you have to take the good with the bad . And you have to get through the hard times to get to the easy ones. Yes, it’s all worth it !
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some days are smoother than others . There’s always ups and downs , it’s all about your attitude though, that makes the difference . I am very selective and really just want everything to be a great representation of who and how I want my business — so I went through a lot of different products for both my services and my cosmetics . Some things for my cosmetic line never got advertised because I didn’t like the quality . Easily , your average first thought would be : “ Waste of money !”. It may not have been a great choice but I learned , I put more time into another product and used what I learned from the item prior .
Another challenge is just time . Balancing my time between business & personal , services & products , behind the scenes of business & marketing, and every thing else that goes into running a business and being a human .
Through it all , relying on Jehovah through the rough times has really helped me . I pray on my good days & on the bad ones . My faith has really kept me afloat!
As you know, we’re big fans of Azaria Denae Artistry / Cosmetics . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Azaria Denae Artistry / Cosmetics is more about the purpose & how my clients and everyone interacting with me feels when they leave . Hopefully better than they felt before sitting in my chair ! Beauty starts within , no matter what you feel you look like on the outside & I make it my mission to make sure my clients know they are beautiful because they are who they are .
While this industry has millions of professionals , I am set apart from the rest because pay attention to the small details that the average beauty professional wouldn’t . To me the small details mean the most – not just in the service being provided but as the person sitting in my chair . I make sure my clients know they are valued not just as my client but as a person ! Everyone deserves to be seen , and I’ve noticed throughout my life that’s one of the positive traits that I have & it comes very naturally to me !
I am a licensed cosmetologist , while my focus has been makeup from the start I have always had my hair services on the side. I have been practicing to improve my skills more in waxing & as of recently have added them as a service as well . For clarity, my services are as follows : makeup application (travel services at an additional cost) , waxing ( face , armpit , for now) , and hair services (color , cut , shampoo & conditioning , silk press) .
I have been very intentional with creating my Soft Glam Saturdays ! Every Saturday I run a special for my signature look – “AD Signature Glow” – which is a natural makeup look . Great for literally any occasion , prefect for your first time wearing makeup or getting your makeup done .
I also have added model services , this is ideal for anyone who is interested in being filmed and has an open mind to the looks I would like to recreate to improve my portfolio.
I’m very proud of myself for being resilient & ambitious . Despite everything life can throw, I continue to be optimistic, push through, strive and accomplish better!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory ….
As of lately , I would have to say when my dad made pinto beans lol . Unfortunately , he is no longer on this side of the earth with us , & I been thinking a lot about our moments together.
My dad made dinner and pinto beans were apart of it . As he was cooking I just stayed in the kitchen with him & the pinto beans entered the room. I was very unpleased . I told him : “ Yeah I’m definitely not eating those!” He told me ‘ Girl , yes you are ! You at least have to try them .’ And proceeded to tell me why they are “good for you” — which didn’t do much in terms of my decision changing lol . So time passed , dinner was finished and he started making plates . There sat me , my older brother , and my baby brother all at the table . My older brother sat straight across from me and my baby brother to the right of me , right between the both of us . My dad was setting the plates in front of us, I already knew what was on the plates from staying in the kitchen as he cooked . As for my big brother he was in for a surprise , as soon as his plate hit the table he looked straight at me with a humorous disgusted expression on his face . It was very hard for me not to keep a straight face but I managed to not busted out laughing. My dad taking note of the both of us and looked and me , asking “What’s so funny ?!”
We both replied: “Nothing!” Then he told me again “ Just try ‘em , you might like ‘em.” My brother decided to ask our dad , “What are these?!” My dad in an indescribable comical way : “Mannnnn , I was just telling ya sister – those are pinto beans. You at least have to try them. Yall a mess man !!”
After that my dad went back in his room. As soon as he shut the door , I started putting the beans in a paper towel. Before my brother realized what I was doing , he asked if I liked the beans . At that point I was getting up to throw them away and I told him: “I was not eating them” & waved the paper towel full of pinto beans and started laughing. Once I made it back to the table, my brother asked me if I would flush his . I said : “You can just throw them away like I did.” He started telling me since he is older he will get in trouble if he got caught wasting food. So I took each paper towel full of the pinto beans he passed along to me & started flushing them .
My dad came out the room, and into the kitchen . He asked us how we liked the beans & at the same time realized are beans were gone . So he was very enthused about seeing the beans being “ate” —his exact words were : “ See what I tell yall ! They were good , huh !”
We both agreed with him and was milking it . We told him they weren’t as bad as we thought and he should make them again .
Truly the funniest memory I have !
Till his last moments on earth, he still didn’t know we never ate the pinto beans .
Contact Info:
