Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Kirgan.
Hi Katie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was young I remember my mom hanging these impressive drawings in frames on the walls of our home. When I asked her who drew them I was surprised when she told me she drew them herself. So, naturally I gave it a try and although for my age I had some skill, that was not the creative path for me. I grew up around a family that expressed themselves through art. But, I hadn’t quite found my “thing” yet. That was until I got into my mom’s makeup. I can’t say that she was particularly pleased by me getting into her things but luckily she never restricted that type of self expression in our household. I could sit for hours in my own little world layering different textures and colors. My interest peaked. Ever since then, I have found makeup to be an incredible therapeutic and creative outlet for myself.
Over the years, I’d practice on myself, family, friends, and others. I became self taught. I’ve worked for cosmetic companies and brands, I learned a lot, taught a lot, and met some amazing people, but something was missing. I wanted something I could call my own. I decided to take the leap and start my own business as a freelance makeup artist.
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?
Just like life isn’t a smooth road, running a business isn’t either. When you get started it can feel incredibly overwhelming. From admin, to juggling jobs, and upfront investment there is a lot to learn, consider, and time spent. However, over time, as I have continued learning the business side of things I’ve begun to enjoy a bit of that challenge, knowing that it’s simply an opportunity to learn and grow.
I think a lot of artists can be highly critical of their own work regardless of talent and skill level. I’m no exception. When I was younger I’d draw pictures of people and then tuck them away. Now, my work is on literal people, often photographed, sometimes on one of the most important days of their lives and often shared online. It’s important to remember that technically speaking there’s no such thing as “perfect”. There’s makeup that is done impeccably well. But there is no such thing as perfect.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have worked in bridal, branding shoots, boudoir, creative portraiture, and have collabed with small businesses for event shoots.
I specialize in natural makeup, glam, and grunge.
I’m known for creating an atmosphere for clients to feel comfortable being open and expressing preferences before, during and after application. I enjoy collaborating with my clients. It’s always a fun journey to see what we can come up with as a team.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
It is important to me to uplift others in the industry. I truly believe that being a source of support, encouragement and sharing knowledge is healthy for the industry and society as a whole.
My top priority is my clients. My goal is to provide a service that leaves my clients feeling heard and confident in their experiences with me. I will always provide a safe space where discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.
Pricing:
- Event Makeup Application- Starting at $100
- Half day- Starting at $500
- Full day- Starting at $900
- Makeup Lesson- Starting at $300
- Bridal- Starting at $300
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiekirgan_mua/
Image Credits
Tess Eileen- Studio Obscura
Kellie Britton- K. Suzanne Photography
