Facing Life's Challenges | Fiona Stiles, Celebrity Makeup Artist and Owner of Reed Clarke

When Fiona Stiles went to college to study photography and fine art, she never imagined that her canvas would be a face! As a celebrity makeup artist and CEO of Reed Clake, she loves the unpredictability of her job and the challenge to create new looks and appearances.

Growing up in the 70's, Fiona associated makeup with “the opera and maybe movies and special effects”. It was only after her move to New York City that she discovered the realm of makeup and creativity.

As a makeup artist and all-around beauty expert, she explores the nooks and crannies of the face through her knowledge of art and her incredible eye for aesthetics. By discovering her love for art at a young age, she found a sense of belonging through creativity and the â€œarena of misfits and self-expression.” 

Throughout her life, she's had a tendency to break the boundaries surrounding her. Whether it was mingling with different groups in high school or working with unique colors and palettes to create a masterpiece. Fiona knew that trial and error leads to beauty. “You don't get to do it again, at least you are a stronger person with a greater book of experiences,” she told me while recording her podcast episode.

Fiona’s entry into the beauty industry started with the White Pages. By being persistent and calling the homes of numerous artists, she landed the job as Pat McGrath’s assistant. Working closely with a makeup legend, she did the best she could as a new artist and was happy to learn and be there. What she learned from this experience is that “resilience is important,” she explained. 

Today, Fiona highlights independent beauty brands and products to support small businesses while being consciously clean through her online beauty retail website, Reed Clarke. She handpicks each product that makes it on the website and strives to create a unique and special shopping experience for every visitor.

After connecting with Fiona, I’m left wondering - in what ways can we all press the boundaries a little more and escape the limiting confines of norms and expectations? Listen to Episode #159 for some food for thought on which of the boundaries in your life might be holding you back, and how you can inject resilience into your career.