From Spritzing Perfume in a Department Store to Running Her Own Beauty Company in a Lot of Not-So-Easy Steps: Rea Ann Silva, Founder, Beautyblender
When Rea Ann Silva was working as a department store perfume model—the perfectly groomed, always cheery figure every shopper tries to avoid—to support herself in college, she thought she was on the road to a career in fashion. But this lovely Latina, who grew up in affluent southern California communities but always on the wrong side of the tracks, made friends with her colleagues and paid attention to what a bustling beauty department was all about. She saw opportunities. With a talent for illustration, she thought it might be fun to become a makeup artist, a cool combination of art and marketing.
Her roommate was a makeup artist but not in a cosmetics department…she was working on film and TV sets. “Yes,” Rea Ann thought, “I want to be out there in the world, not stuck behind a counter.” This smart and strategic woman figured out how to meet photographers, get some test shots done of her makeup designs and build a book she could use to get work. Each step happened slowly…but they happened.
Fast forward to her thriving career as a union makeup artist on film and TV sets, working with lots of celebrities and building a following. She wasn’t exactly discontented but by nature she’s a woman who always wants more. This “more” evolved directly from her work. She became frustrated by the angled edges of the only makeup sponges available, which left tiny ridges and streaks picked up by the newest HD cameras. “Hmm,” she thought, and grabbed a scissors to snip the edges and soften the contours of the sponges to enable a totally smooth application. Other makeup artists began asking her to snip sponges for them. “Aha,” she thought, “here’s a need and an opportunity.”
It is not in her nature to dwell on the risks, the uncertainty or the money needed to launch a business around this one little product. She just kept focusing on her idea and blocked out all the noise from the naysayers. Motherhood and some relationship challenges made the path a little bumpier but she stayed on it and Beautyblender is thriving and growing. If Rea Ann can sum up her experience and her business approach for other would-be entrepreneurs, it would be to keep your eyes on your dream, don’t let negative stuff drain your energy and, when those self-doubts creep in, just push them away. Easy to say…hard to do…but she’s had lotsof practice!
Find the full episode at WhereBrainsMeetBeauty.com, iTunes and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @wherebrainsmeetbeauty podcast for exclusive off-air content.