Today we’d like to introduce you to Johanna Nowak.
Johanna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
A lot of people will say “I grew up with a makeup brush in my hand” or “I always knew I wanted to be a makeup artist” but for me that wasn’t necessarily the case. Growing up I wanted to be a number of things like a princess (obviously,) Stevie Nicks, and a lawyer like Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde” just to list a few, but never specifically a makeup artist.
I always played with my mom’s makeup just like any other little girl did, wore it through my teenage years, but it wasn’t until high school that I actually grew an interest in it. I went to a Catholic High School, so you know right there – extremely clicky and extremely judgmental. If you weren’t part of the popular crowd, some type of athlete, or at least a teacher’s favorite, you weren’t anything. During high school I went through some personal issues, especially during my later years. During my junior year I gained a lot of weight because of health issues, which just sent me into a depression. I was the complete opposite of what I was my freshman and sophomore years. I was no longer out going, kept to myself with the exception of a few good friends, and shut myself off from people because my confidence plummeted. By the time junior prom rolled around, I knew I wasn’t going to get asked so I decided to skip it. That night I remember just scrolling on YouTube and I came across a makeup tutorial and decided to watch it since I never watched one, and I was instantly in love with watching the process of a makeup transformation.
After that, I grabbed all my makeup in my room and I dedicated my whole summer to truly learning makeup. I would watch tutorials nonstop, and practiced all the looks I had seen on myself until I mastered them. I had finally found something that really made me happy and made my confidence skyrocket. It was incredible how good I finally felt about myself with some makeup on, it was like I was suddenly a different person and it felt so freeing.
So once senior year was coming to end, and every kid was going off to college, I told my mom I wanted to work in makeup – and she couldn’t have been more supportive. We immediately went online, found a makeup school called David Nicholas International and immediately gave them a call. Once I met David, who I still go see til this day, he opened my eyes to a whole different side of makeup, and became a big mentor of mine. He helped me create my individuality as a makeup artist, and gave me some valuable insight into the makeup industry. And with all of that knowledge, I went off and started working at a makeup counter at Macy’s to gain more experience, since the place I knew I really wanted to be was at MAC.
I had always heard of MAC, had been there a few times for makeup applications, but it wasn’t until I started working in cosmetics that I really got to understand the company. The MAC counter was directly across from mine and I remember just watching the MAC girls in complete awe. Their skills were incredible, and they all looked like total rockstars dressed in black with the most flawless makeup on their faces. They were the best of the best, and I wanted to be a part of that. So after a year of working at a counter, I finally took a leap of faith, put in my resume, and landed my dream job of working for MAC on Newbury Street, and it’s been one crazy journey in my makeup career ever since!
Has it been a smooth road?
The makeup industry, to me, has to be one of the hardest industries to work in. You’re not just judged on your skills, or how your clients look, but how you look and present yourself as well which can burn you out pretty quickly. Trends are always changing, and every year it gets even more competitive. When I started out, I thought that I was the best. And almost instantly, I remember getting completely smacked back in to reality with that thought. You want to make it in this industry? Be humble, be open to learning, especially from your peers, and BE NICE – which is something I not only had to learn the hard way, but people I’ve worked with had to learn too.
I’ve been with MAC now for a little over 6.5 years. And in those years, I’ve worked under some really amazing managers, and if I’m honest, some not so great ones that they actually made me reconsider if makeup was actually something I wanted to keep pursuing. I remember there were nights I would go home sobbing to my mom, telling her how destroyed I felt because of what people would say about me and my makeup. But she would always tell me to take all that emotion I was feeling, and let it “light the fire under my ass to prove them wrong.” And looking back, I’m so happy I did. From all of that, I not only ended up getting promoted to a management position with MAC, but also built a strong clientele of some of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met, regained my confidence, and formed some of the strongest friendships in this industry.
Through all the struggles, I never lost sight of why I started in makeup or why I ultimately started Johanna Artistry. And even though you may not know it in that moment, your most challenging times are really what push you forward in the end.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Johanna Artistry is all about feeling good about yourself, and giving every single client the makeup look they WANT to wear and feel their best while wearing it – no matter what any trend or article says. When I started out in this industry, especially with MAC, I was always told to “change up my look” or “soften my makeup.” And to be quite honest with you, it pissed me off. I get there were certain trends, but why couldn’t I wear what I wanted to? Why couldn’t I wear a strong contour, or strong brow with winged eyeliner and full coverage foundation? Natural wasn’t me, and I felt good about how I looked so I wasn’t going to give in to what other people wanted.
And then out of nowhere, people started coming in and saying “I want your makeup,” or “I want to look like you,” and it blew my mind. Even if they were working with another artist, they would point across the room to me and yell “I want her makeup!” And before I knew it, my “signature look” that was once heavily criticized, almost became the go to look in most makeup appointments. It was even nicknamed the “Glow by Jo” look at one point, and I knew right then and there that I had something that set me apart from the rest.
So when it came time to create Johanna Artistry, I won’t lie, I was nervous. What if no one liked my makeup posts? What if no one wanted to follow me? But then I thought, I can’t let fear hold me back because I clearly have something customers like, and I want to share that not only with them, but a larger audience. And before I knew it, I not only gained followers quickly, but more and more clients were reaching out to me. Johanna Artistry offers a wide range of makeup styles, whether that be a natural bridal look, or a heavily contoured nighttime look, or something in between. It’s whatever makes the client feel the most confident about themselves, and that’s what I’m most proud of.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The great thing about the makeup industry is that it’s such a huge industry. You can find work almost anywhere, and I honestly think Boston is a great place to start out. Boston isn’t as competitive as New York or Los Angeles, which is perfect for someone just beginning in the makeup industry. But I do feel Boston is really up and coming, especially in the last few years. More movies are being filmed here, weddings almost every weekend, there’s almost always something happening where makeup is being involved! All you have to do is get yourself out there, make connections, and take on any work you possibly can. You never know what opportunities this city has that can lead you to bigger things!
Pricing:
- Bridal Makeup: $160 for bride
- Bridal Makeup: $95 each bridesmaid
- Prom/Event Makeup: $100
- All prices include lashes
Contact Info:
- Email: johannaknowak@gmail.com
- Instagram: JohannaArtistry
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