Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Vaccaro Gudmundsen.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tara. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I always just loved playing around with makeup and hair. Whenever I was at a friends house and we’d be watching tv, I’d sit behind them, so I could braid their hair. If someone had a recital, I’d always ask if I could apply their red lipstick. The color, the options, the styles were endless and that excited me. I did my first wedding when I was only 16. Why? Because someone trusted me to do so. What I learned at first, was all because of trial and error.
I don’t think I ever imagine this as a career path, but I did love creating. When I graduated from college in 2001, I was originally supposed to move abroad to teach English. After 911, I decided to stay local. Living in Italy was my only plan, I didn’t have a plan B. I decided to get a job at the mall at Lord and Taylor for the summer, and within less than a month, I was transferred to the Clinique counter. Having so many products at my disposal really ignited my interest in the beauty industry. I worked mostly nights and because the counters weren’t as busy during those times, we were encouraged to do each other’s makeup, using all the different brands at our disposal. This gave me hours and hours of time to practice and hone in on my makeup skills while learning so much about all the varying brands and products. We were also allowed to take home a couple of samples a night, and so I did, and I tried and tested!
In my 1.5 years at Clinique, I really gained a strong understanding of what products I liked and which brands I’d go to for a full lash mascara or cream blush, or a long-lasting lipstick. I quickly built up my personal kit, picking and choosing all my favorites. Truth is, this is what made me a bad sales person and a strong makeup artist. I wasn’t faithful to one brand, but rather appreciated items for all lines! I wanted to use the best and not every line is the best in everything.
After six years of teaching (one of which was finally abroad!), I left to pursue makeup full time. Wanting to know more about the wedding industry though, I interned and worked with a wedding planner, an invitation designer, a couple of photographers and a florist to learn as much as I could. I felt like it was really important to be well versed in weddings to work with brides, which is ultimately my largest clientele.
I built invaluable relationships with so many wonderful, strong and independent people in the industry and quickly began building my brand.
To date, I have worked on thousands of faces, helping women see the beauty they possess. My tagline is ‘it’s not magic, it’s you revealed.’ I think it’s so important for women to love themselves and see how beautiful the rest of the world sees them. Makeup isn’t all about contouring and highlighting, but enhancing who we naturally are. Makeup has the power to empower.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would say the biggest struggle, was taking the risk to go full time. There is so much more security in a 9-5 job. Benefits, retirement, sick days, paid vacation… none of that inherently exists when you’re a small business owner. But it has all been worth it.
Building strong relationships with others in the industry has proven to be invaluable. For starters, knowing other stylists who you can rely on and trust and recommend is number one. I strongly believe in community over competition. There is enough work for all of us and I really believe there is so much strength in learning from one another. I have had so many artists who have come to me and vice versa with business and beauty questions. I didn’t go to school for any of this, so learning from one another is incredibly helpful.
It’s also proven helpful to build relationships with other vendor types in the industry, like photographers, planners and florists. Working with people you admire, and who’s work you admire is a gift; and the great thing is, the more you work together, the stronger the friendships become! Disclaimer: I was sad to leave teaching because I was always surrounded by strong, fun educators. I was worried about being lonely, going off on my own. But, I have built so many vendor relationships, all of whom I can call friends.
It’s typical that most of us are solo acts, perhaps with a few interns, or freelancers who work with or for us. So building a community of people you can rely on, call upon and trust is a must to succeed, stay sane, and feel inspired!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into tada story. Tell us more about the business.
I love what I do, I hope it comes across from the stories and pictures I share. To say I feel like the luckiest person in the world for doing what I love is an understatement. I don’t feel like I have a job, I have a passion and luckily, I also get paid for it.
I am definitely a people’s person and I feed off of all the love and energy present at a wedding or shoot. I think my natural, sincere excitement translates to my clients, in a calming presence on their day.
I started in the industry working with brides, but truthfully I love working with an array of clients; all ages, all skin types, and all makeup and beauty needs. Once I branched off from just doing weddings, I had to learn more about hair. I found that I was far more marketable if I was also well versed in hair styling. With that advantage, I am often working with boudoir clients, and on various other types of photo shoots. One of my favorite type of clients is the person looking for a makeup consultation and makeover. It’s really fun to teach someone how to use the makeup they have and find the right products for their face (it’s during this time when I feel like, I get to combine my previous career with my current one!).
People always ask me if I prefer doing makeup or hair for photo shoots. While makeup will always be my number one love, my answer is ALWAYS both. When I can complete an entire look, I feel happiest. Hair and makeup play off of each other, so when you can control the look of both, I find that it flows better.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Luckily in my experience within the beauty industry, I feel like women and men alike have a voice to be heard, and are doing well being heard. I think the biggest misconception with doing anything in the beauty industry, is people assume you are uneducated. People assume it was a default career because college just wasn’t your thing. I couldn’t disagree with that sentiment more. I am in awe of the people I have met in this industry. Their talent is obvious, but their savvy business skills and marketing of themselves and their brand is remarkable. They are inspirations for making their passions their professions and crushing it! To me, that is pretty darn smart.
Contact Info:
- Website: tadamakeup.com
- Phone: 617-797-7801
- Email: tara@tadamakeup.com
- Instagram: @tada_style
Image Credit:
Katherine Henry Boudoir, Rachel Kate Photography, Lisa Rigby Photography, Kayla Lynne Photography, Jodi Paquin Photography
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