This is my story!

"We had the pleasure to meet our guest beauty blogger Courtney while walking in downtown Vancouver. We walked in her salon, introduced ourselves and she ended up taking our Master Class in airbrush makeup. Courtney's light shines bright and we loved her energy so much that we invited her to be a guest blogger. Here is her story"-Robbie/owner airbrushmasterclass.com

You can find Courtney at: @courtneywoodkimball

Also at Beigeblond Salon in Vancouver, WA.

You can love makeup and then you can LOVE makeup. I would firmly plant myself in the second category. I eat, sleep, breathe makeup, and not literally of course but you catch my meaning. But, and there is always a but, I am rather new to this industry. There are so many new techniques, tools and names in this vast industry, it can sometimes be daunting and hard to keep up, let alone know where to start!

I began my journey into the lovely world of makeup 15 years ago when I was managing a salon. Our makeup artist called in sick and I had to step in and figure it out as we had a bridal party in our salon for hair and makeup. Deposits had been paid, styles and colors had been decided and there was no going back. With no formal makeup training, the one tool in my arsenal was that I loved makeup. Having experimented on myself, I at least had an understanding of how to apply, blend and finish a simple look.

The day went smoother than I thought possible and I began to think about makeup. I thought about makeup all the time. I would look at people in the grocery store or walking down the street and notice face and eye shapes, undertones, skin textures. It was at this point that I dove into makeup and received some training from a few cosmetology friends. Clients began to trickle in and before I knew it, I had my weekends booked out with weddings and special events. I found my niche!!!

*Full face airbrush makeup by Courtney. Only one day after her workshop with us*

And then, life happened. My husband and I found out we were expecting our first child. Fully intending on returning to work after maternity leave, I settled into life as a new mom. And then the day came when it was time to go back to work and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave my sweet baby. The thought of all of the firsts I could miss out on cautioned me from returning to full-time work. So I made one of the hardest decisions in my life and decided to be a stay at home mom.

After staying home with my kids for seven years, until they were both in school full-time, I began to crave adult interaction. The need to find my own identity again was calling to me daily. So, I went back to the salon part-time and that quickly escalated to full-time. I was feeling more like myself than I had in a very long time. But, the thought of stepping back into makeup was paralyzing. I had lost my confidence. Self-doubt permeated my being. I no longer knew the latest trends, tips, tricks, products. Underneath all of that, however, was this little tickle in the back of my brain. The need to create. To make people feel like the best version of themselves.

Almost daily, something would trigger my desire to pursue makeup again and that’s when it happened. I heard about a local makeup academy, Cedar’s Academy of Makeup Artistry that graduated students in a state certified program.

There was no hesitation. I immediately enrolled. Not only was I able to brush up on all of the skills I already had but I was able to add a ton of new skills to my repertoire as well. The program was so comprehensive and the students learn such important skills, like color theory, that truly set them apart from other artists. Things were coming together and I slowly felt my confidence returning.

By happenstance, Robbie and Ramon, from R & R Airbrush Makeup Artistry, came into the salon one day with an advertisement for their Airbrush Master Class! It seemed like kismet. Again, without hesitation, I enrolled in this amazing course. This 8 hour intensive course was the icing on my cake. I gained invaluable skill but more than that, I gained insight into myself. Sometimes you need someone to nudge you to trust yourself and take the next step.

Now I can master a cut crease, contour like a boss and make sure the eyebrows are on fleek. And to think these were all techniques I had barely even heard of a year ago! Follow your dreams and go with the knowledge that you can do anything you set your mind to with hard work, determination and a little bit of luck.