Today we’d like to introduce you to Ingrid Kent.
Ingrid, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always been an artist. My favorite medium is oil painting. I love the way the paint slides on the canvas and mixing colors and textures makes my heart sing.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out how to make that pay the bills for me so off I went into corporate America. I stumbled on makeup artistry quite by accident and was a little dubious at first of it as a career path. But, once I realized that it is just like painting I was hooked! It’s just a different canvas and a different medium, but I use all the skills I know as a painter like highlight, contour, and color correction.
Plus, I get to meet some amazing people when they are in my chair! I was signed as a Makeup Artist with Wehmann Models and Talent in 2010 where I began a really fun career doing hair and makeup for commercial photoshoots, TV shows, and live guest appearances. I also hustled and did wedding makeup on the weekends and added spray tanning to my list of services. I had my little studio in Minnetonka for 6 years where I did private client makeup and spray tans.
Almost 2 years ago, my friend Julie Phaxay (she was also an MUA with Wehmann) and I, realized a long-standing dream of ours and opened up our shop, Haven Beauty Collective in Minnetonka. I pulled back on commercial work to focus on the new business. However, I still work with my long-standing client, Evereve, every week where I do hair and makeup for their models on the website.
Haven Beauty Collective offers a wide range of services like spray tanning, makeup, makeup lessons, teeth whitening, micro-blading, facials, and lash extensions. We love empowering our clients and making them glow!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
Makeup artistry is an absolute hustle and not for the faint of heart! Even though I was signed to an agency, so were other talented artists and there is only just so much work to go around in Minneapolis.
It took a long time to build my book and roster of clients at the agency. Because failure was not an option, I took on weddings during the weekends, added spray tanning to my list of services, and freelanced for Chanel for many years to grow my business. It made me tired but I love the work and knew I needed to say “yes” to everything in those first several years to make it work.
Because I needed to say “yes” so much, I missed out on a whole lot of family events, vacations, and important social functions. Many jobs come up within a week to a few days before the shoot so I constantly had to cancel so many of my important life things. Luckily, I have great family and friends who always understood when duty called and I had to back out of plans.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I offer Makeup for events/headshots/family photos, etc, I teach makeup lessons, do beautiful Spray Tanning, and have recently added Teeth Whitening to my menu of services. I would say I specialize in making my clients feel amazing! All of the services that I offer give pretty instant gratification and I love it! I thrive on empowering people and helping them put their best foot forward.
When it comes to makeup, I love to enhance the best parts of a person while using just enough products to take care of business. I find that a lot of people wear more makeup than they need and are shocked at how soft, light, and fresh their skin feels after I have done a look at them. I do makeup for special events, a night on the town, headshots, and family photos.
I do countless makeup lessons each year for people from young ladies just learning how to put on makeup to women who are stuck in a rut, unsure how to apply makeup to their skin as they age, or felt like they never learned proper makeup technique in the first place. I love sharing tips and techniques that make getting ready so much easier and more effective. It is so fun when people have that “a-ha” moment when they learn a new way to do something that makes a huge impact.
I am also known for my beautiful spray tans. I started my tanning business as a way to augment my income but fell in love with it instantly. I love the way that in just a matter of minutes, my clients go from feeling blah to the bronzed Gods and Goddesses they were meant to be!
Whether we do a soft glow just to take the edge off of winter skin or something deeper and darker it is so satisfying to see people perk up so quickly! Honestly, when they leave my tanning room, they are standing taller and smiling bigger. It is perfection.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
It is important to keep moving forward. If I would have just waited for clients to come to me, I don’t think I would be where I am today. Keeping a forward momentum and trying new things gave my business energy.
Pricing:
- Makeup lessons $175
- Makeup applications $120
- Spray Tans $50-$60
- Teeth Whitening $150
Contact Info:
- Website: www.havenbeauty.com www.ingridkent.com
- Instagram: @ingridkent1
Image Credits
Erin Smith, Margaret Sinerath, Mark Lien, Kevin White, Eleanor Miller Styling: Create Xanadu Me, Kelly Gritzmacher, and Kevin White
