Today we’d like to introduce you to Keisha Jenkins.
Hi Keisha , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I moved to Buffalo Minnesota from a small town in 2009. I was just about to start middle school and I was obsessed with watching YouTube and stumbled across a video from a creator named Julieg713 and she had posted a mermaid eye makeup look replicating from Sephora’s Summer catalog of 2009 and i instantly fell in love. That video sparked a fire in me where I began to search YouTube for more videos, tips and tricks. Throughout the years I continuously grew my love for makeup by practicing on myself and my younger sister. I was passionate to learn and grow my skills and continued to learn and practice from what I watched on YouTube. My family has always been supportive but my grandpa, Ervin, really took a chance on me and sent me out to Los Angeles, California in 2015 to compete in IMTA, a modeling and talent competition. I participated in a makeup challenge and ended up placing in the top 10 out of 400 contestants. He believed in my talent and more importantly me, as a kid we shared a special “silly makeup” day where I used my grandma’s Maybelline wood pencil liner and where I believe my first love of makeup began. He unfortunately passed away this year from lung cancer, but I know he would be so proud of where i’m currently at. I will prove him right for gambling on me all these years and I know he is helping guide me by my side. I started my Instagram in 2015 and started to create looks and post them. I ended up getting to do makeup for others for events like prom, quinceaneras, and weddings. I’ve worked locally with photographers for photo shoots like senior photos and modeling gigs. After graduating high school in 2016, I went to study to become an Esthetician at PCI Academy and graduated in 2017. After that I began to work locally at a Salon doing eyelash extensions while freelancing makeup on the side. In 2018 I showcased 4 models in Minneapolis Raw Showcase. From that time on, I just continued to grow my craft while continuing to change with the times and find my place in my artistry. In 2021, through stan twitter I found a group of makeup enthusiasts that also shared the same interest in the artist, Halsey. Together we created a group and replicated several of Halsey’s makeup looks. This brought me to finding my best friend, Tori, who is also a makeup artist where we would start to do makeup collaborations with one another despite living in separate states. Throughout the years my passion grew from solely makeup, to artistry as a whole, fashion and sharing my truth. I’ve worked with makeup brand Deck of Scarlet on a few PR ads. I’ve been noticed by Aboutfacebeauty, nyx cosmetics, Mac Cosmetics, donni davy mua, sterling tull mua, Halsey, Sizzy Rocket, Absolutely, Law Roach designer, to name a few. It’s been incredible to be seen by such inspiring people and really pushes me to continue on forward. I found a home in the creativeness of other MUAS like Dee Carrion, Sophia Sinot, Emily Wood, Andrew Dahling, the list could go on. After COVID, in 2021, the Salon I worked at unfortunately closed down and I had a complete career pivot and started working at a group home. I currently work there as a manager but continue to dedicate as much time as I can to my artistry. I enjoy attending concerts where I can truly create a head to toe artistic vision. In 2024 I was given the opportunity to work with Black Fashion Week MN for their 2024 Minnesota Met Gala as a makeup artist. I continue to post on Instagram and authentically share myself while hoping to grow in my own creative goals to work as a full time makeup artist. Throughout the years, I’ve struggled with mental health but having makeup as an outlet to find myself and find inspiration in the artists around me and the people I listen to has been huge to my story, remembering to keep going on and learning and growing and sharing parts of myself honestly in hopes it attracts the right opportunities.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not. I’d like to think of my journey like the waves. While there were plenty of high times of laughter and acceptance, there were plenty of low times of loneliness and anxiety. I was a mixed race, 12 year old girl that didn’t look like anybody to my left or right and with a lot of quirky habits and a dream bigger than where I was. I wanted to fit in so badly so at times, I changed myself to fit in with the crowd. I watered down that version of myself who saw that mermaid eye makeup tutorial and washed it over with a neutral haze desperately trying to fit in. I was bullied by girls who were supposed to be my friends and made fun of by the guys I had crushes on. I spoke negatively to myself and began to believe the things that were said to me. When I finally started to overcome some of those things, then new challenges arose. Suddenly I was seen but still was made fun of. I struggled with finding motivation to create, to post but had a deep sense of needing to do so. I struggled with not feeling good enough, pretty enough, creative enough, worthy enough. There were times I had intense doubt in myself because looking around I never saw anybody that looked like me, it didn’t feel like I had community, I felt like a complete outsider. I struggled heavily with my mental health, grief and loss. Through each life altering event, I found more and more pieces of myself and started to piece them together with therapy. It’s been a blessing getting to meet myself again and start to not believe those lies that were always told.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’d like to say the core of what I do is makeup. But I enjoy to create a story, a vision, a living art piece. I feel like a chameleon to the creative world and find makeup styles to be easily adaptable. I enjoy it all. Personally, I have a little bit more love towards editorial and creative makeup where i’m able to freely create or recreate popular looks. I can never be just one thing so i’m always meshing techniques and styles to create something that feels entirely new to me. I’m known for my personalized concert looks and ability to execute the vision. I’m most proud of my perseverance and ability to love my craft and self throughout my journey. I’m proud of my ability to be honest in sharing parts of myself and staying true to who I am in this very moment. I’m also proud to be recognized and seen by several other creatives who have established careers for themselves that is incredibly inspiring. I think what sets me apart from others is my willingness to learn and my ability to adapt to any situation and think quickly and sometimes unconventionally on my feet. There are times where I’ve spent hours creating a look and carefully tending to each detail and executing it perfectly as I see in my head, then there are other times where life may get in the way and I end up with 10-15 minutes to get it done and like one of my favorite inspirations, Chappell Roan, I get the job done.
How do you think about luck?
This is a hard question. To me, there really isn’t good luck without bad luck. I’ve put myself out there in situations like randomly accepting an offer to work the merch booth for musician Sizzy Rocket. I’ve commented on Flowerovlove’s post to have a dress up day with her in LA and got accepted to go. I’ve given my business card to Lola Young in hopes to work with her. I think just authentically putting myself out there is good luck in itself. It’s attracted me to be seen by the like minded creative people that I aspire to work with. While putting myself out there, yeah there’s still been negative comments and feedback. I’m sure there could have been plenty of opportunities given to me had I conformed to whatever was “acceptable” or had I fit the perfect box. But I found my own acceptance within myself, makeup artists, musicians, my Queer community, and online creators that are authentic to themselves and their acceptance of others free ability to create. I’ve worked hard for the opportunities I’ve had and stayed true to myself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keishamaymua
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kushykish
