Meet Andrea Holton

Hello my name is Andrea and I’m a professional Makeup artist and Hairstylist based out of Minneapolis. Advertising work is what occupies the majority of my time, but I also love helping people with special events. A little bit of my background story starts as a young child with a fascination with all things beauty. I strongly believe some of my skill was innate. While in college I started selling cosmetics and got the base of my training through the different companies I was working for at the time. After many years of working retail I enrolled into the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis to pursue a cosmetology degree and add hair styling to my skill set. Once I graduated from the Institute, I started to create a career that incorporated both of my capabilities by collaborating with photographers, wardrobe stylists, models and set design teams to create a portfolio of my work to show potential clients/agents. Terra Productions was a small boutique agency at the time and they gave me my first opportunity to have representation and started procuring advertising jobs for me, launching my career in Minneapolis. I am currently represented by Ford Models and have a diverse clientele ranging from apparel retailers like Macy’s, Dillards, Kohl’s, and Target to health and wellness companies, medical companies, television and film, and some celebrity work on occasion. I love what I do and truly enjoy making people feel wonderful and confident.

Anytime you’re starting a business from the ground up I think struggles are going to be a part of the journey. It’s been my experience as a self-employed person that there are constant ups and downs, so being patient with your success and also remaining optimistic during the low/slow times can be challenging. It can definitely feel like an emotional roller coaster sometimes. I credit my sanity to having a close network of people within the industry that understand all that it takes to endure the instability of a freelance career. I’ve found that we as a community are so very passionate about what we do, so we’re willing to put up with the struggles for the love of the creativity and freedom being a freelance artist brings.

I get to enhance men’s and women’s features while boosting their confidence! It’s pretty dope!  Throughout my career, I have worked in retail, a salon, on movie and TV sets, on runway shows, on advertising sets, editorials, with politicians, celebrities, athletes, CEOs, and special events. I’m passionate about making the skin look flawless, making people feel comfortable and having an easy touch. I am not a “heavy handed” artist. I believe in most cases less is more. Pretty, flawless makeup is what I do! I’m currently focused on finding perfect harmony between work and life 🙂

My advice to those who are just starting out is to build a network! Your relationships with people will take you much further than your actual talent. Now, if you have both you’re golden! Be persistent with your dreams and keep hustling. It is exhausting, but once you’re on the other side of your goals there is a rich satisfaction in knowing you are 100% responsible for your own success. I would also recommend establishing relationships with mentors, and people whose work you look up and can learn from. Be willing to assist established artists. It’s imperative, especially if you desire to work on set. I also think starting your makeup career in retail can be beneficial. It’s an education that you are getting paid to do. You are exposed to a plethora of makeup products as well as diversity among the customers. I credit my time spent in retail to the diversity in my skill and also my eye for color-matching foundations to skin tones.