Beauty: My Escape and Saving Grace
Beauty is a mix of qualities—shape, color, and form—that pleases the senses, especially sight. This past week, I escaped the city to go upstate, staying in a cabin in the woods. Being stuck and surrounded by nature reminded me just how much beauty the world has to offer when you slow down and let yourself be inspired. In a world where we are constantly in overdrive, I think it’s important to highlight the importance of slowing down and being one within yourself and the world every once in a while.
For me, beauty has always been more than just something nice to look at—it’s been my escape. Growing up in the South, my childhood wasn’t the easiest. Feeling out of place and unaccepted was a constant, but somehow, beauty always found its way back to me when I needed it most.
I first fell in love with beauty when I discovered my mom’s makeup kit. One day, I got into her drawer of lip glosses and decided to create my first
“work of art"—right on our white dining room carpet. While I’m sure it wasn’t my mom’s favorite moment, it’s one of my clearest childhood memories. Even back then, I could feel the magic of makeup and its power to create something entirely new. Whether it’s transforming a face or turning the floor into a canvas, makeup has always been about creativity for me.
Looking back now, I can’t help but laugh at the thought of a kid painting a carpet—I’d probably have a heart attack if it were my own. But in a weird way, that little act of rebellion shaped who I am today. It taught me that beauty is and always will be what you make of it.
For me, beauty is still my safe place. Whether it’s the way the sun shines through your windows, the perfect shade of blush, or the freedom to express myself, it’s a reminder that beauty is everywhere if you’re willing to see it.
From that moment, I quickly realized that drawing on paper was probably a better idea than using the floor. I started sketching portraits, focusing on the features that make each person uniquely beautiful. I fell in love with charcoal—it gave me the freedom to play with shadow and light, creating depth and dimension in every detail.
One day, I had what felt like a genius idea: why not use my mom’s eyeshadows for shading instead? If I could blend a pencil, I figured I could blend an eyeshadow too. And that’s where my true love for makeup began. The textures, the colors, the ability to create something vivid and lifelike—it all felt like second nature to me.
From that point on, I couldn’t be stopped. After school, I’d sit in my room for hours, working on portraits of the most iconic faces in the beauty world or drawing landscape pictures and shading them all with charcoal and makeup. It became more than a hobby; it was my escape and my passion, and it set the foundation for everything I love about beauty today.
By the time I reached high school, I realized I didn’t have to limit myself to creating art on paper—I could bring my creations to life on actual faces. And so, at just 14, I started building my first makeup kit. It gave me the chance to accentuate the beauty in everyone I worked with, and nothing brought me more joy than helping people see just how special their features really were. From L'oreal true match to Physicians Formula butter bronzer, I stocked my kit with the hottest drugstore finds I could get my hands on. I then started to bring a little income in and invested everything right back into my kit.
I started small, doing makeup looks for my friends, but by the time I was 16, I’d already become a bridal makeup artist. It was wild to think about how much trust people put in me at such a young age, but I loved every minute of it and will never take that time for granted as it shaped me in so many ways. By the time I turned 18, I knew I wanted more—more opportunities, more creativity, more ways to share what beauty meant to me.
The pandemic then hit, and suddenly, creating beauty looks on others came to an abrupt halt. At first, it felt like a setback, but that’s when I realized—I could be my own canvas. Anytime I wanted to create, I could. This was something the only creative outlet I had during nursing school and there were so many days that it meant everything in the world to me.
During those long, uncertain days, I found solace in simply drawing, experimenting, and having fun with makeup. It became my escape, something I did just for me. I didn’t feel the need to share any of it, especially with the world feeling so heavy. There was no pressure, no expectations—just the pure joy of creating.
Sometimes, I think life’s most beautiful moments aren’t meant to be captured or shared. They’re meant to exist as memories, intimate and unfiltered, treasured for the way they made you feel in the moment.
Eventually, I made the leap and moved to New York City. Growing up on a farm, I can still remember riding a four-wheeler and pretending I was driving through the streets of a bustling city, imagining a world far beyond the land of the farm. From the moment I arrived in New York, it was everything I had dreamed of—vibrant, alive, and endlessly inspiring. The energy, the skyline, and the constant hum of life made me realize that this city was always meant to be my home.
As I settled in, I began to immerse myself in the beauty world, doing makeup, creating looks, and assisting talented artists across the city. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had opportunities to work alongside some of the best in the industry here in the city, whether assisting for major projects, contributing to brand events within the beauty community, or working behind the scenes for development purposes. My favorite person to assist knows who she is and I will forever look up to her.
Through these experiences, I discovered a deeper passion—not just for artistry but for the creative process behind the scenes. The brand side of beauty began to captivate me, and I realized my purpose extends beyond just creating looks. I want to create products, to put something tangible into the world that speaks to the art and magic of beauty, but one that creates a community of love, power, and acceptance to each individual that gets the opportunity to use it. And one that isn’t a known formula with a label smacked on it.
Having witnessed both sides—artistry and product development—I’ve fallen in love with the art of creation itself. Whether it’s crafting a makeup look or developing a product, beauty will always feel like home to me. It’s where my heart lies, where my creativity thrives, and where I feel most connected to myself and others. It’s interesting to say, but I feel like beauty is just an ever growing flower within me. I feel like so many petals bloom, and whether they stay or go, I take away so many lessons and love with each one.
Looking back at little me, makeup wasn’t just a hobby; it was my saving grace. When my dad passed away when I was 11, it marked the beginning of a rocky childhood. But through it all, beauty remained my constant. It gave me a space to escape, to express myself, and to heal. In a way, beauty has always been here for me, loving me even when I struggled to love myself and loving me even more now that I want to share so much with the world.
xoxo, The Blush Boy