Clean Beauty Artist & Advocate
Photographer
My Story
We've all got a story to tell.
I'm the wife of a kind, witty man who keeps me on my toes, a mother to the sweetest boy who kisses my forehead every day, a Dallas-based makeup artist, a clean beauty advocate, and a portrait photographer.
Makeup was the beginning of my love affair with all things creative.
Some of my first memories of makeup were when I was a little girl playing in my mom's makeup drawer, Coty red lipstick, Cornsilk powder, creamy pink rouge, "What can I do with this?" I would ask. I loved coloring and painting, anything where I could mix and create my own colors and textures. And, yes, I did color outside the lines! Growing up as a Navy brat, we traveled all over the United States and ended up settling down in the beautiful Northwest. The spark that ignited my professional journey into makeup was in high school and college theater. I liked the acting but loved the makeup. What fascinated me most was learning about light, depth, and sculpting the face into whatever I could envision.
After working as an actor in a few commercials and some theater, I felt the entertainment industry calling me, so naturally, Los Angeles beckoned.
While pursuing acting, I still wanted to do makeup whenever I could; this led me to work the retail makeup counters. Don't knock it. Retail was a blessing in disguise. It exposed me to different skin types and tones, face shapes, and features. A new palette to perfect every day! I'd built up a thriving business working for photographers and in TV and film. It was an enriching 12 years and a ton of fun!
My heart called the shots on my next big move.
My boyfriend, now husband, got a job offer in Dallas. We said goodbye to the beaches, mountains, and predictably pleasant California weather and created a beautiful life for ourselves in Dallas. In 2011, we welcomed our precious boy into this world. I've been fortunate to build a faithful and growing clientele for my makeup services in the Big D. I've also made a thriving business that delivers polished professional portraits. It has been a privilege to help create and capture lasting memories for all the incredible people I've met through this work.
My journey continued through oceans of cosmetics, three major surgeries in five years, and learning my child was neurodivergent.
My son was diagnosed as a toddler, which led me down a path of educating myself on the health effects from a host of environmental factors, including personal care products. What I put on my skin and my clients was the first stop in my quest for better understanding and making changes. Given my profession and because I'm a beauty junkie at heart, I'm always searching for high-performing yet safe products from different green/clean beauty brands and sharing if they've worked for me. Almost if by fate, as I continued on my journey, I found Beautycounter. I fell in love with the products and instantly connected with the company's mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone. I then knew I had to partner with them and become a consultant.
Today, I count my lucky stars and pinch myself a lot.
My family is healthy, and I'm living my passion, my dream—making people look and feel beautiful, capturing that moment, and finding opportunities to share what I've learned about healthy living. I invite you to follow along via my blog as I share my findings while navigating my way toward living a greener and cleaner life.
xo-Deanna