Kim Baker’s journey through the beauty world is nothing short of inspiring. She is a New York-based commercial makeup artist, a former Wilhelmina model, and now the founder of her own cosmetics line. What makes her story so powerful is the way she has taken every chapter of her life—from her days as a size 4 model to becoming a pioneer in the plus-size industry—and used it to fuel her artistry and vision for beauty.
For 20 years, Kim was in front of the camera. She had the kind of career most models dream about, walking runways and shooting campaigns in the early 90s. It was during this time that she was shaped by some of the most influential makeup artists in the business. Fran Cooper, Reggie Wells, Quietfire, Kevyn Aucoin, Paul Star, and even the legendary Way Bandy, who did her very first makeup look when she was just 13 years old, left an impression on her. She also credits her early work with Bobbi Brown, who was launching her own line at the time, with teaching her one of the most important lessons she still carries: beauty is not about chasing trends, it is about enhancing your best features.
That philosophy eventually led Kim to step behind the chair as a makeup artist herself. In 2006, she received her big break working with Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames during the Mission Impossible press junket. From there, her career took off. She has worked with Danica Patrick, Toni Braxton, John Legend, Dakota Fanning, and Angela Yee, and her artistry has been featured on countless shows, including America’s Next Top Model. Yet despite her impressive resume, Kim has always kept her focus on creating a brand of beauty that speaks to everyday women as much as it does to celebrities.
