True beauty is a reflection of your inner self that overflows into your outer self. The level at which our inner beauty shines up is in direct relation to how we see ourselves. Then, there is the outer beauty… the physical beauty. That’s when we use makeup, fashion, hairstyles, and jewelry to complement our outward appearance.
Celebrity Makeup artist Kim Baker has made it her mission to bring her art and creativity to make-up designs to beautify her clients, and she has mastered it.
From an early age of 13 years old, she has learned the jewels of her trade and has been in the beauty industry ever since. From starting as a model in the beginning to later transitioning behind the scenes, Baker stepped up her game and people took notice. Further extending her brand, she created a makeup line, Glamazon Beauty to cater to what she felt was missing in the marketplace for her and other people of color.
Here is the conversation I had with Kim Baker as she talks about her beginnings and what it feels like to be the first black beauty brand to launch on the ShopHQ Network.
Give us a sneak peek into who Kim Baker is, and tell us how you got started in the fashion and makeup industries?
I started as a model with Elite Model Management at age 13 and spent the next 23 years as a model. Actor Mario Van Peebles and his then-girlfriend, Angela Alvarado took me to an agent at age 17, and that agent was Bethann Hardison. From there, I was shooting high fashion. But I always had one issue, while I had a face of a model, Photographer Steven Miesel told me that I had the body of a porn star because I was a size 2-4 with Double D breasts. But I got sick of starving to maintain a size 2-4.
So, I found myself facing a serious situation and took a few years off and came back to start the plus-size model movement with a host of model friends. After experiencing extreme racism, I felt the need to do something to empower other women. So, I fell in love with makeup artistry after realizing how it lifted the self-esteem of women. I love it more than I ever did while dealing with modeling and the bold racism I was subjected to.
What inspired you to shift from modeling in front of the camera for Wilhelmina Models to being a celebrity hairstylist behind the camera or “behind the brush” as you call it?
I loved how I wasn’t judged by being blessed with melanin, and so I was allowed to work and be appreciated for my talent of making others look their best. I worked in peace and I got to make other women feel as beautiful as I would feel as a mode.
Who are some celebrities you’ve had the pleasure of working on?
I have worked with Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Tisha Campbell, Toni Braxton, Lawrence Fishburne, Tracey Ellis Ross, Whitney Houston, Angela Davis, John Legend, and countless supermodels, including Cynthia Bailey to name a few.
You made history as the first black-owned beauty brand to launch on the ShopHQ network. What does that mean to you?
Yes, it means the world to me in saying TGBTG (To God be the glory!). I am so excited to be the first and I am hopeful I am not the last. In today’s world, there isn’t much that is left untapped so when I found out that I was the first in the history of the network, I felt like God saved it for me.
What sets your products and “your approach to beauty” apart from other makeup brands for black women?
I custom formulate and manufacture my products with my team, and after 25 plus years as an artist, I am so well versed in what great products should feel and look like on the skin.
What do you enjoy about what you do? When you’re not working in your field, what can we find you doing?
I love making women feel beautiful and empowered and I am a woman who lives this. In my free time, I volunteer at schools, I do branding seminars, and I do public speaking to our youth.
When I was young, I almost lost my career and life to facing federal charges for something I didn’t do. And it all came from hanging around the wrong crowd after years of my mother telling me that people judge you by the company you keep. So, I also spend time sharing my story and encouraging young people to listen to their parents because not everyone gets to prove their innocence and get a second chance like I was blessed with. So, I can’t waste that blessing, instead, I share it with the world.
What’s next for you?
I plan on expanding into a lifestyle brand of shoes, a plus-sized clothing line, and motivational speaking. My story is like no one else’s. I am in the position I am in because of my faith in God. I am still free to tell the world what he did for me… he will do for you. I am no holy roller and I know I wasn’t rich, but I was blessed to be here.
You can reach her by clicking the links below:
Website │Instagram #1 │ Instagram #2 │Facebook #1 │ Facebook #2
Writer, Debbie Stokes is a contributing writer. Follow her on Instagram >> @ iamdebbiestokes
I love people, so when I can I always respond.
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