Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Rainey.
Rachel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m so happy and excited for the opportunity to chat with y’all!!! I have been doing makeup for as long as I can remember. It started as a hobby in middle school with my friends at slumber parties and as I got older, I became well known for being good at it in my hometown. I was the girl who never cared to go to any of the high school dances, but always looked forward to getting everyone ready for them!
In my young adulthood, the frequency of my hobby decreased due to life, bills and working full-time. When I would get asked to do makeup for any events/friends, I would be so excited to reignite the passion for making other women feel beautiful and confident.
I consider makeup to be art. I can think of so many days in my life when I didn’t feel confident and taking that time to do my makeup and pour into myself would completely change my mood! Feeling beautiful is empowering and being able to gift that to other women is what makes me so happy. It’s a time when women can get away from the stress of their lives for an hour or two and just enjoy being a girl.
About a year ago, I began the journey of becoming the best Rachel that I could possibly be, and a lot of that required a level of honesty with myself that I had not previously wanted to have. I recognized that I was not being true to who I am and what my heart’s desires are by working a 9-5, paying my bills and not pursuing my talents.
I took a leap of faith about three months ago and started my own business as a freelance makeup artist. The joy that I feel in my heart cannot be explained now that I’m chasing one of my biggest dreams. In the ten weeks that I’ve been in business, I have been booked for 13 weddings (with three more trial runs this month) and I’m partnering with nine photographers. I could not have EVER imagined being this busy so quickly in my wildest dreams. This experience has been healing to my heart and soul in more ways than I know how to express. I am very thankful and excited to see what my future holds and all of the amazing plans that God has for me.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The last year leading up to me starting my own business, has been paved with a lot of grief and pain. I was faced with many obstacles. In retrospect, those challenges ultimately led to the strengthening of my character and increased my patience, perseverance and resilience; three qualities that I feel are very important in starting your own business. I am thankful for the road that led me to this new path of chasing my dreams and the confidence to do it.
The path of actually beginning and plowing forward has been mostly smooth though and it’s been an absolute blast to learn and adapt, even through the hiccups (like when my waterproof airbrush makeup system chose not to work at my very first wedding a couple of weeks ago. Yikes!)
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a freelance makeup artist. I specialize in airbrush makeup, which for those who aren’t familiar with it, I describe as, “face spray paint”! It stays on all day and makes the skin look flawless. Eye makeup is my favorite to apply. The first thing that I’ve always noticed about someone when first meeting them are their eyes. I love exercising my creativity when doing someone’s makeup and all of the possibilities that I can do with so many different eye shapes and colors!
I am proud of the customer service that I try to deliver to my clients on a daily basis and believe that this is what sets me apart, in addition to my competitive pricing. I believe that my background in sales and all of the great managers that I have had so far to help develop those skills are what has enabled me to be successful in this endeavor, so soon.
Every day I try to treat my customers as I would like to be treated and speak to them like they are my friends who I have known forever. I enjoy working with people and their budgets, because I am thankful for those who worked with me in the days when my budget was tight.
I live my life with the mantra, “Love God, love others.” Meaning, I’m going to love others and take care of them, and I know that God is going to take care of me too. I believe that life is about spreading as much positivity and love as you can in whatever amount of time that each of us are privileged to have here. After losing my brother last year, I now look at every day as a gift and an opportunity to bless somebody else.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have always loved being outside. To this day, I drive with my windows down, even when it’s 30 degrees.
The first memory that comes to mind is a day that my dad took me and my brother, Caleb, to a family friend’s ranch in Mineral Wells where we fished all day long. I was probably seven and my brother was about nine. The drive out there always felt like an eternity being that young, when now most adults sit in an hour and half traffic on their way to and from work every day!
My childhood German Shepherd, Maddy, also went with us that day. She swam in the pond, ran around exploring and had the time of her life. I miss that dog so much. She was the most precious baby angel fairy cupcake princess in the whole world!!!!
I look back on the simplicity and sweetness of that particular memory and so many others like it and wish that I could go back and soak in the sunshine with my family again on a day like that.
Pricing:
- $150 bridal makeup
- $85 bridesmaid makeup
- $85 photoshoot makeup
Contact Info:
- Phone: 8178973869
- Email: rraineymua@gmail.com
- Instagram: @rachelraineymua
Image Credit:
Skylar Williams Photography – the pink backdrop picture of my friend Lindsey
The 2 pictures of me in the green tank top – Kenneth Siscon Photography
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