Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorina Coleman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Coming from a family of performers, I got an up-close look at how appearance, image or beauty played a major role in how people are perceived. As a child spending countless hours on television sets, stages and runways I never thought I would wind up actually choosing a career in beauty. When I turned 18, my grandmother signed me up to sell Mary Kay cosmetics and back then it came with a briefcase style kit full of makeup. Unbenounced to me that case would be the tool that prompted my career in beauty. For a few years, it was more so a hobby. But, when I moved to Atlanta from Orlando, modeling and makeup helped me meet new people in a new city. But, DFW is where I really got serious. I would take modeling gigs and wind up making makeup connections and just networking a lot. My passion for making people feel and look beautiful pushed me into becoming an esthetician and then going on to study Nutrition and Food Science. Each step seemed like a necessary and natural progression. Because beauty is definitely defined by MORE THAN MAKEUP. True beauty has to encompass wellness from the inside out. My career in the beauty offered me and kind of freedom that corporate America never gave me, especially as a mother. It has been a long road and a lot of hard work but it’s been worth it so far.
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 journey has been bumpy. Working for yourself definitely has it’s benefits. However, sometimes it lacks certain stability because if you don’t work you don’t eat. You have to exercise discipline. I have a family that depends on me, they are watching me and taking notes. There are no sick days, paid vacation and other benefits that come with a steady paycheck. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it comes with its challenges. Life has definitely had its challenges both personal and professional but I am grateful for every lesson.
More than Makeup – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The name MORE THAN MAKEUP I hope speaks for itself. It was actually something I kept hearing people say about me. I had built a huge network of beauty and wellness professionals and when Clients were looking for quality professionals or expertise I usually had access to what they needed. They would say “oh, so you do MORE THAN MAKEUP”… Initially, I was just doing makeup. I didn’t even think of it as a business until about 2006. I was blessed with opportunity after opportunity. I’ve done movies, worked for agencies, schools, photographers, you name it I’ve probably done it. But the everyday woman is still my favorite gig. it feels good to know that I influence the way people feel about themselves and how valuable I have become to them because of the help I am able to provide them with in an effort to encourage their wellness, holistically. I started my career as a young Mary Kay consultant.
Without any formal training, I cultivated a gift that I really didn’t even know that I had. I challenged myself to try new things, meet new people, expand my education, take losses to produce wins, I followed my gut and tapped into the things that I was passionate about and made it appealing to people who hadn’t seen value in what I do before. Now, more than makeup is a complete beauty business offering advanced skincare services, makeup, lash extensions, waxing, and I’m knee deep in the development of my own beauty products. To most, makeup and facials are considered a luxury or a superficial service. But, I take a holistic lifestyle approach to help my clients do more than just look beautiful for a moment. I want them to be, feel and look beautiful for their lifetime. That’s probably why I take a special interest in the healing work for women of color. So much so that I became a doula. But, don’t get me started on my soapbox with that. A lot of my clientele are women of color, like me so I take a special interest in the health and wellness of black women. That translates in how I perform my services even to the questions I ask during consultations. I want to get to the root so we can do some healing work and that becomes visible on the outside inevitably. I really take what I do seriously. I think my initial resistance to making a career in the beauty industry has played a part in setting me apart. It didn’t seem like it carried any prestige and 15 years back is what not as respected as it is today.
So, early on, I felt like I had something to prove to folks that didn’t think Beauty work was a serious career. Shouts out to all the beauty professionals who have shown the world the innovation and profitability within this field of work.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’m not really sure if there is one specific moment that I’m proud of. There was that one time at the Million Man March in DC when someone recognized me like that “lady More Than Makeup from Dallas”… I thought that was cool. But, honestly, I think of all the times that it seemed easier to go back to work for a steady check and a 401k. Those moments when it felt like I wasn’t growing fast enough or big enough when there was no capital, no support, no recognition, no clients, personal tragedies, professional insecurities I didn’t quit. I buckled down, adjusted my strategy for success and kept pushing. I think that’s what I’m most proud of. Because of that, I was able to meet some amazing people and meet several goals.
Pricing:
- Facials start at $75
- Lash extensions $125
- Makeup starts at $75
Contact Info:
- Address: 1115 W. Arkansas Lane Suite B
Arlington, TX - Website: www.morethanmakeupllc.com
- Phone: 6827773233
- Email: morethanmkup@gmail.com
- Instagram: @_morethanmakeup
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
