Today we’d like to introduce you to Paris Brashear.
Hi Paris, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
The woman I am today at 29 is someone who I would admire as a child. Sometimes I have to look back and think of where I’ve come from (both physically and mentally) and acknowledge the growth and transformation. I grew up in a small town–so small that walking into the grocery store was a family reunion… we literally would borrow sugar from and cook food for our neighbors. Beauty wasn’t that much of a priority in my area back then but I remember seeing my mom and her cousins with their hairdos and fresh acrylic sets. I used to admire it so much I started to imitate acrylic nails with the blue Chiquita banana stickers on all 10 nails (I’d make sure to peel as many as I could at the grocery store). Growing up with 2 brothers, I went through my stage of being a “tom-boy” wearing baggy shorts and tank tops, not wearing makeup, doing lots of outside activities, sports, etc. but once I started college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Geaux Cajuns), I was introduced to a whole new world. The girls on campus would be dressed in their best for class with hair blowing and swaying in the wind, color-coordinated “Manis and pedis” and that’s when I knew it was time to make the switch. My beauty journey began with a search on YouTube. I remember to this day it was “Foundation routines for dark skin,” and little did I know the doors I was about to walk into (or the content I would watch for that matter) would change Paris as everyone knew her…
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course, coming from a small town and knowing nothing about the beauty industry was a misfortune in its own right but I did what felt right for me at the time. I started an Instagram page (formerly known as Painted Paris as a play on my name) sharing some of my best work–or so I thought. Looking back now, it’s a bit cringing to see my work from 10 years ago, but it’s definitely served its purpose as motivation to keep going. Even as few as 5, 6, or 7 years ago, many affordable brands did not make cosmetics in my shade or for complexions darker than me, and on a college student’s budget, I had to do my best with what I had. Even with clothing and hair product advertising, I’ve (like many others) had to face colorism and textures (the idea that only women with loose, defined curl patterns are acceptable). It was rough sometimes not seeing women who look like me being praised and uplifted. Due to some past trauma of being bullied as a child along with constant global criticism online, I developed body dysmorphia. There were times I hated my body, hated my face…wanted to bleach my skin, etc. All because I didn’t see Myself being represented. All because I was subliminally being told that my look was not beautiful.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When it comes to “What do you do,” my resume is Long. Thankfully I grew up with a mother who instilled in me the courage to try whatever I wanted to do, and I’ve done just that. In 2020 I became a licensed esthetician in the state of Louisiana to pursue my favorite hobby/passion of makeup. Once I learned how to perfect my own face, I started with a small clientele and some lovely friends who allowed me to practice on them. I’ve dabbled into some photography as well, taking graduation photos, newborn photos, family portraits, etc., and still, to this day, I get inquiries about my work. If I had to choose, though photographing nature is my personal favorite, and I tend to keep the photos to myself as they are very dear to me. I’d like to say I’ve sort of made a name–even if it’s a small name :)–for myself in Dallas as a braider. I took a year off from corporate employment and serviced individuals from all over the area with new hairstyles. At this time, I am still currently braiding hair and can be found on my Instagram: plaited Paris. Lastly, I’ve been paying more attention to trying to grow my social media accounts. I’d like to think of myself as someone who just likes to share pictures of things she loves (like myself and food lol) with the public. I don’t necessarily consider myself an “influencer” just because I have a small following at the moment, but when someone tells me about how I’ve influenced them in some way, I definitely appreciate it. So… to summarize, I’m a lover of the arts. From makeup to hair to photography, I wear many, many hats.
One thing that I am most proud of myself for is embracing who I am. I am determined to be a woman that I, as a child, would look up to. I have younger family members and maybe even people I don’t know who admire me from a distance. Things that I used to dislike about myself, I’ve grown to love. One of those things is my unibrow. At one point in time, my Instagram description was “The MUA with the unibrow.” Not everyone loved it–but I did because it was a part of me and who I am. To this day, at 29 years old, I still choose to keep my unibrow intact. I love it–I can’t imagine my face without it. How many women do you know in today’s society are willing to show a unibrow to the public? I can’t think of many…but for sure, I will.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
In doing this interview, I realized that there’s no box that I can put myself in. Boxes limit our abilities and our freedom. I chose to speak about a bit of everything in my life because I want to show others that it is okay to have multiple skills and passions and it is possible to succeed at all of them. If there’s anything someone takes away from my message, it is in a world of everyone doing the same thing, do you?
Contact Info:
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/pariscymone
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/ParisDanielle
