Today we’d like to introduce you to Jade Parks-Dixon
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Jade Paints began with a simple yet powerful passion for beauty and a desire to make a difference. As a professional makeup artist, I noticed a significant gap in the beauty industry – a lack of personalized services and inclusive environments for women of color. I heard countless stories of how friends and family with deeper complexions were disappointed in their makeup looks because their makeup was unappealing though it had been professionally applied. Some of them talked about how photos and events were ruined because their skin tone wasn’t properly matched. My grandmother raised 11 kids as a single mom while working as a teacher. My mom was a nurse who had a flair for beauty. My grandmother passed away in February 2002 followed by my mother in April. They both died from diabetes, a disease that has claimed the lives of several of the OG 11. When I started Jade Paints I was living just outside Los Angeles and working single mom to my amazing daughter who recently turned 14. I had no idea how to run a business. I had no network and no funding. I taught myself how to apply makeup. I practiced on my sisters and cousins. I learned color theory and about different skin types. My good friend from work (I worked as a medical records clerk in Los Angeles) bought my first set of business cards. Another friend gifted me a makeup chair that I still travel with today. In 2016, my cousin chose me as her bridal makeup artist (though I had never done a wedding before) and I knew at that moment what I wanted to do. I created my own lane by offering natural-looking makeup applications for ALL skin tones for weddings and special events. In 2020, I relocated to the DFW area. I only knew my older sister and little brother. I had only been married to my husband for two months and wasn’t aware that I was carrying my second daughter. I started working for Tarrant County and began building my clientele. 8 years later and I’m so blessed to be a highly sought-after service provider in the area. I’ve been laid off twice from major companies and I took that as a clear indication that corporate America was no longer for me. As of August 2023, I’ve been a full-time entrepreneur. I’ve had the opportunity to serve so many amazing clients throughout the DFW area from graduates to brides to the 3rd First Lady of Namibia, Africa while she was visiting Dallas to discuss humanitarian initiatives for women! My faith in Jesus and my family is what motivates, inspires, and encourages me to simply be me.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve definitely run into more than a few obstacles and challenges. Relocating from my hometown to a place where I had zero networks and no idea what the market was like in Dallas during a global pandemic was hard. Were people even still interested in personal care services? Would my style be desired? I fought comparison because from what I observed, consumers seemed to prefer “InstaGlam” vs natural makeup. I ended up working with a local bridal hair and makeup agency whom I met at a wedding expo. I was so excited to be working with an established and successful business! I could make connections, grow my clientele, and most importantly, improve my skills through practice. Additionally, I was working in a full-time call center role and I hated it. I love helping people but I wouldn’t consider myself a salesperson so when I had to start meeting certain quotas, it felt slimy. The company seemed more concerned with sales than providing great customer service. I was expected to sell something, or at least offer something to increase the bill (they actually told me this) on every call, and when I refused to do that I became a target. I was laid off around the same time when I started freelancing for this hair and makeup agency. My husband and I agreed to both work full-time so that we could purchase our first home. I was hopeful about the prospect of working with this agency. I was consistently building my clientele as well. I ended up ending the relationship after the agency failed to pay me for two completed jobs. I filed a court case that was ultimately dismissed because the judge stated it was out of Texas’s jurisdiction. I was never paid for those jobs. My family has suffered financially. Business has been great and extremely slow at other times. There have been times when I wanted to give up and return to corporate. Honestly, I tried applying for jobs and received nothing but rejections. Not even a single interview. I choose to remain hopeful and view things through a lens of gratitude. I’ve overcome terrible things: grief after delivering a stillborn son in early 2023, past trauma associated with recently being contacted by a sexual assault abuser on social media, struggling with depression and anxiety, overcoming a diabetes diagnosis, being broke feeding my children beans and rice for dinner because I had nothing else, and more! Sometimes I look back and realize how blessed and strong I am. It didn’t take me out so I plan to keep doing what I’m called to do while I have the opportunity.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in natural-looking makeup applications for weddings and special events. My mission is to provide exceptional beauty services that celebrate and enhance the natural beauty of women of color. We believe in diversity, inclusivity, and empowerment, aiming to redefine the beauty standards in an industry that often overlooks women of color. Our vision is to be the go-to beauty service provider for women of all skin tones, ensuring everyone feels beautiful, confident, and seen.
I started as a lone wolf but recently I teamed up with a few like-minded makeup and hair artists to offer more services and expand our reach. Community is so important to me because that’s how I built my business to where it is today. My family and friends referred me to others. They allowed me to (poorly) apply makeup on them for important moments and it allowed me to improve my skills. My husband constantly imparts wisdom relating to marketing and sales, a topic that frightened me because I was so ignorant in this area. I had the opportunity to glam the 3rd First Lady of Namibia on her first trip to Dallas recently. She was speaking at a humanitarian event. She is a prominent voice in a global movement to empower women and I was honored to serve her. What was even more special was the organic connection that formed during that appointment. We had a few things in common and I believe she needed to meet me just as much I as I needed to meet her. The beauty of it was that neither of us knew we needed it.
Before I became a makeup artist, I was a woman first. A Black woman. A mother, sister, daughter, cousin, Godmother, friend, and believer of Jesus Christ. I’ve recently embarked on a journey of self-discovery and I’m learning that God created me to be so much more than what I do. My identity is not in picking up a brush. I’m a servant. I must share my testimony, listen when someone needs a shoulder to cry on and share an encouraging word when a broken woman needs to hear it. Empowering and encouraging other women is what I’m called to do and the way I view my artistry is as a ministry. When I meet my clients, they are often in a place of vulnerability and often insecurity. Their face is untouched and they’re allowing me, a stranger to see them in this state. They expect me to do what I do and that is to enhance the beauty that is already there. Sometimes I get to highlight nuances that they didn’t know were there. That’s why I love to do natural makeup. It’s my joy to make others feel like the best version of themselves. If a person doesn’t like themself and they want me to transform them into someone else, I’m not the makeup artist for them; and that’s okay.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I used to think that success meant that it was tied to something monetary or an accolade. Before getting into makeup artistry, I was pursuing a writing career. I wrote stage plays, screenplays, and blogs. I also sang and wrote lyrics. I’ve been a storyteller all my life. However, the way I perceived success was unhealthy. I thought being a successful singer-songwriter meant to be Grammy-nominated. A successful screenwriting career was only such if it included IMDB credits and maybe an Oscar. When I thought of “successful” makeup artists, they had lots of high-paying clients, overflowing bank accounts, and a large social media following. I had the amazing opportunity to be chosen as a participant of the Writer’s Workshop at Yale University a few years back. I got to travel to New Haven and stay in a dorm at THE Yale University. While I was there, I was tasked with developing a stage play I was working on. It was a play about three women who came together to fight injustice during the Civil Rights Movement. The characters were based on my grandmother, my mother, and my aunt. All deceased. I remember looking around the room and not seeing one person of color. Most of the writers were established and successful. I felt as if I didn’t belong there. They offered complimentary meals at the campus cafeteria and we had access to everything university students had. I chose to explore one of the main libraries. The campus is huge, much like a small city in itself. I got a bit turned around and Siri told me that I had arrived. I was NOT at the library. An older Black man walked past. I saw that he was wearing a badge. He politely said, “C’mon, I’ll show you where it is.” As I followed behind him, he told me how he’d worked for Yale for a long time. We approached a doorway that led to a corridor. At the end of it was a grand building. He stopped and asked if I was a student. I told him that I was “just attending a workshop” not attending the school. He looked at me for a moment and with a bit of pride he said, “you’re here.” He turned back to the door and opened it. Before stepping through, he remarked, “We’re not taking the back way. We’re going through the front door because we CAN.” I knew what he meant and as a young Black woman standing in a place that felt foreign, I realized that I may feel unqualified or unsuccessful based on the standards of someone else but I was meant to be there.
I feel a bit misty-eyed thinking of that gentleman. I believe he felt like a proud uncle in that moment and I was equally proud of him. I believe that success comes from doing what we’re supposed to be doing. It’s a privilege to parent my girls and love their father. It’s a blessing to own a business where I get to meet women from all walks of life and hear their stories. I contribute to making brides feel beautiful, expecting moms feel special, and make young ladies feel celebrated. I feel successful sitting at home (with no makeup on and with my hair all over the place) singing with my girls. I feel equally successful when business is booming and I’m busy traveling from one appointment to the next.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jadepaints.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadepaints
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jadepaints
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyVnGrr55nIPv-_Nw9KKTAA
Image Credits
Pixels Photo and Films
UrLocalKae
Kiroz Manandhar
Brayden Parks-Dixon
