Today we’d like to introduce you to Charniq Garrett.
Hi Charniq, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Hi, my name is Charniq Garrett. I’m a small-town country girl from Albany, Georgia. I am a Pro Makeup Artist, a new Nail Tech, and a Social Media Influencer. I’ve been a part of this entrepreneur journey for over 5 years now. I’m sure you’re wondering how I got into these different career paths. Well, let’s start with my makeup journey. Growing up, I’ve always had this huge love for art since the age of 6. I would always be so excited to go home after school, google images, and find something to draw. I taught myself how to draw and continued drawing up to high school. Since I was a kid, I knew I wanted my career to include some form of art and fashion. But growing up, never did I imagine makeup would be something I would get into. My love for makeup started towards the end of my high school journey, which was the end of my junior year. I was only doing my own face at the time. As I was doing it more and more, people started noticing how good I was at it and how fast my craft in it was getting better. Again, art was always something I was naturally good at, so learning makeup literally felt like it came so naturally to me. People started inquiring about services from me, and I thought to myself, “wow, people would really pay for this?”. So, I started practicing with family members and friends to perfect my craft and skills. And from there, I knew that makeup was something I wanted to continue in.
Once I got into college, Savannah State University, I continued doing makeup. My clientele was growing more; I was getting booked for weddings and other big events. And by this time, I knew that what was once a “side hustle” was soon turning into my “career,” and I enjoyed every moment of it. My journey as an Influencer started back in college when people would tell me, “You should do YouTube videos and makeup tutorials.” It’s so funny when I think back and remembers the things I was already growing up doing; I am currently doing these things now. I’ve always been into cameras, pictures, and videos as kid. I remember as a kid, my aunt would carry around this big video camera and record everywhere, or what we call today “Vlogging.” I was always so fascinated by it every time that I knew I wanted one for myself. In middle and high school, I would always be the one bringing my digital camera everywhere. I always enjoyed capturing moments, whether it was through pictures or videos. Fast forward to college, I ended up majoring in Mass Communications. And with Mass Communication revolving around so many things that I already enjoyed doing, such as the media, cameras, and videos, I knew I picked the right major for me. During this time, my Influencer career was starting to slowly pick up. I would do a variety of videos such as makeup tutorials, clothing hauls, and hair tutorials on my YouTube channel. I started getting so many opportunities from it. I was able to work with so many brands on partnerships. The best thing of it all, I was getting paid for doing things I already loved so much. And for me, that was my push to keep going. My journey with nails started in 2020. I can honestly say that one thing about me if it’s something I want to try, I’m going to try it. I would always watch videos on nails and of course for me, it was the artistic side that made me fall more into it. So, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in nails and went to cosmetology school to further my education. I finished school, passed my state board, and became a licensed nail technician in 2021.
What kept me going, and is still keeping me going today, is faith, patience, and seeing how far I’ve come. Trust me; I’ve had my times where I felt like I wanted to give up. But something I always try to remind myself is “Look at how far you’ve come. Look at all the opportunities & blessings that you gained by just believing in yourself”, and that’s what keeps me going still. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that if you came this far, why stop and give up now? Having faith, patience, and trust in God got me this far, that’s my secret. I have big goals and dreams for myself, and I know they won’t happen overnight. But as long as I keep going and following my purpose, I know it’ll all work out for me. My favorite motto is “faith over fear” because when you have faith, anything is possible.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
To be honest, no. This has not been a smooth road all the way through. But of course, following your dreams isn’t easy, because if it was, everybody would be doing it. Sometimes, my toughest challenges came from me taking chances on myself, investing in myself, making jumps, etc. Making jumps like quitting jobs that were not for me, knowing that bills needed to be paid, and knowing that I would be in an uncomfortable situation. Or investing in myself, knowing that I would have to do something that might be uncomfortable at that very moment. But the biggest takeaway from all of this is knowing that in the end, it was all going to be worth it. So yes, I took the jumps, I made the investments, and I was okay with being uncomfortable sometimes because, to me, I knew it was all a part of the journey. One of the biggest challenges for me was trying to get people to see a vision that only I could see. When you feel like nobody really supports you or believes in you, it makes you want to give up. Growing up, I felt like I was always “different.” My dreams and “career” goals were different from the “norm.” Older people would literally tell me, “There’s no money in that” or “that’s not a real career,” and as I got older, I started to believe it. I had talent and gifts at such a young age. So, growing up, I was okay with accepting the fact that I was different, and I knew my path was different. Something I had to teach myself was that “I’m my biggest supporter”, and that God gave me the vision for me to see, not others. I started growing more when I stopped letting the lack of support and the doubts get to me, and that’s what kept me going.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a makeup artist and nail technician, and my business name goes CharniqG Artistry. I also do digital marketing as an Influencer, focusing on the areas of beauty, fashion, and lifestyle. I’m proud of my growth the most because I’ve come so far over the years. I’m also proud of the fact that no matter how hard it’s been, I still didn’t give up. I know what sets me apart is my work ethic and my drive. At the end of the day, it’s always “how badly do I want it.” Most people know me for being so creative, a jack of all trades, the girl who can dress her butt off, the dream chaser, and just being super talented.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I think the most surprising thing people may not know about me is that I’ve always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. I feel like now; most people know this. But because the makeup was my “main” job coming up, many people believed that it was always my “dream” instead.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charniqg/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CharniqGarrett
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/charniqg.artistry/
Image Credits
Lakendra Franklin Photography
