Rising Stars: Meet Roxanna Trejo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Roxanna Trejo.

Hi Roxanna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Roxanna Trejo. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. I am the oldest of three. My parents are from Mexico, Guanajuato and Mexico DF to be exact. I am 26 years old and loving life. My parents met in Dallas and decided to live here too in order for their kids to have a better life and better opportunities. And I have taken advantage of my opportunities I have been given. The two major opportunities have been continuing my education by going to college and becoming a local DFW Makeup Artist. My story focuses more on how I have become the MUA I am today by the support of my family, friends, and especially clients.

When people would ask me if I enjoyed doing something in my spare time or if I had a hobby, I never really knew what to answer. Now, I am a self-taught, make-up artist in the DFW area. But I was never into makeup as much as I am today. Makeup, to me, is my way of art. You can be as creative as you want and experiment with many different products and colors.

As a little girl, I was always more of the one who followed rules and just did what the adults would tell me to do. My mom says I was never a troublesome child. And when it came to school, I would be the one to just sit quietly in the back of the room. I was very shy! But now, I am more open and can talk to anyone, which helps in the small business industry.

My story starts with my sister. My sister, who is 5 years younger than me, started enjoying makeup, looking into YouTube, and watching all of these YouTubers and their makeup tutorials. As I watched her follow the tutorials and see all the products she would try, I eventually was interested and started doing it to myself just like she did. My parents never really liked the idea of full glams, especially my dad. I guess my parents are more old school and didn’t really see a point to it. But I did really like doing it on myself. I never really thought I was going to be an MUA. I was more focused in college. During my college years, I only did makeup on myself and randomly on my friends or family (sister, cousins, mom). With the little practice I did get in coming home on the weekends from Denton, I eventually would get asked by my sister’s friends to do their makeup for their homecoming. I graduated Texas Women’s University in 2019 with a BS in Health Studies, which was the same year my sister and her friends graduated which gave me time to do more makeup for their graduation pictures and prom. From then on, I started capturing those looks I created on them and posting them on my personal social media page. Since I had more time due to me coming back home after graduation, that’s when I got asked a little bit more by other family members and friends to do makeup on them. While practicing with them and myself, I can tell my progress has been getting better. Then, in 2020, Covid-19 hit. I did start working a few months after graduating in 2019 and, thankfully, continued working even through the Covid-19 pandemic. Obviously, as we all know, we had a shut down in DFW where a lot of events were canceled, and now one could get together. So, during this time, on the weekends, all I did on myself were makeup looks. I started experimenting more with color and more cut-crease eye shadows. All that practice came in handy when everything was starting to open up again. Many people started having events planned too. And obviously, that’s when I started getting asked more for makeup. This is when I decided to open up a separate Instagram account only dedicated to the makeup looks I created on my clients. In 2021, @glambyroxii was created. The year 2021 was a big one for me with makeup. I had more new clients and different looks to work with. Now in 2022, I am being asked and getting booked already for late 2022. I never really thought of myself as an MUA. But I love every minute of it. Also, something else I am working on is hairstyling. I am not there 100%, but I have started practicing when I can, especially since I did decide to go back to school and enroll in Nursing at UTA. I started practicing hair styling since there are people who would like to have both an MUA and a hairstylist in one to make it easier.

Now, my parents are the most supportive in this compared to years before not liking the idea of a full face of makeup. They allow me to use our home, aka my room, as a mini glam studio for when people come to me and also support the idea of me traveling to people’s locations. I really am blessed with what I have become and the major support I have from my family and clients for Glam by Roxii growing.

Alright, 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?
It has not been so easy. I was just a full-time college student and starting off doing makeup on family and friends. I did not have all the materials I have today. Before I had my own room/mini-studio, I would do makeup in the living room or even the dining room. The lighting in my house and other locations where I had to travel was not the best so that was also something I had to eventually fix. As time passed by, I started to work full time and also go back to school. At this same time, becoming an MUA also grew even more. I decided to get my own room in my parents’ house to have my own space to do makeup. I used to carry like 5 bags with me with all my material. Now, I carry 2 makeup cases, a bigger ring light, a tall chair (to help my back), and also travel more. Before I was able to invest in my new materials, it was difficult. Now it is easier, even though I still have to carry a lot. I think another obstacle is that I only do makeup on the weekends (Saturday & Sunday). I wish I could do makeup on the weekdays but I also want to work with what I know, with what I graduated in, and with the medical fields and continue my education. Trust me, it is stressful but I make it work with the support from those who love me.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My creative work is in the makeup industry. I try to use high end products plus drug store products that have worked for me. The major brand I use is Morphe, which is my favorite. It takes about 1 hour to 3 hours depending on the look and if hair is included. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so that is why I ask for client’s to have a winto of 2-3 hours free for me to do what needs to be done. I also work full-time, Monday through Friday, and also do school part-time, online. I feel being able to handle this and also having a social life with family and friends is what sets me apart from others. I’m so proud of myself, being able to handle so much on just me. I do get episodes where I do get really stressed and even end up having a bit of anxiety. My main goal is to get my BSN and be a registered nurse one day. That is what I’m working on right now while working and being an upcoming MUA, especially in DFW. I feel being able to build and do my MUA stuff while completing everything else is what makes me known for. Just being a daily multitasker. One day, I plan on getting a certificate for being an MUA, but for now I will dedicate this only on my weekends.

What do you think about luck?
I feel both good and bad luck have played a role in my life/business. Even when we have bad luck, it shows us the good that comes from it. It is basically a lesson learned or just learning something new. I feel bad luck is intended for a reason, to show us and help us grow. With good luck, I have had the luck to have such supportive people in my life. From my parents to my cousins, to my friends, to even coworkers, I have had so much luck that I am so blessed to have had every one of those clients’ support be and also be patient and appreciate the time I make for them.

Image Credits
Roxanna Trejo