My Story
GRAB SOME POPCORN! IT’S A GOOD ONE! :)
THE YEAR WAS… 2005
When I was 14 years old I stumbled upon my very first Makeup Tutorial on YouTube. SHOUTOUT MAKEUPGEEK! She was blending a green eyeshadow look. I was immediately obsessed and I remember thinking, ‘ I want, no, I neeeeeed to do that!!!’ I wanted to blend, and buff, and create!
Shortly after, I started collecting makeup (by collecting makeup I mean sneakily throwing things in the cart hoping my Mom wouldn’t notice at the 99 cent store). I would finish all my homework, wait for my parents to fall asleep, and get pretty creative on my face!
Of course I had to include some pics, duh!
Oh, and I was obsessed with Photoshop! Haha!
fast forward…
2009
PROM DAY! I had 7 scheduled ‘appointments’ (I wasn’t charging a dime at this point!) WHAT?!
I hustled all day to get everyone ready and still have some time to whip myself together. I remember feeling like I may have discovered my passion on this day… you know, that exhausted but FULFILLED feeling? Yeah, that was an amazing day!
YAAAAASSS, QUEEN!
2010- 2013
This is what I like to call the ‘Dark Ages’. I didn’t quite believe in myself and I never fully believed that I could be ‘successful’ just being a makeup artist. I pursued community college and countless jobs. Here are some to name a few: Frozen Yogurt Server (and connoisseur) , Military Transportation Agent, Bartender, and Restaurant Manager. I didn’t touch a makeup brush for years and completely gave up on my passion! So sad, I know.
Sorry- no fun pictures here. So here’s a puppy meme!
#BeleiveInYoSelf
2014
Patricia realizes that life is too short and that she is too young to be miserable! She quits her job, launches a really crappy website and decides to take one of the biggest risks of her life! (This part of my story really excites me and writing in third person just felt right. Thank you for accepting me.)
So I quit my job as a restaurant manager in the Fall of 2014 with just a dream and way too many makeup brushes. I took out a credit card for 500 bucks so I could buy enough makeup to call it a ‘professional kit’ and announced to the world to come to me for all their makeup needs! I quickly realized that I wasn’t going to become a celebrity makeup artist or Instagram sensation overnight so I drove Uber to make ends meet.
Here’s a picture of my very first logo on my car (Yes some of my Uber passengers asked for my card!) #TheHustleWasandStillIsReal
And, yes, I still drive this car! I have a cooler Patricia Castro Makeup decal on the back now :)
Honk if you see me! Lol!
dreams come true, boo boo!
2015
I was offered a beautiful beach-side studio space in Redondo Beach at the Crowne Plaza Hotel! This was a game changer. Yes, my Mom had to pay my rent for a month or two (Bless her heart. Mom, if you’re reading this I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! And Dad too!)
Here’s me moving in! This image still makes me emotional! I seriously feel like this was just yesterday! You should come visit :)
Today
My Studio in Redondo Beach has been my makeup home for almost 6 years and I have had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of clients and working with over one hundred brides! What?! I still can’t believe it sometimes! I now book over 14 months in advance and have created a business I am SUPER proud of!
Thank you for taking the time to read my story! I am so proud of everything I have accomplished and I am so grateful that you appreciate my artistry and have paid this page a visit! I have a thing for stories, I’m sure by now you can tell! And I’m super excited to hear yours!
I would love to meet you! If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to reach out!