What Makes Every Woman's Beauty Uniquely Worth Celebrating?

What does it take to transform a childhood passion into a thriving beauty business? Shamail McKenzie's journey from practicing on Barbie styling heads to becoming an award-winning hair and makeup artist reveals the perfect blend of artistic talent, business savvy, and genuine care for clients.

Shamail opens up about her 15+ years in the beauty industry, sharing how she built her business from the ground up without any entrepreneurial role models in her family. Her mother's unwavering support—encouraging her daughter to pursue her passion and even ensuring she had Brown Barbies that reflected her own appearance—laid the foundation for a career celebrating women's unique beauty.

What truly sets Shamail apart is her philosophy of personalized beauty. "Don't be cookie-cutter," she emphasizes, explaining how she adapts techniques for different face shapes, bone structures, and features. Through training at MAC Cosmetics and cosmetology school, she developed a keen eye for how to enhance rather than mask individual beauty. Her approach transforms not just appearances but confidence—helping clients see themselves through a lens of celebration rather than criticism.

Now pivoting toward coaching other beauty professionals, Shamail aims to fill a gap she encountered herself: guidance on the business aspects of beauty artistry. From contracts to pricing to client experience, she's passionate about helping others avoid the trial and error that marked her early career. Her practical advice for aspiring makeup artists—practice on yourself before bed, work at makeup counters to experience diverse faces, and continuously revisit educational resources—offers a roadmap for success in this competitive field.

Listen in as we explore Shamail's inspiring story and gather valuable insights about beauty, business, and the art of celebrating what makes each person uniquely beautiful. Connect with Shamail at ShamailMcKenzie.com or TheArtOfBeautiful.com to learn how she can transform your special day or help you build your own beauty business.

To help you to navigate the home buying and mortgage process, Jonathan & Steve are currently licensed in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia, contact us today at 423-491-5405 or visit www.jonathanandsteve.com. 

Transcript

Welcome to Benchmark Happenings

Speaker 1 0:02

This is Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by Jonathan and Steve from Benchmark Home Loans. Northeast Tennessee, johnson City, kingsport, bristol, the Tri-Cities One of the most beautiful places in the country to live. Tons of great things to do and awesome local businesses. And on this show you'll find out why people are dying to move to Northeast Tennessee. And on the way we'll have discussions about mortgages and we'll interview people in the real estate industry. It's what we do. This is Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by Benchmark Home Loans and now your host, christine Reed. And now your host, christine Reed.

Speaker 2 0:46

Welcome back everybody to another episode of Benchmark Happenings and the star of our show today and she is a star and she's probably going to be probably the funnest guest I've had so far, but I have Shamil McKenzie.

Meet Shamail: Award-Winning Beauty Artist

Speaker 3 1:07

So, shamil, thank you. Well, I think that's like the best intro ever. I have a lot to live up to. Nervous, I'm nervous, oh, my goodness. Okay, we got this.

Speaker 2 1:15

We got it girl. We got it girl. So, shamil those of you who do not know Shamil she is an award winning hair and makeup artist with many years of experience and she is truly dedicated to her clients to look and feel their absolute best. I can testify to that because she has done makeup and hair for me many times in the past. So thank you, shamil.

Speaker 2 1:40

My pleasure, my friend, oh yes, but you know, as an entrepreneur, you've truly built a successful business and you've earned recognition like the not best of weddings award in the bridal industry. So we'll share a little bit about that, because that's a special award that you're selected by brides that you have actually done hair and makeup for and you're very passionate, very passionate and you're doing some coaching now. So I think I've heard that there's going to be a little bit of a pivot to Shamil's career path and so as you empower wedding professionals to elevate their craft, to have a thriving business and truly create a dream wedding, so I'm excited that for this conversation today, Shamil.

Speaker 3 2:31

Thank you, oh my goodness, thank you for having me. What an honor, what a privilege, what a blessing to be here. It is an honor.

Speaker 2 2:37

Well, the same here, and I know it's taken us over a year. I was beginning to think it was the same thing with Chris and I was like, okay, am I ever going to get these two girls?

Speaker 1 2:51

Yes, she loves you too.

Speaker 2 2:54

So I love, I love what you're doing, shamil in the art of beautiful and just. Your makeup and your techniques are. They're unique and I love how you tailor them to each individual woman.

From Barbie Heads to Professional Artist

Speaker 3 3:10

Thank you so much. You know I do my very best to celebrate every woman's unique beauty. I think that's not cookie cutter. I think you have to really kind of know what know about some facial structure and bone structure and you want to celebrate eyes and make them pop. Or and I also think it's about skincare too making sure you take good care of the skin and then, on top of the skincare, do beautiful makeup to the best of my ability, and I just love making women look and feel beautiful.

Speaker 2 3:39

It's just like the best thing ever Well, and you know what and that you can tell that is your passion and you truly care about your clients. You know, with sitting in that chair in your glam room or if you're on site, you know it's always. It's just a special experience. So, shamel, how did you get started in this industry? So that's a great question. So I've always been that friend who, when we came over to like go out or have gone have some fun at a party, a friend's birthday party, whatever industry.

Speaker 3 4:03

So that's a great question. So I've always been that friend who, when we came over, to like go out or have gone have some fun at a party a friend's birthday party or whatever.

Speaker 3 4:09

I would be that person. Everybody come to my house and I would do their hair and makeup and then we'd jet out. So my mom was always like you know, I've always figured that this was going to be the path you chose, because I've always loved it and it's been so much fun. And, you know, thank you to those friends. If you guys are listening, thank you for letting me like experiment on you. I'm like let's try some gold eyeliner, you know, but what a blessing to be able to just kind of have a mom too that supports you know she was like go for it, you know. And so I started with Barbie. You know the Barbie head, if anyone has ever used those.

Speaker 2 4:42

I had a Barbie head and you know what? I still have my Barbie head. She is in a box in the original box in the basement. But yes, I still have the original Barbie head that's where I started listen.

Speaker 3 4:54

I love that. I'm gonna have to.

Speaker 3 4:55

We're gonna have to go and like visit that box, just just just to look at her, just for a moment, oh yeah and reminisce, reminisce, although I'm pretty sure that my Barbie I don't know where she is, but if she is, she's probably got a little bit of melted hair, because I tried to curl her hair once that's not actual hair, okay, so it just melted but, um, so I've got.

Speaker 3 5:13

I've had several, you know, barbie heads that I went through on my journey, but I love that so much, I think that's so cool, and Barbie at the time I guess even now is still just like that, that idea of, like you know, fun and her shoes and her wardrobe and beauty. And now the iterations of Barbie are really cool and when I was growing up, my mom would always get me brown Barbies, which is really cool. So I would have, like you know, all these beautiful brown Barbies where my mom was like, hey, I want to try and get you Barbies that look as close to you as possible. Um, and it was just a really cool thing to have, um, these beautiful dolls that, um, celebrated my skin tone and my face shape and my hair color and that sort of thing.

Speaker 3 5:55

So that was really cool Mom, good job, good job I love her.

Speaker 2 5:58

Yes, yeah, and I know that you lost your mom about a year ago, about a year ago.

Speaker 3 6:05

I know, man it is. You know, if you've ever experienced the loss of just someone who was just your biggest fan and just your solid foundation. But you know, those type of people we're just blessed to have them.

Speaker 3 6:22

If they happen to be our mother or our father, we're blessed to have those people in our lives, and so she just poured so much goodness into me and so I feel like, you know, she's still with me in a way right, because, um, those seeds that she planted and watered and threw some sunshine on, um, I feel like that, those, those, um, that wisdom and that love is still with me today.

Building a Beauty Business

Speaker 2 6:43

Yes, yeah. Well, I know that was a very difficult journey and it continues to be so. So as a child you were, you were experimenting, you were the, the girlfriend that everybody came to. So what made you decide to? You know what? I think I'll turn this into a business. So talk about that journey, Shamil.

Speaker 3 7:04

That's a really great question. So I was we'll fast forward a little bit and I was working at the Mac counter, a local Mac counter here at Johnson City Mall Yay, shout out to Johnson City Mall. But it was a coworker who was just like hey, I'm getting married and I love the way you do hair, love the way you do makeup. Would you be interested in doing my hair and makeup? And I'm like yes, absolutely. And then she was like how much would that be? And I was like I have no clue. But that's kind of like the very first client that I had, like paying customer that I had and didn't even realize that I could make a business out of that you know I don't have anyone.

Speaker 3 7:45

I'm the first person in my family to own a business, to start a business, to even go for it in any way. So and again, my mom supported me the whole way. She was just like go for it, you do it, you know, you start doing research. And then there was a whole lot about beauty business or how to start, not a lot on YouTube. Now that's changed.

Speaker 2 8:06

I hope to even change that landscape even more. So how long have you been doing this, Shamayle?

Speaker 3 8:10

So I like to say 15 plus years, because I don't want to go any further than that. It's actually been more like 20, but 15 plus sounds so much better.

Speaker 2 8:19

I'm going to remember that. How long have you been in sales, Christine? Oh, 15 plus yeah, 15 plus see that sounds better, right?

Speaker 3 8:26

it's like if you say 20 plus, they're like wait. So the question to me comes in exactly how I'm like? I am like uh 29 forever forever, ever, ever.

Speaker 2 8:37

Southern ladies. Don't ever ask a southern lady their age, ever, ever. That is taboo, it's totally we're just that we're just unique and so you started the kind of there wasn't a lot out there, so you had to kind of build this from the ground up yes, yes, and so it started with just kind of asking some peers who are in business.

Speaker 3 9:00

It's like how do I get contracts?

Speaker 2 9:01

How smart you know what do?

Speaker 3 9:04

I do, you know Um, and so that's how it started too, because I really didn't know Um and I just want to kind of be able. Even then I knew that I want to deliver um, just excellent service and quality service.

Speaker 2 9:15

And.

Speaker 3 9:15

I feel like customer service is so important. When someone's investing in you, you want to kind of make sure that, um, they're getting like the best experience possible, and I want to learn how to do that. And I think that's what kind of you know not what kind of it's, what kind of you know made me want to pivot into. I've kind of done the business the hair and makeup thing and on location thing.

Speaker 3 9:34

I love weddings and I love doing photo shoots. I love them and but I realized there was a need in the market because there's so many hair and makeup artists who contact me, email me and they're like so I'd like to get started, love to do weddings. Where do I start? How do I get paid? How do I? And I was like you know, I see a need in the market and really my ideal client is is shamel. When she first started, you know it's like, you know it was like um, so contracts, what's that supposed to say in that contract?

Speaker 3 10:04

You know, and then um you know cause you gotta protect yourself too, you know, and so I didn't know.

Speaker 3 10:10

But you know what a privilege and honor that I had so many wonderful friends who helped me along the way, um, and I would love to make a positive impact and help others and also I'd love to help, you know, future brides and women, just you know kind of help create their dream wedding day with their what you know, future brides and women, just you know, kind of help create their dream wedding day with their wedding. You know, with with specifically with the beauty, with wedding hair, wedding makeup, absolutely. But yeah, I just think it's a and, of course, east Tennessee is like I feel like the most beautiful place to get married.

Speaker 1 10:35

These we have so many gorgeous venues here we do.

Speaker 3 10:38

I mean absolutely stunning, and so, of course, you want to get married here. It's amazing, it's so beautiful Barn venues.

Speaker 2 10:45

Well, a friend of mine. She's a wedding planner. I'm sure you know her, Jamie Jackson. Yeah, I've had her on this podcast before, and there was a couple that flew from France that wanted to get married here and she did their wedding.

Speaker 2 10:58

I mean it's like really France, Okay, I mean it's like really France, okay, well, you know. But so it sounds like you're wanting to now venture out into as a consultant. Yes, to a lot of these up and coming entrepreneurs who want to have a hair and makeup, beauty, beauty related business where they're doing on site.

Celebrating Every Woman's Unique Beauty

Speaker 3 11:21

Right, yes, yes, because I want to just come alongside them and help them to create their dream business and that's specifically their dream beauty business. Um, cause, that's where, that's, that's what I know. But, um, I just feel like there's a. There's like there is a there's a space in the market for this, because there's not a whole lot of information for the business side of it. There's lots of tutorials, but I feel like there's tutorials and there's one-on-one experience, and one-on-one because to someone to see someone doing something, but do they have the same skin tone as you, the same eye shape as you, the same bone structure as you, then it kind of changes a little bit.

Speaker 3 11:54

You want to change your highlight and contour based on that. You know and then, really, really.

Speaker 3 11:58

My focus is don't be a cookie cutter, you know. Don't just do what you see. Tailor it to that specific beautiful face. You know. Really celebrate what you know they have like, whether it's like their bone structure, for instance, or their how their their lips are shaped, or if you want to, you know, accentuate the cupid bow, or if you want to make the eyes pop, or um, it's all kinds of wonderful things you can do. But that really celebrates an individual's style and beauty.

Speaker 2 12:25

See, I love that, I love that. And because no one has the perfect face, you know we all have. You know we're our worst critics, especially as women. We look in the mirror as we're putting our makeup on, we think, oh my, I would like to change this, change that, and I think it's so important that everyone, because we're all designed uniquely by God- our creator, amen, girl and he made.

Speaker 2 12:51

All of us are beautiful inside and out, depending on who we turn out to be our character, but I think there's always I love what you see in others that there's something beautiful to celebrate, absolutely, whether it's every single face, absolutely, every single face can be.

Speaker 1 13:08

I can celebrate their beauty.

Speaker 3 13:10

And I think sometimes what we do is we see a tutorial or we see something that maybe we could try, and then you try it and it doesn't look exactly the same. But you know there's makeup is really powerful. It's because you can really reshape a face, you can reshape an eye, you can reshape a lip with no you know, no injectables needed, Right, we can just do stuff with. You know, with makeup we can manipulate. You know, I love that. It's so good. I highly recommend makeup. You know, because I'm a big chicken and I'm afraid of yes.

Speaker 2 13:43

So if I want to hide some, it's expensive, but I'm not against anything like that at all.

Speaker 3 13:47

In fact, I think you know I absolutely do. It makes you look and feel beautiful and whatever that means to you. So no judgment because, listen, if it's going to make me look fabulous and really selfless, I will do it. Sign me up. Who do I need to talk to? What appointment do I need to make? But I'm just saying as far as the power of makeup, what you can do with that and just celebrate beauty and that's so important that every woman feels every woman feels beautiful.

Speaker 2 14:12

that who sits in?

Speaker 3 14:12

my chair, um, and I would love to be able to, you know, just kind of share that with other makeup artists, because I feel like sometimes they don't, they're not sure where to start, you know. So I just I love the idea of helping.

Speaker 2 14:25

Well, there's such a huge need for what you do, cause it's hard, you know, if you have an event trying to to get on your schedule cause you're super busy. I mean I know your book to me and I have to reach out in advance when I want something and it's not like you can just call the day before I mean. So we do need more people, but I think what I've seen in the industry is you have a makeup artist that learns a certain technique on the way they look and it's beautiful, but that's their color, their bone structure, and that is not going to look great on everybody. So there's a lot to learn in makeup.

Speaker 2 15:07

So how have you, how have you, how have you learned all of these amazing techniques, Shamil?

Speaker 3 15:14

So sweet. Well, you know, I'll be honest, I have to give some like credit to Mac because Mac cosmetics um, when I started, they had these really cool like intensive classes about face shape and eye shape and shading for a certain type of shape a face shape, whether it's a heart, whether it's an oval, whether it's a square jaw and I was like I had no idea there was so many face shapes and so it was almost like a masterclass, like every few months with MAC, which was I don't know if they still do that anymore. If there's any Mac artists out there, just let me know this but I no longer work with Mac but I felt like that was such a great foundation and also I'm a licensed cosmetologist, so we did learn a lot about skin and bone structure and things like that also in cosmetology school. So I think that was a great foundation. So those two together really got like the engine going and flowing and then you just kind of can go from there, you can.

Speaker 3 16:05

I started purchasing books from Kevin Aquan and from other makeup artists that I absolutely love and back then I feel like I feel like I'm dating myself like back there girl before the internet, but I mean, it was not before exactly, but you know you. You know these, these makeup books by these huge makeup artists who are like celebrity makeup artists. You could purchase these amazing books and they would break it down for you and they would do transformations and show you the power of makeup and then talk about things like bone structure and highlighting and contour and it was like I just ate it all up. I got every book I could possibly get my hands on. I did.

Speaker 2 16:42

That is awesome and read them, and reread them and read them some more and I'd say you probably go back and look at those. I actually do.

Speaker 3 16:48

I really recommend that, even if there's a resource, whether it's a makeup book or a favorite book that you love, go back to it every now and then, at least once a year. I have a book list that I go through, including makeup books, because I mean they you waters your brain right like, oh yeah, I remember that that specific thing, um. So yeah, I love revisiting and plus practice, and I say practice on your face and if your friends let you practice on them, if you want to be a makeup artist or even, but if you just want to just get better at your own makeup, you know, just practice before you go to bed at night, before you wash your face, you can do whatever you want to. It could look crazy, it could do whatever.

Pivoting to Beauty Business Coaching

Speaker 3 17:28

And and practice that eyeliner, practice that highlighting contour you're about to wash could look crazy, it could do whatever. And and practice that eyeliner, practice that highlighting contour you're about to wash your face. Anyway, it's gonna be okay, nobody's gonna see, no judgment, yeah, and then just play, you know, and and with, with, and give yourself some grace, because it's gonna feel awkward, it's gonna not, it's gonna feel a little like fiddly, but I say practice because that really is what makes um, what makes it feel more confident when you're gonna go to that event or whatever.

Speaker 2 17:49

Just you know, just practice on your beautiful face, it's okay, good, but one thing I like that you do is when you're doing someone's makeup and you're teaching the whole time. I love that and you've really helped me be able to apply makeup so much better. I've learned and I try to remember those tips, you know, and I can't quite get the smoky eye that you do on me, but anyway.

Speaker 3 18:16

I love a good smoky eye.

Speaker 2 18:18

It's so pretty but it's so hard to do.

Speaker 3 18:21

But I don't know how you do it, but you know, I believe, because right now you're sitting before me looking oh so fabulous, so that into take that um advice about just practicing at um practicing um at night and I like to use something like maybe like a brown or gray. Don't use black for that smoky eye for first at first and just kind of practice, and I like to use gel.

Speaker 3 18:47

I think a gel liner can be an eyeliner, but it can also be a really easy way to like blend instead of using a powder, just practice, and then maybe watch a couple of YouTube videos and you know I'll work on the getting one for you there, but just some tutorials on how to do it and then practice, practice, practice, because that really is what makes you know. When I first started doing hair and wedding hair OMG girl listen, it looks crazy, it looked, it, listen, it looks crazy it was like it's not so easy. When you see these tutorials and they're like here's where I started, boom, in 15 seconds they show you the end result. You know it takes time, it takes practice.

Speaker 2 19:19

Oh, I'm telling you can hardly find anyone that is able to put the hair up. Yes, I mean, I talked to my hairdresser, who you know, Jackie Hill who loves you? I love her as well, but she will not attempt to put hair up. I mean because that truly is an art. And then the ones who say they can. It looks like a beehive, it's horrible.

Speaker 3 19:45

Well, and I think there's a way to do certain Well, I shouldn't say a way, I should say there's certain. If you're interested in doing it, then you'll probably learn more. But most a lot of hairstyles that I know they love the cut, they love the color, they love the blow dry, that sort of thing and, like you said, you know when you, when you, when you venture into wedding hairstyles that's a whole other skill set that you have to learn, you know, on top of our in and of itself, definitely, yes, definitely.

Speaker 2 20:13

So when you're going to be mentoring or coaching someone, or, as a consultant, a younger person, what would you share with that person that says you know what, man, I'd love to do? Hair and makeup.

Speaker 3 20:27

Well, that's a great question, and you know, what I would tell that person is first, find yourself a mentor, or just whether that person's um uh on a video or or something that you can follow, or an influence that you really love their work.

Speaker 3 20:41

Um and kind of start there with practicing Um and um, you know, with your friends. Friends are great for this. Okay, friends and family are wonderful because they're usually because they love you and they'll give you grace when you're like ooh, that's. You know, we should not put eye shadow on you, but that's the really great thing about makeup you can take it off, you can take it off. You know, easy breezy. So no harm, no foul. With a little bit of makeup remover, there you go, never happens.

Speaker 3 21:11

You can no foul with a little bit of makeup remover. There you go, never happened. You can start over, yes and so practice, and I also feel like if you can get an environment where you're doing makeup, often to different types of faces um, like a makeup counter or something like that it'll kind of fast track your way into learning about different types of uh, how to celebrate every type of face, because you're going to have lots of different people come through and that's how I mean I learned at the MAC counter.

Speaker 3 21:32

It was so, so there was, so we had so many wonderful clients and customers and so and you got to be able to work on so many fabulous faces, so that was a really great like learning ground right there it was like I learned a lot.

Advice for Aspiring Makeup Artists

Speaker 2 21:46

Oh yeah, I think that's a great suggestion because you know people will go to these makeup counters all the time and want you know, to try different types of makeup, and it's so nice to have somebody do that.

Speaker 3 21:59

And it's a nice way to you know, also couple it with products.

Speaker 3 22:03

So if you want to try a new eyeliner, you know, maybe they can put the eyeliner on you first before you try that like emerald green or that navy blue eyeliner which, by the way, I love those two colors and then but you know, just that way can kind of venture into something without having no commitment yet. So it's nice to have someone now. Before COVID it was a little bit more prevalent. I do notice that after COVID doesn't seem to happen as often. I feel like testers are kind of being removed and not really.

Speaker 3 22:29

You know, you know they don't really so, you know, make an appointment or something like that. But I think that's a great step place to start. And if not, start with your friends and family you know they have events or if you just want to just like, hey, can we come over Saturday and just play in hair and makeup, thanks, you know. Just kind of get the practice and then also practice on your own beautiful face. It's okay. I mean, it's a good place to start, especially when you're kind of playing with products and that sort of thing. But you know, I love the idea of being able to help as many artists and women as possible. As far as when I say women, I mean, like you know, women who want to get brides.

Speaker 1 23:05

I should say, I should say brides.

Speaker 3 23:06

But and then I love the idea of also helping women who, with their social media, like LinkedIn, or because a lot of times photo shoots and photo shoots really about branding nowadays, isn't it? It's about you know, it's about your, how your headshot looks for your social media accounts and um, but anyway, I just I love the whole thing of being able to just just teach and share what I know and just keep sharing what I know and and if it helps someone who's special, someone who was like me when I was like.

Speaker 3 23:34

I don't know anything about this, but I'd love to learn. I'd love to get started.

Speaker 2 23:40

Where do I start? You know, Steve and I always branded the people that we like to hire here at Benchmark is hungry, humble and smart.

Speaker 3 23:48

Oh, that's, that's good Hungry, humble and smart.

Speaker 2 23:52

Yes, that's good. So how can we reach you, shamil? How can people get in touch with, with Shamil McKenzie?

Speaker 3 23:57

Yes, Thank you. So Shamil McKenziecom is my website and, uh, with a um, we're getting ready to start a blog, which I'm like a little nervous about the blogging, but that'll be the art of beautifulcom. So if you can't spell Shamel McKenzie, that's okay, cause I know I'm probably the only Shamel that you know. But if you go to the art of beautiful, you can also find me there too. But Shamel McKenziecom is where it's all going to start happening. But that's where I am now and, as you just shoot me, you can contact me in me through my little contact form and I'll get back to you and be like hey, tell me that you heard me on.

Speaker 2 24:34

Benchmark Happenings yes, because I know you're going to share this, so I'm excited. Well, Shamil, thank you for being on the show today. What my honor and privilege to be here. Thank you for having me. Yes, it was so much fun. We'll have you back, yay.

Episode Wrap-Up

Speaker 1 24:51

This has been Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by Jonathan Tipton and Steve Reed from Benchmark Home Loans. Jonathan and Steve are residential mortgage lenders. They do home loans in Northeast Tennessee and they're not only licensed in Tennessee but Florida, georgia, south Carolina and Virginia. We hope you've enjoyed the show. If you did make sure to like rate and review. Our passion is Northeast Tennessee, so if you have questions about mortgages, call us at 423-491-5405, and the website is wwwJonathanAndStevecom. Thanks for being with us and we'll see you next time on Benchmark Happenings.