Whether it’s teaching a teenager how to apply makeup for the first time or helping a bride get ready for her big day, Olivia Sparks strives to make every client who leaves her chair feel beautiful. Taking a more natural approach to her makeup, Sparks said she draws out the beauty of each client to make them look their best – a talent she has honed over many years working to become a makeup artist.
The daughter of a cosmetologist, Sparks said she knew from an early age that she wanted to be part of the beauty business.
“I knew I wanted to go into the business of making others feel good, and that’s what my mom was so good at. Growing up seeing people leave her chair feeling good and all the friendships that she fostered really made me want that same career,” Sparks said.
With six years under her belt as a professional makeup artist, Sparks recently opened her own studio in downtown Hartselle. Despite the pandemic and the struggle most small businesses face, Sparks said she knew it was time to take the leap.
“I really took a risk in the middle of the pandemic and applied for a business license in Hartselle and got a studio space with Raw Images. So now instead of traveling to Georgia or to Birmingham or Montgomery or wherever, a lot of my clients are local,” she explained. “I will travel for their wedding, but they would have to come to my house just for me to practice on them before their wedding day. Now they can come to a studio space with great lighting, and they get the whole experience and are not having to come to someone’s house.”