Celeb MUA Leanna McAlpin Talks BeautifulLee Beat Makeup Artistry
Beneath The Brush: Celebrity MUA Leanna McAlpin Talks BeautifulLee Beat Makeup Artistry, Self-Care And More
Source: Lucie Keen / Lucie Keen
Welcome to “Beneath The Brush,” where we explore the stories behind some of the most notable MUAs in the game, such as today’s feature, Leanna McAlpin. Each feature will highlight the “why” for each MUA and showcase their career trajectories, go-to products, and makeup tips.
“Makeup is exciting and creative, and it challenges me, so I decided to make that my focus,” celebrity MUA Leanna McAlpin exclusively tells HelloBeautiful. Like many others, Leanna had a contrasting vision for her professional life. “I planned to become a Physical Therapist, but while interning at Physical Therapy offices, I was beginning my practice/pursuit into makeup artistry,” the self-taught MUA says. “I started to loathe going to my internships because of the mundanity and repetitiveness.”
Leanna hit the ground running with her first freelance artist gig with MAC Cosmetics. The experience proved necessary, putting her “in a position to work with many different skin tones and skin types, alongside artists of different skill levels.” While building her confidence, her time spent with various brands allowed her to take her college-born baby, BeautifulLee Beat Makeup Artistry, to new heights.
“As the years passed, BeautifulLee Beat Makeup Artistry, a side hustle, developed into a passion that no longer operates as a business but more as self-employment,” Leanna tells us. Since going full-time just short of five years, the beauty architect has made her presence in the makeup world known. With an impressive A-list clientele, including Issa Rae, Cindy Bruna, Tika Sumpter, and more, it’s clear that she’s a master of everything from natural beauty beats to full-glam looks.
The humble talent believes that she hasn’t “made it” quite yet, but it’s clear that Leanna McAlpin is much further than she thinks. Below, the Libra creative gets candid about her definition of beauty, favorite makeup products, hacks, and more.
Leanna McAlpin shares how she defines beauty
“Beauty is in the thing about yourself that you tend to overlook or maybe even hide. The small, inconspicuous details or qualities, whether they be physical or an attribute. The thing things that make you unique.”
On the first time she fell in love with makeup:
“I fell in love with makeup once I got to witness the way it can completely boost a person’s confidence. Seeing that excitement in your client’s eyes, the change in their posture, and being enamored with themselves completely changed how I view and value makeup. It’s a blessing to be able to slightly enhance someone’s appearance and help them feel as beautiful as they already are.”
On prioritizing self-care:
Work-life balance is something I value and take into account as I progress in my career. I’m still learning to balance it all, but I can’t pour from an empty cup, so I do what I can to fill it up when I can. I take naps when I need to. Put off household chores to emotionally recharge with friends. I spend a day just doing household chores to make sure I have a successful week. I go to Hot Yoga, get a massage, treat myself to dinner at a nice restaurant, and binge-watch a great series. The list goes on and on. I do what I can, when I can, for now.
Three must-haves in Leanna’s beauty kit:
1. The Laniege Lip Mask ($24, Sephora.com) softens the lips well, and clients always rave about how great it smells.
Shop Now2. The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder ($28+, Sephora.com) because it does an amazing job at smoothing and blurring.
Shop Now3. Although discontinued, I love the Danessa Myricks Luxe Crème palette. I love its versatility—it’s great for blush or lipstick. The colors are stunning, and it’s so creamy.
Go-to makeup tip:
“My favorite makeup tip goes for artists and makeup beginners alike, “It’s just makeup.” Play, have fun, experiment with your facial features, try new colors and textures. If you don’t like it, wipe it off and try something else.”
One makeup hack to avoid:
“I don’t recommend following and/or drawing face maps with products. Most times, people follow tutorials that don’t match or complement their face shape, so expecting the same results usually leads to disappointment. Also, depending on the product, many of them, when not blended out immediately, become much harder to blend in, taking twice as much time or leaving you with splotchy, patchy makeup and more disappointment.”
Advice for aspiring MUAs:
“There are so many things I wish I knew before pursuing a career in makeup, but my biggest bit of advice would be to never stop learning. There’s so much to know and learn; you’ll always learn something new if you are open to the idea that you will never know it all. The best thing I could’ve done for my career was assist. It allowed me to learn from industry greats. Learning about makeup is one thing, but learning how to operate and communicate in different work environments, when to speak up and advocate for yourself, and when to remain silent and listen attentively is essential. These are invaluable lessons that I will use throughout the rest of my career. With every assisting opportunity, I try to leave with something *inserts Denzel Washington meme* other than snacks from Crafty, of course.
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