A Story to Tell: Jasmine NELSON

Stories are important. The legacies of a people are their stories. Their stories come one by one. Here is one. - Dawn Wolf, Keeper of Stories 10.29.16

Deep penetrating beauty of the African bloodlines create power(s) the way other bloodlines do not, cannot.

photo of Jasmine Nelson.

Beauty Guru Of The Month For September 2016: Jasmine Nelson

by Jenny Aluning

Interestingly enough, it was the music industry that introduced Jasmine Nelson (Star Central’s Beauty Guru of the Month for September 2016) to fashion and make-up. According to the self-taught beauty guru, “I used to watch a lot of music videos, and music television shows just to see some of my favorite artists as well as see what the latest trends were in fashion….when I started modeling in college, make-up artistry became a love interest for me. I would sit on YouTube all day, watch beauty videos, recreate looks from a tutorial, and enjoy the talent of beauty itself. I fell in the love with make-up, and I never looked back.”

The 27-year old then decided in 2009 to take that love to another level. She said that she wanted to “educate others on make-up artistry, fashion, and lifestyle vlogs. When it comes to make-up I wanted to create and develop relationships with people from different walks of life…” She transformed from a self-taught make-up artist to a professional one, as well as holding a Masters degree in the Arts.

Jasmine declares, “Fashion is your story; your style is just the narrator telling the story.” She enjoys how much one can creatively express themselves through style. It is such a diverse medium, she says, and it is only through experimentation that one can truly arrive at that combination of looks that defines you and fills you with confidence.

There’s no denying that the fashion/beauty world is a competitive one and where one can be easily discouraged. Luckily, Jasmine has a legion of fans, friends and family encouraging and supporting her along her journey. She says “I’m so appreciative of every single last one of them. They keep me motivated, and inspire me to become greater and even more successful in my career(s).” One of her biggest fans is her father. Jasmine says he is most enthusiastic “when it comes to following ALL of my dreams and career. He always gives me the motivation I need to keep striving, and wishes me well throughout all my success.”

Her career choice has given the LA-based make-up artist a lot of memorable experiences through the years. One of her most memorable is the first time she attended IMATS held in New York in 2014. IMATS is the International Make-Up Artist Trade Show where thousands of make-up artists, exhibitors and enthusiasts discuss and display anything and everything related to beauty. Imagine being able to learn not only from the top talents in the industry but from Hollywood’s make-up elite as well. It is no wonder that Jasmine found the event so very exciting.

Jasmine has also been able to meet many interesting individuals in the industry. An encounter that stands out for her is with social media’s beauty megastar, MakeUp Shayla. Jasmine recalls that “she is so down to earth and relatable. The first time I met her was at the NYX Cosmetic Grand opening for a store location here in Los Angeles. The next time was at Generation Beauty, and she remembered me from the NYX event. We took pictures, and did Snapchat videos with her dog Titus. Fun times!”

So far, success has been a welcome blessing to the African-American make-up guru. Just like any road to seeing dreams realized, there have been many up and downs and lessons learned along the way. According to Jasmine, her most valuable lesson was that “you MUST remain humble in anything you do or achieve…stay true to yourself, and never forget where you came from.”

Passion, creativity and hard work are essential to any successful endeavor and fortunately, Jasmine Nelson has those in abundance. She shares her plans of “growing in the beauty industry, and create and formulate my own cosmetic line. I also wish to pursue my acting career, expand my love for philanthropy, and start my own non-profit organization focusing on social problems, youth, performing arts, and beauty.”

‘LIGHTNING FAST’ Round:

1. What is the one beauty product you can’t live without? I can’t live without my Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade

2. What is the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to change your looks? The most dramatic thing I’ve done to change my look would have had to be my “Big Chop” back in 2010 when I went natural.

3. What is in your makeup bag when you travel? Everything!!! You name it, I got it!

4. What is the one “flaw” you wouldn’t change about yourself? One flaw I wouldn’t change is my FULL lips. I’ve grown to love them.

5. Your best guilty pleasure… After watching a million and one make-up haul videos on YouTube, I secretly cyber window shop on Sephora.com. I fill up my cart with items, I know I’m NOT going to purchase, because once I’m done adding those items to my cart, my total adds up to $856.00… LOL

Jasmine Nelson, LA-based stylist, make up artist. (2016 Sept.) !!!!