Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Williams.
Hi Beth, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I was in my early teens when I discovered that makeup is about more than trying to achieve beauty and look good. It’s an aid in building confidence and feeling positive about oneself. Because of some challenges I experienced with my own skin, I knew there was so much more to people than what is on the surface, which helped me develop empathy and start connecting with people on a deeper level. The more I did that, the more it confirmed that confidence in the outer helps empower inner beauty. This inspired me to become licensed in esthetics, be true to my passion for makeup and skin care, and to follow a calling to help people feel better about themselves.
I was fortunate to work in various areas in the field, including top-line cosmetic counters in diverse markets where I had a clientele of all ages, races, and skin types. After gaining ample experience, I had the amazing opportunity to work at a Chanel counter in Raleigh’s Crabtree Mall, where I spent four years and was part of the team when it became a million-dollar counter. During my time with Chanel, I worked numerous Chanel events in both North and South Carolina and was mentored by some of the best skincare and makeup specialists in the world
I also did freelance makeup artistry, and while I really liked going on-site to help people, there were a couple of things I wished were different. One, I was hired to operate as a middle person and never had the chance to meet my clients beforehand. I would arrive not knowing their skin type, what makeup shades worked best with their coloring, or what they envisioned their look to be. Second, these jobs were often rushed because the person overseeing freelancers had another one to get to on the same day.
I began thinking how nice it would be to offer truly personal and customized service to clients – to deal directly with them beforehand and build relationships so that I can execute their vision flawlessly on an important day. I also wanted to be there for them for as long as they needed me to be, to make them feel pampered and uplifted, and to know I have compassion for their needs, not like we’re under pressure to wrap things up so I could hurry to another job an hour across town.
The way to do this was to establish my own independent and mobile business, which I call All Dolled Up. I had also earned advanced certification in the airbrush makeup application and decided that full-face airbrushing would be my niche.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As soon as I started All Dolled Up in 2020, we were thrown into the world of Covid-19. With cancellations, postponements and so much in limbo, it was challenging to get firmly established, but I put together a small team of hair and makeup professionals – all licensed, insured, experienced, and trained in Covid protocol. I know them all and am not meeting them for the first time when we arrive at a location.
Though business was initially slow, I took as many bookings as I could, worked on marketing my services, and continued to master full face airbrush artistry. Over time, business improved and I’m so excited about how much All Dolled Up has grown. A year ago, my schedule was still being established; now I’m booking well in advance.
One thing I encountered, and still do sometimes, is that people think I work for a wedding planner or an event coordinator, but I’m a separate and independent business and am hired directly, whether it’s for a bridal party, advertising campaign, public speaking engagement or professional photoshoot.
This is one way I’m able to set myself apart and give clients the personal attention I feel they deserve.
We’ve been impressed with All Dolled Up, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There are a lot of makeup artists and ones who offer airbrush services, but the full-face airbrush application provided by All Dolled Up is its own form of artistry. It takes a lot of education, skill, and practice to master because one must be diverse in artistry. It also becomes very technical with things like eye makeup, blushes, and contouring.
The machines I use are compression devices with wands that generate a thin mist. It’s like painting a canvas and the result is smooth and more flawless, weightless, and less one-dimensional than seen with traditional makeup application. Airbrush is high definition, feels like skin, does not budge, and won’t show up on film, even if a client opts for full glamour over a completely natural look.
All Dolled Up gives clients whatever look they desire, but my favorite is the luminous results of radiant, glowing skin. This is so pretty on brides. I also enjoy doing period-era makeup. I love it when someone wants a look reminiscent of the 1940s or any other vintage decade. We also do full-body airbrushing if someone wants to cover scars, tattoos, birthmarks, or permanent sun/wind damage. Coverage lasts eight days, won’t transfer to clothing, and even withstands saltwater and southern humidity. Another service we offer is hairstyling.
When it comes to special occasions, experienced makeup and hair artists are as important as any other service someone invests in. For example, one’s wedding day will likely be the most photographed day of their life, so it matters to have people who are highly skilled, but also know the differences between working with young skin and mature skin, who only use high-quality products, are educated on the ingredients in those products and who know what can trigger allergies in some people.
There’s a lot more to makeup than just putting makeup on someone’s face. That’s one reason why All Dolled Up seeks to get to know clients beforehand. Ideally, I meet with clients in person where they’ll share their visions and photos that inspire them. Pre-meetings, consultations, and questionnaires all help me form a relationship with clients and narrow down what their goals are.
Once that’s done, we’ll do a makeup trial where I explain all that I’m doing so they’ll feel comfortable and confident as they head into their important event. Sometimes trials aren’t possible, usually because a bride doesn’t live in this area but is having a destination wedding on our coast. In those cases, we still consult, do face charts and I spend more application time with her on the wedding day.
All Dolled Up is an on-location traveling beauty team that not only services Raleigh but Wilmington, and surrounding areas along the coast. We can create any look for any event and customize based on client needs, whether it’s makeup for one person or a large party that wants face and body airbrushing as well as hair services. Results are what matter at the end of the day, but we want to give clients a great, positive experience throughout their entire process of working with us.
I love the joy we’re able to help bring to our clients. Not long ago, a client had a special event and wanted to cover skin damage and hyperpigmentation. Upon seeing the results, this person said, “I haven’t seen my skin this even in years, I feel like me again.” Hearing those words was so rewarding and why I love what I do.
What were you like growing up?
I was born at Rex Hospital in Raleigh to my mother, Becky, who was a registered nurse, and to my father, Ted, who worked for IBM. While I was still a young child, we (along with my older brother, Scott) relocated to Bristol, Tennessee where I grew up and graduated from high school. It was while living in Tennessee that puberty struck with a vengeance when I developed skin trauma in the form of severe cystic acne. It was hard to understand why other girls could get a pimple, dab on an over-the-counter remedy, and clear up in a day. For me, any breakout led to an ordeal. Sometimes the cysts were so painful that I couldn’t go to school, not to mention how the condition threatened my self-esteem. That led to me becoming obsessed with understanding the etiology and pathology of the skin. In order to help myself while making it a mission to help others, I began getting as educated as I could about esthetics while still in high school.
After earning my cosmetology license, I relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to attend one of the few esthetician schools at the time that offered multiple programs including medical esthetics. Once I received my esthetician license, I could not wait to start making a difference in people’s lives. Looking back now, I’m able to count working with plastic surgeons, dermatologists and prestigious cosmetic brands among the opportunities I had to grow, along with having lived and travelled all over the world.
My husband, David, served in the United States Army for twenty years. * Following his retirement, we returned to North Carolina where I’m so proud to be firmly planted back in my home state. My son, Zachary, is thriving at UNC-Wilmington and David and I love exploring life in this wonderful coastal area. I’m thrilled to be building my business here and there is nothing I want more than to share my knowledge and skills to help others feel like the most beautiful versions of themselves, not only from the outside but confident and happy on the inside. Establishing All Dolled Up here in North Carolina, where my life first began, I know I’ve come full circle.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.alldolledupmua.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/all_dolled_up_mua/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/experiencedmakeupartist
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/all-dolled-up-ocean-isle-beach
- Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g49406-d21334164-Reviews-All_Dolled_Up-Ocean_Isle_Beach_North_Carolina.html
*All Dolled Up is very proud to support our men and women in uniform. As a way of saying thank you, we offer military discounts to all active-duty members and veterans.
