Meet Leyla Marzbani | Makeup Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leyla Marzbani and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leyla, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think risk-taking is a necessary part of building a career as well as life in general. I grew up in a small town in Vermont and as anyone from the east coast can tell you, Los Angeles (and the west coast altogether) is a completely different world. I come from a place where everyone knows everyone. Taking the leap and moving to Los Angeles to pursue my career as a Makeup Artist felt astronomical to me back then but it pushed me past the limits of what I knew about myself and my comfort zone. Coming from a close-knit community and family-oriented background to a city where I didn’t know a single person for thousands of miles was extremely daunting, but I wouldn’t be where I am now without having taken that risk. There’s that saying, “nothing worth doing is easy,” and in my personal experience, that has absolutely been true. It’s important to continue to move out of your comfort zone, to try/learn something new, and go after what you’re passionate about because you only get one shot at life.
It can be easy to stay where you are, where you’re comfortable. It could be as simple as only using familiar products, going to the same restaurants, or it could be letting a big opportunity pass you by because of all the “what ifs”. Everyone gets caught up in that from time to time. At some point, you have to decide if you’d rather take a chance, and even if you fail, know you gave it a shot, or stay still and wonder what could have happened if you had chosen to take the leap.
Makeup Artistry has been my passion for as long as I can remember and choosing to follow it as a career has led me to taking many risks. Not all of them have worked out in my favor but, that’s life, and without them, I wouldn’t be where I am or have the knowledge that I have today. I welcome the opportunity for more risk-taking in the future and I’m excited to see where it leads me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Since I was little I’ve always loved creating art. I liked that it was subjective and didn’t have to follow rules. My first introduction to makeup as an art form was through my aunt Catherine whom I was mesmerized by. Every Halloween she would turn me or my cousins into a character of our choice and her creativity and imagination always blew me away. Since then I’ve been drawn to telling stories through makeup. Beauty, Editorial, Avant-Garde, Character, FX, all of it tells a story. Choosing makeup artistry as a career wasn’t a hard decision to make but the journey certainly hasn’t always been easy, nor will it be in the future. Any hardships are worth the feeling I get while doing what inspires me and what I love everyday.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a really good question! I myself am still getting to know the city and everything it has to offer but I would probably take anyone who hasn’t been here to The Last Bookstore. The layout blows my mind and I constantly find something new and unique every time I go there. If we are feeling a beach day, Malibu is so beautiful and a great place to relax and enjoy the ocean. Lastly, if we are looking for a fun place to eat I would have to say that I’m pretty fond of Mel’s Drive-In, I have lots of good memories there with friends and the 1950’s aesthetic is definitely a huge plus in my book.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been lucky enough to have such an insane amount of support, so my first Shoutout has to go to my friends as well as my amazing family. I also have to Shoutout my many teachers and mentors over the years. You all inspire and encourage me to turn my crazy aspirations into reality and without all of you, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Words will never express how grateful I am to have you all in my life.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/makeupbyleyla

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/leylamarzbani

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leylamarzbani/

Image Credits
Michael Spatola (B&W Image Photographer) Andrés Moret Urdampilleta (BTS Photo Photographer) Levi Bernhardt Chelsea J. Smith Lauren Esposito Brooke Sampson