Meet Ayleen Rodriguez | Makeup Artist

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

Hi Ayleen, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was raised in Temecula, a small town in the IE, and later moved to San Diego. I am super grateful for my parents, they definitely had a huge impact on who I am today. Growing up, I remember my mom telling me to set 10 personal goals on a notebook each year and once the year was up, I would see how I would accomplish most of those goals. My parents also told me to pursue a job that I truly enjoyed. My parents came to the US at a young age and owned their own businesses, so growing up my father taught me all the behind the scenes of owning a business which definitely has contributed to running my own makeup business today.

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.
Being an independent makeup artist has definitely had its challenges. I think the biggest challenge was not having enough resources on the basics on how to run a makeup business, how to build a clientele, how much to charge clients, where I can find quality online education. I had so many questions, all which I had to figure out on my own with years of experience.

What sets me apart from other makeup artists is that I love creating a community within the makeup industry. I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to grow my business into what it is today and I truly want everyone to reach to this point too. I love sharing product recommendations and tutorials on my Instagram. I also love hosting masterclasses where I get to meet local makeup artists and share my makeup techniques and deep diving into how to grow a high end clientele. I also started providing online education on my website so others can learn my most requested makeup looks, down to an Ebook on how to have a successful makeup business and how I grew my social media.

I work a lot with brides, red carpet events, TV shows! I feel like the quality of work I put into my artistry for my clients and just being a flexible and kind person is what has helped me build a strong reputation as a luxury makeup artist in LA. I’m not here to just work and leave, I truly enjoy my craft, meeting my clients, and being a part of their most special moments of their lives. Making them feel their most beautiful for these events fills my heart with so much joy!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The morning would start off with a good quality coffee, shout out to KAFN in Glendale! I’m addicted! I love a good brunch, like Beas and Beas for pancakes or an omelette. Villas tacos is a MUST in LA. And end the night with a cute rooftop bar moment like at The Perch, it has the prettiest night time view of the city and they play the best throwbacks. It’s not a true California adventure without a beach trip, honestly the best beaches are a drive down south to Laguna beach or La Jolla in San Diego! And I would go kayaking with the sharks or surf if I’m feeling extra adventurous.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shout out to my makeup artist community in San Diego! I started my makeup business there and the community there is unmatched. They are truly the best hype girls and have supported my journey since day 1.

Website: https://Beautybyayleen.com

Instagram: @beauty_by_ayleen

Other: Tiktok @glambyayleen

Image Credits
Vanessa Vega
Sarah Cecilia