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

Hi Giovanna, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
For as long as I can remember, makeup was always one of my biggest passions. I always loved experimenting and playing with new looks as I learned various skills. Eventually, after years of doing makeup on friends and family, I decided to take the plunge and turn it into a business. While I was doing makeup for a content shoot, I was customizing a pair of false lashes and the model suggested I start making them as part of my business with Good Lookz which I felt was a fun aspect to offer.

It was a little scary at first since I was opening the door to outside criticism and judgment but after attempting to pursue other careers, I found myself coming back to the beauty industry and while it’s been anything but an easy journey, I am so happy I decided to push through and actually become my own boss.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m most proud of how much I’ve grown and will continue to do as I am able to scale up in the future and pursue the major goals I have set in place for Good Lookz. Even though I had been doing makeup since high school, in the past year, I was thrown into some of the most challenging positions of my career where my skills were put to the test and I came out feeling very accomplished since a lot of what was being asked or restrictions in place were outside of my comfort zone.

No part of this journey has been easy and as I get older and continue to learn new practices on ways to refine my techniques, I am able to look back and see the dramatic upward trend of feedback and holding my own in such a large industry. As someone who tends to be more introverted, being forced into situations where I had to put mind over matter, really leaning into my strengths, helped me to overcome the challenges thrown at me, and in turn help my confidence when it came to flipping the switch to conduct my business.

Pushing through the hard times and not giving up on myself or the vision I have for Good Lookz has not been easy by any means, but once the light starts shining again, those times are so worth it because, without them, I wouldn’t appreciate the good times as much as I do. Every order and client is truly a blessing and I am so grateful to be in the position that I am.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Considering my best friend lives in a land-locked state, it’s a given we’re hitting the beach. One of my favorites is Malibu if we’re just going to have a chill day, but it’s a lot of fun to rollerskate around Santa Monica so I would take her to both and drive down the PCH.

As for food, I love both Catch LA and Catch Steak, or Yamashiro for dinner; The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappucino Maker for brunch; and The Nice Guy for drinks.

Hiking Runyon Canyon is also fun to do and watch the sunset with gorgeous views. Rodeo Drive is also almost like a right of passage when visiting LA so we would definitely go shop during the day. The really cool thing about Los Angeles is that there is always something for everyone so even outside of the main tourist attractions, there are a lot of hole-in-the-wall spots that you can stumble upon and create some really great memories.

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?
Honestly, I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for the robust support system I have behind me. My parents always encouraged me to be creative; my partner, Rainy, helped me take the leap to start my business, set up all the logistics, and has given me a platform with his brand, Tell The Truth, to showcase. My best friends constantly showed love and were models for the fun creative looks I would want to do for social media and portfolio content. Additionally, the Art Hearts Fashion team gave me access to a large audience to sponsor my lashes for Los Angeles Fashion Week and show off my makeup skills during Los Angeles Swim Week.

Website: https://goodlookz.shop/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_goodlookz_/

Image Credits
Arun Nevader with Getty Images (bts picture with colorful makeup); Daniel Taylor (up close picture of model with scarf wrapped around head); Rainy Womack (bts picture with green shirt and hat + model in cow print bikini)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.