We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole “Lipsticknick” Faulkner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole “Lipsticknick”, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
To be honest, it just all sort of happened organically. I found this open unit and was instantly inspired by the location and signed the lease without knowing what I was going to do with it. At the time I was also swamped with overlapping jobs and wasn’t able to take all of them, which got me thinking, “what if there was a space where people could come in and get their hair/makeup done by pro artists that I could train, and I could also take these artists with me on set for other gigs?” I called Esther Koop (my best friend and manager) and told her my idea, and she loved it. We spent the weekend working on a business plan and that’s how Pout was born.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a makeup artist, I love avant garde looks – growing up I was heavily influenced by drag queens and transformative makeup looks so I try and infuse a little bit of that into all of my original looks. I love to play with creative color combinations and create unique graphic lines and shapes. My clients are always pushing me to create something out-of-the-box and they know I’m up for the challenge!

The road to getting here definitely hasn’t been easy, and it’s still not! Honestly, just persistence, focus and a lot of hard work. I said yes to everything, was always kind to everyone I met, and tried to learn something new everyday whether it was a personal lesson like how I handle stress to dealing with difficult clients. I never focused on how much money I had, or showing off when I did start having some big breaks, I’ve just kept working and growing my brand/reputation.

Here are a few of the lessons I’ve learned along the way:
Stay humble or life will humble you.
Be kind to everyone, this industry is small.
How you make someone feel is more important that how you make them look, energy is so important.
How you feel at the end of the day is more important than how much money you made.
Life is short, take the risk.
You are your best investment.

My story has just begun! There are so many more things I want to do with my time on this earth but opening Pout has been my proudest achievement thus far, because it was something Esther and I created from scratch with just good intentions and a lot of hard work. We’ve created a safe creative space that connects artists with clients from all walks of life, and that feels good.

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?
Oh god, too many places to list, but I can tell you some places that would be on the itinerary:

FOOD:
– Sugar Taco, a plant-based vegan Mexican restaurant in the Melrose Arts District (I’m one of the owners here also!)
– St. Anne’s Restaurant & Bar in North Hollywood

FUN:
– Zuma Beach
– Melrose Trading Post
– USC Rose Garden

..and a stop at Pout for glam, of course! 😉

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Not only would Pout not exist but I, myself, would not be where I am today in my career or as a woman without my best friend and business partner Esther Koop! Because of her attention to detail, business mind, and organizational skills, I’ve learned anything is possible if you put your mind to it and have the right people in your corner to support you. Together we’re unstoppable!

Website: https://www.poutbeautybar.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poutbeautybar/, https://www.instagram.com/lipsticknick/

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

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pout-by-lipsticknick-north-hollywood

Other: Pout Service Menu: https://www.poutbeautybar.com/portals/0/images/PoutBeautyBar_ServiceMenu_6x9_051421..pdf

Image Credits
Jon Sams

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