Meet Stacey Tan, the MUA Behind All Your Favorite Brands

By: Valeria Ramos

It’s no secret that makeup artists are abundant everywhere you look today. With the power of Instagram and Youtube, careers in this industry are growing every day, making it harder for aspiring makeup artists to stand out among the crowd of highlighted and contoured beauty gurus. 

To find out more about makeup artists and what their careers consist of, I interviewed Stacey Tan – a professional hair and makeup artist who has worked with brands like For Love and Lemons, Unif, and Stone Cold Fox, just to name a few. 

My favorite part of this interview was finding out Stacey’s advice for anyone pursuing a career in fashion which she pretty much summed up by saying, “Fashion is hard work, man!” I also enjoyed learning about her must-have products and some favorite moments in her career. 

Stacey has been working in this industry since 2010 and discovered her passion for makeup and her desire to “pursue a creative career” while studying at a community college. “I wasn’t attaching to any subjects that were offered in school and makeup seemed to just fit for me,” she said.

Other people I have interviewed with careers in the fashion industry have mentioned that networking and connections can play a major role in one’s career. This seemed to prove true for Stacey as well.

“My first job was for a website called Shop Planet Blue through my childhood friend who is an incredible photographer. It started everything for me.”

Like most creative workers, Stacey shares that there is nothing “typical” about her workdays. 

“Since I work freelance, my workdays widely vary – from being at the desert, or in a chic studio, to doing makeup on the beach – my job consists of a lot of ‘going with the flow’ and ‘making it work,'” she said.

On what gets her creative juices flowing, Stacey says she draws inspiration from different beauty products. “When I find an interesting color, or texture or finish with a product, it inspires me to create something interesting from it.”

And create something interesting she has…plenty of times. A simple search on Instagram of #beautybystaceytan will reveal an impressive body of work unique to Stacey’s creativity. 

“My favorite shoot to date is something I did this past year for an incredible clothing company called Flynn Skye. Zoey Grossman shot it and Zuzzanna Bijoch was the model. It came out so beautiful, I feel really proud of that one!”

I asked Stacey whether she thought there were any misconceptions about jobs in the fashion industry and her response was refreshing.

“I think people have misconceptions about the fashion world. One is that this world is glamorous or luxurious. Sometimes it definitely is, but for the most part, there are a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that go into every aspect, and every individual onset has worked tirelessly to be there. It is a small industry and there isn’t room for any weak players. Fashion is hard work man!”

“The most challenging part of my job is usually a mental challenge. I work very closely with people for long hours, so balancing personalities and social conflicts are easily the most testing part of my job,” said Stacey.

And the best part of  Stacey’s job? Easy. “My favorite part of my job is getting boxes of free makeup—it literally never gets old,” she said. 

Of course, I couldn’t ask Stacey for an interview without talking to her about some of her favorite beauty products.

“My current makeup essential is stick foundation by Anastasia Beverly Hills – it is super easy to apply and has the perfect amount of coverage! I also can’t stop using highlighters by ColourPop Cosmetics – super affordable and super high quality.” 

Last, but not least, Stacey’s advice for someone interested in pursuing a career in the fashion industry is, “Be nice!” and “Be unique, if you think you’re working hard – work HARDER! Be unforgettable every day. Say hello to every single person in the room.”