Rising Stars: Meet Krystle Karee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Krystle Karee.

Hi Krystle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
“Have a dream so clear that in your mind, you have already achieved it”. That’s my mantra. Like every story, mine started as a kid. As a natural-born creative, I remember always searching for different ways to express myself. I loved making art, and as early as ten years old, I remember how intrigued I was with makeup, and I was always going into my mom’s bathroom to try on her makeup. I remember she loved wearing earth tones and she would cringe whenever I applied a smokey eye or used bright colors. Unfortunately, as I grew older, I was exposed less and less to the creative world because art was never prioritized in the primary and secondary level of education in Jamaica, so my real journey never really began until I graduated high school.

I can recall my first year of college so vividly because that experience made me who I am today. I attended the Edna Manley School of Visual & Performing Arts in Kingston, Jamaica, with the goal of becoming a Graphic Designer. The Visual Communications program was very competitive, rigorous, and extremely hard to get into at that time. However, that was a non-issue as I was confident that this was the next step in my life, assured that I was competent to get in and complete the program with good grades, so what could stop me?

Failing the entrance exam is what stopped me; for a while. Long story short, I failed the test that would allow me to be accepted into the program and was given the option to do a Jewelry program or to find another school. I was heartbroken. There I was standing in front of the Directors while they confirmed that I couldn’t do the one thing that I went there to do & that was vital to me becoming who I knew I was destined to be.

I’ve always had a clear vision of who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. Heck, I taught myself Photoshop in high school. Being faced with my options of being enrolled in a degree program that I had little interest in, with my passion being sideline or to find a new school, was a distinctive moment for me. If you know me, you know that when I put my mind to something, there is nothing that can stand in my way, not even a school’s Board Of Directors.

So what did I do? I accepted their offer because I had bigger plans. I ended up starting a major in Jewelry Design & used all my electives doing Visual Communication courses so I could prove to the Board that I deserved to be a part of that program and to prove that I had what it took to be a Graphic Designer. I was literally juggling two majors!

At the end of my second year, all my grades were top-notch and my Lecturers had no choice but to take notice of my skills. They agreed that I was “good enough” to have a spot in the Design program. So with support from my guardian angels and my determination, I pleaded my case to the Board Of Directors of the school, and for the first time in history, they gave someone the chance to switch into the Visual Communications program after a year of being placed in another.

Since then, I promised myself to always work the hardest in the room. That experience was proof that if you dream BIG enough and if you work HARD enough, the impossible can be POSSIBLE. As life would have it, I even got pregnant in my final year. This was a whole new ball game of changes, responsibilities, and fear. I was a new mother with so much to learn, but that didn’t stop me either.

During that time, I managed to dive into my second passion and got professionally trained and certified as a Professional Makeup Artist. I showed up every day with morning sickness and all that came with being pregnant. I completed my thesis, designed my final year show, came to Florida, had my baby, then I took my baby with me back to Jamaica, presented my final year show and graduated.

This is where my journey as a Professional Makeup Artist started. In my final year, the assignment was to create a company and its brand identity. This birthed “Krystle Karee Makeup,” a brand that provided professional makeup services and a line of beauty & special effects makeup products. Even though it was a fictional brand at the time, I treated it as if it was my livelihood because it was. At this time, I knew there were so many opportunities for me to thrive with my skill set in the entertainment industry because I had some family connections. This was truly my passion, so I took it and I ran with it.

I chose to stay in Jamaica an extra four years after college because things were going well for me and my brand. Krystle Karee Makeup evolved into a service-based brand because that was just something that came naturally to me and within those four years, it took me on the journey of my life, from working on movie sets, video shoots with some of Reggae & Dancehall most prominent artiste’s to again evolving, this time into a Music Video Director. I met & worked with so many amazing people.

While things were really good in Jamaica, I just felt like I outgrew the pond and wanted more. The thought of moving back to Florida was really scary to me because I was not only responsible for myself but for my child and I had no real succession plan in place, I was just going to start in a safe space and hope for the best. It also meant leaving behind everything I worked so hard to build, just to start from scratch and this time in an ocean.

Even though I was fearful, I ripped the band-aid off, packed my stuff, my kid and just went for it. During the first few years of moving back to Florida full-time, I relied on my Visual Communications degree as that was my main source of income since nobody knew what I was capable of, the projects I created, the brand I built, Krystle Karee Makeup & Krystle Karee Artistic Media just slowly faded away and became nothing but a memory and some cool stories I would tell.

After three years of moving back to Florida, I got a burst of inspiration and created “Facety Gal ” a product-based makeup brand that I ended up putting on the back burner while I focused on creating a more stable life for myself and my child. Thank God for my Visual Communications degree! The one thing I could always rely on to keep me afloat.

Then came 2020, the year of “self-realization.” Before the pandemic, I was side-hustling my way to creative burnout and really stretching myself thin. 2020 forced me to slow down and gave me time to reflect on what it is that I was truly passionate about. The thing that resonated with me the most was helping women feel beautiful and empowered. This passion birthed Magic Glam Academy. Now I use my brand as a tool to bring the knowledge and practical makeup lessons directly to the women who feel the need to elevate their personal makeup skills. I teach hands-on makeup techniques that can easily be applied to any beauty routine.

My brand was inspired by my makeup clients and offer a fresh take on makeup lessons and knowledge, with our mission to Educate, Inspire and Empower. I see each individual and I work with every face, no matter the age, background, or lifestyle. I help women find their signature makeup look, then guide them through the process of purchasing all the right makeup products and formulas to suit their personal needs, and teach them the correct makeup techniques so they can create a makeup routine for themselves.

I provide one-on-one “Glow Up Sessions,” makeup workshops in the form of “Beauty Brunches,” which can also be booked as private events, and on days where they just need professional glam, I provide a Mobile Makeup Service.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Being a single mom for the most part during my journey, I would say was a tough obstacle that I managed to work through, and I feel it molded me into the resilient person that I am today.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Graphic Designer and Professional Makeup Artist. I graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. I have worked in Business Development and I currently work in the Real Estate industry as a Graphic Designer.

Before launching the Magic Glam Academy, I had my makeup brand Facety Gal but what I think I’m infamous for is my work done in Jamaica. I sidetracked for a while and got into Video Production and have directed videos for some of Jamaica’s most talented Reggae and Dancehall artists like Mr. Vegas, Busy Signal, Keida, Romain Virgo, Rootz Underground, just to name a few.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I have not worked with a mentor before, even though I am thinking strongly about finding one. The one piece of advice I would give is to surround yourself with like-minded individuals who are aligned with your goals and who pours back into your cup, especially if you’re a giving person who pours into others. You don’t need many, just a core group of people who understand the work your doing and who can be there to lend a pair of eyes, ears, or hands when needed.

Also, train yourself to be fully self-sufficient and resourceful because one thing that I’ve learned is that not a lot of people will get it and you need to be able to get shit done regardless and to be able to motivate yourself on days when you feel like you have nobody around. It’s hard, but that self-motivation is what will allow you to remain disciplined and focused when things get hard.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.magicglamacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themagic_glamacademy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magicglamacademy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7UG85DerLplSSI2-BXjOA

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Jhaneal Symone