Today we’d like to introduce you to Hilary Russell.
Hi Hilary, 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?
I always knew I wanted to be in the beauty industry. I’ve always had a passion for beauty, skincare, makeup, and self-care — I was definitely a beauty junkie growing up. That passion led me to attend professional makeup artistry school and cosmetology school, where I continued growing creatively and professionally.
My journey in the beauty industry really began during my 13 years at Sephora, which became a huge part of my personal and professional growth. Being surrounded by beauty, education, artistry, and client experiences helped shape me tremendously and confirmed that I wanted to build something of my own one day.
I knew I wanted to create a brand centered around beauty, self-care, education, empowerment, and personalized experiences for clients. A lot of that came from my own experiences growing up feeling self-conscious about my skin and not having someone to personally guide me before the days of YouTube and social media tutorials. I wanted to become the person I didn’t have growing up — someone who could help others feel seen, supported, confident, and beautiful in their own skin.
I also wanted to create more personalized beauty experiences because not everyone gets that one-on-one time or guidance in a retail setting. I wanted beauty to feel more personal, comfortable, convenient, and tailored to each client’s individual needs.
Starting my own business has been exciting, rewarding, and challenging, but I’m grateful for every experience and opportunity that has helped me continue growing this business as I build a successful beauty brand I’m proud of.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
With most new businesses, there have been challenges along the way as I’ve been building and growing Hilary Eve. A big part of the challenge has been growing my business without the financial backing to invest in outsourcing or additional support, while continuing to build visibility, create opportunities, and grow my client base as the business continues to develop.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a professional makeup artist and beauty educator. I specialize in creating personalized beauty experiences that go beyond makeup — focusing on confidence, education, self-care, and artistry.
I’m known for my one-on-one, personalized approach. I really take the time to understand each client and make the experience feel comfortable, intentional, pampering, and tailored specifically to them.
What sets me apart is the time and care I put into each client experience. I don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach — everything is tailored depending on the service being booked, whether that’s makeup artistry, beauty education, or workshops. My goal is always to create an experience that feels intentional, empowering, and personalized from start to finish.
My work includes makeup artistry for special events, bridal, photo shoots, and more, along with beauty education services, where I provide personalized guidance and product recommendations to help clients achieve their beauty goals and address their specific concerns, as well as empowerment workshops.
My goal is not only for clients to leave feeling beautiful, but also to feel more confident and empowered in their everyday beauty routine or a special event they are going to.
What I’m most proud of is being able to build something that brings together beauty, education, and empowerment in a way that feels personal, real, and meaningful for each client.
What also sets me a part is being deeply connected to my community and having the opportunity to collaborate with other small businesses and local events. I especially love creating space for moms to experience self-care and pampering, because I understand firsthand how much they give to others and how important it is for them to receive that time for themselves
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Starting my own business from scratch was a huge risk for me. It was something I never fully imagined myself doing in that way, but I knew I wanted more for my career and my passion within the beauty industry. Building something without everything perfectly mapped out required a lot of faith in myself and my vision. Even now, I still look back and realize how much courage it took to take that step, pushing me outside of my comfort zone and into everything I’ve been able to build so far in my business.I think taking risks is an important part of growth. Every time I’ve stepped outside of my comfort zone, things have always worked out better than I expected in some way, and it’s encouraged me to keep pushing forward.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeupbyhilaryeve
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hilaryeve
- Other: https://www.fresha.com/book-now/makeup-by-hilary-eve-yt21btu2/services?lid=1213102&eid=2835130&share=true&pId=1151038
