Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Garcia.
Monica, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been in the beauty industry for 10 years. It’s been lots of hard work to get my name out there and to be able to do what I do now.
The last few years I have had the opportunity to work backstage for runway makeup.
This last work trip for runway I was in Miami for Swim Week working with
The Shows which is one of the top organizations for Miami Swim Week and my experience was amazing!
The models were such a great vibe, I got to glam up Scottish designer Dr. Tessa Hartmann with Harti Swim and Wow! Such a talented woman and so down to earth!
I was so excited when I found out companies like Neutrogena, Seis Cosmetics, Chella Beauty, Solshine, and a few more were sponsoring the glam team with amazing products!
I also made new colleagues and felt that I got closer to old colleagues and to me it’s a beautiful thing to work with other people from around the country that share the same passion for their work and it’s what has brought you together, How we all ended up in the same room. It’s pretty cool. I love getting to know so many people and hearing their stories it inspires me so much. It’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about my journey.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth rode. Where I’m from these type of opportunities don’t just land on your lap. You gotta knock on doors or what somedays feels like breaking doors to get noticed and working backstage runway can get pretty chaotic. Just because you were invited to work with these organizations once doesn’t guarantee you’ve secured your spot and will be invited again. You have to stay sharp when really there is so much going on around you and you’re so overstimulated. In my experience I have felt that I always have something to prove to these people and that can get exhausting because the field is so competitive.
So my most recent experience,
Miami Swim Week was a blast but it was very intense! By that fifth day I was feeling it. Holy cow, my back and shoulders were so tight and sore. You’re on your feet working long hours. Sometimes in small hot spaces because there are so many people back there. But I gave it my all and I came back home feeling very accomplished.
But no, It’s never a smooth ride. As a travel makeup artist I didn’t one day just decide to pick up a brush and suddenly I’m working runway. It been years of hard work. Years of not giving up. Years of staying consistent. Years of putting myself out there and compared to bridal (because back home when I’m working local I work bridal) runway is very demanding and a place of high stakes where people are watching how you work, and how you cope under pressure.
You have media, models, designers, team leads all around you. At one point as I was working for The Shows I got pulled a side by HBO and they had me sign a release form and they just told me that the next model I was assigned would be filmed. Just like that! And I was okay with it. I thought to myself as long as it wasn’t being filmed live I was comfortable.
Mind you I was given 30 mins to get her in and out of my chair by my supervisors and I had this HBO crew all up in my space with mics and cameras and in the midst of all this Miss USA walks right by you and you have to NOT act like a fan girl and stay professional. There is so much going on! Lol, I love it!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a licensed esthetician. I own a salon and spa back home. So when I’m not traveling as a makeup artist you can find me at Monica MUA Beauty downtown Hastings!
You know I must say, What I’m mostly proud of is when I come back home to my salon and connect with my regular clients on a personal level and make them feel good and comfortable in my business environment.
I love my clients and over the years I’ve gotten pretty close to them. So it’s important to me to make them feel happy and taken care of and I think that’s what sets me apart from others.
Any big plans?
I don’t want to spill too many details. But yes, I have big plans for 2027.
I plan to rebrand as a luxury spa and I’m even planning on changing the name of my business! I already have the new name a logo but it’s not time to make an official announcement yet. Gosh there is so much to do yet. 2027 is going to be so exciting!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.monicamua.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicamuabeauty?
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HiSceH7nw/
