#13ShadesofBlack: Meet Catie of Catie Starr Makeup

Catie Starr, Catie Starr Makeup

Hello there! I’m Catie Starr. I’m a pro makeup artist/men’s grooming specialist and I work on production sets, teach makeup classes, do personal makeup shopping, get people ready for special events and do men’s grooming. My life is filled with making people look and feel good.

Becoming a makeup artist is something I constantly dreamed about as a child- I’d sit at my brass vanity and pretend I was making instructional videos, (weird because this was long before YouTube). It wasn’t until making the move to San Francisco from rural Pennsylvania that my dream, somewhat accidentally, become a reality. While working for cult brand, Shu Uemura (still some of my favorite make up), I was asked to work on an Academy of Art project movie project. As soon as I walked on set and began working, I was a goner. I knew I would never want to do anything else- a few years later I earned my cosmetology license and started my company.

In the many years since, I’ve worked with thousands of people and countless production sets. I’ve developed my own aesthetic (fresh skin, black liner, just the right brow), though it is constantly changing and evolving. Being a part of a production team is still where I feel most at home and happy.

I also offer group and individual makeup classes and product personal shopping. The beauty industry is often intimidating- YouTube can be misleading, trips to a big makeup store overwhelming and costly (and you’re sold products you don’t need). I enjoy sharing my knowledge face to face, because everyone has different needs and the paint by numbers approach doesn’t often work. I educate people on where to splurge and save (many drugstore buys are fantastic), together we select the proper products for their wants and needs, then I teach the tricks and techniques that can be hard to master.

You can find me on Instagram @catiestarr and @catiestarrmakeup or contact me through my website. IRL you can find me at Rain Salon on South Boulevard a few days a week doing men’s grooming or anywhere with good bourbon or live music.

– Catie