SKREEM BEAUTY ON BUILDING A CAREER IN BEAUTY
Skreem (Kiersten Harvey)
HOW DID YOUR JOURNEY INTO MAKEUP ARTISTRY BEGIN, AND WHEN DID YOU REALISE IT COULD BECOME A CAREER?
My journey into makeup started through music. Growing up, I wanted to be a child star. I was in a singing group for about five years and signed for four, so I spent a lot of time getting my makeup done. I became obsessed with the products, the process, and how everything came together. I would go home and play in makeup until my mom eventually hired someone to take me makeup shopping. Having my own makeup bag and products was everything to me.
At first, I learned so I could do my own makeup and my mom wouldn’t have to keep paying for it. After my group dismantled around the time I was 15, I started doing makeup on friends I knew through music and performing arts school in Atlanta. The management team I knew eventually asked me to do makeup for another young girl group, Pink Heart. That became something I continued doing for a couple of years.
One day, one of the parents asked if I had business cards and told me, “You could make a lot of money doing this.” My ears perked up! At that age, I wanted a phone, shoes, and my own spending money. That conversation helped me see that something I already loved could become a business.
I started my makeup Instagram at 17 and began building my clientele as a teenager. My mom let me take appointments in her office, so she would be working while my clients sat in my chair. I ran sales, offered discounts, and found ways to promote myself. By 18, I was committed to making makeup my full-time career. I knew I wanted to work for myself and build something of my own.
On a good week, I might have made $150, but that was enough for me to see the possibility. I couldn’t see the whole journey yet, but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE MAKEUP STYLE, AND HOW HAS IT EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS?
I would describe my signature style as campy, glamorous, vibrant, and unorthodox. I have a colorful personality, and color is how I express myself. Even before I knew what camp or editorial makeup was, I was already drawn to it.
When I was younger, a friend gave me an eyeshadow palette for Secret Santa. I would wet my fingers and use the shadows as lipstick, creating yellow lips, blue lips whatever I could imagine. Later, I became completely obsessed with the 2016 YouTube makeup era, watching creators like Aaliyah Jay and Jackie Aina. I loved the cut creases, glitter, smoky eyes, and bright colors.
Then Euphoria came out, and I was obsessed. Seeing that kind of experimentation on television made me want to push my own creativity further. I started gluing chains around my eyes, putting rhinestones on my lashes, and wearing charms on my face. I was homeschooled from seventh grade onward, so I had plenty of time to experiment, and my mom gave me the freedom to explore.
When I got my first studio in College Park, Georgia, at 19, I created that same freedom for myself. I would reach out to models on Instagram, including students at Georgia State and Clark Atlanta University, and ask, “Hey girl, do you want to get your makeup done?” They let me experiment, and many became friends who would call me asking when we could create again. Even on busy client days, I would still make time to do a look just for the fun of it.
Over the years, my technique has become more refined, and I’ve learned how to make those bold ideas feel sexy, elevated, luxurious, and wearable. That’s the SKREEM effect. Experimental glam can feel intimidating, and I love showing people how beautiful they can feel in it. My style keeps evolving because I’ve never lost that inner child who just wants to play in color.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACED WHEN ESTABLISHING YOURSELF IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY?
One of my biggest challenges was staying optimistic and not getting discouraged while finding my place. Social media gives us so much access to everyone else’s career. You see the big celebrities, the bookings, and the opportunities, and it’s easy to feel behind or overlooked. I had to learn how to appreciate someone else’s success without questioning my own timing.
There was also the challenge of staying original while building a business. I wanted to express my creativity and attract clients, but makeup is personal you’re working on someone’s face. Your creative vision might be different from what makes them feel comfortable. Learning to receive criticism, make adjustments, and make someone happy while still feeling proud of my work took growth.
I also had to give my artistry time to develop. Years ago, I thought my work was amazing, and it was good for where I was then. But I love my technique and the beauty I create now more than ever. I’m sure I’ll feel that way again in the future. That taught me to respect every stage instead of expecting myself to arrive fully formed.
The shift came when I stopped looking around so much and focused on raising the standard for my own craft. Staying original even when people don’t get it YET! I wanted to set trends, push the needle forward, and keep elevating SKREEM. That gave me something to work toward beyond comparing bookings.
For me, the challenge has been keeping my feet planted on my own square: trusting that I have a place, standing behind what makes me different, and continuing to put in the work. Once I embraced that, my attitude became, “Challenge accepted.”
WAS THERE A PARTICULAR CLIENT, PROJECT, OR OPPORTUNITY THAT CHANGED THE DIRECTION OF YOUR CAREER?
Absolutely. A client named Mrs. Christine changed the direction of my career when I was 19. She found me on Instagram when I had only a few hundred followers, and from our very first appointment, she truly saw me.
At the time, I was taking clients in my mom’s home office. I have five siblings, so imagine everyone running around while I’m trying to get ready. Whenever I had an appointment, my attitude was, “World, stop! I have a client!” I took every person who sat in my chair seriously.
I remember Mrs. Christine pulling up in a Porsche and thinking, “Oh my gosh, I have rich clients coming to me!” I was so excited. She ended up loving her makeup, and she told me she knew someone with a beauty space in College Park, Georgia. She offered to connect us and she followed through.
That introduction changed everything. I started working as the owner’s assistant, and by the following year, I had my own storefront there. I went from taking appointments at my family’s house to having a business address people could Google, my name on the walls, and a space where clients came specifically for SKREEM.
That was the moment I went from “I want to” to “I am.” I was building the business I had imagined. My mom had already helped lay that foundation by giving me the name SKREEM and helping me incorporate at a young age, and having my own space made that vision tangible.
Mrs. Christine used her connections to open a door I didn’t even know could open for me so soon. We still talk today, and I will always be grateful that she saw my potential at that stage. So, thank you, Mrs. Christine.
HOW IMPORTANT HAVE NETWORKING AND BUILDING GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS BEEN IN CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOURSELF?
Extremely important. I value being around other creatives who inspire me and who I can support, too. You want people to speak your name in rooms you haven’t entered yet, and I want to do the same for the people I believe in. That comes from trust, friendship, and knowing what someone brings to their craft. Sometimes the relationship itself is the opportunity. Having a community you can create with, learn from, and grow alongside means so much to me.
WHAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T SEE OR UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE WORK THAT GOES INTO BEING A PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP ARTIST?
People see the finished face and think it’s always glamorous. What they don't see is everything around it: prepping the kit, testing products on your own skin, traveling, and all the business admin, invoicing, contracts, chasing payments, knowing how to work in high intensity environments. It's physical too. I've had days that started at 6 AM and ended at 1 AM. The glam is the part everyone sees. The job is everything it takes to get there.
WHEN WORKING WITH CELEBRITIES, INFLUENCERS OR CREATIVES, HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR ARTISTIC VISION WITH THEIR PERSONAL STYLE?
I always start by listening. If a client tells me they want something soft and natural, I'm not going to paint a full graphic liner on them just because that's my signature. But I'm not going to give them something generic either. I'll find the version of their vision that still has my hand in it. The best looks happen when they feel like themselves, just elevated & SKREEM.
WHAT'S ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE LESSONS YOU'VE LEARNED ABOUT TURNING YOUR CREATIVITY INTO A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS?
Treating it like a business early. I learned to know my numbers, send invoices on time, get everything in writing, and never let anyone negotiate for me without me in the room. The art gets you in the door, but the business side is what keeps the lights on. Know how to advocate for yourself and protect your rates. If you don't value your work, nobody else will.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING MAKEUP ARTISTS TRYING TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN SUCH A COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY?
Start before you feel ready and post your work everywhere. I started doing makeup on friends at 15 and launched my Instagram at 17, and most of my early clients came from people seeing my work online. Invest in your craft, not just your kit. Trends come and go, but skill and originality are what make people book you. And don't wait for permission. Create the portfolio you want to be hired for.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU NOW, AND WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO EXPLORE OR ACHIEVE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF SKREEM BEAUTY?
Success for me right now looks like building SKREEM into something bigger than just me doing makeup. I want to become a beauty mogul who changes the industry and builds a legacy that lasts beyond me. I want to continue setting trends instead of following them, creating products, opportunities, and spaces that push the beauty industry forward. This next chapter is about ownership. Owning my name, my artistry, my rates, my business, and the freedom to bring my entire creative vision to life.
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