By Jerika L.H.
Homegrown makeup artist April Lopes is living her dream. Not only is she enjoying the perks of being a young businesswoman, but she is rising in the ranks in a profession that allows her explore her passion – one which has gained her international attention. Her quarter-of-a-million internet followers is an attestation to her talent as a self-taught beauty authority. Although her massive internet presence is still something she is learning to get used to, her title as a makeup expert has been a long time coming.
“Since as long as I can remember, I have always been into makeup. As a young girl I would sneak into my step mom’s makeup bag and play with her makeup before I was allowed to wear it. I even used to go to school with a full face of makeup on and remove it all on my walk home from the bus stop so I wouldn’t get caught. I’ve always dreamed of being a makeup artist. There’s something so special about being able to make someone feel beautiful.”
Her lifelong interest in makeup and beauty began turning heads online, as she started to post pictures of her new looks and experimental trends on social media. Shortly after, big name brands began to notice her work and starting endorsing her style, often sending April products to help expand her collection. After 7 years as a DIY beauty mogul, April has built an empire with her gigantic internet following – who she calls her “big support team.” Yet, despite the boost in her career marketability, April admits that having 250,000 global followers can take some getting used to. “I definitely have people recognize me and call me by my Instagram name in public. I’m super socially awkward so I used to get really embarrassed when that happens, but I’ve gotten a lot better at it over the years. I think the challenge to having a bigger following on social media is handling all of the different personalities and opinions. Sometimes I have to filter how I talk or really think about what I post before putting it out there, just to minimize the chance of offending people or getting random people on the Internet starting arguments on my posts. So that’s kind of frustrating. But that’s the Internet for you.”
To much of the surprise of her clients, April never attended beauty school. Her talent stems from a natural eye, self-taught color theory, and a childhood of practice. She is, however, a licensed esthetician. April got her degree in 2014 from Federico Beauty Institute to complement her makeup services. Her business “Makeup By April” has been a great success.
With her intense signature looks and vibrant color palates taking the makeup world by storm, April regards her internet reputation as a side effect of her passionate love of visual artistry as well as her hard working entrepreneurial spirit. “Internet stardom is not something that I strived for. I’m most proud of what I do in ‘real’ life. I love being able to make people feel beautiful and confident. Having a large following on social media has been so amazing for business and getting my work out there, and I’ve gotten so many amazing opportunities from it that I’m so thankful for, but it’s just a plus. I feel like the younger generation is so influenced by social media and I just want to remind people that it’s not what defines you or puts value on you. I am all about working hard and keeping a balance in real life. “
With a promising future bolstered by her raw talent and larger-than-life social media support, April is confident about the road ahead. “I’m still exploring and figuring that out, but I definitely would like to eventually have my own studio. Maybe create something of my own, whether it be a place to learn makeup or it be a makeup line or something of that sort.”
Wow! What a gift April! Congratulations and wishes for continued success to you!!!! Great job! As someone who did makeup for Shisedo and Borgese I know it is not easy at all, but so rewarding to make people feel good about themselves!