Beauty guru and makeup artist Carla Stevenné, who shares her makeup, hair, and fashion tips and tricks on her YouTube channel BeautyByCarla, created beauty brand Faces Artes to be “one-of-a-kind for all beauties,” she said.
Stevenné said her grandma is her biggest inspiration behind the art design of Faces Artes. She is also in a highly creative family and grew up always around art. Stevenné remembers her grandmother’s artwork the most clearly, particularly having a lasting memory in her mind, and it inspired the vision for the brand today. Her grandma used different colors and shapes and is the biggest inspiration behind each bold, colorful work of art.
Everything Stevenné has experienced on the rise as a beauty creator over the past years is the foundation of this makeup brand.
Stevenné was also recently at the World Natural Hair Show held in Atlanta to get the word out about Face Artes, what it essentially means to her, and the importance of having a voice as a Black creator and influencer.
“Everybody should be invited to beauty events,” Stevenné said. “This gives influencers and content creators that official stamp from their followers that they’re legitimate creators. This allows them to raise their price and get even more opportunities as creators, but if the space is closed on levels for all, only all are included in marketing to sell us the products.”
For additional information and to shop, visit https://faceartesbeauty.com/. To view/purchase Stevenné’s beauty products and other items, visit https://www.amazon.com/shop/carlastevenne. Additionally, to find her on YouTube, visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8bFB0jFTjM7boJ48qUslHw.
The Atlanta Voice: Why did you decide to start your business?
Carla Stevenné: I decided to start my business because I have been a content creator and influencer for over 10 years. I started my beauty channel on YouTube when I was 14, have over 15 million video views to date, and realized there was a need for more beauty brands willing to work with me and pay my rates over the years as a creator. There was a lack of diversity, particularly in the beauty space, and I created this brand to help fill the gap in the industry to open opportunities for all on every level in the beauty space. I have worked with the biggest hair, fashion, and skincare brands. However, when it comes to beauty, I have only worked with a small fraction compared to the other brands. This made me question the industry and realize the reality of the beauty space and its lack of openness to all on every level. A lot is missing, and everyone isn’t genuinely welcomed into the beauty space as it may seem to sell everyone the products. Everyone deserves to be a part of the beauty space and feel welcomed and beautiful. Being an influencer/content creator, there is a lot of money to be made, so if everyone isn’t eating from the industry, that causes problems in the space in the long run. My dream was to be a big-time beauty influencer growing up, and I want anyone who has that dream to know they can make it happen, thanks to Face Artes Beauty.
AV: Was there a moment that inspired you to start this business?
CS: There was a precise moment that inspired me to start this business when I was working with my manager as an influencer on a platform, and I won’t name names, but I was speaking with people about my plan to start a beauty brand, and immediately the next day I was dropped in the beauty category to the bottom just because they were aware that I wanted to create a beauty brand. I did everyone right and helped them so much, but then was attempted to be destroyed immediately after this moment. This immediately sparked a light inside me to ensure I make the best beauty brand ever created to ensure that this never happens to anyone else again. That’s the moment that started everything and gave me the fuel I needed to get this done correctly so no one would ever feel how I felt when that happened to me.
AV: Is there a mentor in your life that inspired/inspires you as a business owner?
CS: Yes, her name is Courtney Adeleye, the founder and CEO of Olbali. Courtney owns multiple companies and mentors’ other business owners with her brand Olbali. I signed up for her masterclass in December 2021. She supplied me with all the keys and has made over 100 million dollars in sales with her famous brand. I am forever grateful for her mentorship because she helped me when I needed it the most and continues to help people today.
AV: What are your business goals for the remainder of the year?
CS: One of them is to continue working with influencers worldwide. I sent one palette to an MUA that is in South Africa. Also, I have traveled to London and promoted my brand there. I want my business to be a global sensation and capture markets worldwide. Also, I want to expand the collection and have lip gloss. I am waiting to use the full lip gloss, so I know how that experience would be for a customer shopping. For me, it is all about having the best quality products with the best results on the market. I would love to be able to do another tradeshow as well. Atlanta welcomed us with open arms, and I appreciate that love and encouragement on my journey as an entrepreneur.
AV: Any advice to future business owners about taking the plunge?
CS: My advice to any business owners taking the plunge is to take it one step at a time. Don’t think too far ahead about the work that goes into it and get yourself overwhelmed. Have a notebook and write down those long-term goals, but most importantly, take those steps because nothing great comes overnight. You have to put in that work and build it, and eventually, you will have an empire. Take your time with the process. Believe in yourself, and never let anyone stop you. Take that as a sign you are on the right track because it happened to me. Certain things that may happen in your life are painful, but use those moments and struggles as motivation, so you can share your story with the next business owner and show them that it’s possible. Let your hardships be why you go hard for your business, and always keep going even on the days you don’t feel like it because it will be worth it in the long run.