Olivia Song Talks Motherhood, Entrepreneurship and More During 6-City Masterclass Takeover
Women of color are on an entrepreneurial uprising. They are the embodiment of persistence and power- on an unapologetic path of taking everything that was once denied to them.
Women of color are on an entrepreneurial uprising. They are the embodiment of persistence and power- on an unapologetic path of taking everything that was once denied to them. We live in an age where young women of color are finding their way into entrepreneurship and carving their path of legendry. Celebrity makeup artist and businesswoman, Olivia Song, is a prime example of the successes that come with tenacity and perseverance. At 28 years old, Song worked her way to exclusivity and success. You may recognize her name as being responsible for the beats of rap legend Lil Kim, Mulatto, the cast of Housewives of Atlanta and more! More recently, the Ohio native took a leap of faith during the start of the pandemic and dove into another realm of entrepreneurship by starting her own cosmetics line called “Supernatural Cosmetics”. Song doesn’t settle for kept gems- embarking on a 6-city Masterclass tour- Song plans to share the talents she’s acquired during her 11-year profession of makeup artistry. Last Saturday, I got the chance to sit down with Olivia at her first stop in Houston, Texas. During the sit down, Olivia shared how she steadies the thills of entrepreneurship, motherhood and what we can expect next from Olivia Song.
For those who are just being introduced to you can you tell us where you’re from and how you transitioned to be a makeup artist?
I’m 28 and I’m started off just a regular girl from Cincinnati, Ohio. I have always been into art and design- when I first started going to college, I actually started off in fashion design and I have always been into creating and designing. I started working at a makeup counter during school and I immediately fell in love with the ability to dive into my creativity and use it for every face. I think it was at that time that I started to pull away from fashion- I kind of realized at the moment it just wasn’t for me. It resulted in me leaving school for fashion design and at the time I was working for MAC- I decided to pursue that full time.
What was the first project that you feel really catapulted your career?
During COVID I created a virtual makeup class shortly after I moved to Atlanta. I had just moved there, and I found myself locked-down. I wasn’t able to do any of my normal services and I had to figure out a way to be able to generate income for my house. It was around that time that I started my product line and recorded a virtual masterclass for other MUA’s to learn my techniques- I think that’s what really set it off.
So let’s talk about how you created the concept of this 6 city tour? It definitely fits your personality- being big and luxurious with the celebrity guests! How did this come to plan?
Last year we actually did two larger classes with the same guests- one in Ohio and one in Atlanta. This year, I decided to switch it up because I felt the demand was high based off of the turnout, I had last year. There were people flying in from different countries and different states to attend my classes- this year I decided to spread out my classes so people could attend venues that were more convenient for them. That was really the idea behind the 6-city tour! I decided to do different celebrity guests so that if someone wanted to learn on a particular skin tone or if someone wanted to come see their fave- then they would be able to do that. I definitely wanted to be diverse as far as the models and cities I was in so that my students had choices.
We know that you launched your cosmetics brand during the pandemic. Is this something that was in the making for a while or was a leap of faith you decided to take, and felt it was the right time?
It was not in the mix whatsoever! I always knew that I wanted a product line- the first thing I did was get my LLC for my company name because I knew at some point this is what I wanted to do. I always thought of it as a “long-term” goal though- it was not going to happen anytime soon. When the pandemic hit, I definitely had to take a leap of faith. I had no experience, I just had to start my research on how to locate vendors and go through lash samples. As an MUA, my clients always loved my lashes and they would always ask if they could buy some on the side, so naturally, when I thought of my first product- that’s what came to mind.
A lot of the presence and successes you have definitely speak to the power that women of color have. Motherhood is something that further amplifies your power in this field as well! What can you say to people out there who are seeking out a similar path as mothers?
So, I am super transparent throughout this journey of my career while being a single mother, because I know so many women who have big dreams and are single mothers are watching. I know first hand of the “mom guilt” we have and how people are quick to discourage us from pursuing our path at full force. I definitely want them to know that it can be done unapologetically, and we can bring our children along. My son is going to go to school and say “I went on tour with my mommy” he is so proud. I just want you all to know we can go after our dreams and aspirations the same as everyone else.
I definitely want to touch on you being a woman of color in a field that does not always fairly represent or provide opportunities to marginalized peoples. Do you have any plans on how you plan to use your brand to further the representation or opportunities provided to people of color in general?
That’s good question! To add to that question-there’s also a lot of men in this industry. Sometimes people even limit me because of the fact that I’m a mother and they place me in that box of obligation. I feel like me being my authentic self and just being transparent in the roadblocks that I go through- I feel my audience relates to that. Coming up, I honestly didn’t see many examples set for me in this industry and I just kept going. I feel when people see my path, they can identify with me.
When it comes to you growing as an MUA- what was the first moment that you realized that you were living your dream? Did you work with anyone that made you feel like “Wow I made it”?
Lil Kim, Lil Kim! That was so surreal for me because I’m a Lil Kim fan and she is such a legend to me. Not only that, but it was for a Pretty Little Thing campaign and that’s a huge brand so the whole experience was crazy to me. They flew me to L.A., put me in the Ritz Carlton honey, they gave me a driver! The set was crazy- we were in the middle of the desert- I’m like that’s Lil Kim! Overall, it was just an amazing time.
Do you have any Celebs that you would like to work with in the future? Who would you shoot your shot at?
I would love to work with Saweetie- I’ve been saying this in every interview! I would also like to work with Megan and Nicki Minaj that would be amazing! I want to go to L.A. and do Kylie-I love them all but Saweetie is probably at the top of my list.
What do you feel like is the trajectory of your career going forward? What can we expect from Olivia Song?
Definitely the expansion of my product line and focusing on makeup education. I plan on transitioning to working with a smaller number of clients and making my access more exclusive so that I can focus myself and on widening my brand.
