Do you enjoy wearing make-up? Are you an aspiring make-up artist? Well, we have a fierce beauty expert named Natalie Butler, who has an amazing story about her journey as well as tips on how to keep your skin beautiful! Let’s get to it…
Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Natalie Butler is a jack of all trades! She is the owner of her own recruiting business and also an Independent Sales Representative and Mentor for Avon. She is passionate about her line of work and she strives to be a positive role model for not just her family, but young girls around the world. She has two nieces, who are 5 and 2 years old, and she is motivated by the desire to show them that they can make it in this world, and make it by not working for anyone else.
For Natalie, the beauty industry was more of a thing where she knew that she wanted to help not just people, but women. She wanted to find a way to connect with women, to not only educate them but to empower them too. (Pink Power!) Natalie stated that in a world where everything is judged so harshly, she wanted women to be able to stand strong, hold their heads high, being proud of who they are and what they do. And for Natalie, slowly applying make-up gave her the strength to overcome all of her daily life stresses; it was her cape! (Talk about Super Woman!)
“Each day, it would build my courage enough so that I felt I didn’t need it, but I loved it because it allowed me not only to express myself, but to connect with other women; to show other women they are not alone. We are as strong as we want to be.”
Growing up, Natalie states that she was a tomboy, so makeup and skincare was not always her passion. Natalie didn’t begin experimenting with makeup until college, when she met one of her very beautiful friends.
“The way she could transform herself, from looking like a nerdy college student to a woman that needs to be known, fascinated me! Afterwards, I’d go to makeup parlors and have the makeup artists do my makeup. I loved the sense of confidence it gave me being able to reach down and express my inner feminine self. It unleashed a side of me that I didn’t know was there.”
So how did Natalie get into being an Avon Representative? Natalie says that she was initially looking for something fun to do. She first tried to become a wine consultant, but after about 3 months, no one ever followed up with her. In the meantime, Natalie began researching about other companies that were listed with the Direct Selling Association, and to her surprise, she found herself going back to Avon.
However, Natalie already had prior experience with Avon! She originally sold Avon when she was in college and remembered that she loved their products. Natalie soon realized that she really needed to make something with the Avon business, because she didn’t want to use her full-time check to pay off those student loans! (I know that’s right!)
“They were affordable and from my memory, they were good quality. When I made the decision, I could literally envision my best friends sitting around a table with big smiles on their faces. What better way than to get your girls together than a makeup/pampering session, right? Who doesn’t like to feel and look good? My goal quickly changed when I saw that my student loan repayment would be $973 per month.”
For Natalie, in the beginning, support was a big challenge. Her family tried steering her away from selling Avon, as they are more of traditional “go to school, get a good education and get a good job,” and anything outside of the norm wasn’t fully embraced. Natalie got her very first job at 16 years old and for so long, she thought that having a job was the only way to go. Then after almost 7 years, she walked into her then-job and found out that she, as well as her sales team, no longer had a job. (Wowzers!)
“They had rearranged the desks in our office, moved computers and my boss as well as his colleagues ignored my questions for about 4 hours. Finally, he called me in and said they decided to shut down the business effective immediately.”
In that moment, Natalie made up her mind that she would NEVER put herself in that position. Natalie states that she was not the only victim to that horrible lay off, as it was done to parents and other hardworking employees, who had dedicated years of service to them. She watched businesses such as Payless, HH Gregg and others close their doors and it fueled her mission; which was to be in control of her own destiny. With her love of helping, teaching, and making people feel valued and appreciated, Natalie decided that she would continue to help people. She was tired of being forced into the traditional mindset of where she wasn’t leading people, but instead just managing them like they’re numbers. Natalie simply just wanted to show people that they can have that limitless mindset, regardless of their field of work. Natalie is all about showing women that they are stronger than they know; all they have to do is believe in themselves.
“Whenever you do something different, you look to those closest to you for support. When you don’t have that immediate support, it can be very discouraging. Because I didn’t have their support initially, I didn’t want to tell anyone about my business so it really stalled my growth.”
While working her full-time job, she would also focus on her Avon business. This ultimately taught Natalie how to work her Avon business around her schedule. So once the lay-off happened from her full-time job, Natalie was already generating steady income, and realized that she was put in this position for a reason. (You go girl!)
When she was working, Natalie would never call off. She would even feel bad for leaving early for medical reasons. It got to the point where she would decline vacations; she just never really lived her life. The same month that she was laid off, she had a surprise trip to Las Vegas, New York, the Bahamas, New Orleans, and a second trip to New York. Natalie realized that had it not been for her Avon opportunity, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to actually experience life. (What a revelation!) Natalie realized that Avon was something she must do. Also, she never realized how much she loved travelling and the fact that she could travel and work at the same time, with no penalties or guilt. (Awesome!)
Even though Natalie specializes in the dramatic and everyday make-up, most of her clients request every day natural looks. However, Natalie personally enjoys more glamorous and bold looks. She states that she loves a great smoky eye, because it just screams sexy and sophisticated to her! (Ow ow ow!) Natalie also thinks that it’s a fun way to express yourself and make any occasion special.
“There are days where we feel a little more “spunky” than others. Why not express that? Let your makeup speak for your mood.”
But no worries ladies, as Natalie will always go with what her clients request, regardless of what she personally enjoys. (Satisfaction Guaranteed!)
Her make-up services extend out to occasions such as birthdays and graduations for now, and she plans to handle weddings in the very near future. Outside of make-up, Natalie also offers skincare consultations, assistance with clients finding other products that will fit their needs such as: fragrance, bath and body, and jewelry. She always tells her clients to listen to their skin! Natalie stated that your skin tells you so much about your overall health and appearance. If you don’t have enough sleep, it will tell you. Not enough water? It will tell you. Natalie says to always remember to cleanse your skin properly and that sleeping in makeup may not have immediate effects, but it traps bacteria which can cause breakouts. (Eek!)
When we asked Natalie about her celebrity idol, she tells us that she would love to style Sanaa Lathan. Natalie believes that Sanna Lathan is drop dead gorgeous and at one point, she thought they resembled each other!
“She recently shaved her head and was just as beautiful without hair as she is with hair. To me, she’s the definition of true beauty. She’s feminine, sophisticated and classy. It would be an honor to let one of my brushes touch her.”
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the beauty industry, here’s Natalie’s advice:
1) Perfect makeup begins with perfect skin. Do not neglect skincare. You’ll spend less time trying to conceal imperfections if you address them directly.
2) Practice makes perfect. No one started out perfect.
3) Have fun. Makeup is a form of art. Don’t be afraid to express yourself.
4) Understand not everyone will see your vision. That’s ok! It’s not up to them. It’s YOUR vision.
5) Keep trying. Rome wasn’t built in a night. You need to build a solid foundation before you can build any monument.
Make sure to be on the lookout for Natalie, as she will soon be in an event near you! If you’re interested in booking Natalie for any projects or events, go to her website: http://chicagosbeauty.setmore.com
Also, you can keep up with Natalie and her business by following her social media:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chicagosnatalie or http://www.facebook.com/beautywins
Instagram | Twitter: chicagosnatalie
Blog: www.chicagosnatalie.com
Until next time…
“Boss Up and Be Blessed”
☆BossUpMag |•| 11.12.17☆