How Blackshere Beauty  Is Elevating Beauty Service Standards For Black Women – Essence

The only thing faster than a New York minute is how quickly New York women need to be in and out of the chair and on the go. For creatives and business women alike, looking the part can be the key to not only self-confidence but also self-actualization. Lucky for us, concept-studio Blackshere Beauty offers glam, brows, lashes, and hair services that rival some of your favorite editorial looks.

As a former M.A.C. artist trainer and NYFW MUA, owner and creative director Starr Blackshere has mastered the balance of bespoke artistry and timely execution. In just five years, her Brooklyn-based studio has become a hub for beauty innovation and community where women experience the power of transformation on a timeline that works for their schedule.

I took a seat in Starr’s chair for a glam session and deep dive into her star-studded career and journey to creating her highly coveted concept-studio.

Glam On A Deadline

In true Blackshere Beauty fashion, I was a client on a time crunch, but that was no cause for concern for her team. Upon arrival, the warmth and tranquility of the studio, coupled with Starr’s poise and inviting presence, put my mind at ease. A true aesthete, the atmosphere seamlessly combines the energy of a gallery and concept store, where the clients are the art. Illuminated, circular mirrors at each director’s chair station feel like a personal portal into your unique transformation. Natural wood tones, clean white walls, terracotta flooring, and an exposed ceiling offer a simple yet sophisticated canvas for the team to work their magic. 

One of my favorite details in the space is the display case with a niche selection of beauty books and magazines that would intrigue any enthusiast (most notably a signed copy of Sam Fine’s Fine Beauty: Beauty Basics and Beyond For African American Women), along with stunning, sculptural floral arrangements from X&O Blooms. Akin to her fast-paced NYFW days, I shared a few inspo pictures for my desired look (mostly taking reference from Solange) before she quickly got to work. 

Born Into Beauty

In some ways, the L.A. native was born into beauty, unknowingly planting the seed for her decades-long career, competing in mother-daughter pageants from the age of five. There she learned more than just hair and makeup, but the intricacies of the feminine poise. “It is everything from the way you carry yourself to the confidence and conviction in your own voice. It’s so much more than just curls and shimmery eye shadow,” Blackshere tells ESSENCE. On the stage, Starr not only embodied the beauty of performance, but learned the dynamism of craft—how your look creates a character, a subtle foreshadow to her NYFW days preparing models for the runway. 

Bedroom Braider and Brow Stylist

At just 15, she started her first business as a braiding and brow stylist working from her teenage bedroom, first with her peers and, soon after, their parents and friends. “This was before social media and texting, so I would use pagers and landlines to keep up with my clients,” she says. Before long, she took an apprenticeship at a local salon, Artistic Trends, where she gained her first experiences with celebrity clientele, attended the legendary makeup artist Sam Fine’s first Master Class, and competed in the Bronner Brother’s hair competitions. 

She later transitioned to full time cosmetology school, intentionally commuting almost an hour away to gain experience with more diverse clientele. “I had been doing braids, brows, relaxers, and cuts for a few years at this point,” she tells me, “but I wanted to be educated in what wasn’t familiar to me… both in terms of services, like coloring and precision cutting, but also clientele. I wanted to know that I could service anyone who sat in my chair no matter their skin tone, hair texture, or ethnic background. That’s a true artist.” 

From Artist to Trainer at M.A.C.

It was during her time in cosmetology school that she began to seek more artistic opportunities for her talent and applied to be a makeup artist at M.A.C.’s flagship store in San Diego in 1999. “This was well before they had franchised and M.A.C. was known as the destination for artistry and innovation,” says Blackshere. “It wasn’t like today where almost every mall has a M.A.C. store. This was their first on the West Coast and it was a place people would travel to just to experience.” 

In June of 2003, she was tapped to open their first Harlem store. On a one-way flight, with no winter coat and an all black outfit (signature MUA attire), she was off. She spent the next ten plus years as an Artist Trainer and Team Developer, cultivating the next generation of talent at M.A.C. “Working as a trainer is what really taught me about the business side of beauty,” she says. “It was no longer about just creating beautiful looks but learning how to work with people to help them reach their fullest potential.” It’s a skill she accredits to helping her build Blackshere Beauty and also lead teams backstage at NYFW.

Backstage at NYFW

Starting in 2004, she began working as a MUA at Mercedes Benz NYFW, recreating iconic looks from the key artists. “The gift of doing NYFW was mimicking top artists like Charlotte Tilbury and Pat McGrath… watching their artistry, telling the story of the model’s character from the design to them walking down the runway. Through our artistry, we helped them connect to different personas… it’s both theatrical and intellectual the way we create looks and personas, not just a paint down,” she says.

That same ethos of transformation is what she extends to her clients at Blackshere Beauty. “I’m intentional about fully taking in the person I’m in front of, so I’m not just putting something on them, but enhancing what they came with and giving them more of what they had…so they can walk into any room and feel like themselves.”

Blackshere Beauty In Brooklyn 

Over the next 15 years, she continued to develop her signature natural glam aesthetic before eventually starting Blackshere Beauty, first in her home before opening her Prospect Heights studio. “With Blackshere Beauty, I wanted to create a space that offered what I was delivering for my celebrity clientele but for my broader community,” she tells ESSENCE, “with excellent service, innovative approaches to beauty, and the respect for client time that many people assume isn’t a possibility when in reality, it’s just not widely available.” 

“No matter who sits in our chairs, they have our artist’s full attention and care,” shares Blackshere. “We’ve all been at a salon for hours and had our entire schedule thrown off, so with every service and every team member who joins us, we do diligent testing to ensure the end result and timeline more than meet expectations.” It’s the kind of precision and planning that comes from decades of working in the industry, and it’s something she instills in her team.

A Star Team

As much as her work is focused on artistry, it’s also in developing her team. “Before I hire someone, I always ask them who their beauty inspo is,” she says. “That informs how I train and develop them and also that we are a good fit so that we have continuity across service providers.” She’s not interested in siloing into any one trend, but giving her team the tools to become multi-faceted artists whose crafts can withstand the test of time. It’s about accentuating her clients’ natural beauty with looks that represent who they are and how they want to present themselves to the world. 

“I was formed here [in New York City] to be this type of artist. Creating Blackshere Beauty is my contribution… to give back to the next generation of artists and the beauty community,” says Blackshere. Stepping into her studio, and experiencing her craft, you can’t help but feel the intention and connection the space holds. 

The Final Look

Before I knew it, Starr had transformed me into Solange-inspired, ethereal muse. She gave me a breathtaking, pastel, half-moon eye look with shimmery accents and fluttery lashes to complete the look. My hair was softly curled, and my face was expertly sculpted with a breathable base that still allowed my skin to shine through. The eyes were the focal point, yet everything else from the precision-defined brows and glossy nude lip created perfect harmony. Aside from my look, what I was most impressed by was Starr’s agility and deftness as she worked on my face while we simultaneously chatted as I typed and sipped. I see why she’s the go-to for the woman on the go.