This New Beauty Series Makes Black Makeup Artists More Visible – Essence

In an industry full of insiders, this new cultural beauty series is unlocking the gate-kept door. The Beauty Breakdown, a live series spotlighting emerging artists and industry transparency, found its home in the creative sanctuary HEVN Studios over the weekend in an intimate space led exclusively by Black women.

The series is the brainchild of HEVN Studios founder Imary Mezquita, Mind Candy Beauty founder Lyric Christian, and Nyala “Lala” Chamberlain, the makeup artist behind celebrities like Lala Anthony, Aweng Chuol, and Simone Biles. But, it wasn’t an idea that took much thought at all. 

“This idea actually started organically,” Christian tells ESSENCE. When Chamberlain and Mezquita first approached her about hosting a masterclass, Christian immediately saw their idea as more than just a single event. Instead, “I worked closely with them to shape the vision into what became The Beauty Breakdown” a long-standing series platforming Black women across beauty and creative industries.

For Christian, that meant thinking through not just the demonstration, but the storytelling, the structure, the audience, the brand and product partners, and how to create a space that felt both elevated and accessible. “I wanted attendees to walk away not only creatively inspired, but with real insight, tangible takeaways, and a sense of belonging within this industry,” she says. Then, it all came together on Saturday night. 

For their first iteration, the evening began with a light cocktail hour drinking The Pale rosé and pecking at sweet treats from the Black-owned bakery Love London Sweets. After guests mingled and found comfort in the space, they transitioned to the heart of the event: Chamberlain’s makeup masterclass. 

As the evening’s featured artist, the makeup artist—who’s venturing more into luxury bridal and celebrity beauty— demo’d a softer, more romantic version of her signature glam, which she says is perfect for weddings and date nights. This is especially relevant now with Black women starring in recent romcoms from Zendaya in The Drama to Halle Bailey in You, Me, & Tuscany. To achieve the look, she focused on “luminous, skin-first beauty” and emphasized rich hydration for a glow-from-within finish.

She used a number of Black-owned products, from Danessa Myricks’ Yummy Skin Serum Tint to an unreleased high-shine nude gloss from her personal makeup line Dreamland Beauty (which is relaunching this year), which shows just how intentional Black representation is in this space. “The look was about merging techniques and blending my love for editorial artistry with the timeless allure of ’90s glam to create something modern, luxurious, and effortlessly captivating,” she says.

Having worked closely with Christian as an intern for Mind Candy Beauty, Chamberlain then put her brush down for an intimate fireside chat about her growth since then. “I may have been the one teaching, but I left learning something just as valuable,” she says vulnerably. “I felt really safe to be myself and speak openly about my journey, the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

As someone who’s now an artist others look up to, her biggest tips rang in the ears of all 50 guests in attendance: “My biggest advice is to focus on your craft first,” she says, developing your personal taste instead of following someone else’s. “At the same time, don’t wait until you feel ‘ready’ to start putting yourself out there.” 

And, for Christian, watching her lead intern command the room reminded her why she does this in the first place. “It felt like a full-circle moment, not just for her, but for what Mind Candy Beauty stands for in terms of spotlighting emerging Black talent,” Christian says. Between the audience chiming in and sharing their stories to seeing The Beauty Breakdown blooming before her eyes, “It really was a beautiful sight to see.”