Transparency Post: I am retiring

I am going to stop right there so you guys can catch your breath.

Not today, but it will be soon (give or take about a year or two). Many of you knew me before King Elizabeth was a thought. Before I picked up a makeup brush or even knew how to do my own makeup. Back then I was a young biology + pre-med major, taking 18 credits a semester, pulling all-nighters, writing papers for my friends and school mates to make ends meet. Freshman year of college I formed tennis elbow from sitting up and typing in my bed for hours on end. It healed within about a year but I always had lasting effects from it. Once I graduated college I was a medical transcriber, again, a lot of typing and wrist exhaustion. Then I became a full time makeup artist. For the first five years of being a professional makeup artist, I did not rest, never took a vacation, no days off, worked on almost every holiday, etc. Some days I would do 10 faces a day. I was hungry and wanted to hone my craft. So, I was not complaining. However, as time went on I would start to feel the effects of the hustling in my hands and wrists. The tingling in my wrists, pain in my hands got worst with time. To be completely honest, I ignored the signs and thus the remedies. However during Covid it progressed rapidly and after visiting my doctor, I was told that I have acute carpal tunnel. I began pain management treatment after giving birth and reduced the amount of clients I could take daily. Wore hand braces to bed on the days when I was over booked and even during client application at times. However the brushes still were falling out my hands mid application, pickle jars were remaining unopened until I could use all my strength to open it or have someone else do it. The pain management slowed down the progress but each day, I saw the signs clearer that I tried to ignore for years.

So what’s next King? Well for starters, I have greatly reduced the clientele I take, which has impacted my income but God is still great, I am blessed. I have incorporated rest weekends or days each month. Secondly, I will transition to a membership concept for clients; because you know around here membership has its benefits. Starting in 2025 you will be able to book me for the year, the month, or the week in advance for a special members only rate. Eventually however, I will be transitioning to being a completely product based company, and will continue to host makeup classes so you can learn the King technique yourself. I have also hired a team and some interns that will begin learning how I apply makeup to help with the overflow of clientele I will no longer physically be able to service. I wanted to put you guys on notice about what's to come, many of you have been rocking and rolling with KE for a quite some time. And since ya'll in the clurb, we all fam.

I want to close by saying thank you thus far for your support. King Elizabeth Makeup Artistry would’ve remained an idea in my sketchbook without the support and encouragement. I have been doing makeup for over a decade. I have been working on this transition for years, some of you have already been made aware of this change that’s approaching and although sad you guys have been so supportive. I am grateful for that. If you have been waiting to get your makeup done by me, join the gang now because time is almost up for these hands. Now, in the interim, let’s go out with a bang, it’s not over yet. Shop the sales, book the appointments and tell a friend to tell a friend. King Elizabeth Makeup Artistry is built to last… I am excited to show you guys what’s next for this brand and for God to show me what’s next for me.

As always with love,

Jessica Elizabeth